Time For Phone Switch Survey

[plumtreeblossom]

OK, the old land-line that I hardly ever use is costing me like $100 a month and it's time to get rid of it and go cell-only. Currently my cell service is a Verizon pre-paid, with an ancient phone from the Jurrasic epoch of wireless telecommunication. Obviously I'll need a new real (non-prepaid) account and new phone unit.

So, each of you please tell me what cell service you use, and how well it's working out for you. I would love one that throws in the phone for free, if at all possible. Also, if you have used any services that you felt sucked. Much appreciated.

Comments

[bex77]

I highly recommend T-Mobile. They toss in the free phone if you sign up for a year. They have the lowest price around. Many of their plans have free long distance. And you can call all other T-Mobile types for free! Like me, and E, and Jo and Jason...

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

i agree. i've had a great experience with them. but there are parts of elm street that don't get service. it's a really weird dead zone.

[minkrose]

I'm on cingular through my family and while it's okay, I can't say that I love it. My reception is only okay most of the time. I wouldn't say stay away, but I'm not going to try and sell it to you either, if that makes sense.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I have Sprint, but I don't recommend them. Generally speaking, T-Mobile is cheapest (and good), while Verizon has the widest coverage area, but is more expensive. If I were switching providers, I'd probably go with T-Mobile. They also have a store right in Davis.

(Every provider will give you a free phone with a contract.)

[guxx.livejournal.com]

I've had Verizon since I bought my first cellphone in 1999. Their customer service sucks at times, but now that you can do most stuff online it's better. And for signals, kicks ass except some rotaries here and there. Since I travel around the country now and again, Verizon is the best carrier.

Am surprised you still have a landline in the same way that Trent was surprised Ole still had tap water.

[gabriellag.livejournal.com]

I agree with the caller above about T-Mobile. Free basic phone which will be nicer than the one you have, all their plans have nationwide so there is no roaming, and they have excellent customer service.

For example, I recently dropped my phone in some water. I did not have insurance. But because I'd been with them for more than a year and always paid my bills on time they gave me a phone at the price I would have paid at sign up. Very nice phone for very cheap and it was my mistake!

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

I'm looking at getting a cellphone next month too! ablock has T-Mobile, so of course he wants me to get that :-) but I am pleased to see the positive feedback here. No idea what Tiger Boy has; he's got a Virginia cellphone (thanks to Mom and Dad) which he NEVER bothers to have on, or even with him... but for the coming academic year, he's planning to give up the landline in his dorm room, so I don't know if that means he will get a different cell plan or just use the one he has more routinely. We'll see.

[desultor.livejournal.com]

have t-mobile, like it. we'll see what happens when i move :)

also, hate to be pedantic, but jurassic. like the movie. :)

[saturn939.livejournal.com]

I have Verizon, never had a problem with it. They gave me a free phone two years ago.

-Dej

[marmota.livejournal.com]

They're all monolithic and terrible to deal with, just each in their own special way. My two cents is that it's not a matter of finding a good one so much as just finding the one that will irritate you the least.

I had Omnipoint, which became T-Mobile. I vastly prefer the sound quality of a GSM network, which around here means T-Mobile, but I got so fed up with their someone-overseas-reading-from-a-three-ring-binder bureacracy every time I could actually even get out of voicemail hell with them on the phone that I decided to try a different carrier. I've since switched to Verizon, and while the sound quality of CDMA irritates my ears, at least Verizon customer support can and does escalate to people with clue quickly on a service call. *shrug* There's my experience, they both have their pros and cons, hope this helps.

[wellstar.livejournal.com]

I'm with Verizon and I truly have no complaints. I've taken it all over the country and never had a problem with reception. The few incidents for which I've needed to call customer service have been resolved with little to no drama, and I've definitely taken advantage of perks like the "new afer 2" phone plan and in-network calling. Thumbs up from me.