newbie needs help!!

[dolphin72]

I am sure this question has been asked many times before...but I am new here and would like to get some input from seasoned veterans here.

I am currently using sprint free and clear 300 mins plan and I use the phone up and down WA, but I stick to major freeways and towns most of the time. Next month I am getting marry and would like to switch to a share min plan with two phones. As I started shopping, it seems like cingular has the best rate with the most mins for family plan. Yet, salesmen from other carriers ( Verison, T-mobile etc. ) told me that singular has the worst coverage in WA and often experience drop call as well as system overload, lots of times calls can not be connected at all. I would like to know if those critics are correct or just a sales pitch from rival carriers. As I mentioned, I use cell phone in major cities, towns and freeways only. What do you guys think? Specially if you are current cingular customers in WA, are you experiencing any difficulties at all? Thanks.

[t720]

Just from knowledge, AT&T has a nice family plan, and since you're in Washington, you shouldn't have a problem with their coverage. After all, their main headquarters is in Washington, so I guess it would be pretty stupid to not have good coverage there. If you decide to go with AT&T, stay with their Digital Network, unless you are positive that you want to upgrade to Next-Gen. If you don't want to go with them, you always have T-Mobile and Verizon (who is an expensive carrier, IMO). But please...remember this one thing:

"Use the trial periods!!!"

They can only help you so much...AT&T gives you a 30-day trial period, so you can run around with your phone with a month, and if you don't like it, you can ditch it and get all of your money back. The other two companies do the same thing, but I think they might only be 14 or 15 days long.

Good luck choosing a carrier [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[TProphet]

The salesmen from other carriers are correct--Cingular does have the worst coverage in Washington. Their customer service hours are also very limited, and they are closed on weekends. While they now have some plans that let you use T-mobile's network, I would not personally sign a contract with them.

Sprint offers shared minutes plans at some pretty good pricing; you may want to stick with them. At present, you can get a second line to share for free on many of Sprint's plans. Call Sprint and see what kind of deal they can make for you. If you don't like what they tell you, ask to cancel, and tell the representative that you found a better deal with another carrier. They will often make you a competitive offer to keep your business, even throwing in a free additional handset.

I have personally been pretty dissatisfied with Verizon, but that is primarily because of technical problems with the America's Choice plan that I use. If you do not travel nationwide, and a regional plan would work for you, then you might also consider one of their FamilyShare plans. These offer fairly competitive pricing, especially if you receive a discount on service through your employer.

And speaking of employee discounts--Sprint and Verizon both offer them to employees of many companies in the Puget Sound area, including Boeing, Weyerhaeuser, Microsoft, Costco, Alaska Airlines, and others. This discount can be up to 25%, depending on your employer, so be sure to ask whether your company is eligible. Even members of certain credit unions can receive a discount. You do not have to use the phone for business purposes, and your company is not liable for the charges--so don't be afraid to ask if a discount is available!