I think It's about time. Don't You?
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
United States
March 27, 2016 4:36pm CST
I think it's about time that I stop using prepaid phone service. I was burnt out on the contract stuff about eight years ago now, after a nasty representative. I ended up being the victor on it, but I just said forget plans and go to prepaid.
That, combined with the fact that I haven't had credit in many years, I knew that I'd need to build credit first. I think it's about time for me to go back with a contract plan. The company I use now, verizon, has a contract plan and I'd be paying the exact same thing I do now with the benefit being that I can upgrade phones and not have to pay out of pocket the entire price of the phone.
I have to do that now with my prepaid plan and my phone has started to act up, and is no longer updating. It's an IPhone 4S so they don't really service them anymore...
Anyway, I am going to be contacting verizon and seeing what I can do to upgrade to a contract plan and keep my number with a new device.
13 people like this
15 responses
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
28 Mar 16
Thank You. Do you have to buy your cellphones full price with the prepaid plans in the Phillippines?
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
28 Mar 16
The plan will be the same, but I'll be able to upgrade cheaper if I go with a contract plan, plus they will have insurance I can get for it.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
27 Mar 16
We had a contract with Verizon. In our area there was not great service because we live in a valley surrounded by trees.
I wish I could find a service that I can actually use without calls dropping or internet being choppy.
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
27 Mar 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum the so called tech people at our local Walmart really don't have a clue.
I have tried to call several companies and they all say that there is good service but we would have to walk down the road to get that great service.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
27 Mar 16
I used to live out in the country and verizon was about the only company that worked out there. I would go up to the walmart closest to you and talk to their tech people, they are bound to have some ideas of best cell providers for your area.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
27 Mar 16
@ElusiveButterfly Yeah I wouldn't trust the companies themselves. They can only look at data charts to see and like you said it might be okay a mile up the road but you aren't a mile up the road.
Is there a radioshack near you? That's my only other thought, maybe someone there, someone local, can help you.
1 person likes this
@carebear29 (32002)
• Wausau, Wisconsin
28 Mar 16
I have Virgin Mobile and am VIP so its nice. I have insurance on my iPhone 5c
@carebear29 (32002)
• Wausau, Wisconsin
28 Mar 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum Yep. I only pay $40/month unlimited everything and thats with iPhone auto pay but with my $7/mo insurance is almost $50. Not bad though
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
28 Mar 16
@carebear29 I suppose I should have looked more into it then. I went with verizon because I know that there customer service is pretty good. Oh well, you live and learn. I won't switch carriers again.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
28 Mar 16
I had virgin mobile before there was such thing as a smartphone lol. I didn't realize they still existed.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
28 Mar 16
@DWDavis All because of that darned Apple. Of course I can't really blame them for the high prices per se. They know people will pay them just because of their reputation.
A more tech savvy relative told me that windows (microsoft) has "borrowed" a lot of the ideas that Apple / Mac first came up with. I wouldn't know as I am not that tech savvy.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
27 Mar 16
I've heard people like that samsung line of smartphones but I am a loyal Iphone user now. Verizon is pretty good, I've never heard any complaints about them.
I had sprint before and they gave me the worst time, with horrible customer support.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25797)
• United States
28 Mar 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum I've not tried an iPhone, nor the iPod, iPad, nor Mac computers. Not that I have anything against them, other than the high prices.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
27 Mar 16
I got my first Iphone abut a year ago, but got the 4s as it was a very good deal. I will call them up on Monday or Tuesday and see what they can do for me. I am hoping that they will let me have the phone and make payments but I've never had to do a payment plan on a phone so I dont' know.
1 person likes this
@Dragonairy1 (1722)
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
27 Mar 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum here it's part of our call plan, although I've been prepay for years as I don't use mine a lot.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
27 Mar 16
@Dragonairy1 With prepay plans over there, do you pay for the phone outright, and any upgrades?
1 person likes this
@ChrisH09 (276)
• Trinidad And Tobago
27 Mar 16
Yes it is, plus you come out better and cheaper with a contract.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
28 Mar 16
I wouldn't say cheaper as it will be the same price. I take good care of my phones but want the ability to get a new one without spending too much out of pocket.
@celticeagle (189833)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Mar 16
I will never use Verizon again. I got service through them about seven years ago and I hated it. I did see on the TV the other day that was 2 lines, 10mb and it was $60 with no contract. That was through T-Mobile. Hope you find a good deal.
@celticeagle (189833)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Mar 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum ...I can understand that. This is how I feel about Verizon. I would never get their service again. It's too expensive anyway.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
28 Mar 16
I won't go with t-mobile because I had them for internet. The internet was fine but I was charged AFTER I was told the service would end. I had a headache trying to get that sorted out. A friend suggested T Mobile for me but I won't go with them again.
1 person likes this
@maezee (41985)
• United States
27 Mar 16
You could do a quasi-prepaid plan. Like me -I use Virgin Mobile and pay $35 a month fot unlimited calls texts and data - and theres no obligation to pay again the next month - you just pay it each month if you want the service. The only downsize is that you dont get any comps on cheap smartphones.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
28 Mar 16
I don't mind the price I am paying now. The only reason for a contract is so that I can upgrade a phone or get better insurance for one. I have a Iphone 4s and it works okay now but I can no longer update the IOS on it. I would have to pay direct O.O.P. to get a new phone.
@ghostie2472 (252)
• Cebu, Philippines
27 Mar 16
I use prepaid. Less hassle and I have control on my spending. I rarely text or call and don't use the internet on my phone, so post paid plans, rampant here in my country, doesn't really entice me to get one.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
27 Mar 16
Our prepaid plans are getting more and more like our contact lines. When I switch to contract? The only thing that will change is that I will have upgrade capabilites without paying totally out of pocket.
@TheDemonicAngel (699)
• United States
28 Mar 16
First problem is using an overpriced brick as a phone.
I'm technically not on a contract, I could leave T-Mobile anytime I want and wouldn't have an ETF, but since I am buying a phone from them I have to stay for at least 2 years (or pay off the phone if I wanna leave early).
@TheDemonicAngel (699)
• United States
29 Mar 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum I wasn't a fn of Verizon when I was with them
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
29 Mar 16
I hated T Mobile when I had them, their customer service was really bad and then when they charged me AFTER the contract was supposed to end, I won't go with them again.
A lot of non contract companies do all but the cell phone insurance / upgrade plan. The pricing is the same, data usage etc as a contract phone.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
28 Mar 16
I will on Monday. I imagine someone is there but I will wait until tomorrow to do the calling and asking. I've not the money to switch quite yet anyway.
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
27 Mar 16
I went with Consumer Cellular. There is no contract. They have several plans. If you choose a plan and you find you are using more minutes than what is in the plan you can upgrade your plan so you don't have to pay more for the extra minutes used. They also have an unlimited plan.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
27 Mar 16
I've only been with verizon a year. I had straight talk before that and they were okay but I didn't really like their support team. I prefer unlimited, I don't use the cellphone for calls / texts that much but I want to be able to use it for data and have the unlimited everything else just in case.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
29 Mar 16
@RichardMeister Thank You for the Info. I will look into it and see what I think. If nothing else I might recommend it to another family member who has to rely on reloadable cards to pay for their cellular service.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
28 Mar 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum Consumer Cellular is located in Portland, Oregon and the customer service is based in the U.S. so you don't have to strain your ears to understand what they are saying. I had Cricket before I got Consumer Cellular. I only had Cricket for a short time when my phone quit working. I took it to one of their stores and was told I had to pay for another phone. That did not very happy. If you go with Consumer Cellular you can keep your same number. Look them up on the internet and see what you think. They have a very good customer satisfaction rating.
1 person likes this
@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
28 Mar 16
I am still on a prepaid phone. I recently went to a smartphone. I just bought one cheap on eBay and did the Bring Your Own Phone plan on Verizon. I like prepaid because I can quit anytime if my needs change, or I find a better deal. Right now it has to be Verizon because it's the only one I get dependable coverage from where I live.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
27 Mar 16
No they aren't.
I had cricket before and was paying around $50.00. I don't really like them either and their coverage isn't the best. I've had verizon for only a year, having had straight talk before that.
