Warning beware of Verizon's hidden fees

[VanDiemen23]

info came from a local provider. Although the behavior I had on my ATT phone and what I now have on my Verizon phone matches some of the behavior described when GSM sets are subject to high CDMA signal density.

[Mr_D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjburns They must use AT&T because the coverage maps are identical. Their coverage in many of the places we travel is inadequate. YMMV

That's what I think too and we quit AT&T because of the lousy coverage. Here at work if I'm at my desk I can't get a signal, I have to stand by a window. With Verizon I can be in the basement or elevator and still get a signal
Our Verizon contract is up in a few months and I'd really like to to go with Consumer, but I can't if it's AT&T's coverage area. Too many other dead areas in our travels too.

[Mr_D]

OP, I'm pretty sure ALL of the companies have "hidden" fees that you don't find out about till you sign up. It's not right but they do like KOA's (Keep On Adding). They just add fees for everything.
I just got a spam text message, we don't have text messaging on our plan but I can't shut it off from receiving them so I'll have to pay the charge for even the spam message.

[W4RLR]

Be grateful you do not have a contract. But the activation fee is fair. They do have expenses to turn your telephones on.

In defense of AT&T, I have found them to be most helpful whenever I call them with a problem, which is rare. As for their coverage, I have 3G service even in the tiny town of Whitwell, Tennessee. I'm able to tether my MacBook to my iPhone and have connectivity just about anywhere.

On the other hand, Verizon is the dominant carrier in the Sequatchie Valley of Tennessee, and I cannot count the number of people who are dissatisfied with their customer service.

[HD4Mark]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PyrateSilly Funny we have Verizon and don't have a problem in that area with service. hmmmmmm And it's not that calls are blocked from a carrier, it's the fact that the carrier does not have anything on the towers around there. Used to work for a tower company and the cell companies rent and put the stuff on the towers. No stuff on the tower no service from them. Of course the cell companies can and do build their own towers too so it maybe just that that's the case here.

This is correct. We worked for the wired side of Verizon that provides the T1s to the cell towers. Each tower would have T1s for Verizon Wireless, AT&T and any other provider that wanted to pay for them and pay rent to whoever owned the tower. If your provider did not buy into all of that, no service in that area.

It is hard to wrap your head around it but when you call from one cell to another it, with few exceptions, goes through the public switched telephone network (ma Bell) just like the old fashion phone that hung on your kitchen wall.

BTW Verizon keeps the wired side and the wireless side completely separate making the old wired side that made the money that build the wireless look not profitable and the wireless side profitable even though it all falls under stock named VZ.

[Ramblin]

Verizon is slimy like that.

No Contract service is the way of the future. I will never again sign another contract for cell coverage. I use Straight Talk, who is a subsidiary of TracPhone (sold thru wally world, or online). They offer unlimited everything service for flat $45/mo, or 1000 minutes/1000 texts for flat $30/mo) no contract no fees no surprises. You can choose to be on the verizon of ATT network (depending on which phone you buy, GSM is on the ATT network, and CDMA on Verizon) Their tech support sucks, but so does Verizons. Porting your number is quick and easy thru their web site.