Cell Phone packages......??????

[Sparky Kronkite]

For the first time in 15 years - I/we (the Shebabe and I) have to "get and pay for" our own techno/communications shit. Computers, beepers, phones......

Been looking into cellphone packages and got the general bantor down. But, but, but.....

What's yer alls opin?

AT&T has free refurbished Nokia's on a family plan with unlimited sharing between family phones - only it's a 2 yr deal.

I hear Cingular has similar.

Don't really care how sex the damn thing is - the flip's are cool though and are reportedly clearer. But some are well over 2 hundred bucks and no rebate.

What do you guys think?

Oh - don't think we would want internet access from the cell. Just messaging (no beeper that way) a good reliable phone and service - for the best deal of course. Probably 400 minutes would do us great. Those "shared/family" packages also share the minutes too - so sometimes no so good. It all depends.

Let's have it.

 

[freakygirl]

my cell plan sucks and so does my phone

and i'm stuck with it for another year

I have US Cellular with a "free" Nokia phone.

blah..

I do get 1000 shared minutes and free long distance.

that part of the plan is fine if the f'ing phone worked all the time. I spend more time in "no service" areas then I do in "service" areas.

called them they said.. It's just the way the towers are set up. Ok that's fine, but why didn't they tell me this BEFORE i bought the plan? The little map in the book shows all of Washington as being in my "area". I can't drive 5 miles from my home without going into roam.. or no service.

Sorry.. you wanted advice.. not rants..

 

[Emeraldtryst]

Everyone that I've talked to that decided to go with Sprint PCS has loved it. We had to take the phone underground to start getting interference.

You might cough up some serious cash for the phone...but their rate plans are nice.

 

[Cheyenne]

Cingular. 900 minutes per month. No roaming or long distance charges anywhere in continental U.S.A. Flat rate of $100 per month. Actually is $108 after all the taxes are added.
The digital works well and I've no problems with it using it in other parts of the country.

Actually, you heard me on my cell phone for all of about 10 seconds, Sparky.

 

[lickerish]

ah.. finally, a thread i can sink my teeth into..

VoiceStream

$39.99... Get More
500 weekday minutes
unlimited weekends (no not nights & weekends)
free long distance within the US (minus Canada)
free roaming within the US (minus Alaska, Canada)

$59.99... Get More Plus
800 weekday
" "
" "
" "

$69.99... Familytime pooling plan (for 2 phones, shared minutes)
800 weekday
unlimited weekend
unlimited mobile to mobile (VoiceStream phones)
free long distance within the US (minus Canada)
free roaming within the US (minus Alaska, Canada)


Usually can get a brand new phone w/ activation.. for just your basic phone, I recommend the Nokia 3390 (now has AOL aim capabilities). All phones come with text messaging as a basic service, not dependant on what type phone you get. All rate plans get 50 free incoming (only) text messages.. anything over 50 and all outgoing are @ $.05/ message. UNLESS you subscribe to Ping Pong 500 for $2.99... gives you 500 in/outgoing messages.

And Spark? the flip, honest to god, doesn't do a damn thing for reception or service. It's there to protect the keys.



your friendly VoiceStream cust care rep ,

Licky


(*VoiceStream is not for everybody- coverage wise- it's got it's problems just like any other carrier)

 

[April]

Don't know much about current phone offerings. When we had our cell connected, we were with Sprint PCS. Great service overall, and the free long distance was great. I don't know if they do that anymore though.

But if anybody wants a used cell phone, let me know. LOL Can't use it over here. PM me if you're interested.

 

[Bob Peale]

Sparky

I travel a lot and I can tell you that where you are will make a huge difference.

If you really are thinking about relocating to the DC Metro Area, avoid Sprint and Cingular like the plague! The Sprint network there has about an 85% call completion rate, and calls have a habit of being dropped there for no good reason, and Cingular is not built out.

Voicestream isn't bad, but they are like Nextel in that they do not have many roaming agreements with other carriers, so if you are not on their network, you don't have coverage. The telephones do not roam onto analog networks.

Currently, I have AT&T, and I can get calls anywhere in the country. The Regional and Digital One plans have unlimited nights and weekends, have a fairly wide coverage area, and decent minutes. But most importantly, I almost always can make and get calls in any city that I am (including downtown Washington, DC and Chicago, which have both proven to be cel hell!).

I've had almost every carrier out there, and used them in almost every city and could go on at length about most of them. If you want more info, drop me an email.

 

[Angelus]

Hate cell phones and the plans that come with them so to make it short and sweet I wouldn't be bothered in getting one at all.

 

[LadyDarkFire]

I currently have AT&T, and they are pretty good, 30 bucks a month covers all my calls. except for long distance (I paid the 4.99 and got 10 cents a minute long distance on it). I get unlimited TMs for 6 months and a voice box, its a clear service, and the phone was a Nokia 5190, free, and brand new, along with a free hands free set.

 

[BlondGirl]

I had what became Cingular for about 2 years. When it switched to Cingular, they would add random calls to my bill, extra charges. Of course, each month, they would take them off, but still.... The fact that they did it EVERY month to EVERYone I know who uses them was a bummer.
If connection is your main priority, they were the only phone service working during the Houston flood this summer that NEVER EVER lost use.

I now use a Sprint phone (Yes, it is a flip-face. I do not like having to look down to see the button to push to answer and end calls on the freeway.) I get more minutes now and as long as I am on the interstate or in a metropolitan area, I do not roam. I have almost to Dallas on it and to the Mississippi border without losing connection. (When I do lose it, I just call right back.)
I got the handy text messaging on there so my friends and family can send me a message from their computer telling me to call them if they are long distance. It is handy.
Currently, I am satisfied with their service.

 

[MissTaken]

Verizon

I just got my cell two weeks ago. So far, I am very happy with the plan.

34.99/month

250 daytime minutes

3000 anytime minutes

no long distance or roaming fees

A motorola phone was "thrown in".

The accessories were 30 percent off

60 dollars to get started and I bought an insurance plan for the phone was an additional 50.

It has much better service than the Cingular phone I had a couple of years ago. I only lose the signal in the mountains.

 

[MidnightAngel]

I originally had AT&T, which I didn't care for at all. It came with a Motorola phone which was junk.

I currently have Verizon Wireless. I probably would not sign up with them again. I have a lot of "no service" areas, which I was told I would not have. Also, Verizon recommended Samsung phones when I signed up, which I have had a VERY had time finding accessories for (car chargers especially). However, the rates are quite good: I have three phones, each with 250 minutes (no roaming, no long distance), and my bill is around $100.00 a month.

 

[TonyG]

I use Cingular because it's family plan covered all of the areas (states) I wanted to reach as part of their basic coverage. Voicestream, At&T and Sprint did not. Plans start at $29.99 (including roaming) and go up. The only option to me that was worthwhile was the free nights and weekends for an additional $9. All cell calls to ANYONE on the cingular network are also free with some of the plans.

Cingular also has a plan for one person of $35 including long distance and about free 350 minutes.

I believe Sprint and Voicestream still do not have complete coverage across the US.

Don't be sucked into the 'minutes' mumbo jumbo. Some plans say 1000 minutes but 800 are only on the weekend so if you want to make many weekday calls you are stuck out of luck.

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

I have Verizon with a Motorola Star Tac that I bought because I wanted it's features. It is a lot better than the old Nokia analog I had. The thing I hated about the Nokia was that you couldn't use it without the battery - so if the battery went dead you were stuck even if you could plug the charger in. The Motorola doesn't have that limitation.

I did a lot of research on TDMA vs. CDMA (the different digital transmission methods) and found that CDMA (what Verizon uses IIRC) is the better scheme (by a little bit) for outlying areas and where there is interference or marginal reception.

I got their "regional" plan to where I can wander around the western US for less than $40 (not including tax, etc.) and have 400 anytime minutes and free long distance anywhere in the US. The few times I have called a friend in Canada the charges were expensive though. I think that plan is now $5 more - but I got the old rater.

I can switch to a different plan anytime I want - but I have to stick with that plan for one month before I can switch back. The national plan where I can call anywhere from anywhere in the US is $55. But it varies on your home location:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/zip/plsql/vzw_zip.zip?p_alias=vzw_plans_pricing

The other thing I like, and I imagine other providers have something similar, is that anybody can send me a text message from their computer, and it doesn't cost me or them anything.

http://www.msg.myvzw.com/messaging.jsp

So if my daughter or someone else (hint hint to a certain Lit member ) wants to send me a message, or have me call them, they don't have to call me or incur charges on their phone, and I can (if they want) call them back because my long distance is free. This is good for when you have kids on a budget. There is also web browsing, etc. - but I don't use that, not really practical on a phone

 

[lickerish]

Voicestream= you can roaming ANYwhere in the US.. doesn't matter the carrier as long as it's digital (I know, but it's a big step compared to before). Still can't get analog service, but then.. analog is slowly but surely fading away.

our other plans not mentioned:
19.99 Basic
60 weekday
500 weekends
50 free incoming text (as mentioned above)
free long distance within the US (minus Canada)
free roaming within the US (minus Alaska, Canada)

29.99 Ping Pong 500 (text message plan)
200 weekday voice minutes
500 weekend voice minutes
500 text messages
free long distance within the US (minus Canada)
free roaming within the US (minus Alaska, Canada

99.99 Get More Max
1400 weekday
unlimites weekend
free long distance within the US (minus Canada)
free roaming within the US (minus Alaska, Canada)


I should represent VoiceStream, not Jamie Lee it's sad when you've got this stuff memorized.

Have a good day everyone.

 

[Mischka]

Re: Sparky

If you really are thinking about relocating to the DC Metro Area, avoid Sprint and Cingular like the plague! The Sprint network there has about an 85% call completion rate, and calls have a habit of being dropped there for no good reason, and Cingular is not built out.

I second Bob regarding the Sprint PCS plan. We had it up there, and it royally sucked. And I use "sucked" in the most technical sense here.

Mr. Mischka and I share a plan, so I'll give you general advice on the features of a shared plan. 400 minutes is nothing unless the plan does not count the minutes the phones will spend talking to each other. If they are counted against your plan minutes, then you are actually double dipping - both phones are using the minutes, so a 2 minute phone call costs 4 minutes. We have 500 anytime minutes and 1500 weekend and nights minutes. Never come anywhere close to using the 1500 minutes, but we've used the 500 minutes several times (Mr. Mischka uses the cell as his primary business phone).

Free long distance is a must, especially considering that you and the Shebabe are going to be relocating and will have lots of friends in other area codes. We haven't used the long distance feauture on our home phone since we got the cells, and the savings in long distance alone pay for the cell phones.

Until you find a plan and a phone that you really like, avoid signing up for an annual commitment. Then after a month or two you can threaten to leave for a better plan with someone else and the company will "miraculously" find a better plan for you.

Lastly, Samsung makes great phones. Nokias are the worst of the bunch. Ask the rep which phones the plan has been using the longest - not only the brand, but the style. The ones that have been around the longest are the most reliable. So many of them are flash-in-the-pan phones, and will just be a waste of your money.

One last lastly, keep the boxes and all accompanying paperwork for the phones. Then when you want to upgrade, you can sell the old phones on eBay for the same price you paid for them (no joke - we've done this twice now).