Prepaid Cell Phones & Plans

J

Jesss

New member
I have been looking at various wireless carriers and seeing who has better plans and deals. Verizon should get unlimited messaging, not just mobile to mobile, but for all carriers. They should have an unlimited data option also or maybe phones that have WiFi capability. They say that they are number one, well they should step up their game a little and become better. I like the idea of BoostMobile how they have unlimited everything for $50, with no contract, hidden charges, extra fees. I have seen all through the internet though, that they have unreliable service.

Thoughts?
 
Please don't compare boost and Verizon Wireless. They are two different companies with two different motives. Boost markets to the younger generation while Verizon Prepaid markets to the more "professional" population that simply can't get a contract.

Verizon Wireless does have unlimited messaging available to prepaid which allows you to send unlimited messages to anyone, on any network for $20 per month.

Verizon Wireless Prepaid has unlimited Mobile Web, in a sense. For $0.99 per 24 hours of use, you get unlimited mobile web. Mobile Web is data but only a portion..but it is what the majority of customers use to connect to the world.

Verizon prepaid which includes no contract or hidden charges. Extra fees just depends on what you want. With Verizon you have the option of ringback tones, ringtones, V CAST Music with Rhapsody, International Roaming, and NO DOMESTIC long distance charges. They also offer roaming within the United States, which many prepaid companies do not allow.

Another thing you need to look at is general coverage. Below, Boost Unlimited's National Coverage Area is Green while Canada Roaming is Yellow. Mexico Roaming is Red.

boost_coverage.jpg



Below is Verizon Wireless Prepaid Coverage. Red is on-network coverage and gray is roaming coverage (billed at $0.20 per minute)...wouldn't you rather have coverage compared to no service?

inpulse.jpg


Verizon Wireless has roaming available in Canada, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Mexico. Verizon Wireless also hasn't published a new map for prepaid that includes the acquisition of Alltel. When that map is published, nearly all of the roaming area will now be on network coverage.

As far as having a phone with Wi-Fi available for prepaid...can you show me a phone that has Wi-Fi and is available on any prepaid service. I know Boost doesn't have one. I thought the Motorola Debut did, but come to find out it didn't.

 
Neither Verizon nor Boost will work for my kids as they either don't have coverage in my ex's home area or extremely limited/roaming coverage only. I was looking at Virgin Mobile, but found out that they are discontinuing prepaid service sometime this year.

There are a couple of others that offer acceptable service in his area, but I'm looking for something I don't have to constantly add money to as my kids don't use their phones a lot...yea, I know, what a concept, huh?

AT&T prepaid has the 'Buy $100 worth of time and have one year before you have to add more time' option. Does anybody know if they the only ones who do this? I've had AT&T before and I'm just not sure they are the direction I want to go, but if they are the only ones who offer this I might end up using them.

Thanks,
Dawn
 
Common misconception. People think it is completely Verizon's network, when really it isn't. It is most of their network, but that's only 80% of it. They basically just have 20% less coverage than Verizon would...this is because Verizon has what is called "OUR ZONES". These are areas Verizon feel they are "prized" to own. Every carrier has these areas. These areas are basically where Verizon feels special and they're the only carrier to operate in this area. By allowing another carrier to roam on it, they are no longer the "prized" carrier. 20% of Verizon's network is "prized".
 
Sheesh! That's exactly what I'm talking about...$45/mo per phone. I have two kids...that's $90 PER MONTH!!! I can't afford that. :ah:

I guess I'll go with AT&T Go Phone because they appear to be the only providers that offer the $100 and you don't have to upload any more money for 1 year. My kids just don't use the phone that often and I've gone that round about before. Ended up losing over $300 once because I missed the deadline by a few hours to reload. Talk about being "upset" (to put it nicely)!

As far as the various services go it doesn't always stand that just because they say they get the best service and "guarantee" service in your area means you are going to get it. I used to live where I could see the tops of two towers (1 AT&T, 1 Sprint) and a pretty great view of a third (AT&T), yet neither I nor my ex could get service inside the house. I had Sprint. He had AT&T. We had to stand out in the middle of our yard and hope for the best, spinning around until we got the best bars.

Even then we were roaming 90% of the time. Sprint even had the gall to inform me that they were going to start charging me for roaming time because I spent most of my time on roam. :confused: It wasn't until I demanded that one of their people come out and see what I was talking about that they dropped the issue.

Then, I also have a friend who has the same carrier I have and has a very hard time getting service at her home, while when I visit her I have no problem. She has a Razr and I have a Blackberry. Is it the phone? Maybe. Is it the fact that I have International service? Probably. Who knows what goes on in the world of cell coverage.

It just depends on the area you're in and how well the carriers take care of their towers. As it stands now my ex has moved to a place where he gets fair reception from Sprint, but not from AT&T, which is funny (at least to me it is). Verizon is supposed to be the best carrier in that area, but after spending all the money to switch to Verizon and get their internet service and all he still spends most of his time waiting for reception.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing anybody, I'm just saying it all depends on where you are, how they maintain their equipment, and especially on what phone you're using. I'm just hoping to be able to contact my kids while they are with their dad.

Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best!
Dawn:p
 
Verizon Wireless also offers a 365 day refill card for $100. You must visit a Verizon Wireless store and some select other places. Also, if you were to use a debit/credit card and put $100 on, it would automatically extend for a year. Online; however, you can only purchase cards in $30 increments. Also, you get up to 3 "courtesy" credits per year. These are in $5 increments. If you cannot reload your Verizon Wireless account on time, call them and request one. It extends the expiration by 15 days.

Keep in mind that AT&T does not offer any roaming/off network coverage for prepaid. They're one of the few carriers that are limited in this way. You'll experience less than half the coverage compared to Verizon prepaid. Even Tracfone or Net10 have better coverage than AT&T prepaid.
 
I went with Pageplus recently. Good coverage-uses verizon towers and very cheap plans or ala carte available.

There is new forum at PPforums.com covering prepaid issues. Some dealers, users, some offereing free services like activations etc
 
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