XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone, comp.mobile.android   
   From: spam@nospam.com   
      
   badgolferman wrote:   
      
   > I care about the best value over all and that has been T-Mobile for me over   
   > the past five years or so. I used to have Verizon prior to T-Mobile, but   
   > with four lines and limited data allowance the monthly bill was too much.   
      
   Hi badgolferman,   
      
   I love that you posted a human interest explanation, as that helps flesh out   
   that you're a normal person with reasonable and rather sensible   
   expectations.   
      
   Like badgolferman has done himself, I've had all the other carriers also,   
   where what I loved about T-Mobile years ago was they allowed me the freedom   
   to NOT have a contract (unlike Verizon) at a time when Verizon enforced it,   
   and they allowed me the freedom to NOT have cellular data (unlike AT&T) at a   
   time when AT&T enforced it (I even complained to the FCC about that).   
      
   Those are the main reasons I left Verizon and AT&T since the company paid   
   all my bills so I didn't care about price, where it was just a bonus that   
   T-Mobile gives me a $25/month/phone unlimited-everything plan (plus $4 in   
   fees).   
      
   Unlimited data   
   Unlimited SMS/MMS   
   Unlimited USA phone calls   
      
   The coverage?   
   About the same.   
      
   Yes. Steve. About the same.   
      
   In the same Santa Cruz mountains that you constantly say has no coverage.   
     Ookla test log results   
      
   > That's when I started to look into T-Mobile even though it had a reputation   
   > for spotty coverage in my area. I made the switch anyway and have been   
   > pleased with the improvements which have occurred over the past 2-3 years.   
      
   I enjoyed that human interest explanation, which makes you more human since   
   all your expectations and decisions are that of a logically rational person.   
      
   Like you, T-Mobile was my _last_ choice since I started with Verizon in the   
   analog phone days and since the company paid my entire bill no matter what   
   was on it. I switched off of Verizon only becuase they upped my 2-year   
   contract when I had a defective Kyocera replaced under their own replacment   
   plan, and I was so livid I told them I'd drop them two years later.   
      
   And I did.   
      
   Then, when I moved to AT&T, while I didn't care about price since the   
   company paid for my phones and accessories and all my bills, I was happy to   
   find out that AT&T was cheaper than Verizon with about the same coverage.   
      
   Later, when I retired, AT&T allowed me a no data plan on my Blackberry   
   (which the company let me keep even though they paid for it), but when the   
   clit died on that Blackerry, AT&T would not all a new "smart" phone to have   
   no data. Like Apple, AT&T lied by saying it was for my protection, which I   
   complained about to the FCC and the instant my AT&T contract expired, I   
   moved to T-Mobile.   
      
   At that time, the iPhone was still on AT&T so I had to jailbreak it to give   
   one of my kids the iPhone she pined for (she's _still_ an iPhone user!)   
   where again, I found that T-Mobile was a bit cheaper than was AT&T for the   
   same service.   
      
   What I loved about T-Mobile at that time was:   
   a. They didn't have contracts   
   b. They allowed you to use any phone you wanted to use   
   c. They had pretty good prices   
   d. And they waived every fee I ever asked them to waive (which is plenty)   
      
   The coverage?   
   About the same.   
      
   > My bill has remained the same over that period except when I've made   
   > changes or gotten phones from them.   
      
   Yup. This is my experience also. You think in rational logic like I do.   
      
   I changed my plan from a $60 for four phones to $100 in order to get data &   
   European phone calls, but it has remained at that $100 ever since (even as   
   I've had plenty of phones in between).   
      
   I even added two iPads which have SIM cards for free for life (although   
   Apple kills iPads so the real threat to "life" is Apple and not T-Mobile).   
     Two iPads with free SIMs   
      
   Most recently they gave me four phones, three of which were free and one of   
   which (the iPhone) was half price, all with tradeins although the iPhone   
   tradein was of an already used phone while the others were in the junk box.   
     $15 iPhone, $0 Android phone   
      
   > Another factor to consider is customer support. Verizon customer support   
   > was extremely frustrating for me. I have been very pleased anytime I've   
   > gone to the T-Mobile store or had to call them.   
      
   Again it's nice that you speak as a human to a human (and not as an iKook to   
   the world), where this is how our experiences may have differed. I, for one,   
   had no problem with the typical support by _any_ of the three carriers.   
      
   I do love that we ALWAYS get a human being when we say "representative" on   
   T-Mobile and without any wait, but maybe Verizon & AT&T do that too?   
      
   Dunno as I rarely call Verizon or AT&T except to weasel a free repeater or   
   femto cell (which I've done for neighbors) out of them since signal strength   
   used to be a problem up here in the mountains before 5G arrived.   
      
   > When I complained about   
   > signal strength in my house they gave me a mini tower no charge.   
      
   Yup. Same with me. At the time (before the advent of 5G), T-Mobile offered:   
   a. Either a free cellular repeater, or   
   b. A free wi-fi-capable router, or   
   c. A free femtocell (attached to your router)   
      
   I took them up on the cellular repeater and on the femtocell (usually they   
   don't give you more than one but I have a big house so they let me do that).   
      
   > Verizon   
   > refused to do that in the past and I was forced to buy one on eBay.   
      
   Yup. I had to argue with Verizon and AT&T in the past to get them to give it   
   to people for free. It was a hassle compared to T-Mobile.   
      
   However... even today, T-Mobile now charges $25 to get the femtocell (they   
   no longer give you the other stuff). I got one just last year for a neighbor   
   and I reported it here, where I had to talk to a supervisor for my neighbor.   
      
   In the end, T-Mobile credited her account the $25 and then charged her   
   credit card the $25, so she got it for free. But bear in mind they do charge   
   now $25 for the femtocell, but you can talk them out of it like I did.   
      
   > I can   
   > say my experiences are night and day between the two carriers, and remember   
   > that I still carry a Verizon work phone so it's not experiences from the   
   > past only.   
      
   That's good since I only compare Verizon & AT&T to T-Mobile when I hike with   
   neighbors, all of whom are on the major carriers (I don't know _anyone_ who   
   plays the crazy MVNO games that Steve plays all the time where I don't   
   begrudge Steve saving the money except that he shills for Verizon without   
   even paying for Verizon).   
      
   Do you think that's a big disingenuous on Steve's part?   
      
   > A few years ago I was so pleased with T-Mobile and believed in their   
   > direction. I bought their stock. Unfortunately I sold it after a year and   
   > wish I had kept it.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)