Best Cell Phone Service Provider (living in, costs, verizon FIOS)

[Huckleberry3911948]

trakfone triple minutes. a cheap 10 dollar phone with 1.5 years of triple minute options. i use 275 minutes a month works out to less than 12.50 a month. i use my iphone and tablet in wifi locations.
saving 85 bucks a month doing this.
the ambition of every cell phone company esp apple is to have everybody on earth on a 2 year $100 a month cell phone plan.

[Army_Guy]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

the ambition of every cell phone company esp apple is to have everybody on earth on a 2 year $100 a month cell phone plan.

It sure is, that's why I'm on the pre-paid plan though I do have a smart phone.

Have you seen the early termination fees for contracted phones?

Originally Posted by banal

Only $70 (+usual taxes) dollars per month for unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data. I am currently on an equipment installment plan for an iPhone and an iPad so ~50 dollars is added to my bill for the next 2 years. But after that is paid off, I am back to $70/month.

This is a great example. $120 for the next 2 years isn't such a great deal, IMO.

In 2 years those devices will have considerable wear and tear not to mention the battery charge will not hold as strong.

It was a great way for companies to keep people in debt on items that depreciate at an awful rate.

[banal]

Originally Posted by Army_Guy

It sure is, that's why I'm on the pre-paid plan though I do have a smart phone.

Have you seen the early termination fees for contracted phones?



This is a great example. $120 for the next 2 years isn't such a great deal, IMO.

In 2 years those devices will have considerable wear and tear not to mention the battery charge will not hold as strong.

It was a great way for companies to keep people in debt on items that depreciate at an awful rate.

Don't assume everyone is as clumsy as yourself, mate. I keep my technology protected using a case and screen protector and I don't drop my phones. The only times they have ever hit the ground was when they were not in my possession. Had a Samsung Galaxy S2 on a 2 year contract in 2011. 2 years later my phone still looked brand new, and probably could have lasted another 2 years. But I decided to sell it (got 400 for it since it was unlocked) and switched to TMobile w/ an iPhone 5S (no contract).

Debt? Depreciation? Phones are a luxury product, not a vehicle for investment.

[kidicarus89]

Originally Posted by banal

Debt? Depreciation? Phones are a luxury product, not a vehicle for investment.

Maybe in 2002. This is 2014 - cell phones are essentially a utility nowadays.

And your cell phone bill is an easy way to trim your monthly obligations. I save about $30-$40/mo. by having an off-contract MVNO plan. That's an extra 480 bucks a year saved which goes into savings or retirement. Every penny you save off frivolities is a potential vehicle for investment.

[jcdownunder]

Hey guys,
I am reviving this thread... We moved back to EP a month ago, after living in Memphis for 2.5 years. We have been using prepaid Tracfones (flip phones) which suit our needs to a T. We pay around $120 for minutes for each phone for a WHOLE year - yes, just around $10 a month! Unfortunately, the coverage for Tracfone in EP stinks. Half the time, our phones have no service or calls get dropped. We are getting ready to close on a house and today we went to ATT to check out their services for bundling Uverse TV, Wifi and Voip.

We asked them about their smart phone plans as well. Sounds like it would cost us at least $120 a month for 2 phones - the cheapest they could offer. Since we use our phones very little and don't need to access our emails or the internet on it, this sounds like a waste of good money. However, we have heard of the bad coverage of some other companies because of a lack of towers. While researching on the internet I came across the MVNOs which share towers with the big companies. Republic Wireless has good reviews, but they were reviewed in a different part of the country. Would anyone using an MVNO care to comment on their service, reception etc.? Thanks for any advice you can give.

[Rogarven]

I am a cheap skate, I guess. I have a flip phone that I bought on Ebay. I load it up for a year for about $110 at the Verizon store next to Ferguson's on Sunland Pk. Dr. Since I don't text, I do receive them, I don't need anything but cell phone. I have great coverage all over the country and I am not paying that $100 a month that we did for several years. Maybe someday I will come into the 21st Century and get a smart phone but it would have to be a prepaid type plan. I don't want another bill every month.

[75grad]

Does anybody in the EP area have Consumer Cellular? If so, what do you think of it?

[jcdownunder]

Thanks for your input, Rogarven. That sounds exactly the kind of service and cost that will work for us. We went to Walmart to check out their flip phones (around $15 each) but the cost of the minutes are confusing. So, tomorrow I am going to go to the Verizon and ATT stores to make the humans explain to me all the details. Hopefully, reception with either of these 2 companies will be much better than Tracfone!
I was quite interested in Republic Wireless, but they use Sprint towers and I am not so sure about the reception here in EP.

[jcdownunder]

Here's another question for anyone who uses VoIP like Vonage, Ooma or Magic Jack. Which one do you like the best and why? Ooma does not require a contract but start up costs are over $200, while Vonage requires a one year contract. Would appreciate anyone with first hand experience using any of these providers.

[Rogarven]

Originally Posted by jcdownunder

Thanks for your input, Rogarven. That sounds exactly the kind of service and cost that will work for us. We went to Walmart to check out their flip phones (around $15 each) but the cost of the minutes are confusing. So, tomorrow I am going to go to the Verizon and ATT stores to make the humans explain to me all the details. Hopefully, reception with either of these 2 companies will be much better than Tracfone!
I was quite interested in Republic Wireless, but they use Sprint towers and I am not so sure about the reception here in EP.

If you try to buy a phone at the Verizon store, it will be expensive. I have bought mine on Ebay that are Verizon phones, then had the store load them up. I have a little Nokia that is 2" by 3" that I love as it is so small that fits in my shirt pocket. Have bought actually 3 of them ( messed up one of them because I put the charger in backwards!! ) but I like that that particular model. Another reason I don't want to worry about a smart phone. Bought wife a Samsung online (Verizon model) as well. Good luck.