Question (Tucson: get credit, travel, work)

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by She_Dvl

Well, I am moving to the Globe area...and I don't think they have T-mobile there or Cingular. So I figured I would be limited to the Alltel or the Verizon service.

I like that "My Circle" feature that Alltel has but with so many on Verizon it seems....isn't the IN thing with them pretty much equal to the same thing minus land lines of course?

I think you are best off with CDMA if outside the metro area of Phoenix/Tucson. So Verizon/Alltel is the way to go. IN calling on Verizon means you can call any other Verizon wireless customer anywhere in their service area (which is pretty extensive) with no airtime charges. They do not have the land line equivalent that I know of.

[nwill25]

I have being reading this forum for about 2 months and I find all the info very helpful. I just have a question about driving I know that.... you should stay were your job is but my question is, that I will be employed by the city of Paradise Valley on Lincoln and was wondering if driving would be a big issue if I worked from 3pm-1am. I have been looking at homes in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler and Peoria area any feed back would be very helpful.

[She_Dvl]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I think you are best off with CDMA if outside the metro area of Phoenix/Tucson. So Verizon/Alltel is the way to go. IN calling on Verizon means you can call any other Verizon wireless customer anywhere in their service area (which is pretty extensive) with no airtime charges. They do not have the land line equivalent that I know of.

Thank you again Ponderosa. You've been very helpful.

Now I am just trying to plot my driving course and decide once I get out of Utah whether it would be faster/easier to go down through Flagstaff and around Phoenix and Superior to get to Globe...or whether it would be better to drive down through Chinle, Show low area to get into Globe.

[Ponderosa]

If you go through Show Low you will go through Salt River Canyon which is awesome - like a mini Grand Canyon you can drive through.

[rambrush]

Soliver
I use Nextel and it works in most areas, there are dead spots in some remote areas.
But the clarity is much better than other carriers I have used in the past.
Works great in Vegas or Phoenix

[She_Dvl]

*UPDATE*

I went with Verizon and so far I am very pleased with the service I got in the store and from what calls I have placed.

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by She_Dvl

I hope no one minds, but this question is about cell phone service in AZ, as opposed to a weather question.

I am considering 2 providers...Alltel and Verizon and was just wondering what everyone's opinion is on which gets the best service. I have heard so many dif things about each one but I would like to hear from people who actually live in AZ and what they have found is the better provider.

Can anyone help me?

When we first moved down here and were looking at cell phones, we went to check out different ones at the local Wal*mart. The 6 people in line ahead of us were there complaining about Alltel. My husband and I decided right then to avoid them and have been very pleased that we did so. All of our friends down here who use Alltel end up changing their provider. Seems like a TON of dropped calls.

We first went with T-Mobile and then switched a year later to SprintPCS. Not that anything was wrong with T-Mobile, we just needed a different plan that they didn't offer at the time. I can count on one hand the number of dropped calls we've had with SprintPCS within the last several years we've had them, and that includes times when we were travelling all over and in analog roaming areas.

Just a hint, but if you do any day trips in AZ, make sure your phone is analog AND digital. When you get out into places like the Joshua Tree National Park, you'll have a hard time finding a digital signals. Also, if you travel quite a bit, like we do, Sprint has a plan for $5/month where you won't be charged roaming fees, ever. My husband travels a TON and this saves us a small fortune.

I know a lot of cell providers get dinged for their customer support departments, but we've had pretty good experiences with both T-Mobile and SprintPCS. It's more difficult to get a native English speaking CSR with Sprint, but when you get someone understandable, they're usually happy to help you. T-Mobile's CSR's were absolutely phenomenal when my husband's first phone was stolen. They were fantastic at helping us get credited for what the person downloaded.

Also, if it makes any difference to you, we don't have a land line in our home. My husband and I only use our cell phones so we use them quite a bit.

[Ladywithafan]

The service provider probably depends on the state/area...I got a "roaming" signal going over the bridge from the island to the mainland, where I live, which I never get...just depends on the waves picking up the signal, I guess...

[agolley]

We're in Southeast USA..Retired and thinking about Southwest..
Grandkids in Calif...
65+ are Flagstaff - Prescott-Sedona gay friendly? We are quiet and private and love good food wine and performaing arts and have put up with a lot of bible belt hate here. Are we out of place in the southwest?

We are in a 175K to 225K price range for housing. Are we in the wrong place??

[MotleyCrew]

If you are not opposed to townhomes, Trend Homes is building some really nice units at Vistancia, N. Peoria. They start around $219K. The homes here are a bit higher starting in the mid to high $200's. We have many people from all states and all situations living here and we all get along (so far). We have a fantastic wine tasting club that meets once a month, called Winos. It is a little more classy than the name implies. Surprise is also a great community with some really good deals on houses now. Check out the different builders web sites, Richmond American Homes comes to mind. Buckeye is growing and also is very affordable. We are partial to the west side but Queen Creek area is also within your budget as is Maricopa. Chandler is very spendy, but not too far away to shop. I am not sure about Gilbert and Mesa as far as housing costs. Some of the other posters here will probably fill you in. You might check out the Trend townhomes, you might like Vistancia. You can google www.vistancia.com to see the ammenities. Good luck.