I've been looking for alternatives to paying Verizon $80/month. Virgin Mobile's $35/month deal sounds too good to be true, is anyone using a phone through their service? I don't need great coverage as long as the phone generally works in the DC Metro area.
Virgin Mobile was acquired by Sprint Nextel several years ago and offers nationwide service using the Sprint network. I haven't tried it, so I can't attest to what service is like, but Sprint has a good reputation (imho).
As a sprint customer, I can advise against the service in Arlington. Several dead zones, including East Falls Church, and Wilson right on the Arlington/FC border. Pretty awful customer service too. Boost Mobile handsets use sprint cell and nextel PTT service, so there's another miss. Verizon used to have pay-as-you-go at Best Buy, or you might have better luck with cricket.
Also, have you investigated what your plan will look like after Verizon tears down their plans and redoes them?
chipotle_addict said:
I've been looking for alternatives to paying Verizon $80/month. Virgin Mobile's $35/month deal sounds too good to be true, is anyone using a phone through their service? I don't need great coverage as long as the phone generally works in the DC Metro area.
I'm in a similar boat as you, as I do not want to pay a crazy amount of money for a single plan (and luckily am not on any phone contract, which is a freedom I haven't enjoyed in years) and was looking at Virgin Mobile. They're about to offer the iPhone 4S on a $35/month plan (300 voice minutes, unlimited texting, 2.5 Gb data) that will be $30/month if you sign up for their auto-pay. I rarely talk on the phone (maybe 100 minutes tops per month) and mostly text or browse the web. I'm currently paying $45/month for 500 voice minutes and unlimited texting with T-Mobile. So far, that's the option I'm going to take. Let me/us (on the forum) know if you find anything better.
I didn't know Verizon was in the process of redoing plans, but mainly I'm just trying to save money. I need data mostly and a minimal amount of cellular minutes. Verizon's cheapest option is just about $80 with taxes and fees. I found that Virgin Mobile has a very inexpensive deal with “unlimited” data (which gets throttled after 2GB I believe, but so does my verizon data) for $35/month. It looks like T-mobile has a similiar deal for $30/month, only 100 minutes of cellular talk time but similiar unlimited data. Given the fact that I would have to buy an unlocked phone for $400*, overall I'd be saving money after 9 months and I'd be ahead by $600 or so after a full 2 year term, which is what my contract renews for on Verizon.
I understand Verizon has a great reputation for reliable service in this area, but is that reliability worth $40-$50 / month?
Verizon's prepaid plans are confusing, but at first glance it looks like they are starting at $50 and only go up from there, which doesn't look nearly as tempting as $30/month.
Is this a big mistake? Anyone have any horror stories about T-mobile or Virgin Mobile?
*I'd probably buy an unlocked Google Nexus Galaxy
I've used Virgin Mobile for years and have always been happy with them. I currently have an Android phone and am amazed to hear how much more money my friends with contracts pay each month. I have the 1,200-minute plan but rarely come close to using it all. (The 300-minute plan, however, is not enough for me.) And the best thing (besides saving money) is that I don't have to worry about keeping track of texts and data. That said, you don't want to be a data hog and stream Netflix all day; but a typical user will stay well within the throttling limit.
Note: There are some areas where Sprint/Virgin does not have signals… Hatteras Island, North Carolina, for example. But I consider that a plus! Just check the coverage map.
South Florida (south of Delray Beach) has no sprint data either. Check their coverage maps for where you'll be (or think you'll be) in the next few years.
I ended up going with T-mobile. Main draw for me was being able to use the $350 google galaxy nexus with a $30/month unlimited data plan. I only get 100 minutes but I don't use my phone for talking very much anyway.
I've been using it for a month and so far coverage has been flawless, though I am mostly within Arlington county. I even get service underground in the Rosslyn metro, which surprised me- I thought that was a unique feature of Verizon.
I've been more than happy with service and I'm saving nearly $50/month over my previous bill from Verizon.
Straight Talk is similar, which also uses T-Mobile's network:
http://www.straighttalksim.com/
All they provide is a sim card, and you have to bring the phone.
Yep, straighttalk looks like a great deal if you need more than 100 minutes a month.
It's just amazing how much postpaid service can get away with overcharging. $80/month doesn't sound like a lot, but when you add it up through a two year contract you realize it's about $950 more per phone if you replace your phone every 2 years. I think a lot of it is just consumers not really being aware of how much they are really paying over time and what the alternatives are.
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