I am still at school and a complete cell phone newbie!.
I want a phone to have just for occasional use and emergencies.
Can anyone tell me what the best option is for me?.
Virginmobile have a pre pay deal - $20 every 3 months, which works out at
£80 per year but calls a quite expensive.
Is this my best option or does anyone know of anything better?. I dont mind
spending a little bit more more i.e. $110 a year if i get a better
deal such as free minutes or something.
In the US, any cell phone, even without a paid account, can be used for
emergency calls.
"Jennifer Hammond" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:12scllpso4d9t1e@corp.supernews.com...
> Hi
>
> I am still at school and a complete cell phone newbie!.
>
> I want a phone to have just for occasional use and emergencies.
>
> Can anyone tell me what the best option is for me?.
>
> Virginmobile have a pre pay deal - $20 every 3 months, which works out at
> £80 per year but calls a quite expensive.
>
> Is this my best option or does anyone know of anything better?. I dont
> mind
> spending a little bit more more i.e. $110 a year if i get a better
> deal such as free minutes or something.
>
> Any advice is appreciated
>
> Jen
>
>
>
>
>
Depends on how occasional is "occasional", but the best deal for a very
light user is prepaid, and the best deal in prepaid is Page Plus, who will
activate just about any old (or new) Verizon phone, and uses their
(Verizon's) extensive network. Refills can be purchased over the phone or
online.
How does about $2.50 per month, and 14c per minute work for you? No free
nights/weekends/"in network" etc, but you would probably have to sign an
expensive contract to get those anyway.
Go to eBay and search "activation verizon" or "activate Verizon" and you
will find 5 to 10 merchants selling activation packages for as low as less
than $5.00, including 70-100 free minutes. I have one of their service
packages, as an extra to my VZW postpaid, and I gave my Mom one. Can't beat
it.
Surely a friend has an old Verizon phone, if not, look for suggestions for
phone models here on the NG. Everyone has a favorite and you will get many
recommendations. Try to find a mint phone on eBay which includes accessories
(car charger, case, home charger, some even throw in headsets and extra
batteries, etc). You shouldn't have trouble finding what you need for less
than $50, maybe considerably less.
Another option is Boost Mobile, at $5.00 per month plus airtime, a little
more expensive. Major drawback is Boost uses Nextel's network, whose
coverage is GENERALLY inferior. I live in a NYC suburb and expect excellent
coverage, but Nextel here is plagued with dead spots and dropped calls.
Boost activation packages (with a phone) go on sale periodically at larger
(i.e. Target) chains.
Remember that coverage is probably the most important variable. You may be
in an area where Verizon's coverage is poor, and Nextel's is excellent
(though there are few areas like that around here), and be guided
accordingly.....you mention you are at school, and if you are in an area far
from a major city, some providers may give you no service at all. Try to
check with others around you, and find out who is satisfied with their
service where YOU are.
When you've picked out a provider, do yourself a favor and visit http://www.cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm where a gentleman has put
together an excellent chart comparing prepaids.
Good Luck,
Dean
"Jennifer Hammond" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:12scllpso4d9t1e@corp.supernews.com...
> Hi
>
> I am still at school and a complete cell phone newbie!.
>
> I want a phone to have just for occasional use and emergencies.
>
> Can anyone tell me what the best option is for me?.
>
> Virginmobile have a pre pay deal - $20 every 3 months, which works out at
> £80 per year but calls a quite expensive.
>
> Is this my best option or does anyone know of anything better?. I dont
> mind
> spending a little bit more more i.e. $110 a year if i get a better
> deal such as free minutes or something.
>
> Any advice is appreciated
>
> Jen
>
>
>
>
>
"Cubit" <no@not.not> wrote in message
news:Izuxh.10927$zH1.10665@newssvr29.news.prodigy. net...
> In the US, any cell phone, even without a paid account, can be used for
> emergency calls.
>
emergencies like phoning a cab or my parents etc not just 911.
"George" <gh424NO824SPAM@cox.net> wrote in message
news:n%Pxh.287282$fh6.227147@newsfe13.lga...
> In article <12scllpso4d9t1e@corp.supernews.com>,
> nospam@nospam.com says...
>
> > I am still at school and a complete cell phone newbie!.
>
> > I want a phone to have just for occasional use and
> > emergencies.
>
> > Can anyone tell me what the best option is for me?.
>
> > Virginmobile have a pre pay deal - $20 every 3 months,
> > which works out at £80 per year but calls a quite
> > expensive.
>
> > Is this my best option or does anyone know of anything
> > better?. I dont mind spending a little bit more more
> > i.e. $110 a year if i get a better deal such as free
> > minutes or something.
>
> > Any advice is appreciated
>
> My advice is to go to:
>
> http://www.cellguru.net
>
> and look at his Prepaid Comparison Chart. There you will
> find a lot of information on a number of prepaid plans,
> including which network each plan uses (i.e. - Virgin uses
> Sprint).
>
> The best plan for you will depend on (1) how good the
> coverage is where you will be using the phone, and (2) the
> number of minutes per month you end up using the phone.
> For very low usage, a plan with a low minimum cost per month
> might be best even if the cost per minute is high. That's
> the case for me. But for somewhat higher usage, it might be
> just the reverse.
>
> By the way, I'm told that even though it's not on their
> website, the minimum payment to Virgin can be reduced to $15
> every three months if you sign up for their Auto Top-up.
>
> The biggest prepaid seller in the U.S. is Tracfone. But a
> lot of people really like Page Plus, which uses the Verizon
> network, and even permits (very expensive) roaming, and is
> pretty cheap.
>
Thanks for the link. The chart is really helpful.
It would appear that virgin deal i mentioned above is the best deal as this
works out at $6.60 per month although calls are expensive at 0.50c per
minute.
I have been trying to find Deans deal of $2.50 per month, and 14c per
minute. But cannot work out how to get this or who this is with. Any idea
what he means?
The following presumes you have, or can obtain, an old Verizon phone in
working condition. If not, I posted some suggestions on how to get one
reasonably.
Go to eBay, and do a search on "activate verizon" or "verizon activation".
Look for the name "Page Plus" in the item title. As we speak, there are
currently more than 10 items for sale on eBay, ranging in price from about
$4 to $13. This is for an activation package, which gives you the phone
number and between 70-100 intro minutes. If you're not an eBayer, you
probably know someone who is. Let them make the purchase, and reimburse
them.
Call or e-mail the seller with the ESN (serial number) and model of the
phone. They instruct you on the simple procedure for activation. Page plus
refills are available for as little as $10, at 14c per minute. You have to
refill every 120 days----so $10, divided by four months, equals $2.50 per
month.
Note that Page Plus has a website www.pagepluscellular.com where you CAN
purchase a phone and service, but the resellers on eBay are cheaper. Also be
careful when you buy a phone, depending on where you are located, for
instance if you are in Florida, you'll need a phone which does 1900Mhz, as
much of Verizon's network there uses that band. A tri-mode Verizon-capable
phone will cover you anywhere there is service.
Where are you located, and where do you plan to use the phone most? Be aware
that if you'll post a location, someone here will more than likely let us
know how Verizon's coverage is there.
If you consider Virgin, be aware that they use Sprint's network, which is
not as extensive as Verizon's, depending of course on your location.
BTW, if you are "away" at school, and there's a bulletin board around, post
a notice saying you'll buy a good used Verizon phone, I'd bet you'll get at
least a few responses. If you work, same deal. This way you can look at what
you're buying. Someone will have a good one buried in their closet from when
they upgraded to a new one. A student might be glad to get $10 or $20 for
something they weren't using anyway...At most, maybe a new battery off of
eBay, and off you go.
Post as much info as you can. You can find a lot of help here.
Dean
"Jennifer Hammond" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:12sgoe37om2se78@corp.supernews.com...
>
> "George" <gh424NO824SPAM@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:n%Pxh.287282$fh6.227147@newsfe13.lga...
>> In article <12scllpso4d9t1e@corp.supernews.com>,
>> nospam@nospam.com says...
>>
>> > I am still at school and a complete cell phone newbie!.
>>
>> > I want a phone to have just for occasional use and
>> > emergencies.
>>
>> > Can anyone tell me what the best option is for me?.
>>
>> > Virginmobile have a pre pay deal - $20 every 3 months,
>> > which works out at £80 per year but calls a quite
>> > expensive.
>>
>> > Is this my best option or does anyone know of anything
>> > better?. I dont mind spending a little bit more more
>> > i.e. $110 a year if i get a better deal such as free
>> > minutes or something.
>>
>> > Any advice is appreciated
>>
>> My advice is to go to:
>>
>> http://www.cellguru.net
>>
>> and look at his Prepaid Comparison Chart. There you will
>> find a lot of information on a number of prepaid plans,
>> including which network each plan uses (i.e. - Virgin uses
>> Sprint).
>>
>> The best plan for you will depend on (1) how good the
>> coverage is where you will be using the phone, and (2) the
>> number of minutes per month you end up using the phone.
>> For very low usage, a plan with a low minimum cost per month
>> might be best even if the cost per minute is high. That's
>> the case for me. But for somewhat higher usage, it might be
>> just the reverse.
>>
>> By the way, I'm told that even though it's not on their
>> website, the minimum payment to Virgin can be reduced to $15
>> every three months if you sign up for their Auto Top-up.
>>
>> The biggest prepaid seller in the U.S. is Tracfone. But a
>> lot of people really like Page Plus, which uses the Verizon
>> network, and even permits (very expensive) roaming, and is
>> pretty cheap.
>>
>
>
> Thanks for the link. The chart is really helpful.
>
> It would appear that virgin deal i mentioned above is the best deal as
> this works out at $6.60 per month although calls are expensive at 0.50c
> per minute.
>
> I have been trying to find Deans deal of $2.50 per month, and 14c per
> minute. But cannot work out how to get this or who this is with. Any
> idea what he means?
>
>
>
> Thanks for the link. The chart is really helpful.
>
> It would appear that virgin deal i mentioned above is the best deal as this
> works out at $6.60 per month although calls are expensive at 0.50c per
> minute.
>
> I have been trying to find Deans deal of $2.50 per month, and 14c per
> minute. But cannot work out how to get this or who this is with. Any idea
> what he means?
The problems with Virgin go beyond the cost. They use Sprint's network,
but no roaming off Sprint's network is permitted, either onto other CDMA
networks, or onto AMPS. This severely limits Virgin's coverage in the
U.S.. If you never leave the core of the metropolitan areas it's okay.
Pageplus is by far the best deal for the low user. I have two phones on
it now. The coverage is superb. Pageplus is definitely a low-budget
operation, so it's a slight hassle to get started, and their web site is
not great. You have to add a minimum of $10 every four months. Each call
costs 14¢ per minute, plus they deduct 50¢ per month. You can use any
CDMA phone that works with Verizon, including Verizon InPulse phones
that you can buy at stores like Target and Smarty-Mart.
See "http://www.pagepluscellular.com/"
Page Plus Web site issues
-------------------------
The $80 "card" is not available, even though it's on their site. You can
click on "Buy Now" but it won't go into your cart. I could not get my
Visa card to work on their site. Discover worked. Even though American
Express shows up as a payment choice at checkout, they actually don't
accept American Express. The cards are good for 120 days, though this
isn't stated on the web site. Unused minutes roll over when you add more
time, also not stated on the site.
The only plan with a lower yearly minimum is 7-11's SpeakOut, at
20¢/minute. They charge $1 or $1.25 per month, and you have to add $25
per year. Roaming is allowed at extra cost. No web site, you have to buy
time at a 7-11, or over the phone. You have to buy a phone at 7-11, they
won't just sell you a SIM card.
T-Mobile costs 10¢/minute if you buy 1000 minutes, and after that you
only have to add time once per year, and you can add as little as $10.
Unfortunately, T-Mobile has similar problems to Virgin, you can roam,
but not onto any 800 MHz GSM networks, only 1900 MHz GSM networks.
> T-Mobile costs 10¢/minute if you buy 1000 minutes, and after that you
> only have to add time once per year, and you can add as little as $10.
> Unfortunately, T-Mobile has similar problems to Virgin, you can roam,
but
> not onto any 800 MHz GSM networks, only 1900 MHz GSM networks.
Just to nit-pick your very informative post, T-Mobile prepaid has been
roaming onto 800-MHz for almost a year now, despite the "no 850 roaming"
disclaimer on the T-Mo website. The prepaid coverage map even indicates
the 850 roaming areas (with a different color pattern than 1900 roaming)
while a sidebar on the same webpage exclaims 850 MHZ roaming is
unavailable to prepaid users!
However, prepaid roamers do not have access to all of the roaming
partners that T-Mo contract customers have, nor is any T-Mo coverage,
prepaid or contract, close to the coverage that PagePlus offers.
"SMS" <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in message
news:45c9f7a2$0$69004$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> Jennifer Hammond wrote:
>
>> Thanks for the link. The chart is really helpful.
>>
>> It would appear that virgin deal i mentioned above is the best deal as
>> this works out at $6.60 per month although calls are expensive at 0.50c
>> per minute.
>>
>> I have been trying to find Deans deal of $2.50 per month, and 14c per
>> minute. But cannot work out how to get this or who this is with. Any
>> idea what he means?
>
> The problems with Virgin go beyond the cost. They use Sprint's network,
> but no roaming off Sprint's network is permitted, either onto other CDMA
> networks, or onto AMPS. This severely limits Virgin's coverage in the
> U.S.. If you never leave the core of the metropolitan areas it's okay.
>
> Pageplus is by far the best deal for the low user. I have two phones on it
> now. The coverage is superb. Pageplus is definitely a low-budget
> operation, so it's a slight hassle to get started, and their web site is
> not great. You have to add a minimum of $10 every four months. Each call
> costs 14¢ per minute, plus they deduct 50¢ per month. You can use any CDMA
> phone that works with Verizon, including Verizon InPulse phones that you
> can buy at stores like Target and Smarty-Mart.
>
> See "http://www.pagepluscellular.com/"
>
> Page Plus Web site issues
> -------------------------
> The $80 "card" is not available, even though it's on their site. You can
> click on "Buy Now" but it won't go into your cart. I could not get my Visa
> card to work on their site. Discover worked. Even though American Express
> shows up as a payment choice at checkout, they actually don't accept
> American Express. The cards are good for 120 days, though this isn't
> stated on the web site. Unused minutes roll over when you add more time,
> also not stated on the site.
>
> The only plan with a lower yearly minimum is 7-11's SpeakOut, at
> 20¢/minute. They charge $1 or $1.25 per month, and you have to add $25 per
> year. Roaming is allowed at extra cost. No web site, you have to buy time
> at a 7-11, or over the phone. You have to buy a phone at 7-11, they won't
> just sell you a SIM card.
>
> T-Mobile costs 10¢/minute if you buy 1000 minutes, and after that you only
> have to add time once per year, and you can add as little as $10.
> Unfortunately, T-Mobile has similar problems to Virgin, you can roam, but
> not onto any 800 MHz GSM networks, only 1900 MHz GSM networks.
Thank you all for the informative posts, i'm impressed
I liked the look of page plus but after comparing their website with virgins
I decided to chose virgin simply because i can login their and view my
account/add money etc all online )
The downside was i had to chose an awful phone :/. My understanding from
asking around is i need to find a good phone
i can unlock so i can insert my virgin sim card into it.
I like the look of the motorola K1 http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/pro...alObjectId=160 but
from searching i dont think you can unlock it.
Any ideas?
BTW. can someone explain to me what roaming is. From what i can work out
if you go out of your providers coverage area and into another providers
this is "roaming" but you are charged a high rate when using another
provider. but my question to this is how would you know if you have
"roamed" ?
At 07 Feb 2007 22:21:23 +0000 Jennifer Hammond wrote:
> The downside was i had to chose an awful phone :/. My understanding
from
> asking around is i need to find a good phone
> i can unlock so i can insert my virgin sim card into it.
Um, no. Virgin resells Sprint service. Sprint (and Verizon) use CDMA
technology, which doesn't use a SIM card. GSM carriers (like Cingular, T-
Mobile and their resellers) use SIMs and can use unlocked phones.
In addition, I believe Virgin only allows Virgin-branded handsets on
their accounts, so even other compatible Sprint phones can't be used.
> BTW. can someone explain to me what roaming is. From what i can work
out
> if you go out of your providers coverage area and into another providers
> this is "roaming" but you are charged a high rate when using another
> provider.
Yes, but only if your carrier and the roaming carrier has an agreement to
allow this. AFAIK, Virgin doesn't allow roaming.
> but my question to this is how would you know if you have
> "roamed" ?
Generally your phone would tell you on it's display, either with some
kind of indicator, orr the display might simply say "Roam." Again, with
Virgin, I don't think you'll be roaming- the phone will just stop working.
First off, I know you said right from the beginning that you were new to
this cell phone thing. Don't overlook the coverage issue. I really suggest
you post your APPROXIMATE location, as some carriers have half-a-state-sized
holes in their coverage. Just to give you an example, Verizon has had
serious deficiencies in coverage in the Pacific Northwest, areas of
Michigan, and areas of the Carolinas. If I intended to use my phone in one
of those areas, I'd think twice before choosing them as a provider....and
with native-Sprint-only coverage with Virgin, you may be looking at some
HUGE coverage holes. The website will do you no good at all if the phone
doesn't work where you need it to.
Second, I see you're looking at the MotoKRZR. If you have $300 to spend on a
phone, you might as well sign a postpaid contract and get a phone "free".
Then you'll get all the "free" nights/weekends/IN-network calls you want.
Good Luck,
Dean
"Jennifer Hammond" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:12skk905opd7g87@corp.supernews.com...
>
> "SMS" <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in message
> news:45c9f7a2$0$69004$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
>> Jennifer Hammond wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks for the link. The chart is really helpful.
>>>
>>> It would appear that virgin deal i mentioned above is the best deal as
>>> this works out at $6.60 per month although calls are expensive at 0.50c
>>> per minute.
>>>
>>> I have been trying to find Deans deal of $2.50 per month, and 14c per
>>> minute. But cannot work out how to get this or who this is with. Any
>>> idea what he means?
>>
>> The problems with Virgin go beyond the cost. They use Sprint's network,
>> but no roaming off Sprint's network is permitted, either onto other CDMA
>> networks, or onto AMPS. This severely limits Virgin's coverage in the
>> U.S.. If you never leave the core of the metropolitan areas it's okay.
>>
>> Pageplus is by far the best deal for the low user. I have two phones on
>> it
>> now. The coverage is superb. Pageplus is definitely a low-budget
>> operation, so it's a slight hassle to get started, and their web site is
>> not great. You have to add a minimum of $10 every four months. Each call
>> costs 14¢ per minute, plus they deduct 50¢ per month. You can use any
>> CDMA
>> phone that works with Verizon, including Verizon InPulse phones that you
>> can buy at stores like Target and Smarty-Mart.
>>
>> See "http://www.pagepluscellular.com/"
>>
>> Page Plus Web site issues
>> -------------------------
>> The $80 "card" is not available, even though it's on their site. You can
>> click on "Buy Now" but it won't go into your cart. I could not get my
>> Visa
>> card to work on their site. Discover worked. Even though American Express
>> shows up as a payment choice at checkout, they actually don't accept
>> American Express. The cards are good for 120 days, though this isn't
>> stated on the web site. Unused minutes roll over when you add more time,
>> also not stated on the site.
>>
>> The only plan with a lower yearly minimum is 7-11's SpeakOut, at
>> 20¢/minute. They charge $1 or $1.25 per month, and you have to add $25
>> per
>> year. Roaming is allowed at extra cost. No web site, you have to buy time
>> at a 7-11, or over the phone. You have to buy a phone at 7-11, they won't
>> just sell you a SIM card.
>>
>> T-Mobile costs 10¢/minute if you buy 1000 minutes, and after that you
>> only
>> have to add time once per year, and you can add as little as $10.
>> Unfortunately, T-Mobile has similar problems to Virgin, you can roam, but
>> not onto any 800 MHz GSM networks, only 1900 MHz GSM networks.
>
>
> Thank you all for the informative posts, i'm impressed
>
> I liked the look of page plus but after comparing their website with
> virgins
> I decided to chose virgin simply because i can login their and view my
> account/add money etc all online )
>
> The downside was i had to chose an awful phone :/. My understanding
> from
> asking around is i need to find a good phone
> i can unlock so i can insert my virgin sim card into it.
> I like the look of the motorola K1
> http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/pro...alObjectId=160
> but
> from searching i dont think you can unlock it.
> Any ideas?
>
> BTW. can someone explain to me what roaming is. From what i can work out
> if you go out of your providers coverage area and into another providers
> this is "roaming" but you are charged a high rate when using another
> provider. but my question to this is how would you know if you have
> "roamed" ?
>
> Thanks All
> xxx
>
>
>
"Todd Allcock" <elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote in message
news:eqe9ei$cpf$1@aioe.org...
> At 07 Feb 2007 22:21:23 +0000 Jennifer Hammond wrote:
>
>
>> The downside was i had to chose an awful phone :/. My understanding
> from
>> asking around is i need to find a good phone
>> i can unlock so i can insert my virgin sim card into it.
>
>
> Um, no. Virgin resells Sprint service. Sprint (and Verizon) use CDMA
> technology, which doesn't use a SIM card. GSM carriers (like Cingular, T-
> Mobile and their resellers) use SIMs and can use unlocked phones.
"Dean" <dean173@yahoo.com> wrote in message
newsUwyh.272$%S2.167@newsfe12.lga...
> Jennifer,
>
> First off, I know you said right from the beginning that you were new to
> this cell phone thing. Don't overlook the coverage issue. I really suggest
> you post your APPROXIMATE location, as some carriers have
> half-a-state-sized holes in their coverage. Just to give you an example,
> Verizon has had serious deficiencies in coverage in the Pacific Northwest,
> areas of Michigan, and areas of the Carolinas. If I intended to use my
> phone in one of those areas, I'd think twice before choosing them as a
> provider....and with native-Sprint-only coverage with Virgin, you may be
> looking at some HUGE coverage holes. The website will do you no good at
> all if the phone doesn't work where you need it to.
>
> Second, I see you're looking at the MotoKRZR. If you have $300 to spend on
> a phone, you might as well sign a postpaid contract and get a phone
> "free". Then you'll get all the "free" nights/weekends/IN-network calls
> you want.
>
> Good Luck,
> Dean
>
Your were right first time - Florida.
I realise i've now made a mistake with Virgin. I dont think contract is
right for me as i wil never uset he free minutes and I
really don't want to have to pay $20/$30 per month, i would just like a
nice phone. I will take another look at the options who have the Sim cards.
At 08 Feb 2007 18:54:15 +0000 Jennifer Hammond wrote:
> How stupid am I
In your defense, it's a stupid system. When you buy a TV, you don't have
to make sure it's "compatible" with your cable company. When you buy a
cordless phone, you don't have to check if it plugs into the wall jack at
home. That's why we have standards!
In the old days of cellular, when "portable" meant built-into a briefcase
and "handheld" meant the size of a footlong sandwich at Subway, any
cellular phone worked on any cellular service. "Cellular" used to be a
standard. When it went from analog to digital, the government did not
mandate a standard, so four competing standards evolved: CDMA (like
Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, Virgin, PagePlus, etc.,) GSM, (the one with the
SIM cards, like Cingular and T-Mobile,) iDen (Nextel and Boost Mobile,)
and TDMA (no longer sold, but once used by Cingular and the "old" AT&T
Wireless.)
So, were you stupid to expect any phone to work on any service? Not as
stupid as we were for letting it get this way!
> Your were right first time - Florida.
> I realise i've now made a mistake with Virgin. I dont think contract is
> right for me as i wil never uset he free minutes and I
> really don't want to have to pay $20/$30 per month, i would just like a
> nice phone. I will take another look at the options who have the Sim cards.
For the two Florida metro areas that CR rated in their January issue,
Greater Miami, and Greater Tampa, you'd want to stick with Verizon, and
avoid Cingular.
The big problem with Virgin is the lack of roaming. You're going to have
lots of areas with no coverage if you go into the non-metro areas of
Florida, of which their are still a lot. I go to Florida quite a bit, as
I was born there and have a lot of family and friends there.
You really want to use PagePlus with a tri-mode phone if you ever go out
of the metro areas.
"SMS" <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in message
news:45cbd805$0$69041$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> Jennifer Hammond wrote:
>
>> Your were right first time - Florida.
>> I realise i've now made a mistake with Virgin. I dont think contract is
>> right for me as i wil never uset he free minutes and I
>> really don't want to have to pay $20/$30 per month, i would just like a
>> nice phone. I will take another look at the options who have the Sim
>> cards.
>
> For the two Florida metro areas that CR rated in their January issue,
> Greater Miami, and Greater Tampa, you'd want to stick with Verizon, and
> avoid Cingular.
>
> The big problem with Virgin is the lack of roaming. You're going to have
> lots of areas with no coverage if you go into the non-metro areas of
> Florida, of which their are still a lot. I go to Florida quite a bit, as I
> was born there and have a lot of family and friends there.
>
> You really want to use PagePlus with a tri-mode phone if you ever go out
> of the metro areas.
Looking on the cingular link from http://www.cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm they appear to have good
coverage and use GSM
Verizon is not listed as having GSM. I'm going to go with cingular do you
think this will be ok?
> Verizon is not listed as having GSM. I'm going to go with cingular do you
> think this will be ok?
No.
Why are you so keen on GSM? CDMA has more subscribers in the U.S., and a
much larger network that covers more of the country.
Also, Cingular goPhone is much more expensive per month, and per minute,
than PagePlus.
Cingular was rated last, by a large margin, in South Florida, and second
to last by large margin in Tampa/St. Pete. This was a survey with a huge
sample size, so there is an extremely low margin of error. In some metro
areas, Cingular was only slightly worse than Verizon, but in two of the
major metro areas in Florida, they did very poorly.
At 09 Feb 2007 19:04:23 +0000 Jennifer Hammond wrote:
> Looking on the cingular link from
> http://www.cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm they appear to have good
> coverage and use GSM
> Verizon is not listed as having GSM. I'm going to go with cingular
do you
> think this will be ok?
Steven won't, but I do, if "cool" phones are a priority (that's not a
criticism, BTW- just an observation.) PagePlus (Verizon) will have
better coverage, but Cingular is a pefectly acceptable carrier,
paticularly in populated areas. However, if you decide to go with
Cingular, you might want to checkout Beyond Wireless,
(http://www.beyondwirelessgsm.com) since they have better rates, use the
same network, and sell a SIM-only kit cheaply if you intend on buying an
unlocked phone separately. (Speakout Wireless, offered by 7-11
convenience stores is even cheaper for casual use, but you can't buy more
time from the web, which I believe was a priority of yours in an earier
post.)
"SMS" <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in message
news:45ccccb1$0$27179$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> Jennifer Hammond wrote:
>
>> Verizon is not listed as having GSM. I'm going to go with cingular do
>> you think this will be ok?
>
> No.
>
> Why are you so keen on GSM? CDMA has more subscribers in the U.S., and a
> much larger network that covers more of the country.
>
> Also, Cingular goPhone is much more expensive per month, and per minute,
> than PagePlus.
>
> Cingular was rated last, by a large margin, in South Florida, and second
> to last by large margin in Tampa/St. Pete. This was a survey with a huge
> sample size, so there is an extremely low margin of error. In some metro
> areas, Cingular was only slightly worse than Verizon, but in two of the
> major metro areas in Florida, they did very poorly.
>
> Where in Florida are you?
Sarasota. I need GSM as i want to be able to upgrade/change my phone
easily.
> Steven won't, but I do, if "cool" phones are a priority (that's not a
> criticism, BTW- just an observation.) PagePlus (Verizon) will have
> better coverage, but Cingular is a pefectly acceptable carrier,
> paticularly in populated areas.
I have a lot of experience with coverage in Florida. The original poster
never said where she was in Florida. Even though Cingular is poorly
rated in Tampa/St. Pete and Greater Miami by Consumer Reports, it would
probably be okay in the urban and suburban parts of these areas. But
there are populated areas, such as Gainesville (Go Gators!) where
Cingular coverage is very poor.
The original poster actually doesn't appear to be looking for the best
deal in terms of cost and coverage, but is looking for a cool phone. In
that case, your Beyond Wireless suggestion is a good one. It's very true
that for prepaid you can get a much cooler GSM phone than you can a CDMA
phone. With CDMA, in order to get a cool phone you'd have to sign up for
a Verizon postpaid plan, wait out the contract or pay the termination
fee, then switch to prepaid on Pageplus.
> I have a lot of experience with coverage in Florida.
Certainly more than I- my experience is limited to tourist areas like
Orlando, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, etc.
> The original poster never said where she was in Florida. Even though
> Cingular is poorly rated in Tampa/St. Pete and Greater Miami by
> Consumer Reports, it would probably be okay in the urban and suburban
> parts of these areas. But there are populated areas, such as
> Gainesville (Go Gators!) where Cingular coverage is very poor.
From her posts she doesn't seem to have the same telephony priorities as
you or I. You want ubiquitous coverage (Verizon), I'm in for cheap data
access (T-Mo.)
> The original poster actually doesn't appear to be looking for the
> best deal in terms of cost and coverage, but is looking for a cool
> phone.
That seems to be the case. Which is fine if that's her thng. Two
decades in sales have taught me to sell people what will do what they
want it to do, not what I think they need! Once we've established the
parameters- (cool phone/ease of switching phones, web access for buying
refills, etc.) I made my suggestion.
> In that case, your Beyond Wireless suggestion is a good one.
Thank you, sir.
> It's very true that for prepaid you can get a much cooler GSM phone
> than you can a CDMA phone. With CDMA, in order to get a cool phone
> you'd have to sign up for a Verizon postpaid plan, wait out the
> contract or pay the termination fee, then switch to prepaid on
> Pageplus.
Now, if the OP is still out there listening, as I said, my suggestion was
based on what SHE prioritized. Personally, were it me, I'd be on your
side (and am- I'm shopping now for a PagePlus compatible phone or two to
replace my soon-to-be-shutoff TDMA "backup" prepaids. MY parameters were
"lowest monthly cost" and "works where my T-Mo phones don't!" and only
PagePlus fits! ;-)
Our OP really should take both of our advice- get her cool phone to see
and be seen with, and pickup an eBay PagePlus for any Thelma and Louise-
esque road trips into Florida's wilds. For less than the cost of a lousy
Mochaccino a month, a PagePlus is the cheapest insurance one can buy.
Parents: don't let your daughters leave home without one! ;-)
As often happens, this turned out to be an interesting thread, for reasons
more-or-less unintended by the OP.
I have once again re-learned that there is no "one size fits all".
While agreeing with everyone's comments here, Todd, your sales experience
comment was well-taken. I, like SMS, assumed that the coverage issue would
be a high priority, and that the mechanism for re-loading the phone, like
the capablilities of the provider's website, would be secondary issues. It
appears I was incorrect in this case.
The customer is always right, and this customer will be happier, at least in
the short term, with a cool GSM phone and website. At this point, it doesn't
look like PagePlus is her speed. In any case, with prepaids, she doesn't
have a lot to lose.
At least "lurkers" and others with similar questions picked up some valuable
info here...
Dean
"Todd Allcock" <elecconnec@AmericaOnLine.com> wrote in message
news:eqiqtv$c3m$1@aioe.org...
> At 09 Feb 2007 13:21:28 -0800 SMS wrote:
>
>> I have a lot of experience with coverage in Florida.
>
> Certainly more than I- my experience is limited to tourist areas like
> Orlando, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, etc.
>
>> The original poster never said where she was in Florida. Even though
>> Cingular is poorly rated in Tampa/St. Pete and Greater Miami by
>> Consumer Reports, it would probably be okay in the urban and suburban
>> parts of these areas. But there are populated areas, such as
>> Gainesville (Go Gators!) where Cingular coverage is very poor.
>
> From her posts she doesn't seem to have the same telephony priorities as
> you or I. You want ubiquitous coverage (Verizon), I'm in for cheap data
> access (T-Mo.)
>
>
>> The original poster actually doesn't appear to be looking for the
>> best deal in terms of cost and coverage, but is looking for a cool
>> phone.
>
> That seems to be the case. Which is fine if that's her thng. Two
> decades in sales have taught me to sell people what will do what they
> want it to do, not what I think they need! Once we've established the
> parameters- (cool phone/ease of switching phones, web access for buying
> refills, etc.) I made my suggestion.
>
>> In that case, your Beyond Wireless suggestion is a good one.
>
> Thank you, sir.
>
>> It's very true that for prepaid you can get a much cooler GSM phone
>> than you can a CDMA phone. With CDMA, in order to get a cool phone
>> you'd have to sign up for a Verizon postpaid plan, wait out the
>> contract or pay the termination fee, then switch to prepaid on
>> Pageplus.
>
> Now, if the OP is still out there listening, as I said, my suggestion was
> based on what SHE prioritized. Personally, were it me, I'd be on your
> side (and am- I'm shopping now for a PagePlus compatible phone or two to
> replace my soon-to-be-shutoff TDMA "backup" prepaids. MY parameters were
> "lowest monthly cost" and "works where my T-Mo phones don't!" and only
> PagePlus fits! ;-)
>
> Our OP really should take both of our advice- get her cool phone to see
> and be seen with, and pickup an eBay PagePlus for any Thelma and Louise-
> esque road trips into Florida's wilds. For less than the cost of a lousy
> Mochaccino a month, a PagePlus is the cheapest insurance one can buy.
> Parents: don't let your daughters leave home without one! ;-)
>
>
"Dean" <dean173@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:C4lzh.10$k77.9@newsfe12.lga...
> As often happens, this turned out to be an interesting thread, for reasons
> more-or-less unintended by the OP.
>
> I have once again re-learned that there is no "one size fits all".
>
> While agreeing with everyone's comments here, Todd, your sales experience
> comment was well-taken. I, like SMS, assumed that the coverage issue would
> be a high priority, and that the mechanism for re-loading the phone, like
> the capablilities of the provider's website, would be secondary issues. It
> appears I was incorrect in this case.
>
> The customer is always right, and this customer will be happier, at least
> in the short term, with a cool GSM phone and website. At this point, it
> doesn't look like PagePlus is her speed. In any case, with prepaids, she
> doesn't have a lot to lose.
>
> At least "lurkers" and others with similar questions picked up some
> valuable info here...
>
> Dean
>
You all talk as though i'm mad )
To be honest i'm not sure i quite understand the comments re. coverage. I
don't travel far and I know cingular works in my area because there are
other people i know using cingular and its advertised on TV here so i am
100% sure it will work here. If it doesn't I will send it back for a
refund.
The other GSM option on that site you gave me i am considering is t-mobile
but i have been unable to fnd out what there per minute charges are.
Assuming they are the same as cingular, if people here think tmobile has
better 'coverage' i will go for them
I know 100% i definately need a GSM/SIM phone to give me the flexibility to
change my phone when i like. This is important to me )
Assuming i now sign up with cingular i have been trying for the last few
days to find a Motorola K1 phone (i really want this phone) and would
appreciate any input on how to get this. The only deal i can find is this
one:
My post(s) could have come off as somewhat condescending.
If so, I apologize for that.
Understand that in my experience, people who use prepaid normally do so for
reasons such as:
1/ Bad credit, can't get approval for a contract without a murderous
security deposit;
2/ Distaste or fear of getting "locked in" to a contract;
3/ Temporary residency or employment, where needs will probably change
within a short time; or
4/ Infrequent "emergency"-type users, like many older folks who want/need
the security of a cellphone, but don't want/need the features and advantages
of a postpaid account----in other words, they'd like a cellphone, but want
to do it "on the cheap".
Unfortunately, prepaid users seem to be kind of the "underclass" in the
cellular world in many cases.
From your OP, I assumed, incorrectly, that cost was an issue, therefore I
tailored my advice accordingly. You could have yourself set up with an
account that would use a major National provider's network, and have minutes
at very reasonable cost, for around $50.
Obviously, if you are willing/able to spend over $250 for a phone,
cost is not an issue. In that case, by the time you get done spending almost
$300 before you make your first call, you may well be better off forgetting
the idea of prepaid completely, and take a contract with the provider of
your choice, along with a FREE phone.
You mention that the ability to change phones easily is important to you.
Where will the new phone come from? Do you intend to spend at least $150 to
$300 on your next phone also? I'm sure in your research, you've found that
even the cheapest brand-new unlocked, SIM-capable phone, purchased outright,
will cost you well over $100....and that's the cheapest phone you can get.
I spend about $450-$500 per year on cellphone service. Yes, seems like a
lot, but for that I get coverage virtually everywhere I travel, unlimited
nights and weekends, unlimited calls to other Verizon users, all the
features like call forwarding, voicemail, conference calling, etc, a website
where I can change phones online and manage some of the features, real
Customer Service (some will argue the quality, but have you ever called for
CS on a prepaid account from a reseller?), and a brand-new phone every ten
months for free. I could spend money for a cooler phone, but still way less
than half of retail cost. Last March, I got a Motorola e815 for $40, and
last month I replaced it with a Moto v3m Razr for no out-of-pocket cost at
all. I am on my phone probably 900-1100 minutes every month.
I believe that you will spend nearly as much for limited coverage, limited
features, limited Customer Service, and the privilege of spending a good
deal of your cash whenever you want a new phone.
Please consider your choice carefully before spending $250 on a phone to use
with prepaid.
Dean
"Jennifer Hammond" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:12suh4ain8vk832@corp.supernews.com...
>
> "Dean" <dean173@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:C4lzh.10$k77.9@newsfe12.lga...
>> As often happens, this turned out to be an interesting thread, for
>> reasons
>> more-or-less unintended by the OP.
>>
>> I have once again re-learned that there is no "one size fits all".
>>
>> While agreeing with everyone's comments here, Todd, your sales experience
>> comment was well-taken. I, like SMS, assumed that the coverage issue
>> would
>> be a high priority, and that the mechanism for re-loading the phone, like
>> the capablilities of the provider's website, would be secondary issues.
>> It
>> appears I was incorrect in this case.
>>
>> The customer is always right, and this customer will be happier, at least
>> in the short term, with a cool GSM phone and website. At this point, it
>> doesn't look like PagePlus is her speed. In any case, with prepaids, she
>> doesn't have a lot to lose.
>>
>> At least "lurkers" and others with similar questions picked up some
>> valuable info here...
>>
>> Dean
>>
>
>
> You all talk as though i'm mad )
>
> To be honest i'm not sure i quite understand the comments re. coverage. I
> don't travel far and I know cingular works in my area because there are
> other people i know using cingular and its advertised on TV here so i am
> 100% sure it will work here. If it doesn't I will send it back for a
> refund.
>
> The other GSM option on that site you gave me i am considering is t-mobile
> but i have been unable to fnd out what there per minute charges are.
> Assuming they are the same as cingular, if people here think tmobile has
> better 'coverage' i will go for them
>
> I know 100% i definately need a GSM/SIM phone to give me the flexibility
> to
> change my phone when i like. This is important to me )
> Assuming i now sign up with cingular i have been trying for the last few
> days to find a Motorola K1 phone (i really want this phone) and would
> appreciate any input on how to get this. The only deal i can find is
> this
> one:
>
> http://www.gsmliberty.net/shop/motor...ed-p-1296.html
>
> but ive never heard of them and I am worried about buying from a site i
> dont
> know. Any thoughts?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Best deal for a low user? 
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