Cell phones: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers?
- 8/15/07 1:57 PM
My existing provider would need to screw up - badly
by punterjoe - 8/16/07 9:18 AM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I carefully chose my current provider. They would have to get significantly worse, along with their competition getting uncharacteristically better, for me to jump ship. Of course the wildcard is someone new entering the field with an entirely new business model. But what are the odds of that? 
As for phone selection, I buy my (GSM) phones directly from the Mfr. It's more expensive, but I have much more choice & it's worth it to me.
Opting for more than one reason....
by Diva_Dew - 8/16/07 10:13 AM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'd opt to switch for more than one reason. Sure, a wider phone selection & faster web-browsing would be awesome, but I'd definitely love to have a shorter contract (or even No contract to be held to) and better plans & pricing.
I think some may argue on the "No contract" or shorter contract thing, but if someone is completely satisfied with the provider's service, they'd definitely (or at least likely) keep coming back for more. If they're dissatisfied with the service, they wouldn't have to pay a penalty to switch carriers of they didn't have a contract. The shorter contract would allow someone who's unhappy to wait it out for less time.
Wider phone selections would indeed be helpful. I honestly feel that some of the current phone selections available are just far too limiting. If someone wants a "cute," do-it-all phone (i.e. Sidekick iD), then they should be able to get what they want without the product lacking features (wifi) or quality. I think that people should be able to purchase whatever phone they want (provided it works on the same frequencies, etc.) and hook up to their provider of choice. Though this currently can be done with GSM, I'd love to see it for CDMA phones as well.
In terms of browsing speeds, I'd consider that to be a fringe benefit. That said, if one's paying for a data plan, they should be able to surf the web with ease & decent speeds.
Lastly, it would be nice to be able to build our own plans without getting a bunch of extra fees tacked on, or get decent deals on package plans. Some places do this, but in many cases, it seems those places don't offer national service. One company I've dealt with in the past had awesome pricing for package plans (Sprint). We had a heck of a deal going on our plan (which was through a business we worked for), but when we switched carriers & were no longer working with the business, we lost the plan. 
Had we stayed, we could have kept the rates & the plan we had regardless of whether or not we were working for the business.
We switched because we wanted GSM capabilities (can move the SIM card from one phone to another if needed) and because pricing for their smart phones was better, but lost having unlimited data & unlimited text messaging on at least one line, and 300 text messages on the other two lines we had.
Currently, each company has its pros & cons, but as a consumer, I still feel limited in choices on almost all of the above. It would be nice to see a change for the better with all carriers in the States.
Better rate plans!
by gummie22 - 8/16/07 10:43 AM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I use my phone for emergencies and quick calls to keep in touch with my family. We have 2 lines, and combined, we have never used more than 100 minutes in a month! I object to being "forced" to buy 700 minutes for $10 more a month, and we didn't agree to it when our contract was up. We worked with our provider, and negotiated to keep our 400 minute plan at the same price, for 3 more years!!!!
Bottom line - if you threaten to leave, they may work with you to keep you as a customer! You just have to find the right people to complain to!
Cell phone plans
by ckhocky - 8/16/07 11:18 AM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I would love to see a carrier have a modest shared minute plan that would be set up for a family. We don't use our cell phones that much and currently use Vigin Mobile as our service. If there was a family plan that allowed about 150-200 minutes a month to be shared by, in my case, up to 5 people for about $30-40 a month, and without the extra phone charge fees ($10 per phone, are you kidding?), we would switch immediately. Until then pay as you go for us seems best.
Another thought would be a company that would offer land-line phone, internet, tv, and cell phone service at a reasonable cost. That too would interest me.
Dreaming on either account? Probably. It's as I learned on a recent vacation; corporate greed is more important than customer service.
Missing choice - won't switch
by peter4012 - 8/16/07 11:26 AM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
OK, I guss if my carrier goes out of business - or sells to an undesirable I'll have to - but for phone service I'll stick to my Verizon - Though data service phone selections are a bit poor - but then I really just wanted a good PHONE SERVICE
coverage area of course
by shivammax - 8/16/07 11:45 AM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You buy your cellphone primarily to make phone calls. what's it to do with the camera and all. We want connectivity! You get lost with your $ 30, 000 camera phone but you can't get the signal then what's the use of it. So more important is the connectivity that the cellular carrier offers.
Better rates
by johnjuniet - 8/16/07 12:27 PM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Better rates... less money, more benefits is always a good thing for the phone.
Better everything really
by lynjs - 8/16/07 12:50 PM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Currently, I'm on a pay as you go plan through TracFone. I buy minutes and/or time that lasts up to three months or more depending on what I buy. It is convenient for me because I don't see the cell phone as another appendage. I use it for just what it was made for: a way to call if one is on the road and there is an emergency or one is shopping and needs to know if there is something more that he/she has forgotten.
If my local phone service AT&T instituted a phone service like the one that I have where I can pay when I pay my landline phone and the charge would come on my bill every three or so months, I might consider swtiching.
Until then, I'll just deal with TracFone. It is really cheap and inexpensive, something that folk on a small budget like myself needs instead of a long contract with payments of $50 on up per month.
Cellphone carriers hve lost touch with subscribers
by loudor - 8/16/07 1:07 PM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The results of the survey show that, by far, the biggest plurality of voters want cheaper rates and more plans. In my case, I never use more than 200 minutes a month and sometimes as few as 30. I only use voice, never text. The carriers only seem to push uneeded fancier phones and fancier features. Just look at the full page adds in the newspapers every day. Unfortunately, the only way (in most cases) to get cell phone service is to get locked in to a long contract period.
The cell phone establishment is stifling the expansion of cell phone use in the USA. Compared to other countries in the rest of the world we are way behind.
Lou
just a phone at 15 dollars a month
by bus - 8/16/07 3:42 PM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The plan would be for a phone on the cheap, no other features. No hidden fees or add on taxes. Service contract month to month, no early termination fees. All incoming calls are free to me and fee to whoever is calling me. All 911 calls I make are free. All out going calls to non-800 numbers are 15 cents a minute. Any call less than a minute, no charge.
The phone, the thing you talk into, will have a mouth piece and a ear piece that fits like the old phones did. It must be big enough so that you can read and dial the numbers. No display to eat up battery life, just beeps to indicate connection trouble (dial tone ok, no dial tone not ok). User re-placeable batteries that can be bought like flash light batteries.
font size
by taliesinjones - 8/16/07 4:37 PM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have talked with so many people my age that would trade any cell phone for one that offers a font large enough to be read easily whether it be the numbers or text. Nothing is more frustrating than to miss a call or a text and not be able to respond because you can't read it without going to find reading glasses. I also resent the fact that every time I upgrade my phone that I have to purchase all new assessories. I'd like to find a carrier that's 'user interested'.
What made me switch to new carrier
by betteguadalupe - 8/16/07 4:53 PM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Cingular aka AT&T I hate them..they kept me locked into a contract and I know they knew I was in a Dead Zone..since I called customer service and the lady was kind enough to tell me if I couldn't get the service in my house, is to go about a mile down the road to a rotary and I would get good connection..hmm is that the way to treat a paying customer?? I don't think so??
Sell me an unlocked phone at a fair price...
by pegraves - 8/16/07 5:32 PM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I don't agree with the carrier approach to sell phones "cheap" and then lock the customer into a long term contract. Why not offer selling unlocked phones at a fair price and then offer tiered service plans starting at no commitment and up. If the carrier is decent, I figure they won't have much to worry about except a change in the way they make money.
Trick question??
by eldernorm - 8/16/07 5:40 PM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I use a cell phone as a . . . . . wait for it . . . . . phone. If I cannot connect, it does not work for me.
Would I like an iPhone? Absolutely. but I have an iPod and a phone so it would take a having the minimums covered first. Does it connect? OK, now features and a reasonable cost. Next -- OK now features. This is where the iPhone would come it.
If I travel more, the iPhone becomes my map to any city in the world. THEN I would jump on the iPhone.
I want my GSM!!
by richchrono - 8/16/07 8:55 PM In reply to: What would make you want to switch cellular carriers? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I currently have Verizon and am looking to upgrade my PDA/Smartphone. But if I'm going to spend $400 to $500 on a new one I want to be able to use it in Europe, Mexico, and Asia, all of whom use GSM as a standard. Verizon does not support this standard, so I am seriously considering switching.
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