Switch to Alltel or Verizon

As happy as I am with Verizon, I would say that AT&T services you the best. You would lose rollover and if this is something that comes in handy for you, it's worth staying with AT&T for.

Alltel is good, though I couldn't tell you how their network is in Texas, or if you would be roaming a lot in places they don't have native coverage.

Another benefit to AT&T is, because they are GSM, you have a greater opportunity to get better phones (like European models or unlocked American models) you wouldn't be able to do with Verizon.

Verizon has worked very well for me, but they do have their limitations. This is one of the reasons I have T-Mobile, and AT&T prepaid.

If you really want to go with Verizon, then by all means do so, but it sounds like AT&T works better for you right now.

 

If you are going to switch I think you will be happier with Alltel. In addition to My Circle, Alltel doesn't cripple their phones and put an annoying UI on them. This is my major complaint with Verizon. Where I am they have far better coverage than Sprint, I just hate their phones and their UI. Verizon is also overpriced in my opinion. I won't bash Verizon because they built out a decent network in my area which is helpful because I have good roaming coverage. Most of their customers are happy so they are a great carrier, just not my first choice.

I think you would be happy with Alltel. They have a good network and you can roam off other CDMA carriers if Alltel coverage is unavailable. Alltel is also strong in many rural areas where you might get better service than you did with AT&T. Mobile Mike had a good point about using unlocked phones with the GSM carrier. If you go with any CDMA carrier (Verizon and Alltel are both CDMA) you will be limited to their phone selection. No more buying unlocked phones and putting your SIM card in. You can of course buy another Alltel phone on eBay and activate that with Alltel if you want.

If AT&T is working for you either stay with them or give Alltel a try. You have a trial period so if you don't want to keep Alltel you don't have to.

 

I don't know for sure. With Sprint you can call in and get relatively up to date information about minutes used and total funds due on your account will be for the next billing date. It wouldn't surprise me if other carriers do this also.

 

With Verizon, I believe you have online access when you start service. You can check it anytime you want. Their online account management site was also recently updated.

 

I just left AT&T, forced off by a competitors new tower.

The key differences I see are as follows:
*for me, AT&Ts GSM beats Verizons CDMA/CDMA200 any day. Not everyone thinks that way, but thats my personal experience.
*Verizon screws up a decent phone with a lousy user interface, I started a different thread about that, http://forums.wirelessadvisor.com/verizon-wireless-users/64913-is-it-maine-me.html#post466563
*Verizon does not use SIM cards - when my first AT&T RAZR died, I was told I could take my SIM card, put it into any AT&T/Cingular 'Go Phone', and I was good to go. That was true, I did that, I was good to go. Can't do that with Verizons services.
*Yeah, every call to AT&T would be eating your minutes, and ALSO them calling you would be them eating their OWN minutes. That is where Verizons 'unlimited texting' gains a bit of advantage - just change to texting some folks and you eat less airtime minutes. Verizons plans include unlimited texting, no matter if either party is in or out of plan.

Personally, I've not had much experience with Verizons customer service other than going to the local corporate store to trade phones and adjust plan features and add lines; no call in attempts. Verizons customer service in the store was excellent, although slowed by needing 3 pieces of paper for each issue.

I've had a bit of experience with AT&T/Cingular customer service, they were always good to me, but my girlfriend on AT&T got VERY ripped off on last months bill when she called AT&T early July for help adjusting her plan but AT&T did not inform her of a new plan. In the end, her bill was adjusted by a considerable amount based on the inexperienced customer service rep that missed telling my gf about the new AT&T plan. I learned about the new plan here, thanks to the forum members.

Oh - that raises one more interesting thing, might not affect you: after the first 30 days with Verizon, if you change any part of your service, you start with a new 2 year contract with the new features you chose. AT&T doesn't restart the clock every time you adjust plan features. Verizons method gets nasty if you are say 18 months into a contract, and your teenager on your plan suddenly gets a social life. You need to add more minutes, and poof - instead of having only 6 months left, you make the change and you have a new 2 year agreement.

Plan wisely for that.

 

Verizon actually doesn't require you to "up" your contract if you change your plan. I've changed mine a few times in the past few months and my contract date is still the same. Verizon also allows you to swap handsets without changing your contract.

 

I think there's some misinformation in this thread. I've been both Verizon and AT&T customer for years (although not currently with either).

The way this typically works with all the carriers is as follows:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Simple rate plan change from say X number of minutes to Y number of minutes does not renew contract.
- Phone swaps, in and of themselves, do not extend contract.

Here's where it all gets sticky:
-----------------------------------------
- Any rate plan change which includes a new promotion *may* trigger a contract extension. On some of these it is obvious-- i.e. earlier start time for night minutes that you didn't have to pay for, or new rate plans with significantly different features.
- Historically, any of the carriers could screw you on this provision, because virtually all rate plans do include "promotions" in the sense that you get night and weekend minutes, etc.
You really need to get in the habit of asking first-- will this extend my contract? to avoid getting it extended through accepting a "new promotion" even if you don't recognize it. Again, in theory this should not effect simple plan changes (with no new features) from one base amount of minutes to another.
- Phone swaps where you get the phone from the carrier *do* extend contracts on all carriers if you accept the promotional price. Ask for the full retail price of the phone (which never makes sense by the way) if you want to avoid extending contract and get new phone from carrier. Ebay has been a great asset in this regard, because if you get a non-subsidized phone and simply swap it, you should not extend contract.

Anyway, that's the deal. In practice these types of changes really can extend your contract (which is why you need to ask), however, the odds that will happen in my experience are the same with all of the national carriers. -- anyway, just ask before you take actions and you'll be fine regardless of your carrier choice.

-Dan

 

If you called AT&T from your Cell using 611 it does not use your minutes, they are free calls.
Also AT&T now offers the same Unlimited SMS plan to any carrier & even has a family shared Unlimited SMS plan, I have it with my 5 lines & it's great, no more worries about my kids or me sending & recieving numerous SMS. (I do about 4500 a month since I migrated over)
When I send & recieve SMS for the Nascar races even they are included in the plan, and with AT&T any MMS message up to 300kb is not billed with a data charge.

 

Dan, you hit the nail on the head with "sticky" situations. This is where I think the differing stories began to get confusing. As you said not all situations extend the contract. I have all the major carriers except for Sprint, at the moment, and what you stated is true. I've done some things to trigger an extension of the contract, and other times not.

 

I've been on both. I prefer Verizon just because I've done many road trips and their seems to be better service nation wide.

IF you can live without rollover minutes you might make the switch.

My SIL uses Altel. She is going to switch to Verizon when her contract is up.

 

I just left AT&T for Verizon, regrets galore (was forced to leave.... another thread). The Verizon phones are kluged with Verizon software on them. My new LG enV VX9900 phone has lots of features, but some features are hard to get to because of the way the Verizon software sets them up. And Verizons CDMA is not better (in my area) than AT&Ts GSM. Of the two, you HAVE the best deal.

Go back.... go back!!!

 

I don't know maybe Alltel has changed since I was with them back in 2006.

My family was with Alltel from 2001-2006, and then we went to Verizon. Since then EVERYTHING has been better.

With the exception of their UI and crippling their phones but some SEEM edits fixes those right up.

While we were with Alltel we would constantly bounce off of Verizon towers and whenever we made a local call we would get *welcome to Verizon Wireless blah blah*.

Next were the people who worked at Alltel. Within Michigan the only good alltel store was the one in Okemos, which happens to be a good hour from my house. While there are other closer to me the people there have NO CLUE what there doing. They know how to turn on and off the phones. They would always recommend the bad models and not recommend the good ones.

Then there was the time they extended my Moms contract *without her permission*, but they were more then generous to ditch it, and call it a mistake on their behalf.

Switching to Verizon was great! Our reception is wonderful, and the people who work there are VERY nice. Hell my Dad was lazy and we got to the Verizon store 5 mins before they closed, but most likely because they were getting 4 new people they stayed open for us. And the person who was helping us was like 6 months pregnant. And its so gosh darn easy to get phones, we really only paid for my brothers and I, my Mom and Dad got theirs for free.

They also call us and give us options for saving more money on our plan, which I guess is nice. Price wise I really can't say only because the plan I'm on has 4 people on it, and I don't deal with the billing.

As I said with the exception of the crippled phones, and the crap UI Verizon is ok in my book.

 

From the carriers I have used, and the choices you are making, I would strongly recommend Alltel over VZW. My previous Alltel phones always had better reception during driving vacations than friends VZW phones. During driving travels across TX, T-Mobile has actually been the best, then Alltel then VZW. There were times where the VZW had no service for many miles of driving, yet the T-Mobile had fine service, and generally Alltel was good. If the AT&T GSM network is as good as T-Mobile in TX, I would recommend staying. Good luck!

 

What a LOAD of crap! search the thread around the forums. There are dozens of threads that attest Alltel's service is better nationwide.

 

I agree, Alltel spends more time & money expanding into rural areas then Verizon does,
and Alltel's coverage in the cities they serve is just as good.

Also, here in the Carolinas (rural or city areas), Alltel has the tallest antenna arrays of any CDMA carrier.
I've seen Alltel towers in rural areas almost twice as tall as any nearby Verizon or Sprint tower.

Bottom line, if Alltel is available in your area, don't hesitate to go with them.
The best part is My Circle, and the free roaming on Verizon, Sprint & US Cellular in most areas with no native Alltel.