January 22, 2012
This time last year, I started the research to consolidate all our phones (his, mine, my parents’) into a consolidated plan in order to streamline the finances and save money. I had always been pleased with T-mobile’s customer service in the past and the cost of their plans so I suspected that would be the service we would end up with.
In June the right plans and the free smartphones came up so we committed to a fresh set of phones and plans.
The first phones we picked were PiC’s G2s but I absolutely hated mind and swapped it for a MyTouch just in time before the month was up.
It was much lighter and the functions were a little smarter: it had copy and paste, the text messaging function showed time and date, unlike the G2, and some of the apps were more useful.
Using non-Gmail email clients is a pain, though, as this phone doesn’t allow you to respond in-line; you can only write completely new emails that include the previous message when you like it or not and the web browser is incredibly clunky. It doesn’t accommodate multiple tabs or windows very well at all, it loses the open windows or freezes up.
In general, it still handled fairly nicely at first.
Seven months later, the thing is like a half functioning brick. The phone itself freezes up regularly – the touchscreen becomes non-responsive so I have to plug it into the charger, unplug it, repeat several times, etc.
The battery life is nearly non-existent. Without use, the phone lasts on stand-by no more than 6 hours (if that) – and only 1-2 hours with any use so that it’s often completely drained to the dregs before the end of a workday. I can’t ever go to work without a charger. Same for overnights: it can’t last overnight even after being fully charged without discharging itself entirely.
The visual voicemail function is pretty much a joke – it only works part of the time, it may or may not actually convert messages to the visual function but it also duplicates voicemails to the dial-in version and the notifications for the dial-in portion will go off constantly. And I don’t know about you but I’ve gotten to the point where I am completely over receiving and checking voicemails the traditional way – I hate hate hate dialing in and listening to the messages and having to use the menu to save/delete/skip/etc.
We had a relatively decent plan but it rather got my goat that I couldn’t cancel my mom’s line after she passed. Evidently, it just doesn’t matter who the phone line was intended for – because I was taking responsibility for the plan with all the lines, the death of the user of a line counts for nothing so far as the phone company is concerned. I suppose I should have known that would be the case, it’s just another thing that’s draining a resource that could be better used some other way. I’m considering taking the issue up with them again through corporate but haven’t had time.
It’s all a bit disappointing really. We haven’t saved much money (if any) since switching to T-Mobile and it’s been one annoyance after another with the less than smooth transition, the poor quality phones and the rapidly deteriorating performance. The decision was made knowing that the switch was going to be a bit inconvenient but I figured it’d just be a month or two of transition. This seems like it’s going to be a rough year and a half to ride out the rest of the contract.
This time, the “smart” financial decision feels pretty dumb.
June 28, 2011
We finally did it.
We finally caught a phone deal at the right time and although I missed out on the “ideal” plan that I had in mind before, the one we settled on comes out a bit cheaper than the previous one so PiC and I have consolidated ourselves from a three service group (each of us and my parents) to one single carrier, upgrading him to a smartphone in the process.
Our two smartphones are free, and thanks to a corporate discount, the activation fees were waived ($35/each) and we get a 10% discount on the phone-only parts of the plan.
We have unlimited data, although only the first 2Gs are high-speed. After that, they throttle the speed, but so far, it doesn’t seem like we even come close to using a G each in a month.
It might have been a mistake to just go with PiC’s phone choice, though. He picked the G2 which was free with a 2 year plan and he liked that it came with the slide out keyboard. That’s perfect for him but with small hands and a very differently configured touchscreen in combination with the very thick phone and case, I still can’t adjust to either option and typing has become a huge chore. I’m frequently tapping away while walking and grumbling: “I hate you!” as I make mistakes.
Interruption: I caved. I found another touchscreen sans slideout keyboard option for free and quickly called for a buyer’s remorse exchange. Thanks to a quick on the trigger CSR, though, the order was put through without overnight shipping which I was willing to pay for at $12. Unless UPS works a whippy shippy by Friday, I’m traveling over the holiday weekend without a phone since this one has to go back by Friday. That’ll be a challenge to coordinate.
Ah well.
Back to the good stuff. We’re now paying, after taxes, around $150 for four phones, two with data, two without, unlimited texts for all, 1000 minutes between the four of us. We were paying something like $210 across three carriers for three dumb phones, all falling apart, and 1 smartphone that didn’t work 80% of the time. It’s not an enormous savings but it will add up and so long as I can get back to functioning, we’ll all be the happier for it. 😉
January 23, 2011
We’ve been paying what I’d call an outrageous amount for cell phone services.
PiC has an outmoded phone with lots of talk and messaging, no data, with Verizon and pays $63/month with the occasional overage;
I have the legacy iPhone with unlimited data and pay $63/month;
MY PARENTS have a family plan: two phones, 700 talk minutes per month, and I pay $67/month.
Total: $193
My goals:
1. Consolidate our three services onto one service;
2. Replace both our phones as PiC’s ready to have a phone that doesn’t have an antennae that breaks off and my iPhone maybe works 60% of the time;
3. Save Money.
Any non-legacy data plan with the usual Verizon/AT&T services will cost at least $20, more likely $30, per phone so I wasn’t particularly hopeful about our outlook but I was determined. ‘Cause that’s all it takes.
My parents are already on T-Mobile and so far my research bears out that they offer the best plan options for our needs: Combination talk, text and data family plans for 2 lines with the ability to add up to 3 more. In this case, adding my parents as the additional lines with talk and text only as they definitely don’t need data would keep the cost down between $5-10/line. I’d researching Sprint options but they are all inclusive for all lines which is great for the wholly techie family but not suitable for our hybrid needs.
PiC and I were happy with the special deal being touted on Twitter as good through January 20th for the free after rebate G2 Android phones, but apparently T-Mobile’s idea of what January 20th meant didn’t extend to 6 pm PST.
Once known for their top-notch customer service, in my experience, I was less than impressed by the current state of their service now. Aside from their shoddy response to the inquiry regarding the miscommunication or mistake or whatever you’d call the issue of an offer yanked before the stated end of the promotion, I had to get my parents a pair of replacement phones and change their account to my responsibility for easier access since I pay the bill anyway.
Every department’s aim was incredibly siloed and tightly focused and this didn’t produce more efficiency. Rather, it meant that I wasted almost two hours on the phone with each representative explaining what I needed every time I got transferred. And honestly, the majority of the reps were simply neither bright nor competent and failed to completely note their actions for the next CSR I was transferred to. It gives me pause whether I really want to give them any additional business. At the same time, I figured that if the savings outweighed this initial aggravation and I rarely had to deal with them again, perhaps it’d be ok.
The sticking point that kept me from pulling the trigger was the activation fees for the new phones for PiC and me now that we’d missed on the really nice two new phone deal.
Searching on Fatwallet, I found that you could sign up for the Freelancers’ Union for free (and I do freelance work, so it’s legitimate) and reap the following benefits with T-Mobile:
-No activation fees (savings: $70)
-10% off talk, text, data plans monthly (savings: pretty much taxes/fees)
-Discounted equipment (might be better than what you can get online, might not be)
We could potentially pay $100 for the G2 that PiC still wants, find a free one for me, and switch to 3000 minute, unlimited text and data family plan for $170/month (including two lines with talk and text only at $10/each).
Since the monthly saving is only $20/month, it’d take us 5 months to break even on that deal. I’m not thoroughly impressed with this, on balance, so I’m going to take a minute to call and see if the Freelance Union discount on equipment does us one better on the online pricing and then double check if being an AT&T Premier member actually does me any good. 😉
Squeezing money out of stones is hard work, but darned if this isn’t going to be satisfying when I finally strike the best bargain I can find!
June 23, 2010
Remember how I needed a new phone? I’m still eking out as much life out of my current phone and plan as possible but it’s clearly geriatric and the simplest commands take as much as 25 seconds to start working. It’s time for a contingency plan. But ….
After 5 years of working on a Powerbook, I still went with a PC for my primary use laptop at home. It took me two and a half months to activate my iPhone (2G) from Christmas 2007. Heck, I refused to activate it until my phone actually stopped working. To this day, I’m still grumpy about paying $65/month instead of $40 for cell phone service though admittedly, am addicted to having email and Twitter almost all the time. The shortcomings, quirks and many many dropped calls or freezing up incidents could fill up a phone book.
So … why is it that I’m having the worst time imagining life with a different phone? No, that’s not what I mean. I would looove a phone that functioned fully. I would love to have reasonably good performance and reasonably low pricing. T-mobile has a fantastic deal right now with, get this:
No Activation Fee
2 Free Smartphones
Free Shipping
750 Anytime Minutes
Unlimited texting
Unlimited web service
Unlimited mobile to mobile
All for $100/month.
$100!! For two phones! (I’m considering a family plan with PiC.) After taxes, even, let’s say, 20% in taxes and fees, that’s still less than I’m paying now. My budget rules my decisions when it comes to phones, so why does my not-budget now chime in with a reluctant “Mehhhhhh…”?
That’s it. Apple has brainwashed me into believing that their interface is right and all others are wrong.
I can’t even remember where half my apps are, I hate Apple’s business practices (good for them, oh-so-bad for me) but I viscerally can’t accept a different interface.
Well played, Steve Jobs.
February 24, 2010
Just as I started on a quest to explore options for my cell phone, I discovered entirely by happenstance that my parents were harboring yet another (financial) secret: Mom’s phone has been broken for weeks.
I’ve been paying $70+/month for their family plan. Without telling me, they’d requested new phones which reactivated their contracts 18 months ago which jettisoned my plans to switch their calling plans to something more affordable and sensible according to their usage. Then, again without telling me, they changed their plan to give themselves more (unnecessary!) minutes because they don’t pay or read their bills which meant another contract extension.
Totally frustrated by the parent-imposed roadblocks to trimming the budget, I’ve let it lie until now. Discovering that I’m paying a premium for basically one phone ticked me off, and I’ve researched several possible options to pick a plan that makes sense with T-Mobile’s Online Help Chat.
Important Definitions
Prepaid Pay By The Day customers enjoy Unlimited Nights and Unlimited Mobile-to-Mobile calling on the T-Mobile network. Pay By The Day customers incur two types of charges: A $1 per day ($1/day) usage charge and a $0.10 per minute charge (if applicable).
Prepaid Pay As You Go means that you refill the account and pay per minute for your incoming and outgoing calls.
Even More plans keep you on a contract basis but changing to one does not change your contract date, does not incur migration fees, and offers discounted phones that lock you back into a 2-year contract.
Even More Plus plans are non-contract plans, incurs a one time $35 migration fee, retain the contract date, and does not offer discounted plans.
Option A
Due to her much reduced usage, I can switch Mom to a prepaid plan and put Dad on an Even More individual plan for $50/month for 1000 mins, unlimited nights and weekends.
Cost: $50 early termination fee + new phone + [$30/month and usage charges OR just PAYG usage charges]. I would have to train them not to use her phone for anything but emergencies. Given her cognition issues, this may be a challenge.
Gain: Saving $20/mo on Dad’s plan, and if I go with PAYG for Mom, I wouldn’t break even for more than 6 months.
Option B
Wait three months until the contract is up, and then execute the plan above, saving $50.
Cost: new phone + prepaid usage
Gain: Saving $20/mo on Dad’s plan, and PAYG for Mom, I would break even in about 6 months. Depends on the cost of the phone.
Option C
Move them both to an Even More Plus plan, then switch Mom to a Prepaid Plan.
Cost: $70 in migration fees, still have a contract date through 5/18, and that’s before replacing the phone.
Gain: Forget it.
Option D
Move them both to an Even More plan with the fewest minutes possible ($60/month for 750, well over their current usage), wait three months while finding a replacement phone for the contract to run out.
Cost: None
Gain: Save $10/mo.
It’s Option D for now. I’ll save $30 between now and the contract expiration in three months, and decide what to do beyond that then.
February 23, 2010
Speaking of yelling “Lifestyle inflation!” at people, I’ve directed that at myself lately, to little avail. I should but cannot imagine going back to a regular phone.
iPhone’s latest antics are: not allowing me to pick up calls, freezing the screen on the call failure screen, refusing to clear it out even after I’ve stopped the call, and shutting down intermittently. Oh, yes, and refusing to accept calls at all, forcing people into voicemail hell, and then maybe informing me of new voicemails an hour or more later.
It’s ridiculous. One major drawback with having an iPhone is that AT&T and Apple get to play the blame game and hang the responsibility for dropped calls on the other guy. In the meantime, stuck in the middle, I feel like a orphan!
On the other hand, some of the functions – which are not limited to the iPhone – such as navigation, internet access, email access (I’m a junkie) are really very helpful in my recently nomadic lifestyle. The navigation is an amazing key to travel independence, and I’m loathe to give it up for a regular phone.
My contract with AT&T is up this month, what shall I do?
Working on the following assumptions:
1. I want another smartphone
2. I don’t want to pay more than I’m paying now ($65/month)
3. I’d prefer not to pay for the phone itself. If I must …. I think the ceiling is at $100. i
4. Trying to avoid as many one-time or recurring luxury fees as possible (activation, for one)
5. My ideal plan includes:
- ~1000 minutes/mo (friends are mainly on two different networks, family on yet a third. They won’t all consolidate to make my life easier!)
- unlimited nights and weekends
- ~300 texts/month
- unlimited email, web browsing and a decent navigation/mapping service
- Even while I have concerns about privacy and security issues, it’d be nice to have the variety of options that the iPhone currently offers for things like banking, stock tickers, and tracking investment apps. It’s not a requirement, though.
This isn’t going to be easy. It may not even be possible. But it’s research time!
Note: In light of my slenderized budget, even $65/month seems like a luxury but do bear in mind this is my connection to the world whether I’m at home or on the road (interviewing, meeting new people with whom I’ll develop professional relationships, being contacted for contract work, etc.)
July 25, 2008
Aside from not ever having a possessed phone when I was their customer, their service just seems to get more and more excellent. My parents have a T-Mobile family plan and I just called to change the family plan to a cheaper package with 700 minutes instead of 1000.
One, they offer a callback service. Instead of making you wait on hold, they ask for your name and number, and they call you right back, if you prefer.
Two, the CSR didn’t go through any rigamarole when I inquired about the minute usage and told her about my intention to change plans: she immediately offered the plan I knew would fit best, noting that there was one other option but that it wouldn’t save as much money.
Three, she quickly backdated the change of plans so that it would take effect for the current billing cycle rather than having to wait until the next one, saving me $10 for this bill effective immediately.
Four, she also corrected the contract dates from the botched up replacement phone fiasco where my mom had insisted to ordering phones that I couldn’t afford, without waiting for me to help select phones they could use. Those phones were sent back a few months ago, but I’d never called to make sure they’d made any necessary corrections to the contract dates. All fixed!
Five, she gave me all the information she had on the T-Mobile Home Service (I asked), and offered to get me to the folks who had more information if I wanted it.
And all of the above was completed in five minutes. I LOVE T-mobile’s customer service.