Database Develop

Verizon's "Screw Everyone Plan"

OK, so I realized that our long standing unlimited plans are going away. Fair enough, but I've finally done the math and we are all going to get boned in a BIG way (minimum of 25% increase in bill). This is almost enough to go back to the dark ages and forget my stupid cell phone service all together. But before I take the leap out into the vast void, I figured maybe someone else was pawing over this and done some research of their own?
So here's the question I pose:
What's the smartest route to go now? I've been thinking about coverage issues, and obviously Verizon has the biggest reach, but I'm thinking this last "less than tactful" boning was the last straw.
Is anyone else about to flush Verizon, or am I alone in this?
6GB + Cell = $120. 4GB + Cell = $100. I'm not sure whether to laugh, or cry?
I'm paying ~$70... Umm... Seems like Verizon is the new Ma Bell on the block?

Verizon has definitely screwed over the single phone customers.
with that, it's not any better... $59.99 for 450 minutes/unlimited text, plus $30 for 2GB of data
a huge savings of $10.
edit: forgot to mention, if you want more than 2GB, you have to go with the Shared Everything plan even though you're just one person. totally blows.

mrhomiec said:
Verizon has definitely screwed over the single phone customers.
with that, it's not any better... $59.99 for 450 minutes/unlimited text, plus $30 for 2GB of data
a huge savings of $10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah... Unlimited text. Hmm.. I forgot people are big into texting. OK, so I guess this won't be a system shock for everyone like it is for me. More like slowly turning up the heat on the frog in the pot.

I currently pay about $82 a month for 4GB 450 minutes and 250 texts with nights and weekends and mobile to mobile I don't even get close to the limits on anything. If I had to switch to the share 1GB would be $90 and the 4GB like I have now would be $110 and that doesn't even include taxes and fees. You can get the prepaid smart phone with 1GB for $80 but even that would be more that we are paying now. The only people who save money with these plans are going to be people with multiple devices that don't use a lot of data. It's a good deal if you use a lot of minutes or text a lot, but there are so many alternatives you can use that I cant see this being good for anyone really. I will stay as long as I can keep my current plan otherwise I will just switch to Sprint.

Was just looking at Sprint...
jrb0408 said:
I currently pay about $82 a month for 4GB 450 minutes and 250 texts with nights and weekends and mobile to mobile I don't even get close to the limits on anything. If I had to switch to the share 1GB would be $90 and the 4GB like I have now would be $110 and that doesn't even include taxes and fees. You can get the prepaid smart phone with 1GB for $80 but even that would be more that we are paying now. The only people who save money with these plans are going to be people with multiple devices that don't use a lot of data. It's a good deal if you use a lot of minutes or text a lot, but there are so many alternatives you can use that I cant see this being good for anyone really. I will stay as long as I can keep my current plan otherwise I will just switch to Sprint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Based on the reviews here in Colorado, and the price difference, as well as the good selection of phones, I'm 99% confident that if Verizon doesn't pull their heads out by summer/fall of next year, I'm jumping to Sprint as well.

This is why I haven't been looking to upgrade. Red might loose a long time customer.

jrb0408 said:
I currently pay about $82 a month for 4GB 450 minutes and 250 texts with nights and weekends and mobile to mobile I don't even get close to the limits on anything. If I had to switch to the share 1GB would be $90 and the 4GB like I have now would be $110 and that doesn't even include taxes and fees. You can get the prepaid smart phone with 1GB for $80 but even that would be more that we are paying now. The only people who save money with these plans are going to be people with multiple devices that don't use a lot of data. It's a good deal if you use a lot of minutes or text a lot, but there are so many alternatives you can use that I cant see this being good for anyone really. I will stay as long as I can keep my current plan otherwise I will just switch to Sprint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I currently pay around $150 with 1 smart phone and 4 basic. 1400 mins and 150 mb. The new Screw me plan for the exact same except 2 gb would cost me $220 and I lose most of an employee discount for where I work. I checked T-Mobile and they have a comparable plan to where I'm at and u would wind up paying right around where I am right one. Vzw will lose this customer from 1999.
Sent from my VS910 4G using xda app-developers app

I had 2 phone line with 1400 mins shared and 4g on each phone. I used all 4 every month and my wife hardly used any. I also had unlimited texting. Now i have unlimited calls and texting and 4 g shared and im saving 30 a month. So i guess it helped me out. Seeing as we were only using 4g a month anyways.
Sent from my DROID4 using xda premium

I'm currently grandfathered in with unlimited text and data and pretty much refuse to sign a new contract under these new guidelines so I will just keep this plan I have and won't bother buying my phones from them now if their gonna try to charge me full retail, I just picked up a new nexus for $300 on ebay FU Verizon!!!

same boat here... im grandfathered in under the old unlimited plan, but once this contract is up come next May, im jumping on my wife's family share plan with Sprint. Then ill have a better phone, unlimited everything again, and only pay 35.00 per/mo since its chipping in on the plan. WAY better then the 76.00 im paying now and that includes an 18% corperate discount..
Seriously Verizon? get real.

jaymazz13 said:
I'm currently grandfathered in with unlimited text and data and pretty much refuse to sign a new contract under these new guidelines so I will just keep this plan I have and won't bother buying my phones from them now if their gonna try to charge me full retail, I just picked up a new nexus for $300 on ebay FU Verizon!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
word it's all about just not upping on a new contract. well worth the price of a phone

youknowmeman said:
word it's all about just not upping on a new contract. well worth the price of a phone
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Click to collapse
I am thinking going the ebay route, but I am afraid I will get a stolen phone....

I'm grandfathered in on my unlimited too. I got my Revo before they made the upgrade change...lucky me...I have my DX to my partner and her D1 to our daughter. My daughter doesn't need a 4G phone...and because my partner only uses her phone to call people...and doesn't need a 4G either.
I pay way too much a month for only 2000 shared minutes...family and friends (10)...unlimited text and data = $245 on 3 lines.
We is decide to buy Amazon or eBay for upgrades if we decide to get better phones for them.
Sent from my VS910 4G using xda app-developers app

osafer said:
I am thinking going the ebay route, but I am afraid I will get a stolen phone....
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Click to collapse
even if you buy retail i think it's still worth it for the unlimited data.. that being said usually stolen phones won't come with the box & docs so that's a safe way to tell

I bought my past few phones off craigslist, cheaper than ebay, and I always have them meet me at a verizon store.

So you have Verizon activate the phone and then you pay the person you're buying it from after you know it's good to go?

YUP! Well that's what happened last time. Most of the time you can just meet at the Verizon store and have one of the clerks check the ESN# to make sure it hasn't been reported lost or stolen, so normally you dont need to have the seller wait round for activation.

Great tip!

youknowmeman said:
even if you buy retail i think it's still worth it for the unlimited data.. that being said usually stolen phones won't come with the box & docs so that's a safe way to tell
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I sold my REVO and got a Galaxy Nexus so I could keep my unlimited, and I'll never buy a phone from a Verizon store again. I'll keep upgrading via ebay or craigslist and just keep replacing my phone. That way I never have to renew my contract and I get to keep unlimited.

I'm on a family plan. Does this mean upgrading any phone would cause a change in the plan for all of us? I don't think I could hold off all the family members very long to keep the old plan.
Sent from my VS910 4G using Tapatalk 2

Bad Carrier Stories

I need to vent-out folks. Is there such a thread already? Anyhow, I'm fed up with the T-Mobile customer service. They are naturally stealing my money! Here is the story.
I have switched to Verizon for better reception and canceled my family plan this summer. But T-Mobile continued to charge me for 6 (SIX) month after that. I have called them 4 (FOUR) times. They were doing cancellation with me on the phone EACH time, reassuring that everything is great now. But they have continued to charge my card after that month after month. After the 4th call they have refunded part of my money. But in the form of an AMEX credit card, which is not working in the places I'm shopping! And yes, they DID charge me for the canceled and refunded service a month later AGAIN! AVOID this robbers!

After being charged 2(TWO) times you must go to the credit card company 1(ONE) time and tell them your story and 4(FOUR) times so that they don't charge you the 3rd(THIRD) time.

Sure thing, lazy pays twice.

My worst carrier story.
Back in 2006 when I was still in the Marines I spent 2 weeks on the USS Essex, a small deck aircraft carrier. Well that thing is like a floating city and I got lost on it one day for like 20 minutes and it made me late to my shift on watch. It was definitely the worst carrier experience I ever had.

StormMcCloud said:
My worst carrier story.
Back in 2006 when I was still in the Marines I spent 2 weeks on the USS Essex, a small deck aircraft carrier. Well that thing is like a floating city and I got lost on it one day for like 20 minutes and it made me late to my shift on watch. It was definitely the worst carrier experience I ever had.
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Click to collapse
Haha i love you for this, but seriously though, on att we were once charged $550 for a month when we should have paid 120 for the three of us and my dad's data plan, we called them and they said there was nothing they could do at first, then we hung up and talked to someone who could fix it. We even got a discount for our troubles.
Sent from my HTC Sensation using Tapatalk 2

It was not mine, but my moms, She is supposed to only be charged Php500 a month when she was on Smart, then she is usually charged Php600+ a month, we left that carrier ever since.
__________________
Sweet Devil >_<
GT-P3100
Android 4.0.4 ICS
Sun Cellular
"LG should go bankrupt"

I'm on Airtel since 2006. Never ever changed the sim/service or taken another one. After I've activated the DND Mode (Do Not Disturb) I'm feeling pretty good for not getting their tele-marketing calls. Still text message spams occur.

Im on VIVA since 2012 and im satisfied with their offers. Though the speed of 3G data is really slow!
Sent from my GT-S5660 using xda app-developers app

Over the past 2-3 months, people living in the Pacific northwest have been having serious issues with AT&T's LTE. Calls & texts never go through, sometimes it takes over 4 hours for voicemail or texts to show up. There have been massive complaints on AT&It's support forums & Facebook page.
If I haven't been with them for so long, and grandfathered into the unlimited data, I would split in a heartbeat.
Sent from my SGH-I717 using xda premium

Ah T-Mobile... How I hate you. Though KPN isn't that much better...
Living on the border is a hassle no matter which carrier you have. You Americans are a lucky lot, you don't have to deal with that.
Most ridiculous thing is this: I have an unlimited data plan, with 35 euro a month deposit into my mobile wallet, that transfers into the next month. So by now I have about 840 euros of mobile cash to spend. (I still pay per minute, as opposed to having an amount of minutes per month.) But 080x, 090x and service numbers fall outside my package (meaning they are withdrawn directly from my bank account.). Calling, being called, texting and browsing in and from abroad also falls outside my package.
So I have no hope of ever getting rid of those 840 euros, simply because everyone uses What'sapp these days, and I don't have a data limit.
They won't give me a refund, they won't put the money towards a new phone, and if I ever tell them I bought another phone, they'll switch my package around to one with a limit, and I'll lose everything. Lovely, isn't it? I had to trick them into giving me a new microsim, because obviously all new phones can't use the old, big ones anymore.

ShadowLea said:
Ah T-Mobile... How I hate you. Though KPN isn't that much better...
Living on the border is a hassle no matter which carrier you have. You Americans are a lucky lot, you don't have to deal with that.
Most ridiculous thing is this: I have an unlimited data plan, with 35 euro a month deposit into my mobile wallet, that transfers into the next month. So by now I have about 840 euros of mobile cash to spend. (I still pay per minute, as opposed to having an amount of minutes per month.) But 080x, 090x and service numbers fall outside my package (meaning they are withdrawn directly from my bank account.). Calling, being called, texting and browsing in and from abroad also falls outside my package.
So I have no hope of ever getting rid of those 840 euros, simply because everyone uses What'sapp these days, and I don't have a data limit.
They won't give me a refund, they won't put the money towards a new phone, and if I ever tell them I bought another phone, they'll switch my package around to one with a limit, and I'll lose everything. Lovely, isn't it? I had to trick them into giving me a new microsim, because obviously all new phones can't use the old, big ones anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually love kpn. Best network in the netherlands, fast internet. Only i bit more expensive. I think you just took the wrong subscription.
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app

My worst carrier story was with T-mobile when I upgraded my line 4 months before my contract was up... I called up customer loyalty and told them I wanted the Note II... This was back in late october when the phone first came out and they told me they'd do an early upgrade for me and the price is $419 and a $50 rebate and i told them that was TOO damn high. The lady on the other end ended up giving me the phone for like $200 after the MIR and gave me a free month. When the statement came that month, I still got charged for the month, I was so angry about this I called them back and was wondering what happened to my free month. They ended up crediting my account and telling me not to pay the bill... Can you believe they wasted 15 minutes of my time in total going through all that trouble?

AT&T mobile = complaint to FCC
FCC = resolution to complainant

spromper said:
I actually love kpn. Best network in the netherlands, fast internet. Only i bit more expensive. I think you just took the wrong subscription.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's just an old one. 3.5 years, by now. Relax 25. Advantage of it is that I pay 30 euro's a month for truly unlimited Internet. A similar subscription today costs 92 euro's a month....
KPN is ridiculously expensive, and a real terror when it comes to borders/abroad. Since I live on the German border, T-Mobile makes more sense. I don't have to hitchhike onto another carrier's signal.

Aah, like that. Mine is 2years old, 1gb limit. Thats enough for me and its fast. i dont go abroad very much so for me kpn is awesome.
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app

Ptel Service for $41.24/mo w/ Coupon - Tmobile USA MVNO

The original HOT deal has ended. See below for the latest 25% discount. I've been meaning to post this for a couple months now and kept putting it off thinking that a) the promo was about to expire and b) most people might find this too much of a hassle. I however think this is a steal and I'm willing to move to Ptel while it's this price and switch elsewhere if the deal ends. The joys of using Google Voice means I don't really care if the phone number associated with my SIM changes. If you fall in to the same camp, read on.
*********
Plans
Ptel offers two "unlimited" plans:
$40 unlimited talk and text. First 250MB at 4G speeds then throttled.
$50 unlimited talk and text. First 2GB at 4G speeds then throttled.
Both plans include unlimited international text, MMS, and 411. Also, unlike all other prepaid companies I've tried, Ptel includes conditional call forwarding so Google Voicemail is not a problem.
Promo Codes
PTELG25 = 25% off ($4.99 SIM Card & Free shipping) = upfront cost of $41.24 for the unlimited 2GB plan -OR- $33.74 for the unlimited 250MB plan
This code requires you to buy a sim/top-up card combo each time, unfortunately. I don't see any way to use the coupon code when simply topping up.
Expired Codes
PTELSLICK20 = $20 off (Free SIM Card & shipping) = $30.00 upfront cost
-OR-
PTEL25BRAD = $25 off (Free shipping) = $29.99 Final upfront cost
-OR-
PTELSTUD25 = 25% off your order and free shipping (not really useful IMHO unless you're buying a phone)
Additional Savings (Cashback)
Befrugal changed their policies effective July 2013. No more cashback from them when buying minutes. If you find another site that will do so, please share! In addition to getting their unlimited deal for $30 $41.24, you can get 20% cashback via BeFrugal making the final cost $24 $32.99! BeFrugal will only allow you to cash out after your account reaches $25. For those of you that are new to cashback sites, just know that in order to qualify, you must click through on the cashback site before you go to the carrier's website. I will often open up a different browser, just to make sure I don't mess anything up. For other cashback options, see here:
http://cashbackwatch.com/store.php?store=PlatinumTel
Buying Multiple Months
The deal has been going on since December at least. So, while it's not "guaranteed" $30 service, it has effectively been that for a few months now. Another option to consider is buying several months worth of SIMs if that makes sense for you. Some might consider this to be counter to the premise of buying an unlocked Nexus. My brother is one of those people that thinks buying a years worth of service up front is a bad idea. "I guess it comes down to principle. Buying 13 months is like having a 13 month contract, more or less. I'm not cool with that."
Either way, it's your call. I bought enough for 3 months and as long as the promo continues, each month I buy one more SIM.
Here are more details which I found out from a Ptel customer service rep:
1) You must order a new SIM each time you use the coupon. There's no way around that.
2) The "Activation PIN" that comes with the SIM card can be applied to your original SIM. No need to change numbers each month by using the new SIM they send you.
3) Top-up cards in any denomination are good for a full year, but...
4) Once you activate the card, you must use it up within a certain period of time. For the $50 card, the term is 180 days. Totally fine if you're just using it for the unlimited plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, the max number of cards you can buy at once would be 13, I think. Feel free to correct me if my math is off.
Odds & Ends
Other things to keep in mind:
They send you a standard size SIM card. It's too big for the Nexus 4 so you'll need a SIM card cutter. Or you can always ask someone at a Tmobile store to cut it for you (if they have a cutter one available). I bought mine on eBay for a couple bucks. EDIT: As of April 2013, Ptel now sells Micro SIMs too (labeled as Combi Card 2FF/3FF).
Ptel has been around since 2001, but only just switched to GSM (SIM-based) service in December. It seems this promotion is their way of drumming up business on their new plans/network.
I've been on Ptel since January 2013 and have had great luck so far. Good customer service. Fast HSPA+ service in Boston. 16mb down. Zero complaints. If you have any questions, just ask.

Just figured I'd give this post a bump. Just bought another month's worth of Ptel service. The PTEL25BRAD code still works. So, $29.99 service is still in effect (before the $6 cashback).
I don't understand why no one else jumping on this? Give it a try people!

Definitely giving this a try. Thanks for the info.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Thanks again for the tip. Picked one up last night. My total was only 20 not bad for a whole month of service. Certainly beats my old Verizon plan
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

bkarlsen said:
Thanks again for the tip. Picked one up last night. My total was only 20 not bad for a whole month of service. Certainly beats my old Verizon plan
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear it! How'd you get it down to $20? Or are you doing the first tier of 4G that throttles after 250mb?

Conditional call forwarding works on Straight Talk.

Op you sound like you work for them buddy.

adamr240 said:
Conditional call forwarding works on Straight Talk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't realize that. I was on Tmobile's $30 plan before and had to call and ask them to disable voicemail altogether for GV voicemail to work well.
Underground_XI said:
Op you sound like you work for them buddy.
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Click to collapse
Haha. Well, if my XDA account was a new one, then maybe that'd be a red flag. That and and if I wasn't finding ways to pay nearly 50% what they charge per month...that too. I'm just a penny pinching mf.
It does sound too good to be true though, I admit. I hope it lasts for a while longer. At this rate, the savings will pay off my N4 by September. The only thing keeping me from buying even more cards at a time (well one of the reasons at least) is that it might be nice to have LTE at some point. It's still not clear if Tmobile will allow MVNO's to use that network.

how is tmobile's own unlimited everything for $50 any worst than this? considering you'll probably get better customer service, choice of buying a new phone and making payments, no contract or buying upfront, discount monthly bill if you're a student or have corporate discount, and last but not least like you've mentioned, simplicity?

Great tip. Ordering
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

khanh1289 said:
how is tmobile's own unlimited everything for $50 any worst than this? considering you'll probably get better customer service, choice of buying a new phone and making payments, no contract or buying upfront, discount monthly bill if you're a student or have corporate discount, and last but not least like you've mentioned, simplicity?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At Ptel's normal monthly fee, the only benefit would be 2gb of unthrottled service instead of 500mb. With the coupon codes in the OP, plus cash back, Ptel's a no brainer in my opinion.
Sent from my Nexus 4

Yeah I went with the first tier. In their terms it only throttles to 3g after 250mb. Can't beat 20 bucks for a full month of unlimited everything even if it is at 3g speeds. I really appreciate the tip.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

bkarlsen said:
Yeah I went with the first tier. In their terms it only throttles to 3g after 250mb. Can't beat 20 bucks for a full month of unlimited everything even if it is at 3g speeds. I really appreciate the tip.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's 2G, at least according to their official twitter account.
https://twitter.com/ptelmobile/status/285848003506483201

adamr240 said:
Conditional call forwarding works on Straight Talk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only for Straight Talk AT&T SIM....
it does not work on Straight Talk T-Mobile.

khanh1289 said:
how is tmobile's own unlimited everything for $50 any worst than this? considering you'll probably get better customer service, choice of buying a new phone and making payments, no contract or buying upfront, discount monthly bill if you're a student or have corporate discount, and last but not least like you've mentioned, simplicity?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is just another option offered up by the OP. I personally think it will work out better for me, but if it doesnt I can just toss the sim and go back to Tmobile. But for $20 I felt it was at least worth trialing. That is one of the benefits of using my N4 with prepaid carriers. I can try out whomever I like or switch plans if I wind up needing more 4G data later on. For right now though I use mostly wifi at home and work so I just needed the data for times in between those two.
---------- Post added at 04:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:07 PM ----------
nomadism said:
I think it's 2G, at least according to their official twitter account.
https://twitter.com/ptelmobile/status/285848003506483201
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My error, I thought I had seen a note on their website about it being throttled back to 3g if I use up the 250mb. Still I dont mind the slower speed for now. And I can always switch up to their 2gb plan if their services is adequate after my test run with them. Thanks for the info. I will try to put a quick update in a week or so after I have had some time to test out their service.

khanh1289 said:
how is tmobile's own unlimited everything for $50 any worst than this? considering you'll probably get better customer service, choice of buying a new phone and making payments, no contract or buying upfront, discount monthly bill if you're a student or have corporate discount, and last but not least like you've mentioned, simplicity?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because PTel's $50 plan gives more data, and with the coupon alone it costs significantly less. Plus you can save even more with the cash back.
If they ever stop having the coupons, then you can always switch to TMobile, but as long as you can save $20 to $30 per month over TMobile, why not go with PTel?
You can get TMobile refills at a discount as well, but I haven't seen any for effectivly 60% off.
More info here:
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1793983-Took-the-plunge-spent-600-real-money-in-credit
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

I went on to buy a few more and it looks like they are now offering micro Sims and the promo codes are still working. I am still stunned that I can get service for 16 a month after befrugal. Thanks again OP
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

bkarlsen said:
I went on to buy a few more and it looks like they are now offering micro Sims and the promo codes are still working. I am still stunned that I can get service for 16 a month after befrugal. Thanks again OP
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool. Thanks for the update. I wouldn't mind a proper micro SIM. Didn't do a very good job cutting mine down and I'm honestly worried it may not come out without a fight. We'll see!
Oh, and I noticed they're selling the N4 now too, albeit for $399.
Sent from my Nexus 4

OK10 said:
I wan to buy a few too, and it seems to good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought so too but tested out the service this week and it works everywhere T-Mobile does. Plus unlimited phone ,text,and data for that price is amazing. Already bought 6 months worth of cards just in case promo changes. Definitely recommend buying through the befrugal link to save the extra 20%. At this rate switching to my nexus 4 will more than pay for itself.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

Just bought another month. Still working.

Sprint did good - Non-HTC Related

I just called Sprint because my mom uses an LG Optimus S™
She consumes about 5-6 mb of data per month, but since it's a "smartphone" she has to get charged the $10 fee.
Well, I called in after having been with the phone for a couple of months and asked (Not told) if I had to pay for the fee since she only consumes about 5-6mb of data and doesn't really utilize the phone to its capabilities.
After putting me on hold of a min or two, she came back and told me that they evaluated her account and data consumption and will issue a $10 credit monthly to cover that.
I was reminded a couple of times that I should be paying for it because of the type of phone. Also, once I switch to a new phone the discount will be voided.
Still, their customer service really helped out. That's a $120+(taxes) yearly savings.

robfactory said:
I just called Sprint because my mom uses an LG Optimus S™
She consumes about 5-6 mb of data per month, but since it's a "smartphone" she has to get charged the $10 fee.
Well, I called in after having been with the phone for a couple of months and asked (Not told) if I had to pay for the fee since she only consumes about 5-6mb of data and doesn't really utilize the phone to its capabilities.
After putting me on hold of a min or two, she came back and told me that they evaluated her account and data consumption and will issue a $10 credit monthly to cover that.
I was reminded a couple of times that I should be paying for it because of the type of phone. Also, once I switch to a new phone the discount will be voided.
Still, their customer service really helped out. That's a $120+(taxes) yearly savings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That $10 fee is mandatory for smart phones its the data package for it in lames term everyone should pay for it and you shouldn't be excluded from that I mean I know you use a lot of data so do I. They don't charge you that because you use a lot of data, they charge you that because you have a smartphone
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

jazz995756 said:
They don't charge you that because you use a lot of data, they charge you that because you have a smartphone
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I pay for my data, but the statement wasn't about my data.
If you read what I wrote, my mother uses 5-6 mb.
That's not a lot. If anything that is just GMail syncing.

robfactory said:
I pay for my data, but the statement wasn't about my data.
If you read what I wrote, my mother uses 5-6 mb.
That's not a lot. If anything that is just GMail syncing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thought that said GBs lol sorry my phone is being weird but that's pretty decent I tried doing that with one of my lines since the internet is almost always off but the excuse they gave me is even when the internet is off the phone still consumes data
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

jazz995756 said:
That $10 fee is mandatory for smart phones its the data package for it in lames term everyone should pay for it and you shouldn't be excluded from that I mean I know you use a lot of data so do I. They don't charge you that because you use a lot of data, they charge you that because you have a smartphone
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try talking to them now and mention the fact that they can trace the line the previous months to see the data pattern.
Since my mom doesn't even text, she can see this feature is lost on her.
I guess that's why they did it. I also have a business account with 6 lines, so that could have factored in to their decision.

I just called customer service today and they moved my upgrade up two weeks. So both my fiance and I got to upgrade our phones today. I was really impressed for how willing they were to satisfy us.
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I'm on WiFi all the time cause the service sucks, I should get a credit too. 3G is not usable around me

FrozenRiff said:
I'm on WiFi all the time cause the service sucks, I should get a credit too. 3G is not usable around me
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You're in LA and you're not getting great service? Didn't they just drop a boat load of LTE all over you out there?

eXplicit815 said:
You're in LA and you're not getting great service? Didn't they just drop a boat load of LTE all over you out there?
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I'm on the outskirts of LA County but still within its borders. Not in the actual city
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There are a couple models where they comp the premium data fee, like the Replenish. Might want to have your mom get one of these units instead, if they are available when she upgrades.

gobaers said:
There are a couple models where they comp the premium data fee, like the Replenish. Might want to have your mom get one of these units instead, if they are available when she upgrades.
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Yeah, they told me that. I'm bidding on one as a back up.

Originally the 10 dollars a month was a WiMAX surcharge, only charged to people with WiMAX phones... A couple months to a year later they renamed it to "premium data" and started charging all smart phones, which is a joke because they barely have any phones that aren't considered a "smart phone" anymore.

I have been with Sprint for 14 years and believe me I have had my share of ups and downs with their Customer Service Department. I have a fairly large account with them (8 phones) and have always managed to resolve issues. Sometimes I didn't get everything I was asking for, but was satisfied in the end.
Basically it's their plan pricing that keeps me a customer. As many have stated, their service in my area is not the greatest but having compared plans with other carriers I simply couldn't afford them.

So DONE with Sprint!

So I guess this is more of a rant than anything but I am SO damn pissed off about it. I have had Sprint a little over a year and half and unfortunately made the choice to upgrade early so my contract is still quite long at this point. Anyway, I live in Albuquerque New Mexico and am SO fed up with the slow spotty service, not having any data 80% of the time and the other 20% being SUPER slow 3G/!1X. Is there anyway to get out from under the contract without paying the ETF? I mean I drove 10 miles the other night re-sending a text because the service is just that bad in my area. Good friend of mine has T-Mobile and gets a super reliable 25 mbps down with 4G while I'm lucky to get .2 mbps on Sprint's 3g. End rant!

Oh OK ?
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No way of getting out of ETF, trust me I tried. They told me as long as it shows you have coverage where you live and all that there's no way out without the ETF. You could just stick your phone on roam only and torrent a bunch of crap. Eventually they'll get tired of the data you use while roaming and kick you off I believe.
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AKanadian47 said:
So I guess this is more of a rant than anything but I am SO damn pissed off about it. I have had Sprint a little over a year and half and unfortunately made the choice to upgrade early so my contract is still quite long at this point. Anyway, I live in Albuquerque New Mexico and am SO fed up with the slow spotty service, not having any data 80% of the time and the other 20% being SUPER slow 3G/!1X. Is there anyway to get out from under the contract without paying the ETF? I mean I drove 10 miles the other night re-sending a text because the service is just that bad in my area. Good friend of mine has T-Mobile and gets a super reliable 25 mbps down with 4G while I'm lucky to get .2 mbps on Sprint's 3g. End rant!
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bvang89 is correct. This is what i'm doing, have already gotten the letter in mail saying if roaming doesn't stop they'll drop me. If LTE shows up in my area like it shows on their map, roaming will stop.

We've had terrible service in our area for about a month. First rep told us that it would be fixed in 72 hours. Second rep told us that it was literally just fixed, a week later. Third rep told us that the towers were still being repaired and that they didn't know when it'll get fixed, but they'll take a comparable credit off our bill (10%, real ****ing comparable). Her supervisor told us that we were lying, that our problem had been fixed two days after the initial call, and that our phones had 99% to 100% functional.
Sprint can **** off.

Same crap in Minnesota. I will switch to t mobile after my contact is up. The service may be just as bad,but at least it will be cheaper.
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File a complaint with the BBB, you will get a phone call in about 3-5 days and tell them you are done. They will waive your ETF.
They told me the LTE upgrade will be complete in my area in January. And they offered me a hefty discount on my service until then. I also have it set to review the same case in the end of January and if its not better I'm out of sprint as well.

This is a bad year for anyone to be in sprint but I monitor service trender every day and all across america they truly are working on the towers. Pretty much all of them. Its called network vision. Things will get a lot better for most people and in the meantime you can easily get an airrave device for free. Works great. We have tons of customers that's been getting the device recently due to all the upgrades and say it works perfectly. It won't get you out of your etf but it will give you service in your home. You can also call retentions and they WILL give you credits on your bill because of this. I had several call and one got as much as a $200 credit and all he said was "I'm dropping calls and I rely on this for work". They even overnighted an airave to his home
Retentions: ( 888 ) 273-9460
Airrave: ( 855 ) 405-4098
Both those numbers are direct numbers to a live person. Be nice at first. Explain the situation. If you don't like what you hear at first explain more thoroughly the importance of the matter and if you still can't get your issue resolved then threaten to cancel port to another carrier on your next day off from work.
In the meantime watch or listen to "cell phones and flying" by Louis CK
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You should not be expecting to do any downloads / streaming on 3G. Should be ok for emails and maps, though.
As for your texts not going through, are you sure your roaming settings are set properly?

Does anyone have experience with Sprint in South Beach, Miami? I'm going there for a few months starting in Jan so I was hoping it's not terrible lol. Do they even have LTE there?

limache said:
Does anyone have experience with Sprint in South Beach, Miami? I'm going there for a few months starting in Jan so I was hoping it's not terrible lol. Do they even have LTE there?
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South florida for the most part has pretty decent LTE service, though I will say that I've tested all over my area (West Palm Beach), and have gotten a high of 31down/13up and a low of 6down/3up while showing LTE service on my device. I will offer one caveat...it's usually hit or miss INSIDE buildings.
I've complained to Sprint when I couldn't get a phone I bought for my daughter to hands free activate properly inside my house due to lack of service. I was asked about an Airrave device, but it seemed more that they were looking to SELL it to me than GIVE it to me. I honestly should demand it, as I routinely drop calls inside my house or have to walk outside to continue talking. I must say that even though the service I get with my discount through my company isn't extreme given the number and type of devices I have and the data we use, I still sometimes feel like I'm not getting a very good value.

limache said:
Does anyone have experience with Sprint in South Beach, Miami? I'm going there for a few months starting in Jan so I was hoping it's not terrible lol. Do they even have LTE there?
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http://www.sensorly.com/map/2G-3G/US/USA/Sprint/cdma_310sprint

Th3Bill said:
South florida for the most part has pretty decent LTE service, though I will say that I've tested all over my area (West Palm Beach), and have gotten a high of 31down/13up and a low of 6down/3up while showing LTE service on my device. I will offer one caveat...it's usually hit or miss INSIDE buildings.
I've complained to Sprint when I couldn't get a phone I bought for my daughter to hands free activate properly inside my house due to lack of service. I was asked about an Airrave device, but it seemed more that they were looking to SELL it to me than GIVE it to me. I honestly should demand it, as I routinely drop calls inside my house or have to walk outside to continue talking. I must say that even though the service I get with my discount through my company isn't extreme given the number and type of devices I have and the data we use, I still sometimes feel like I'm not getting a very good value.
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Lol that sounds like the ATT experience for me in NYC...I could never make phone calls in my house. I always had to go outside to make calls, even in the winter! That's why I can't use ATT anymore. I've always heard good things about Verizon, except that it's the most expensive carrier out there but I've never heard anyone complain about reception or service though.

limache said:
Lol that sounds like the ATT experience for me in NYC...I could never make phone calls in my house. I always had to go outside to make calls, even in the winter! That's why I can't use ATT anymore. I've always heard good things about Verizon, except that it's the most expensive carrier out there but I've never heard anyone complain about reception or service though.
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I'd never use VZW or ATT.
VZW is the choice of my ex-wife, hence they are the devil and are to be destroyed or at least avoided at all cost.
ATT screwed me over back when first gen IPhone came out....after 2 months, I decided the device was stupid and sold it to someone for the exact same $300 I paid for it (sucker)....called ATT and cancelled the line....well, they left it open for 5 more months (of course not sending me a bill so I would KNOW this), then sent me to collections for the $300 bucks. Hence, they are the devil and are to be destroyed or at least avoided at all cost.

Th3Bill said:
I'd never use VZW or ATT.
VZW is the choice of my ex-wife, hence they are the devil and are to be destroyed or at least avoided at all cost.
ATT screwed me over back when first gen IPhone came out....after 2 months, I decided the device was stupid and sold it to someone for the exact same $300 I paid for it (sucker)....called ATT and cancelled the line....well, they left it open for 5 more months (of course not sending me a bill so I would KNOW this), then sent me to collections for the $300 bucks. Hence, they are the devil and are to be destroyed or at least avoided at all cost.
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Haha dropping that ex bomb is always funny haha I feel ya buddy
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marksedge said:
Haha dropping that ex bomb is always funny haha I feel ya buddy
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It's all good. Second wife is very much an upgrade over the last one, so I have no complaints here
Also got 2 beautiful little girls from it

Th3Bill said:
It's all good. Second wife is very much an upgrade over the last one, so I have no complaints here
Also got 2 beautiful little girls from it
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It's always good to upgrade. ?
Sent from my lair.

volk9029 said:
It's always good to upgrade. ?
Sent from my lair.
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Yeah...and I didn't have to pay to upgrade my device...oh wait, yes I did...it was called alimony hahaa

Th3Bill said:
Yeah...and I didn't have to pay to upgrade my device...oh wait, yes I did...it was called alimony hahaa
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You ALWAYS pay one way or another
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Cheaper to keep her
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