 | | Switched to Virgin The $35/month plan works out perfect for me. Now I just need to convince the wife to ditch AT&T. Probably won't happen any time soon given that she just ordered the iPhone 5. | |
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2 edits | Re: Switched to Virgin Yep. You have to be a fool (or wealthy) to pay well over $130 for most with 2 or more services.
I use straight talk unlimited everything at $45 per month. | |
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| | Reviews:
 ·Callcentric
3 edits | Re: Switched to Virgin European plans:
Three UK
$26 USD~ per month buys:
600 minutes*
5000 texts*
All-you-can-eat data.
$40 USD~ per month:
2000 minutes*
5000 Three-to-Three minutes*
5000 texts*
All-you-can-eat data
Cheapest - $11.40 USD
200 minutes*
5000 texts*
500MB data
TMOBILE UK
$35 USD~ per month
Unlimited - talk, texts, data
* Unlimited Incoming calls and text.
~ The price also includes taxes, fees etc; as the price does in every other developed country but us. | |
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| | | | | Re: Switched to Virgin Yeah, the US gets ripped. This is well known, yet people rarely do anything about it. I think the Virgin Mobile plan is about as cheap as you can get. For $35 you get:
-300 minutes (I don't come close)
-unlimted text
-unlimited data (up to 2.5 GB before they start to throttle) | |
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·Callcentric
| Re: Switched to Virgin said by Killersaurus:Yeah, the US gets ripped. This is well known, yet people rarely do anything about it. I think the Virgin Mobile plan is about as cheap as you can get. For $35 you get:
VM comes close but what I absolutely hate about them is their ridiculous NO BYOD policy. In addition, they offer no option to roam for voice.
The issue with value carriers here is that rather than learn from the European and Asian model, they prefer to price close to the large carriers but just offer unlimited.
Like most people, I don't want or need unlimited and would like a plan like the ones above. | |
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| | | | | | | Re: Switched to Virgin Most prepaid in the US, excludes roaming Ting would be one exception I know of, that's why I choose to go with Straight Talk and an AT&T sim, their network is much bigger than T-mobile or Sprint so not having roaming isn't as big of a deal. | |
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| | | | | | I have 2 lines on AT&T with unlimited data*, 450 minutes of voice + n/w, and we don't use TXT (too old school). and pay $94/month after taxes/discounts. | |
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| | | | | Rob_Premium
join:2008-07-16
Mary Esther, FL | Re: Switched to Virgin Does Virgin use Sprint or do they have truly nationwide coverage? I'm on boost and there's no service in ft walton beach.
-Rob | |
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·Callcentric
| Re: Switched to Virgin said by Rob_:Does Virgin use Sprint or do they have truly nationwide coverage? I'm on boost and there's no service in ft walton beach.
Much like Boost, Virgin uses Sprint only - no roaming. | |
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| | | | | | | | | Re: Switched to Virgin The Boost and Virgin Mobile brands are both owned by Sprint. So of course they use Sprint's network. | |
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| | | | | | | Rob_Premium
join:2008-07-16
Mary Esther, FL | Now that TMobile has ul data, maybe they can start using their service. I don't understand why the prepaids use sprint. I lose service in town!
I hope that TMobile's prepaid will offer ul data in the future, 5 gigs for $70.00s is more expensive then their 69.99 value plan (one penny)
-rob | |
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·Callcentric
| said by en103:I have 2 lines on AT&T with unlimited data*, 450 minutes of voice + n/w, and we don't use TXT (too old school). and pay $94/month after taxes/discounts.
$130 is the minimum today + taxes, fees, BS profit generating charges etc etc. | |
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| | | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Come to Japan if you think you pay too much for your wireless service. | |
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| | | | | | said by Killersaurus:Yeah, the US gets ripped. This is well known, yet people rarely do anything about it. I think the Virgin Mobile plan is about as cheap as you can get. For $35 you get:
-300 minutes (I don't come close)
-unlimted text
-unlimited data (up to 2.5 GB before they start to throttle)
Virgin Mobile sucks the biggest a** of any wireless service I've ever used. Actually, it wasn't even me using it, but my kid. Will NEVER touch that company again!!
My Boost cost me $35 a month for unlimited EVERYTHING!!!!
Any one spending $100 for wireless phone, unless it's some massive sharing plan, is an absolute pickle, in my mind.
From what I've ever seen with anyone using the newest gadgetry on phones, most of them don't have a clue what they're doing and only bought it because they think they're cool! Most don't have any concept of value for the dollar or common sense, basically. 
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The Firefox alternative.
»www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/ | |
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| | | Reviews:
 ·Frontier Communi..
| said by Telco:* Unlimited Incoming calls and text. This bit is key. European callers to wireless phones pay a premium, because they use a caller-pays model. That's why I can call my friend in Finland for $0.029/min if I hit her landline, but it costs $0.169/min to call her mobile.
Many Europeans also may a premium to text people on other providers, because the providers charge each other hefty peering fees to exchange text messages. In the United States such fees are minimal to non-existent, and people would find it outrageous if they had to pay extra money to text their best friend on a different carrier.
The grass is not always greener on the other side.... | |
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·Callcentric
| Re: Switched to Virgin I've used both and would much rather have their model. Why should I pay when someone else decides to to call me? Likewise, why should I pay if someone decides to text me.
You are correct about the carrier differences. However, the going rate for texts here is now 20 cents. Therefore, if a person decides to send someone without a text plan 100 messages, that's $20 to receive texts that literally cost a carrier nothing. | |
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| | |  KrKHeavy Artillery For The Little GuyPremium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK | No surprise, really. Costs more and get less in the USA when it comes to everything communications related. Since the big carriers hold sway over the Government regulators too it will never change, and continue to grow worse.
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"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini
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| | |  tiger72SexaT duorPPremium
join:2001-03-28
Saint Louis, MO
kudos:1 | said by Telco:European plans:
Three UK
$26 USD~ per month buys:
600 minutes*
5000 texts*
All-you-can-eat data.
$40 USD~ per month:
2000 minutes*
5000 Three-to-Three minutes*
5000 texts*
All-you-can-eat data
Cheapest - $11.40 USD
200 minutes*
5000 texts*
500MB data
TMOBILE UK
$35 USD~ per month
Unlimited - talk, texts, data
* Unlimited Incoming calls and text.
~ The price also includes taxes, fees etc; as the price does in every other developed country but us.
Those plans are pretty unique to the UK. What I find funny is that not only are the UK networks inherently smaller, their coverage is STILL lacking in many areas. For whatever reason, people conveniently "forget" that it costs more money to build a larger network in a MUCH larger country. Our population is 3x larger, but the land area where we demand coverage is... a bit more than 3x larger than the UK, etc.
For an example of other countries, have a look at »www.t-mobile.de/iphone?device=iphone4s . To get unlimited SMS, minutes (to landlines, mobile-to-mobile, as well as other mobile networks) and a whopping 2GB of data you need to spend 100EUR/mo (~$130US). This is for a network the size of a single state, which does not offer any roaming within the country. And even to this day you'll find that much of the country is still covered with 2g. Considering far more people in Europe live in small towns and villages, that makes many European networks more appalling than US networks, considering more people live day-to-day with GPRS/EDGE or generally mediocre coverage than in the United States where our cities (and thus vast majority of population) is well covered.
Not all of Europe has low prices like the UK. Moreover, when you compare 3g rollouts in the United States to European networks, even smaller networks like T-Mobile and Sprint have more square miles covered with 3g than most European countries do.
See: »www.vodafone.de/privat/hilfe-sup···ung.html
Meanwhile, I'm paying $30US for 5GB of DC-HSPA+ data, 100 minutes, and unlimited texting. My wife is paying $45 for unlimited voice, unlimited texting, and 2GB of HSPA+ data.
Either way, anyone spending $100 for a single cell phone is a complete idiot.
--
"What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? ...If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning."
-United States Secretary of Defense (1961-1968) Robert S. McNamara | |
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| | | Kevin_
join:2003-12-10
Marietta, GA Reviews:
 ·Comcast
| Giffgaff here:
$16~/month:
250 minutes
Unlimited text
Unlimited data
$24~/month:
400 minutes
Unlimited text
Unlimited data
$32~/month:
800 minutes
Unlimited text
Unlimited data
$40~/month:
1500 minutes
Unlimited text
Unlimited data
It runs on O2's network, and I've only gotten bad coverage when out in the rural areas or going underground on the train.
It's SIM only, but it's so much cheaper in the long run. I'm floored with how much Americans and Canadians pay for their wireless service and that they have to pay for incoming call and texts. There would be a huge protest if any UK carrier tried to charge for incoming calls and texts. | |
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 skeechanAi OtsukaholicPremium
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170
kudos:2
·Cox HSI
 ·Clear Wireless
| Telcos will do to service what MSOs do with video Telcos will continue abolishing all the lower end plans (like AT&T did with the $20 for 20 min plan or more recently the 200 txt for $5 plan) to ensure people can't downgrade, just like MSO's defend their video profits by capping data, ensuring people buy that they want them to buy.
So if you want data, you have to buy the hog money plan which will give you less and less hog service. | |
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| KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | Re: Telcos will do to service what MSOs do with video And why the large media companies bundle their channels into contracts that require the largest subscribed tiers have all their channels. So that cable customers cannot duck out of say having ESPN while still being in a cable package that gives them most of the other cable TV channels.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports | |
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| | | KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | Re: Telcos will do to service what MSOs do with video Mr. Burns I think is the perfect mascot of the entire Telecom industry.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports | |
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 intellerSociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK | so 50% of people are stupid? What do the other 50% pay....and what % of that 50 pay below 50? That's where the smart people live.
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"WHEN THE LAUGH TRACK STARTS THEN THE FUN STARTS!" | |
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| | Reviews:
·Comcast
| Re: so 50% of people are stupid? said by Linklist:Not smart? Or just have money to spare and too lazy to deal with finding cheaper plans?
I would lump that in with, "Not smart." | |
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| | | | Too bad wireless services are both cheaper and more affordable than our services overseas. | |
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| | | said by inteller:What do the other 50% pay....and what % of that 50 pay below 50? That's where the smart people live.
Were it not for the added 250 text messages, which I need for automated systems "I fell over and I can't get up" reporting, my wife's and my plan would be slightly under $50/mo., before taxes and surcharges. As it is: With texting, taxes and surcharges: It comes to slightly under $60/mo.
We're thinking about smartphones, tho | |
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| | intellerSociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK | Re: so 50% of people are stupid? yeah I'm not really talking about Jitterbug here. | |
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Reviews:
·Frontier Communi..
| Insurance My wife and I looked at dropping the insurance on our lines, but Verizon also bundles an "extended warranty" with the insurance package, which has no deductible and is essentially a free phone, provided that it wasn't damaged due to liquids or very obvious physical abuse.
I've dropped my beloved DX many times over the years, but the last time was apparently the straw that broke the camel's back. The display didn't crack but black lines and sploshes appeared across it. Verizon took one look at it, said "a lot of them do that", checked the liquid damage indicators, saw they were clean, then replaced the device for free. No questions besides "Did you drop this in water?" were ever asked. The replacement arrived 24 hours later, which is a lot faster than I could have received one from eBay.
Mind you, the price you pay for the insurance over the years adds up to a hefty amount, but the thing with insurance is that it's a known and predictable cost. In the case of cell phones, it also saves you the hassle of tracking down a replacement on eBay/similar services. Time is money as they say, and it's hard to beat overnight shipping, or even walking out the door with it if they stock that particular model.
Incidentally, I've rooted every Android device I've ever owned, including the returned DX. In spite of all the fear about voided warranties, Verizon never said anything, nor charged me full retail price for the replacement phone, in spite of their literature that suggesting they would. Even the sales rep said, "As long as it wasn't immersed in water, they don't care." They deal with thousands of returned devices every day, they simply don't have the time or inclination to verify that you haven't mucked around with the software. | |
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| Reviews:
·Time Warner Cable
 ·Verizon FiOS
·voip.ms
| Right on. I always use old beater prepaid phones (less than $150) so if they disappear or break no harm no foul. But if you have a $600 iphone or $550 Galaxy XXX (joking) then you BETTER have insurance.
The big guys just use a third party anyways Asurion and keep $5 a month vig, but there are many third parties out there. I've used squaretrade for many items and their service is great.
For instance the iphone is $99 for 2 years - which works out to $4.12 a month, and sometimes you can get discounts (I do many warranties). There is a $50 deductible, but they pay shipping and the like. This is at least 50% less than your plan, so if you want to save money HAVE insurance, just do it with a third party... In fact squaretrade will cover liquid damage too.
As the article points out 20% of the people pay more for facebook--er I mean "smartphones" than groceries, so you tell them to cut out insurance. It breaks...Hmm give me $600 for a new phone, and no food for 6 months. Brilliant... There is a reason the poor are poor, bad decision-making skills or circumstance--but don't jump on and say trim insurance. Look up fixed income in the dictionary.
As to changing your plan, well good luck. They are all you can eat bonanza's now. The only way you are getting away w/ 2 phones 
I used to blow off insurance because they were a pure rip, but competition is there and for certain items it makes sense. Top of mind are 3: Cars, phones, laptops. Maybe TV, but it depends. That's it, the rest are a ripoff. | |
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| | Reviews:
·Frontier Communi..
| Re: Insurance To each their own I suppose, but I don't really like cases. I haven't found a good one that isn't overly bulky. I do invest in good screen protectors (plug: the invisible shield, WAY better than the el-cheapo one you get from your carrier), but I've never really liked cases for any of my phones. There's something to be said for holding the phone in your hand without a case between you and it, IMHO anyway.
Generally, I'm careful with my phones, but nobody is perfect, and I do drop mine from time to time. Compared to my friend's phones though, mine might as well be new in box. It's sad to see how much abuse they take from the "average" person! | |
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| | |  Simba7I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT | Re: Insurance All it takes is one good drop in the right position.
One reason I have my phone in an Otterbox. I'd rather not take that chance. | |
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| | | | Reviews:
·Frontier Communi..
| Re: Insurance Well, the DX is the first phone I've ever had to replace, and it might not have been the drop that killed it. I think it did, but the rep at the Verizon store indicated that a lot of them have failed in the manner mine did.
As I said, to each their own! | |
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| | Bubble's Going to Burst Customers aren't going to keep shelling out these ridiculous bills for these forever. They're stupid, but they're not that stupid, and they're increasingly poorer.
Wireless is more bloated than cable TV. | |
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| neftv
join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA | Re: Bubble's Going to Burst Your be surprise how stupid people will just keep paying. Cell phone bill is the least challenged. Bubble may burst but it will be other things before a cell phone bill. | |
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| tiger72SexaT duorPPremium
join:2001-03-28
Saint Louis, MO
kudos:1 | said by osravens:Customers aren't going to keep shelling out these ridiculous bills for these forever. They're stupid, but they're not that stupid, and they're increasingly poorer.
Wireless is more bloated than cable TV.
If they weren't "that stupid" they'd go prepaid and cut their bills in half. When it comes to math, our collective stupidity knows virtually no bounds.
--
"What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? ...If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning."
-United States Secretary of Defense (1961-1968) Robert S. McNamara | |
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| | | Re: I recently jumped off that bandwagon said by MovieLover76:Went with Straight Talk with AT&T sim, after taxes it's about $48 a month and I don't see any real difference in the service, I'm very happy with the switch, only regret is that I didn't do it earlier. Same boat as you. Although as IT support, I still get StraightTalk's data usage warning and that is with no youtube or netflix streaming.
They do give you unlimited data, just not unlimited 4G data. When I call to have them reset me, I get 6-9Mbps down and 3 up. After I've get the death call its more like 0.18Mbps down, but still 2-3 Up.
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"My weakness is that I care too much" | |
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| | | | Re: I recently jumped off that bandwagon Very happy to see both of your posts. I too went with a Galaxy Nexus GSM on Straight talk, halved my bill. Couldn't be happier with my phone (big win!) and service. Looking to move other family members to do the same.
You don't have to pay through the noise to enjoy your communication experience people! Leave your over valued carrier plans for better pastures please!!! | |
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 bohratomJersey Shore will rise again
join:2011-07-07
Red Bank NJ | What a sad story about our society... The sad part of this story is probably like 95% of those that pay $100+ a month do not really need it. I have a wireless plan which is "pay as you go". I put $25 dollars on it once a year and have it for one reason and one reason only, Emergencies.
Im in my early 40's and I did survive in HS and college without any wireless device and things worked out pretty damn good.  | |
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| | | Re: What a sad story about our society... said by bohratom:Im in my early 40's and I did survive in HS and college without any wireless device and things worked out pretty damn good.
Well duh, you "had" to survive without a cell phone in your day or you had to carry around a huge and heavy brick err I mean payphone on your back. | |
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| bemis
join:2008-07-18
Reading, MA Reviews:
·Comcast
·Verizon FiOS
| I put put $53.13 into my at&t pre-paid wireless account each month.
That covers their $25/mo for 250 mins & texts plus $25/mo for 1GB of data, the $3.13 is state sales tax. Every year or so I put an extra $15 to cover the 75c/mo they charge for 911 service.
So my monthly bill for iPhone service is under $54 and I still end up wasting data/mins at the end of the month.
I was quite happy with the previous setup which was $15/mo for 500MB of data and 10c/min for voice and text... but that wasn't nearly lucrative enough for at&t who are realizing that people have discovered pre-paid plans make more financial sense, particular when you're not the type who cares to get a new phone every 2 years. | |
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| | 21% pay more for wireless than groceries? If 21% are paying more for wireless than groceries, then they are not buying enough groceries and are probably paying more to eat out than they are paying for wireless and groceries combined.
They should check their priorities and maybe save money and get healthier as well. | |
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See 11 replies to this post |
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|  Jim_in_VA
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA
kudos:4 | Loving my Sprint SERO plan ... $30 a month, 500 minutes, unlimited data and text. Not about to give this plan up. Two phones and plans - $60 a month.
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... need help? »evdo-tips.com/ | |
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 Steve MehsGun Control Is Using A Steady HandPremium
join:2005-07-16 | Yay! I'm above average! I've got that $100 figure almost tripled
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 myosh
join:2001-05-03
Cupertino, CA | Yay! I'm below average... I consider myself to be very, VERY lucky. My total wireless bill comes to just under $70/month and I have an iPhone 4 (soon to be an iPhone 5). I have so many legacy and grandfathered AT&T plans it's ridiculous...
Voice: 250 peak, 1000 off-peak -- $30/month *** Legacy ***
Texting: 200 messages -- $5/month *** Grandfathered ***
Data: Unlimited data for iPhone -- $30/month *** Grandfathered ***
From what I understand, if I upgrade to the iPhone 5, all of these plans will carryover to the new phone. I've heard that AT&T is doing this to keep those of us with unlimited data from jumping to another provider. Granted iPhone 5 users will be throttled after 5 GB.
The voice plan was something I've been able to hang on to since I signed up with Cingular Wireless. The phone I got at that time was a Motorola V551 flip-phone. | |
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elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA | So what? If you want to spend ~$120 a month to have a Verizon iPhone plan, knock yourself out. | |
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| | Ask your carrier/employer We have a four dumbphone family plan with Verizon Wireless.
NATIONWIDE TLK&TXT SHARE 700 (no longer available, of course)
Includes:
Monthly Account Access Charge
Monthly Line Access Charge for 4 lines
700 Shared Monthly Allowance Minutes
Per Minute Rate After Allowance: $0.45/min. Peak , $0.45/min. Off-Peak
We have three other lines at $9.99 each, with another $5 per line for taxes, fees, because-we-can charges, etc.
Our total every month: $120.02.
This may sound like a no-brainer but check with your employer for discounts. My husband is a state employee (MI), and that takes off a very nice 19%. Unfortunately they don't give a discount for data plans, including Jetpacks. | |
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MrHappy316Wish I had my tankPremium
join:2003-01-02
Monterey, CA | Family Plans Don't forget most of these stats probably don't take into consideration that they're family plans. Also a good chance that some in those family plans are helping foot their part of the bill. That said, I only spend $30 on prepaid thanks to T-mobile | |
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 dbmavenThere's no shortagePremium,Mod
join:1999-10-26
Sty in Sky
kudos:2 |  (topic offline) dff
This entire topic was removed, either temporarily, or permanently.
stated reason was: Cleanup | |
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| | If you're single You'll pay less than $100.
If you have more than one person in the household you will pay less than $100 per person.
Anyone paying more than $100 for one person is an idiot. | |
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