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I would truly appreciate as much educated feedback as possible. Correct me if I am wrong but the unlimited talk + text + 500mb data for iPhone 5 is $50/month. SmartTalk is $45/month for the same and $60/month for the same but including international calls. I heard SmartTalk works with Verizon cell towers and if you use your unlimited data excessively in a day it cuts you off. On the contrary, I heard that T-Mobile has bad reception, so I am then thinking SmartTalk is the way to go if they work with Verizon cell towers.
What are your thoughts and opinions? I believe for both you still have to pay the full retail price for the phone whether up front or in payments.
My understanding is that the iPhone from Straight Talk uses AT&T towers. The reports of STs iPhone using Verizon are conflicting, with some saying it does, and others saying it does not, and even more saying it cannot.
T-Mobile's towers operate at a frequency of 1900 mHz, I believe, with AT&T operating at 850 mHz. What that means, basically, is that T-Mos towers can broadcast over a longer distance, but the shorter frequency AT&T uses can penetrate buildings better.
I was on T-Mo for 8 years before switching to Verizon. Now I am back on T-Mo. From my experience, service quality was near equal except in a few locations. And, I had more dropped calls on Verizon than I did with T-Mo, but dropped calls and call quality are generally aspects of the phones antenna and not necessarily the strength of the network....unless you live in a congested area with tons of Verizon customers.
T-Mo has long used AT&T towers. Not all towers, mind you, but enough to ensure continued coverage were needed.
I am not sure of Straight Talk's pricing, but with T-Mo you will get the iPhone for $99 with the remaining balance spread out over a 24 month period, assuming you have decent credit. If your credit is bad, your initial price will be higher plus T-Mo will tack on a $50 security deposit. However, you have the option to pay off the phone whenever you want.
I should also note that with the $50/month plan with T-Mo the first 500 mB of data are 4G, or the highest speed in your area if 4G is not available (generally 3G). Once you reach the 500 mB, data is transferred at the next highest 'lower' speed depending on area; which would either be 3G or 2G. I have yet to have my data speed drop below 4G, and T-Mo allows for wifi calling...if you get the proper sim.
I can only give you my personal experience with T-Mobile. We purchased a phone at Costco and the plan. Since then I have been on the phone with them numerous times. My opinion of T-Mobile is they are unethical, dishonest, cons.
On one of the bills we were overcharged almost five hundred dollars. Opps, they said...their mistake. Next bill, still overcharging but this time they said it's what we're suppose to pay. However, according to my understanding our plan each month was suppose to be X. They said it wasn't X, it was Y and there was nothing they could do about it. Basically it was, "too bad for you".
Upon calling another time I was told "we can change your plan and you can pay less". Not true either. When I asked the person when I called yet again if they had record of the previous call she said yes but the person taking the call never logged any information regarding the change in plan.
And yes, I only have to blame myself for ever dealing with them.
Your experience may not be like mine but if I wasn't stuck in this contract I would run from T-Mobile as fast as I could and never look back. It was a major mistake.
They are crooked as the day is long as far as I'm concerned. T-Mobile: In my eyes they are shiftless, no good, two faced, scoundrels. And no two people will say the same thing when you call their customer service.
Last edited by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots; 05-10-2013 at 08:43 PM..
I can only give you my personal experience with T-Mobile. We purchased a phone at Costco and the plan. Since then I have been on the phone with them numerous times. My opinion of T-Mobile is they are unethical, dishonest, cons.
On one of the bills we were overcharged almost five hundred dollars. Opps, they said...their mistake. Next bill, still overcharging but this time they said it's what we're suppose to pay. However, according to my understanding our plan each month was suppose to be X. They said it wasn't X, it was Y and there was nothing they could do about it. Basically it was, "too bad for you".
Upon calling another time I was told "we can change your plan and you can pay less". Not true either. When I asked the person when I called yet again if they had record of the previous call she said yes but the person taking the call never logged any information regarding the change in plan.
And yes, I only have to blame myself for ever dealing with them.
Your experience may not be like mine but if I wasn't stuck in this contract I would run from T-Mobile as fast as I could and never look back. It was a major mistake.
They are crooked as the day is long as far as I'm concerned. T-Mobile: In my eyes they are shiftless, no good, two faced, scoundrels. And no two people will say the same thing when you call their customer service.
I dunno, I am not buying any of this. Doesn't matter, T-Mobile has done away with contracts, and with their current plans, there should be no possibility of a $500 overcharge unless it was a mistake on T-Mos part or the OP used a lot pay-by-use services (apps) that are bundled with the phone (bloatware).
I dunno, I am not buying any of this. Doesn't matter, T-Mobile has done away with contracts, and with their current plans, there should be no possibility of a $500 overcharge unless it was a mistake on T-Mos part or the OP used a lot pay-by-use services (apps) that are bundled with the phone (bloatware).
Agreed. The poster never said what was in dispute with the whole diatribe that made up the $500 in overcharges.
Frankly, I don't care if any of you "buy" what I say or not. You can speculate all you want that I'm misinformed. The 500 bucks was their fault, they admitted it. However, they never went on to admit my monthly bill was not as it was suppose to be. And, the rep said, "the day after you purchased your phone and plan we did away with contracts".
My experience with them was terrible and as I said, your experience may not be the same with T-Mobile. My experience is they're crooks.
You're certainly free to believe me or not. I won't lose any sleep over you not believing me or questioning my post. I gave my opinion and yes, we all have one.
Frankly, I don't care if any of you "buy" what I say or not. You can speculate all you want that I'm misinformed. The 500 bucks was their fault, they admitted it. However, they never went on to admit my monthly bill was not as it was suppose to be. And, the rep said, "the day after you purchased your phone and plan we did away with contracts".
My experience with them was terrible and as I said, your experience may not be the same with T-Mobile. My experience is they're crooks.
You're certainly free to believe me or not. I won't lose any sleep over you not believing me or questioning my post. I gave my opinion and yes, we all have one.
Well, did you sign a two-year agreement with them? You called them no good, two-faced, scoundrels, cons, unethical, and dishonest; all without supplying any details about why you feel they deserve such words or what they should have charged you. And if you really didn't care, by the way, you would not have felt the need to respond to my post.
And yes, my experience has been way different than yours.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dkf747
T-Mobile used to have great customer service. I believe the other posters story based on my last experience with them.
I think I know what is going on with oldtoilet's story, but I will hold off on saying so if/when there is some clarification from him/her. But yes, T-Mo's customer service is not as good as it used to be.
Straight Talk telephones use several different providers' towers: Verizon, ATT, T-Mobile, and Sprint. Their sales literature says next to nothing about which network your specific phone will be using, though next to the ones that use Verizon they have a picture saying something about one of the nation's best networks, which I recognized from Verizon sales literature. My educated guess from looking at their website, at least for my area, is that the overwhelming majority of what they sell uses Sprint, whose 3G data service is considered by most to be poor.
Other problem with Straight Talk with an iPhone: Their data is supposedly unlimited, but they get their panties in a bunch around the 2.5GB mark, if what I'm reading online is correct. Streaming and audio and video are also forbidden, so no YouTube or Pandora. Those were the deal-killers for me, and why I wouldn't use them if they were the last mobile phone company on Earth- well, that and the fact that their parent company gets all mad over unlocking their phones.
No carrier has great customer service. That is about the last reason to choose any carrier.
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