Cell Phone service (credit, to buy, costs)

[SoFLGal]

OK, Oldgal's post about costs in the area got me thinking about my cell bill. I just looked it up and I'm paying $328 per month for four phones. Three iphones and one crappy phone. They have the big data plans, unlimited talk/text and whatever. It just seems like a lot to pay for cell service every month. Also, 9 times out of 10 my phone doesn't even ring when I'm out on Palm Island.

I was looking at Boost Mobile. It's $50 a month for the same as what I'm getting with Verizon. Then if you pay your bill on time it goes down $5 per month every month until it gets down to $35 a month. Seems like a pretty good deal but I'm worried about coverage in the area.

What cell service does everyone have? What does it cost you per month? What features do you have? How's the coverage?

[SoFLGal]

Looks like TMobile pays for you to switch to them and they don't have any service contract. Any one use them?

[nphomeowner]

I just switched to T mobile a few months ago. They do pay off your early termination fee if you turn in a qualifying phone. And there is no monthly contract. The catch is you have to buy a phone from them. They do break up the cost of the phone and put it on your bill for monthly installments. The coverage here in north port seems ok. They supposedly share towers with AT&T

[Harbor Hopper]

I switched from Sprint to Boost 2 yrs ago and have no complaints. I put my wife on Virgin Mobile since she doesn't need many talk minutes. Both are on the Sprint Network, and we are happy with each. My wife's is $35/mo and my unlimited Boost is down to $40/mo and will stay there as long as I pay on time every month (autopay prevents being late)

As you know Shannon, we go to Stumps Pass a lot, which is very close to your place. Neither one of us have had any connection issues out there.

[SoFLGal]

I'm kind of torn between Boost and TMobile. I'm leaning toward TMoblie because they pay off your contract with Verizon and I have 4 phones x $350 is $1400. With Boost though it could be just $35 a month x 4 phones for a total of $140 a month. My bill right now is $328 a month. So, that would be a savings of $188 per month but I'd also have to buy phones and pay the early termination. In about 8 months of savings with Boost I would have saved enough to pay off the early termination fees. And Willow, my daughter could probably sell our phones we have now and recoup most of the cost of purchasing new phones.

[Harbor Hopper]

$350 phones!?!?!? Holy crap! I think ours were around $125/ea through RadioShack.com 2yrs ago. When they came in, they set mine up for Boost and my wife's up for Virgin. Only had to go back once for an issue, in which they did something in the tower settings and it was back up and fine again.

[SoFLGal]

It's $350 per phone for early cancellation x 4. Mine and Willow's phone was around $850 for an iphone 5s 64. Then the other two girls have cheaper phones.

[Harbor Hopper]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

It's $350 per phone for early cancellation x 4. Mine and Willow's phone was around $850 for an iphone 5s 64. Then the other two girls have cheaper phones.

Whoa, Verizon has really increased their ETF! It used to be $199 when I left them in 2007. I never paid it

[SoFLGal]

So what happened? Did they ding your credit?

[SoFLGal]

Now I'm leaning more toward Boost because I just found out that TMobile pays the early termination fee if you turn in your phones. Willow can get a lot more than $350 per phone for the phones we have now.