verizon coverage and want to change to sprint (Boston: live in, stores)

[italiaprncss25]

My boyfriend just moved here to Boston from New york and works at Radio shack. He wants to get a plan for both of us through spring. I have verizon right now but I hate it because I always get dropped calls. I live in the South Shore. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what their sprint service was like if they are in MA and in the south shore specifically. thanks!

[NY'er lost in MA]

Hiya Italian Princess.

I'm from NY as you can see from my name. I've had Sprint for 13 years now! When I first moved to MA in 2000, the service was great in the city, but spotty everywhere else. Well...not anymore. The service is excellent. In fact- I haven't had a dropped call in years.

I also have a Verizon cell phone through work. I know they 'claim' to have the best coverage and network, but I find this not to be true. I have dropped calls frequently with them.

Sprint's network is smaller, but all the towers are 100% digital and stronger in my opinion than Verizon's. I heard Verizon bought up many smaller networks in the late 90's, so they are still working to integrate them all.

My other recommendation is to get a good brand phone- Sanyos seem to work best on Sprint's network.

Best of luck!

[seldomseen]

I'm surprised you always get dropped calls with Verzion especially in Massachusetts!! Update your phones programming monthly, you may also want to consider one of Verizon's higher quality phones too, this can greatly reduce the amount of dropped calls you experience. My Verizon signal strength has been completely stellar everywhere in the United States! The bottom line is, all carriers/phones will experience some to many dropped calls--but Verizon is a major player in Massachusetts, hence service shouldn't be bad here.

[wheelz]

I have Nextel/Sprint and am going to switch to Verizon as my 3 year contract has just expired. Nationally, Sprint is HORRIBLE! I was just out west and went 4 days without ANY service at all across 4 different states. I also go to WV on a semi-annual basis and watch all my friens talk on their phones while I sit there like a big dud. LOL!

Nextel does work in most places in central MA but Verizon works just about everywhere.

I initailly avoided getting Verizon because between Yellow Page Ads and other associated expenses with Verizon, I felt like I was paying more than my fair share to begin with. I am waving the white flag and just giving up, what's one more check to The Man? LOL!

[Floridagirl08]

Now when I visited Boston just a few months ago my Verizon phone was awesome. Not one dropped call. I did see a lot of people in the area had Sprint phones. Now somebody told me that is because Sprint has good coverage in Boston. Had Sprint for 2 years down here and it was not so great. I think the *228 on your Verizon phone will update it.

[NY'er lost in MA]

typically Sprint has excellent coverage in cities while Verizon has better service in areas off the beaten path. I have BOTH and overall, Sprint seems slightly better for my needs. It really depends on where you live and travel.

Sprint's plans are better and more affordable overall.

[graymall]

Hey Italiaprncss25!

I live in Central to Western Ma. in an area known to have poor cell signals, as well as poor radio signals. I have had Verizon, Cingular, and now Sprint, and I must say out of the 3, I believe Sprint comes in better than any of the others.

I actually live in a town that has no cell service and I can pick up a signal with Sprint, but had nothing with the others. Although, I would not dare to get rid of my landline, as the signal is only good from my deck!

In addition, when the other services were down to "one bar" for a signal, the calls were muffled or static like noise making it difficult to hear anything. Sprint, with only one bar, still comes in crystal clear.

I can't say how well it comes in throughout the U.S. as I haven't really traveled too far. But I can say throughout MA traveling the length of Rte 2, in comes in pretty good, with only a few areas having a loss of signal.

I will say the Sprint customer service leaves something to be desired, but I found that to be true of all of the cell services.

Hope this helps!

[CityGirl52]

Now that's funny because I had SPRINT for a good 2 years and switched to VERIZON because with SPRINT I was getting the dropped calls IN Boston all the time and the last straw was when I took it to California, I got horrible service and you want to talk about dropped calls? That trip was horrendous with it. I also couldn't stand their customer service and there billing system through that whole time with it. Of course that was a few years ago, they might have changed by now (hopefully!) where they're with another company on top of SPRINT, I think they're also Cingular or something, I don't know any more, it's so confusing with all these mergers they're all having. I have no idea anymore. In any case, NOW these days I'm using VERIZON's cell and cell service and billing and all that, and it's been JUST fantastic all around, NO dropped calls at all and their billing and dealing with their customer service people is a piece of cake. No bother. It's great because I just got a newer updated (cooler!) cell phone with VERIZON a few months ago and it was free, no charge at all and it's every couple of years that this happens with their service plan, I'm sticking with them, but one screw up, just one with them and they'll be "history" in my book!

[NY'er lost in MA]

I believe all of the carriers are required to have a 14 day trial period now. Test them out!

[graymall]

CityGirl

Well...I will say their service and their billing system still sucks! I have been on the phone several times straightening things out...never a pleasant experience! However, I do believe I get a lot less dropped calls; the signal comes in where others didn't. Now, I might think differently if I went cross-country...I don't know...but for around central/western Ma...it is much better.

As far as what NY'er says...about having a 14 day trial?? I returned a phone from Cingular that I had bought online...no cingular "franchise" would take it back so that I could reorder through them...bought on line...had to return online...or travel to a "real" cingular store which, I guess was my ignorance in thinking stores that call themselves "Cingular" worked for cingular. Most of the stores are privately owned and just sell the products. It was a HUGE pain in the ol' keester...NOT so much because I bought it on line...but because all of the online reps. and customer service...were rude and didn't know anything. So...although I was withing my 14 day trial...it was a huge, huge waste of precious time!!

The moral to this story is good customer service seems very hard to find these days!!