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=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: chaz on October 28, 2010, 03:29:38 pm

Title: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: chaz on October 28, 2010, 03:29:38 pm
Anyone here have t-mobile and live in the dc metro area?  opinions?
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: Relaxer on October 28, 2010, 03:31:36 pm
I have T-Mobile and live in the city and have always been pretty well satisfied, i.e. no problems, etc.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/5054627791_5d5fc0ec33_m.jpg)
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: Vas Deferens on October 28, 2010, 03:40:33 pm
Have it....no problems with them when I'm in DC or Baltimore.

Anyone here have t-mobile and live in the dc metro area?  opinions?
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: chaz on October 28, 2010, 03:44:50 pm
how about when you get out of the city into the sticks a little bit...how do you fare outside the beltway etc?

thanks to you both...more comments welcome. 

had it with ATT...i'm done done done done.  and verizon is just too damn expensive...so it's down to sprint or tmobile...

Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: Relaxer on October 28, 2010, 03:48:16 pm
When I've gone out to the Shenandoahs, it starts getting a little spotty in the sticks between, say, Warrenton and Sperryville. But I remember making calls from Big Meadow inside Shenandoah Park. One thing I can't do, which I could with Verizon, is make calls from on top of Old Rag Mountain. That was always kind of nifty.

I realize I'm over-posting today but I don't have much to do.

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5054678691_5f1faf6065_m.jpg)

Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: Vas Deferens on October 28, 2010, 04:09:58 pm
I live in the country (under 20,000 people)...have all the bars while at work, less while I'm at home. The only disappointing part is when I make international calls...I sometimes have to try over and over before I can get through. I have the android G1 and love it  ;D
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: godsshoeshine on October 28, 2010, 04:18:35 pm
i've had tmobile, verizon and at&t since i've lived here, and tmobile's coverage was the worst. i dont think its a HUGE difference between all three. it wasnt worth the customer service hassles and cost of verizon though once i switched
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: Christine Moritz on October 28, 2010, 05:00:55 pm
I've been with T-Mobile for five years.  I've found their customer service far superior to AT&T's. (The original AT&T Wireless was all right for customer service, but Cingular were bastards when i was with them, and I was not happy when they bought AT&T Wireless and I was stuck with them again.)

I've never really noticed problems with reception in D.C.  However, when I go to visit my mom in North Carolina, I have a hard time getting a signal and have to roam on another network.  I get good reception in NYC, and somewhat iffy reception in my friend's apartment in L.A.  Because it's a GSM phone, I've used my phone abroad -- not much in the UK, because I have a UK pay-as-you-go phone, but it came in handy when I was in Sweden and Denmark recently.

I am actually thinking about switching from T-Mobile to Cricket because I could get a better service package for about $5 less.  I am a little leery of switching away from the Big Four, though (and of switching from a GSM phone to a CDMA one).  Has anyone here used Cricket?
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: kosmo vinyl on October 28, 2010, 05:24:41 pm
My iPhone works great for data now that there is a verizon mifi in the office ;) and it spends the rest of the searching
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: walkonby on October 28, 2010, 05:44:09 pm
'in the country, under twenty thousand' . . . that's a good one.  twenty thousand is a city.  the "country town" that i live in is population four hundred.  saa-lute!  and cell phones don't work at all.  none of 'em, so there.  take that.  and we like it that way.  i would spit, but i am at my desk.

and yes, relaxer . . . i know your popularity is growing like a seaman on the saucy side of seattle, but uhh-huhh, you are, taking it deep and far.  you're frightening the children.  don't make me throw shade.
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: hutch on October 28, 2010, 06:24:42 pm
Verizon should be avoided whenever possible..they are just plain evil..

I have Sprint cell phone and I'm not too excited... I'd love to get something that cost less.I barely use it and have a cheapo phone I've had for years.. I do use text messaging...

Does Cricket cost less or something?
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: sweetcell on October 28, 2010, 07:27:34 pm
and yes, relaxer . . . i know your popularity is growing like a seaman on the saucy side of seattle, but uhh-huhh, you are, taking it deep and far.  you're frightening the children.  don't make me throw shade.

so cute.
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: eltee on October 28, 2010, 08:48:25 pm
don't get sprint.
their customer services sucks. their reception sucks, especially indoors.
i worked there at one time and we couldn't even get reception on our phones in our own building. (and we all knew the cell service reps were horrible. i broke down once and called road side service and they tried to sell me a phone rather than put in my trouble ticket for a tow truck.)
once i had another carrier, i noticed friends and family who had sprint had a horrible connection and dropped calls while talking to me. they all got rid of their service - moved to verizon.
friends have verizon / tmobile not sure about att outside the city and it seems to work fine.
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: Christine Moritz on October 28, 2010, 10:56:14 pm
Does Cricket cost less or something?
Yeah... unlimited talk/text for $35/month.  That's why I'm tempted.

http://www.mycricket.com/cell-phone-plans

Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: kosmo vinyl on October 28, 2010, 11:13:22 pm
I wonder if Cricket uses there own network in DC or just has an agreement with Sprint for coverage, like they do in others parts of the country...

and honestly if there is a Verizon iPhone, AT&T is going to be hurting big time...

i known someone that lives in Detroit near the river and ends up making calls via the Canadian iPhone carrier because the AT&T signal is so lousy and its much stronger coming from the Windsor area. 
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: sweetcell on October 28, 2010, 11:49:30 pm
don't get sprint.

eh, definitely a case of YMMV.  i've never had a coverage problems in the DC area, including out in the burbs.  in the past year i've rented in falls church, beltsville and rockville before buying a place - good reception all around.  i travel almost every week for work and i can't remember the last time i've had a reception prob.  keep in mind that some phones are better than others... there's a reason carriers can give away phones with a subscription.  when i hike in shenandoah i tend to leave my phone in the car so i can't tell you about reception there ;D   sprint's data speed = fast.  i don't call customer support that often but when i have they were just fine, never had a bad experience with them.  i really have no complaints.

but i can't see any of the big carriers competing with $35/month, if reception is half-way decent.  if cricket uses the sprint network, my experience tells me you'll be fine.
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: hutch on October 29, 2010, 12:06:36 pm
Does Cricket cost less or something?
Yeah... unlimited talk/text for $35/month.  That's why I'm tempted.

http://www.mycricket.com/cell-phone-plans



hm.. well i never need more than my standard minutes (well there was one month..) and i'm clinging to the 29.99 plan with sprint that i signed years and years ago...

i would second what sweetcell said about coverage with sprint: never had a problem and very very rarely any dropped calls

if people want to go with verizon fine but those guys will bill you for stuff illegally, make your life hell when you try to terminate (and make you call in a bunch of times to get refunded for stuff)...

verizon really is the walmart of cell phone providers... TO BE AVOIDED.

now unfortunately for DSL in some places verizon is the only game in town.
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: Vas Deferens on August 18, 2011, 03:01:47 pm
what are some good reasons to get out of a contract without having to pay the early termination fee?

do they accept losing a job as a good reason?  
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: Darth Ed on August 18, 2011, 03:13:38 pm
what are some good reasons to get out of a contract without having to pay the early termination fee?

do they accept losing a job as a good reason?  
I doubt it. I've heard that some carriers will let you out if you tell them you're in the military and you're getting deployed overseas for an extended period.
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: chaz on August 18, 2011, 03:15:15 pm
Pick a spot on their coverage map where they have none.  Say you are moving there.  Hope they don't require much proof.
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: sweetcell on August 18, 2011, 03:23:24 pm
you can ask if they have an "economic hardship policy", but most of the time that just means they'll give you more lenient terms, less minutes at a lower cost, etc - not common to let you completely off the hook, but it can't hurt to ask.

otherwise, sell you contract:
http://consumerist.com/2007/01/sell-your-cellphone-contract-to-escape-it.html
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: vansmack on August 18, 2011, 03:31:49 pm
what are some good reasons to get out of a contract without having to pay the early termination fee?

do they accept losing a job as a good reason?  

Is this because t-mobile isn't getting the iPhone?

Seriously, some companies will suspend service up to three months, but it's very tough to get out of the contract without paying the fee.

Some companies, like Sprint, are offering up to $125 to switch carriers if you really just want out of your contract and aren't really facing hardship.
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: Vas Deferens on August 18, 2011, 03:57:18 pm
^^ yes, trying to prepare to switch to verizon once the iphone w/new OS comes out.

my parents were able to get out of a sprint contract when they moved back overseas (I think they were only with them for a year) and first they asked for documentation with their name and new address on an electric bill or something...but I said well, they pay utilities/cell phone bills by cash...sprint was ok without the documentation (this was easy because I was telling the truth...lying is hard...)
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: vansmack on August 18, 2011, 04:01:12 pm
^^ yes, trying to prepare to switch to verizon once the iphone w/new OS comes out.


I'd recommending waiting until the announcement before making any moves. 

If the next iPhone is a world phone, then t-mo might be in the picture (albeit, without LTE support).  If it's the 4GS (ie, same as the 4 just added LTE) then yes, a switch to Verizon would be a smart move in the short run as their LTE network is much more built out than at&t.

But you're planning on a big move on a lot of speculation at this point.
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: Vas Deferens on August 18, 2011, 04:09:03 pm
^ ok cool thanks.

this got me excited:

http://www.apple.com/ios/ios5/
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: wml7 on August 18, 2011, 04:14:31 pm
what about iPhone on sprint when when?  ;D
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: vansmack on August 18, 2011, 04:15:42 pm
this got me excited:

http://www.apple.com/ios/ios5/

Software, shmoftware. 

It's all about the hardware improvements (which we don't know about at this point).
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: vansmack on August 18, 2011, 04:20:57 pm
what about iPhone on sprint when when?  ;D

The rumors are "this holiday season."

But that doesn't make sense if the next iphone is LTE, which Sprint won't support for another 18 months, if then.  I can't see Apple going "World Phone" and supporting both LTE and Wimax.  Not a good business decision.

If the next iPhone is not LTE, then why get one this year on a two year deal when we know next years will definitely be LTE? 

I suspect that a lot of the new Verizon iPhone owners are going to be pretty damn upset in 2 months if this a major hardware upgrade.  We already know the software is not that much of an upgrade, so they can run 5.0 on their current handset.  But what if it's LTE or NFC? Totally different story. 
Title: Re: non music related cell phone carrier question
Post by: Vas Deferens on August 18, 2011, 04:22:32 pm
haha true....but still...  ::)