{"items": [{"author": "Alex", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/100936518160252317727", "anchor": "gp-1367675394674", "service": "gp", "text": "Do you know how good these companies' customer service is? One reason I'm willing to pay a premium for Verizon is because I've generally had good experiences with their customer service. I'd be worried about being stuck in some account black hole with a two-hour wait for an unhelpful rep as my only recourse.", "timestamp": 1367675394}, {"author": "David German", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/111229345142780712481", "anchor": "gp-1367676781991", "service": "gp", "text": "I did not know there were MVNOs on the AT&T network. \u00a0That's very interesting, since my primary reason for avoiding MVNOs and T-Mobile in the past has been poor rural coverage. \u00a0I'm currently paying $55/month for my share of a no-contract AT&T family plan, so I'd stand to save $10 with StraightTalk. \u00a0Hmmm. \u00a0\n@AT&T\n, is there any reason I shouldn't switch?", "timestamp": 1367676781}, {"author": "David German", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/111229345142780712481", "anchor": "gp-1367677292978", "service": "gp", "text": "@Alex\n, we must live on different planets, or at least near different Verizon call centers. \u00a0I had DSL from Verizon in 2008-9, and it was the worst customer service experience of my life. \u00a0Best part: they made a typo in my apartment number when I called to subscribe, and flat-out refused to correct it in a follow-up call. \u00a0According to the rep, the only solution in that situation is to install DSL at the wrong apartment, and then move it later. \u00a0Fortunately, it turns out that intercepting the tech at the door also works.", "timestamp": 1367677292}, {"author": "opted out", "source_link": "#", "anchor": "unknown", "service": "unknown", "text": "this user has requested that their comments not be shown here", "timestamp": "1367681938"}, {"author": "Alex", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/100936518160252317727", "anchor": "gp-1367683688369", "service": "gp", "text": "@David German\n -- I think there is a gap between the mobile and landline divisions at many of these big telcos. I had a similar experience with AT&T DSL at two different locations in CT. After waiting three weeks, we spent all day waiting for a tech who didn't show up; they said he \"couldn't get in\" (even though nobody rang the doorbell) and made us wait another 3 weeks.\n
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\n At the second place they tried to pull a similar stunt, at which point we gave up and switched to cable.", "timestamp": 1367683688}, {"author": "Todd", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/112947709146257842066", "anchor": "gp-1367686240753", "service": "gp", "text": "\"According to the rep, the only solution in that situation is to install DSL at the wrong apartment, and then move it later.\"\n
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\nhttps://si0.twimg.com/profile_images/2930866613/4f3ec60f93c67a4db48bef6af17b452b.jpeg", "timestamp": 1367686240}, {"author": "Eric", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/102969524296379042426", "anchor": "gp-1367814473991", "service": "gp", "text": "I usually lurk and don't comment on your posts, Jeff, but this is a part of what I do for work, so here goes. \u00a0Straight Talk is a sub-brand of TracFone, run with Walmart. \u00a0TracFone has agreements with all of the national operators, and it's not always easy to tell which one a particular model of phone will operate on. \u00a0The Straight Talk website directs me to a \"T-Mobile compatible SIM\" for the few zip codes I tried, but the GSM coverage map looks like AT&T's, so you're probably right that a GSM phone can access both of their networks. \u00a0Historically, Sprint has been most proactive about hosting MVNOs, so a lot of the smaller ones out there are on their network. \u00a0I'm a Republic Wireless subscriber, which is on Sprint, and I've been happy with it so far. \u00a0T-Mobile has recently been signing up more MVNOs, though, and the SIM-only model you talk about needs to be GSM (so either T-Mobile or AT&T). \u00a0There are a number of others out there (e.g., Solavei, if you're into multi-level marketing schemes).\n
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\nAs far as the upfront vs. amortized costs go, T-Mobile has recently unbundled phone subsidies from service plan costs, making the breakdown more transparent. \u00a0When buying a phone, you can either get the traditional subsidized price, and pay an explicit financing charge each month for 24 months, or pay close to full MSRP (minus a small subsidy, apparently) and just pay the service plan costs (or bring your own phone and do the same). \u00a0As you say, the other MNOs will charge you a plan cost with a phone subsidy built in, even if you bring your own. \u00a0I wouldn't be surprised to see that change in the future, though.\n
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\n@Alex\n, customer service is very variable. \u00a0Republic Wireless, for example, delivers customer support only through a community forum model. \u00a0They make it clear upfront that they do this as part of their cost model (which, along with Wi-Fi offload, allows them to charge $19/month for unlimited everything), so I expected it and don't mind, but some people certainly don't like it. \u00a0Ting, on the other hand, says they're quite devoted to customer service. \u00a0Both of these are on Sprint, so take that with whatever grain of salt you'd like regarding Sprint coverage.\n
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\nIncidentally, \n@Thomas\n, Verizon and Verizon Wireless are effectively different companies overall, too. \u00a0Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between Verizon (55%) and Vodafone (45%), so structurally, it's not just another division of VZ.", "timestamp": 1367814473}, {"author": "Lex", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/111102660583646544610", "anchor": "gp-1367859424398", "service": "gp", "text": "The difference is $20/month for T-Mobile. That means a \"free phone\" from T-Mobile costs somewhere between $240 and $480, depending on how often you upgrade it. If you have the financial discipline to manage it, then you are much better off buying a $100 or $200 phone and getting a no-contract plan.\n
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\nIn addition to the money, there are some intangible benefits to bringing your own phone:\n
\n- The phone will be unlocked, letting you use it anywhere in the world using a SIM card you get out of a vending machine.\n
\n- The phone will have your own software on it, not the company's. If you want to set up a hot spot, it will just work.", "timestamp": 1367859424}, {"author": "Jonathan", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/611730055942?comment_id=613635088242", "anchor": "fb-613635088242", "service": "fb", "text": "Jeff, Since you have done some research into this I was wondering if you have come across any MVNO that offer unlimited data (more important) and calling (comparatively less important) from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the world at a fixed price - it seems like this is the platform (MVNO) that would allow for a global phone plan so to speak.", "timestamp": "1369266262"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/611730055942?comment_id=613658656012", "anchor": "fb-613658656012", "service": "fb", "text": "@Jonathan: sorry; I don't know.", "timestamp": "1369281871"}, {"author": "Don", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/611730055942?comment_id=613745926122", "anchor": "fb-613745926122", "service": "fb", "text": "This is why I've been sporting a Galaxy Nexus on StraightTalk since moving on from my prior LG on Tracfone. I never come near the purported data limit of 1.5GB (ATT SIM, previously 2GB limit) as there's usually a WiFi connection available for heavy use.", "timestamp": "1369320173"}]}