New Cell Phone Plan

[ToiletDuck]

Hey guys I'm currently using cingular and it's been about 18 months to 2 years since i've upgrade. But before i do so i'd like to see what other phones are out there. I'd like to have nationwide calling and unlimited nights and weekends or at least a few thousand minutes for that. Any companies out there giving better deals than cingular. There's so much crap to look at i get confused on which ones the right one.... Also no a seprate not I just got hired on by Dell in the sales department so hope to hear from some of you guys... monitors and stuff mostly :P i know no one here wants complete systems.

[crimedog]

check out t-mobile. i love it
$40/month + taxes (almost $5) gets you unlimited nights and weekends, and 600 anytime minutes. voicemail, caller id, etc included. 500 txt messages extra $3/month. internet $3/month. :)

[ToiletDuck]

Wow that does sound pretty good. I'm gonna go check it out. Also my cingular phone, and older generic one, keeps crashing. Almost 4-5 times a day!

[Rezin777]

That's the T-Mobile plan I used to have, it's great. I added another phone for an extra $20 and the combined minutes are 800, everything else its the same. Not bad if one of the phones isn't going to be used as much. Decent prices.

[ToiletDuck]

How's the service? Any hassle with them? I had sprint once and just hated it. Also what's the reception like on their phones? Usually pretty good?
Duck

[blackjackel]

whatever you do DO NOT GET ATNT

Tech support.... CRAP

Free fones..... CRAP

Prices..... CRAP

RECEPTION..... DOUBLE CRAP

CELL PHONE THEFT SAFEGUARDS..... CRAP



I had atnt, paid every bill on time, my last month with them, someone stole my cell phone and i thought i lost it, 3 days later, and after looking EVERYWHERE i canceled my phone.

Next month bill comes, $1400+ for some idiot bulgarian calling up his bulgarian freinds in europe and los angeles, and they say i MUST pay it.

This CANT happen with verizon, they have safeguards...


I have verizon and i love it.

[cursor]

I'm pretty happy with Cingular. The roll over is great for me, you get extra lines for $9.99 with free mobile to mobile in your region, and they have some pretty decent phones, though I'm chomping at the bit to get a Microsoft Smartphone and they don't sell one yet. They have a nice Motorola flip phone, or if you're a high roller, the handspring treo 600.

Whoever you choose, try to get a contract through the business division. My sister's a lawyer and she referred me to a Cingular business guy. I don't ever have to deal with crap national service--this guy is only a phone call away and if it's an emergency I can go to his office, only a 1 year commitment, and he gave me a break on my phone price and my monthly rate price. I imagine it's the same with pretty much any of their competitors business reps, too. Heck, this week we were having trouble with our phones--he gave us new ones--free. Headsets, chargers, car charger--free. No additional commitment.

Of course we do have a higher dollar rate plan.

[Subaru]

I'm using T-mobile, and bought myself the Motorola MPX200. SInce being a member for a year, they gave me unlimited Data usage/ internet for 2.99. All I know is, I'm listens to Streaming radio with my media player on the phone at work all the time.

I'm using the Family plan which is $99 for 1600 minutes! If you're talking with a girlfriend alot, I would advice going family plans.

Also, they have another plan which is only in certain area, 1000 minutes, free night and weekends for $39.99!!! Now that's a deal.!

[unreal]

i have used nextel for the past couple yrs,, never really needed to switch

[Pinky]

Originally posted by blackjackel
I had atnt, paid every bill on time, my last month with them, someone stole my cell phone and i thought i lost it, 3 days later, and after looking EVERYWHERE i canceled my phone.

Next month bill comes, $1400+ for some idiot bulgarian calling up his bulgarian freinds in europe and los angeles, and they say i MUST pay it.

This CANT happen with verizon, they have safeguards...
I have verizon and i love it.

I had a similar issue with my cingular plan. I now have ATT and wouldn't recommend them. The nice phone upgrade is the only reason I kept the plan past the first month.

I've heard a lot of good things about t mobile and Verizon.

[ToiletDuck]

@Subaru: you can listen to streaming audio on your phone? It has the web on it? You can go to like www.radiostorm.com and listen to nothing but new music?

Also how do i find out which phones will work with T-mobile. I don't see that one listed.

[crimedog]

From my searching/comparisions here's what i've found:
Nextel: most expensive, great service, charge you for every little thing. best for professional use.
Verizon: huge calling area, reasonable prices, now coming out with direct connect.
T-mobile: cheapest, straight forward plans, won't try to dick you over. good coverage.
Cingular: ok reception, ****ty service, will try and screw you over almost every month.

If you like small sleek phones, check out the samsungs. I have the S105 and love it, the only problem with it is that the ring volume is way too quiet. otherwise it's great, awesome on batteries, cool features, small, sexy :)

[ayoung]

Originally posted by ToiletDuck
Hey guys I'm currently using cingular and it's been about 18 months to 2 years since i've upgrade. But before i do so i'd like to see what other phones are out there. I'd like to have nationwide calling and unlimited nights and weekends or at least a few thousand minutes for that. Any companies out there giving better deals than cingular. There's so much crap to look at i get confused on which ones the right one.... Also no a seprate not I just got hired on by Dell in the sales department so hope to hear from some of you guys... monitors and stuff mostly :P i know no one here wants complete systems.

Well Im very happy with cingular.

I get for 40 dollars a month - 20% + tax, 500 Nationwide Anytime minutes that rollover ( I currently have about 2800 anytime minutes to use, ANYTIME) and then 5000 N/W. I have a S307 and I love that LITTLe phone, good receptions unless you cover the attentena with your hand.

Adam

[Pinky]

Originally posted by ayoung
Well Im very happy with cingular.

I get for 40 dollars a month - 20% + tax, 500 Nationwide Anytime minutes that rollover ( I currently have about 2800 anytime minutes to use, ANYTIME) and then 500 N/W.

Just don't forget to use them by the end of the contract year, or you lose them. ;)

[Subaru]

Originally posted by ToiletDuck
@Subaru: you can listen to streaming audio on your phone? It has the web on it? You can go to like www.radiostorm.com and listen to nothing but new music?

Also how do i find out which phones will work with T-mobile. I don't see that one listed.


I haven't try that website yet, but will try today and see if I can get that site to work. I know I can go to every website and the unlimited data is very good. My phone was made for ATT but I have unlock it to work on every gsm service. If you have the dough, get the Samsung i600 or i6000 smartphone. BUt if you're on the budget, get mine, it will do the job well.

[RobStyle]

I have cingular and only have a few complaints.
The first complaint was the initial one year contract. I had signed up for unlimited night and weekends and 400 anytime minutes in early 2001. It wasnt until late 2002 when I went over 400 minutes in one month (peak time) that it came to light the initial contract was never fully set in action and unlimited night and weekends was never added to my service. I was ****ed when I got a bill that was double the amount it should have been.

They then gave me (since my contract had been up and I was/still am on month to month) 600 anytime minutes, unlimited night and weekends, nationwide calling, all the goodies for $50.00 a month and that includes roll over minutes and free long distance.

I am still using my Nokia 8290.
Its never failed me, is small and does what I bought it to do, make and answer calls. I dont want or need a stupid camera or games.

The worst part of cingular is the customer service.
I once lost my phone, they did send a new one since I had insurance but they also got my number screwed up in the process. Could have been an isolated incident, I dunno but it wasnt pretty. It was such a fiasco later I found the phone, called them to unlock it and they did it no problem. I still have two working phones and still only pay for one :)

My original decision for going with cingular was the one year contract. I am still with them because of the great plan although a new phone for customer loyalty would be nice.

[Fuzzbeaner]

Rollover is such a gimmick. Essentially, people that don't use their minutes get them "rolled over", but because they're well always under the 500 minute maximum anyways, they don't end up using these extra minutes.

Great on paper, useless in real life. Unless you have a reason to go on a phone spree in December.....

-Jeff

[hosic]

I'll second the t-mobile crew. Awesome service

[ToiletDuck]

Subaru clean out your inbox lol

[Subaru]

Just did.

[Elephanthead]

I love verizion, and if you buy a data cable on ebay for 10 bucks, and setup MOU on your cell phone account for $0 a month, you can connect it to a laptop and get 256k wireless conection thru your cell phone and only use minutes of usage, which means that on night and weekend free wireless internet anywhere you get a digital verizion signal, which for me is everywhere.

[ToiletDuck]

MOU? is that something that can be used with other providers? That would be helpful for my mother with her laptop when she goes to our bayhouse.

[Elephanthead]

No its internet access provided by Verizion, you don't need an ISP verzion gives it to you for free. You just use minutes as if you were calling someone with the cell phone. If they are free night and weekend minutes, then its free.
MOU is what its called on the contract you sign with verzion, make sure the contract you sign has it included.

[ToiletDuck]

wow and at 256 that would be nice!!!!!

[Krowa 02]

Let me just say that im a use of t mobile here on long island. I have to say this is the worst service ever, theres towns where the connection is dead. The thing is even dead in my house sometimes. Verizon worked during the black out here, and it even works in the tunnels. I may try cingular once my contract runs out, 2nd largest provider, who knows.

[cursor]

Originally posted by Pinky


Just don't forget to use them by the end of the contract year, or you lose them. ;)

I just renewed my contract with cingular to get a new phone (Motorola V400 $100-$100 MIR = tax only), and they let me keep all my roll over minutes. I think it depends on your sales guy.

[ToiletDuck]

if you have a few thousand minutes could you just get a smaller plan then use them?