Currently Have Att ... Considering Sprint What Are Your Thoughts?

[jcsmilez]

I currently have a family plan with ATT which is okay, just pricy. I'm considering Sprint because my husband thinks it has better coverage in N. Ca, though I'm not sure. Once I have a consistent and substantial income from PC, I'd like to upgrade to some sort of a smart phone with internet, email, and GPS possibilities. He says Sprint is also better for that. It looks like Sprint would be less per month even before I consider the 10% discount I get through PC... What do you guys have? Any thoughts, suggestions... TIA

 

[wadesgirl]

Have don't have any thoughts on either of those services. I've used US Cellular for years (probably about 10 now) and I've never had a single issue, love my coverage and their plans. You get unlimited nights and weekends after 7 and unlimited call me minutes depending on the plan you get.

 

[climbercanoe3]

If you do switch over make sure the account is in your name. I couldn't get the discount because it is in my husband's name. My name is on the account too, but his apparently is the primary name. They wouldn't let me switch it to my name without starting a new contract. UGH!! I have good coverage when we visit Maryland, Maine, NH, VT, and most anywhere in MA.

 

[Tropicalburstqt2]

I had Cricket (a southwestern PA company), Sprint, & now Verizon. Sprint was okay, but I didn't get service at my house & I didn't like the customer service I received. This was 4 years ago, so things may have changed though. I do LOVE Verizon!! I get service almost any where. I also get a discount through work 22%, which is actually better than what a Verizon rep gets (go figure)!!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

We have Nextel, which is part of Sprint now - basically, we stay with Nextel, because more than the phone, we love the Two-Way option. When we are apart, DH and I communicate primarily through our 2-way. I don't use my cell phone for business, because I have Vonage for home phone, and that is a flat $30 a month for all phone calls, so I use that for business. My director and some others in my cluster also have Nextel/Sprint - and it's fun at conference ~ we can 2-way each other and plan our meet-ups, etc....Oh - and you do know that Sprint is a Pampered Perks partner, right? I save 11% on my bill because I am a PC consultant!

 

[Kodeysmom]

We had nextel/sprint for about 5 years. Loved nextel and the 2 way, but when they merged into sprint our service and calling range stunk. We switched about 1 1/2 years ago to Cingular/ATT due to everyone in our family has it and we have not had any problems so far. I think it depends on what are you live too.

 

[chefann]

I have Sprint and I've been happy with it. I will add, though, that I'm not a heavy user of my cell service. I use it mostly for business calls while at work (that's not an issue any more, though), and to make personal calls while driving home from shows (my sisters are in different time zones, and I know I can usually reach them if I'm driving home from a show). Coverage in my area is pretty good, although I get zero signal at a clustermate's house (her complex is in a dead zone for all but 1 or 2 providers).I don't think the plan I have is currently available to new subscribers - 450 anytime minutes, free nights after 7p, free weekends. It's about $40 after taxes, but before any discounts.

 

[jcsmilez]

Keri-Lyn,Oh, that's frustrating! I will make sure to do that. Will I be able to deduct it on my taxes as a business expense if I have a family plan -- my husband also uses for his business.

 

[chefsteph07]

I have Sprint, just merged into a family plan w/ my dh and I plan on deducting 25% of the bills to write off for PC..the plan is in MY name though..due to the discount and being able to use it for business purposes.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I've been with Verizon since they were Primeco and had the cute little alien as a mascot.With the exception of some reception issues in certain places in West Virginia, a few dead spots here and there, and some coverage issues in Nevada and Upper Michigan, I'm seldom without service.I also have a broadband card in my laptop with Verizon. I can connect my laptop to the Verizon network in the driveway and it will stay connected all the way to Indianapolis. (That's really great for getting online traffic updates in places like Chicago.)Oh, there was no service in the middle of Lake Michigan when I took the SS Badger last Summer, but then, I don't think anyone has much of a network in the middle of the lake.

 

[lizdpamperedchef]

I have Verizon, live on Long Island, and have nothing but wonderful things to say. We have service everywhere. We also travel around the tri-state area and have had NO problems. Good Luck!!!

 

[jrstephens]

I have no experience with Sprint, but I know that I love AT&T. Sometimes you can call them and ask them to review your account to make sure you are getting the most for your money or where you can make changes to save money.

I know they have phone with all the options that you are wanting.

But I have not experience with Sprint as I said so I cannot compare the two.

Sprint is not available in my area.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I just hope I can nurse my old cripple of a phone long enough to be able to get something really cool, like an iPod.Oh, yeah. I really need something like that.

 

[jrstephens]

I am currently thinking about getting the Blackjack. I cannot decide if I want that or the new Razr.

Not to hijack the thread talking about myself or anything!

 

[ted122781]

I liked Sprint when I had them. They were a little more costly at the time, but I'm sure times have changed b/c texting wasn't as popular when I had it, and cell phones weren't nearly as cool as they are now. The only reason I switched is b/c I got married, and my husband had T-Mobile.

 

[ted122781]

I am currently thinking about getting the Blackjack. I cannot decide if I want that or the new Razr.

Not to hijack the thread talking about myself or anything!

I've heard very good things about the Blackjack. I know it has more features than the Razr. I, personally, think you should get the Blackjack b/c it has everything on it and more. You might decide later on that you want those features that the Razr doesn't have.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Blackberry. Blackjack is a card game.Hit me again, Dealer!

 

[jrstephens]

Blackberry. Blackjack is a card game.

Hit me again, Dealer!

HIT!!!

Nope, this one really is called Blackjack, it is by Samsung.

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=BlackJack(TM)+II+by+Samsung&q_sku=sku1140027

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Won't it be kinda difficult to carry him in your case?

 

[chefann]

I just hope I can nurse my old cripple of a phone long enough to be able to get something really cool, like an iPod.

Do you mean the iPhone? DH has one. He hacked it so he doesn't have to have ATT service to use it.

He's such a nerd.

 

[chefsteph07]

I wish Sprint did have the My Favorites, like T Mobile and Sprint, where you can program in a certain number of phone numbers and they are unlimited..that would be nice...

 

[chefsteph07]

I didn't mean like T Mobile and SPRINT, I meant T Mobile and ATT

 

[ted122781]

HIT!!!

Nope, this one really is called Blackjack, it is by Samsung.

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=BlackJack(TM)+II+by+Samsung&q_sku=sku1140027

I believe ATT has the Blackjack as well as the Blackberry. My father in law owns a Blackjack. It's similar to the Blackberry, but it's only exclusive to ATT.

 

[ted122781]

"only exclusive"...duh! Exclusive the only was unnecessary.

 

[ted122781]

Yeah, ATT's Samsung Blackjack.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

iPod, iPhone, iDunno.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

I have had Tmobile for over 5 years and love their plans! DH had sprint at one point in time but there was no coverage or poor coverage for that matter in Staten Island, NY. We now reside in NJ and excellent coverage whereever we go!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I don't know about T Mobile, but last time I was in Dearborn, I saw a T Model.

 

[lkprescott]

We've had Sprint for years (DH had it when we first met). We were going to switch but then their plans improved and well, we stayed. Why?

Free Sprint mobile to mobile (I was getting tired of paying to call the other phone that was on my plan - not only did this feature stop that but our calls to our friends w/Sprint are free too

Decent family plans... DH and I share minutes and the 2nd phone was free... adding a phone (if we were to do so for say, the kids which is NOT going to happen LOL) would only be $9.99 which is pretty standard.

We don't partake but they do offer competitive prices for unlimited data and texting as well...

The discount via PC is also nice...

The one thing I really don't like but you can't really escape now with the phones these days is how expensive it is to get the pictures off the phone. DH doubled our bill one month by emailing his pictures off his phone... ouch.

Their online things are great, you can easily adjust things, add things and such online. I like the folks we've encountered in various Sprint stores, I like that there ARE storefronts available if we have troubles. To upgrade our phones has always been free, course we're cheap so we take the freebie phones (vs paying a little more for the 'stylish' phones).. we like that this last time we didn't have to repopulate any info, they transferred our contact lists right in the store.

All in all, very satisfied Sprint customers for over 8 years...

 

[chefjeanine]

I hate Sprint. :thumbdown:

We used to have Nextel and I loved their coverage and using the two-way. Even though they have "merged", the coverage is not the same for these two companies.

The only reason we switched to Sprint is because my husband needed an advanced system (he has to be able to check his email via the phone).

I will be changing companies when our contract runs out (if not sooner).

BTW, Sprint/Nextel is having many financial problems and could be going belly-up soon.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Do you mean the iPhone? DH has one. He hacked it so he doesn't have to have ATT service to use it.He's such a nerd.

I already have an iPod.

 

[jcsmilez]

I'd love to have the iPhone... Verizon isn't the greatest in our area from what I've heard. So it's back to the Sprint/Att Debate. I've read about some that love and some that hate sprint. I do get really frustrated when my calls get dropped with Att (and then they rub it in with their stupid never drop calls commercials!) I just don't know if Sprint will be any better. I do HAVE to have a reliable connection as I use my cell phone for the majority of my business calls.It looks like Sprint is mostly roaming in my area - but at least it has coverage. Anyone with Sprint happy with their phone in roaming areas?And my goodness, there sure are a lot of PDA/smart phone options with Sprint Treo and Blackberry being the most common that I've heard of -- any suggestions there? Thanks again...

 

[PamperedDor]

Love Verizon!!! Like Liz said - we get service all over Long Island -

(mind out of the gutter KG!!) lol

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

What the heck did I do?

 

[paroese]

I've had a lot of cell phones over the years and moving several times. Started with verizon and loved the service but it was expensive and they have very poor customer service. I then switched to sprint and had a lot of dropped calls and areas with no service or only roaming. Switched again to Cingular (AT&T) but was very expensive. When DH and I got married he added me and his son to his T-mobile as a family plan (and has since added his mom) and I couldn't be happier. I have great service, its very affordable (all 4 phones with unlimited texting and picture messaging, unlimited mobile to mobile, my faves unlimited to any 5 numbers for each of us, 2000 shared minutes a month that we never use all of due to all the unlimited features, and he has a sidekick with internet and email and everything) for $92 a month, and they have great customer service.

 

[jenm42]

We used to have ATT (which used to be Cingular) but then switched this summer due to really bad cell service at our house. Never had much trouble elsewhere, but at our house we couldn't even answer the phone.

We switched to Sprint, which was my husband's idea. I HATE Sprint now and can't WAIT for the 2 year contract to be up!

The customer service is AWFUL. So many problems, and no one seems to be able to solve a problem once it arises. It's terrible. Also, the cell service is not great - seems like we get very little signal in most places near where we live - of course, this is probably very variable depending on where you live and the coverage in your area.

The original problem, no cell service at our house - is only marginally better with the Sprint plan than the ATT. At least we can answer the phone now. But I would switch back to ATT in a heartbeat.

 

[chefsteph07]

I'd love to have the iPhone... Verizon isn't the greatest in our area from what I've heard.

So it's back to the Sprint/Att Debate. I've read about some that love and some that hate sprint. I do get really frustrated when my calls get dropped with Att (and then they rub it in with their stupid never drop calls commercials!) I just don't know if Sprint will be any better. I do HAVE to have a reliable connection as I use my cell phone for the majority of my business calls.

It looks like Sprint is mostly roaming in my area - but at least it has coverage. Anyone with Sprint happy with their phone in roaming areas?

And my goodness, there sure are a lot of PDA/smart phone options with Sprint Treo and Blackberry being the most common that I've heard of -- any suggestions there? Thanks again...

Sprint is all roaming in my town, in my home, etc...there is a huge Verizon tower that makes the service roam..my plan has free roam and it's not bad, however, I CANNOT talk on my cell inside my house...I can go in certain rooms and it will be better (my kitchen seems to be a dead area and all calls totally drop the minute I enter the room---no good for me since I live most of my life there! LOL)...however, there is a map of some sort on sprint website that you can look and see how strong the service is in your area...it's pretty accurate. If you cannot find it, I'm sure if you go to a sprint store they will be able to see if you have adequate coverage. Also, I believe there is a 6 mo trial period, that if you don't like your plan, coverage, etc, you can end your contract w/ no fees. Check into that, that was available when I got my phone last May..kind of makes it worth it to just try it and if you don't like it, you can break your contract w no penalty..

 

[chefsteph07]

We used to have ATT (which used to be Cingular) but then switched this summer due to really bad cell service at our house. Never had much trouble elsewhere, but at our house we couldn't even answer the phone.

We switched to Sprint, which was my husband's idea. I HATE Sprint now and can't WAIT for the 2 year contract to be up!

The customer service is AWFUL. So many problems, and no one seems to be able to solve a problem once it arises. It's terrible. Also, the cell service is not great - seems like we get very little signal in most places near where we live - of course, this is probably very variable depending on where you live and the coverage in your area.

The original problem, no cell service at our house - is only marginally better with the Sprint plan than the ATT. At least we can answer the phone now. But I would switch back to ATT in a heartbeat.

Also, I kind of tend to agree about the customer service...I haven't really called w any problems per se, but I do make my payments by just calling in, and EVERY MONTH that I call to make a payment their "computers are down" and can I call back in an hr..it usually takes me about 4 hrs to make a payment...

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Allow me to add a note about Verizon support. I've not actually had to call the cell phone support lines - after all, the cell phone pretty much either works or it doesn't.The broadband support has been very good. I've got a dead spot in the cell in which I reside - it happens to be right about where I like to use my laptop. It is truly a dead spot in the cell because my cell phone also has trouble when I'm sitting here. The broadband support folks, even though they cannot magically make the cell come alive here, have done everything else they can to resolve this issue. That's far more than I can say for the support people from AT&T, most of whom I can't understand, anyway.

 

[lkprescott]

Also, I kind of tend to agree about the customer service...I haven't really called w any problems per se, but I do make my payments by just calling in, and EVERY MONTH that I call to make a payment their "computers are down" and can I call back in an hr..it usually takes me about 4 hrs to make a payment...

Is this with Sprint? I've never called in a payment. If I forget to mail it in, I go online and it's been very easily done that way.

Oh... I have to mention something about coverage. When I first moved here, I could use my cell phone in the house - my friend (she had.... *thinking* I can't remember now... either Verizon or AT&T) could not... this last upgrade to our phones has increased our usage into areas that didn't have service at all, like my mom's house (which is in the middle of the woods with hills all over).. now my dad has Verizon and gets service out there but I've been so frustrated dealing with Verizon customer service as a bookkeeper (working with clients who had Verizon) no way I'd choose 'em even for better coverage. LOL...

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I suspect that the "good service - bad service" stories are not only anecdotal but are interchangeable. That is, you could take any of them, bad or good, and just insert Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, Nextel and they'd all be true to someone, somewhere.I'd suggest that you just hold your nose and choose one.

 

[lkprescott]

That's probably true TKG... I think the hope is you don't need customer service at all. LOL...

 

[ChefLisa]

Sprint is known for the customer service; actually the lack of customer service.

In the past week I read a rather disturbing story of a man who had someone set up 14 extra lines on his account. It was truly a nightmare story. I was not able to locate it again; otherwise I would have posted the link for you

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Yeah, it's sort of like voting in the primary this year - just hold your nose and make a mark on the ballot.

 

[SummerG]

A good number of my friends have Sprint and have a great deal of problems with bad reception and dropped calls. I am constantly asking to repeat themselves during coversations. One good thing is that their "nights" have the option of starting at 7pm.

I have Verizon and absolutely LOVE it! I have had maybe 2 dropped calls within the past 5 years and had the clearest reception, even from a volcano in Hawaii! Lol!

 

[jcsmilez]

Wow, lots of people complain about Verizon in N. Cali.

I am rather frustrated with Att, the price and the service, I probably drop at least 3-4 calls a week, luckily most of those are with my friends or family. As I am hardly ever home and use my cell phone for the majority of my business calls and it is listed as my primary phone number on all my PC paperwork, I really need something reliable.

 

[etteluap70PC]

I started with T-mobile when I lived in the Metro area I loved it verry reasonable rates. When I moved out to the country I had spotty service. I have had ATT for 2 years and have loved the coverage. I have 2-4 bars at my house . with T-mobile it was none. MY SIL has sprint and it is good for their family plan. Her 2 colledge age daughters are on it and it's awesome for them with the sprint to sprint calls being free. BUT... She has spotty coverage at times and has had a ton of problems with some of the phones available thru Sprint. She also has almost no reception where I live.

My best suggestions are to ask your neighbors who they have and how their coverage is.

I love my ATT plan (I hate that Att bought Cingular!!!) and I LOVE my new Blackjack 2 phone!!! Do not know how I went so long without it! I like the web and email options but will be canceling them as I do not need an extra $30 a month on my plan