Cell phones (eewww)

[altivo]

Well, I'm going to get a cell phone. No, not for me, for my mate. I've been concerned for a while that he does a lot of driving and frankly, pay phones are getting to be as rare as dodo eggs. If he had a problem and was stranded, he'd have to beg for someone to make a call for him. I don't like that idea much, and even less the idea of him stranded beside one of our country roads here with no one in sight.

So I've been looking at low cost, limited calling plans, or pay-as-you-go plans. He doesn't think he would use it much as just a phone, and I don't either. The three I've compared are Tracfone, Consumer Cellular, and Virgin Mobile. It looks to me as if, of those three at least, Virgin Mobile is by far the most flexible in terms of available plans and the ability to switch between plans. None of them require a contract, just a monthly agreement or prepaid call pack.

So, knowing that many of my friends have a lot of experience with cell phones, does anyone have anything bad to say about Virgin Mobile? Or does anyone have another company I should consider before going with Virgin? Oh, coverage of Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin is essential. All three that I looked at have the same coverage map, and I think are using Cingular's network.

Comments

[chrissawyer.livejournal.com]

I have been using virgin mobile for over 2 years, and I have had no problems. My BF got a couple of the phones, and they didn't work entirely right.

(I think he drops the phones too much tho)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That's the kind of input I'm looking for. I'll check for reviews on the phone he selects before we go with it. :)

[niko-winterset.livejournal.com]

*noses* I'm not going to step hoof into the cell phone debate but....what happened to Chris's journal? Looks like it has been deleted/name changed/something....

Storm

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'd hardly call it a debate. If you have an opinion, voice it.

Looks like Chris deleted himself for some reason. I don't know why.

[niko-winterset.livejournal.com]

I don't really have an opinion on the cell providers you mentioned. However, Kito and I have used Cingular for years now and have been pleased with them and their coverage. We dropped our home phone completely about 3 years ago I think and just use our cell phones now. I know that is not an option for many people but it has suited us and we end up paying less in the long run.

Hmmm. Odd about Chris. Who knows what happened....

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I seem to remember that Chris has done that before when he was feeling stressed or bothered by trolls. They give you 30 days to change your mind and restore the account, and he came back well before then.

We couldn't drop our home lines. Dialup is our only internet access.

My distaste for cell phones goes way back to the very beginning of the industry. I've always hated the marketing pushiness, and despised the people loudly shouting into their phones in restaurants and other public places. Obnoxious ring tones going off in theatres and concerts, or in the library don't help either. I'm real reluctant to give the cell phone industry my money, and even more reluctant to be actually seen using one in any way. The almost complete removal of pay phones from public places is a major safety issue, in my opinion, and of course has been sparked by the cell phone explosion. So has the so-called number shortage and the need to split and resplit area codes or overlay them, making expensive nuisance for people who had no choice in the matter.

We are at a point now where I believe call boxes for police and fire, such as we had on street corners from 1900-1960 or so, are needed to once again make sure that we can summon assistance in the absence of a working cell phone. When I was in elementary school, our town still had call boxes, and I remember the firemen coming to the school to demonstrate how to use them. Later we got a tour of the firehouse in which they showed what happened there when one was triggered. It was 19th century technology, but it would still work. Phones, more and more, seem to be unreliable or unavailable when needed most.

[mymaimary.livejournal.com]

I have the virgin mobile pay as you go (20$ min. payment every three months or more often as needed), but it's about 25cents a min. I hear that virgin mobile has the most repeaters and is supposed to work pretty much everywhere. However, mine only works from about 8 miles away from my house (a big-ish highway) and then pretty much in any city I've ever visited all over the world. So it works for me 'cuz it's cheap and easy to manage through the internet, but doesn't work at home.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

They are claiming it would work at our home address, though that's probably less important than having it work when he's not at home. Since much of his away time is spent in Chicago or nearby suburbs, I suspect he'll be fine there.

From their web site it looks like you can either pay for blocks of minutes in advance (as I take it you do) or pay a monthly charge plus a fixed rate per minute (which is better if you use a certain average number of minutes or units) or pay more and get a block of "free" minutes each month, which is good if you always use at least that many. The thing I particularly like is the no contract aspect. If he decides it isn't working or isn't worth it, we are really only out the price of the phone, probably $20 to $40.

[etoyoc.livejournal.com]

You don't know me, but I can offer some advice here.

Tracfones are really expensive to use compared to others, but have the advantage of working with just about any network. They are not actually a cell service provider themselves, so you are pretty much paying for roaming charges whenever you use the tracfone. I used one for a couple of years, and the service is reliable if expensive.

Virgin mobil uses the Sprint network, which has problems in some areas. Virgin is what I am using right now, and the service is pretty reliable out here in the Pac NW, but I recall people complaining lots about the sprint network when I lived in IL.

If the best coverage for your area is Cingular, you might want to check out thier prepaid rates. I used them in central Il ans was very happy about both service and price.

Best of luck to you.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the input. Three of his friends are using Virgin without difficulties, so coverage may have improved. Nextel is actually the heaviest advertiser and presence in our area of far exurbia, but I don't like their plans at all. When did you have your IL experience with Virgin and in what area? We are between Chicago and Rockford, about 2/3 of the way out toward Rockford.

[etoyoc.livejournal.com]

In Il I only used cingular, and that was in central IL (Champaign/Urbana). I did use my current virgin phone while I was visiting Chicago last christmas and the signal was fine. One thing to look out for with Virgin is that they like to hit you with surprise rate/plan changes if you are going month to month or prepaid.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the additional tip. I'll check for what the clauses say on rate changes. Of course the regular phone companies do the same.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

My father looked into the Tracfone setup, considering it for my sister, but the deeper he looked the less he liked it. Evidently they like to play games so it only seems inexpensive up front.

I don't know about the others at all, but Virgin's flexibility would have me putting them on the top of that short list.

Also, the network Jay (and therefore I) use is Cingular and the Cingular network's coverage is quite good. That wasn't always the case, but this is one time where there was some benefit to a merger (ATT&T Wireless and Cingular). I think we've so far only encountered one spot that didn't have any coverage at all and that was in what was once a quarry.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

Also, the cell phone I do carry at times is a Nokia 6010. It was the freebie phone that came with the additional line on Jay's plan so it's about as basic as cell phone is nowadays. It makes a handy timer. It also has excellent battery life and seems quite sensitive as far as finding the cell network. The sound quality it sends isn't great, I'm told, but your application is "communications grade" anyway. I do wish I could reasonably download a different ringtone but that's the only thing I've encountered that feels like a limit to me. I only want that so that I could have something other than the default ring - which is the least obnoxious of the provided set, so many use it.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the information. They must be using either Cingular or Nextel in our area. I'm guessing Cingular from the name of the map file they provided when I asked, but of course they don't disclose that kind of information.

The phones offered with basic signups are from either Kyocera or Nokia, and of course you can choose between several of them. I think there's a Kyocera and a Nokia you can get essentially for free right now. (Pay for the phone and they give you that much credit toward your usage fees.)

[duskwuff.livejournal.com]

Check out the terms carefully before picking a prepaid plan. Prepaid plans are generally aimed at users with really bad credit, and tend to reflect that with ridiculous (high) rates.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's what I noted, particularly with Tracfone. They are good at disguising it to look like it's cheap, but actually if you want to keep your number active it can be quite costly even if you never make a call. Virgin appears to have a plan that would cost $7 a month to maintain your number and connection even if you never used it. That's quite a bit cheaper than Tracfone. The units on that Virgin plan are also about 33% cheaper than Tracfone. I've already ruled out the Tracfone offerings.

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

I heard good things about Virgin, besides, they own a railway.

www.virgintrains.co.uk/

I have Cingular on my company's corporate plan. It's true they hardly ever drop a call. Either is a good choice.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Obviously, if they can run trains they can run a telephone network. ;p At least the calls should be on time, eh? So far, actually, I have heard no real complaints about their phone service. I'm up to a dozen or so folks who use it and like it. Coverage is the only possible issue and I think we're OK on that.

[innerwolf.livejournal.com]

I have Nextel now Sprint/Nextel.
Its been a very reliable service.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Nextel's large enough I'd expect reliability. The trouble with Nextel is that they seem to require a two year contract or else pay double for everything. We're not at all sure this will turn out to be worth while (though I suspect he'll use it more than he thinks, certainly more than I would) and I'm looking for something that can be cancelled without penalty or swapped to a different rate plan if he likes it and uses it a lot.

[innerwolf.livejournal.com]

All should have swappable rate plans.....most require a minimum one year contract. There are several pay as you go but those you pay full list for the phone. Part of the lure is getting the phone for free or greatly discounted when you sign on. I for one didn't like the phones that were available under most carriers....so I opted for Nextel. The overall experience with Nextel has been good to date. It was billed as the best business cell phone company.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Nextel does have attractive business plans. Sprint and Verizon have good extended family plans. Overall, though, those are much, much more than our usage would amount to even if we got two phones. (I carry a dual band ham radio in the car, which I consider adequate for an emergency. I actually prefer NOT to be reachable all the time.)

The bigger companies have better overall coverage, too, for those who travel a lot or make lots of long distance calls. We do neither. My family is down to just three of us, and though my siblings are on the opposite coasts, we use e-mail and never telephone. His family are all in the Chicago suburbs, no distant relations at all. But my examination still suggests that the big guys aren't offering much for the minimal user who doesn't want to spend and probably wont use $40 a month worth or more.

The attractive thing about Virgin is no contract. Sure they could raise their rates next month, but you're free to cancel and go to someone else. Their basic phones (free in the sense that they give you back in calling credit what you pay for the phone) do far more than I'd expect a phone to do, like browse the web, display pictures, and so forth. I'd want texting, which is included for a penny a message or something like that, but he says he won't use that. Otherwise, it's supposed to be a phone and who needs all that other junk? ;p

[innerwolf.livejournal.com]

One of the things I like about my current phone is that it is just a phone, with big buttons.....I have no use for all the other features.
Also it will take a 70 foot fall and still be functional.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Prepaids are good if you have the option of the 1 year credit life or longer, as for some they expire in 3 months.

I'm on a vodaphone prepaid, and its been very good, although I got the phone free from a friend, old motorola, and the prepaid simcard for free from a friend.

Now my phone has no credit and a flat battery...It's been like that for months now, I really should charge it up again.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Will it even still be live if you do? Most of the prepaids here apparently will yank your activation and give your number to someone else if you let it sit unused for too long and don't pay them to keep it active.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Apparantly, but then there are less peoplehere.

[lobowolf.livejournal.com]

Oh geez..this is how it starts....next thing you know, I'm going to find you down at Starbucks guzzling a triple-mocha-diet-latte while you're getting into your Cadillac Escalade.

:D

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Really, really unlikely. In fact, I usually can't even stand the smell of Starbucks long enough to go inside. I've been in the one here in Woodstock a few times and it doesn't have that burned coffee bean smell, but the noise of their sound system is also usually enough to drive me back out just like a rodent confronted by one of those sonic repellents.

As for the Cadillac, all I can say is "That will be the day. I'll have to be dead, so if you see it, expect to deal with a zombie."

[flaredragon.livejournal.com]

I travel a ton, so I have always had cingular. The only place I've found no signal is my own house. Go figure. =P

Lets trade numbers! I wanna nudge the pony over the phone lines!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*snicker* The phone is for my mate, not me. He's not a pony. More like a grumpy bear I think. ;p

I've never liked telephones. We have phones in both barns, the living room and his office. I hate bothering to answer when they ring, and often let the machine take the call. I don't even have an extension plugged in at my desk, though there's a jack right here.

[flaredragon.livejournal.com]

Bah.... the coolest people are always the most inaccessable to speak with. Go figure!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Because we're too busy to spend time on the phone? :)

Someone, I forget who, described the telephone as a rude person who barges into your office and jumps up and down on your desk demanding your immediate attention, no matter what else you are doing at the moment. To me, it is one of the most uncivilized things in our daily lives. Sales people demanding time in the middle of dinner or work, colleagues interupting you when you are talking in person with someone of equal importance, and so forth.

I'm old fashioned, I like things in writing. I know, I'm one of a dying breed, so be it. Nonetheless, I am greatly aggravated by people who can't organize their thoughts into a memo or a letter, and especially those who have important projects or proposals but can't be bothered to write it down clearly. I got through four years at my current position without a telephone on my desk, and didn't really mind. Now I have an assigned extension and (thank goodness) voice mail, but I'm not telling anyone what it is.

If I could get away with it, I'd not have an automobile either, and would only go places by horse or train. I must have gotten a double dose of the curmudgeon gene from my father. ;D

[deffox]

I use Virgin Mobile, and am mostly happy with it. My parents used Tracfone, and really didn't like it.

As other comments said, Virgin mobile uses the Sprint network. So you can call from anywhere to anywhere in the country for the base price. So no surprises using the per minute plan. But they only use the Sprint network; so there is no roaming.

The lack of roaming is the biggest negative for me. It's rare for me to be out of range in Wisconsin, but it doesn't work in Canada.

The easiest way to use it is to sign up for auto top up. That way you don't have to think about it or risk it going inactive. As low at $15 for 90 days, but obviously that's with very low use.

But if you start making hours long calls to Canada it can really add up fast. :-P

It's a low risk endeavor. With no contract and some cheap phone options you aren't out a lot if it doesn't work well.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks, that's pretty much my assessment too, though I think I'll put him on the $7 a month and 10 cents a unit plan to start. That way the cost is more predictable and I expect he'll soon be using enough call units to make it work out effectively. He accounts for 99% of the telephone use here at the house, other than dialup internet.

[cats-haven.livejournal.com]

I use Tracfone. Since he'll more or less be using it as an emergency phone, you don't have to buy a whole lot of minutes and they're good for three months anyway. There is no contract with Tracfone anyway.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

If we weren't well covered by the Virgin network here, I'd probably have to go with Tracfone. But I know he's going to use units, even though he thinks he won't, and as soon as you begin using about 60 units a month, Virgin starts getting cheaper than Tracfone. It looks like there's a point somewhere up in the several hundreds of units when Virgin starts getting more expensive again, but he'll not get there at least for a while. Tracfone has a "use it or lose it" policy about their prepaid units, while Virgin does not as far as I can tell.

[cats-haven.livejournal.com]

True. Thankfully, my job allows me to use all my units well before the time is up on them. I just wish they would help me purchase them.

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

Virgin Mobile has been great for us. Its never failed. The
complaint I have is that you always, somehow, tend to use
more then just one of the cards or, if you let use it,
subtract on debit from your bank. Go with Virgin for three
months, if you find yourself using 40 dollars a month, then
just go with Cingular and get two phones. You could then
talk to each other for free and, if you want, get rid of
the regular phone service. Personally I can't bring myself
to do that because I like to have land-line to speak those
personal numbers when you have a problem with say
Social Security or Visa or such. But for some, total
wireless works.

It might be cheaper.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

We can't go wireless. Our only internet connection at the house is dialup. Nothing else is available to us.

Glad to hear another favorable review of Virgin, though. I've pretty much decided to go with them. I just have to get Mr. Gemini to sit down and make a decision on which phone out of four or so inexpensive ones he wants to start with. Let me tell you, never go with a Gemini to a Chinese or Thai restaurant. Too many choices and they'll agonize over it for days.

Yes, I also figured that the breaking point is somewhere around $40 a month that switching to Cingular or Sprint would make sense. I don't really need a phone myself, because I do less driving (mostly just to and from work) and have a two way radio in the car in case of a real emergency. But a switch to Sprint or Verizon would probably make a second phone virtually free, provided he's already using enough units to justify it. I'll be monitoring the account for a while to see what his usage really is.

Another reason for doing it now is that they will probably overlay our area code sometime in the next year or so. I'd rather he got the same area code that our home phone and my work phone use.

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

Virgin will do ya right. Unless you get all chatty and overuse, though
they have this thing where you pay /less/ if you talk for more then
five minutes at a time. Unfortuently, like you and your mate, I take
the phone cause I drive off into the hinterlands to work every night
and want it to say "I'm okay" or call someone if I'm in a ditch in the
winter.

Its a good service. Nice that you can get cards at say Rite Aide or
just sign up and use your bank account. Its easy to recharge, the
phone is very simple and intuitive (no pictures/music/AI crap) and
to see how much time you have left you just press the "up" button.

Enjoy hoss!