Help me pick: Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile or...

[BarTopDancer]

My Cingular contract will be up next month. YAY!

I am leaving for several reasons which I'm sure most of you know.

So, help me decide. Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile or something else.

The service (reception and customer) is more important than the phone.

[Not Afraid]

We just changed and went with T-Mobil (or Deutsche Telecom as Chris calls it). Their customer service is absolutely wonderful and their coverage is also great for us.

[€uroMeinke]

Ask people you work with and live near what they use and what kind of coverage you get. Some folks like T-Mobile can give you a map of all their cell towers so you can see if it really covers your territory.

The thing to remember about Cell phone technology, is there's no such thing as 100% coverage or no dropped calls - so you want to understand what each providers limitations are for you.

So far, I can say I've been happy with T-Mobile customer service-wise, they've graciously helped me through my new phone/service learning curve.

[Andrew]

I've been with Sprint for almost seven years and aside from the occasional brain-dead call center drone--and you're gonna get those anywhere--I've been very happy with both their customer service and wireless service.

On the other hand, I had a brief bit of nastiness with Verizon after they bought AirTouch but before I switched to Sprint, and would not recommend them (Verizon) to anyone.

I hear good things about T-Mobile but haven't any experience with them.

[scaeagles]

My verizon experience has been fine (shanged over from Sprint about 9 months ago), but I've never had to deal with customer service.

[BarTopDancer]

Lots of help you people are :p

My company uses Verizon for the company phones so I know they come in decently in South County. Problem is, I'll be moving up near the 55 sooner (or later). I think reception is all the same these days, even my Cingular reception is decent (but their customer service...).

T-Mobile is a new contender in my choices, Euro and NA are the first I speak to on a regular basis who have it. I do know it comes in well in south county though.

Decisions, decisions.

[CoasterMatt]

Verizon works all the places I need it, and I like the options on my plan... ymmv

Cingular is the devil.

[wendybeth]

If you really want to know how good Verizon works where you'll be, I can ask Eric to check it out. Around here it's the best company hands down, but I know that CS varies from place to place. He'll be honest- he's not a salesman.:D

[Snowflake]

Good to know, my Verizon contract will be up by the middle of July and I was thinking of switching. I had not considered t-mobile, but will look into them as well.

[Gemini Cricket]

I have Cingular and have never had a problem with them. Now, AT&T, that's a different story. They sucked. And I think they merged sometime, so screw Cingular and go Verizon. I know a lot of people who are happy with them.
:)

[Stan4dSteph]

I've been happy with Verizon, but my usage is mainly in the Upstate/NYC area.

[Brigitte]

We've had Sprint for a long time now too (at least 5 years, probably closer to 7-8) and although we have spotty coverage *inside* our house(s it was like this at the old house too) sometimes, I really have nothing to complain about their customer service.

My friend has Verizon (and WB is right, it's the best in the area here) and has never had an issue with their customer service either. It might just come down to which company has the best plans and phones for your needs.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I highly recommend avoiding Cingular in this area. Their south OC coverage sucks and sucks hard. As did their customer service, imo.

We've had Sprint for 7 months. Coverage is great, customer service, the few times we've needed it, has been excellent.

[katiesue]

I've had verizon for at least 8 years. Good coverage both here and on my road trips up through Nevada to Northern CA. Customer service has always been great on the phone. The stores always seem to be understaffed and you can wait flipin forever. My boss has verizon as well and constatly has phone "issues" that I get to go fix, like the dog ate it (literally there wasn't much left), dropped it in the pool etc.

If you plan on going out of the country and using your phone verizon sucks. They use a technology that isn't compatiable with the rest of the planet. They do have some coverage but it's not as good as what Sprint, Cingular or T-Mobile will have.

I also wouldn't recommend a Razr phone, the battery sucks. It's cute and all but I seem to be forever charging it. My old LG I could go for days and days.

[Ghoulish Delight]

BTW, if you choose sprint...go online, find the best deal they have online, print it out (make sue you show every detail - the phone and price, the plan, what the plan includes, any accessories, etc.), and bring it into the store. They will likely match or beat the deal.

[BarTopDancer]

Thanks guys. I hate Cingular. With a passion. I have AT&T. Love them. But now that they merged everything went to hell. Customer service blows, they won't help me unless I sign a Cingular contract. Sorry, that's not going to happen. And most of you know my horror story with Cingular from back on the days on the Pad.

I'm debating between Sprint and Verizon. Sprint is cheaper, but their service is more spotty than Verizon. The question is, is it spotty in areas I never visit though. I need service around home, DL, Vegas and the 15.

Thanks for the heads up about the Razr. I was looking at that, really like it, but not if the battery is going to need a lot of charging.

Thanks for the info Greg. I will keep that in mind.

[Ponine]

I see that this is actually rather late since you seem to have decided.. but I have T-mobile, and have since I met y'all.
My reception is more than adequate.
I always miss NA's call in the park, or the aquarium, but they do come through.
My down spots are the toll road from SD to Casa Meinke, a few dead spots in my city, but all with major valleys.
The ToT area of DCA.. dont ask me why.
and elevators. ;)

otherwise, I've been with them for... four + years.. no issues.

[DreadPirateRoberts]

I've had good luck with Sprint, even worked at the top of San Bernardino Peak.

[CoasterMatt]

We've always had good coverage with Verizon on our fairly frequent trips to Vegas.

[Matterhorn Fan]

I've had T-Mobile for 2 years and I like it just fine. With T-Mobile I know you can get coverage through the entire Grapevine, which is something.

You will get coverage all throughout El Rio del Tiempo. You will not get coverage at the pastry shop in France in EPCOT, though. Go figure.

[Stan4dSteph]

You will get coverage all throughout El Rio del Tiempo. You totally need to call me from there.

[BarTopDancer]

I've had T-Mobile for 2 years and I like it just fine. With T-Mobile I know you can get coverage through the entire Grapevine, which is something.

You will get coverage all throughout El Rio del Tiempo. You will not get coverage at the pastry shop in France in EPCOT, though. Go figure.

Is it sad when coverage throughout Disney parks is a deciding factor in what provider to go with?

[€uroMeinke]

You may also want to consider what provider the people you talk to most are on, many (like T-Mobile) offer free mobile-to-mobile within their networks, if you're a heavy phone user that could be significant.

Oh and I'm a bit annoyed that T-Mobile didn't get the pink bar in the poll.

[Not Afraid]

We choose T-Mobil over Verizon foe a couple of factors: a) Price was better b) their coverage is as good as Verizon c) their Customer Service is exceptional and d) I can use my phone in Europe.

[€uroMeinke]

I also pushed for T-Mobile becasue I've liked Deutsche Telekom's Tour de France Team

[FEJ]

What about Alltell (http://www.alltel.com/)?

[BarTopDancer]

What about Alltell (http://www.alltel.com/)?

I didn't even realize they were in CA. Thank you! Do you have Alltell?

[FEJ]

dont know if they do cover california..just saw an ad for them.

[Matterhorn Fan]

Is it sad when coverage throughout Disney parks is a deciding factor in what provider to go with?Not if you're there a lot. Coverage at the DLR is something you should be considering.

You totally need to call me from there.Will do. If I get a boat to myself, you can have a full ride-through.



How does one get free mobile-to-mobile on T-Mobile? I don't have that, I don't think.

But up until this thread, I thought I only knew one other person who had T-Mobile, so it didn't really matter.

[BarTopDancer]

Bleh. I just called Cingular to get the date my contract expires. It should be early August but they claim I signed in October. I'm getting a copy of the contract that they have. My lovely plan to have a new provider in August has been put on hold for a few months.

I'll be referring to this thread though. Thank you all!

[Matterhorn Fan]

More time to call people and ask where they are so you can get a better idea of coverage. It's research, only more fun. :D

[BarTopDancer]

Hooray for reasearch!

[Prudence]

You will get coverage all throughout El Rio del Tiempo.

Those of you near parks could totally run a service calling us junkies who are far away for ride-through fixes.

[Matterhorn Fan]

I'm not sure an El Rio del Tiempo call would be worth much to many people. Maybe you'd rather answer and hear Jeremy Irons on the other line?

By the way, I get coverage IN Spaceship Earth, but none in the "post-show" area. Odd, given the whole communications theme.

[Prudence]

But I love El Rio del Tiempo! Although if I had to pick, I think I like Spaceship Earth better. We rode that twice during our May trip. I don't think I could ever get tired of it.

[Kevy Baby]

In an odd twist today (and I was thinking about this thread as I was going through this today):

Today, just as I was heading out to lunch with a vendor, I received a call from another vendor that yet ANOTHER vendor screwed up. I was in the middle of trying to solve the issue, when the next call I tried to place put me into the Verizon billing department. After many minutes of their automated system f-ing up, I hung up in frustration and called GusGus (using the vendor's phone) to see if she could deal with Verizon. She told me she realized the late phone bill this morning and had been trying ALL DAY to get the damn bill paid and was experiencing the same problems. She had literally JUST hung up with them when I had called her.

I spent about 1/2 the lunch dealing with the original problem and dealing with frickin' Verizon.

Maybe you'd rather answer and hear Jeremy Irons on the other line?Or Ron Jeremy (that is actually how I first read your post :eek: )

[BarTopDancer]

Or Ron Jeremy (that is actually how I first read your post :eek: )

Somehow I am not suprised.

KB, sorry to hear about your experience today!

[wendybeth]

It's weird how service varies- up here, Verizon is waaaay better than the others. Were you able to resolve your prob? If not, that's just what Eric does- he's a CSR and can troubleshoot most anything.

[Prudence]

I just use a prepaid. I know, I'm a heretic. but we don't use them that much, so it's the more economical choice.

[Kevy Baby]

It's weird how service varies- up here, Verizon is waaaay better than the others. Were you able to resolve your prob?I do like Verizon - I voted for them in the poll. I chose Verizon a couple of years ago after getting the chance to test each of the services and the group all agreed that (for us), Verizon had the best coverage. Ironically, after switching jobs a year-and-a-half ago, the only place I experience bad reception is in my own office :o

And if we had paid our bill on time, today would not have been an issue.

I still (mostly) like V

ETA: MOST of the frustration was because of the PITA issue that the vendor created. Thankfully, he resolved it quickly and painlessly (for me).

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Another (mostly) happy Sprint customer. I've had a couple of minor issues with their customer service but nothing too serious. And I have great coverage at the park unless I'm inside some of the buildings. I'm not one to talk on a phone inside an attraction though, so it hasn't been a problem.

[BarTopDancer]

My cell phone took a flying leap onto the cement of the Irvine Spectrum parking structure last night. The display is dead. I can make and receive calls if I know the number.

The time has come for me to decide who I want to go to.

Sprint or Verizon. I am going tonight, and am bumping this up for any last minute feedback.

[Not Afraid]

T-Mobile. I LOVE them.

[BarTopDancer]

I ended up with T-Mobile. Their plans were by far the best.

But. My service at home is very very low. I'll have to see over the next few days how it goes.

[Kevy Baby]

I am tempted by T-Mobile, but need to test them for coverage in my area. Lots of minutes ain't worth squat if you can't use them!

[BarTopDancer]

I am tempted by T-Mobile, but need to test them for coverage in my area. Lots of minutes ain't worth squat if you can't use them!

Right. I'm noticing the bars go up and down depending where I am sitting. I have to keep it in perspective of what kind of service I had before and only compare it against that. Lisa says T-Mobile is great at DL, so I have that covered. Now I need to go in areas I normally travel in. They have a coverage map down to the address. It's about what I expected.

I am also trying to figure out how to get all of my images off my old phone. I think I need to find a cable for it.

[Kevy Baby]

According to their coverage site (http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/), D-Land is about 1/3 split between A, B, and C coverage. But that doesn't mean a lot. The real test is with a real phone. I am going to find a loal store to see if I can secure a test phone.

[Disneyphile]

I've had no problems with my T-Mobile at Disneyland. I've even used my phone inside of IASW. (Didn't talk, of course - just opened the call so my mom could "virtually ride" by hearing the music. It's her favorite.)

Overall, I've had very few places drop, and if they do, it's for a matter of a few feet.

[BarTopDancer]

T-Mobile is gone. I had no service at home and I couldn't live with that. On Monday they will be cancelled.

I signed up for Sprint. I know they work here. Not too sure about the phone I got though. We'll see.

[Kevy Baby]

Okay - I've made a strong step in the direction of T-Mobile. Tonight we stopped at the T-Mobile store and bought a phone. The ONLY reason I did is that they have a 30-day return policy (though it may be governmentally mandated - I don't know). If I am not happy with the phone/service, I can return it in the next 30 days and only pay the prorated portion of the bill. So far, it works at Brea Mall and home.

If it's a keeper, Susan gets the Pink Razr (http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/Detail.aspx?device=ba27dada-1257-4f65-9d30-0cf9036d2877) we bought tonight, and I'll be getting their MDA (http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/Detail.aspx?device=8802ddeb-1ee4-477a-9608-d9cd1e2a903f).

[€uroMeinke]

I am liking my MDA - but it's a must for my train commute. It also acts as a modem if you have a PC, and you can use it at any T-Mobile hot spot (i.e. Starbucks) if you get their internet package.

Unfortunately, I can't get coverage in the middle of the frst floor of the windowless building I've been working in lately - also it appears Main Street and the Esplanade aren't all that great coverage wise.

[BarTopDancer]

I realized I never updated this.

I settled on T-Mobile in the end. The Sprint phone was a PoS. I think my original T-Mobile phone was a lemon, because this phone has great service everywhere (including areas I didn't have service with Cingular in).

I ended up with this (http://t-mobile.com/shop/phones/detail.aspx?device=56409d76-2634-4bd8-b7a9-e9a913ed4b9e) bundle.

And KB - the 30 day buyers remorse period is a CA (may be nation wide) thing with all cell phone carriers.

[Kevy Baby]

When we were in the stire earlier this evening, I overheard the sales clerk talking to the person in front of me saying that if he found an ad anywhere for a better price than what they had in the store, just bring it in and they would match it.

I have found two ads on the internet (including Amazon) where you can get the MDA for free.