Made the switch

[Joshua79]

If your on AT&T I suggest you look at https://www.cricketwireless.com/ their sim cards can be found at walmart as well and they even have their own store down town bismarck. Cricket uses the AT&T towers is cheaper and can use any AT&T phone. They do slow your internet speed down to 8gb/s and plans have data limits when reached your at 3G for the rest of the month unless you want to pony up for like $10 a gig. Great discounts for family plans etc.

I am using four Phones and paying $110 a month when the kids use up their 5gb they are stuck on 3g teaches em to conserve that data.

 

[Kickemup]

I’ve had strait talk for about 3 years. I have no complaints I have had a couple times where my wife will have service with Verizon and I don’t but that might be cause she has a lot newer phone.

 

[dewey89]

I have total wireless. 3 phones, 20 gigs data, $80 a month. I buy unlocked phones online, very easy and way cheaper. Service has been great so far.

 

[JMF]

I made the switch about 2 years ago. Verizon bill was $100+ a month, straight talk for unlimited data and text for $48 a month including all taxes. Service did not change at all. My only gripe is that I wish they would offer an overall "package" for a bunch of lines under one plan, hopefully they come out with something like that in the future.

I believe Total wireless offers the "package" deals you're looking for. Looks to me that they are the same company as Straight talk (websites are identical other than heading colors). I think we're going to make the switch. The little I have penciled out so far it would be about $50 a month cheaper than what I'm paying for 2 lines now.

 

[sig357]

The main reason I made the switch from Verizon to ST is that Verizon doesn't offer deals on phones no more. They flat out charge the piss out of you for a new phone. So does ST but at least I get a price break on the monthly service.

 

[sweeney]

about a year and a half ago I switched to Verizon prepaid. We usually bought the cheap burner phones for the kids on straight talk/trac phone and the service at the lake was shit IMO, occasionally if you held the phone just right you might get a text to come through or a call. right now I have two smartphones on the plan with 7 gb each that you can carryover up to 7GB. it costs $93 after all taxes and fees, if I wanted to add another 7gb plan it would cost 35 for each one or 30 for a 3gb or 60 for unlimited plan. They were offering 100 rebate if you brought your phone number from another company for a while too. We had Verizon iphones 6 and 6s that we brought over and they have worked great so far.

 

[Lungdeflator]

Has anybody called Verizon and told them you were going to quit them?

I have had Dish and XM give me some crazy deals on packages when I call and tell them I want to drop them. They will almost do anything to keep you. I'm wondering if Verizon would do the same?

 

[bigbrad123]

Every time I read posts like this, it makes me want to switch ASAP. But then I procrastinate and never do it. I guess I'm not big on change, but I get closer and closer each time. I have 2 smart phones and a little talk/text phone for my 11 YO right now through Verizon. Only have 4 GB total data and pay $148 per month. Seems ridiculous for how little shared data we have. And the 11YO has been begging for a smartphone which I know will increase our bill drastically with the increase in data needed once I break down and get him one.

 

[risingsun]

Every time I read posts like this, it makes me want to switch ASAP. But then I procrastinate and never do it. I guess I'm not big on change, but I get closer and closer each time. I have 2 smart phones and a little talk/text phone for my 11 YO right now through Verizon. Only have 4 GB total data and pay $148 per month. Seems ridiculous for how little shared data we have. And the 11YO has been begging for a smartphone which I know will increase our bill drastically with the increase in data needed once I break down and get him one.

Check out Total Wireless. 2 phones unlimited talk/text 16 gb shared $60 3 phones 80. Your verizon phones will work. Automatically take payment out each month, so no buying cards unless you want to do that.

 

[WormWiggler]

I read this and want to change also, currently have ATT with 4 smart phone, 40 gb of data for around 350, some of that is on two of the phones. My hang up is mine is a work phone, so reliability is priority one. Currently I seem to be working a lot near the Canadian border, so I don't want issues with that, I would not mind seeing more data or unlimited but maybe booting kid and wife in near futures so 40 would be adequate in that instance.

 

[5575]

Has anybody called Verizon and told them you were going to quit them?

I have had Dish and XM give me some crazy deals on packages when I call and tell them I want to drop them. They will almost do anything to keep you. I'm wondering if Verizon would do the same?

I did that for about 5 years straight. They would cut my bill in half, catch was it was only for 1 year. So I'd have to call and do it all over again every year but my bill went from 280 to 140 so we saved 1680 a year x 5 years it added up.. $8400!
But since then Verizon has buckled to pressure and we now get three phones unlimited data for $180 "we own our phones, buy them new off ebay unlocked for about 200-250 each"
If a guy only needed 1 or two phones that straight talk unlimited would be the way to go. My brothers have had it for years and ranch in the middle of nowhere north central SD and they say they get better service now than they did with Verizon.

 

[sig357]

Check out Total Wireless. 2 phones unlimited talk/text 16 gb shared $60 3 phones 80. Your verizon phones will work. Automatically take payment out each month, so no buying cards unless you want to do that.

I wish I would have heard of Total Wireless before I switched to Strait Talk. I am very happy with Strait talk but if they have the exact same coverage the TW does I will be signing my wife and I up pronto. I ended up going with the $55 plan for 60 gigs thinking I could hotspot my phone if needed but found that is a no no with Strait talk and they can slap you with a ban. Also read a lot of people that do it and never get caught but I know how that would go for me. The luck I have I don't even bother Jay walking anymore not really worried about getting a ticket just worried someone on a cell phone while driving is going to clobber me!

- - - Updated - - -

Full discloser after a week of being on Strait Talk.
I fished out of Beaver Bay on Sakakawea and had service all day. Text, phone calls and interweb all worked just fine. Not that I was on my phone but I wanted to make sure coverage was going t work for me. Caught 11 eyes and kept 7 eyes. I also caught one Largemouth bass in 34fow for those who are looking for a fishing report. I was also up to deep water and had no issues there. Exact same coverage as I had with Verizon. I am in Mandan and have had zero dropped calls and everything seems in order. Very happy with ST and probably will be making the switch to Total Wireless next month once this month is up just to try it do to the extra savings it would give the wife and I.

Our bill was $185 for 3 lines with 10 gigs shared(Verizon). Unlimited text and talk. With everyone switching to ST it would be $135. $50 of savings a month comes out to be $600/year

Now if Total wireless is even less @ $80 per month for 3 lines that is a savings of $105 a month and roughly $1260 for the year. That's some decent savings right there. One buddy would say that's good minnow money!

For the ones that want to do it but just don't. All I had to ask myself is this how many times in a year do I go to Verizon or a best buy store for help on anything. I can honest say this was my number 1 reason why I didn't switch and really sat and thought about it and I couldn't remember the last time I was in a store to talk to someone about my phone. So I made the switch.

 

[scrotcaster]

Total wireless gets the same coverage as Straight talk? I have straight talk, wife has verizon (contract up in Sept. ) , so gonna be shopiing around but that two lines with TW looks like the way to go. Any other reviews on TW?

 

[3Roosters]

Check out Total Wireless. 2 phones unlimited talk/text 16 gb shared $60 3 phones 80. Your verizon phones will work. Automatically take payment out each month, so no buying cards unless you want to do that.

I am checking into this Total Wireless deal now....2 phones 16gb for $60 unlimited talk/text using our existing phones... seems like an awesome price...they said my phone would need a sim card for 99cents as well.. this seems like at least 80 bucks a month less than we are currently paying on Verizon.. Making the switch seems to be a no brainer...what am I missing?

 

[sweeney]

I wish I would have heard of Total Wireless before I switched to Strait Talk. I am very happy with Strait talk but if they have the exact same coverage the TW does I will be signing my wife and I up pronto. I ended up going with the $55 plan for 60 gigs thinking I could hotspot my phone if needed but found that is a no no with Strait talk and they can slap you with a ban. Also read a lot of people that do it and never get caught but I know how that would go for me. The luck I have I don't even bother Jay walking anymore not really worried about getting a ticket just worried someone on a cell phone while driving is going to clobber me!

- - - Updated - - -

Full discloser after a week of being on Strait Talk.
I fished out of Beaver Bay on Sakakawea and had service all day. Text, phone calls and interweb all worked just fine. Not that I was on my phone but I wanted to make sure coverage was going t work for me. Caught 11 eyes and kept 7 eyes. I also caught one Largemouth bass in 34fow for those who are looking for a fishing report. I was also up to deep water and had no issues there. Exact same coverage as I had with Verizon. I am in Mandan and have had zero dropped calls and everything seems in order. Very happy with ST and probably will be making the switch to Total Wireless next month once this month is up just to try it do to the extra savings it would give the wife and I.

Our bill was $185 for 3 lines with 10 gigs shared(Verizon). Unlimited text and talk. With everyone switching to ST it would be $135. $50 of savings a month comes out to be $600/year

Now if Total wireless is even less @ $80 per month for 3 lines that is a savings of $105 a month and roughly $1260 for the year. That's some decent savings right there. One buddy would say that's good minnow money!

For the ones that want to do it but just don't. All I had to ask myself is this how many times in a year do I go to Verizon or a best buy store for help on anything. I can honest say this was my number 1 reason why I didn't switch and really sat and thought about it and I couldn't remember the last time I was in a store to talk to someone about my phone. So I made the switch.

Trac phone which is total wireless I am pretty sure had shit service at the lake at the beginning of the year to the point the kids don't even bring their phones out of the truck when we are camping, I wonder if something changed in the last few months or if straight talk isn't the same coverage as total wireless?

 

[fly2cast]

I have total wireless and am happy. 4 phones, 25 gig, $99. It uses Verizon towers so exact same coverage as Verizon. The only downside is customer service. They are all from India and I can't understand them. But if you don't need to use customer service much, you're golden.

 

[risingsun]

I have had ZERO issues with coverage from anywhere in the state where normal Verizon coverage exists. I fish the Arm from end to end and have no problems since ice out. I would not have recommended it if it was no good. I truly am very happy with mine. And for what it is worth, I believe Straight Talk is owned by Tracfone as well.

 

[sweeney]

Well I will have to take one of the kids burner phones out on the boat this weekend and try it, the only thing I like about Verizon prepaid is I can carry my data over every month and I don't have to share it with a teenager who can't figure out how to not use up 7GB of data. It looked like on total wireless website that you did get 5GB per line that carryover on the family plans.

 

[VDAWG]

I have a Verizon iphone 6s and when I put in my serial number on the total wireless website, it says my phone isn't compatible. ;:;banghead

 

[Bfishn]

I have a Verizon iphone 6s and when I put in my serial number on the total wireless website, it says my phone isn't compatible. ;:;banghead

That seems odd, It should definitely work for Straight talk. To my knowledge any phone set up for the Verizon network works on Straigh talk. I just bought a Verizon iphone directly from Apple and then got the Straight Talk sim card.