With my new job and longer commute, I’m wanting to wade back into the world of the electronic ball and chain, the cell phone. I last had one in '03 through Cingular, and they were pretty good up until the time that my contract expired, and I wanted the service cancelled. They tried every way possible to keep the service going, up to and including refusal of a direct cancellation order.
Right now, I’m researching coverages, phones, and plans. Alltel looks the best on paper, WRT coverage area and plan highlights. Verizon is the local land line company, and I get a discount if I get a cell phone and link it to my existing phone bill. Cingular has a contract with my company for discounted phones and service, but they’re weak in locally covered areas.
I did pay as you go with Verizon for the better part of a year or so. I think my total cost for it ( as I already had my own phone that the contract ran out on) was about $40 every six weeks with nights and weekends and in-calling. I even had text messaging and voicemail. I have No Life, so this worked out brilliantly for me. YMMV.
Then my phone became too obselete to service (The battery was something like $65)and I had to get a new phone and I let my husband do that because techno gadgets are his area of expertise. My phone is nice and all ( Verizon) but I lost my old phone number because he is a retard. I’m not bitter.
Either way, Verizon isn’t bad. I have a major Dead Zone problem in our area because of a lack of communication towers, so calls out of our house and in specific areas are not possible. Other than that, I’m fairly to mostly happy.
I think most people agree that Cingular and Verizon suck the least and that T-Mobile and Nextel suck the most. I’m really only on Cingular because most of my friends and family are, too, so I don’t worry about racking up minutes.
I started with ATT and moved to Cingular when I had to upgrade, I get a pretty decent rate with my employers discount. I’m happy, but so are the Verizon folks here.
Pretty much the same as the above. I had AT&T, moved to Cingular when they merged, and have been there ever since. Good service, good coverage where I am, and, to top it all off:
[anecdote]I lost my cell phone over Christmas vacation. Popped off the belt while I was lashing down a loose load in the truck. Thought it was gone, and had “resigned” myself to getting a new Razr. Lo and behold, on New Years Day, the gal at the local Cingular store called me and told me to come down and pick up my phone. Some Good Samaritan had found it and turned it in. Great way to start the year! [/anecdote]
I held out on getting a cell phone until December 2004, when I finally NEEDED one. I went with Verizon because almost everyone I knew recommended it, and now I have to recommend them too. Good coverage, good service (although I’ve hardly ever needed it), and even though they’re more expensive than other plans, it’s probably worth it to avoid the hassle and frustration people suffer with other plans.
Personally, when I had it, I much preferred Verizon in terms of customer service and options, but my house was in a dead zone so I switched to Cingular. Now I have great reception but I’m not fond of Cingular as a company (I think their website really sucks).
My guess is that it depends quite a bit on where you live. Verizon may be great for reception overall but it just sucked in my neighborhood.
I’ve been with T-mobile for 3 years and had absolutely no problems (and great service). I’ve never been charged strange fees. My bill is always my $39.99 per month plus $5 or so in taxes. There’s no roaming charges anywhere the phone works. I just had to get a new phone; the old one lasted 3 years. The only place I’ve ever been (within the US) where my phone didn’t work was rural Wyoming.
To expand a bit on Philster’s comment, the January issue of Consumer Reports is their annual cellphone issue, and that’s where you can find the info he gave.
I have been with T-Mobile since they came into the Seattle area 7 years ago and never a problem. I originally signed up for a plan that cost $39.99 a month and it has stayed the same but I have received many upgrades in service. And each year when it comes time to renew, I have been able to talk them into a new phone for free. I just mention switching to a competitor and the new phone being offered and T-Mobile matches the offer.
We’ve had Verizon (family plan) for 3 1/4 years, and they haven’t tried to piss off either of the grown-ups yet. Bills are coherent and correct, no mysterious roaming or overage fees, polite, competent customer services reps who speak English well, and they haven’t mispelled our names.
We’ll happily renew unless they totally biff it in the next 8 months and 22 days.
We’ve had AT&T, Sprint, CellOne, a horrifically bad local service, and a couple of employer-paid services. Verizon is the only one I haven’t hated.
