Yes, I am being dragged into the 1990s (yeah, I know) and am going to get a cell phone—strictly for emergencies, like getting stuck on a train or under rubble in the next attack.
I would be using it very seldom, and would mostly be calling long-distance: Phila., Tucson and Brooklyn from NYC and NJ. I understand Verizon is a good company (they’re also my regular carrier, so maybe we could incorporate the two bills?). What’s the best plan for me, so the fast-talking salesman doesn’t sell me a pup?
Eve, I purchased a cell phone for my dad (at Sears) that is strictly for emergencies. I think the whole purchase (inlcuding minutes) came to less than $100. You can buy 30 minutes of time, which is loaded onto the phone when you purchase the time. It tells you how many minutes you have left, blah-blah-blah. I think the minutes are good for a month or two. Then he usually calls his brother to blow off the minutes he has left. This was 2 years ago. I don’t know if there is a more reasonable plan out there today, but if you’re serious about the “just emergencies” thing, this is the way to go.
By the way, hubby and I don’t have a cell phone either. Our friends call us the Flintstones. We just can’t bring ourselves to do it yet. Old hippies die hard.
I’m with you EchoKitty re: not having a cell phone. To my way of thinking, the only person on Earth who should be able to call me at any time of the day or night, from any location on the planet, is the President.
My just-for-emergencies phone is from Cingular Wireless. $100 for the phone and first 3 months coverage, then $20 every 3 months after that. It may be different if you want nationwide coverage, though. Mine is only in selected parts of New York State, and if I call from outside that area, I am charged something like $0.90/minute. Happy hunting!
I just wonder if Verizon wouldn’t be better for me, as I already use them for my regular phone service, and that would be one less bill to pay. Or one less envelope to stamp, anyhow.
If you get prepaid minutes, you don’t have to send a bill or whatever. I have Verizon Free-Up, and I have it set up with my credit card number. Every 2 months I have to ad $30 to the account, which I can do by just making a call to customer service and going through an automated menu. Alternatively, you can buy cards, which are available in lots of stores.
My Word of Wisdom is to make sure that your phone will work where you want it to. If you have friends with phones, see if you can lure them onto the train (or just borrow their phone) to make sure their company has coverage there. This might be less of a concern in Civilized Regions, but my phone doesn’t work at home, which is a bit of a pain in the butt. Makes me want to throw things at the TV when they show the “Can you hear me now?” guy standing in some swamp somewhere. Great, I can use my phone in the Everglades, but not in my living room.
i’m with the group that hates cell phones, but i had to get one for work. turns out that they’re often very convenient.
i realize you probably asked about cell phone service here so you could get a quick, easy answer. but in typical straight dope form, i’d suggest you do a little research and put a little thought into it.
they rate verizon as the best (and most expensive), followed by at&t wireless. sprint pcs, qwest, and t-mobile are the worst.
i used to have verizon. the only problem i ever had was when some knucklehead rammed his car into a service tower and shut down service in my area. i guess i also had problems while driving through the texan outback (far west texas), but i can’t imagine too many companies offer service out there. other than that, they were great. however, i just switched to at&t wireless because they are a lot cheaper, and still offer very good service.
i should also point out that most of my friends have sprint pcs, and they have few, if any, complaints. of course, we live in dowtown dallas, and any cell phone company worth its salt should offer adequate service in a city this big.
here’s another article on how to choose a service for you:
there isn’t anything revolutionary in their advice, but it never hurts to go over the basics.
the only other advice i’d give you (other than what’s been mentioned by others) is that you should be careful of roaming. roaming charges are pretty expensive. so be sure you check out any calling plan’s home area before signing a contract.
Cell phones are the Devil’s tool. No doubt. The proof for this is that even though I hated them, I got one, and I love them now. The serpent’s tongue convinces all.
Actually, my cell phone IS my phone. After moving I decided to forego the land line as I would be getting cable internet, not dial-up, and with free long distance, unlimited nights and weekends, and great reception (metro Boston calling metro Cleveland, mostly), the $40 a month phone bill was heaven-sent compared to the lousy $70+ I used to spend on land-lines.
Anyway, if you really are only going to use it for emergencies I think the pre-paid option is the way to go. No doubt.
We have Sprint PCS, and have had it for years. The coverage is awful. I mean really awful. Getting hold of customer service is no treat either. We’re looking to switch, mainly because of coverage problems.
Maybe it is only in this area, but sometimes the call will go through, sometimes it will switch to the more expensive “roaming” access, and sometimes the calls will not go through AT ALL. This is from our house >> to my SO’s workplace. It is very inconsistent and we never know if it will go through or not.
My tiny feeble mind is about to implode. I went to the Verizon store and explained what I need and what I don’t need, and “what is the cheapest option you have?” And he showed me a $70 phone (the only one I can use all over the U.S. while traveling) and he said I would need to re-up my “minutes” every two months ($30 a shot and no, they won’t remind me, and yes, I have to buy a bunch of minutes every month even if I will never use them, or I’ll lose my number).
All I want is a phone I can use when I need it, but I don’t want to have to pay for minutes I am never going to need or use! Is this my best—only—option, or is there something else?
Click on “Wireless,” then “By Lifestyle.” Eve, you sound like you might be “Minimalist” or “Average Jo”. Whether you choose to buy from these people is up to you, but the site will allow you to compare plans and phones side-by-side.
Hmmm, thanks, av8rmike. What I came up with is comparable to what Verizon offered—and my techie sister says that’s probably the best plan for me, that “most people wind up buying more minutes than they’ll use.”
Just to chime in with some personal experience here…
I have US Cellular, and their coverage, quality, and service sucks. Avoid them like the plague (even thought their plans are cheap).
My son (20 yrs old and off to college) has Verizon and loves it. The times I’ve used his phone I’ve been amazed at the quality of the call.
I’m in charge of finding the best cell phone provider for my small software company, and the analysis came back that it was a toss-up between Sprint and Verizon.