Cell Phone Bills

[JB4310]

Not to make light of your troubles, but I would love to have 146 dollar cell phone bills. I average over 500 a month. Last month I was at a trade show in Nashville and my bill with roaming was 900. Thats the way it is up here in no cel phone competition Canada.

Wow, I was kinda ashamed to admit my regular bill is $200. a month, that's with 3 kids texting and tracking etc.

I think you need a better plan

JB.

 

[LD1]

If I do switch plans it will probabally be to verizon. I have researched some of the smaller companies (and some not so small) like alltel, boost mobile, revol, t-mobile, net 10 etc. The problem is that their coverage is lacking, and some of them have roaming...even in my area. Revol wireless had the best looking plan, but everywhere outside a major city it is roaming at .19/min. But i liked there plan of 79.99 for 2 lines unlimited calling anywhere.

When comparing the sprint, verizon, and att family plans of 700 and 1400-1500minutes, their prices are pretty much the same. 69.99 for 700 on all the big 3. 89.99 for 1400 on verizon and att. 99.99 for nextel for 1500min. All have to option to text at like .20 per text or it can be added for about the same amount. All have free mobile to mobile, but att has rollover minutes.
The rollover offsets the fact that I don't know anyone that has a att cell, everyone I know has verizon or nextel.

I'm just hoping that sprint can work something out with me because if I switch to verizon, the plan is about the same, but I'll be going under a 2-year contract, have an activation fee, and the least expensive phone that suits my needs is the boulder@79.99 per phone.

So is it worth it to have $200 worth in new phones and activation fees and a 2-year contract just to switch to verizon...because bottom line the plans are about the same$$.

I just hate being taken advantage of by the phone companies that use a NASA caliber computer to encrypt/scramble the bills into where no-one can understand them, not even the call center reps, who refuse to look at to plain and simple logic of the situation......switch to a $20 more per month plan...and my bill is $50-$60 more than my last one

 

[MarkV]

Not sure if you are doing all of your research through the net or with a local dealer. I found that with Verizon the local, non-corporate dealers, do not have as much flexibility as the corporate dealers do. You are switching from another company as I did and I did not pay for activation.

MarkV

 

[GreenWannabe]

To the OP - Part of the reason you have a high bill this month is because cell phone companies bill in advance - that is, yo are paying now for the next month. When you change service, you pay next month at the new rate, plus the difference between the old rate and the new rate for the part of the past month you had the new service. For instance, new rate $100, old rate $50, changed mid-month (service date pased, not calendar!). Last month, $66 including taxes and fees. This bill,$165 - next month, $132, plus extra increased charges, half of last month, $33. Next month's bill will be about $132 including taxes and fees. So yes, first month of new service, the bill will be extra high.

 

[Sigarms]

I just hate being taken advantage of by the phone companies that use a NASA caliber computer to encrypt/scramble the bills into where no-one can understand them, not even the call center reps, who refuse to look at to plain and simple logic of the situation......

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you'll get the above with ANY cell phone company.

I've stuck to my one company only for the fact that no matter where I'm at, if I don't have cell phone coverage, no one has cell phone coverage (less satallite phone).

 

[dgl24087]

I have US Cellular, when I upgraded plans about a year ago, my bill was only off about $3-4 from what I thought it should be. $69.99 per month, no roaming charges nationwide, nationwide free long distance, 900 anytime minutes and unlimited nights after 7 PM and unlimited weekends.

 

[LD1]

Well I jsut hought I'd update everyone after the call I just got this evening.

It seems I'll get to stay with spring/nextel after all.

They submitted a case and had it reviewed by other supervisors and agreed that I wasn't credited enough. They said that is the way their computer figures it everytime. Baically I switched plans 1/3 into the billing cycle, so they prorated me 2/3 on the new plan, but only credited me 1/3 on the old which wound up me paying 2/3 on the old plan and 2/3 on the new plan. They agreed that it wasn't right, but thats how they're system works, but agreed to credit me $50 (which is more than I figured they owed me) to keep me as a customer.

So bottom line...I'm happy, and don't have to worry about changing plans. I have never had an issue with my bill that wasn't resolved in the first phonecall within 5 minutes...so this one had me worried, but they came through.