Thinking of canceling my landline and going cellphone only. Anyone regret doing this? (emergency, coverage)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Many home security systems use a land line to contact the monitoring station when there is a break in or fire (or whatever else you monitor for). Cellular backup boxes are available that will use cell signals to alert the centers, but many security companies will charge you from $200 to $300+ for the box, plus, add a few dollars each month to your monitoring fees to use the cell feature. Likewise, newer systems that rely on WiFi for notification can also be glitchy if you have a slight interruption in broadband service, and they may also add a few dollars for this type of monitoring as well.
Also, cell towers tend to overload and give out much easier than land lines. I have had two personal experiences with this. One was right after a small tornado hit my area and I needed to call out and let folks know I didn't get a direct hit. I have a primary Verizon phone that I use as my main cell, and an AT&T prepaid I use for a side business... both of their towers were not operating after the storm - my land line however, worked. The second time there was a large gas leak in my area and they had to evacuate our neighborhood quickly; I had three larger dogs at the time and needed some help getting them all out, and when I tried to call out on my cell(s), all circuits were overloaded and I couldn't get the call out to a friend to help me out with them - again, my land line, worked.
It is for these reasons that I will never dump my land line so long as it's available in my area. I may trim the services on it to bring the bill down to a complete minimum in service/features, but I won't give it up. Cell phones are incredibly convenient, but they are also the least reliable during a local emergency/disaster situation, too.
. . . It is for these reasons that I will never dump my land line so long as it's available in my area. I may trim the services on it to bring the bill down to a complete minimum in service/features, but I won't give it up. Cell phones are incredibly convenient, but they are also the least reliable during a local emergency/disaster situation, too.
I agree with your reasoning, Greg, and for similar reasons have kept my land line. The cost is minimal and it's worth it, to me, to have a second manner for emergency use.
I could save $20 a month on my cable bill by dumping my landline and making my cellphone my only phone. Has anyone who has done this found any downside to not having a landline anymore?
I don't know about you, but I always feel much less comfortable talking on a cell phone than on a landline. It's just the comfort and the way that it fits my ears and mouth. I wish that they'd make a larger cell phone that would mimic the comfort that I feel when talking on a landline.
I don't know about you, but I always feel much less comfortable talking on a cell phone than on a landline. It's just the comfort and the way that it fits my ears and mouth. I wish that they'd make a larger cell phone that would mimic the comfort that I feel when talking on a landline.
Call quality is far higher using a cellphone as compared to our landline.
When we were still using our landline, we had to shout at each other, and very often we spent our time trying to relay our cellphone number for them to call us back on our cell.
I don't know about you, but I always feel much less comfortable talking on a cell phone than on a landline. It's just the comfort and the way that it fits my ears and mouth. I wish that they'd make a larger cell phone that would mimic the comfort that I feel when talking on a landline.
Thanks, but it says that they are "not available for purchase at this time". I guess that there are others that feel the same way that I do. I'm 48, so I grew up with the landline and also did extensive telemarketing sales throughout the years. I don't think that there is any substitute for it, the clearness, the confidence that the call will not "drop" and no outside distracting noise that appears on a cell.
I got my first cell phone in January 2010 (yep, held out that long!) and got rid of my landline at the same time. I thought I was being smart by transferring my landline phone number -- which I'd had for 8 years -- to my cell phone. The problem is that now I get telemarketing calls (and other nuisance calls) on my cell. Ugh.
When I moved to a new house a few months ago, I went with VOIP (in addition to my cell phone) for 2 reasons -- first, the bundled price was cheaper than getting the other 2 items together (Internet, cable), and second, because I call Canada fairly frequently and those calls are free on my VOIP but (relatively) expensive on my cell.
I got my first cell phone in January 2010 (yep, held out that long!) and got rid of my landline at the same time. I thought I was being smart by transferring my landline phone number -- which I'd had for 8 years -- to my cell phone. The problem is that now I get telemarketing calls (and other nuisance calls) on my cell. Ugh.
When I moved to a new house a few months ago, I went with VOIP (in addition to my cell phone) for 2 reasons -- first, the bundled price was cheaper than getting the other 2 items together (Internet, cable), and second, because I call Canada fairly frequently and those calls are free on my VOIP but (relatively) expensive on my cell.
Is your cell phone number registered on the National Do Not Call Registry? Here's the link, in case you want it. It might help, I know it did, for me. https://www.donotcall.gov/
In addition to the National Do Not Call Registry, some states have their own Do Not Call List. In Florida, it has far more teeth than the National list with much higher fines for telemarketers who break the rules.
I get a landline as part of my cable hostage package. I find the landline useful. For one, you may not know it but cell phones can have crappy connections. Also add that I dont want my cell phone blowing up with telemarkters. Also in my line of work I find a lot of customers ditch the landline and when they call me to troubleshoot their cell phone we have to postphone a day or two until they can go to a friend's house with a landline. Can't troubleshoot a cell phone while talking on it. Landlines are so cheap now its worth it to me to keep it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
