Cell Phone Plans

[katwillny]

hey all,
we have been with with Vz for over 10 years and it seems that the bill keeps rising everytime we upgrade. Not to mention that their service where we live is OK. We have surpassed the 150 per month mark for my wife and I with 1000 minutes. I think its a bit high mainly since we are averaging less than 500 minutes per month, they wont change our plan until the contract is up. At which point I am thinking of going with another carrier. Any suggestions? I heard of Republic Wireless which has a 20 per month and it essentially is a hybrid system of WiFi and cellular. The initial fee is 199 which includes a smartphone and the first month, then thereafter it is 20 per month. No contract. I think I will give it a try the last two months of my VZ contract, if I get a good result, ill cancel VZ and go with these guys.

 

[MasterMech]

Katwill, I feel your pain. Everytime the phones improve, the plan price goes up too. I used to have unlimited TXT and Data and now that plan wasn't even available to me with VW. Now everything is "metered". I would like to use my phone for more than txts and the occasional email but I am unwilling to pay the rediculous "data plan" surcharges that come with a smartphone. The worst part is if you don't want/need a smartphone, your choices of phones is extremely limited especially if you prefer to purchase in store. So to replace my Samsung Rogue, I have my choice of a flip phone with a screen I can barely see in the store, let alone out in broad daylight, or a similar syled phone that is feature neutered to the point where it is no longer an "upgrade" for me. (I take tons of pictures with my phone so a half-way decent camera is important to me, something that is rapidly becoming a "premium" feature whereas you used to be able to get good cameras in a similar phone.) So my mom donated her old phone (same as mine) to me to be put back in service once mine finally dies and we will ride out the current plan we're on until we are forced to upgrade sometime in the hopefully distant future.

All because I refuse to pay an extra $30/month (at least!) just for the privledge of using a "smart"phone. Going to a smartphone and it's "necessary" data plan would more than TRIPLE what I now pay for my line. Sad truth is that 75% of the time I would be using the data features of the phone, I'm within WiFi coverage so I wouldn't even be using VzW's network anyways! I've considered a tablet and like the idea, but I really don't want to juggle multiple devices and for it's intended use, it needs to function outside of WiFi coverage too.

Wow, Rant over, off the soapbox now.

 

[jeff_t]

If you have Sprint service in your area, their prices are hard to beat. I'm paying the same for four smart phones with unlimited data that my sister pays for four dumb phones with VZW. Fifteen hundred minutes, of which we use less than one hundred because of the free mobile to mobile. We don't call too many landlines. And unlimited sms and mms.

 

[festerw]

Go to your account online and change the plan. There is no reason you cannot change your minutes while still under contract.

 

[save$]

Does AT&T work ok in your area? Consumer Cellular might be an option. I had US Cellular, very good sevice, now trying Consumer Cellular and my bill will bed over $70 less. We have a smart phone with ll the bells and whistles and one reg. phone. They give an AARP discount. My brother in law has the program now over two years. He used it on the road as a trucker. Told me it was all the phone he needed.

 

[katwillny]

We do have At&T in our area. I looked into Consumer Cellular and it looks promising. Definitely on the short list. thank you so much.

 

[homebrewz]

If you don't need a smart phone, I believe Net10 has 750 minutes/month for $30/month, no contract. The phone is extra, but you own it and they have a lot to choose from.

 

[save$]

With the smart phone, I got hooked on the apps. I esp. Like the bar code scanner so when I shop I can price things out and see if I am getting a good price. Also gives me an on the spot product review. Most important is my schedule. Keeps me on time so I avoid missing appointments, birthdays etc. it all syncs with the home computer. There is a neat gps in it, but I prefer the dedicated gps.

 

[begreen]

We have 3, no data plan phones on ATT for $90 after all fees and taxes.

 

[Cazimere]

I dumped Verizon and went with Tracphone. I paid 300$ up front for a EX124G phone with triple minutes for life which included 3,000 minutes and 2 years service.That gives me just over 2 hours talk time per month (which is plenty for me) and works out to 12.50 per month .

 

[save$]

There are exceptional opportunities to find systems the big boys won't offer. Problem is reception in rural areas. I too went with a carrier that cost much less, but with more dead areas. When I considered I spent less than 1% of my time in those dead areas, the nearly 70% savings was just too much to pass up. New phones to arrive today. I have 45 days to change my mind. I'm trying Consumer Cellular. They use AT&T' towers. Plus a discount to AARP members. I hate to leave my old carrier. I have been with them as far back as their records go. But my cost went from $30 to $117 a month.

 

[chrisasst]

Just throwing in my 2 cents here...We had straight talk a few years back. I decided to go with AT&T go phone about a year ago. I will never go back to another contract or carrier and here is why and what I have with AT&T...I bought a smart phone (prepaid go phone) I have my wife and I on two different rate "plans". I have My wife on a $50 Unlimited minutes, unlimited text "plan". With these smart phones who can access the internet if there is WiFI or pay a small fee for a data plan ( $5 for 50mb, $15 for 200mb). I, myself am on the .10 cent a minute "plan". I don't use my phone much so this works for me. With the .10 cent plan, if you want texting, you have to buy a plan for that, ( $5 for 200 text, $10 for 1000 text, 20 for unlimited text) AND what you don't use will rollover to the next month. So this is what I do, I buy a $50 refill card ( which expires in 90 days), Then my initially buy a $10 text option (1000 text) which comes out of that initial $50 refill. Since I don't use my phone that much, the following month, I still have money left ( lets say $30 in my account) which I buy the $5 text option which comes out of the $30 in my account. Plus since I only used lets say 100 texts, the previous month, I now have 1100 texts. So that Initial $50 will last me about three months.

Hope all that made sense., It is a very good option to look into.

 

[Dtunes]

I have a love hate relationship with vz, by far the best service, but pricey. Not sure what you do for work but my current and last job both had a vz discount as a bene. Might want to look into that if it applies. I get 20% off my plan. I pay a bit over 90 a month for my wife and i with two smart phones and data. Granted every one we call has vz so we never use our mins. Was paying 56 a month before, by myself with my old dinosaur phone.

I agree that they all basically force you into buying a smart phone by having no good regular phones.

 

[MasterMech]

I have a love hate relationship with vz, by far the best service, but pricey. Not sure what you do for work but my current and last job both had a vz discount as a bene. Might want to look into that if it applies. I get 20% off my plan. I pay a bit over 90 a month for my wife and i with two smart phones and data. Granted every one we call has vz so we never use our mins. Was paying 56 a month before, by myself with my old dinosaur phone.

I agree that they all basically force you into buying a smart phone by having no good regular phones.

I agree with the service of VZW. They are the best around here by far and that's a big reason I stuck with them for over 10 years now. I'm a 2nd line on my mom's contract, so that's the best discount by far, just inconvenient whenever we need to upgrade or replace phones. (She lives over an hour away and has to be present to modify the contract.) Not sure how much longer I can go on this arrangement tho since I will need a separate line for my business and possibly wireless data service as well. Just thinking of what it will cost to "cut the cord" so to speak, even without adding the business stuff, makes me sick.

And it's just plain nonsense that you can't buy a decent device that doesn't require a $30+ a month umbillical cord. The non-smartphones offered today are very underwhelming compared to the last two phones that I've had. (about a 5 year stretch which is an eternity as far as phones go.)

 

[begreen]

Still don't have a smartphone. I can't justify the additional monthly expense and it would drive me nuts to have to charge it daily. We charge ours about every 5-7 days. Nokia 6085 is our fave. Tough and reliable and works great as a phone. If it dies I'll get another on eBay.

 

[MasterMech]

You sound like my FIL begreen! He has an old LG flip phone that has been out of production for years and he refuses to upgrade to any other phone, smart or not, even if it's "free". For his/your usage, can't say I blame him/you. I need/want the capability of a smartphone and maybe even mobile broadband internet. I just know it's going to cost me a small fortune and am not looking forward to it.

 

[firefighterjake]

Nokia "dumb" phone from Tracfone . . . we rarely use it though . . . I think we have something like 3,000 minutes/units built up on it since the minutes/units keep accruing each year we re-up . . . as I said we don't use it very often . . . I don't even know the actual phone number.

 

[Adkjake]

I have Tracfone also, no complaints. My usage is pretty light, 2 or 3 calls per day, a few more text messages per day, occassional web browse. I travel quite a bit and it has always worked well wherever there is cell service. Easy to add airtime via their website or right on the phone. I have an LG slider phone, not sure of the model. Guessing my cost is no more than $10 per month. Check their website, all kinds of phones available with double minutes for life deals. Only criticism I have is there customer service call center is in Jamaica I think, people are helpful and knowledgeable, but that accent makes it tough to understand them

 

[gpcollen1]

hey all,
we have been with with Vz for over 10 years and it seems that the bill keeps rising everytime we upgrade. Not to mention that their service where we live is OK. We have surpassed the 150 per month mark for my wife and I with 1000 minutes. I think its a bit high mainly since we are averaging less than 500 minutes per month, they wont change our plan until the contract is up. At which point I am thinking of going with another carrier. Any suggestions? I heard of Republic Wireless which has a 20 per month and it essentially is a hybrid system of WiFi and cellular. The initial fee is 199 which includes a smartphone and the first month, then thereafter it is 20 per month. No contract. I think I will give it a try the last two months of my VZ contract, if I get a good result, ill cancel VZ and go with these guys.

Holy moly, there is no reason why you cannot change your plan while under contract. I have done it 3 time in the past 3 years. I have unlimited texting, 2 regular phones and one smart phone and DO NOT pay what you pay! Family plan is a money saver! I think you are just missing something on how to change your plans or account. Have you called or done it on line?

As for your service, Verizon is the best service in the Northeast. While in some local areas another provider may be better, VZ is the BEST period. AS for the others that pay $20 a month, well if you are making 15 phone calls a month that is fine. If you have a wife and 3 kids and juggling sports and jobs then you need something a bit more modern. I now get text alerts for sports updates and cancellations for my girls. Makes my life easier and worth every penny...

 

[ColdNH]

I had Verizon for like 8 years. I started to get really annoyed with their lack of customer service and they wanted to charge me 250 bucks to get a signal booster for my house so i could get a signal there. Sprint was willing to give me one for free. We switched to sprint cause i was cheap and wanted to save 250$ now I get great service in the house but crappy service everywhere else. I majorly regret switching and now I lost my grandfathered unlimited data from Verizon.

 

[Bocefus78]

Sprint unlimited everything is the way to go if you are a data/smart phone user. There is no comparison price wise.

 

[save$]

I have signed on to Consumer Cellular with the AARP discount. So far, I'm getting signal in 90% of the areas. With US Cellualar, I got 100%. I have a reg phone and a Smart phone. My package with Consumer Cellular is about $70 less. That's $840 bucks a years! I also have a work phone with Verizon that is company paid. I only work Per Diem, but the phone came with the job. They don't care if I use it as long as I don't make premium calls. Most of my savings will come from paying for a service set up to be based on my usage. With USCellular, I had this package I hardly scratched the surface of. No contract with either, so if I don't like the change, I can always switch back.

 

[katwillny]

thanks for the feedback you all. I now have some options and some reading up to do. My contract is up with verizon in the next few months but once the contract is up, i am not going back. Yes they have great service but their plan is very expensive. I am really considering a hybrid phone of cellular and wifi as i spend 90 percent of my time in wifi coverage.

 

[seige101]

Look into a verizon prepaid phone. $50/month for unlimited calling, txt, and mobile web with a standard phone. $80/month with a android based phone unlimited calling, txt and 1gb 4g internet

 

[save$]

I have signed on to Consumer Cellular with the AARP discount. So far, I'm getting signal in 90% of the areas. With US Cellualar, I got 100%. I have a reg phone and a Smart phone. My package with Consumer Cellular is about $70 less. That's $840 bucks a years! I also have a work phone with Verizon that is company paid. I only work Per Diem, but the phone came with the job. They don't care if I use it as long as I don't make premium calls. Most of my savings will come from paying for a service set up to be based on my usage. With USCellular, I had this package I hardly scratched the surface of. No contract with either, so if I don't like the change, I can always switch back.

Update, I have had these phone now long enough to travel around and get my bill. First bill was $43. Far cry from the $117 I was paying for the same type service from US Cellular. I have traveled in Maine, To Milo, Rumford, Bangor, Portland, and Pemaquid, with no loss of reception.
I'm a low end user so 300 min a month is fine for me. Can up the plan for just a few buck more. No obligation.