Best way to get a cell phone plan
I am getting a new cell phone, I have already decide to get Verizon. I am getting a BlackBerry, probably the Curve so I will be needing a data package, etc.
My question is what is best way to get a plan and phone? Online? The Store? Costco?
Thanks
Answers (9)
Jan S
Founder, Jan Simpson & Co,
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Depends on your patience level - I call or get it online.
You can always find the best deal online but you'll have to wait for it. If you don't need it today than I say get it online and save your self some money.
If you already know what rate plan best fits you for your needs taking into consideration travel, texting, music / data and blackberry useage, your best deal will be at Costco where you get activation fee discount and some accessories free or at an online source like Wirefly.com. If you have a lot of specific questions or needs, there is always the Verizon store but you will pay a much higher price for handset and accessories. Good Luck to you. If you want a much better deal on as good or better service (J D Powers award winner 7 times now ) The Mobile Solution in most any mall is your answer.
Clarification added July 18, 2008:
The Award winning service would be through T-Mobile and your new Blackberry Curve. While you are there they can also set you up with T-Mobile Unlimited at home service for just $9.99 per month.
Without a doubt Costco as long as you are not looking for a lot of information. Last I knew they didnt carry the Blackberry but that may of changed. If you are needing more assistance than Costco(Wireless Advocates) can provide you may want to consider a local dealer or carrier store. Be prepared the data plan with Verizon is very high in comparison to the other carriers. Depending on your location and usage the best deal out there if the Sprint Unlimited Plan. While they get a lot of bad press and lets face it the worst cell phone company is the one you have....they have the best data offering. Be prepared to purchase a separate Blackberry plan with some providers as well.
Depending on what type of email you want to receive(pop,Exchange, etc) you might want to consider a different device. For example if your company uses Exchange server you would be better off getting a Windows Mobile device. This would allow you to receive corporate email without the purchase of any special(blackberry, third party) email package. Hope this has been of assistance.
James W
Biz Dev, Web, Social Media & Interactive Services @ Enilon
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Online.
Marion S
Transportation Operations Manager/IT Specialist at Easter Seals West Alabama
Best Answers in: Wireless (4)
If you are looking for the best price on the device, then online is the way to go. You can certainly buy from the Verizon site, but also have a look at Amazon and LetsTalk.com, as these places offer about the lowest equipment prices I've seen. I took a foray from AT&T over to Verizon a couple of years ago and signed up through Amazon, and I only had to sign a one-year contract. Not sure if that's still the case, though.
One word of caution, though. When you shop from an agent (any company besides the carrier), read the terms carefully. There are sometimes restrictions on lowering your plan within the first six months, with significant penalties if you do. However, the easy way around this is, when you initially sign up, get the cheapest plan you can, within reason. Then, if that doesn't meet your needs within the first few weeks to a month, move up to the next one. You'll incur no penalty this way. Also, read the terms related to canceling your service before your contract ends. You will owe the carrier an Early Termination Fee (ETF), but you may also owe one to the dealer you purchased the phone from. This isn't always the case, but just be aware of it. The items I've mentioned in this paragraph can apply anywhere other than the carrier's Web site, stores, or telesales. You can encounter this at any third-party agent, so if you have any doubts, ask questions and read everything you're given.
And I have to mention rebates. You're going to encounter them all over the place, and, if you plan on making that a big part of your buying decision, you need to understand how tricky they can be. I've seen terms that state that you have to wait six months before you can file the paperwork, and you only have a one-month window to do it, or the rebate is void. These things sometimes appear designed to cause you to make a mistake and not be able to redeem them, so be warned.
A few folks have mentioned looking at other carriers. You said you want to go with Verizon, so if you've looked at other options, then I can't argue with that. However, if you haven't, then you should consider all your options. For example, AT&T offers about the same coverage as Verizon in many areas, but their 3G footprint is much smaller right now. However, they use GSM, so their devices work much better overseas, since GSM is the dominant wireless standard around the world. Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, and some local and regional carriers use CDMA, which works well in the U.S. and Canada but not so well or not at all in other countries. There are some CDMA devices that also have GSM for international roaming, but they are limited.
As for Sprint and T-Mobile, I tried Sprint back in 2001 and 2002 and found their network to be quite weak, especially inside buildings, with enough dropped calls to almost drive me insane. That may have changed, but they aren't hitting any high marks in customer service right now, and my understanding is that they're bleeding customers. There's virtually no chance they'll cease operations, but they seem to be in a state of disarray, so, unless you need a really cheap data plan, then I see no reason to choose them. T-Mobile seems to be a good carrier overall, but they don't have much 3G service, and because of the frequency that their 3G network uses, only a few devices can access it. However, like AT&T, they use GSM, so your device will work well overseas.
One last thing. I've mentioned 3G a lot. Having it is very useful if you are going to be using lots of data, such as getting maps and transferring lots of files, but it really isn't as critical if you only plan to check the occasional e-mail.
Hope all this random info helps you make a decision. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop me a message.
Adam,
As a heavy user of BB voice and data, I would recommend T-Mobile with their voice over WiFi Curve which is my device of choice. I swear by unlimited WiFi calling in the house or in the office and the data plans are very reasonable $20 for regular email and internet or $10 for internet. I would be happy to discuss further if you like. T-Mobile is the only carrier with Voice over WiFi of the 4 national carriers. Although T-Mobile may be the smallest of the US carriers, we are much larger than AT&T and Verizon with 110 million customers worldwide.
Links:
Clarification added July 18, 2008:
That is $20 for email and internet and $10 for basic email. My fingers are faster than my brain. Good Luck to you.
Lily Y
Experienced, creative telecommunications and online executive with proven record
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Online - on the corp. site and also do a comparison. Then call the call centre and test them on their offers. Suggest your own and be prepared to have your value points on hand: i.e. how much you spend, your forecasted data usage, your roaming minutes, etc... and let them provide you a good offer, or throw in some accessories. In Europe and perhaps in the States, you could also split the phone from the SIM card so if there is a sim offer only, you could sign up for that, and then buy your phone for cheap by checking all the sites - most of these are easy to unlock or are sold unlocked already. Sim cards can come for data only or for data and voice. Good luck!
