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+--- Thread: Cell phone provider change (/showthread.php?tid=8221)
Cell phone provider change - WRXtranceformed - 05-26-2009
Sup people. So I've had Verizon cell phone service since I was like 18 and they have been decent with a few bumps along the road. My 2 year contract is coming up for renewal in July and I'm contemplating switching providers. Right now I'm paying like $89 for 1350 minutes + unlimited texts with no internet data plan or anything... and that includes a 20% monthly discount. I feel like that's really not that great of a deal.
Soon I'm going to need SMS texting and online Google Calendar sync ability due to upcoming promotion. I stopped by the Sprint store and checked out some of their plans and phones. $99.00 for unlimited minutes, texts and internet usage. Sprint apparently has EVDO which I was told is better than 3G? And will be coming out with 4G soon in Charlotte I was also told. I can pick up a crackberry Curve or Pearl for like $50 too.
What are your thoughts on your providers and their available phones? I feel like this question has been asked here before, but the MM forum search function sucks and I'm tired and lazy. I'm going to check out the AT&T store here soon. I haggled with the guy at Sprint and it seems like if I bitch enough they'll buy out my Verizon contract...whatever they are going to make me owe on early termination.
- CaptainHenreh - 05-27-2009
I <3 Sprint.
But then again, I got the deal of the century.
- Evan - 05-27-2009
EVDO is a flavor of 3G data network, the other flavor being HSDPA which AT&T uses. they are both essentially the same (speed and latency wise).
Verizon also uses EVDO/CDMA and now that all the carriers have free roaming, your coverage on sprint would be near identical to verizon.
sprint definately has the best priced plans by far right now. you can also get $10 off the plans by using their referral system (its easy to find sprint employees online who will give you their employee number)
Id highly recommend waiting until the Palm Pre comes out next week and picking one of those up on sprint, killer phone that is far better than anything else out right now.
- .RJ - 05-27-2009
You need a jesus phone.
- Mike - 05-27-2009
AT&T is damned good, but the jesus phone gets expensive.
Verizon is also good, but their phones (aside from blackberries) suck.
Sprint I've got nothing on, BUT the Palm Pre is a piece of shit. It will be giant failure. I'm calling it now. Do NOT wait for it. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/palm-we-can">http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/palm-we-can</a><!-- m -->ÔÇÖt-afford-to-sell-the-pre-to-the-wrong-customers/
- WRXtranceformed - 05-27-2009
Thanks for breaking it down for me. The Palm Pre looks pretty badass as far as multitasking is concerned. I'm wondering if it will be easy to sync to Google Calendar? It's also $200 vs. $50 for a blackberry (this would be my first crackberry, I've used the LG eNV for years... great phone honestly!).
I won't even consider an iPhone. I hate my iPod Touch more than sin itself, combining that into a phone would make my life miserable.
- WRXtranceformed - 05-27-2009
Mike Wrote:AT&T is damned good, but the jesus phone gets expensive.
Verizon is also good, but their phones (aside from blackberries) suck.
Sprint I've got nothing on, BUT the Palm Pre is a piece of shit. It will be giant failure. I'm calling it now. Do NOT wait for it. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/palm-we-can">http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/palm-we-can</a><!-- m -->ÔÇÖt-afford-to-sell-the-pre-to-the-wrong-customers/
Oh wow, I just read through that article haha... that has corporate fail written all over it. I mean I'm not in the IT industry, but I have very specific needs for the phone and if its applications can't handle it then I won't consider it.
I know for a fact that the Blackberry Pearl / Curve can run Google Calendar, and as long as I can do online banking and check fantasy football and do minor stuff on the web, I should be in good shape.
- .RJ - 05-27-2009
You should be able to view your google calendar online (there's a mobile version), so as long as it has a decent browser then you should be alright.
Its pretty slimmed down but it works and I like it. Google sync can push items to/from outlook as well.
- Evan - 05-27-2009
lol @ mikey. GIANT FAILURE!!!11!111
if you go into a bestbuy and ask for a palm pre (assuming any are in stock which may be the hard part at first) you will get one.
any smartphone will run google calendar. my winmo phone automatically syncs with google calendar periodically.
keep in mind that both the pearl and curve are not 3G and data is going to be very slow.
- Mike - 05-27-2009
Evan Wrote:lol @ mikey. GIANT FAILURE!!!11!111
like the storm was. people coming to play in the big-leagues with a whiffle-ball bat.
- WRXtranceformed - 05-27-2009
Oh really? Damn I didn't know that. IIRC the sales guy told me they were 3G. I'll have to look into it more I guess.
- Apoc - 05-27-2009
WRXtranceformed Wrote:Oh really? Damn I didn't know that. IIRC the sales guy told me they were 3G. I'll have to look into it more I guess.
The Pearl Flip is 3G but I'm pretty sure it's only T-Mobile.
- Evan - 05-27-2009
Mike Wrote:Evan Wrote:lol @ mikey. GIANT FAILURE!!!11!111
like the storm was. people coming to play in the big-leagues with a whiffle-ball bat.
good logic.
sounds like a fanboi is feeling threatened.
- Jeff - 05-27-2009
I have an oldscool Treo 700 running Windows 5 and I love it. I'm on Sprint. If I drop it and bust it...get another one for $75. Drop your $50 Blackberry...next one is $300 or some stupid bullshit. But I don't use my for the net...pretty much just a PDA with a phone in it. Touch screen is FTW.
- Mike - 05-27-2009
Evan Wrote:Mike Wrote:Evan Wrote:lol @ mikey. GIANT FAILURE!!!11!111
like the storm was. people coming to play in the big-leagues with a whiffle-ball bat.
good logic.
sounds like a fanboi is feeling threatened.
maybe you missed where i said "the jesus phone gets expensive, fast"? that means i don't feel i'm getting out what i'm putting in. that said, it still is the best phone out there... i just don't need it.
i also really like blackberries (except the storm).
i guess that makes you feel wrong?
- WRXtranceformed - 05-27-2009
Just got off the phone with Verizon. I must be jaded having been in sales for so long haha, but I love playing around with sales guys. I basically told him that I wasn't calling to cancel, but that I didn't feel their plans were competitive anymore and wanted to find out what they were willing to do for me, having been a customer since I was like 18. He tried to convince me to switch to a lower minute plan to lower my bill, after I stated that I didn't want to compromise my minutes and actually wanted to add internet / data usage. Sprint can do all of this, I explained, with unlimited minutes/texts for $10 more per month than what I'm paying right now.
I told him once I added in Verizon's Blackberry package I was going to be spending like $40/mo more for less minutes. He told me that he wasn't trying to badmouth other carriers, but that I would sacrifice coverage and customer service... that's why they were able to offer such aggressive rates. I laughed, but didn't bother to argue...argumentatively that would be like Mike Tyson fighting an infant. I mentioned that it would suck for them to lose a very long time customer because they weren't willing to be flexible with me and give me a better deal.
He told me they don't price match. I laughed again and asked him if they've gotten a lot of push back from the other providers that are blowing them away with their service plan pricing right now. He said yes and they're trying to deal with it, by adding "friends and family" etc. That still doesn't address the outrageous BB plan fees unfortunately I told him, and I don't really want to have to dictate who I can talk to without getting charged extra... which I don't have to worry about with unlimited minute plans.
Anyway, the only reason I really called was to find out what my early cancellation fee would be. It's $80. I'm going to go to the Sprint store and see if they'll give me an $80 credit to switch over.
- CaptainHenreh - 05-27-2009
I have never found Verizon to be price competitive for anything.
I know that Sprint got alot of shit for "poor customer service" but I have had to call their "poor customer service" exactly once, and my problem was resolved.
I realize that anecdotes aren't data but *everybody's* customer service sucks.
- .RJ - 05-27-2009
CaptainHenreh Wrote:*everybody's* customer service sucks.
Yes.
- WRXtranceformed - 05-27-2009
Yep, haha that's just the thing. "Bad customer service" or "problems with coverage" are way way too vague to throw out there if you're trying to convince me why I should pay more for your product or service. If he had pointed me toward some studies that show numerically how Verizon has superior customer service or statistically how they have better coverage, then it would give me grounds to reconsider the switch. And they may very well be better in both of those aspects, but why would I take this guy's word?
I wasn't just going to hand that to that guy, but he needs to sell me on the value of paying more if he wants to keep my business. Right now in my mind, because of what you guys and my other friends have said, the big players in the cell phone world are all pretty much on the same level in terms of quality / customer service.
- Evan - 05-27-2009
seems like sprint has been working on their customer service ?
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/20/sprints-csr-response-time-skyrockets-to-first-in-recent-survey/">http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/20/spri ... nt-survey/</a><!-- m -->
Ive spent a lot of time on the phone with tech support lately due to a bum data tower that we use here for data cards. Getting a first level tech on the phone is quick and easy, but beyond that it has been extremely frustrating dealing with actually getting someone to solve the problem. Im sure this is a .001% case and my experience with AT&T support makes me think they would be even worse, but the experience still hasnt exactly endeared me to sprint.
ive always been happy with their voice service though, and any sales guy who talks about superior verizon network coverage is full of shit since sprint phones can use verizons network for no charge.