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16.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 24, 2025, 16:24
16.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 24, 2025, 16:24
Jan 24, 2025, 16:24
 
Madoc Owain wrote on Jan 24, 2025, 09:12:
The Flying Penguin wrote on Jan 23, 2025, 14:06:
I really need to move the wife to T-Mobile, but I can't move Dad. He has an old Verizon locked contractor's flip phone, and he's age 101 and doesn't adapt to changes in tech very well. What REALLY annoys me is that Verizon used to sell me a cheaper non-data plan for his line, but now the bastards make you pay for a full unlimited data plan... for a phone that has zero data capabilities. Grrrr

In 2018 I had a flip-phone through Consumer Cellular, very reasonable rates, easy to deal with and use at the time. Maybe that would be a viable avenue for your dad?

Oh could get him a flip phone through T-Mobile, but it would be a different model. He doesn't like change.
"I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes."
- Joanna Maciejewska
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15.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 24, 2025, 09:12
15.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 24, 2025, 09:12
Jan 24, 2025, 09:12
 
The Flying Penguin wrote on Jan 23, 2025, 14:06:
I really need to move the wife to T-Mobile, but I can't move Dad. He has an old Verizon locked contractor's flip phone, and he's age 101 and doesn't adapt to changes in tech very well. What REALLY annoys me is that Verizon used to sell me a cheaper non-data plan for his line, but now the bastards make you pay for a full unlimited data plan... for a phone that has zero data capabilities. Grrrr

In 2018 I had a flip-phone through Consumer Cellular, very reasonable rates, easy to deal with and use at the time. Maybe that would be a viable avenue for your dad?
14.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 21:29
Jivaro
 
14.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 21:29
Jan 23, 2025, 21:29
 Jivaro
 
My first cell phone was on Sprint/Nextel because that's what my job wanted...Nextel access. I didn't even want a cell phone. Then, after that Nextel smell wore off, Gateway gave me the Samsung SPH-i300. A Palm cell phone. This was the first 'smartphone' I came across and it was dumb as shit. It was heavy, it ate it's battery, and the only thing that worked right was the phone part. All of the Palm stuff turned out to be useless in my work sphere. As you can imagine, I was not all that excited for Droid or iPhone when they were released because of that experience. I thought it was going to be more useless BS. (that opinion aged well eh?) My soon-to-be-wife at the time decided we needed to get on the same plan, so she dragged me to ATT, where I am still at today despite a divorce. Two phone companies in 25 years. I wonder if I would have saved any money playing duck duck goose with phone companies in that time.

edit: I mean, I know I would have saved some money...I should have said "enough to make it worth the hassle"


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13.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 18:47
13.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 18:47
Jan 23, 2025, 18:47
 
chickenboo wrote on Jan 23, 2025, 17:31:
Kxmode wrote on Jan 23, 2025, 17:08:
I switched to Mint Mobile a while back, which operates on T-Mobile's network and is now owned by T-Mobile. It costs me just over $200 a year for 5GB/month—a huge difference compared to the $750+ I used to spend annually with AT&T. Plus Ryan Reynolds puts out funny commercials for Mint Mobile including one where he brought Rick Moranis out of retirement (Rick Moranis y'all!)!
$200/year = $16/month? That's super good! 5gb data? Not so good.
5GB works perfectly for me since I’m near Wi-Fi about 90% of the time. I don’t need a lot of data—I don’t even use a full GB per month, let alone 5.
chickenboo wrote on Jan 23, 2025, 17:31:
My wife and I switched to Virgin Mobile during boxing week here in Canada where we get much, much worse phone deals/plans, anyway it's $29/month (but $19/month for first 6 months with a discount) for 20gb data each. So that's $288/yr for each of us, or $576 total in year one.
Our old provider kept increasing our data limit but refusing to offer us anything less than like $45/month, and we had been on $50 and $60/m plans, respectively (but "with 120gb data" which we didn't use). Telecoms in Canada need to learn that we want low-data, low-price plans. Ideally want to pay $10-$20 per month for 10gb of data.
If you’re around Wi-Fi a lot, you could definitely lower your costs by going with a smaller data plan!
"Listen, Peter... with great horsepower comes... the sickest drifts..." - source
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12.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 17:31
12.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 17:31
Jan 23, 2025, 17:31
 
Kxmode wrote on Jan 23, 2025, 17:08:
I switched to Mint Mobile a while back, which operates on T-Mobile's network and is now owned by T-Mobile. It costs me just over $200 a year for 5GB/month—a huge difference compared to the $750+ I used to spend annually with AT&T. Plus Ryan Reynolds puts out funny commercials for Mint Mobile including one where he brought Rick Moranis out of retirement (Rick Moranis y'all!)!
$200/year = $16/month? That's super good! 5gb data? Not so good.
My wife and I switched to Virgin Mobile during boxing week here in Canada where we get much, much worse phone deals/plans, anyway it's $29/month (but $19/month for first 6 months with a discount) for 20gb data each. So that's $288/yr for each of us, or $576 total in year one.
Our old provider kept increasing our data limit but refusing to offer us anything less than like $45/month, and we had been on $50 and $60/m plans, respectively (but "with 120gb data" which we didn't use). Telecoms in Canada need to learn that we want low-data, low-price plans. Ideally want to pay $10-$20 per month for 10gb of data.
11.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 17:22
PHJF
 
11.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 17:22
Jan 23, 2025, 17:22
 PHJF
 
Xfinity Mobile user just because I use Xfinity Internet and the mobile is very cheap when bundled.

$40/mo for 800Gb internet and $60/mo for two phone lines.
Steam + PSN: PHJF
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10.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 17:08
10.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 17:08
Jan 23, 2025, 17:08
 
I switched to Mint Mobile a while back, which operates on T-Mobile's network and is now owned by T-Mobile. It costs me just over $200 a year for 5GB/month—a huge difference compared to the $750+ I used to spend annually with AT&T. Plus Ryan Reynolds puts out funny commercials for Mint Mobile including one where he brought Rick Moranis out of retirement (Rick Moranis y'all!)!
"Listen, Peter... with great horsepower comes... the sickest drifts..." - source
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9.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 16:37
9.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 16:37
Jan 23, 2025, 16:37
 
The Flying Penguin wrote on Jan 23, 2025, 16:22:
What I really like about T-Mobile is their voicemail transcription service. It's surprisingly good. If someone leaves me a message, within a minute I get an SMS that's from their number with a transcription of the voice mail.
It's built-into google's phone app and is called Visual Voicemail.
By now only the shittiest of carriers wouldn't support it, meaning Verizon probably doesn't.
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8.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 16:34
8.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 16:34
Jan 23, 2025, 16:34
 
I am on Google Fi at $125 for 5 lines. Yeah I know, Google, but it goes nicely with my Pixel.

No complaints, in fact I quite like it. However I recently sold a domain name that I was using as my primary email for over 25 years and only because it was an offer I couldn't refuse. Since it was a Google Workspace address and the primary Fi account holder, I had to completely dissolve the Fi account and move all the members to a different plan because of the Google integration. Their support is usually great, and takes only seconds to get in contact with. However in this situation they were unable to provide the final bill to a different email address after I sold the domain so they couldn't show me what I was charged for in the end. I knew there would be some different charges because of ending some promotions on my old account, but I wanted to know what exactly. They told me to just dispute the charges with my bank. Hopefully that doesn't come back to bite me.

This comment was edited on Jan 23, 2025, 17:10.
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7.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 16:22
7.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 16:22
Jan 23, 2025, 16:22
 
What I really like about T-Mobile is their voicemail transcription service. It's surprisingly good. If someone leaves me a message, within a minute I get an SMS that's from their number with a transcription of the voice mail.

I have one friend, in particular, who likes to leave essays, and it's easier just to read the transcript.

Data bandwidth has been excellent - I've used my phone as a hot spot for my gaming PC during the last hurricane, when Comcast went down. Gaming all night while the wind raged outside, while watching The Weather Channel on my second monitor, kept me sane and awake to deal with possible storm issues.
"I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes."
- Joanna Maciejewska
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6.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 16:11
6.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 16:11
Jan 23, 2025, 16:11
 
I switched to T-Mobile 3 years ago and its been awesome.

I have been using their Home Internet because of where i live. It was great when i got it 3 years ago and they keep making it better and better.

They never slow it down and i regularly pass 1 TB in a month.

I also just got approved to be in the beta test program for their new partnership with Starlink. i cant wait to test it going out in the boonies.

5.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 15:28
5.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 15:28
Jan 23, 2025, 15:28
 
Verizon the price!
"Listen, Peter... with great horsepower comes... the sickest drifts..." - source
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4.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 15:14
4.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 15:14
Jan 23, 2025, 15:14
 
The Flying Penguin wrote on Jan 23, 2025, 14:06:
I have 2 phones on Verizon (wife's and Dad's flip phone), I moved my two phones to T-Mobile a couple of years ago. For comparison, I pay $170 for 2 lines at Verizon, while paying $100 for 2 lines at T-Mobile. To top that off, Verizon's 5G deployment here has been a disaster. The reason I moved my two phones is because Verizon's network was so over extended, that data rates tanked.

I really need to move the wife to T-Mobile, but I can't move Dad. He has an old Verizon locked contractor's flip phone, and he's age 101 and doesn't adapt to changes in tech very well. What REALLY annoys me is that Verizon used to sell me a cheaper non-data plan for his line, but now the bastards make you pay for a full unlimited data plan... for a phone that has zero data capabilities. Grrrr

Why not file complaints with your Ombudsman - if you have one - and various elected reps? That's their job, what they get paid for, to deal with shit like that. Maybe local media too with their consumer protection reporters. Corps hate having the spotlight shined on them for these sorts of shenanigans. Having to pay for a data plan when a phone doesn't have data is just absurd. Sometimes, surprisingly, you get action on stuff like this. It only takes a few minutes of your time to draw up a draft and send it out to them all.
“With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." - Aaron Sati
3.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 14:06
3.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 14:06
Jan 23, 2025, 14:06
 
I have 2 phones on Verizon (wife's and Dad's flip phone), I moved my two phones to T-Mobile a couple of years ago. For comparison, I pay $170 for 2 lines at Verizon, while paying $100 for 2 lines at T-Mobile. To top that off, Verizon's 5G deployment here has been a disaster. The reason I moved my two phones is because Verizon's network was so over extended, that data rates tanked.

I really need to move the wife to T-Mobile, but I can't move Dad. He has an old Verizon locked contractor's flip phone, and he's age 101 and doesn't adapt to changes in tech very well. What REALLY annoys me is that Verizon used to sell me a cheaper non-data plan for his line, but now the bastards make you pay for a full unlimited data plan... for a phone that has zero data capabilities. Grrrr
"I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes."
- Joanna Maciejewska
Avatar 22380
2.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 12:07
2.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 12:07
Jan 23, 2025, 12:07
 
A few years back I upgraded my S21 to the awful S22 because Verizon offered me a free one if I upgraded my plan. The plan was actually better for me, so sure. I clicked a link emailed to me for the promo and followed the directions. But it didn't explicitly tell me I had to go in and separately upgrade my plan - I thought it was just done automatically since it said the promo was applied.

The promo was not applied.

When I got my monthly bill, with a charge for the phone, I called Verizon, who I'd used for 20 years. They said I didn't upgrade my plan in time. The promo expired a few days earlier, and they wouldn't go back and retro apply it. The entire checkout experience made it look like I had received the promo, but I had not. I paid full price for that awful phone.
1.
 
Re: Morning Mobilization
Jan 23, 2025, 11:59
1.
Re: Morning Mobilization Jan 23, 2025, 11:59
Jan 23, 2025, 11:59
 
I recently had to deal with Verizon phone support for a customer. What a nightmare.
Here's one of the issues I ran up against not involving the customers initial complaint (which was a completely different ball of warm piss)
The customer had mentioned in passing that she was told her phone was paid for by employees of two different Verizon stores. Sweet, that would make it easy to dump Verizon and switch her to a cheaper carrier, saving her over $600 a year.
After logging in I saw that $400 was still owed on the customers phone.
Customer reiterated that was wrong, and repeated the phone was paid for.

The website said different.

When asked, Verizon phone support said the phone was paid for.
When asked again, phone support said that indeed the phone was paid for.
When pressed, Verizon phone support started gish galloping saying that the customer had started service during a special and so on and so forth bla bla bla bla bla.

I was obviously asking what appeared to be an impossible question to answer.

About the 4th or 5th time when asked if phone was paid off, the support tech said that as long as the customer continued to pay her monthly bill the phone would be paid for.

She indeed still owed $400 dollars for the phone. That could have been said at the beginning of questioning the discrepancy.
Sincerely
FVCK Verizon
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