Purchasing a Cell Phone.

[Cooper]

I never thought the day would come that I would be looking into getting a cell phone.

 

Recently, I became the care giver to a family member recovering from a stroke. Since I travel a lot, keeping in touch has become a major concern. I probably know where every pay phone in mid-town Manhattan is, but being easily reached is now a priority.

 

There are so many types of cell phones and services to choose from, that perhpas some of you "cell-phone users" can offer advice.

 

I travel the train and subway a lot. I've seen users service get cut off when the train goes under the East River, also, people on the subway are often saying "can you hear me now?"

So with that in mind, does the cell phone you use provide you with the clarity and dependability you need?

 

I not only could use advice on the appropriate type of phone, but also with the types of services the company offers...Also, what types of questions should I ask the dealer and what should I look out for.

 

Thanks!

"Cooper"

[BuckyXTC]

Hi Cooper:

 

I've had very good luck with a Motorola V60i phone using Verizon Wireless services. Of course, with any cell phone, you will have areas where service is better than other places. Verizon has lots of cell towers all over the place, so I have been pretty happy with it. AT&T Wireless was a disaster, and I don't recommend it. Some friends of mine have the Nextel service which includes a nifty walkie talkie feature that allows you to communicate with others on your service, and something like that might be good for your specific needs. I don't think Nextel's cellular coverage is anywhere as good as Verizon, though. This is one person's opinion, others may have other thoughts on this. Hope this is helpful

[trilingual]

T-Mobile has been advertising pretty good deals lately (600 anytime minutes for $39.99) which would be worth looking into. Unless you're a very heavy user, you'll never run out of time with that many minutes. I mean, do you actually spend 10 full hours talking on the phone each month?

 

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I doubt any company is able to provide reliable service in the NY tunnels and subways. There's also the difficulty of talking/hearing over the noise. Besides, talking on the phone in a crowded train is obnoxious. Instead, be sure your service includes voice-mail and that your phone has an indicator light or something that lets you know there's a message waiting. (My Sprint PCS phone does that.) Then you can return the call as soon as you come above ground. Meanwhile, just set the phone on "vibrate" so you don't bother other people, and don't answer calls while you're underground. Let the voice-mail do it.

 

Lots of bells and whistles get offered, but the only ones I ever find useful are free long-distance and roaming (use of your phone outside your local area) and the voice-mail. I think the T-Mobile plans being advertised include those, so you can use your phone anywhere in the U.S. there's T-Mobile service and call anywhere in the U.S. without paying extra. (Also, theie service area and capacity may grow even more, because there are recent reports suggesting they may merge with Cingular.) If you travel abroad, T-Mobile is part of Deutsche Telekom, so their system is compatible in Europe and a number of other countries without having to get a local-system phone there. The charges for using the phone abroad aren't cheap, but as an emergency contact it's probably worth it.

 

Hope this helps!

[ValleyDwellerNorth]

Hello Cooper,

 

Though I do not have one yet I am being forced into getting one as I have family members with health issues and, as I am in the city more now, I need to be in contact.

 

I have heard nothing but excellent things about Verizon. All of my friends who have Cell One tell me nothing but nightmares and Sprint will rob you.

 

Then again, I don't have one yet but I will be going with Verizon.

 

Good luck.

 

V D N

[OneFinger]

Cooper,

 

I hated the thought of getting a cell phone (5 years ago) and now would never be without one! I, too, got mine because of illness in the family and it turned out to be a real necessity. By far, I found Verizon to be one of the most reliable companies with the most tower coverage (this is very important).

 

I would encourage you NOT to get an expensive cell phone the first time around. Many companies offer "cheap" cell phones when you sign up and these will probably meet your basic needs. Avoid the "trap" of paying $200+ dollars for a phone with every bell and whistle. You probably won't use the advanced features of the expensive phones.

 

Another thing to consider is if you only want local service or a nation-wide plan. I have nation-wide because I travel a lot. However, I have relatives with local service only because they rarely travel. A local company they use is Cricket and I don't know if they're available in your location. Cricket usually offers unlimited minutes per month for local-only calls at a cost of about $40 per month.

 

You might also want to consider getting a pre-paid phone (I call them disposable phones). These are available from Radio Shack, 7-11 Convenience Stores, and similar places. With the Radio Shack version you paid for XXX minutes in advance and these minutes are deducted from your usage -- but they usually expire in 6 months (i.e., use it or lose it). When you need more time, you go back and buy more minutes. The advantage is that you avoid the monthly fees and 1 year contract usually required by most companies. (I also believe the Radio Shack option uses Verizon so you'll probably get good coverage.)

 

With the 7-11 option, I understand that it is truly a "disposal" phone that you throw away when the minutes are gone. The disadvantage is that you'd always be getting a new phone number.

 

When you talk to the salesperson, make sure you clearly understand your calling area. Also make sure you verify what is a local call vs a long distance call. Find out about roaming charges when out-of-area since these can really add to your monthly bill. Also, remember that you are usually charged minutes for BOTH incoming and outgoing calls.

 

Finally, ask if there is a website where you can verify usage. I normally monitor how many minutes I have remaining on my account by checking the website a couple times a week. It gets really expensive when they start charging you $ .35 per minute for "extra" time.

 

Good luck and welcome to the cellular world!

[BuckyXTC]

Cooper:

 

OneFinger is correct in suggesting that you not spend a fortune on the cell phone itself. Since my employer paid for mine, I went first class, because I have about 300+ phone numbers programmed into the phone directory function of the phone. I also use text messaging frequently. I doubt you need that much capacity. I have had excellent results with Motorola phones, with not so good results from some of the other brands. Until getting my current phone, I had a Motorola StarTac, which cost $99 and worked very well for me. Good luck on finding the phone and service that best meets your needs.

[Guest Chazzz69]

Hi

 

I went through the same situation, my mother wound up in a nursing home and the phone was a real necessity.

 

Be sure you read the fine print on your contract. You need to know when you can terminate service and switch to a different carrier. Some plans will lock you in for two years or charge a penalty if you decide the service is not what you expected and want to switch.

 

Also, make sure you pay close attention to your first several bills. I signed with Verizon and the orignal plan I chose was not the one I was charged on my first bill. Took three tries to get the damn thing cleared up.

 

Having been through this situation you need to determine who will have your cell phone number. Do you truly intend that it only be for family and those who need to have your number in case of an emergency?

(Doctors, nursing home, lawyer, etc.) Will you plan to keep it after this situation passes or get rid of it? (I have kept mine.)

 

I had my phone for about 5 months during my mother's decline. I travel constantatly and having the phone made things much easier and more difficult at the same time. I will tell you that every time that phone rang I was scared shitless thinking the worst. In the end the nursing home called me one Sunday evening at 7:02 p.m., I got there as quickly as possible and had about ten minutes spend with her before the end came.

 

As I look back on it now, its strange in some ways how comforting having that cell phone was at that time. I immediatly began making the necessary phone calls - - family, close friends, and started making arrangements. Having all those numbers stored in the memory helped get things done and I was not going crazy tracking down numbers.

 

Chazzz69

[OneFinger]

>..I had a Motorola StarTac, which cost $99 and worked very well for me. Good luck on finding the phone and service that best meets your needs.

 

The Motorola StarTac is an excellent "starter" phone. I really recommend that you select a "name brand" phone like Motorola. Plus, many phone accessories such as ear pieces, leather cases, chargers, batteries, etc. are made for the Motorola brands.

 

You should also consider whether you want a flip down model or a non-flip. There are pros and cons to both but have the salesperson explain the differences.

[Chuck50]

I have had the Verizon because of my job the last two years. I have also used it on trips to have fun with escorts and cavort around the country, I was plaqued by roaming charges for awhile eventually got an accross the country account. Ask Questions if you travel get a different account. If you stay home then another will do. But don't assume. HUGS Chuck

[+ deej]

I'm curious .... you say you'll be "spending a lot more time in the city" but where *else* will you spend your time?

 

You may well find that a phone that provides excellent service in the city doesn't do so well away from the city. They all have "dark spots" and you won't know where those are until you actually try the phone in the areas you typically find yourself in, sadly.

 

In other words, you've got to buy the cow to find out whether the milk is sour. That's why you should read the contract VERY carefully. You need to make sure you have an out if the phone just doesn't work in the places you need it to work.

 

My first cell phone (AT&T PCS) worked FABULOUSLY for me everywhere in the country EXCEPT IN MY OWN APARTMENT. I literally would take walks several times a day just to see if I had voice mail. But I was locked into it for a year.

 

After that, I had SprintPCS which worked fine everywhere except in Ventura County, CA. Fortunately, a burglar liberated me of that phone 3 days before I accepted a job in Ventura County.

 

Now, I'm with Cingular and it seems to work fine everywhere I've tried it but I've only been with them for a month or so.

 

Your mileage WILL vary. Just make sure you don't get trapped into something that looks good, but doesn't pan out in reality.

[BuckyXTC]

>My first cell phone (AT&T PCS) worked FABULOUSLY for me

>everywhere in the country EXCEPT IN MY OWN APARTMENT. I

>literally would take walks several times a day just to see

>if I had voice mail. But I was locked into it for a year.

 

deej:

 

Your experience with AT&T PCS was exactly the same as mine....I could walk across the living room and lose a call. I lived in a large city in a regular one family dwelling and got lousy coverage at home until I switched to Verizon. Of course, I was locked into one of those one year contracts with AT&T and had to wait it out to switch. I believe Verizon offers an initial "satisfaction guaranteed" period to see if the cellular service they provide is meeting your needs., and you can upgrade or downgrade your calling plans at just about any time, but still locked into a contract for at least a year, depending on what you sign up for. At least AT&T and some other providers don't offer such a guarantee.

 

So, Cooper, deej has offered some critical advice in his post. Be very sure you get a plan where if the cell phone doesn't work where you're gonna be, you can return the phone, cancel, and switch to another provider.

[BuckyXTC]

One more thing....

 

I can't remember if these additional items were mentioned, but if they have been, they can't be overemphasized.

 

With most plans, you get a set number of "anytime" minutes included each month with the price you're paying for service. If you go over that allotment, the per minute rates jump dramatically. Being on the East Coast, I do a lot of long distance calling to friends on the West Coast on my phone after 9pm Eastern time, and as my plan offers unlimited calling minutes after 9pm and on weekends, this has considerably lowered my regular "land line" long distance charges.

 

I believe Cingular is now allowing customers to roll over unused "anytime" minutes to the next month, which is really nice. As of yet, Verizon doesn't allow that, if you don't use the anytime minute allotment for the month, you lose the unused minutes.

 

With many providers, you pay airtime for incoming and outgoing calls. A few providers, like Nextel, only make you pay airtime for outgoing calls. This is a critical issue if you share your cell phone number with lots of people and sign up for a plan with a limited number of anytime minutes. Since most of the cellular providers began charging as soon as you initiate a call, even a call that isn't answered will probably cost you an airtime minute. So if you get a plan with say, 60 anytime minutes allowed per month, it won't be anytime before you use them up, then the rate shifts to something like 55 cents a minute or more.

 

I know all of these fine points are a lot to remember, but they can save you money and aggravation in the long run.

 

And one final caveat.....Cellular service is nowhere near as reliable as the old land line. You'll definitely experience more bad connections, dropped calls and calls with more static with a cellular phone. Cellular service is much improved over what it was ten years ago, but not without bugs. Prepare to accept that fact.

[Cooper]

Thanks guys for all the helpful information on purchasing my first cell phone. I've taken notes and will use the good advise in making a wise decision.

 

Some of you spoke about cell towers. There have been a lot of restrictions placed on them in my neighborhood. If any of you travel the Hutchinson River Parkway in Westchester County, NY, you might have noticed the disguised tower located near the center island gas station. They made it look like a huge pine tree that towers over all the surrounding trees. The trunk is brown and the antennas are pine branches. A very clever idea to make the residents happy.

 

Thanks again for the help.

 

"Cooper"

[Guest Kenny021]

I have Cingular which works fine except, like Deej, in my own apt. Whenever I want to use it at home, I usually go outside....strange. I have no long distance rates no roaming charges and I pay $29.99 per month ($32 when all fees are added) and I get 250 minutes prime time minutes per month and 3500 nights and weekend minutes per month. I never use all of them. As has been mentioned, you never know how well it works in any given area until you are actually there. So far, it works fine when I'm in Wash DC or in NYC.

[Guest Big14U]

Well here is a bit of wisdom from a soon to be unemployed Worldcom Wireless employee!.

 

1. NEVER purchase service from someone that is NOT the ones with the local towers. Why - because there are too many restrictions on if you wish to change service.

 

2. Check with the carrier ask the following questions. If I wish to change my plan for more/less minutes during the month WHEN does that plan take effect immediately or later?

 

3. If I have to suddenly go out of town can I change my plan to a roaming plan??? And does it go into effect immediately also.

 

4. RETAIN your contract - make sure that EVERYTHING you discuss with the salesperson is on it in CLEAR PRINT or Written Clearly.

 

5. When and if you talk to a customer service person get that persons name/extension.

 

 

My biggest bitches with customers were.

 

1. Totally being unprepared to speak... not having account information handy. You are wasting not only your time but mine, and if the first words out of your mouth "It's about time" and they don't have the info... then you'll get subtle attitude thrown back at you.

 

2. Never say the salesman said without written proof of exactly what he said. If it's your word against what is in the computer, you'll lose everytime.

 

3. Immediately thinking that you are the most important person in the world and cannot deign to speak to a low life customer support person. That you must speak with a supervisor. It won't happen until you give the representive a chance to solve your problem. If you insist then you can bet the words that the rep is taking to his supervisor is "I have a total ASSHOLE on the line". Our sups loved to get on the line and after listening to the customer bitch and moan tell them they would xfer them right back to the rep to take care of because that is their job. A waste of your time, the sups and the reps.

 

4. NO COMPANY IS PERFECT. You wouldn't believe the stories that began ... I had XXXXX and they were perfect idiots, I HOPE you are not going to be. Fill in XXXXX with ANY and EVERY Wireless company.

 

If you are not a smart consumer, you have only yourself to blame.

Check with your friends co-workers and get their opinions on what is working for them IN YOUR AREA. Don't ask your brother in California if you are in New Jersey.

 

 

 

16 Hours and I'm outa there!!!!

 

Big14U

[+ deej]

>Your experience with AT&T PCS was exactly the same as

>mine....I could walk across the living room and lose a call.

> I lived in a large city in a regular one family dwelling

>and got lousy coverage at home until I switched to Verizon.

 

At least you knew which corner to stand in. ;-) I literally wouldn't get calls or e-mail notifications unless I physically left the premises. It had something to do with living in the shadow of a bunch of high-rises and all the antennas up there. Or so they said.

 

A friend had Sprint PCS and *HATED* it. But he's a limo driver and is constantly driving around town, through tunnels, etc. -- different usage habits from mine. He switched to Verizon and swears by it, but to date he's the ONLY person I experience dropped calls with.

 

Cingular has been fine so far, and they do indeed offer a rollover plan so that unused minutes are carried over to the next month. But you have to explicitly enroll in the plan. It doesn't come automatically when you get the phone, and it doesn't automatically apply to existing users. They'll happily enroll you at no charge when you ask, but don't expect them to offer it. x(

[Huey]

I currently have Sprint PCS and it's shaky at best . The only reason I stay with them is I feel they have the best pricing plan and too many people have my cellular number.

 

The phones I like best are all made by Motorola. I have several of them and not once have I had a problem

 

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