I'm fed up with my cell phone company

[SkyBell]

I've been with Sprint for about 3 years, and they've been pretty good up until recently.

One, their phone prices are outrageous, even for new customers. Sign a two year contract with Sprint, get a certain phone for $29.99. Sign a two year contract with AT&T, get that very same phone for free.

Two, recently, they've introduced a download fee. Internet use was always $15 a month, but now if you download anything at all from the internet, they charge you an extra $75 a month for the privilege.

And finally, their customer service has never been very good, and as of late it's very hard to even connect a call to them. (Gee, I wonder why?^^)

I have to deal with them until December of this year to avoid the cancellation fee unfortunately, but as soon as the contract is up I'm gonna switch. I've been looking at various companies, including some local ones, but there's only one I've found that I actually like; Virgin Mobile.

I see that since the last time I've used them, they've introduced "plans" instead of just pay as you go. They seem very reasonable, their phones aren't top notch, but the prices are excellent compared to what I'm used to. And they run off the Sprint network. (The only thing I like about that company now.)

Does this seem like a good choice, or can someone persuade me to take an other look at one of the other companies?

 

[tennisplaayer11]

I've been using Verizon for about a year now, and I'm pretty satisfied. The only one problemt that I've been noticing is the pix messaging delivery is SUUUUUPER slow. I sent a pix message and it took practically a day to be delivered. Hopefully Verizon is working on it, though. Oh yeah, and Verizon doesn't have the iPhone.

Edit: woohoo finally a member and not a newbie anymore!

 

[TEG]

I would actually suggest at&t. I have friends with Sprint and I'm amazed they even bother to stay with them with all the problems they are having. People are defecting to Alltel and at&t left and right. Since at&t is a GSM carrier you don't have to wait for the special CDMA phones that Verizon and Alltel use, or the CDMA/Analog phones that Sprint uses (that is why phone for Sprint are so much more expensive, and arrive later, because Sprint uses Analog for Roaming).

at&t also have the "Pick-Your-Plan" pay as you go, where it is almost exactly like the postpaid plans, except not contract and no rollover. I love rollover, it is nice to know that I have 2000 extra hours I can use anytime, so I don't ever have to worry about going over my allotted minutes.

TEG

 

[Hummer]

I've been using Verizon for about a year now, and I'm pretty satisfied. The only one problemt that I've been noticing is the pix messaging delivery is SUUUUUPER slow. I sent a pix message and it took practically a day to be delivered. Hopefully Verizon is working on it, though. Oh yeah, and Verizon doesn't have the iPhone.

Edit: woohoo finally a member and not a newbie anymore!

I thought Verizon was the most evil of them all... And then I switched to ATT.

 

[SteveG4Cube]

I thought Verizon was the most evil of them all... And then I switched to ATT.

AT&T sucks, I refuse to switch just to get an iPhone because Verizon is far superior. I get reception everywhere, and I'm constantly with co-workers and friends who drop calls or get no service on AT&T.

 

[ErikCLDR]

Verizon has the best reception but their phones and software tend to suck (bad , illogical interfaces, as well as crippling BT and such).

AT&T has better phones.

Sprint and T-Mobile have bad reception here in Connecticut. Everyone I know that has them hates them because of it.

 

[zap2]

AT&T sucks, I refuse to switch just to get an iPhone because Verizon is far superior. I get reception everywhere, and I'm constantly with co-workers and friends who drop calls or get no service on AT&T.

Have you tested AT&T network all over america? No....in your area, Verizon might be better, AT&T is better in mine.


As far as phones go, AT&T is the clear winner...since thats pretty standard all over, I'm ok with debating phone choice. Plus AT&T doesn't use that craptastic OS, and lock down all their phones

 

[ryannel2003]

AT&T sucks in my area... and thats why I probably won't ever get an iPhone . My parents have had Alltel for 10 years and they have always had the best reception in my area. The reception is great, but customer service isn't the best. Along with that, the selection of phones really sucks. When the original RAZR came out, it took 8 months for Alltel to finally start carrying it. Same with the newest RAZR's and BlackBerry's. However, a phone company is nothing without reception, and Alltel is great in that respect. When it comes to everything else... merely average.

 

[rfrankl]

Have you tested AT&T network all over america? No....in your area, Verizon might be better, AT&T is better in mine.


As far as phones go, AT&T is the clear winner...since thats pretty standard all over, I'm ok with debating phone choice. Plus AT&T doesn't use that craptastic OS, and lock down all their phones

It all depends on your area. I have seen where AT&T is far better than Verizon and vice versa. None of them are perfect no matter what their motto is.

 

[yg17]

AT&T sucks in my area too, and their customer service is horrible

 

[MacNut]

Sprint and T-Mobile have bad reception here in Connecticut. Everyone I know that has them hates them because of it.

Thats cause you live in the boonies. Everywhere I go in CT Sprint has service. My only gripe with them is customer service but I guess all the carriers are all just as bad in that regard.

 

[TEG]

I've used Cingular/at&t in WA, OR, CA, ID, MT, WY, UT, ND, SD, NE, IA, MN, WI, MI, IL, IN, and OH. I have had exactly zero problems. I have made multi-state phone calls. I've always had a good experience talking to customer service, usually joking and having other conversations while waiting for the system to catch up.

TEG

 

[SteveG4Cube]

Have you tested AT&T network all over america? No....in your area, Verizon might be better, AT&T is better in mine.


As far as phones go, AT&T is the clear winner...since thats pretty standard all over, I'm ok with debating phone choice. Plus AT&T doesn't use that craptastic OS, and lock down all their phones

Don't assume to know where I use my phone. I travel all over the country for work, and it's the same everywhere I go. Have YOU tested your phone everywhere with someone using another carrier right next to you? I've got no loyalty to Verizon, if I saw that AT&T was at least nearly as good, let alone better, everywhere I need it, I'd have an iPhone right now.

 

[AliensAreFuzzy]

AT&T sucks in my area... and thats why I probably won't ever get an iPhone . My parents have had Alltel for 10 years and they have always had the best reception in my area. The reception is great, but customer service isn't the best. Along with that, the selection of phones really sucks. When the original RAZR came out, it took 8 months for Alltel to finally start carrying it. Same with the newest RAZR's and BlackBerry's. However, a phone company is nothing without reception, and Alltel is great in that respect. When it comes to everything else... merely average.

I've had Alltel for the past 6 years and the reception has been fantastic for me everywhere I've been (Everywhere in Wisconsin, Indiana, and even the UP of Michigan!). But I do agree, their phone selection often is lacking. But recently, they've had a few good phones that I'm interested in so the rest don't even matter to me

 

[Stampyhead]

...but there's only one I've found that I actually like; Virgin Mobile.

Yes, if you're looking for prepaid service then Virgin Mobile is pretty decent. I had them for a short time and didn't have any problems with them. You're right, their phones are a bit crap, but the service is useable. I can't comment on how they work with data, however, as I just used them for basic phone services.

 

[silbeej]

Verizon will have the best service because CDMA is an old technology, therefore, its been around the longest, and has more towers installed. My reasoning to switch to AT&T was for the iPhone, and the ability to upgrade to another GSM phone. Also, i'm not sure how long CDMA will be able to keep up with GSM.

 

[aristobrat]

Don't assume to know where I use my phone.

If you don't want comments like that, then don't make unqualified, blanket statement like "Verizon is far superior. I get reception everywhere", because that's surely not going to be the experience of everyone else.

I have a work-issue VZW BlackBerry and a personal iPhone. Traveling around the country, I've seen areas where one network is better than the other, but for the most part of my travels, they've been about the same.

Oddly enough, in the most rural area I've had my iPhone and Verizon BlackBerry together (Nazareth, PA), my VZW phone was barely hanging onto 1 bar (and was 1X instead of EVDO -- yuck) whereas my iPhone had 5 solid bars.

 

[adk]

To the OP: If you hate sprint that much, see if they'll pro-rate your early termination fee. It's worth a shot if you're that fed up with them.

 

[MikeTheC]

In all seriousness, we need to bear in mind here that diversity of carriers is a very, very good thing. Competition is required if the cell phone world is to remain a free, enabling and empowering one for us users. And no, I don't mean free as in "free beer", but as in "freedom of choice".

We have all (I think) had enough experience with either pre-dereg'd AT&T, and/or our various local telco providers to understand the evils of monopoly power.

My first carrier, years ago, was GTE MobilNet. I had them for a couple years, then dropped having a cell phone for a while. When I got another one, I went with SprintPCS. Now say what you like about them, but they've treated me far better than Cingular-then-AT&T did when I (briefly) switched to them. I will NEVER, EVER use AT&T again. For whatever it's faults, I far prefer CDMA to GSM as well. (Am I the only one here with the courage to say this?)

AT&T was bad before the 1980s deregulation, and I can see they've not changed their corporate mindset yet.

However, to the O.P.: Since you've already decided to leave SprintPCS, I can only suggest you look elsewhere besides AT&T. It'll only help all of the rest of us, no matter what carrier we're with.

 

[QCassidy352]

I thought Verizon was the most evil of them all... And then I switched to ATT.

having made the same switch, I'm still going with Verizon as most evil. AT&T has been fine by me.

 

[Hankster]

I used to swear to Nextel, even after they merged with Sprint. But, last year my phone was getting drops and zero reception and they told me I HAD to upgrade my phone to get the issue fixed. That's when I said "goodbye" and went to Cingular/ATT. So far I've really liked my service, plus I get 15% off my monthly service and phone!

 

[7on]

I love T-mobile And now their Hotspot@Home Talk Forever service is just an extra $9.99... If I didn't have a myfaves plan already I'd totally go for it.

 

[Hummer]

ATT service in my area isn't bad, but Verizon is better, way better. ATT has no right to say they have the least dropped calls when In my 5 years with Verizon I have not had one dropped call. Anyways thats not the point as I can deal with a dropped call every now and then.

The point is their customer service is good for nothing and they know no more than the average tech savy customer. They're only there for not-so-tech savy customers who get lost in their interface. They have no administrative abilities and can't do much more than you or I could do in our online account controls.

I've been to 3 corporate stores to try to change my service plan from prepaid to postpaid. One told me they can't touch the iPhone as it's Apple's special service. This is even after having customer support on the phone telling them its the only way they can make any service changes to the iPhone. I've been through 20+ support reps with not one of them giving me a consistent answer that has actually worked yet. I really don't know what to do without losing my number to these *******s.


Anyways, with regards to the original post. Avoid ATT.

 

[iTeen]

yea ATT sucks...i bought a iPhone from a ATT store in a mall about 60miles away, the rep said "Ya you should have service in your town, i'm 100% certain". Brought it home, activated it only to find that our town doesn't have any coverage.
What a pain.
So now i am on verizon, and pretty happy.
ATT should get their **** together.

 

[gloryofgreece]

t mobile here

i got t-mobile. They got the 39.99 for 1000 min...kinda hard to pass up.

I used to work for verizon, good service, just too expensive.

I've seen 2000$ bills. OUch