Changing wireless providers

bob'smom

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Has anyone changed wireless providers? I am thinking of switching from Verizon to Metro PCS as a cost savings. Was it a hassle? Did you get to keep you old number? I know that I will have to pay $200 to get out of the current contract and buy new phones. In the end it will be cheaper to go with an unlimited talk/text plan because my brother is on the 2nd line and he's bankrupting me! He's always over in minutes and texts right now, and it will cost at least $30 per month more over Metro PCS to switch to a Verizon plan that **might** accommodate his usage. (Talk unlimited but capped # of text messages.) The up side of Verizon is I know their phones work across the country and I'm not sure of Metro PCS's level of service.
 

icklemiss21

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I would just tell your brother to stay within his plan and pay his own bill

I am in Canada so no experience with either, but often if you call and are serious about switching to another provider, they will work out a matching plan for you if you stay with them
 
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bob'smom

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Unfortunately I can't drop my brother. He's disabled and can't work - I did this to ensure he could call 911 or a family member if something happened. I'm going to look around this weekend and not make a snap decision.
 

momofmany

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You can definitely keep your phone number - it's mandated by law in the U.S. When you set up your new phone, just ask them to port your number over to them.

I just switched a few months ago and the new service was up and running in a couple of hours. Don't believe them if they tell you it takes a couple of days to port the number. If the new carrier can't do it immediately, you don't want them to service you as they are using backwards processes.

(I used to work for a phone company and set up the processes to port phone numbers)
 

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Originally Posted by Bob'sMom

my brother is on the 2nd line and he's bankrupting me! He's always over in minutes and texts right now,
Is it possible for him to talk less?
I was paying for Virgin Mobile on my own but now I'm "with" Verizon Wireless. Technically, I'm on my sister's husband's "family" plan (I think that's what it's called). My mom is on it too. She's a retiree on a fixed income. (Side notes: I severed ties with Virgin Mobile. Strangely enough, I think highly of Verizon Wireless but Verizon proper? Not so much. The reports of customer dissatisfaction with FiOS is proof (imo) that they should stick to what they know best--phones. But that's beside the point.)
 
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bob'smom

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My problem isn't with the Verizon Wireless service, it's with the cost vs. other providers. To get a family plan with unlimited calls and enough text is $119 per month. Metro PCS is $75 for unlimited calls and text. The funny thing is I don't text at all and do minimal calling. I've tried to get him to talk/text less but to little avail.
 

larussa

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I switched from Verizon to T-mobile. I waited till my contract with Verizon ended tho so I didn't have to pay for ending it early. I have the pay as you go plan with T-mobile so I have no darn contract at all and I love it. I have had it for about 6 months now and I really like this plan. It's much cheaper and I just buy minutes when I need them. This was a good decision for me.
 

mews2much

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My family use to have Metro and the service was so bad.
Both my sisters dumped it and so did my brother.
My Dad has it and calls are dropped all the time and he has to call back.
I have Verizon and love it.
One of the few times my phone did not work was at the last cat show.
It works most places that other providers do not work at.
 

larussa

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Originally Posted by mews2much

My family use to have Metro and the service was so bad.
Both my sisters dumped it and so did my brother.
My Dad has it and calls are dropped all the time and he has to call back.
I have Verizon and love it.
One of the few times my phone did not work was at the last cat show.
It works most places that other providers do not work at.
I have never had a problem losing any calls with Verizon either, I still have them for my land line phone and my DSL. Would like to switch everything to cable tho in the future.
 

mews2much

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I would have bought the IPhone if Verizon had it.
I love the Droid Eris I got though.
I upload pics from cat shows straight to my fb and go online at the shows all the time.
 
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bob'smom

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I went into Best Buy and looked at the Metro PCS phones and was instantly turned off. No flip phones available. They all looked like they came from 5 years ago - an eternity in technology. The phones listed on their website all have rebate offers that have expired over a month ago. That's not a good sign that they're paying attention at all. Another bad sign is they closed their company store. I have my doubts about service. I think I'll go over to the Verizon store and look at my options there tomorrow. Sometimes you're better off with the devil you know.
 

emrldsky

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Have you thought about getting him a phone intended for children? Verizon has the Migo, where YOU can program which numbers are called, etc. It cannot do text messaging either.

*shrug* If he's going over constantly, and cannot be trusted to stay within the limits you imposed (since you ARE paying for the phone), then I think he should get whatever phone you give him.
 
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bob'smom

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Since he's an adult a child phone wouldn't work. At this point the most sensible thing may be to just find the right baseline plan on Verizon Wireless and go with that. I can deal with contracts in the sense that if I'm using the service it's all the same. My complaint hasn't been with the service it's just been the cost.
 

icklemiss21

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We have the child plans for our workers, they can call just the other phones within the plan, and the office (you choose the numbers the phone can call) and 911 - it saved us a lot on them using company phones to make personal calls
You say the phone is just so he can call 911 or a family member in an emergency, I would make it so because he is obviously abusing the phone that you pay for if he is going over a plan already much bigger

But as I mentioned, many companies will match a competitors plan if you ask them and are serious about switching, so it doesn't hurt to call verizon and ask
 

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I don't know if anyone's mentioned this but WalMart has a service called Straight Talk, they have two plans 1000 minutes/1000 texts and unlimited minutes/unlimited text ($45). I bought one and one for my mom and have had them for a few weeks. I did have to call customer service (downloaded a ringtone and didnt get it) and I didnt have any problems with them, aside from one person being a little difficult to understand. And they do have nice phones. I got one that looks sort of like a blackberry, my mom has a slider phone.
 

c1atsite

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Originally Posted by Bob'sMom

Another bad sign is they closed their company store. I have my doubts about service.
Another red flag is they're constantly advertising on TV (which is costly). makes you wonder why? Word of mouth must not be good then.
 
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bob'smom

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Trust me I know. I work for a TV station they advertise with. Verizon Wireless is also on with us, but not to the same level.
 

whisky'sdad

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Straight Talk from Walmart is on the Verizon network. $45 month to month for unlimited everything. NO CONTRACTS!!
 

c1atsite

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Originally Posted by Bob'sMom

Trust me I know. I work for a TV station they advertise with. Verizon Wireless is also on with us, but not to the same level.
Maybe you can get a discount via your job (like a B2B "perk" . Such things are rare but sometimes you get lucky)
 
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