New phone plan?

[ripvanwinkle]

My current plan is T Mobile. They are changing their billing process. Instead of billing to my Visa card they now say I have to give a debit card or bank account number. I don't think this is what I want to do. 

Is anyone using Consumer Cellular? I see the adds and it looks good.

[chiver78]

my parents have CC, and they also require a debit card for automatic billing. I know absolutely nothing about T-Mobile, but I can try to answer questions about CC....with the caveat that my knowledge is based solely on what I have researched from my mom's complaints. 

first question, though - are you old enough to be eligible for Consumer Cellular? 

[Artemis Windsong]

T-mobile made us get auto deduct from an account.  We used  a savings account we had to hold funds for a special purpose then left it open with a small balance. 

Last winter, the bank had sent us a letter for inactive account.  I just said interest is deposited every month.  That wasn't enough activity.  Now I don't have to transfer $5 a month to it.

[ripvanwinkle]

Jul 12, 2023 20:37:07 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

my parents have CC, and they also require a debit card for automatic billing. I know absolutely nothing about T-Mobile, but I can try to answer questions about CC....with the caveat that my knowledge is based solely on what I have researched from my mom's complaints. 

first question, though - are you old enough to be eligible for Consumer Cellular? 

Really?? I don't think there is a age requirement. I just want the credit card safety.

[teen persuasion]

Bogleheads has a discussion running: link

They are discussing the loss of the pay-by-CC discount. Someone seems to have figured out a workaround - set-up for bank account withdrawal, but if you pre-pay every month with a CC early enough (> 5 days ahead) the auto-pay won't deduct from your bank account, and they keep the discount (apparently).

Some are saying figure the loss of discount as added cost, and reshop for service.

[TheOtherMe]

Verizon now only has the $5 month discount for auto pay if you use a debit card or bank account withdrawal.  

It's the only time I use my debit card to pay something.  I don't like it but I also don't want to port the number to another provider.

[minnesotapaintlady]

I think I'm leaving Ting after almost 15 years.  We're starting to get too data heavy for it to be the big bargain it used to be.  I tried out Mint mobile a couple years ago and the service sucked at my house.  Like JUST at my house, I'd literally go a half mile down the road and it was perfect, but I got a new trial SIM yesterday and either there is a new tower or I had a faulty card last time, but it was fine at the house last night.  Still goes dead as a doornail driving through the valley to get to work, but so did Ting since they quit going off of Sprint towers. 

Crossing my fingers it works because it's only $15/month for unlimited for the first 3 months, even when it transitions the most expensive is $30/month (unlimited everything) if you pay for 12 months at a time.  Added bonus, ODS can take over his phone bill as it will be separate, he's been asking to but we're on a plan where all our data is pooled and it's one bill.

[Lizard Queen]

Jul 13, 2023 14:22:00 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I think I'm leaving Ting after almost 15 years.  We're starting to get too data heavy for it to be the big bargain it used to be.  I tried out Mint mobile a couple years ago and the service sucked at my house.  Like JUST at my house, I'd literally go a half mile down the road and it was perfect, but I got a new trial SIM yesterday and either there is a new tower or I had a faulty card last time, but it was fine at the house last night.  Still goes dead as a doornail driving through the valley to get to work, but so did Ting since they quit going off of Sprint towers. 

Crossing my fingers it works because it's only $15/month for unlimited for the first 3 months, even when it transitions the most expensive is $30/month (unlimited everything) if you pay for 12 months at a time.  Added bonus, ODS can take over his phone bill as it will be separate, he's been asking to but we're on a plan where all our data is pooled and it's one bill.

I'm going to point my DH in that direction. He's been running through his data lately.

[grumpyhermit]

I use Visible, which is Verizon's discount carrier ($30 a both for a single unlimited Talk/Text/Date plan). I have it set to auto charge my Discover card each month. 

It's a discount carrier, so if network traffic is high, your data will get de-prioritized. I am either at home, or at work, 90% of the time so blazing fast data is not something I need on the go - the most I do is stream music. Early days I had a few dropped calls, but other than that I have no complaints. I was on Verizon before the switch, so my phone was compatible. 

Regardless of who you switch too, phone compatibility is something to check unless you plan on buying a new one anyway. 

[ripvanwinkle]

Caution- Never switch phone providers on a Friday! I made the switch to Consumer Cellular last Friday at Target. Went smoothly until CC went to "Port my number over" meaning contact T Mobile and give them the numbers off my phone. CC had a problem so to keep my phone working we put my T Mobile sim card back in and was told number would be ported by noon Saturday.

Well at noon I put in the CC sim card in. That's when I started to have problems. Nobody could call me. Went to voice mail but no voice mail showed up. I could get texts. I could call out.

After 8 calls Saturday and Sunday to CC the final tech found the problem. Apparently my phone number Port Over request did not go thru and I was still on T Mobile. I finally got my phone number switched on Monday.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Jul 31, 2023 15:50:02 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Jul 13, 2023 14:22:00 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I think I'm leaving Ting after almost 15 years.  We're starting to get too data heavy for it to be the big bargain it used to be.  I tried out Mint mobile a couple years ago and the service sucked at my house.  Like JUST at my house, I'd literally go a half mile down the road and it was perfect, but I got a new trial SIM yesterday and either there is a new tower or I had a faulty card last time, but it was fine at the house last night.  Still goes dead as a doornail driving through the valley to get to work, but so did Ting since they quit going off of Sprint towers. 

Crossing my fingers it works because it's only $15/month for unlimited for the first 3 months, even when it transitions the most expensive is $30/month (unlimited everything) if you pay for 12 months at a time.  Added bonus, ODS can take over his phone bill as it will be separate, he's been asking to but we're on a plan where all our data is pooled and it's one bill.

I'm going to point my DH in that direction. He's been running through his data lately.

We've only been on a week, so the jury is still out.  The kids have had no issues, but I occasionally have to reboot my phone to send texts and calls are not always going through.  I think there might be some settings screwed up in my phone I just haven't felt motivated enough to mess around with it. 

[Lizard Queen]

Jul 31, 2023 22:09:51 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Jul 31, 2023 15:50:02 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

I'm going to point my DH in that direction. He's been running through his data lately.

We've only been on a week, so the jury is still out.  The kids have had no issues, but I occasionally have to reboot my phone to send texts and calls are not always going through.  I think there might be some settings screwed up in my phone I just haven't felt motivated enough to mess around with it. 

It seems like a really good deal, but my DH was very much against moving from the Verizon network to the t-mobile network. I looked closer at the coverage map, and I agree with him for our area. There are 2 levels of 5g coverage. While our house is in the best coverage area, we don't really need it so much at home since we have the wifi there. There also seems to be lots of small dead spots.

The deal seems okay for our kids, if we ever decide to switch them. We recently got our youngest a phone with 1 yr service though.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Aug 1, 2023 8:01:22 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Jul 31, 2023 22:09:51 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

We've only been on a week, so the jury is still out.  The kids have had no issues, but I occasionally have to reboot my phone to send texts and calls are not always going through.  I think there might be some settings screwed up in my phone I just haven't felt motivated enough to mess around with it. 

It seems like a really good deal, but my DH was very much against moving from the Verizon network to the t-mobile network. I looked closer at the coverage map, and I agree with him for our area. There are 2 levels of 5g coverage. While our house is in the best coverage area, we don't really need it so much at home since we have the wifi there. There also seems to be lots of small dead spots.

The deal seems okay for our kids, if we ever decide to switch them. We recently got our youngest a phone with 1 yr service though.

We had Verizon SIMs in our Ting phones too (they switched to T-Mobile a couple years back, but will give you a Verizon one if you beg) and was pretty happy with the coverage.  T-Mobile seems stronger along major routes and in town, but rural is spottier for sure and Mint has no coverage in Alaska.  Like nothing.  Zero. If, (or should I say WHEN) I go back I'll have to switch to something else or get a burner phone if I'm still with Mint.

Going on a road trip up north later this week and will be able to test it out some more. 

[chiver78]

Aug 1, 2023 8:12:18 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Aug 1, 2023 8:01:22 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

It seems like a really good deal, but my DH was very much against moving from the Verizon network to the t-mobile network. I looked closer at the coverage map, and I agree with him for our area. There are 2 levels of 5g coverage. While our house is in the best coverage area, we don't really need it so much at home since we have the wifi there. There also seems to be lots of small dead spots.

The deal seems okay for our kids, if we ever decide to switch them. We recently got our youngest a phone with 1 yr service though.

We had Verizon SIMs in our Ting phones too (they switched to T-Mobile a couple years back, but will give you a Verizon one if you beg) and was pretty happy with the coverage.  T-Mobile seems stronger along major routes and in town, but rural is spottier for sure and Mint has no coverage in Alaska.  Like nothing.  Zero. If, (or should I say WHEN) I go back I'll have to switch to something else or get a burner phone if I'm still with Mint.

Going on a road trip up north later this week and will be able to test it out some more. 

interesting, I thought T-Mobile was piggybacking on the VZ network. was I wrong there? 

[minnesotapaintlady]

Aug 1, 2023 16:18:56 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Aug 1, 2023 8:12:18 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

We had Verizon SIMs in our Ting phones too (they switched to T-Mobile a couple years back, but will give you a Verizon one if you beg) and was pretty happy with the coverage.  T-Mobile seems stronger along major routes and in town, but rural is spottier for sure and Mint has no coverage in Alaska.  Like nothing.  Zero. If, (or should I say WHEN) I go back I'll have to switch to something else or get a burner phone if I'm still with Mint.

Going on a road trip up north later this week and will be able to test it out some more. 

interesting, I thought T-Mobile was piggybacking on the VZ network. was I wrong there? 

Not sure, but Verizon is CDMA and T-Mobile GSM.

[chiver78]

Aug 1, 2023 17:33:48 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Aug 1, 2023 16:18:56 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

interesting, I thought T-Mobile was piggybacking on the VZ network. was I wrong there? 

Not sure, but Verizon is CDMA and T-Mobile GSM.

thank you, I thought T-Mobile was also CDMA. 

[Lizard Queen]

From what I read, they're 2 completely different networks.