Gerard and I put off getting cells phones for a long time because we just figured we wouldn't get much use out of them. Finally, Christmas of 2007 I decided to get some for us and now we're spoiled. We found out we use it more than we thought we would. I really hate how they lock you in for two years!
Now after a little over a year and a half, Gerard's isn't working. I tried turning it off and on, which sometimes does fix the problem, but not this time. He couldn't answer my call or bring up his contacts to call me. We headed over to the shopping mall where I had purchased them and found out:
(a) We have to go to some repair shop about 25 minutes from us to see if they could fix it; or
(b) Get an upgrade for mine and then have the guy change it to Gerard's number because he's not eligible for an upgrade until October 1. Then take his old phone back for an upgrade October and have the guy change it to my number. This sounds fishy to me. This just blows me away--we got the phones at the same time! Why would not both be eligible for an upgrade by now?
(c) Of course, if we got an upgrade, we would again be locked in for two more years! Do we really want this poor service for another two years--don't think so!
Gerard did not want to bother going to possible get it fixed. His solution is to go without one until October and just try charging it again and hope it works tomorrow. Who knows, maybe it will.
I do not want to keep paying for a busted phone. I am so annoyed and upset about this. I hate being locked in. I wish I could just go to get different phones from someone else but then I'd be paying two cell phone bills! AAARRRGGHH! I hate to complain but sometimes if I write it helps me feel better and get out some frustration. I also thought that perhaps you could give us some advice on what cell phone service is more reliable that what we have.
Revol? Verizon? T-Mobile? AT&T? Altel? Which one do you recommend? All we need is a simple phone. I do not use it for twittering, email, pictures, just phone calls. Is there any that doesn't lock you in for a certain amount of time?
6 comments:
I would recommend Verizon. I switched form AT&T because Verizon has better coverage and I was pleased with their customer service too.
We use AT&T because we have an iPhone. But my Mommeh does not even use her phone that much!
If you are only using it periodically, I would say get a pay-as-you-go phone. I use at&t and have been happy with their service. We only make minimal calls, so it works for us. I can fill my phone for $100 and it lasts almost a year, but you can fill it monthly. I had to buy the phone outright, but you can upgrade at any time and you are not bound by any agreement. Yes, the calls cost a bit more, but for 4 of us, it is still cheaper to do this than any plan we have found.
My daughter uses texting a lot, so they have an option of unlimited text for $25 a month, which I make her pay for. It is a good compromise.
We have had verizon forever and no problems but also 2 year contract and 2 more every time we upgrade but don't plan on changing so just keep going
Thanks for the feedback. Come December I'll check into both Verizon and AT&T and see which is cheaper for us. Paying as we go may be wiser but then that's another thing I need to remember to do.
My husband has been in the cell phone industry since the mid 80s. Based on his experience, Verizon has the best service overall. However, it also depends on where you live and do most of your calling. There are some areas where a different carrier would have better service than Verizon.
Believe it or not, even though my husband has been in the industry and has even been responsible for making the network work for more than one company, we've never lived in a place with good service! :-O
I hope you can find the service that works best for you. A pay-as-you go plan or a pre-paid plan should be available with any service, but you won't likely get the good deals on a phone without a two-year contract.
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