About cell phones..

[angie1]

I am wanting to get a cell phone soon. Was thinking I could get 2 of them ~ one for my daughter and one for me. I have never had one and don't know anything about them. I would not need many minutes/month, but my daughter would use as many minutes as she could get her hands on. She is also very into texting (she has had a prepaid phone for about a year now). I don't think she would need much day time but evenings and weekend she would use it alot. Anyhow, any traps to watch out for as far as standard contracts go? One carrier better than another? What can I estimate it will cost per month? Any help/suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[pdfangus]

coverage where you live and work and would use the phone is the first big thing.

They all work at the sales center.

Will the chosen network work at your house?

there is only one company that gives any reliable coverage where i live and all the rest are hit or miss.

I don't have one.......
I still value my freedom.
I have enough folks trying to tell me what I need to do without them bugging me incessantly with a device on my hip.

 

[backhoeboogie]

pdfangus is on the money with coverage. Talk to a few other folks in your area who have cell phones and find out who has the best coverage. Don't get into the ford/chevy/dodge thing. Find out what network covers the area you and your daughter will be using the phone.

Secondly, I wouldn't go with the fancy delicate phones. Get an old proven clunker.

I don't respond to text messages and I would discourage your daughter from all that texting. Just call instead.

 

[Lammie]

I have had cell phones for years. In fact, we don't even use a home phone anymore. The only reason I have a land line is for the DSL. I had my number changed to a local one instead of a more expenseve metro line, and I don't even know my house's phone number.

I got my 12 year old a cell phone. Actually, I had th e sales person turn my old phone into his new phone. That way, if he messed it up, and he did, then I would not get so mad. Like a "starter phone". His 19 year old brother is getting an update tomorrow, and when that happens, I will make his old phone in William's "new" one by switching out SIM cards. I learned this through trial and error with the first boy. He messed up two phones.

My 12 year old can receive text messages, but he can't send them. I can text him if I need to. Also, I have the network on my phone so I can download rightones, games or whatever. He does not. It would be like giving him a box of money and telling him to throw it out the window.

All phones have cameras these days. Razors have a reputation for breaking. I like flip phones because I dont accidently dial 911 or something when it is in my pocket. Get a good carrying case to strap on your belt or pant waist. Keeps the phone looking better and cleaner.

Ask people you know who they use. I have cingular, but you can get a wide variety of clarity just with different kinds of phones that a company sells. Ask around about that too. Ask how easy it is to use, what the sound clarity is like, if it is good inside buildings, how many time they have dropped it. I drop mine once a week, anyway. Look at Consumer Reports.

Hope this has been helpful.

 

[6M Ranch]

Find a carrier that will let you try before you buy. I know Sprint does in this area. Evenings and weekends free. Buy the 300 text messages for $5. I imagine all the services are similar, coverage is the main thing.

 

[Bez>]

I am wanting to get a cell phone soon. Was thinking I could get 2 of them ~ one for my daughter and one for me. I have never had one and don't know anything about them. I would not need many minutes/month, but my daughter would use as many minutes as she could get her hands on. She is also very into texting (she has had a prepaid phone for about a year now). I don't think she would need much day time but evenings and weekend she would use it alot. Anyhow, any traps to watch out for as far as standard contracts go? One carrier better than another? What can I estimate it will cost per month? Any help/suggestions will be appreciated.

The big ones.

Forget the contract. You are hog tied for years in some cases.

Just go out and buy the telephones and use them.

That way if you do not like the service from a provider, you can change,

Sign a contract to get free telephones and you are committed - the darned contract is like a marriage - do NOT try to break it.

Get the cheapest and most basic telephone. Get one with a warranty. Make sure the seller has been in operation in the same location for at least 5 years. Make sure it is robust!

Not one of those fancy slim, pretty things. When you have it in your shirt pocket and you bend over a rail to pick up a bucket you break the thing in half.

Why?

You will not use all of those fancy doo-hicky thingies. You will talk and receive calls. You will drop it one day - sooner or later - or like me - drive over it. And you want to be able to go back to the place you bought it.

Selling telephones is not where the money is - it is in all of the add-on "features" that they will tell you that you must have.

Features? Look the sales gauy / gal in the eye and tell him / her you are after a telephone - NOT a frigging lifestyle. And DO NOT BLINK!!

Camera? Do you need it? It is a danged telephone!

Call waiting? No frigging way - let the caller wait or call back.

Text? Why - so you can write a grocery list? I can say more in a two minute conversation - let the kids play if you like. But I am not paying for some kids jollies. It is a tool - why am I paying for this?

Answering machine? So someone can claim they called you and that you did not respond? Let them call back.

Other tech schitzen? Not required.

Designer colours? WHAT??? It is a frigging telephone.

You pay for every add - on.

And when those new 40 - 50 buck a month - or more - bills come in every month - along with the odd one over 100 - 150 per month - you will soon want out of that contract - but you are married and the divorce is expensive.

I know it is a dinosaur attitude, but technology is NOT all it is chalked up to be - I live in a low tech world and work in a high tech world.

Stay out of the tech crap as much as possible - what was supposed top make our lives easier and provide less paperwork and more personal time has done just the opposite.

Lives are now very complicated due to technology - everything needs to be backed up with paper - making twice the work and personal time is at a premium because you will now be expected to be available at ALL times - after all - you are on a cell phone.

Give that number out to very, very few people.

Your life is about to change and not for the better.

Bez>

 

[backhoeboogie]

One more thing, forget the "insurance". It costs like $1 or $2 a month. When your phone breaks the insurance will replace it for $50. Take out your sim card and buy the same phone on eBay "buy it now" for much less than that. I paid insurance for a few years. It has been cancelled.

 

[dun]

We have one that is the prepaid dela, 10 cents a minute no matter what and roamong charges. We get 300 minutes for 30 bucks that are good for 2 months, you can get smaller numbers of hours also. It's thwe cheapest long distance we've found, much cheaper then the regualr phone company. In our location there are only 2 majors that have any reception, these guys use the majors system. Don;t use it much except that in our location calling anyone across the highway is long distance. During the ice storm the only thing that worked was the cell. I hate it, but since it's not turned on when we're not actually using it, most of the time it sits on the kitchen able, I've adjusted to having it.

 

[Lammie]

We have one that is the prepaid dela, 10 cents a minute no matter what and roamong charges. We get 300 minutes for 30 bucks that are good for 2 months, you can get smaller numbers of hours also. It's thwe cheapest long distance we've found, much cheaper then the regualr phone company. In our location there are only 2 majors that have any reception, these guys use the majors system. Don;t use it much except that in our location calling anyone across the highway is long distance. During the ice storm the only thing that worked was the cell. I hate it, but since it's not turned on when we're not actually using it, most of the time it sits on the kitchen able, I've adjusted to having it.

Dun, I feel naked without mine. I absolutely have to have it in my purse or pocket even if I don't use it. Steve and I text each other a lot, too. I got this thing where we have unlimited texting for cheap. I have nationwide long distance, too. And rollover minutes. We never use up all our plan's minutes so we always have rollovers.

 

[Lammie]

Bez, I have tried, and you can't get a phone without a camera anymore. Not from the dealers anyway. I guess the track phones are okay. My brother and sister have them.

Just ask for a basic plan. Yes there are taxes. Yes, the bill will be more than you thought it would be. But when you are stranded on the side of the road, or when practice gets canceled after school and you missed the bus, it comes in real handy. It gets awful dark and lonely on some of these roads at night.

 

[john250]

I had a Tracfone until I lost it in a hay field.
Now I have the Cingular Gophone.
Same deal on both of them. About $20 for the phone at Wal Mart and pay ahead for your usage.
I don't use 10 minutes/month, but I want the phone if I get stuck out in the boonies and need help. Well worth the price.
Texting. I can barely see the keys so I never text. I think you have to be under 20 to text.

 

[Lammie]

I had a Tracfone until I lost it in a hay field.
Now I have the Cingular Gophone.
Same deal on both of them. About $20 for the phone at Wal Mart and pay ahead for your usage.
I don't use 10 minutes/month, but I want the phone if I get stuck out in the boonies and need help. Well worth the price.
Texting. I can barely see the keys so I never text. I think you have to be under 20 to text.

My husband and I text each other all the time. Granted, I never did it until we started dating, but I learned. I can even send them with little animations and music. Like when it is someone's birthday.

 

[sidney411]

If I ever leave my cell at home I am lost. We don't even have a land line to the house. It's rediculious but I'm paying between $175 and $225 a month for 3 phones w/ shared minutes. There have been many times I have been more then fortunate to have a phone when I needed it. Just last week my bro broke down on the road and who knows what he would have done without the phone. Also I drive about 3 hrs per day and it's the time I get to spend with my family and friends. We've got Sprint, the service is pretty good most everywhere I go.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Stay away from the Tracfone. Bought one in March for a long trip in winter. The battery went kapoot in May.
Told by their service to call in their 800 number, can't get through.
Check the coverage map that some have posted. We have alot of dead spaces in our state.

 

[Lammie]

Stay away from the Tracfone. Bought one in March for a long trip in winter. The battery went kapoot in May.
Told by their service to call in their 800 number, can't get through.
Check the coverage map that some have posted. We have alot of dead spaces in our state.

There are dead spots in Texas, too. Especially in West Texas. (Not to be confused with West, Texas. Which is really in North Central Texas.)

 

[Vicky the vet]

I have a Blackberry. (Hubby insisted I get it.) The nice thing is it has two ways of making free calls, both require that the receiver also has a blackberry, and you need a special number to contact them. I've contacted hubby in Vancouver (I live in Ontario) several times at no charge.....

I don't like getting my e-mail on the phone--PITA as far as I'm concerned. I like having my daytimer as part of the phone, there's NO camera, and I can lock the keyboard so I don't make calls I don't want to by accident.

I live in a very hilly area, and this is the only phone which reliably works >90% of the time.

I would recommend getting as cheap as possible. I actually would prefer pay as you go, as you can minimize costs that way.

 

[Oldtimer]

I've contacted hubby in Vancouver (I live in Ontario) several times at no charge.....

Thats one way to handle the petty arguing and the nagging- seems a little drastic tho ;-) :lol:

 

[Frankie]

Coverage is very important. But equally important is your home calling area. A friend's son got what sounded like a great deal on a phone, lots of minutes, low price. But if he left the city limits of Norman, OK, he was roaming. Our home calling area is most of the state of OK. Or we can change if to a national plan if we want and the entire country is our home calling area. We used to have a "regional" plan that included TX, AR, MO, NM and KS. But they discontinued that plan. I liked it, too, because we spend quite a bit of time in the Lone Star state.

We used a Tracfone as a second cell phone for a while. But coverage in the boonies was bad. I gave it to my sister, who lives in a more metropolitian area, and she's had no problems with it at all. If you live in or near a large town, it might work for you. Virgin wireless has a similar plan. But the Tracfone 800 number for help takes you to India. I spent a few days on the phone with them one afternoon. :lol:

 

[I luv herfrds]

Last time I was able to get through it was a half hour wait. :shock:
Then I couldn't understand the guy and kept asking for another person who spoke clearer English. I finally hung up.

Get the insurance. My friend accidently ran over her phone with a 3/4 ton Dodge truck. Paid her $50 and got a new phone.

 

[Txwalt]

Once you get some recommendations from the folks around you make sure you look at the coverage area your cell phone provider has. They all have maps that show where you'll have a signal. I have to disagree with buying a big phone. The razor phones are notorious for breaking but I have a samsung model sgh-a707 that has worked out great so far. Its a little bit bigger than the razor phone. Its free when you sign a contract. Takes pictures (picture quality in phones has really been better latley) and you can download music from your computer onto it (all of my cd's get downloaded to my computer whenever I get one). None of this so far includes extra fees. When you start e-mail, internet browsing, and text messaging then you get into the extras wich add up fast. You'll also get a better deal on the internet then you will going to the storefront. Cut out the middle man. Personally I recommend looking at the online deals then going to the store to look at the phones that you saw on the net. Then go back to the net to make your purchase. Don't put your cell phone in any of your pockets. Put it in your pants pocket and it won't be comfortable or you'll break it. Put it in your shirt pocket and everytime you bend over it will fall out. Buy a case for the phone and clip it to your belt. A female friend of mine keeps hers in her bra. I work for the phone company but not the cell phone company. Everyday at work I carry my personal cell phone, my work cell phone, work pager and snipes in a carrying case on my belt. When I go pee at the urinal my pants fall all the way to the ground from the weight (if I don't hold them up). Cell phones are great thats why so many people have them nowadays. I hope its a good experience for you.

Walt

I would definetley recommend one of the larger providers over the smaller ones that might have a somewhat cheaper price. You'll pay for it somewhere.