Help! I'm thinking of getting a cell ph one?

“Hey guys!

I'm thinking of getting a cell phone because I drive from SouthCentral MI to East-Central WI a bunch through Chicago.

I've visited some of the little mall cell phone kiosks and have come to the conclusion that I trust none of these companies.

So, how do I get a cell phone without getting screwed?

BTW, I want to cancel my regular long distance, use phone cards for regular long distance and only use the cell phone at night and for emergencies.

Anyone have Alltel? How are they?

Thanks, guys!”

“I have cingular, but would have Nextel if I had the chance to do over.”

“RL - for what's it's worth, I have an uncle in the cell phone biz. He'll at least be honest. What we just did was canceled our long distance and local and went with QuickTel (something like that). Little cheaper than SBC, however, QuickTel looks good, but there's all kind of little charges gong this way that we only about 20 bones a month. We have free long distance as pasrt f our cell plan, so we just use that if we're calling anywhere far (like to the next city--grin--).”

“GEEEZZZZZZ, can I write more like Ice Tea?? I needs a new keyboard!”

“Go to a major electronics chain. They will give you a better deal than if you go straight to the phone company. Your billing and service is through the phone company - they just give the retailers a sweeter deal. I got mine from Verizon (really good service) and found out later that I could have gotten the phone I really wanted free from PC Richard. Verizon wanted about $200 for that phone.”

“There's always a lot of competition for your business. I signed up w/AT&T a couple years back on a promotional deal that included unlimited long distance and something like 800 minutes of airtime a month, all for about 40 bucks a month. When it was time to renew, they didn't have quite as good a deal, but I just told them that was what I wanted and they said OK. BTW, I had to call them a couple of times over the past couple years, and expected to get the major corporate runaround BS, but they were great! Polite, helpful, quick - I couldn't believe it!”

“Um, I guess my point was, shop around and maybe try to negotiate a little....”

“If you have a choice of phones, I would recommend the Motorola 120t, nothing fancy, but the battery is a Lithium and has about the longest run time out there.

I use AT&T because the other services don't work in Lassen Park with out me having to climb something big, like Lassen Peak to get out on.”

“Nextel - try to get a plan with as many free minutes possible and a free phone. Also, be sure to read the contract, it's very hard for you to break them.”

“RL - I am stictly cellular (no phone at home) and I have Verizon. I've been very happy with them, and have had good coverage everywhere I've gone (but don't know about WI). I got a rebate on my phone (a little tiny motorola thing), I think it cost me $50.

Get enough minutes to cover all the calls you need (I very, very rarely go over my 350 daytime minutes a month, but I don't have a significant other out of state that I call a lot, LOL!) and cancel your phone at home if you can. It'll be cheaper than paying for both.

Oh, but you probably have a computer at home, since you're TTing with us. OK, so that won't work.

Find out exactly what time those night and weekend minutes start. Mine don't start until 9PM, and I generally don't make calls after 9:30, so the night time minutes are worthless to me. The weekends are great, though.

Make sure you get a package with free voice mail too. Don't pay for any extras, they should all be free pretty much wherever you go.”

“whatever you do, don't get Sprint!”

“I don't have a home phone. I have a Moto 120t (not bad), and my service is through AT&T. I pay 29 bucks a month. I've never gone over (I don't use the phone that much in general). It's been a good choice for me”

“Regardless of which service you use, north of Steven's Point in Wisconsin, coverage is very spotty. Been there & brother-in-law lives in the area.

I have ATT only because at the time it was the only supplier for the area I frequented.

I think it's a cr@p-shoot which ever provider you choose.”

“I have AT&T Regional Advantage at $44 a month, tax included. I get 250 anytime minutes plus about 30 more, unlimited night and weekend minutes, and free long distance and no roaming from Maine to Virginia and a sliver of West Virginia.”

“Oh yes, the phone was free.”

“That's basically the same plan I have, Geo - works for me....”

“Look into Tracfone. It is a cellular prepaid phone. I almost never use my phone so with ATT Wireless I was wasting $30.00 a month.
Tracfone is on the net. I like it and I am saving tons of moola!!”

“Try to only sign a one year contract. Birch and I have T Mobile. Got two free phones, and we talk to eachother for free. The minutes are plenty, the cost is low. BUT I get hardly any service in the school I work at. Everywhere else is fine. Work is the problem. Unfortunately work is where I really want to use it and I signed a two year contract.

Cell phones and schools don't mix for some reason. Out of five different cell companies onlt Cingular gets reception at my work. You may wanna check with some of your colleagues if you think you may want service at school.”

“RL - Make sure you aks about home rates, roaming, etc. If you want to use your cell and you're not inside Detroit and/or Chicago (when driving to WI) you may experience roaming charges.

Because I travel for work some, I have a national calling plan. So, my rate is the same no matter where my calls originate. You'll likely have something a little different than that.

GOOD LUCK!”

“Tarabull has a good point. I'm sure most of the major companies have similar plans, but Verizon has a local plan (Detroit over to G.R. and up north of Flint), a regional mid-west plan that includes IL, WI, MN, etc. and a national plan. Think about where you'll use your phone. Roaming charges will kill ya.

Oh, and roaming sucks up battery power quicker. So, don't get stuck roaming w/o a charger nearby.”

“Sass - the reason cells don't work in schools is because they are built to take a tornado hit or worse. Some of the older buildings have 1 to 3+ feet of steel and cement. Our district has yet to get a cell company that will have consistant cell service thoughout the building. I'm in the same position. In my area, where I need it the most in case of emergence, the thing craps out.”

“RL, most companies have a footprint where they have good coverage, and courtesy agreements (U help me and I help U) with other companies on the fringes of their area. If the company does not have sufficient cell towers in your area you have trouble getting a signal and miserable service.

If you are in a primary area with any company they are great, but no company has a footprint for the entire US. Check with people in your usage area for signal strength and service availability.
What I have here in NJ does not matter a hill of beans in MI or WI.

Where I live there are a lot of ads for an **unnamed** (no slander or libel here) company with how many minutes you get and how you can carry over unused minutes. My daughter says the local HS kids laugh and say "of course you have a lot of minutes, you can never get a signal to use any".”

“Lyra, I have Sprint and its the best service I've ever had. My home in the middle on no-where gets good Sprint reception and nothing, I mean none of the other carriers get any service without climbing through the woods to the top of the hill. I have a little better package than teh average and can roam on any system digital of analog from my Sprint phone. I'm also using the best phone they made the Sanyo 4900. Better reception than the rest. Places and personal positions differ. I have a cheap Verison for my wife, works good for her for $20/mo.”

“Can I just say that you guys are tremendous? I am basically doing a lot of research and allowing the companies an opportunity to answer EVERY SINGLE ONE of my questions.

Smiley is correct that I need my local phone for internet. I also live in an out-of-the-way area and know that Nextel does not work here.

I'm leaning at the moment to Nextel because they have a national plan that seems to cover all the places I ever go for local charges and they have unlimited nights and weekends - when I would most likely talk to K.

I'm a bit nervous, however, because the woman says that they don't reveal the locations of their cell towers. Hehe. It's a big old conspiracy, I say:)

Again, thanks for all the great input. I am currently reading and rereading it all.”

“Alltel, that should read.”

“Whatever you do, check your phone bill carefully each month. Cell phone bills are complicated, (which is one way they can add those hidden charges, I'm convinced), so read the whole thing each month. I've had a bad experience with Nextel, and finally had to cancel them after they refunded my money for three months in a row. My wife just spent hours on the phone disputing charges from Cingular, (which they refunde), and it's not the first time.
Cell phones are convenient, but you are available more than you thought possible once you have one. Go for it, but be careful.”