XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

Wolf Greenblatt <wolf@greenblatt.net> wrote:

What do you think of this AT&T Costco deal (3 year contract terms)?
https://i.postimg.cc/y6JHt2nf/attcostco01.jpg

The salesman at Costco let me take this picture of the deal he offered me
at $112/month for 4 lines of unlimited calls, text & data if I switch to
AT&T and trade in the iPhone 12 mini on my plan of four phones (3 Android).

Looks good, but personally I’d hate to switch away from tmobile. It’s like switching from Costco to Sam’s Club or from Toyota to GM. I’ve become too loyal to good products and good customer service from those companies.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

On 9/15/2023 8:36 PM, Wolf Greenblatt wrote:

What do you think of this AT&T Costco deal (3 year contract terms)?
https://i.postimg.cc/y6JHt2nf/attcostco01.jpg

The salesman at Costco let me take this picture of the deal he offered me
at $112/month for 4 lines of unlimited calls, text & data if I switch to
AT&T and trade in the iPhone 12 mini on my plan of four phones (3 Android).

Pretty good, though I'm sure that that price doesn't include "taxes and
fees" which can add up to 25% more to the cost.

You can put your ZIP code into <https://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/additionalcharges/changeZip.jsp>
to get an idea of how much you can be charged.

You didn't say which carrier you're on now. Many T-Mobile plans bundle
in taxes and fees, which is an especially good deal in states and cities
with high tax rates. You also get included international roaming for SMS
and low-speed data on T-Mobile, though when I was on T-Mobile I found
the low-speed international data to be unusable for much, and on later
trips I would buy a prepaid SIM card to use.

If you're currently on T-Mobile do you use any of the freebies like
T-Mobile Tuesdays? You can often get a free taco at Taco Bell or a free
Whopper at Burger King. Every Tuesday you get a Free Crazy Combo with
pizza purchase at Little Caesar’s. See <https://thekrazycouponlady.com/tips/money/tmobile-tuesdays-cell-plan-freebies>.

If you're currently on T-Mobile, and if you do any traveling outside of
urban areas, especially in the western U.S., you'll notice an
improvement in the quality of coverage on AT&T. See <https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/att-vs-t-mobile> and <https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/verizon-vs-t-mobile>.

Personally, over the years I've been on all three carriers. T-Mobile was
the least expensive postpaid service but of course you get what you pay
for. Verizon is like Nordstrom. AT&T is like Macy's. T-Mobile is like
Walmart.

It's good that you took a photo of that offer because I've seen
complaints about deals offered at the Costco kiosks not being real and subscribers being hit with higher costs.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

Personally, over the years I've been on all three carriers. T-Mobile was
the least expensive postpaid service but of course you get what you pay
for. Verizon is like Nordstrom. AT&T is like Macy's. T-Mobile is like Walmart.

Here we go again…

I carry two phones, a personal iPhone 14 on Tmobile and a work iPhone 11 on Verizon. There is no discernible difference in their coverage capabilities.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

On 9/16/2023 5:40 AM, badgolferman wrote:

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

Personally, over the years I've been on all three carriers. T-Mobile was >>> the least expensive postpaid service but of course you get what you pay
for. Verizon is like Nordstrom. AT&T is like Macy's. T-Mobile is like
Walmart.

Here we go again…

I carry two phones, a personal iPhone 14 on Tmobile and a work iPhone 11 on >> Verizon. There is no discernible difference in their coverage capabilities.

LOL, one person's experience does not prove anything. But you already
knew that.

You can learn about the coverage differences by visiting the following
sites:
<https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/MobileMaps/mobile-map>). <https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/Coverage>.

These are the maps for each networks’ native coverage. If you sign up
for postpaid service directly from the carrier, you also get some
limited off-network roaming, with very small data caps.

Also see "Verizon Wireless Ranks Highest in All Six Regions" at <https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-wireless-network-quality-performance-study-volume-2>

which concludes "Verizon Wireless ranks highest in all six regions
evaluated in the study, achieving the fewest network quality problems
per 100 connections (PP100) in call quality; messaging quality; and data quality in the Mid-Atlantic, North Central, Northeast, Southeast,
Southwest and West regions."

I trust my own experience more than someone who may have been paid to write
an article a certain way. What better proof than having two phones with two different carriers in your hand? I can see the actual difference.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

On 9/16/2023 5:40 AM, badgolferman wrote:

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

Personally, over the years I've been on all three carriers. T-Mobile was
the least expensive postpaid service but of course you get what you pay
for. Verizon is like Nordstrom. AT&T is like Macy's. T-Mobile is like
Walmart.

Here we go again…

I carry two phones, a personal iPhone 14 on Tmobile and a work iPhone 11 on Verizon. There is no discernible difference in their coverage capabilities.

LOL, one person's experience does not prove anything. But you already
knew that.

You can learn about the coverage differences by visiting the following
sites:
<https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/MobileMaps/mobile-map>). <https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/Coverage>.

These are the maps for each networks’ native coverage. If you sign up
for postpaid service directly from the carrier, you also get some
limited off-network roaming, with very small data caps.

Also see "Verizon Wireless Ranks Highest in All Six Regions" at <https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-wireless-network-quality-performance-study-volume-2>
which concludes "Verizon Wireless ranks highest in all six regions
evaluated in the study, achieving the fewest network quality problems
per 100 connections (PP100) in call quality; messaging quality; and data quality in the Mid-Atlantic, North Central, Northeast, Southeast,
Southwest and West regions."

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

On 9/16/2023 5:40 AM, badgolferman wrote:

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

Personally, over the years I've been on all three carriers. T-Mobile was >>>> the least expensive postpaid service but of course you get what you pay >>>> for. Verizon is like Nordstrom. AT&T is like Macy's. T-Mobile is like
Walmart.

Here we go again…

I carry two phones, a personal iPhone 14 on Tmobile and a work iPhone 11 on >>> Verizon. There is no discernible difference in their coverage capabilities. >>

LOL, one person's experience does not prove anything. But you already
knew that.

You can learn about the coverage differences by visiting the following
sites:
<https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/MobileMaps/mobile-map>).
<https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/Coverage>.

These are the maps for each networks’ native coverage. If you sign up
for postpaid service directly from the carrier, you also get some
limited off-network roaming, with very small data caps.

Also see "Verizon Wireless Ranks Highest in All Six Regions" at
<https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-wireless-network-quality-performance-study-volume-2>

which concludes "Verizon Wireless ranks highest in all six regions
evaluated in the study, achieving the fewest network quality problems
per 100 connections (PP100) in call quality; messaging quality; and data
quality in the Mid-Atlantic, North Central, Northeast, Southeast,
Southwest and West regions."

I trust my own experience more than someone who may have been paid to write an article a certain way. What better proof than having two phones with two different carriers in your hand? I can see the actual difference.

And you don’t think I would switch to VZW if I didn’t see a significant difference? It would likely cost about the same considering I’m a veteran. And VZW customer service absolutely sucks compared to TMO.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

In article <ue46u3$3qka0$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

Personally, over the years I've been on all three carriers. T-Mobile was >> the least expensive postpaid service but of course you get what you pay
for. Verizon is like Nordstrom. AT&T is like Macy's. T-Mobile is like
Walmart.

Here we go again�

I carry two phones, a personal iPhone 14 on Tmobile and a work iPhone 11 on Verizon. There is no discernible difference in their coverage capabilities.

LOL, one person's experience does not prove anything. But you already
knew that.

apparently, you do not.

You can learn about the coverage differences by visiting the following
sites:

maps are not accurate by the carrier's own admission, plus they are
optimistic.

Also see "Verizon Wireless Ranks Highest in All Six Regions" at

also see t-mobile has better coverage than verizon:

<https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/verizon-vs-t-mobile>
But T-Mobile takes the cake for 5G with its exceptional 5G network
blanketing over 53% of the U.S. Verizon falls well short of the
Un-carrier, spanning merely 12.77% of the country. Nevertheless,
Verizon focuses mostly on high-band millimeter wave (mmWave)
5G - in contrast to T-Mobile's slower, largely low-band network. So
where available, Big Red's 5G speeds are blazing-fast, often leaving
its competitors in the dust.

except that last part about verizon's 'blazing-fast' speeds isn't true
(based on ookla tests):

<https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/07/Screenshot-2023- 07-17-at-1.30.09-PM.jpg>

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

In article <ue490c$3r16l$1@dont-email.me>, badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:

And VZW customer service absolutely sucks compared to TMO.

compared to just about anything, actually.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

On 9/16/2023 8:02 AM, badgolferman wrote:

<snip>

Forgot to mention, you can see a good summary of the differences between carriers in the Google Doc at <docs.google.com/document/d/1JLtqrZTpy33AxsVSJlUjSsoZHSZxSDO8l1B3fIytHlw/#bookmark=id.rpmqgiwfsaqq>.
The document was updated with 2023 results from J.D. Power and Rootmetrics.

From RootMetrics: <https://rootmetrics.com/en-US/content/us-state-of-mobile-union-1h-2023>
For the first half of 2023, the number of Performance “awards” for each carrier (“Our State RootScore studies balance performance from dense
urban areas, smaller towns, rural spaces, and highways to paint a
complete picture of the consumer mobile experience at the state level”):
• Overall: AT&T: 32. Verizon: 31. T-Mobile: 0.
• Data Speed: AT&T: 43. Verizon: 16. T-Mobile: 16.
• Data: AT&T: 39. Verizon: 33. T-Mobile: 22.
• Reliability: AT&T: 38. Verizon: 33. T-Mobile: 0.
• Accessibility (Coverage): Verizon: 39. AT&T: 24. T-Mobile: 0.
• Calls: AT&T: 42. Verizon: 38. T-Mobile: 0.
• Texts: AT&T: 49. Verizon: 36. T-Mobile: 3.

RootMetrics also scores performance in Metro Areas with “Awards:
• Metro Performance: Verizon: 763. AT&T: 405. T-Mobile: 325.

From J.D. Power: <https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-wireless-network-quality-performance-study-volume-2>
(excluding non-national carrier U.S. Cellular which came in second in
the North Central region):
• Verizon was ranked first in every U.S. region
• AT&T was ranked second in every U.S. region
• T-Mobile was ranked last in every U.S. region

It's important to look at the big picture and not to try to extrapolate
your own personal experience onto everyone else. Usage varies widely.
Someone that never leaves a dense urban area will likely be fine with
any carrier or MVNO. Someone that travels a lot, especially to, or
through, more rural areas, needs to carefully consider the differences
between carriers.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

In article <ue4ase$3raig$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

Forgot to mention, you can see a good summary of the differences between carriers in the Google Doc at

which you wrote and is the same bullshit you spew here.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 9/16/23 6:08 AM, nospam wrote:

In article <ue490c$3r16l$1@dont-email.me>, badgolferman ><REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:

And VZW customer service absolutely sucks compared to TMO.

compared to just about anything, actually.

Not for me. Course I haven't had to call them for anything in over 20 years.
Service just works (again for me)...

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In article <ue4mre$3tepb$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

I never understood why some people seem to constantly need customer service.

nobody said anything about constantly needing it.

if a problem occurs that can't be resolved by the user, then you have
to deal with them.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 9/16/2023 10:34 AM, AJL wrote:

On 9/16/23 6:08 AM, nospam wrote:

In article <ue490c$3r16l$1@dont-email.me>, badgolferman
<REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:

And VZW customer service absolutely sucks compared to TMO.

compared to just about anything, actually.

Not for me. Course I haven't had to call them for anything in over 20
years.
Service just works (again for me)...

I never understood why some people seem to constantly need customer service.

On my current Verizon service, on Total Wireless, if I change phones, I
chat with them, pasting in the IMEI and the SIM card number, and they
have it all working in minutes. For some reason, they don't like you
moving a SIM card from the old phone to the new phone, they want you to
have a new SIM card, even though moving the SIM card does work fine.

I had one billing issue once and they took care of it with no problem.

I actually greatly prefer using online chat since I have a record of
what was said and I don't have to speak a lot of different numbers to them.

In any case, for 2023, AT&T was ranked highest for customer
satisfaction, and T-Mobile and Verizon were tied for second, see <https://www.theacsi.org/industries/telecommunications-and-information/wireless-phone-service/>.
Consumer Cellular had the highest rating.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In article <ue4htv$3si0t$1@dont-email.me>, AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

And VZW customer service absolutely sucks compared to TMO.

compared to just about anything, actually.

Not for me. Course I haven't had to call them for anything in over 20 years.
Service just works (again for me)...

when it works, it works fine. when it doesn't and you have to deal with
their customer service, be prepared for a clusterfuck. it's almost as
bad as comcast.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:

In article <ue46u3$3qka0$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

sms <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

Personally, over the years I've been on all three carriers. T-Mobile was >>>> the least expensive postpaid service but of course you get what you pay >>>> for. Verizon is like Nordstrom. AT&T is like Macy's. T-Mobile is like
Walmart.

Here we go againŠ

I carry two phones, a personal iPhone 14 on Tmobile and a work iPhone 11 on >>> Verizon. There is no discernible difference in their coverage capabilities. >>

LOL, one person's experience does not prove anything. But you already
knew that.

apparently, you do not.

You can learn about the coverage differences by visiting the following
sites:

maps are not accurate by the carrier's own admission, plus they are optimistic.

Also see "Verizon Wireless Ranks Highest in All Six Regions" at

also see t-mobile has better coverage than verizon:

<https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/verizon-vs-t-mobile>
But T-Mobile takes the cake for 5G with its exceptional 5G network
blanketing over 53% of the U.S. Verizon falls well short of the
Un-carrier, spanning merely 12.77% of the country. Nevertheless,
Verizon focuses mostly on high-band millimeter wave (mmWave)
5G - in contrast to T-Mobile's slower, largely low-band network. So
where available, Big Red's 5G speeds are blazing-fast, often leaving
its competitors in the dust.

except that last part about verizon's 'blazing-fast' speeds isn't true
(based on ookla tests):

<https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/07/Screenshot-2023- 07-17-at-1.30.09-PM.jpg>

https://ibb.co/Kw72Jq5

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In article <ue4nuj$3tm1b$1@dont-email.me>, AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

And VZW customer service absolutely sucks compared to TMO.

compared to just about anything, actually.

Not for me. Course I haven't had to call them for anything in over 20
years.
Service just works (again for me)...

when it works, it works fine. when it doesn't and you have to deal with >their customer service, be prepared for a clusterfuck. it's almost as
bad as comcast.

I'd just stop by my local VZW store. Folks were nice there.

they may be nice, but they're clueless and only interested in selling.

the last time i went there to get an issue resolved, they flat out lied
to me, causing a week's delay in getting something resolved. they also
kept trying to upsell me on various services i did not want, nor was
the reason for the visit.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 9/16/2023 12:26 PM, AJL wrote:

<snip>

As I said in my other post the 5 minute drive to my VZW store would be
easier for me IF I had a problem. But since my phone life is not
complicated (2 phones, 4+ years between changes, stay in populated areas) I don't have the problems of many here...

If you really want bad customer service then nothing beats
Comcast/Xfinity. Reaching a live person takes extreme commitment. I had
a billing question because my auto-payment went up unexpectedly by $5
even though I'm in a two year contract for $20/month, as long I was on
autopay. I finally realized what had happened, they had incorrectly
changed my amount when they did the "no credit cards for autopay
discount" change. Eventually I reached someone who credited me the
difference.

In any case the difference between AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon customer service, were very small, 75/100 for AT&T, 74/100 for T-Mobile, and
73/100 for Verizon.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 9/16/23 10:10 AM, nospam wrote:

In article <ue4htv$3si0t$1@dont-email.me>, AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

And VZW customer service absolutely sucks compared to TMO.

compared to just about anything, actually.

Not for me. Course I haven't had to call them for anything in over 20 years. >> Service just works (again for me)...

when it works, it works fine. when it doesn't and you have to deal with
their customer service, be prepared for a clusterfuck. it's almost as
bad as comcast.

I'd just stop by my local VZW store. Folks were nice there. Course it's been
4 years since I got my current phone there (with no problems since) so who
knows...

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 9/16/23 9:58 AM, sms wrote:

On 9/16/2023 10:34 AM, AJL wrote:

On 9/16/23 6:08 AM, nospam wrote:

In article <ue490c$3r16l$1@dont-email.me>, badgolferman
<REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:

And VZW customer service absolutely sucks compared to TMO.

compared to just about anything, actually.

Not for me. Course I haven't had to call them for anything in over 20
years.
Service just works (again for me)...

I never understood why some people seem to constantly need customer service.

On my current Verizon service, on Total Wireless, if I change phones, I
chat with them, pasting in the IMEI and the SIM card number, and they
have it all working in minutes. For some reason, they don't like you
moving a SIM card from the old phone to the new phone, they want you to
have a new SIM card, even though moving the SIM card does work fine.

I had one billing issue once and they took care of it with no problem.

I actually greatly prefer using online chat since I have a record of
what was said and I don't have to speak a lot of different numbers to them.

As I said in my other post the 5 minute drive to my VZW store would be
easier for me IF I had a problem. But since my phone life is not
complicated (2 phones, 4+ years between changes, stay in populated areas) I
don't have the problems of many here...

In any case, for 2023, AT&T was ranked highest for customer
satisfaction, and T-Mobile and Verizon were tied for second, see ><https://www.theacsi.org/industries/telecommunications-and-information/wireless-phone-service/>.
Consumer Cellular had the highest rating.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In article <ue4pdd$3tqmb$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

If you really want bad customer service then nothing beats
Comcast/Xfinity.

true, but not by much compared to verizon.

Reaching a live person takes extreme commitment.

that's also the case with verizon, with hold times in excess of 30
minutes during the day, only to get an idiot who can't deviate from
their script and goes into upsell mode no matter the reason for the
call.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

On Sat, 16 Sep 2023 17:51:47 -0000 (UTC), Chris wrote:

What do you think of this AT&T Costco deal (3 year contract terms)?
https://i.postimg.cc/y6JHt2nf/attcostco01.jpg

The salesman at Costco let me take this picture of the deal he offered me
at $112/month for 4 lines of unlimited calls, text & data if I switch to
AT&T and trade in the iPhone 12 mini on my plan of four phones (3 Android).

$112 pm plus trade-ins is a weird definition of "free".

The Android 128MB Samsung Galaxy S23 phones are free so if you wanted four
of them, there would be no other cost than the sales tax on their MSRP.

The iPhone (with a trade-in) doesn't cost extra other than the sales tax.
The $112 is the monthly service (without the government fees added yet).

The presumption is you're already paying for the four lines because the
Costco kiosk salesman tailored the quote to my situation, asking me

1. Do you currently have AT&T (my answer was "No").
2. How many lines do you have (my answer was "4").
3. What phones are on those lines (my answer was "1 iPhone, 3 Androids").
4. What are you currently paying per month (my answer was "~$120).
5. His last question was whether I was under contract (my answer was "no").

Then he gave me the quote to replace my current service where I'd be paying about the same price and I would get four new free 128GB Galaxy S23 phones
if I wanted that - but I'd have to trade in the iPhone 12 mini to get the iPhone 15 for no additional costs.

He had other options, but he was just trying to match what I already had. https://i.postimg.cc/y6JHt2nf/attcostco01.jpg

I am thinking about it although I'm happy with my current carrier but there
are only really three to choose from so I don't think the carrier matters.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

Wolf Greenblatt <wolf@greenblatt.net> wrote:

What do you think of this AT&T Costco deal (3 year contract terms)?
https://i.postimg.cc/y6JHt2nf/attcostco01.jpg

The salesman at Costco let me take this picture of the deal he offered me
at $112/month for 4 lines of unlimited calls, text & data if I switch to
AT&T and trade in the iPhone 12 mini on my plan of four phones (3 Android).

$112 pm plus trade-ins is a weird definition of "free".

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

Wolf Greenblatt <wolf@greenblatt.net> wrote:

On Sat, 16 Sep 2023 17:51:47 -0000 (UTC), Chris wrote:

What do you think of this AT&T Costco deal (3 year contract terms)?
https://i.postimg.cc/y6JHt2nf/attcostco01.jpg

The salesman at Costco let me take this picture of the deal he offered me >>> at $112/month for 4 lines of unlimited calls, text & data if I switch to >>> AT&T and trade in the iPhone 12 mini on my plan of four phones (3 Android). >>

$112 pm plus trade-ins is a weird definition of "free".

The Android 128MB Samsung Galaxy S23 phones are free so if you wanted four
of them, there would be no other cost than the sales tax on their MSRP.

The iPhone (with a trade-in) doesn't cost extra other than the sales tax.
The $112 is the monthly service (without the government fees added yet).

The presumption is you're already paying for the four lines because the Costco kiosk salesman tailored the quote to my situation, asking me

1. Do you currently have AT&T (my answer was "No").
2. How many lines do you have (my answer was "4").
3. What phones are on those lines (my answer was "1 iPhone, 3 Androids").
4. What are you currently paying per month (my answer was "~$120).
5. His last question was whether I was under contract (my answer was "no").

Then he gave me the quote to replace my current service where I'd be paying about the same price and I would get four new free 128GB Galaxy S23 phones
if I wanted that - but I'd have to trade in the iPhone 12 mini to get the iPhone 15 for no additional costs.

He had other options, but he was just trying to match what I already had. https://i.postimg.cc/y6JHt2nf/attcostco01.jpg

I am thinking about it although I'm happy with my current carrier but there are only really three to choose from so I don't think the carrier matters.

Things to consider:
- how long must you stay on att?
- how long will the phones be locked?
- what happens if you leave after one year?

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On 9/16/23 10:46 AM, nospam wrote:

In article <ue4nuj$3tm1b$1@dont-email.me>, AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

And VZW customer service absolutely sucks compared to TMO.

compared to just about anything, actually.

Not for me. Course I haven't had to call them for anything in over 20
years.
Service just works (again for me)...

when it works, it works fine. when it doesn't and you have to deal with
their customer service, be prepared for a clusterfuck. it's almost as
bad as comcast.

I'd just stop by my local VZW store. Folks were nice there.

they may be nice, but they're clueless and only interested in selling.

Worked on me. Last time I was there 4 years ago I bought a phone. $300 off
list...

the last time i went there to get an issue resolved, they flat out lied
to me, causing a week's delay in getting something resolved. they also
kept trying to upsell me on various services i did not want, nor was
the reason for the visit.

One incident does not make a pattern.

Am sitting in a Goodwill store waiting for you know who. They used to have
old computers in the old days. No more. Wonder why...

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XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone

On 9/16/2023 1:55 PM, badgolferman wrote:

<snip>

Things to consider:
- how long must you stay on att?

You don't have to stay at all, but you'd have to pay off the phones if
you leave prior to 36 months.

- how long will the phones be locked?

That's part of the new "no-contract contract" that you're stuck with on
AT&T and T-Mobile. You can't get the phones unlocked when you're getting
a monthly bill credit that offsets the monthly payment on the phone.

It's a little different on Verizon since they unlock all phones after
sixty days, paid off or not. So if you're traveling internationally you
can use a prepaid SIM, either physical or electronic. But you're still obligated to pay off the phone no matter what. I suspect that they would remotely lock any phone where the subscriber stopped making monthly
payments.

- what happens if you leave after one year?

You have to pay the balance of whatever is owed on each phone. This
applies to all the carriers, including Verizon.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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In article <ue4vue$3v7tm$1@dont-email.me>, AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

the last time i went there to get an issue resolved, they flat out lied
to me, causing a week's delay in getting something resolved. they also
kept trying to upsell me on various services i did not want, nor was
the reason for the visit.

One incident does not make a pattern.

oh, i've had many, many more.

one time they claimed my check bounced, except that i paid with a
credit card without issue. no check was involved. one of the best
'excuses' was that they always post payments as a check, regardless of
how it's paid, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, but even if
that were true, that doesn't explain how they determined it supposedly
bounced. after *weeks* of trying to resolve it, i just gave up.

another problem is when calling, the automated assistant asks for a
phone number of account number to route the call. i dutifully tap that
in, then after a lengthy hold, an agent comes on the line asking 'whats
your phone number?'. uh, i just tapped it in. apparently, the automated assistant doesn't pass that info along (it happens *every* time), and
trying to get an agent without going through that step actually takes
longer.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 9/16/2023 1:54 PM, nospam wrote:

In article <ue4vue$3v7tm$1@dont-email.me>, AJL <noemail@none.com>
wrote:

the last time i went there to get an issue resolved, they flat
out lied to me, causing a week's delay in getting something
resolved. they also kept trying to upsell me on various services
i did not want, nor was the reason for the visit.

One incident does not make a pattern.

oh, i've had many, many more.

one time they claimed my check bounced, except that i paid with a
credit card without issue. no check was involved. one of the best
'excuses' was that they always post payments as a check, regardless
of how it's paid, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, but
even if that were true, that doesn't explain how they determined it supposedly bounced. after *weeks* of trying to resolve it, i just
gave up.

another problem is when calling, the automated assistant asks for a
phone number of account number to route the call. i dutifully tap
that in, then after a lengthy hold, an agent comes on the line
asking 'whats your phone number?'. uh, i just tapped it in.
apparently, the automated assistant doesn't pass that info along (it
happens *every* time), and trying to get an agent without going
through that step actually takes longer.

I can see why you're pissed off. I suppose I would be too. Fortunately
(knocks on wood) I've not ever needed to call VZW in recent decades.

Years ago I had a phone hassle with Cox my ISP/cable provider. They also
have a store nearby and since then any problems or changes I need I just
go there. So far so good...

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On 9/16/2023 5:08 PM, AJL wrote:

snip>

Years ago I had a phone hassle with Cox my ISP/cable provider. They also
have a store nearby and since then any problems or changes I need I just
go there. So far so good...

With Comcast/Xfinity, going to a store is sometimes your only option
since it's so difficult to ever reach a live person.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In article <ue5klt$2pdq$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

With Comcast/Xfinity, going to a store is sometimes your only option
since it's so difficult to ever reach a live person.

it's not that difficult. they offer a callback option, which is usually
very quick, without the need to wait on hold.

the problem is the person who calls is clueless and knows nothing more
than how to read a script.

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On 9/16/2023 6:27 PM, sms wrote:

On 9/16/2023 5:08 PM, AJL wrote:

Years ago I had a phone hassle with Cox my ISP/cable provider. They
also have a store nearby and since then any problems or changes I
need I just go there. So far so good...

With Comcast/Xfinity, going to a store is sometimes your only option
since it's so difficult to ever reach a live person.

I didn't have a problem reaching a live person with Cox. My problem was
that the live person couldn't solve my billing problem. Dunno why the
live person at the store could but he did. So store it is next time.
Perhaps it'll be to return my stuff when I change ISPs...

CenturyLink is installing fiber in my area and word is it'll be 10 bucks cheaper than Cox when active.

However the installation has been painful. They busted my water line
causing me 5 hours without water. They left my yard rocks in the street.
They left their lunch garbage on my property. They bent my mailbox. And
they left their truck blocking my driveway when they left to work a
block away. Many of the neighbors had the same hassles. I kinda pity the CenturyLink sales guy when he tries to sell us on the new service. I
mean who else you gonna take out your frustrations on...

But should I change for only 10 bucks a month??? I just checked and
fast.com says my cable is giving me 290Mbps so for my use I doubt I'll
see all that much difference with fiber...

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