I have been with Verizon since Cellular One days.
Always had decent service. Even get discount for being a Vet.
Got a notice my rates are going up $20/mo
I am not crazy about paying $100 a month for two phones.
I still use a flip phone and am satisfied with such. My wife has an Apple I phone.
I have text capability and wife has a data plan.
I got a flyer in the mail from Consumer Cellular and I am not really sure if they are any good.
Any recommendations?

I've never used Consumer Cellular, however my brother has.

He was always a high roller type, had Verizon from day one for many years with never a problem.

Anyhow, he was living in Hawaii and running out of money so he kept cutting back on everything he had and did. Verizon was the last to go and he went with Consumer Cellular.

I asked him about how it was and he just kind of snorted and said "well, it sure as hell isn't Verizon."

If you are 55+ T-Mobile has a great plan, low rates and as long as your phones are 5G capable, way better coverage than Verizon et al.


Link to Plan

US Mobile has been great for the past year. Same Verizon network, better coverage and speeds than before, and under $35/mo total for three lines.

If you want to stay on Verizon's towers....

Visible Wireless (MVNO owned by Verizon) $25/month/line (Unlimited data for your wife)

If T-Mobile services your area with good coverage, you can do even better....

Mint Mobile (MVNO purchasing bandwidth on T-Mobile's network)
$17/line/month (4gb of data per month for your wife)

I use Mint and its pretty darn good for $17/month, and I put fairly heavy demands on my phone daily.

quote:

Originally posted by bryan11:
US Mobile has been great for the past year. Same Verizon network, better coverage and speeds than before, and under $35/mo total for three lines.

Might be an option, but US Cellular buys bandwidth from both Verizon and T-Mobile, depending on where you are. You need to check who they subscribe service from in your area before you go too far with them.

Xfinity Mobile uses Verizon's system. I get great service here in NH.

Consumer Cellular. I have two phones, one of which is on the EZ pay plan. 60 bucks a month. Talk, Text is unlimited and I have a smaller internet plan, since I dont surf the net with my phone.

I use Consumer Cellular and have been pleased with their cost and service. I believe they run on Verizon towers.

7gb of data, unlimited talk minutes and texts for two phone numbers, $55/month.

If you are both smaller data users and make/receive calls only in US, then prepaid can be very cost effective. I used Cricket (ATT) for years (4 phones for $100 on autopay). I didn't pay a lot of surcharges and taxes, but that may have changed.
There are many available: Mint (TMO), Boost (TMO), Cricket (ATT), ATT Pre-paid, US Mobile (VZW), Trackphone (VZW), TotalWireless (VZW), VZW Pre-paid. If you don't like one, move to another before your 30 days is up. The only thing you need to do is transfer your number to the new carrier.
Downsides: Signal priority and higher latency if tower is congested, because you're considered a lower-tier user than post-paid carrier. Canada and Mexico are not usually part of these plans. Pay before use, so don't forget to pay each month.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
I use Consumer Cellular and have been pleased with their cost and service. I believe they run on Verizon towers.

7gb of data, unlimited talk minutes and texts for two phone numbers, $55/month.

In my neck of the woods, Consumer Cellular runs on either AT&T or T-Mobile towers (you choose). I don't remember my data allowance right now, but my bill (unlimited talk/text) is roughly $25/month.

I've fought with Verizon for the last time.

Another mint mobile user here after paying through the nose with Verizon for 20 years.
Very happy since it’s the same network…

I am Kicking Verizon to the curb also. Poor Service and the price is going up. Several people at work have aready swithced to Cricket.

Consumer Cellular is good, but they are an MVNO that uses either AT&T or T-Mobile.

If Verizon's coverage is important to you, you might consider going with a Verizon prepaid account. They don't advertise them because they aren't as profitable, but prepaid plans are a great deal if you ask about them. I pay $25/mo for unlimited talk, text, and 5GB of data.

quote:

Originally posted by CoolRich59:
If Verizon's coverage is important to you, you might consider going with a Verizon prepaid account. They don't advertise them because they aren't as profitable, but prepaid plans are a great deal if you ask about them. I pay $25/mo for unlimited talk, text, and 5GB of data.

You can sign up for Visible Mobile for $25/month all in, which runs on Verizon (and owned by Verizon) and get unlimited everything including data. Just sayin'....

 
I've been a VZ customer since the early cellular days, when we lived in MD. I tried T-Mobile once, but their coverage map was a joke (as I understand it still is). I could probably save a few bucks by going with an MVNO (my wife has done this, with Consumer Cellular, but they use T-Mobile in our area). For $65 for one phone and a 5GB data plan, unlimited talk and text of course, I am happy with the VZ cellular and customer service. It is pretty much trouble free (not so much with T-Mobile). The VZ coverage in this small town area is fantastic, with 4 towers, even more so when I travel to PHX or Prescott.

Spectrum Mobile; $14/month per person and no contracts, fees,etc.

It depends on how much you use your phone, I guess. We have no cell service from any provider around here, but still need a phone when we leave the house, so we went with Tracfone. Paying a bunch of money for a monthly plan with Verizon, AT&T, etc, when we have no service at home made no sense.

We have what I suppose is Tracfone's basic plan. It's $20 for three months/60 minutes talk time. I'm not sure how much text or data is included. If you run out of data, text, or talk minutes, you can add add to it any time. Phone cards are sold in just about any convenience store, or you can add on line. Minutes/text/data all carry over. They have all different kinds of pay-as-you-go plans, but this one works for us.

My wife occasionally runs out of data, over the three months, because she'll use her phone to look things up when we're driving. We just add some more. We've never run out of minutes, or texts.

Wife and I each have an iPhone on Total Wireless (New name for Trac Phone). We got the service from Walmart but it is available on line. They use the Verizon network. They are a reseller similar to Consumer Wireless. Cost for both phones service including text, talk and Data in a little over $60 a month, no contract. We have had no troubles with service at all. Switch over your current phone or buy one from them.

quote:

Originally posted by coltchris:

Spectrum Mobile; $14/month per person and no contracts, fees,etc.

We have that plan for three phones. Great service.

There is one "gotcha" -- the fourteen dollar price reflects a $20.00 discount that is only available to customers who have Spectrum internet service. Without Spectrum internet, it's $34 / month for each phone.

Not a problem for me, I have Spectrum internet at home, and the outstanding Spectrum business class internet at the hangar office.

Just remembered something a traveling Bank Of America rep told me years ago.

"If you travel a lot all over the US and you want to be able to get a signal almost regardless of where you are, get Verizon. If you don't, then get one of the others.

I traveled all over the US when I owned my business and found he was right. I've loaned mu phone to quite a few people who couldn't get a signal over the years.