Erin is one of those Alltel customers lamenting that her cell phone company, and thus her phone plan, were swallowed up by Verizon.
cell phones
By 7.29.09
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AT&T users in parts of the Northeast and Midwest had a massive mobile data outage (both 3G and EDGE) this morning. Voice reception was not affected. One user reported receiving a $25 credit after calling AT&T to find out what was going on, so it may not hurt to ask. [Business Insider]
Sprint Nextel Purchases $483 Million In Virgin Mobile Prepaid Minutes
By 7.28.09
Sprint Nextel announced this morning that they will purchase Virgin Mobile USA. The company, which specializes in prepaid mobile phone service, started as a joint venture between Sprint and Virgin, and Sprint owns 13% of their stock. Virgin Mobile USA phones already use the Sprint network.
Reminder: Distracted Driving Is Bad And Dangerous
By 7.23.09
We had a robust debate on Monday on the use of cell phones and wireless devices while driving. Since then, Consumer Reports Cars has taken a look at the actual statistics for accidents caused by driver distraction, and also the cell-while-driving laws actually on the books in the United States in different localities. Spoiler alert: Texting while driving isn’t a good idea.
When The Going Gets Tough, Data Plans Get Going
By 7.9.09
When financial whitewater starts rocking your raft, the first things you start to bail on are your “wants.” That would encapsulate cell phone data plans, a MocoNews story on the Washington Post site reports.
The Federal Government Has Had Enough With Cell Phone Exclusivity
By 7.7.09
Annoyed by cell phone exclusivity deals? The federal government may agree with you. The FCC and Department of Justice are both looking into the issue, concerned about limitations on consumer choice and good old-fashioned competition.
T-Mobile Coupons Save Your Cash AND Your Environment
By 7.2.09
Fashioning itself a jolly green giant, T-Mobile USA is getting in on money-saving and environmentalist fads by offering a Green Mobile Coupon application that lets its customers access coupons they can scan at cash registers to save on environmentally friendly items.
Zagg Zags When It Could Have Zigged, Helps A Brother Out
By 6.30.09
David wrote in to tell us how he bought a cell phone, accidentally ruined the screen protector, then sought out the phone-condom manufacturer Zagg to try to buy a new one. What happened next was the stuff of a Frank Capra movie. Check out his story to see why David has gone Zagg-nuts:
Getting An Employee Discount From AT&T? You'll Have To Pay Up
By 6.30.09
An exciting new policy change took effect last week at AT&T Wireless. Have you recently started a new job, or joined a group that provides discounts on your cell phone service? Guess what? You get to pay a $36 fee per line in order to get your discount!
DealTree Sends Phone Trade In Money To Imaginary PayPal Account
By 6.25.09
What’s going on with DealTree? They handle Nokia’s “Trade-up” program, which reimburses you cash for your old phones. It says clearly on the “how it works” page as well as in their terms and conditions that they’ll mail a paper check to you after confirming your phone’s value. In Paul’s case, they say dumped his money into a PayPal account—and Paul says there’s nothing in his account and PayPal has no record of a transaction.
Sorry, Your iPhone Reservation Isn't A Reservation
By 6.19.09
How are Apple Stores doing with the much-anticipated iPhone 3G S launch? Apple fan on the ground Joseph reserved his phone online, queued up outside of his nearest Apple Store this morning at 6:30, and… hit a snag, since his reservation apparently isn’t a reservation.
Why Do iPhone Owners Hate AT&T So Much?
By 6.10.09
It’s become clear since the release of the iPhone 3G S that most iPhone owners hate AT&T. A lot. Why is that, exactly? PC World has the answer.
AT&T Rep Tells iPhone-Crazed Customers To Cancel AT&T Contract
By 6.9.09
Arnie and his wife have a fever, and the only cure is more iPhones. A shiny new iPhone 3G S to replace the clunky old 3G iPhones they’ve been forced to use, to be precise. Frustrated that the cell phone business insists on subsidizing the gadgets by only offering a sane price to new customers, or customers willing to upgrade, Arnie called AT&T. That’s when he stumbled on a solution that’s almost hilarious in its simplicity.
Alltel Requires Data Plan For Blackberry Owners Who Don't Use Any Data
By 6.2.09
Dan likes the interface and ease of texting on his Blackberry, but doesn’t need mobile Internet or e-mail. He asked his service provider, Alltel, to switch his service to a Blackberry he already owned, but without a data plan. An employee said that was possible and set it up for him, and Dan texted away happily…until he received his bill, which now contains a hefty data plan charge. Alltel now insists that Dan can’t have a Blackberry on their network without a data plan.
Samsung Recalling Some Jitterbug Cell Phones; Potential Failure To Connect To 911
By 5.26.09
Samsung and the CPSC are recalling some “Jitterbug” cell phones because the pay-as-you-go phones, which come with a “Live Nurse” option and are marketed to older Americans, might not be able to reach 911 when in a no-service area.
By 5.13.09
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Are Disconnected Landlines Just As Useful In Emergencies As Connected Ones? Responding to comments on our post and on CRO, Consumer Reports posts a follow-up on the debate over the value of landlines in emergencies. [Consumer Reports Electronics]
By 5.11.09
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Using a cell phone as your home phone comes with a risk Although consumers can save money by canceling their land lines, they risk dropped calls and difficulty being located if they ever need to call 911. What do you think: are the savings worth the risk? [Consumer Reports Electronics]
T-Mobile Provides iPhone Support Despite Not Offering iPhone
By 5.7.09
When a system update caused service failures and bugs in T-Mobile customers’ unlocked iPhones, the users emailed T-Mobile to alert them to the issue. Even though T-Mobile doesn’t offer the iPhone, they fixed the bugs and gave the users a service credit for the inconvenience.
