#$%& cell phone service

[robinson46176]

I have long been happy with my simple Tracfone that only cost me about $8 a month. I talk on the phone very little. I get service "everywhere" including lots of places where people with very expensive packages do not. Tracfone uses Verizon's network. I am still getting great service but I now want something more. I want to go to a smart-phone...
Diana uses a Straight-talk (Tracfone & Walmart) which also uses Verizon's great network. It is unlimited talk, text and web for $45 a month. It works absolutely great and has for some time.
Now the bugger... My daughter got the Straight-talk but she got an Android smart-phone. Great, right? Nope. It seems that Straight-talk smart phones use Sprint Network... Her service is awful. There are all sorts of places local (25 miles south-east of Indy) where she has no service. As I ask around it seems to be a common compliant. I have also been told by local folks that T-Mobile sucks here and that AT&T is poor here too. My son's employer used to provide him with 2 different services one of which was Nex-tel and he hated the Nextel. I don't recall what they provide him with now but I know that it is waaay out of my price range.
Now, I can get pre-paid phone service direct from Verizon for $50 a month but with a smart-phone they want $80 a month.
The $50 a month was beginning to crowd my "frugal button" badly.
I want the smart-phone for several things. Web access, CR code use and maybe even credit card scanning etc. I was hoping that with unlimited web I could watch a few videos now and then. I currently avoid most videos since we generally skate pretty close to the limit (5 GB) on our Verizon wifi unit with just regular browsing.
I could drop back to a non-Android phone with a fairly large touch-screen but it would not help any of the other functions.
What has been your experience? Especially in the mid-west.


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[Gene Howe]

Sorry, Francis. I'm no help for two reasons. We use a Tracphone, too and we are not in the Midwest.
Have you considered a Wifi enabled tablet thingie for browsing, videos, etc. And just keep the Tracphone? Of course, ya gotta be near a hot spot for the tablet to work.
Son uses an Apple i pad in Tucson and has very little problem getting a Wifi signal almost anywhere in town.
Technology is getting too expensive to enjoy....for me, anyway.

[swampgator]

Just to let everyone know, if you are drawing a retirement, social security, on Medicare or any other government service, you are ENTITLED to a free phone service using TracFone. Check on Assurance or SafeLink. No cost, but anytime minutes are about 150 per month. You can choose any TracFone you wish from one of the discount outlets, and then sign it up to SafeLink or Assurance. Just saying for your benefits.

[skou]

[quote="swampgator"]Just to let everyone know, if you are drawing a retirement, social security, on Medicare or any other government service, you are ENTITLED to a free phone service using TracFone. Check on Assurance or SafeLink. No cost, but anytime minutes are about 150 per month. You can choose any TracFone you wish from one of the discount outlets, and then sign it up to SafeLink or Assurance. Just saying for your benefits. ]

Not quite right, Steve. If you're a retired or disabled Vet, you're NOT eligable, unless you have some OTHER reason.

I know, I checked.

steve

[burkhome]

I live about 350 miles north of you in WI. Here US Cellular has the best service with Verizon coming in second. US Cellular is a little cheaper than Verizon but not significant. Ain't gonna be cheap to get the service you want.

[dgale]

At least out west US Cellular uses Verizon's towers, so the quality of reception is one and the same - perhaps different elsewhere int he US but for the most part out here it's either the Verizon tower netowrk or the AT&T network...any other providers are using one of those two networks. Bottom line unfortunately with Smart Phones is you need to pay to play, so make sure you really want the extra features beyond just a cell phone (i.e. e-mail, internet, apps, texting) before you get locked into a 2-year plan. I use mine all the time, as does my wife, but we pay $125/month for it and if I found myself needing to tighten the budget belt, this is a luxury and not a necessity IMO. In this day and age, the phone is a necessity but the rest is useful, fun, etc. but you pay for it.

If you find yourself wanting to just stick with a cell phone, I'm not sure if they have them out east/south but out here we have a provider called MetroPCS that I used before I got my iPhone - no contracts - you pay a monthly flat rate for the level of phone, text, data etc. you want to use, no hidden bill surprises, if you sign up for the $50/mo plan, that's what your bill will be. Again, no contracts - you can stop and start anytime you want. If you don't want the service for a few months for some reason, you can stop and then start back up when you want to. If you decide to ditch the service for some reason, you can drop at the end of the month you are in. At least out here, I found their reception to be the same as my previous US Cellular phone, so they must be on the Verizon network. Anyway, another option worth checking out - you can google "MetroPCS" and you'll find their website to see where they are located and details if interested.

Meanwhile, I'm stuck with mediocre AT&T service for my iPhone for another year...their reception sucks in comparison to Verizon and like all the big phone companies, good luck when you need customer service.

[robinson46176]

I'll never sign a contract again... Seems silly when what I buy today may be the equivalent of a stone ax in 6 months.
It looks like my best choice so far is Verizon's no contract pre-pay at $80 a month for smart phone use. The thought of going from $8 to $80 a month just kills me but I do want to, and try to, keep up things as best I can for an old man.
It was all so much easier back when I bought my first "pocket" (took a big pocket) calculator on a half price sale for $99 about 1972 for my work then.

My son used to carry 2 work phones. One of my daughters carries 3, kind of divided up as clients / vendors / employees / personal... If one won't get a good signal she grabs another. I can't afford that.


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[heathicus]

I have an iPhone from work that is on Verizon. And I have my personal Android that is on AT&T. I hate the iPhone, but Verizon has great coverage here. I love my Android, but AT&T has crappy coverage here. We're switching our personal phones from AT&T to Verizon as soon as we can afford the early termination fee!

[pennview]

The Straight Talk Samsung Galaxy Proclaim runs on the Verizon Network and you can order it directly from Straight Talk for $179.99, and then pay the $45 a month for unlimited service. I believe it is the only Straight Talk smart phone that runs on Verizon.

You supposedly can also buy the phone at some Walmarts, but I've not found it in my area despite seeing it in a Walmart flier. Perhaps you can buy it through the Walmart web site.

If you buy the three month service card on-line through Walmart, you can save a few dollars. It may take a few days to get the pin number from Walmart to update your service, so don't wait till the last minute to renew.

[curiousgeorge]

[quote="swampgator"]Just to let everyone know, if you are drawing a retirement, social security, on Medicare or any other government service, you are ENTITLED to a free phone service using TracFone. Check on Assurance or SafeLink. No cost, but anytime minutes are about 150 per month. You can choose any TracFone you wish from one of the discount outlets, and then sign it up to SafeLink or Assurance. Just saying for your benefits. ]
1. Just being retired doesn't qualify.
2. Medicare doesn't qualify... It's Medicaid.
3. Social Security doesn't qualify. Supplemental Soc. Sec. does.
Not meaning to be critical, but you should get your facts straight before posting, please.