Cell Phone Plans - How Much Are You Paying For What?

I've had the same verizon phone plan, more-or-less, since I first got a cellphone back around 2004/2005. I've always considered the plan grossly overpriced for what I was getting, but I thought that was the norm. I originally picked Verizon because their coverage was the bomb, and I was okay paying a bit more for that. Nowadays, where I live in the greater Seattle area, that is no longer an issue.

Right now I'm paying $60 a month (after taxes and everything) for 450 minutes of talking time and unlimited texts. That's it, no data, no nothing. And that's AFTER a 22% discount through my work! I typically use less than 200 of those minutes each month, and I can't help but feel like I'm being ripped off.

Recently, I was talking with with some friends who were going over their cell phone plans. I'm not exactly sure if they knew what they were talking about, but one of them said that you can get a Sprint plan with unlimited data, and it comes with free mobile to mobile, or something along those lines. Also, my manager was talking about using Google voice, and how he could bypass his minutes using the service. Being a foreigner, he was having a hard time trying to explain the details of his service with me.

Anyhow, all this talk got me wondering what the fuck I pay $60 a month for. Sure, Verizon has great coverage, but everything else about them stinks. My contract is just about up and I would love to jump ship. What kinds of plans are you guys on? Are you happy with the service and performance of the network?

I have an iPhone, paying 82/month after taxes for 500m daytime with rollover, free nights/weekends, free mobile to mobile. Unlimited text and data. Bear in mind that this is with a work discount AND the fact that AT&T doesn't offer unlimited data unless it's grandfathered.

You're paying double what I pay and getting less than half the service, which is especially bad considering that I'm in Canada and we get gouged pretty badly here.
If you've been with them for that long, they should offer you something better. I have no idea how verizon operates, but the provider that I deal with, fido, has a two-tiered customer service system, where customer service only does routine shit, but customer relations, the people that deal with unsatisfied or potentially lost customers, can cut you a deal. I got a way better plan and had my bill cut by about 40% just because I happened to get a customer relations rep instead of a customer service rep when I called to change some billing info.

My old plan was a T-Mobile phone with 450 minutes and (real) unlimited smartphone data for $70 plus taxes. I added the wife (2nd phone, unlimited texts on both phones, no data on hers) and it's $110 now.

That was the best plan available when I got them, but when my contract runs out I'm sure I can find something better. Prepaid phones used to be "Lol, prepaid shit" but some of the ones backed by real carriers have enticing pricing.

I liked Verizon, but they were expensive as fuck and didn't have real unlimited data so I left when I wanted to buy a smartphone.

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Originally Posted by GohanX

I liked Verizon, but they were expensive as fuck and didn't have real unlimited data so I left when I wanted to buy a smartphone.

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I am so tired of the Internet sperging on this... Its not true. They have always, and STILL have unlimited data on smartphones. The limits are on USB Modems/mobile hotspots/embeded WWAN. I have a customer who is beta testing Netflix on android right now and he used 11GB last month with no issues.

450 Minutes on Verizon + Unlmited In TXT +500 Out of net (unless your woman is on another carrier, thats all 90% of you need) + UNLIMITED PDA DATA with your 22% off should run you ~ $66 before the taxes, and govt fees (that all the carriers have, so that $70 sprint plan ISNT $70)

I have AT&T and am paying $80 a month. My work pays for it, though, so whatever. My wife has MetroPCS, and she pays $60 a month for unlimited minutes, text, and data. I'm thinking of switching over, but their phones kind of suck. They did recently get an Android phone, though.

Metro's Coverage makes T-Mobile look like Verizon. And they are regional, so if you go out of one of the 5-6 cites they are in....No SVC

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Originally Posted by Wildkat

Metro's Coverage makes T-Mobile look like Verizon. And they are regional, so if you go out of one of the 5-6 cites they are in....No SVC

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They've gotten a lot better over the years. I'm in Visalia, California (where is that? exactly) and she still gets coverage out here, so I'm not too worried.

Looking at my bill now, this is what it looks like:

$50.00 for 450 family plans minutes
$9.99 for my wife's additional line
$30.00 for unlimited data for my iPhone
$5.00 for my wife's 100 texts
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$94.99 before my 15% work discount

I think that's a crock of shit too.

But not as big a crock of shit as cable.

What is a crock of shit are Verizon's 4G plans they just released...

$50 for 5GB? Really? The speed is amazing, but with it you can hit 5GB in under 2 Hours.

And this is using a system that is 400% cheaper to operate than 3G.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wildkat

I am so tired of the Internet sperging on this... Its not true. They have always, and STILL have unlimited data on smartphones. The limits are on USB Modems/mobile hotspots/embeded WWAN. I have a customer who is beta testing Netflix on android right now and he used 11GB last month with no issues.

450 Minutes on Verizon + Unlmited In TXT +500 Out of net (unless your woman is on another carrier, thats all 90% of you need) + UNLIMITED PDA DATA with your 22% off should run you ~ $66 before the taxes, and govt fees (that all the carriers have, so that $70 sprint plan ISNT $70)

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Unlimited IN used to be appealing before everyone switched to different carriers.

How can it be 400% cheaper? That's -300%!

Wildkat: okay, maybe I should have said "at the time I got my phone." At that time I would have paid a lot more for the plan and there was a cap. Admittedly, their data is a hell of a lot faster than T Mobile in my area.

I miss working for T-Mobile solely for their incredible phone discount - Up to two lines with 2000 minutes and something crazy like 10k SMS, plus unlimited mobile to mobile, for $10 a month. Was incredible.

Right now I'm paying about $110 for three lines on a T-Mobile family plan with 1500 minutes and unlimited text for me. I should change that shit.

I have the Sprint $69 plan + $10 4G fee + $7 phone insurance - 22% discount. I used to have the Sprint Sero which was half the price but couldn't get any good phones on it anymore so I had to switch. It still works out better than the other carriers.

too much. But I have the unlimited data. Min minutes and unlimited texts.

...I got grandfathered in. On AT&T.

Same. The Google Voice app is gonna make me drop my text plan next month though.

$130 for my phone and the fiancee's on Sprint, 1500 minutes, unlimted mobile calling (no matter carrier), unlimited text, unlimited data. I really could do with probably 200 minutes a month, wish there was an option to reduce my minutes.

I want to get rid of my minutes completely.

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Originally Posted by Josh

Same. The Google Voice app is gonna make me drop my text plan next month though.

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So like you can use google voice to make all your calls and texts via internet on the iphone soon? I will need to discuss this further with you.

The google voice app scares me because I don't really understand how it works. I have it installed and never use it because it's too nutty sounding.

What is nutty about pushing the google voice icon instead of the phone icon? Don't be such a pussy.

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Originally Posted by Anthony

So like you can use google voice to make all your calls and texts via internet on the iphone soon? I will need to discuss this further with you.

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You already can. The app has ben legit for a month or two now.

Yeah, they updated the Android app too so you don't need to have it foward texts to your mobile number to come in.

It is a good option. On a Android phone, its so intergrated into the phone, it even uses the stock dialer.

So are you guys saying that with Google voice, I could theoretically have a data-only plan, and google voice will forward ALL my incoming calls and texts from my regular phone number, as well as place all outgoing calls and texts from my phone number?? As in my friends and family would continue to call and text the same number, and all of it would go through google voice?? I need to know more about this... But without having to do the research for myself. :noob:

I think you make up a new number for google so you don't have to give out your real number.

You create a new number. If your friends and family can't deal with it, fuck them and fuck you too.

I use to have 900 mins or some crap like that (Unlimited Family plan with unlimited text) and both me and my wife barely use 200 mins total and didnt need all that text. Thats because everyone we know uses VZ so we have mobile to mobile. So someone mentioned to me that there is a Family Loyalty Plan that is not mentioned or advertised. This is for long time VZ users and suppose to be for those who are near end of contract and want out. Well, I was only a couple months into my contract and didnt know at the time and was able to get on the Loyalty plan. I'm paying...

$50 for 450 mins (no text/data)
$10 for 2nd line
$10 for unlimited IN/500 out text (me)
$10 for unlimited IN/500 out text (wife)
$30 for BB service (me)
$30 for BB service (wife)
-26% off data
-20% off BB service
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After taxes and fees, we're only paying about $137 a month.

Now for this VZ 4G LTE, the $50 is for mobile? I thought it was for broadband home network.

As for Google Voice, its kind of like a call forwarder. You enter your mobile number on Google Voice account. You get a Google Voice phone number. You pass this number around. When someone calls this GV#, it goes directly to your phone. Voicemails are stored on GV account.

http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html