Cell phones forum: Verizon National Single Rate vs. Verizon America's Choice

As long as you travel to the areas that America's Choice doesn't cover, don't switch.

In my case, I switched from the National Single Rate plan a few months ago for more minutes at the same price, and the coverage is still very good. I swore I'd never switch from the National Single Rate plan, but I started swaying when Verizon eliminated roaming on the America's Choice. I'm a bit paranoid that I'll wind up in the middle of nowhere and not have coverage, but the odds of that happening are less than the odds of running out of minutes. Otherwise, call quality is as excellent as it ever was...in 4 years with Verizon, I've never had a dropped or garbled call, nor busy signal. To me, Verizon service and a Kyocera phone are an unbeatable combination.

I seem to hear good and bad reviews from people who have LG VX6100 phones. My Uncle Bob got 4 LG VX6100 phones as part of the promotional family share plan, and only his has problems. My Uncle Terry has a Motorola V276 & LG VX6100, and both give him problems indoors. I have a Samsung a650 flip phone and mine worked in more areas that their LG's wouldn't. My Uncle Terry couldn't believe my Samsung & my Mom's Nokia from Verizon Wireless worked in his house while his LG & Motorola wouldn't. He's thinking about getting a Samsung as his next phone. But to the previous poster above who mentioned Kyocera having good reception. I agree that they do have good reception. I had one before. I got rid of it because the 2235 was too bright for me and the brightness couldn't be adjusted. But with the Americas Choice plan, I believe they went with no roaming anywhere because they're phasing out tri-mode phones and plan to shut off their analog network within the next year, along with Cingular. Right now I'm on the old Americas Choice plan, so I can only travel to certain areas and roam at no charge. But I don't have to worry because the only time I roam is when I go into Michigan around Niles, Benton Harbor, and my favorite place, Saugatuck, where Alltel picks up my calls. But otherwise all other places I travel are on Verizon Wireless's network.

Verizon rep mentioned 911 taking over analog.

So when will they push satalite?

My trimode phone had to be replaced, batteries were not available (old StarTack?) (I am on the National Single Rate). The rep at the store was unfamiliar with this plan and sold me the wrong phone (digital compatible with the America's Choice plan but not single rate)so I, for a different reason experienced the same problems you are experiencing.

Subsequently, I researched the coverage plans and phones, the Single rate has broader coverage, Verizon is phazing out analog at some future date yet to be confirmed, so long term this plan will be gone. Verizon's trimode phones are only LG 3300,4650 & 5200.

I am changing to a tri mode phone in order to access the functionality of the National Single Rate plan which I pay for but unable to acess with the Samaung A670 which they sold me.

When I previously had the trimode phone, I carried it (it's my personal phone) along with my company phone, our company had t-mobile, AT&T digital and Sprint at various times. The Verizon TriMode and National Single Rate plan out performed all the others in size of service area, quality of reception and not dropping calls.

Everytime I speak with Verizon they pitch the America's Choice plan and are less informed to ignorant on the benefits of their National Single Rate plan.

Our plumber uses Single rate/trimode even though he is local because of its superiority-his livelyhood depends on connectivity. Since getting the non-trimode, phone I have stood next to him on job sites where he got reception and I did not.

My wife and I both have LG 6100 phones, we've had them for one year. Although the 6100 receives good reviews, neither me nor my wife would recommend the phone. We've both exchanged our phones 3 times and now Verizon is going to exchange them again for a different brand tri-mode. Our experiences are similar and we have the following comments:

1. The LG 6100's reception is less than acceptable and it has trouble maintianing a call in areas where the signal is not strong. Our Son has a Motorola V265 and he receives and holds calls in the places where the LG 6100 either does not receive the call or receives the call and then drops it.

2. The 6100's software does not have an ongoing reminder for unretrieved voice mails. That is, you get one alert when the voice mail is initially received but, if you don't hear the alert it or choose to delay retrieving the message(i.e. you're in a meeting) - there are no further reminders. The result is - you must remember that you have a voice mail. Other phones we have owned provide a periodic reminder until a voice message has been retrieved.

3. There is an external button on the side of the phone that silences the phone and/or initiates driving mode. The button protrudes slightly from the phone and is easily depressed. Unfortumately, it gets accidentally depressed frequently which makes it easy to miss calls.

There are several other annoying nuances that negate the 6100's better features and render the overall performance of the phone to be unacceptable. I look forward to switching to another model.

Unfortunately the exchange process requires a personal visit to the Verizon store, waiting in line and then dealing with the tech who tries persuade the customer (you) that the reception problem is due to tower problems or that all phones work that way. In response to this ongoing frustration I recently presented Verizon with a form to transfer my cell number to Cingular whereupon I was advised that Verizon would exchange the 6100 for another another model. Coincedentally, each time I've stood in line at the Verizon store I have met others experiencing the same issues with the LG 6100.

In switching from a Nokia 3589 to first an LG 8100, then 6100, I nearly lost a girlfriend. The first call from my 8100 she started complaining of drop off and un entiligible conversations. I switched to the 6100 in an attempt to keep the mycast weather application that I sought, and she hated it even worse and said don't call her on it again.

I then went to a Motorola xxxx and the voice was great, but the application couldn't be viewed.

On to Augiovox which gave acceptable voice, but not the application.

It's a good thing Verizon does communications so darned well, or I'd be shopping for a carrier again.

The old America's Choice 1 plan had pretty much the same coverage as the National Rate, but you paid roaming chareges off the America's Choice Network. I think the change was as much to eliminate confusion with the new America's Choice 2 program you don't get the coverage but you don't pay roaming. I think people couldn't figure out that if the roaming lite was blinking it meant you were off the Verizon Network some lost some feature but still no roaming charges and when the rm indicator was on but not blinking it meant you had to pay roaming charges.

In any event if you can get signal you can make 911 calls and you should be able to make a credit card call through the national roaming operator, something like $3.00 1st minute and $2.00 eadh aditional

After 5 trouble free years with Verizon and Nokia, I am upgrading at their invitation and getting nothing but grief.

I wanted an application "Mycast Weather" from Digital Cyclone, and afer 6 phones, I still can't get it with a phone that does voice worth a damn.

I have a Nokia 3589i which runs "Pilot Mycast" which is a larger and more expensive application, but few of the other phones offered, and none of the Nokias will run the simpler application from the same source.

Verizon is controling what runs where, apparently as a marketing decision, probably to get rid of inventory.

I tried the LG 8100, and 6100, and neither gave the voice performance of my OLD Nokia. Motorola was good at voice, but I couldn't view the application on their screen.

It looks like TriMode is the answer, and be sure to test your new phone in your most critical reception areas.

Good Luck.