Want Advice on Other Phone Services for Cell Phones

VERIZON is the only one to get - seriously. I have had it for over 10yrs and have never had a problem with the service which I know my friends with other services cannot say.

Keep in mind that it is solid in regards to the market too - they will not be going bankrupt anytime soon.

I'm just dissappointed the iPhone went with AT&T b/c I want one but I wouldn't change my service to get one.

I have the Sprint everything plan for $99 per month on 1 phone. I love it. I always know my bill will be just over $100 with taxes. I love the way their bill looks, it's so easy for me to read. The only issue is that I want the iphone or the Blackberry Storm and you cant get it from Sprint. So as long as that doesnt matter to you then I would recommend Sprint. Great coverage, great service.

The grass is not always greener on the other side. We've had Verizon and Sprint for many years. I switched to MetroPCS about 4 years ago - because I kept getting phone bills $200-$300 range and I kept having to increase the minutes. Yes, other companies subsidize their phones, but you are locked into a 1 or 2 year contract, and believe me, they get their money for those phones out of you. Unless you are looking for the latest and greatest iphone or blackberry, verizon and sprint phones are exactly the same brands as the metropcs phones, and they break and don't work in the same way. Don't expect anything different there. My kids have all switched over to metropcs, and my husband finally switched over to metropcs to save a considerable amount of $$. Their service is a little less reliable than verizon, but we have been very happy with it - considering the price, especially.

C.:
I have AT&T but the main problem is that you are stuck in the 2yr contract with all the big providers and the service still depends on how much you are willing to spend on purchasing a phone.
I'd like to see what responses you get though.
Good luck!
T.

I've been with Verizon for over 10 years and am extremely happy. You will get a good phone for free with sign up and a new, free phone every 2 years with renewal of contract. They were rated number one out of cell phone companies.

Hi C.. I hear ya on the metro... My hubby and friends call it ghettro pcs or ghettro pos!! I think the coverage actually got worse! I can't even drive an hour away to see my parents because I couldn't get proper coverage during the trip! The coverage finally made me soo angry I switched! We went with Verizon.. because of the coverage..they cover everywhere I've been!! My hubby has a super fancy style blackberry with all the bells and whistles.. I opted to take over his old envy.. he has to pay about $75 with minutes but gets online access. I pay about $100 for unlimited everything.. it's so worth it! I traveled back to my hometown in southern cali and got coverage the whole way!! Good luck!! p.s. when you're researching ask what kind of discounts they have.. for instance my sis gets a discount for her job!

We love our Tmobile family plan, our daughter has her phone in San Diego, our son in San Francisco and we are in the East Bay. Good connection, resonable prices on texting, minutes and photos. Best luck with your research..

I had metro pcs for years too, and just switched to T-Mobile about 4 months ago. I LOVE it. We had to change carriers because my husband started traveling for work and needed a phone that would work in other states, etc. We don't have a house phone either, we just use cells, and we have really liked the phones and service. The plan we have works great for the two of us. Its unlimited to anyone who has T-Mobile and each of you get 5 people who are unlimited also. All text/pic mess./ internet use is unlimited. And we share 700 minutes to everyone else. And I think there are free night and weekend minutes. Anyway, we have never got anywhere close to using up our minutes because its free most of the time. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Verizon, Verizon, Verizon...

We've had T-Mobile for about 6 years, it's been pretty good. The only thing I don't like is that they don't have that great of deals on their phones. DON'T get the insurance on the phone it is a HUGE ripoff. I bought it thinking I was being responsible, then they said that the insurance didn't cover my phone so if I did use it it would still cost me $70, plus monthly $6 for the insurance. Then when I needed to use the insurance they said I couldn't because I had put my SIM card in another phone, I had put it in an old phone just to have something until I got my phone fixed or replaced. HUGE RIPOFF! Anyway otherwise they have good service but not sure how competitive their prices are. Good Luck!

Firstly just got the same phone service so thanks for the heads up on that one. I am already not smiling on the plan, so far but we needed something in a pinch after not having a cell for almost 6mo. My daughters have boost and one has Cricket in regards to unlimited min. My other dgtr likes Sprint. Good luck.

We've had T-mobile and At&t in the past and switched to Verizon, it was the best thing we ever did! The service coverage is great, wouldn't change it. Good luck!

Hi C., You've gotten a lot of good feedback, but I couldn't resist adding my two cents! Four years ago, we had AT&T and would occasionally have dropped calls. At the end of our two year contract, we decided to go with T-Mobile since the cost was about the same, and Consumer Reports had rated it high in customer satisfaction (above AT&T). It was probably the first time I've ever had bad information from Consumer Reports (in all fairness to them, they only surveyed certain major cities. I am in the Fresno/Clovis area). I can't even tell you the number of times I was not able to get a call to go through--in certain areas of my house and at the grocery store I shop at (which happened to be right across the street from the T-Mobile store), and then sporadically around town (sometimes I would get coverage in certain areas, and sometimes I wouldn't). My daughter had the least expensive phone in the store and sometimes she would get coverage when I couldn't - and I had a Razor!

I couldn't wait for my contract to end with T-Mobile! After that, we decided to go with Verizon, because everyone I spoke with that had Verizon was very satisfied. They are a little more expensive, but we have not had one single issue with the service in the three months that we've been with them. To me it's worth a few extra dollars a month. I would ask people around the town where you live, and see what cell phone service they are satisfied with.

I have had verizion for close to 10 years and I love it! The customer Servive is great! I have unlimited everything on my phone and it is about $100. Just make sure you get insurance on your phone. The coverage is great, there are very few places that I DONT get service (like driving through teh Desert in Arizona) but I went to both CO and TX last summer and never roamed even though I was in some very small towns!

My husband and myself used to be with AT&T, hated them, would NOT recommend them... Verizon may have great service, but they are expensive, so is Sprint.
We've been with T-mobile for about a year now, and we are very happy with them. they have good plans with a lot of minutes, good prices, and good phones. now, sometimes you can get a free phone when you sign up.. sometimes not. there ARE websites out there, third-part sites, that will give you a free phone for going through them to get a service plan with a top company. I don't know any off the top of my head, but I know i've used a couple in the past and never regretted it. just do a search.
bottom line, I would recommend T-Mobile.

HI! I just wanted to say that I have Verizon Wireless! I know what it is like to just have cell phone as your main line! My husband and I have used our cell phone as our communicator. It works! I would totally recommend Verizon to you! They have a plan that will work for both of you. You can get unlimited txt and calls. Sprint isn't that great! My husband had them before he switch to Verizon. He says that Verizon is much better! You get more bars in more places. Not so much with Sprint.
Good luck! I hope you get one that suits you and your fiance/husband needs!
J. L. A.

Hi C.,
We have had Verizon for several years now and have been happy with it nearly all the time. I don't think there's a perfect service out there. They all have their flaws. But Verizon has been good for us and the rates seem to be as competitive as anybody else's. I have the EnV, because it opens up to a full keyboard for texting. We do a fair amount of texting so it's a lot easier for me. Anyway, good luck!

hi, we don't have cell phones because it is another bill for us and we usually can get a hold of each other because one of us is always home if the other isn't.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I know of 3 people who HAD sprint and were very unhappy that they ended the contract before it was up, and were happy to pay whatever fees because it was a lot cheaper than what they were getting over charged for. Sprint even saw the over charges and still wouldn't credit them back. I hear Verizon is the best out there. Good Luck.

I have Tmobile. And I love it. I have have them for over 3 years. I pay $125 a month for 3 phones, 700 minutes, unlimited texting, unlimited nights and weekends..
I have had no problems, if I needed something- they took care of me. I do have some area issues but not many..

Sprint has an unlimited plan that is $99.00 per month for one person and $189.00 for two. You get unlimited everything. I just have myself on the plan and I love it.

Be sure and get a phone made by a reputable company. Mine is LG and I Love it. I've had Motorola, and they are great about fixing/replacing phones free if there is a problem you didn't cause yourself.

I have Cingular. I HAD Verizon and hated it. Their customer service is horrible where it exists at all. Cingular (sorry, now it's AT&T) Is great in that department. Also, I live where you cant get much service, but you can get Cingular/AT&T .

I've had Verizon since they purchased GTE Mobilnet, which was somewhere around 1997. I've never had a problem. We're really happy with our free V-Cast phones. I actually dropped mine in a parking lot a couple of years ago when it was brand new where it was driven over by a delivery van. The camera, address book, and several other features were destroyed. I took it to a local Verizon store and the manager sold me a new identical phone valued at over $200 for $50. They even figured out a way to transfer all my data over to the new phone so I didn't lose any contact information or pictures. At this point we don't want new phones because we love what we have and they still work great, so the local store manager is giving us two new upgraded blue tooths instead of new phones because we hate the ones we have.
I have clients who use ATT & Sprint and they're both a lot more expensive than Verizon. Customer service doesn't seem to be as good either.

We currently have AT&T, but are considering a change back to Verizon. We had Verizon a few years ago, but decided to try Cingular (before AT&T merged and bought them out)when our kids went onto that, so we'd have the family plan. We liked Cingular better, but haven't been as happy with it under AT&T. I haven't looked into the newer Verizon plans yet, but will soon begin, as our current service period ends in about six weeks. We have relatives on the Verizon plan who are still happy with it, and I understand that they have a new plan that will still give us access to the free or low cost services to our kids' phones even if they stay with AT&T. At least that's what I've heard. As I said, I haven't personally checked it out yet.

I just got my son a Verizon pre-pay plan and so far we are very happy. The phone we picked is of good quality (designed for a teenager) and so far the service has been great. You can put as little as $15.00 a month on the phone and that is all we need. Of course you can do a lot more than that if you use it more often.

C.,
It looks like you have a lot of reading to do. Verizon is the way to go. I have had the same phone number since 1987. I began when cell phones first came out. Verizon has not always been Verizon but I'm still with them. Even if you want a fancier phone than the free one that will come with your package, you will get a huge discount on the one you want. Remember this, they will deal with you too. Everyone is hungry for customers. They can't change the price of the package, but they will give you a deal on accessories and phone choices. Good luck
L.

I have tried all three companies, sprint was the best from the 3 you listed but now I have metro. I didn't like the other plans because the always have hidden fees and rates go really high when you go over mins. After paying $250 in text fees (some of which were from the comp to me telling me what new products they have for sale) I canceled and went to metro, I know it sucks but I would rather pay $45 a month with crapy service than $350 month with ok service!
I don't have a home phone like you, and always went over the mins, which adds up fast! Metro is cheapest, and the service is not all that much worse. Plus the people are better than the big companies.

I really like my Verizon. You do have to lock into a 2 year plan with them, but it's worth it. Their coverage is excellent whether I'm in Sacramento, CA, or New York, NY. Where my other friends' cell phone fail, mine still picks up reception. When the 2 years are nearing, you can usually resign with a free phone. And, their customer service is REALLY good - which is a huge deal for me. Good luck in your search!

Hi C.-
I use Verizon. I know there is the whole contract thing, but verizon is by far the best service. I had cingular and ATT and neither compared to it. For my husband and I, we pay $125 a month. Every two years we get a new phone (for free, both of us). If you want to pay insurance on the phone for $5 a month, if anything, and I mean ANYTHING happens to it, you get a replacement phone free of charge. Yes, you do PAY for your service, but i think it's worth it and would never switch. I am always tempted by cheaper offers, but I just can't put a price on good service and calls that are NEVER lost.
Hope this helps you. Good luck.
-E. M.

I pay $35 for AT&T and love it. Most of my friends however have Verizon. Verizon has gotten better over the years and there are less dropped calls. They are pretty affordable too. I like my AT&T cell phone. I've never gotten a dropped call.

Sprint is great. I have had them for 4 years. They have the everything plan for $99 but they also have another plan that includes text etc. for $49.99 which is great and you can get equip. repair for $1.99 and any time your phone goes out etc.they will replace.

We've had Sprint since 1999! No problems so far! They have some pretty decent plans. You can check them out online.

I had a verizon family plan for 2 years, and their service was great. You do pay for it. I switched our plan over to ATT recently, so I could bundle our services. ATT has pretty good coverage too. I would say go with either of them ( I have a friend who has TMobile and their covererage stinks--another friend has sprint, but the coverage isn't as good as ATT or verizon). The free phones with verizon were better than the ones we received with ATT.

Try AT&T they have family plans and great coverage pretty much everywhere.

We live in Mountain House and have decent reception - except in our kitchen with both AT& T and Verizon. We've had an account with Verizon for years and have been pleased with the customer service. ATT is new - hubby just had to have the stupid iPhone - but so far so good as far as reception - he drives to Santa Clara for work. If I could just get him to stop butt-dialing me. ;)
I have a boring old Motorola Razor flip phone it's 3 years old and still works great inspite of being dropped in a toilet and down the stairs by my son. ;)

I have had Verizon for many years. The plans can get pricey depending on what you want but the coverage is awesome. I rarely ever get a dropped call. I get coverage everywhere! My husband was even in a pretty remote area recently and he just walked to the top of a hill and had perfect reception. Just my experience. Good Luck.
M.

T-Mobile has been great for us. They got the highest customer satisfaction ratings. My husband researched cell providers online. They will often give you a free, basic phone when you sign up.

http://www.t-mobile.com/

Good luck. :)

Hi C.!

I am and independent representative for Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T and Nextel. I can help you navigate through the complex mass of cell phone plans! We offer many quality phones with all kinds of features for free! Some of the popular phones we offer at substantial discounts off the kiosks in the malls!

Our service is personal... I come to you, find out from you what you are looking for and suggest a plan that is right for you... not the cell phone companies!! You keep your same number, and your new phone ships in just a few days all activated and ready to go!!

I just switched my personal phone to Sprint (they have the best coverage in my area) and I have an unlimited plan for $99 per month. It is their "simply everything" plan... and it literally is!

I would be happy to meet with you at your convenience and review the packages with you and your fiance! Please email me here, or call me at ###-###-####. I look forward to meeting you and helping you save some money!!

Thanks! A.

I just joined this site, so sorry for not replying before July 2009, however...
I work from home as telecom broker and would be happy to help you (and anyone else out there) work through the cell phone jungle...LOL. I represent 6 major, national carriers and can shop across the board for you. Feel free to contact me directly: ____@____.com or by cell: ###-###-####