Due to the extremely competitive nature of the wireless industry, phone manufacturers and wireless providers are doing their best to attract new subscribers.
I've been a Verizon Wireless subscriber for a few years now, after switching from AT&T (well, Cingular Wireless) with very little choice. I lived on an island that had extremely poor Cingular service, which led to my joining Verizon Wireless and sharing a plan with three other people, though we've since decided to go our separate ways.
Collectively, the Verizon bill each month cost more than $175 per month for 1,400 shared minutes. My phone also has a data and texting plan attached to it as well, which obviously drives up the price each month. This was perfect for me when we were on a group plan, but each one of us is going a separate way.
I recently received the following text message from Verizon: "Congrats! You've earned a phone upgrade. Get a new phone at our best promo pricing! New 2-year agrm't req'd. Plus, for a limited time buy any BlackBerry device, and get another BlackBerry FREE! Free phonee 2-yr price must be of equal or lesser value."
Free? Right.
As nice as this offer sounds, I'm going to have to politely decline. I'm on a shared plan -- my phone is the last remaining under contract -- and Verizon is working hard to get everyone, including myself, to renew. Over the past six months, Verizon Wireless has been heckling each person with marketing propogranda attempting us to convince us to renew our contract.
I'm unsure of which carrier I'll sign a contract with, but the sooner it happens, the better it will be for me.
Aside from the higher prices, I've also had problems with my data plan as the Internet has mysteriously stopped working at random times. Since I'm always on my phone, checking my e-mail, reading articles, and looking for new story leads, any down time, especially for no reason, cannot be tolerated.
It's time to start looking for a new service, especially now that it's possible to transfer phone numbers, and I'm ready to leave behind VZW. I don't have anything against AT&T, but I'm also keeping my options open for other wireless carriers.
A quick glimpse of the T-Mobile web site indicates I can have a 600-minute plan with unlimited data and texting for about $74.98 per month -- but I still seek possible other deals, if they're available.
Of course, wireless carriers love to tell us how great their service plans are, but I'd rather hear from actual subscribers. Who here thinks they've got the best service plan money can buy?
