Cell Services - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

NJSPEEDER · 06-25-2014, 07:18 AM

I am getting frustrated with Verizon's horrible customer service and ludicrous fees so I am seriously considering changing providers. I was wondering if anyone had any favorites or recommendations to avoid.

The considerations that are important to me basically revolve around the ability to connect. I don't use a ton of data, mostly text and voice. One thing I do worry about is traveling. I know that no one even claims to have the same connectivity as Verizon but I would like to find someone that is reliable when I head out of town. To give you an idea of my travels so far this year I have been in various parts of Florida 3 times, I go to NYC regularly, I just got home from a trip to France and England, and my current plans include trips to Boston, Toronto, Austin TX, Pittsburgh, with several other possible trips by the end of the year. And this is actually a slow travel year for me.

Suggestions? Do's or don'ts of shopping for a provider?

-Thanks
-Tim

elle · 06-25-2014, 10:58 AM

If you need to good cell service/reception everywhere, Verizon is the only game in town. IMO

WayFast84 · 06-25-2014, 12:02 PM

I don't think you will be able to get a service that offers anything abroad. Maybe you can find a service that offers the ability to switch sim cards with a local prepaid plan?

Last year everyone I was with(including me) couldn't get their burner sim to work with a verizon phone. I think it has something to do with being GSM?

Also if you are grandfathered in with unlimited data I wouldn't switch even if you don't use it much.

NJSPEEDER · 06-25-2014, 02:27 PM

When it comes to data usage, or using a phone for much of anything beyond most basic communication let me illustrate it for you. When I got my first phone that had a camera on it I didn't even notice it had a camera until Tru2Chevy pointed it out to me. I am one of the lowest tech people you will ever meet.

-Tim

elle · 06-25-2014, 04:18 PM

I live in Hunterdon County and had AT&T for a while. I think the only place I had cell service was outside the AT&T home office. lol

I'm right behind you with technology. I got an I phone a few months ago and it's a waste of money for me. I want to make phone calls, get phone calls and text.

The upside of my I phone is it makes bathroom time go by quickly!

maroman88 · 06-25-2014, 11:18 PM

ive had tmobile for about 15 years, and the service coverage has def gotten better, I don't do tech either, blackberry fan here lol. I travel to Vermont several times a year and sometime my phone will switch to AT&T in a remote area. My girlfriend has sprint and we get about the same coverage. I pay about 40 bucks a month in our plan

NJSPEEDER · 06-26-2014, 07:37 AM

With ATT, Sprint and T-mobile have you guys noticed that the coverage when you are around cities is good? I spend 99% of my time in and around major metropolitan areas.

-Tim

91chevywt · 06-26-2014, 08:55 AM

I was in your boat, had verizon wireless from 2006 until 2012. When I started with them, they gave me two separate accounts and double charged me startup fees, and when I wouldn't pay for the second set of fees, they sent me a warning they would send it to a collections agency. I thought this was just what you had to do to have the best service so I stuck with them for many years. Customer service is terrible. Really bad. Specifically when something happens where they don't have a little designed procedure that the person in their call center can breeze through. Even charged me an early cancellation fee, though I was out of contract. Also, remember how they bill you a month in advance? You can forget about seeing that money too. I was just happy to be away from them.

I switched to Virgin Mobile, which uses the sprint network. I pay $35/month for 250 minutes/month, unlimited texting, unlimited data. Data speed is limited after 2.5GB of use for the rest of your month. If you go over minutes, you can restart the month. Or buy a plan with more minutes. There are other companies with similar features that may have more of what you want. Boost, Ting, etc. Good to shop around, as you may find a plan you want. I know with Ting they charge you based on what you use, so if you are more of a talker/texter vs data user, you aren't paying for 3g/4g service you aren't using.

Coverage has been surprisingly good. As good as verizon for where I am. I thought it would be an issue, but it really has not. With sprint's new network update, I have 4G coverage over most of NJ. Sprint call coverage is fine over metro areas, never had an issue. What really separates Sprint, AT&T, Verizon Wireless today is data speeds. If you need the best data coverage at the fastest speed, Verizon is who you need to be with. For calling and texting, the networks are pretty good nowadays. Look at the coverage maps where you're at, and where you're going, and see if it'll work for you.

NJSPEEDER · 06-26-2014, 11:26 AM

Yeah, I have been a customer since 2000. Still remember when I got my first phone because it was about a month before I went to Road America with the Midwest F-body group.

With Virgin did you have to pay MSRP for your phone? I just looked at their website and the service and coverage seems good, international rates are actually half of what Verizon was sticking me for, but the online prices for the phones are insane.

ThoR294 · 06-26-2014, 11:32 AM

AT&T here, they had bad service in Flemington for a while, but they recently fixed it and we got LTE. If you want service all the time, AT&T and Verizon are the best. If you are near major cities, I do not think you should have any service issues with any carrier. Usually its in the rural areas where you lose signal.

Traveling, you can get a different SIM. Depends on the phone if it accepts it

91chevywt · 06-26-2014, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJSPEEDER

Yeah, I have been a customer since 2000. Still remember when I got my first phone because it was about a month before I went to Road America with the Midwest F-body group.

With Virgin did you have to pay MSRP for your phone? I just looked at their website and the service and coverage seems good, international rates are actually half of what Verizon was sticking me for, but the online prices for the phones are insane.

You pay near MSRP for the phone. Some of the phone price is factored into the monthly fee but not much. Look at how much it costs you over a year and it's actually cheaper to pay near MSRP for a phone up front and have a lower monthly fee vs getting a phone nearly free and paying much more monthly.

In my case, I was paying roughly $65/month for a limited minute and text plan, no data. This was with a flip phone that I still had to pay $50 for because I wasn't eligible for upgrade. Phone broke out of warranty. About $830/year. Smartphone data plans with the big guys were running roughly $100/year after taxes last time I was shopping, may be different now.

Now I pay $35/month. I paid $180 for my "Virgin Mobile Supreme" aka ZTE Vital on Black Friday online. About $600/year for me. See how things work out for you, everyone is different

BigAls87Z28 · 06-27-2014, 03:23 PM

I was with VZ for 12 years and just switched to AT&T because I could bring my phone there, sign a cheaper contract, and had a larger discount.
I have been all over this state and haven't had any issues with coverage. My work tablet is VZ still, so I can see if coverage is stronger for them or AT&T. It seems the same so far.
AT&T phones are GSM, which means it is a lot easier to take them abroad. Swap out the SIM card and you are on your way.

NJSPEEDER · 07-24-2014, 09:47 AM

Another sad update, my third replacement phone since the beginning of June has now **** the bed. Online customer service said that I would get a call from a supervisor with in an hour or two, 45 minutes later I was sent a text message to call customer service.

Contract end 9/24, gotta stick it out to avoid getting banged with $130 early termination fee. I am going with either Virgin or ATT. Just gonna wait and see who has what deal at that time.

-Tim

JW · 07-24-2014, 10:31 AM

What are you doing to these poor phones?

JW

NJSPEEDER · 07-24-2014, 12:38 PM

The first of this phone I got lasted 20 months then something skitzed out and it would use the battery, from a full charge, in less than an hour. The first replacement was so dopey and slow that it was practically useless to the point that the people in the store got frustrated trying to get information for their own tech support line. The second one couldn't maintain any connection, 3/4G or wifi, for more than 3 minutes without needing a reboot. And now number 3 I tried to turn it on to send a text message last night and the power button doesn't do anything.

This phone I was actually just dealing with the battery only being good for about 8 hours and needing to reboot a few times a day until my contract runs out. If I can't even turn it on in a time of need then it is about as helpful as herpes.

I used to abuse phones (Tru2Chevy probably has some funny stories) when i worked in warehouses and on race cars all the time. That was back when Verizon had a real tech bench and replacement phones right in the store to help customers. I used to just walk in with my phone and they would hand me a new one no questions asked. Now everything is outsourced and no one has or feels the need to take ownership of customer problems.

Long story short, Verizon used to be the best at everything and now they are just an expensive company with a good network.

ThoR294 · 07-24-2014, 02:41 PM

I just picked up a oneplus one phone

I hate all the bloatware most flagship phones have

NJSPEEDER · 07-25-2014, 05:45 AM

So I went to the store and sort of lucked out. Some corporate type was there with actual authority to diffuse an angry customer. I wound up with a free Galaxy S5 (they applied all discounts so it was $50 and it has a $50 mail in rebate) and they knocked my service down from $100 a month to $75 a month for the same deal. They also put a $50 bill credit on my account for my trouble.

As usual when dealing with big companies it is just a matter of having the right person to scold and brow beat to get things done.

-Tim

ThoR294 · 07-25-2014, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJSPEEDER

So I went to the store and sort of lucked out. Some corporate type was there with actual authority to diffuse an angry customer. I wound up with a free Galaxy S5 (they applied all discounts so it was $50 and it has a $50 mail in rebate) and they knocked my service down from $100 a month to $75 a month for the same deal. They also put a $50 bill credit on my account for my trouble.

As usual when dealing with big companies it is just a matter of having the right person to scold and brow beat to get things done.

-Tim

Right place at the right time