Cell Phones 101?

Question

Pardon my ignorance, but I'm old. I am considering getting rid of my landline and using cell only. I am currently in a plan where I pay approx. $8 per month plus .10 per minute for every call. And I think .15 for LD calls.

So my question is - in those plans where you pay a higher monthly fee and get X number of hours, are you also paying per minute for calls, or are they free until you reach that number of hours? Does it matter if they are long distance calls?

I assume I'll want to figure out how much time we spend on all of our phones, and choose a plan that fits.

Are there any other things I should consider in choosing a cell plan?

Aw, thank you! You're all so sweet. This is the first time I've gotten such concise answers. I appreciate it very very much! You have no idea!

Answer 1

When you subscribe to a plan, lets say $39.99 450 Cingular plan minutes/unlimited mobile to mobile/unlimited nights &weekends.

You can use 450 minutes to call anywhere in the US at no charge. If you go over the 450 minutes, you pay an additional .45 cents. If you call other Cingular customers it is free anytime (does not take away from minutes or charge) and if you call after 9pm Monday-Friday or all day Saturday and Sunday it is also free.


Other factors to consider:
1. Who has the best service in your area? ask around.
2. Where will you be traveling? Check their coverage.
3. Do you talk alot in the day? Do you know many people that subscribe to that carrier? How many minutes you need.
4. What phones work best for that carrier? (Motorola, Nokia...)
5. Do I want to sign a contract or go Prepaid?

Answer 2

Hi there! My name is Laura and I would be glad to help you get your cell phone and plan. When you get a service plan for like $39.99 for maybe 450 minutes per month, you do NOT pay anything by the minute until you reach the 450 minutes. You also get all long distance calls for free and if you check out my website below, you can even get a very cool FREE phone with a new service plan.

http://www.cellularonlinestore.com

We carry all the major carriers and all the latest phones and plans, and I would love to help you if you check out my site and order through me. I will help you get a free phone at a low monthly cost and help you in whatever way I can. Cingular Wireless has a feature called rollover minutes which is very nice if you don't use the maximum amount of minutes each month. The leftover minutes roll over to the next month so you have more minutes the following month. I use Cingular on my phone, but you can also get Verizon or T-Mobile, etc, whichever will give you the best coverage in your local area. We also carry pay-as-you-go phone plans which sound like something you have today.

Please check out my website and let me help you with your cell phone needs. I am very responsive and strive to satisfy every customer with my excellent service, no matter what their needs may be. You can also email me at the following email address,
[e-mail] if I can help you further.

Answer 3

first...the plan covers x amount of minutes. say 500, for example. once you have used all 500, you pay a per-minute "overage" fee. typically around 40 cents a minute (it really depends on the service provider though).

depending on how much you use your landline, this may or may not be a good idea. to get a plan for 1000 daytime minutes (nights and weekends are almost ALWAYS free) it would run you anywhere from 60 to 100 bucks a month. long distance is included in this price as well, so you wouldn't be paying anything extra.

when deciding on a service provider, check their coverage maps. there have been many times i have bought a phone and gone home to find out my area has really horrible service.

look at all the different plan types. there are so many options out there, it can get confusing. then ask people around you about their experiences.

personally, i will not ever sign with cingular again. im not bashing the company...i just dont get service in a lot of the areas i travel to. but it all depends on who you are and where you go/live.

i have been happy with nextel for 4 years now, but ready to switch to verizon because i have heard good things about the service from people who live in my immediate area of use.

so it really just depends...

good luck!!!

Answer 4

Cell phone plans generally give you a set number of minutes for a specific charge per month and as long as you remain within said amount of minutes you are charged nothing extra. Almost all cell phone plans with major carriers also include free LD and free roaming and also free nights and weekends. Some include free calling to other network subscribers. I recommend choosing a rate plan based on the number of minutes you use during the daytime. You will typically pay 39.99-69.99/mo. for around 1000 daytime (peak) minutes and would only be charged per minute (usually .35/min. - .45/min.) if you were to exceed your 1000 minutes.

Answer 5

I have T-Mobile on the 39.99/mo plan. it has 1000 minutes, free nights and weekends.

I suggest that if you feel secure that you are able to pay your bills on time, you should go for a Monthly Plan. Prepaid Plans help you control yourself on calls but is also expensive in a sense that it would consume more of your call time and text messages more than you can ever imagine. I've been there.

Good luck.. and nobody is ever too old for a change.. especially if its a good one. And asking questions not only suggests humility but the desire to learn. ^^,