US Cell Phone providers - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

danny_boy · 04-18-2005, 04:50 PM

Hey,
Moving to chicago in Sept, and need to get 2 cell phones. Now, I know its insanely competitive in the US. I was told Cingular and T-mobile are the big players.

Im not looking for anything crazy, just a basic plan, with 300-400 anytime minutes, free evenings and weekends, and free mobile to mobile.

Is there a standout company I should go to, or are they all pretty much the same, and I should just see who, at the time has the best deal..

Is the coverage for all of the companies similar ?

Thanks!

vinaur · 04-19-2005, 05:12 AM

Are you actually moving to Chicago, or to the suburbs. I live in the suburbs and T-Mobile loses connection some places. It's just fine in chicago and within about 50 mile radius around it. You can get a good connection on the highways though. I don't really know how cingular performs, but if you will be moving to chicago connection will not be a problem, so I'd just compare the plans and get the best deal.

BTW, I also don't know how cingular compares, but I think T-Mobile has a great customer support.

danny_boy · 04-19-2005, 06:15 AM

Hey,

I will be in Evanston, attending Northwestern Univ. So, I will primarily be in evanston, skokie, and chicago. In Evanston alone, there is a cell phone store every block...I have also been seeing a lot of Nextel, and Verizon..should I even consider them ?

Thanks.

zfleebin · 04-19-2005, 08:24 AM

I have been with Verizon since middleschool and I am now in my twenties. I have never had a problem with them and they seem to provide the best coverage when it comes to reception. Their plans are a bit more expensive than others but they provide awesome service and are now introducing ringback tones, where someone hears music you choose instead of ringing when they call your phone. I would suggest checking them out and if you do go with them I would suggest getting a samsung ac60(spelled differently I just dont remember) or a LG VX6100. Good luck

vinaur · 04-19-2005, 11:38 AM

I know Verizon is really good, but aren't the prices also much higher??

DDDDave · 04-19-2005, 04:22 PM

I was trying to post a review from Consumer Reports but it won't copy so I will just tell you that their ratings from consumer reports users is this:
1. Verizon
2. T-Mobile
3. Cingular
4. Sprint
5. Nextel
6. ATT

There was a pretty big disparity in ratings from top to bottom.

They solicited resposes from users in 17 large metro areas, these results are for Chicago only.

I was able to copy this info. I know you probably know all this but there is some good info in there........

Rated February 2005

Cellular service: Best carriers

STEP ONE Start the quest for service by choosing a carrier that earned high marks in our reader survey.

Every national wireless carrier has chronic major problems with service, billing, and complaint-handling, according to our third annual subscriber survey, our most expansive to date.

Conducted in September 2004, it shows how major carriers compare in 17 major metropolitan areas, based on the experiences of some 39,000 subscribers to ConsumerReports.org. Here’s what we found:

• Overall levels of satisfaction are lower than for most other services we measure, such as hotels, retail outlets, and insurance. The overall satisfaction index has changed by only one point in the past three years, from 65 to 66.

• Only 45 percent of respondents said they were completely satisfied or very satisfied with their cell-phone service, a very low showing for any service.

• Nearly 70 percent of those who use a cell phone frequently had at least one dropped call in the week before the survey. Nearly 60 percent said they had a bad connection.

• Only 31 percent said the company’s response to a service inquiry was very helpful; 40 percent said responses to billing inquiries were very helpful.

• Verizon topped the Ratings in each city, as it did in the previous two surveys. In 10 cities, it wasn’t ahead of the pack in a statistically meaningful way, however. And Verizon wasn’t problem-free. It simply had fewer problems than other carriers.

Given such results, it’s little wonder that 35 percent of our respondents were seriously considering a switch of carrier. Most of those who had already switched said they were after better service.

State officials across the country have begun forcing providers to do better. In Ma 2004, against prolonged industry opposition, California’s Public Utilities Commission adopted a Telecommunications Consumer Bill of Rights. It mandates a 30-day trial period and online disclosure of rates and terms, among other provisions.

Commissioner Carl Wood said he expects the measure to reduce the number of consumer complaints. “The biggest single thing is accurate representation of service, so that consumers are told what they’re getting,” he said.

In July 2004, Verizon Wireless, Cingular, and Sprint PCS settled with attorneys general in 32 states, which were investigating deceptive practices in the wireless industry. The carriers agreed to provide accurate coverage maps and to have their ads describe service more clearly and concisely.

However, the Federal Communications Commission remains focused on competition in the industry rather than quality. In an annual report published in late September 2004, the agency said “the poor showing of cellular service” in one study of customer satisfaction “does not seem to have any bearing on the assessment of effective competition.” The FCC does collect consumer complaints, which can indicate how well wireless companies handle customer service. But it does little to publicize that information. In fact, it requires a Freedom of Information Act request before it will disclose complaint data about specific companies.

HOW TO CHOOSE

The carriers have become very competitive with calling plans. Service and satisfaction are more important factors.

Consider our survey findings. Verizon consistently tops the Ratings and is the obvious first choice for many people. However, Verizon isn’t the only choice. In most of the 17 cities in our survey, T-Mobile came in a close second.

Check coverage, based on your own experience and that of your friends. Ask people who travel the same streets that you do whether the cell-phone company they use delivers consistent service. You may find that another company has better coverage where you need it.

Weigh each company’s networks and phones against your needs. Differences between carriers lists the digital network each carrier uses (CDMA, GSM, or TDMA) and summarizes its ability to roam, or hand off calls to another carrier when you’re outside your own calling area. The network may make a difference if, for example, you need good service in rural areas.

We have also found that GSM and CDMA phones have distinct differences, which may also help you settle on a carrier. See "CDMA or GSM?" in our February 2005 report on cell phones.

Weigh each company’s rates and plans against your needs. In areas where carriers are closely matched in major respects, you may want to base your choice on factors specific to the carriers. For example, if your usage varies from month to month, you may want to consider Sprint or Cingular, which have plans that allow for monthly fluctuations.

What the Cingular/AT&T merger means for you

When Cingular Wireless acquired AT&T Wireless in 2004, it created the largest wireless carrier and a host of questions and problems for the new company’s 46 million customers. Cingular says the merger will give customers access to its large digital network and expanded mobile-to-mobile calling. How well Cingular delivers on those promises won’t be known for months. But based on the problems our survey found with AT&T Wireless, we suggest that AT&T customers exercise caution.

• Both Cingular and AT&T had problems with overloaded circuits in our survey. We don’t see how the merger would improve that.

• Watch your bills for mistakes. Be sure you’re being properly billed for roaming, long-distance, and night and weekend minutes.

• As of now, if you are an AT&T customer and want to update your plan with Cingular, you’ll need a new phone. Current AT&T and Cingular customers who are satisfied with their service don’t need new phones.

Hope this helps.

monkeysugar · 05-13-2005, 06:25 PM

I've heard nothing but good things about T-Mobile. We sell Cingular at one of the places I work and we've had nothing but problems with their customer service reps. I actually prefer Verizon for a few reasons. 1. It costs about the same as other plans. 2. The customer service reps have always been extremely helpful and professional when I have had to deal with them. 3. Their customer service isn't farmed out to India.

goddfather40 · 05-15-2005, 08:50 PM

In my experience, I've been with two cell phone companies, Verizon and Cingular. Verizon was cheaper and had more quality coverage, at least until the AT&T wireless/Cingular merger. The merger helped Cingular's coverage. The only reason I am with Cingular is because one of my friends is a manager at one of their retail stores and he is able to waive charges sometimes, etc.

punx1325 · 05-15-2005, 11:15 PM

I have Cingular and they have worked great with me. Besides my ability to go through phones like they were toliet paper I have had no real problems. And every time my phone broke cingular just replaced it with no problems what so ever. I was even able to recieve calls in mexico and not get charged...go figure.

04-18-2005, 04:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
danny_boy Crazy	US Cell Phone providers Hey, Moving to chicago in Sept, and need to get 2 cell phones. Now, I know its insanely competitive in the US. I was told Cingular and T-mobile are the big players. Im not looking for anything crazy, just a basic plan, with 300-400 anytime minutes, free evenings and weekends, and free mobile to mobile. Is there a standout company I should go to, or are they all pretty much the same, and I should just see who, at the time has the best deal.. Is the coverage for all of the companies similar ? Thanks!

04-19-2005, 05:12 AM	#2 (permalink)
vinaur Insane	Are you actually moving to Chicago, or to the suburbs. I live in the suburbs and T-Mobile loses connection some places. It's just fine in chicago and within about 50 mile radius around it. You can get a good connection on the highways though. I don't really know how cingular performs, but if you will be moving to chicago connection will not be a problem, so I'd just compare the plans and get the best deal. BTW, I also don't know how cingular compares, but I think T-Mobile has a great customer support. __________________ If you multiply that by infinity and take it to the depths of forever, you will, perhaps, get just a glimpse of what I am talking about. --Meet Joe Black--

04-19-2005, 11:38 AM	#5 (permalink)
vinaur Insane	I know Verizon is really good, but aren't the prices also much higher?? __________________ If you multiply that by infinity and take it to the depths of forever, you will, perhaps, get just a glimpse of what I am talking about. --Meet Joe Black--

04-19-2005, 04:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
DDDDave Addict Location: Sarasota	I was trying to post a review from Consumer Reports but it won't copy so I will just tell you that their ratings from consumer reports users is this: 1. Verizon 2. T-Mobile 3. Cingular 4. Sprint 5. Nextel 6. ATT There was a pretty big disparity in ratings from top to bottom. They solicited resposes from users in 17 large metro areas, these results are for Chicago only. I was able to copy this info. I know you probably know all this but there is some good info in there........ Rated February 2005 Cellular service: Best carriers STEP ONE Start the quest for service by choosing a carrier that earned high marks in our reader survey. Every national wireless carrier has chronic major problems with service, billing, and complaint-handling, according to our third annual subscriber survey, our most expansive to date. Conducted in September 2004, it shows how major carriers compare in 17 major metropolitan areas, based on the experiences of some 39,000 subscribers to ConsumerReports.org. Here’s what we found: • Overall levels of satisfaction are lower than for most other services we measure, such as hotels, retail outlets, and insurance. The overall satisfaction index has changed by only one point in the past three years, from 65 to 66. • Only 45 percent of respondents said they were completely satisfied or very satisfied with their cell-phone service, a very low showing for any service. • Nearly 70 percent of those who use a cell phone frequently had at least one dropped call in the week before the survey. Nearly 60 percent said they had a bad connection. • Only 31 percent said the company’s response to a service inquiry was very helpful; 40 percent said responses to billing inquiries were very helpful. • Verizon topped the Ratings in each city, as it did in the previous two surveys. In 10 cities, it wasn’t ahead of the pack in a statistically meaningful way, however. And Verizon wasn’t problem-free. It simply had fewer problems than other carriers. Given such results, it’s little wonder that 35 percent of our respondents were seriously considering a switch of carrier. Most of those who had already switched said they were after better service. State officials across the country have begun forcing providers to do better. In Ma 2004, against prolonged industry opposition, California’s Public Utilities Commission adopted a Telecommunications Consumer Bill of Rights. It mandates a 30-day trial period and online disclosure of rates and terms, among other provisions. Commissioner Carl Wood said he expects the measure to reduce the number of consumer complaints. “The biggest single thing is accurate representation of service, so that consumers are told what they’re getting,” he said. In July 2004, Verizon Wireless, Cingular, and Sprint PCS settled with attorneys general in 32 states, which were investigating deceptive practices in the wireless industry. The carriers agreed to provide accurate coverage maps and to have their ads describe service more clearly and concisely. However, the Federal Communications Commission remains focused on competition in the industry rather than quality. In an annual report published in late September 2004, the agency said “the poor showing of cellular service” in one study of customer satisfaction “does not seem to have any bearing on the assessment of effective competition.” The FCC does collect consumer complaints, which can indicate how well wireless companies handle customer service. But it does little to publicize that information. In fact, it requires a Freedom of Information Act request before it will disclose complaint data about specific companies. HOW TO CHOOSE The carriers have become very competitive with calling plans. Service and satisfaction are more important factors. Consider our survey findings. Verizon consistently tops the Ratings and is the obvious first choice for many people. However, Verizon isn’t the only choice. In most of the 17 cities in our survey, T-Mobile came in a close second. Check coverage, based on your own experience and that of your friends. Ask people who travel the same streets that you do whether the cell-phone company they use delivers consistent service. You may find that another company has better coverage where you need it. Weigh each company’s networks and phones against your needs. Differences between carriers lists the digital network each carrier uses (CDMA, GSM, or TDMA) and summarizes its ability to roam, or hand off calls to another carrier when you’re outside your own calling area. The network may make a difference if, for example, you need good service in rural areas. We have also found that GSM and CDMA phones have distinct differences, which may also help you settle on a carrier. See "CDMA or GSM?" in our February 2005 report on cell phones. Weigh each company’s rates and plans against your needs. In areas where carriers are closely matched in major respects, you may want to base your choice on factors specific to the carriers. For example, if your usage varies from month to month, you may want to consider Sprint or Cingular, which have plans that allow for monthly fluctuations. What the Cingular/AT&T merger means for you When Cingular Wireless acquired AT&T Wireless in 2004, it created the largest wireless carrier and a host of questions and problems for the new company’s 46 million customers. Cingular says the merger will give customers access to its large digital network and expanded mobile-to-mobile calling. How well Cingular delivers on those promises won’t be known for months. But based on the problems our survey found with AT&T Wireless, we suggest that AT&T customers exercise caution. • Both Cingular and AT&T had problems with overloaded circuits in our survey. We don’t see how the merger would improve that. • Watch your bills for mistakes. Be sure you’re being properly billed for roaming, long-distance, and night and weekend minutes. • As of now, if you are an AT&T customer and want to update your plan with Cingular, you’ll need a new phone. Current AT&T and Cingular customers who are satisfied with their service don’t need new phones. Hope this helps. __________________ I am just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe... "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Thoreau "Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm" - Emerson

05-13-2005, 06:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
monkeysugar I'll be on the veranda, since you're on the cross. Location: Rand McNally's friendliest small town in America. They must have strayed from the dodgy parts...	I've heard nothing but good things about T-Mobile. We sell Cingular at one of the places I work and we've had nothing but problems with their customer service reps. I actually prefer Verizon for a few reasons. 1. It costs about the same as other plans. 2. The customer service reps have always been extremely helpful and professional when I have had to deal with them. 3. Their customer service isn't farmed out to India. __________________ I've got the love of my life and a job that I enjoy most of the time. Life is good.

04-19-2005, 06:15 AM	#3 (permalink)
danny_boy Crazy	Hey, I will be in Evanston, attending Northwestern Univ. So, I will primarily be in evanston, skokie, and chicago. In Evanston alone, there is a cell phone store every block...I have also been seeing a lot of Nextel, and Verizon..should I even consider them ? Thanks.

04-19-2005, 08:24 AM	#4 (permalink)
zfleebin Addict	I have been with Verizon since middleschool and I am now in my twenties. I have never had a problem with them and they seem to provide the best coverage when it comes to reception. Their plans are a bit more expensive than others but they provide awesome service and are now introducing ringback tones, where someone hears music you choose instead of ringing when they call your phone. I would suggest checking them out and if you do go with them I would suggest getting a samsung ac60(spelled differently I just dont remember) or a LG VX6100. Good luck

05-15-2005, 08:50 PM	#8 (permalink)
goddfather40 Llama Location: Cali-for-nye-a	In my experience, I've been with two cell phone companies, Verizon and Cingular. Verizon was cheaper and had more quality coverage, at least until the AT&T wireless/Cingular merger. The merger helped Cingular's coverage. The only reason I am with Cingular is because one of my friends is a manager at one of their retail stores and he is able to waive charges sometimes, etc. __________________ My name is goddfather40 and I approved this message. I got ho's and I got bitches, In C++ I branch with switches -MC Plus+

05-15-2005, 11:15 PM	#9 (permalink)
punx1325 Junkie Location: San Diego	I have Cingular and they have worked great with me. Besides my ability to go through phones like they were toliet paper I have had no real problems. And every time my phone broke cingular just replaced it with no problems what so ever. I was even able to recieve calls in mexico and not get charged...go figure. __________________ If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is....