Ginevra Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Verizon. I want to continue to have a smart phone, but I don't want it to turn "dumb" the moment my contract runs out, which is what is going on right now. My e-mail is so glitchy on there, I can barely use it. I don't want to go to the Verizon store, because I know all they are going to do is tell me how lucky I am that I'm due for an upgrade. Does anyone know anything about no-contract, inexpensive smart phones? I'm pretty ignorant about tech gadgetry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I have a $99 Nokia Lumia 520 "go phone" from AT&T. It's $25/month for unlimited text and 250 minutes. You can add data too. The cheapest is $5. Oh, it's a Windows 8 phone. It does everything I need, and has some useful apps. There aren't a ton, but I have Kindle, Audible, Facebook, a to do list thingy, timer, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 All I know is that I also loathe Verizon. We have not once regretted divorcing them a few years ago. Whenever I see those ads they have that tout how much better their nationwide coverage is, I just laugh. I'm in a major metro area so all the carriers are fine and there's more to good service than that. Like not getting weird overcharges and having half decent customer service. Argh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I have a $99 Nokia Lumia 520 "go phone" from AT&T. It's $25/month for unlimited text and 250 minutes. You can add data too. The cheapest is $5. Oh, it's a Windows 8 phone. It does everything I need, and has some useful apps. There aren't a ton, but I have Kindle, Audible, Facebook, a to do list thingy, timer, etc. Where do you purchase one? Radio Shack or something like that? Is there a calendar feature? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 All I know is that I also loathe Verizon. We have not once regretted divorcing them a few years ago. Whenever I see those ads they have that tout how much better their nationwide coverage is, I just laugh. I'm in a major metro area so all the carriers are fine and there's more to good service than that. Like not getting weird overcharges and having half decent customer service. Argh. I hear you. Verizon's customer service is certainly not anything to write home about (unless you wanted to write about how frustrated you are...) Were you able to keep your existing cell phone number when you switched? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigomama Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I don't know much about phones, but we will be getting smart phones soon, hand me downs and we will use the company the lady in this blog talks about, Page Plus. A colleague of my husband uses them and really likes them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We did keep our numbers, but we switched to another major carrier. Not sure how that effects things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Check out straight talk. I have a samsung S showcase from them with an unlimited everything plan for $45 a month. It runs on Verizon towers (which are better than AT&T or T Mobile in VT) so I have great coverage. No contract too! I used to pay $50 a month with AT&T for a flip phone with 400 min a month and 400 texts. So happy to divorce them. Although, a note of caution. I waited until the end of my service contract, called AT&T to verify I was at the end of my contract, they told me I was at the end and would not incur a disconnect charge. As soon as I canceled service, I received a bill for $175 for an early cancellation fee and have been fighting them for 4 years now. My credit took a ding and I'm getting calls every 6 months or so from a new collection agency about it. AT&T doesn't have any record of me (according to customer service) anymore so I can't get the collectors off my back. I could pay the fee, but I don't really owe it so it's a point of contention with me. Each time, I send the collection agency a letter asking them to verify the debt and I never get a reply (so they couldn't verify it) and then they sell it to the next collection agency down the line and I start the whole process again. It's made me hate AT&T even more than before, and I thought that was impossible! I will say, the ding on my credit didn't interfere with us refinancing our mortgage last winter - I explained to the mortgage lender what it was and he laughed and said he's heard similar instances from other customers and not to worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Consumer Cellular. I LOVE them! We have three phones, all with texting and data, and my bill is around $65 per month. :thumbup: ETA: All three of our phones are smart phones and we were able to port our numbers from Sprint with no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I wish my parents would divorce Verizon. They have been nothing but a pain in the neck since they got them. It doesn't matter whether you are talking about their cell phones, our home phone, or the internet... all have given them (and all of us really) problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 It really depends on what you need. How much talk, how many texts, how much data do you use? I have had a few different prepaid plans. I need unlimited text and talk and at least 2gb of data. I talk a LOT (like over 2,000 min.) and text about 600-700 texts or so per month. So, some of these that have low talk or low texting wouldn't work for me. Straight Talk is about $45/mo for my needs. Republic Wireless is $25 for unlimited everything on 3g and it is working for me right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I've got no suggestions for you, OP, but I did want to chime in and say that I *love* Verizon. I'm surprised by the number of negatives on them. I've been with them for years and their customer service for me has been stellar. In fact this current phone and plan I've got I would never have known about had it not been for the manager of the store who, of his own volition, ran down what he remembered as a 'loyalty' contract that gave me the most amazing deal, paying only $10 a month more than what I used to pay for my basic slide-out phone yet with all the bells and whistles of a fab smart phone. That said, you gotta go with your experience and I hope you find something that works for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 They might sue you for custody and take you for all you are worth... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I've got no suggestions for you, OP, but I did want to chime in and say that I *love* Verizon. I'm surprised by the number of negatives on them. I've been with them for years and their customer service for me has been stellar. Our experience with Verizon has been wonderful, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 It really depends on what you need. How much talk, how many texts, how much data do you use? I have had a few different prepaid plans. I need unlimited text and talk and at least 2gb of data. I talk a LOT (like over 2,000 min.) and text about 600-700 texts or so per month. So, some of these that have low talk or low texting wouldn't work for me. Straight Talk is about $45/mo for my needs. Republic Wireless is $25 for unlimited everything on 3g and it is working for me right now. Yeah - I want unlimited texts. Don't care about the talk minutes much because I don't talk much. I don't use much data. I use my e-mail often, throughout the day, but rarely use my phone for web access. I have a zillion android apps, but use just a few. I do like having the camera on the phone and I like using my bank app. I love using the navigation system; it has saved my neck dozens of times. I post to FB from my phone now and then. I use my calendar constantly. Straight Talk and Consumer Cellular are the two I had heard of previously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 One of the problems my parents have had with them is the fact that my father tends to lose his phones and they have been unable to let him keep his same number when he gets a new one. This time he had to go back to the store three times to get someone who knew how to do that. The last time he lost his phone they even made my mother change numbers even though she still had her same phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Our experience with Verizon has been wonderful, too. Fascinating. The only time in my life that I truly thought it was possible for me to go Postal for real was when I was trying to have the (Verizon) phone line at my MIL's house repaired. Absolutely MADDENING! I did not have phone service there for over a month and they WOULD NOT waive the charge. Also, when I first got my current phone, I also bought a phone for dd. I sat face-to-face in the store and reiterated twenty different times that I wanted the cheapest, barest-bone plan for dd that needed only text and talk. Nevertheless, when my first bill came, she was "somehow" on some horrible plan that was $90! I called them immediately and, yes, they did fix it and put her on the plan I had agreed to in the store, but I swear, I'm tempted to believe they do that stuff on purpose because they expect the Sheeple to just pay whatever the bill is with no thought. (Not to mention their bill is SO confusing, which I also think they do on purpose so it will be hard to understand why the charge is what it is.) Sorry. :rant: If your service is great, I call you lucky. IME, they ain't Zappos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We had Sprint years ago (for like 15 years) and we had a fantastic plan with several discounts. Well, they switched over their billing to a new system and all of a sudden we were being charged $25 more per month. I had argument after argument with several people before getting to the bottom of the matter, that their new system did not have a "code" for our plan. I had SEVERAL CS reps tell me that they had just upped the price of our plan and that was now what we owed per month. I explained to them that they couldn't just decide to charge me more one day, and I would have to do it. So, finally I got tired of having to call every month to have it removed, only to be assured that the problem was taken care of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Last year we switched from Verizon to Straight Talk (we needed access to the Verizon network b/c that's what has the best coverage in our area.) We are very happy with the change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 AND, we were thinking of switching to Verizon, now...not a chance! AND I love Zappos! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 dh was constantly complaining about Verizon - so we dropped it and went with T-Mobile. we are in a major metro area. . . . . . . by Monday morning he was cursing T-Mobile because we had NO coverage in the part of the house where his office is. he uses his phone for business. we went back to Verizon. 2ds has ting - which is a no-contract phone that operates on sprints (?) network. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I got Verizon for one reason only--it has the best coverage in the places I want to go. And it's worked out well. I understand the bills, and they are accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I have switched to Page Plus. You can use your Verizon smartphone if it is a 3G phone. I use my HTC Incredible 2. The only difference in my service with Page Plus is that now I am paying less than half as much to use my same phone the same way. BTW, when you switch from Verizon pay attention to your billing cycle. You will get charged for a full month your last month even if you switch mid-cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We all have Verizon and have been pleased. Yes, the plans are expensive (but we are all on my mom's plan with her so a "group" rate) but they have the BEST coverage by far in our rural area. I had an AT& T guy telling me that there was NO WAY my phone would be working in my area but I have never not had signal. My friend with AT&T loses signal at several spots in our township just about every time. My dd did have Pages Plus and that used our old Verizon phone and used the Verizon towers and was cheap for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 If you really want to do research go to HowardForums.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoHomeschooler Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I have some sort of LG phone on StraightTalk. It's a smartphone, but not a very "cool" one. It just doesn't have enough memory for more than a few apps, so I don't recommend it. I do recommend StraightTalk, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 dh was constantly complaining about Verizon - so we dropped it and went with T-Mobile. we are in a major metro area. . . . . . . by Monday morning he was cursing T-Mobile because we had NO coverage in the part of the house where his office is. he uses his phone for business. we went back to Verizon. 2ds has ting - which is a no-contract phone that operates on sprints (?) network. I got Verizon for one reason only--it has the best coverage in the places I want to go. And it's worked out well. We all have Verizon and have been pleased. Yes, the plans are expensive (but we are all on my mom's plan with her so a "group" rate) but they have the BEST coverage by far in our rural area. I had an AT& T guy telling me that there was NO WAY my phone would be working in my area but I have never not had signal. My friend with AT&T loses signal at several spots in our township just about every time. One of the several reasons we love Verizon is their coverage. We're RV'ers, so travel a lot and often to out-of-the-way places. Verizon's reputation for coverage among the RV'ing crowd is excellent. From what I understand no other carrier comes anywhere close to being able to match Verizon's coverage area. Plus, since we don't have a land line at home, having consistently reliable cell phone coverage is a top priority for us. As far as customer service -- I've heard from friends that it can really vary from store to store. We've never had any issues at our local store, but we always do plenty of homework online before going in. We've found their customer service call center to be fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 You guys are making me nervous, we just switched from AT&T, who we had for eight years, to Verizon. AT&T tried to charge us an early termination fee AND for a partial month of service that was after contract. DH was like, um, no you can't have it both ways, either we terminated early or we no longer had a contract. They waved both fees, thankfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom@shiloh Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We're using Republic. Dh set it up, so I'm not very up-to-date on all the specifics. (Read -- I really don't care just give me a phone that will work.) We paid $100 for the phones and spend $20/month/per phone. Unlimited talking, texting and data. No contracts. I think they use the Sprint towers, so we've had good reception so far. It uses our wi-fi connection when we're at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 It really depends on where you live. Here Verizon is the top dog. It gets the best reception in more remote areas. You guys are making me nervous, we just switched from AT&T, who we had for eight years, to Verizon. AT&T tried to charge us an early termination fee AND for a partial month of service that was after contract. DH was like, um, no you can't have it both ways, either we terminated early or we no longer had a contract. They waved both fees, thankfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 You must have the Defy. The newer phone is the Moto X, which is what I have. It is $300 up front but they do have a buy back program for several older Motorola phones, including the Admiral, which you can pick up on ebay for under $20. I pay $25/mo plus taxes (comes to about $29 with taxes.) for unlimited everything. One thing I really like about Republic Wireless is that it roams on Verizon towers. If I am up in the mountains here I can get reception, where Sprint and ATT can't. I will be honest, I do miss the iPhone a lot. I have friends who only text through iMessage and I can't get the texts on my phone and only get them when I get home and see my iMac. But I DO NOT miss the large bills. We were paying $100 on Sprint, then almost $50 on StraightTalk, and now $29 with tax. Cutting that bill has really helped. Dawn We're using Republic. Dh set it up, so I'm not very up-to-date on all the specifics. (Read -- I really don't care just give me a phone that will work.) We paid $100 for the phones and spend $20/month/per phone. Unlimited talking, texting and data. No contracts. I think they use the Sprint towers, so we've had good reception so far. It uses our wi-fi connection when we're at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 These may help: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/forum/share-your-badassity/communications-tech-isps-voip-cell/ http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/forum/welcome-to-the-forum/official-ting-referral-thread/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Where do you purchase one? Radio Shack or something like that? Is there a calendar feature? I bought mine at the AT&T store. There is a calendar, but as far as I can tell it only syncs with outlook. I use google calendar, so I need to look for an app. The apps are extensive, but the interface is new for me and I haven't learned it all yet. Maybe it's better to look at apps online rather than through the phone. My daughter has the same phone and loves it. Once I get my google calendar on it, it really will do everything I need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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