Home › Forums › West Seattle Rants & Raves › RANT: Cell phone plans
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May 27, 2010 at 5:27 am #594954
MindDriveMemberWhy did I not buy from Sound Advice? In order to use any Smart Phone, I am now required to spend an extra $30/month for Internet service that I do not need. I really do not appreciate this kind of ridiculous blackmail just to use basic smartphone functions like text transfers to a PC. I’m perfectly happy using a laptop at a WiFi hotspot.
Unfortunately all the major cell phone companies in the US are united in these ludicrous restrictions that are not in place anywhere else in the world. The first of the major carriers that will let me use a device like that, without paying 50% more per month for a service I don’t need, will have my business. My loyalty to Verizon is no longer solid.
May 27, 2010 at 9:19 am #695274
clark5080Participantso you didn’t read the plan info?
May 29, 2010 at 8:44 am #695275
BlendParticipantcan I rant about my cell phone company too: Sprint is the devil..always trying to charge me for breathing to much.
June 1, 2010 at 3:31 pm #695276
AmyOParticipantAT&T hasn’t been much fun either. Not sure why I stayed with them for almost 8 years! I’m thinking of switching to Verizon when my contract ends next week. Any input?
June 1, 2010 at 7:45 pm #695277
SueParticipantclark, it’s not a matter of not reading the plan info (I’m Mrs. MindDrive), as I’m having the same issue. We both have Palm Treos, and they are probably the last (only?) smartphones that did not require a data plan. Now we are stuck with phones we can’t upgrade/replace because every other smartphone (on every carrier) requires a data plan. It’s frustrating to not have the option to get a new phone without taking on a considerably higher monthly bill for something (data) we don’t need. Guess we’ll just keep replacing them through insurance (when broken) until they don’t have anymore to send us!
June 1, 2010 at 8:26 pm #695278
clark5080ParticipantI understand your frustration and to boot now the companies are raising their early termination fee’s a lot. I agree if someone wants to use a smart phone and only use WIFI on it they should be able to. I guess the only way you can do that is with a prepaid phone.
June 2, 2010 at 8:44 pm #695279
hjMemberIf you are using a GSM cell phone company (i.e. AT&T, T-Mobile, but _not_ Verizon or Sprint) then there are ways around this, but they can require a little more work.
It is possible to buy phones on the open market (used phones for example, or otherwise not from the cell phone company or its agents). Then you go to the cell phone company and you can get a month-to-month contract with no data. In this case, the cell phone company has no idea what kind of phone you have, so they can’t pile on extra costs. And since the contract is month-to-month, you have no termination fees to worry about.
The downside of this is that it usually costs more up-front to buy a phone on the open market than it does through the cell phone company, because the phone company will usually subsidize the cost of the phone and then make it up later via your expensive contract.
I have been doing this for years with success.
June 2, 2010 at 9:48 pm #695280
inactiveMemberI just read something yesterday about AT&T’s new plans commencing with the release of the 4G’s. They will be allowing users to select plans based on data usage per month. I just tried to search where I read that and for some reason nothing is coming up on google. But I know it is legitimate.
Another thing I’ve heard is that AT&T will also be increasing their fee for contract cancellation to over $300?
The Iphone has a thing-a-ma-jig which records usage, so folks can determine where they are on a monthly data usage basis. Other things effect the rates……sure wish I could find that news report….but one monthly rate was as low as $15 per month. Another was $20 something.
And, check the location of where cell towers are located. I’ve been complaining regularly for two years to AT&T to put in more cell towers to serve the newer housing developments here in Highland Park. Reception sucks way too much. Way, way too much considering that folks use their cells for emergency calls and can’t rely on the service here. That. Is. Bad. So, probably a dozen hours on phone with departments, complaints in person at retail outlets, emails…..still no new towers.
Why do I still use AT&T? Cuz I still have to for the iphone, which I love.
{EDIT: Found the link with the rate plan changes:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gXZOmAcqCsFXqA6UEJb3s5TLHzfwD9G3C5F01
June 3, 2010 at 4:04 pm #695281
acemotelParticipantI couldn’t run away from Verizon fast enough. As someone said above, they charge you every time you sneeze. ATT has worked well for us, and we don’t have to pay for data on any phones except the iphone.
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