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Archive for the 'Talk is cheap' Tag

MetroPCS’ intriguing cheap wireless service offer

December 26th, 2008, 12:40 am by

Note: This is part of a series on finding cheaper cell phone plans.

The offer sounds too good to be true, and you know what they say about that.

MetroPCS Wireless, a newish prepaid cell-phone company that began service in Orange County 15 months ago, charges $45/month for unlimited calls, texts and picture messages. And we’re not talking unlimited nights only, but unlimited anytime of day or night. There’s also no contract, so you can leave the company anytime you want. The cheapest plan is $30/month, but you only get unlimited local calls.

I had to find out more. So I spoke to Rob Wondoloski, vice president and general manager of MetroPCS Los Angeles. 

“When we enter markets, a lot of consumers ask, ‘What’s the catch?’ There is no catch,” he said. “We built this company from the ground up to be an unlimited carrier.”

Some ways they save money: Instead of a paper bill, customers get a text message each month reminding them to pay up. Also, because everything is unlimited (unlimited plans are $3/month), the company doesn’t have to come up with elaborate formulas to calculate every little charge. Don’t have a text plan? You won’t be charged for any texts you receive, but you can’t send any either. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • | 3 Comments »

Are prepaid phone plans for you?

December 25th, 2008, 12:40 am by

Note: This is part of a series on finding cheaper cell phone plans.

I never thought much about prepaid cell phone plans. I didn’t want to mess with phone cards or  high per-minute fees. And I wanted a cool phone that didn’t deplete my bank account.

But since my T-Mobile contract was over months ago, I decided to look at all my options. Pre-paid plans are quite attractive these days and not just because they can save oodles of money.

At prepaid carriers like Virgin Mobile, you can get started for $10 for the phone and $20 a month if you talk less than 200 minutes. Per-minute charges range from $0.10 to $0.33.  And no contracts, no early termination fees and no credit checks. But coverage areas can be limited, phone choice mediocre and, as the daughter of an OC Register Mom blogger discovered, phone cards expire. 

So why go prepaid? Consumer Reports recently explored the niche in a reader survey, finding that 76 percent chose prepaid because it cost less than a monthly plan, 70 percent went prepaid because they make calls infrequently and 47 percent said they like the no contracts. 

Consumer Reports’ conclusion: A family with 2 phones and a 700-minute plan could save $220 a year by going prepaid with Virgin Mobile. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • • | 6 Comments »

Finding the cheapest mobile phone plan for families

December 24th, 2008, 12:23 am by

Note: This is part of a series about searching for cheaper cell phone service.

As part of my ongoing series looking into cell phone plans this week, I wanted to find the cheapest family plan out there.

I gathered information from the four top companies plus two pre-paid companies that offer familiy plans. While this isn’t a comprehensive report, it offers a glimpse into what is out there and an idea of how low you can go. Chart of the details and fees that were calculated is below. 

Based on two users, the cheapest famiy cell-phone package is from … TRACFONE.

TRACFONE is one of those pre-paid service providers. I hadn’t paid too much attention to the company until my colleague Marla Fisher wrote about it (read “Mommy, I’m still in your uterus, but can I have a cellphone?“). She bought her kids a TracFone for $9.99. Ultimately though, she ditched them because of “abominable” customer service.

Because of that, plus other negative user reviews, I’m also highlighting the second cheapest: A tie between AT&T and T-Mobile. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • • • | 2 Comments »

Battle of the text-messaging plans: Who is the cheapest?

December 23rd, 2008, 12:29 am by


Note: This is the first in a series this week about finding cheaper cell phone service. Find earlier posts and get more cell-phone info HERE.

A recent pitch from Sprint hyped its family messaging plans – and how they can save families “at least $240 and up to $1,000 annually.”

It goes on, talking about the tough economic times and then it compares its ‘Everything Messaging Family” plan to similar versions at AT&T and Verizon. But it left out T-Mobile, MetroPCS and all other mobile carriers.

Then I get an e-mail from T-Mobile saying that its plan “saves a family $120 a year over Sprint’s.”

Family plans are a great way to save money on cell phones. So I’m always shocked when I hear couples or families tell me that they use separate cell-phone companies. Then again, cell phone plans are some of the most unncessarily complicated offers out there. AT&T Wireless alone offers 16 family plans!

I decided to once and for all, sort through the mess and figure out which is the cheapest and which offers the best value. This is the first of a series this slow holiday week. Today, I tackle family text messaging plans.

This isn’t comprehensive and I didn’t include limited-offer deals. But this is a start. I’m sure I’ll hear from some of you asking, “What about X?” Let me and others know about better deal by commenting below. I’ll expand the list as time and interest permits.

And the cheapest family messaging plan is … T-Mobile.

I compiled the chart below gathering prices from each company’s site.  Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • • • • | 9 Comments »

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