Going on a cruise that will take me to Key West and then Cozumel, Mexico. Anyone with cruise experience that can share the best way to avoid crazy fees?
phone fees? airplane mode. cruise fees? there are none. all you pay for is drinks and tips and sometimes your tips are even paid in advance. pour tequila in an empty listerine bottle (brown kind) to offset drink prices.
craig.pulliam said:
phone fees? airplane mode. cruise fees? there are none. all you pay for is drinks and tips and sometimes your tips are even paid in advance. pour tequila in an empty listerine bottle (brown kind) to offset drink prices.
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Yea phone/data fees.
This is what I found on Sprint's website:
Pricing
All cruise ship calls: $2.99/minute
Data: $0.020/kb (with capable device where available)
Text Pricing: Send: $0.50/recipient; Received $0.05/msg
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So looks like the phone will be left off and only turned on once or twice a day to check and see if any important text messages come through. I'll have to tell my friends to avoid texting me unless it is extremely important.
Transfer your cruise tickets to me... I'll take care of the charges...
Edit: seriously tho have fun!
Sent from 3D A.W.E.S.O.M-O
Some cruises also offer wifi. Turn on airplane mode then connect via wifi to check your email and websites. Not sure what the price for wifi is, but I'm sure it's not cheap.
Google Voice, if enabled, can be used over WiFi for your text messages... So if you have access to WiFi on the cruise..?
I thought the point of a cruise was to get away from it all?
When I was camping in the Sierra Nevada, I didn't expect and in fact enjoyed not having a signal.
Kept mine in airplane mode. While docked in St Thomas, was using it. Make sure you are away from the ship while in U.S. territory before you use a phone.
WiFi was close to unusable and a total wallet-rape on RCL's Oasis of the Seas.
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA App
3 minute call on my account was $8 when I went on a cruise last year. I didn't use my phone at all.
I think Internet access is at least 1 per minute at the computer kiosks, which you have to buy in at least 15 or 30 minute packages. Google Voice would be useful for texting here.
Remember to change your mobile network setting to Sprint only if you don't want the phone to use the ship's transmitter when a Sprint tower is available. This can especially happen in port if the cruise ships cell phone transmitter is not turned off. Change it to roaming as needed.
Cheaper solution is to look into buying a gsm phone and pre-paid international sim card for use on the ship and in port. It's also useful to have a couple of these phones between a couple or group of people as its easy to get separated on the ship and while on excursions in port.
Cheapest solution is to turn the phone off and experience the cruise lifestyle for a few days. It's a vacation!
walk to room...enter...open closet....open safe...put in your cell phone...close and lock safe....go outside to lido deck and proceed to drink and eat.
enjoy your cruise
I did the airplane mode the whole time it wasnt worth the cost and it was nice to not worry about calls or text.... On another note my Original Evo lasted 5 days in airplane mode with no charging and still used it for games.
Funnel deck, no phone, no clothes, no worries
Check out google voice if they have wifi (they should) They charge like $.02 for mexico and like $.06 for japan(not sure if that applies for both incoming and outgoing but I know they say google voice is US only right now). Not exactly sure how it works, but its worth looking into. You can definitely use google voice to text though, keep yourself in airplane mode with wifi on. That's if they have free wifi on the ship, I havnt been on a cruise in many years.
We tried to stick to just texting on board ship. Saves a little.
Watch out though, we would send a text and it would repeat 10-20-30 times and they bill you for it! Receiving texts was the same deal.
When we got back last December, there was more than $100 worth of texts on our bill!!! Called Sprint and they could see the problem and said that it was a "known problem," it took me three tries to get it back to what it really was, about $20.
Enjoy.
I would just leave it at home.
heres what i dont understand, if your going on a cruise why would you even want to use your phone, if i was going I wouldnt be touching my phone unless it was for emergencys
you can also call up sprint and ask them to put a bill cap on your account, so it can not exceed 100 or whatever you tell them
Surely the boat has wifi. You could then intergrate with Google voice while on the boat so atleast u can text and see any important calls. Then use gmail to call people I suppose
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
ITS A VACATION.. LEAVE YOUR DAMN PHONE AT THE DOCK.. that is all. all contact information for loved ones is left on the kitchen counter for contact via the ships administrators. Forget the damn phone and have good time. lol
What I did when we spent some time in Mexico is use wifi for Google Voice texts and emails and use Groove IP to make calls. This uses your Google Voice account/number and your phone to make VOIP calls.
Best single app on my phone IMO. Both for these international issues as well as when I can get a 4G signal but no 3G/Voice.
Related
Hi:
Up until now, I have been using T-Mobile ever since the XDA came out.
Used a "visorphone" before that. I do NOT use T-Mobile's Internet access (T-zones) ever since I got hit with a $180+ overage charge the first month I used it.
So.
Here is my issue:
Starting a few months ago, I noticed that, even though I do NOT use T-Mobile for any Internet access (I call up my own ISP instead from the XDA), T-Mobile are charging me something like $.50 for every email sent or received from the XDA using my own ISP. I suppose they monitor the traffic or something. When I protested that they shouldn't charge me for anything Internet-related, only the minutes used to call my ISP, they told me basically that they don't give a damn what I think, and that I will continue to be charged $.50 for every email. They show up on my bill as "e-note" to the phone number "500."
I think that's ridiculous and possibly illegal since it doesn't involve their servers or their services at all, but I don't have the energy to deal with their untrained "Wireless Data Group." It would take years to explain this to them. Just getting them on the phone took over 1 hour. This is partly a warning post, that this is what T-Mobile is doing, and we should know about it. So, I am looking into switching to AT&T.
My questions for anyone reading this:
1) anyone else have that billing issue with t-mobile?
2) is at&t any better? do they charge for internet traffic even if you haven't signed up for their services?
3) i don't think i have simlock issues, the unlock util from this site says that it's already unlocked. rom is 4.00.21 ENG, radio stack 6.24.00
from yorch.net.
4) is there anything i should know? won't this t-mobile build of "windows mobile 2003" rom work with at&t ?
any info appreciated, you can email thomas at pullen.com (removed the @ for the spam bots).
thanks!
TMO is pretty bad, iv experienced their levels of ignorance too, but once in a while, u can incounter sumone who knows alot about what they do
you should have never used tzones (if it wasnt unlimited) for transfering big amounts of data, thats why u got charged so much, for going over the allowd data amount
when connecting to your own ISP, are u connecting using THEIR # ? ... if so, then i dont know where TMO gets these ideas 4 charging u extra + the phone call :roll:
to unlock u need to go back to a 2002 rom, with the unlock software
ur build will work, but it would be better to switch to 4.00.05 , since u wont need all the useless TMO apps and what not
Hey tpullen,
Sorry to hear about your terrible time with T-Mobile.
Q: What type of plan do you have with T-Mobile?
If its only a voice plan with no data the .50 sounds about right and will be the same if you move over to AT&T. As a matter of fact AT&T's data charges are higher.
It doesn't matter that you're calling your own ISP, the fact still remains you're sending/receiving data on a voice only plan. :wink:
HTH
thanks
hey:
thanks for the replies. to answer your questions:
i had the t-mobile 3,000 minutes for $49 plan. it is only free long distance for the southeast u.s.; i think it's called a 'neighborhood' plan.
no data at all in my plan; i would call my own isp and surf the web and check email. only about 3 months ago t-mobile started charging me to check email, but not for the web. my complaint is that i am using my own isp, and the call comes out of my minutes. yes, it's sending data with a voice-only plan, but hey! i have a dial-up phone line, nothing fancy, a land line in my house. it's voice-only. if i plug a modem into my home phone line and call my isp, should i expect to get a bill from my phone company for every email i look at? to my way of thinking, and anyone is free to disagree, if i'm not USING your services then i don't want to PAY for your services. unless it is a t-mobile email, web, or proxy server i'm talking to, i don't expect to pay t-mobile. the minutes were already being deducted from my available minutes. that's all i should have to pay.
i don't think that's so outrageous.
i did unlock my phone with the xda dev build, then went back to the same tmobile windows mobile 2003 build. i wasn't sure if the xda "stays unlocked" once you unlock it and then put a new rom on, but it does.
now i have an at&t sim, and it works well enough, but the sort-of-funny thing is that you apparantly can NOT just call your own isp with at&t.
i can't seem to get a connection to work. so i don't know. maybe i will stay with at&t since they, according to their sales literature anyway, have a data network that's like 3 times faster than t-mobile's data network.
of course it's more $ for them.
whatever the case, i have 30 days to try at&t with no obligation, cancel any time, owe them nothing. everyone has that option right now, in fact, due to the new ftc "local number port" thing happening.
i'll let ya'll know how it goes if i stick with at&t. i can always stay with t-mobile, but i'm not sure if that's a good idea.
Re: thanks
tpullen said:
maybe i will stay with at&t since they, according to their sales literature anyway, have a data network that's like 3 times faster than t-mobile's data network. of course it's more $ for them.
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Sounds like you're talking about the EDGE service. Yeah, like 4 times the cost of T-Mobile's unlimited plan. I think I'll stick to the cheaper slower service.
tpullen said:
whatever the case, i have 30 days to try at&t with no obligation, cancel any time, owe them nothing. everyone has that option right now, in fact, due to the new ftc "local number port" thing happening.
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Owe them nothing?! You might want to read that literature again. You'll not pay a cancellation fee nor an activation fee, but you will owe them for the prorated amount of time you had service, and any other additional fees that you use. This is pretty standard in the wireless industry. So if you go over your prorated minutes for the month, you owe them airtime charges. Happened to me, so just be careful.
bye bye at&t
hi arkhangel:
yes, you are correct:
4. Every new customer gets a 30 day risk free trial. When you purchase a phone and activate service at an AT&T Wireless store or at attwireless.com, you can return your undamaged phone for a refund within the first 30 days and pay only for airtime and usage charges. It’s just one more way we can earn your trust.
so it is not without charge, and thank god i only made one 6-minute call.
as far as the EDGE network goes, it was so-so...i only viewed 2 webpages with it, they loaded pretty much as quickly as with any other data service over the xda...and the funny thing is that it consumed apparantly almost 2 mb to do so.
i am pretty frustrated now, the at&t customer service has been pretty rotten, but t-mobile isn't too great either.
i'm calling verizon next, to compare...
tpullen said:
They show up on my bill as "e-note" to the phone number "500."
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The phone is programmed to send an SMS to T-Mobile every time you reboot your PPCPE. These show up as e-notes to 500 just as you describe. Compare the timing of your email use vs. the timing of your reboots and see where the e-notes are coming from. I think you can purchase a bundle of a bunch (500?) of SMS messages (aka e-notes) for something like $2.99, so you could cap your cost that way.
You should also be aware that T-Mobile has gone to a flat rate for GPRS at $19.95 for unlimited internet. The comparable plan with AT&T is something like $80.
I just read where the Sprint version of the Flyer will be released on June 24th and include the pen. Pretty sweet.
Additional, depending on what you read there's a chance that the Sprint edition may come with Honeycomb.
Not counting on it myself, but would be an interesting development if it happened.
Iain.
It is also $100 cheaper on contract, and is 4G. More than likely, I will be making the move from WIFI only to the 4G Sprint Version.
I may wind up getting this over the EVO 3D.
Swyped from my EVO
Anyone know what the off contract price will be for evo view 4g?
ICHAPMAN said:
Additional, depending on what you read there's a chance that the Sprint edition may come with Honeycomb.
Not counting on it myself, but would be an interesting development if it happened.
Iain.
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I just read that too from Sprint, and it looks to me when they say pen "available", it mean extra $.
Besides 3G/4G, why would you get the Sprint version over the WiFi version? It might be cheaper at first but then to be tied to a carry paying additional monthly fees it wouldn't take long for that device to be more expensive. I could very well be missing something but am curious. (Although I do think Sprint's version is better looking. I like the all black back and black pen).
I just read the official press release. They will charge you an additional fee for using GPS navigation? I guess I'll pass on this. Very lame.
Well The flyer can replace a phone since it is able to use google voice...if you cancel your phone contract and use Voip for your cell phone needs maybe it's worth it...
Shigster said:
Well The flyer can replace a phone since it is able to use google voice...if you cancel your phone contract and use Voip for your cell phone needs maybe it's worth it...
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Google Voice on an Android device is not a VOIP app (like Skype and such), so how would you make and receive calls via GV on the Flyer?
So you cancel your phone contract and then sign up for a data contract on the Flyer all to be able to sling along a more than a pound weighing 7" device to use as a faux phone?
I have the WiFi Flyer and like it a bit, but let's not get carried away here.
LordLugard said:
Google Voice on an Android device is not a VOIP app (like Skype and such), so how would you make and receive calls via GV on the Flyer?
So you cancel your phone contract and then sign up for a data contract on the Flyer all to be able to sling along a more than a pound weighing 7" device to use as a faux phone?
I have the WiFi Flyer and like it a bit, but let's not get carried away here.
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Well I sent my phone in for repair. I used GrooVe IP from the market using Gvoice. I used a bluetooth ear piece and as long as I was in a wifi area, such as my home or school, I could make/get calls and texts.
It worked for me and I didn't mind carrying the tablet in my hand or placing it inside my jacket or my backpack.
Hey guys, I know there are other threads like this in the 7 inch but "this may be crazy, so call me maybe." but all terrible pop culture jokes aside, I am planning on using a GT 10.1 as a phone. I current have a Droid Charge on Verizon, which I am fond of, but I am always looking for something new/different.
My plan is to save lots of money by doing this, be quite unique, and functional.
Yesterday I purchased a GT10.1 with service capabilities (Is that the 10.1v?) and it should be here next week. And no I did not pay $800 from Verizon. Also, my main reason for this is I'm that weird person that doesn't like their phone in their pocket. I am always checking for it because I can't feel it. With this, I will always have it in my hand or somewhere close. *NOTE* I'm not attached to it, I just like to know where it is at all times.
I was mainly posting to see if anyone has done this with the 10.1 and any problems they ran across, or tips, tricks, anything to help me out on this transition. I will be dropping my unlimited plan to save money, and getting a 1 or 2GB plan, seeing as I am on WiFi 99% of the time being at a college campus.
If anyone has other program suggestions than the following, please step in. That is why i'm posting! If all possible I would like to keep my phone number, I'm not sure if that is possible due to me switching contracts and not having a mobile plan.
As of now, I plan on doing the following:
Galaxy Tab 10.1 16GB
-Caller: GrooveIP (Uses Google Voice) (Or should I use something along the lines of skype?)
-Messenger: N/A (Need one, Not sure what yet)
-3G/4G card from my Charge
I will root and theme etc, that's a given!
I know this is a giant wall of text, I tried to break it up a bit, but thanks for reading and I hope I get some good feedback and helpful tips.
I do something similar but not on the tab. I have an unlocked galaxy nexus gsm phone, no contract needed. I use tmobile prepaid, $30 per month for 5gb, at 4g (hspa) speed, then unlimited throttled. But it comes with only 100 minutes per month, so must be supplemented with calls over data. I have used grooveip and talkatone. The free talkatone app seemed to be about the same quality as grooveip. The monthly $2 high quality talkatone may be a little better. The quality of Skype is much much better than both, and since most everyone I talk to have Skype I just use that for free. But if you get a google voice number, you can use grooveip or talkatone as a phone too. Google voice will also work for sms. I only use that app, never the phone messenger app, I like it so much. No mms though. Also keep in mind data speeds matter. With 4g speeds you are ok. May have trouble in a moving car, I'm not a big talker so I haven't really noticed. At 3g speeds it will probably still work but quality will be worse. No way to use it if you drop to edge. So this is what I do on the phone. If I need data on the tab, I turn on the wifi widget in the nexus phone and voila I have data on my wifi tab. No expensive tablet/contract, no expensive monthly bills, $30/ month gets me what I need. You do have to pay a premium to escape the carrier contract, but think how fast you make back the extra cost of the phone. The galaxy nexus with jelly bean is only $350 in the google play store, not a bad deal at all.
Thanks a ton Kisrita, I bought my GT10.1v for $350, which seemed like a pretty good deal. And TMobile in our area does not have 4g, and what little service they have, sucks. And that helps me out a lot, I'd like to use skype a lot, but the hassle of this day and age at least for my generation, is not a lot of people USE the Skype on their phone. They have it, but they don't have it open to be "online" everyone just texts via messenger, so in theory, to communicate, I also have to be on a "Messenger" but knowing that GV can work for SMS is a good thing.
Sorry, nevermind, didn't read carefully enough.
All is good. Thanks for the free bump atleast!
Well, My tablet gets here today. Still looking for some answers!
I don't know if you knew this, but the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (GT-P51xx) works as a phone and for SMS.
www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxytab2/10.1/mobile/index.html?type=find
However, if you must go with the 10.1v, you have the option of doing the SMS mod on it and using Whatsapp as a primary messenger. It's fairly popular and a lot of people have it. For phone calls, I believe work is on to enable phone calls, and it may be possible some time in the very near future. Until then, you could always use Skype with a Skype paid number for incoming and outgoing calls through 3G/4G. Google Voice also has some interesting similar options.
Sent from my GT-P5100 using xda premium
No SIM card?
I'm not sure if this applies. Have 10.1, but it has no visible SIM or SDCard setup. Would like to see if some kinda way to run my T Mobile service through it. Is this possible if I can't put in a sim card?
So I bit and ported out of my (off-contract) nearly 12yr+ VerizonWireless service a few days ago and went for this phone and Sprint's unlimitted data, ect... on a 3 line plan which included a base LGE Android Rezound for my girlfriend & was also talked into their "Home Connect" box since I already had long ago dropped my home line since Verizon's coverage was superb in my home and I don't make enough calls outside of the network to bother with a home phone.
Here I am, All modded up running [ROM] Sep-13 MeanROM ICS v4.2 | 2.13.651.1 | Mods | Batt saver and a happy camper with my EVO other than:
-I only get about 1 bar in my house if any and numerous dropped calls.
-My Phone is stuck on "Roaming" even in a top/solid GREEN area on the Verizon coverage map where I work.
-The "Home Connect" is being shipped to me and won't arrive until Monday (This isn't a problem in itself). I just expect to have the same ****ty service with it as my home phone since I'm told it still uses the Sprint towers. (Note: My home is on the frings of good/fair regarding my address and Sprint's Coverage map which has been ruthlessly pointed out to me by the Sprint support techs I've talked to as of late)... Thus their excuse as to maybe I should just switch to another provider. (Insert another sarcasm smiley ---> )
So my first discussion with a Sprint Agent via *2 yesterday sounded promising. Immediately she recgonized and sympathized with my problem at home and mentioned/recommended a "Free" AirAve box system to plug into my highspeed cable wifi in order to boost my signal. She also had me try a "Profile" update just for kicks which did absolutely nothing. This agent felt like I was a strong candidate for one of these boxes and advised that it would likely be approved free of charge in order to retain me as a new customer.
Today, A whole new story. I first get a call back from that former agent that was working on the approval for the AirAve. She felt again, after I reported having several dropped calls today, one while we were attempting to converse, that I would get one of these shipped out. I told her about my concerns of the 14-day trial I was in and wanted to assure I would get and know if this device would benefit me before that was up and I would have no recourse then on getting a refund and out of my 2yr contract. She assured me she was working on getting it approved with her supervisor as we spoke and was just about to read me a confirmation number of some sorts when (*BINGO*) my call dropped yet again.
So back I go on the phone dialing *2 and going through all the bs steps to connect with yet another agent (you never get the same one, nor do they have the ability to connect you to that other one even when you give them their name...) This agent takes a new turn with me after I go through my dilema. I am told absolutely no free AirAve until I am with Sprint for 90 days. I tell her I can't accept this as I'm not going to chance waiting out my 14day return window in hopes to months later find out if I can actually have phone conversations whilst at home. She puts me on hold to connect to her supervisor to discuss but (*BOING*), yet another dropped call.
I call back several more times and speak to several different agents while not as harsh as the last, inform me that their normal policy is 90 days to qualify for an AirAve assist device BUT that their supervisors can sometimes over-ride this depending on the conditions. So things are left at their records indicating that the original Agent from yesterday whom is in my corner in trying to get me the AirAve has submitted for supervisor approval, however, they won't be making that decision until a weekday (Monday) at the earliest.
-----------------------------
So here I am pondering what to do.
-Keep having faith and patience with this run-around in hopes that this AirAve will solve my problems even if I do qualify to get one.
-Start shopping other providers: AT&T or back to Verizon which I don't really want to do. :crying:
Anyone have opinions on this or a similar experience?
Sprint is great but do not put yourself in a service crunch. The 14 days are there for you to review this. I suggest trying, T-Mobile & *cringe* AT&T before crawling back to Verizon.
Whatever carrier, just make sure you have reliable coverage where you frequent.
The cost will be restocking fees, .vs getting locked in a 2 year agreement you're unhappy with.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Did you have LTE coverage with Verizon at your house?? I'd be tempted to go back even if their data plans are getting ridiculous. AT&T basically just announced an almost identical sharing plan as Verizon so I guess the lessor of the 2 evils will depend on 4g coverage. At least AT&T has the HTC One so you can get close to the same phone as the EVO LTE. It really does suck being on fringe coverage and you definitely don't want to get locked in to 2 years.
cruise350 said:
Did you have LTE coverage with Verizon at your house?? I'd be tempted to go back even if their data plans are getting ridiculous. AT&T basically just announced an almost identical sharing plan as Verizon so I guess the lessor of the 2 evils will depend on 4g coverage. At least AT&T has the HTC One so you can get close to the same phone as the EVO LTE. It really does suck being on fringe coverage and you definitely don't want to get locked in to 2 years.
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Yep, I believe Verizon did/does have the LTE coverage at my house if you mean the 4G. I had the Droid X so never benefited by that though. I'm really at a toss as to what to do. I never chewed through that much data even when on Verizon, it was just the fact of them screwing us former subscribers updating to the Non-Unlimited along with the "New every 2 perks" ending up being a $30 off but +$30 upgrade fee and **** like that had me burned. I even had my Ford motor company 20% discount with Verizon. Wonder if I could even get back to where I was with that if I went back. :crying: Sprint was going to be giving me a 23% discount.'
Had my eye on that damn Droid Razr Maxx to, damnit!!! Actually, the girlfriend doesn't really even need a smartphone, just something to text with and I could do without a home phone since with Verizon my coverage was good.
Oh, what to do..... I'm still erked about having to leave Spring behind. Especially the EVO :crying:
Sprint provided us with an Airave because after 7+ years, all of a sudden we were getting poor signal strength at our house. My EVO didn't seem to be affected but my wife's flip phone was dropping calls so often it was pointless to use. Really just wanted to let you know that the Airave does work well (at least in our case) always 4+ bars and no more dropped calls. Doesn't do anything for data transfer though.
Hope you can get yours free, we did but have been with Sprint for 10+ years.
Good Luck!
Welcome to sprint..I have spent countless hours of non pleasure dealing with them on the phone.
Tip #1. Get it in writing...they hardly ever follow thru... I record our conversations and tell them up front that I am..2 out of 3 agents hang up ( accidental disconnect) as soon as I tell them
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
Sprint Airave
I was having horrible signal and dropped calls in my house for almost 18 months. I wasn't aware of the airave and was close to cancelling my contract. After finally taking on the issue (which was prolonged via work, kids, etc) I came across information on the airave. I called sprint and gave them the old sob story on service and how disappointed I was. The supervisor spoke with me about my issue and explained the airave further. 10 minutes later I had an airave shipped out to me for free and no service charge (4.99/m). It absolutely makes a difference. I went from having like 0-1 bars and dropping calls to 5-6 bars instantly. Call quality is great and data moves like it should (I got the 3g airave that does voice and data)...it's absolutely worth it. Keep on pressing them...you should be able to qualify and get the device with service for free..Good Luck
cheeb said:
I was having horrible signal and dropped calls in my house for almost 18 months. I wasn't aware of the airave and was close to cancelling my contract. After finally taking on the issue (which was prolonged via work, kids, etc) I came across information on the airave. I called sprint and gave them the old sob story on service and how disappointed I was. The supervisor spoke with me about my issue and explained the airave further. 10 minutes later I had an airave shipped out to me for free and no service charge (4.99/m). It absolutely makes a difference. I went from having like 0-1 bars and dropping calls to 5-6 bars instantly. Call quality is great and data moves like it should (I got the 3g airave that does voice and data)...it's absolutely worth it. Keep on pressing them...you should be able to qualify and get the device with service for free..Good Luck
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Thanks for your post. It gives me some hope, althought admittedly I'm currently on hold with the Verizon Winback Dept to check out my options in coming back to their service. The last thing I wanted to do but unfortunately Sprint CS has drivin me away and hard with last night's described communications as per the OP. I'll keep you all dated.
If your service is that bad and the Airave does not help out any(which if on fringe of signal it might b/c its able to pull more power to get signal as its not worried about battery life we are with cell phones...amongst other differences)....
If that doesn't help out and you can't get through the current time with it, then you might be best off switching to anyone else at least till Sprint makes it's NetworkVision upgrades in your area....After they are done you very well might see a signal increase as the upgrades will make some big changes to the markets overall...Sprint is set to have these completed by end of 2013, and you market isn't one of the early ones I dont think....thats why I suggest switch till then if the airave doesn't help...
sgt. slaughter said:
If your service is that bad and the Airave does not help out any(which if on fringe of signal it might b/c its able to pull more power to get signal as its not worried about battery life we are with cell phones...amongst other differences)....
If that doesn't help out and you can't get through the current time with it, then you might be best off switching to anyone else at least till Sprint makes it's NetworkVision upgrades in your area....After they are done you very well might see a signal increase as the upgrades will make some big changes to the markets overall...Sprint is set to have these completed by end of 2013, and you market isn't one of the early ones I dont think....thats why I suggest switch till then if the airave doesn't help...
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Oh, I agree 100%. My real problem seems to be even having the chance at obtaining the Airave device at this point and I'm not willing to wait out the 90days I'm being told in order to acquire it on the whim it may or may not work if that is their stance I am prepared to go back to Verizon I guess the way it looks at this point. I will know by the end of tmrw on my decision and based on whether Sprint gets back in touch with me with a final answer and/or Verizon "Win Back" dept. gives me satisifaction and reason to come back. Their "limited" data pisses me off though. That is my biggest drawback, however, having non-limited data with Sprint as per how my service is now is useless. And no, I'm not looking or expecting to have the data necessarily at home as I have a strong Time Warner Cable Internet connection with Wi-Fi for that and also Comcast business for Wi-Fi at work, it's the situations like when streaming music whilst driving and/or out and about with no Wi-Fit/hotspots and wanting to watch Netflix, ect... where the "Un-limited" becomes viable to me.
This thing has totally consumed my time the past few days and my nerves are so shot. Why Sprint, Oh why..... Please treat the customer better and not give multiple conflicting answers between your agents that are misleading.
Just an update. I've called Verizon and had much better luck with their "Winback" department. Activation fees waived and all, even got my previous company discount re-enstated Phone on the way so a fair goodbye to Sprint, they had there chance and blew it. Never could cooperate between the reps in authorizing me an Airave device so I'm going with the coverage I know that works for me.
Farewell and thanks for the help! :angel:
word to the wise
lazer9 said:
Just an update. I've called Verizon and had much better luck with their "Winback" department. Activation fees waived and all, even got my previous company discount re-enstated Phone on the way so a fair goodbye to Sprint, they had there chance and blew it. Never could cooperate between the reps in authorizing me an Airave device so I'm going with the coverage I know that works for me.
Farewell and thanks for the help! :angel:
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Click to collapse
The Sprint 14 day return policy is really a 13 day, plus the remainder of the day you activated policy..
If you you activated on a tuesday you have a week from monday to return the phones.
redwings23 said:
The Sprint 14 day return policy is really a 13 day, plus the remainder of the day you activated policy..
If you you activated on a tuesday you have a week from monday to return the phones.
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Thanks, Signed on with Sprint on 9/12/12 (Last Wednesday). Verizon Phones due either tomorrow or Thursday so I should have plenty of time. I plan on wrapping this up this week.
Read down below :d
---------- Post added at 05:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:14 PM ----------
lazer9 said:
Anyone have opinions on this or a similar experience?
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Just a heads up, if you decide not to stay with Sprint. And go with any other carrier. Not that you might have the same problem with other networks. And note that if you go with AT&T, they no longer carry Unlimited Data. From experience 4+ years...If you had Unlimited Data with AT&T and you use more then 3GB they will Slow down your Data Speed. I know this because I was a victim and got notitied by text messages.
That is one of the reason I canceled and came to Sprint.
I recently moved to a new home about two weeks now and noticed that when I had At&t. I could not get a signal for shut while I was indoors with the iPhone 4 I had. Now being a proud owner of a EVO I can use the phone indoors but to tell you the truth I am having issues with Internet. If I go upstairs or chilling in the living downstairs I can get decent Network speed to surf the web. At least its better then the no Data with the iPhone. Its weird cause my girl has the iPhone 4S with At&t. (she stayed with them cause she just upgraded to the iPhone 4S) She can not use the phone downstairs but can rock it upstairs with no problem. Internet and all..Well as we tested only in our room. Don't know about the other rooms. But yea she still needs to go out side to use her phone when making calls or surfing facebook when down stairs. So my point is, either check your other resource before pushing out on Sprint. Btw, at work I wasn't able to use my iPhone with ATT due to service. But now I can go all the way with this Sprint EVO at work. That's how I'm writing to you. Lol... Well even though I'm having Internet problems at my Casa, Im not that concern cause I will be getting WiFi soon from Comcast. Also check this link out:
http://now.sprint.com/airave/?INTCID=TSC:MyS:ICP:IHCC:062512
You can check your self if your location qualify. Click on CHECK COVERAGE AREA. Then call them here
1-855-752-2066
TAKE THE BLUE PiLL THE STORY ENDS, YOU WAKE UP IN YOUR BED AND CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR BORING LiFE. TAKE RED PiLL, YOU STAY IN WONDERLAND & I SHOW YOU HOW DEEP THE RABBiT HOLE GOES.
SENT FROM EVO - THE MATRIX
dreammaker23 said:
Just a heads up, if you decide not to stay with Sprint. And go with any other carrier. Not that you might have the same problem with other networks. And note that if you go with AT&T, they no longer carry Unlimited Data. From experience 4+ years...If you had Unlimited Data with AT&T and you use more then 3GB they will Slow down your Data Speed. I know this because I was a victim and got notitied by text messages.
That is one of the reason I canceled and came to Sprint.
I recently moved to a new home about two weeks now and noticed that when I had At&t. I could not get a signal for shut while I was indoors with the iPhone 4 I had. Now being a proud owner of a EVO I can use the phone indoors but to tell you the truth I am having issues with Internet. If I go upstairs or chilling in the living downstairs I can get decent Network speed to surf the web. At least its better then the no Data with the iPhone. Its weird cause my girl has the iPhone 4S with At&t. (she stayed with them cause she just upgraded to the iPhone 4S) She can not use the phone downstairs but can rock it upstairs with no problem. Internet and all..Well as we tested only in our room. Don't know about the other rooms. But yea she still needs to go out side to use her phone when making calls or surfing facebook when down stairs. So my point is, either check your other resource before pushing out on Sprint. Btw, at work I wasn't able to use my iPhone with ATT due to service. But now I can go all the way with this Sprint EVO at work. That's how I'm writing to you. Lol... Well even though I'm having Internet problems at my Casa, Im not that concern cause I will be getting WiFi soon from Comcast. Also check this link out:
http://now.sprint.com/airave/?INTCID=TSC:MyS:ICP:IHCC:062512
You can check your self if your location qualify. Click on CHECK COVERAGE AREA. Then call them here
1-855-752-2066
TAKE THE BLUE PiLL THE STORY ENDS, YOU WAKE UP IN YOUR BED AND CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR BORING LiFE. TAKE RED PiLL, YOU STAY IN WONDERLAND & I SHOW YOU HOW DEEP THE RABBiT HOLE GOES.
SENT FROM EVO - THE MATRIX
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Thanks for the reply and concerns along with the suggestions and help. Much more than SPRINT CS offered me other than the one lady whom disappeared into the wind...
I already have re-committed to Verizon. And I'm rather stoked and happy as they have waived the activation fees on the two lines and also upon me receiving an email from their winback dept after the fact, have granted me another $50 discount to be applied on my first bill for the purchase of my DROID RAZR MAXX of $199 so -$50 net cost will be $149 and my girlfriends phone will net out free after the $50 rebate.
I know I get great coverage with Verizon and will now even benefit from their LTE/4G expansion in my areas which SPRINT doesn't yet offer not is on their road map.
The Verizon winback rep even went over my previous account over the years and the max data usage I ever had (1-line though was just on a data plan then) was 2GB and my base plan includes Unlimited calling to anyone landline or cell / Unlimited Text to anyone / and 4GB Data which I can always upgrade/downgrade to an extra 2GB per month for $15
All in all I'm getting what I would have got with SPRINT regarding the price end of things. Aprox $160 a month plus the benefits I've stated above.
Again, SPRINT could have kept me IF they would have been more understanding and open with getting me an AIRAVE device and better explaining what roaming really meant on my plan. The store kiosk manager claimed I would incur absolutely no roaming charges ever no matter what and the last CS rep I spoke with at SPRINT claimed I would incur a .41 cent per minute charge beyond 800 min. per month roaming.
I'm roaming at work and roaming with very little signal at home. On their coverage map ironically, my work area shows in one of their Excellent/Good areas whilst my home shows Good/Fair.
Nothing makes sense with them. I have no idea why all this went south so quick but glad it did as it gave me the opportunity to return to a known reliable provider with good coverage and some extra perks/incentives for coming back. :highfive:
lazer9 said:
Thanks for the reply and concerns along with the suggestions and help. Much more than SPRINT CS offered me other than the one lady whom disappeared into the wind...
Nothing makes sense with them. I have no idea why all this went south so quick but glad it did as it gave me the opportunity to return to a known reliable provider with good coverage and some extra perks/incentives for coming back. :highfive:
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Aight bud..Good it worked out for you!
Enjoy your New toy... Peace!
BTW: Enjoy this video..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L7flsHhQxY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Hodge Twins are Hella Funny!
TAKE THE BLUE PiLL THE STORY ENDS, YOU WAKE UP IN YOUR BED AND CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR BORING LiFE. TAKE RED PiLL, YOU STAY IN WONDERLAND & I SHOW YOU HOW DEEP THE RABBiT HOLE GOES.
SENT FROM EVO - THE MATRIX
dreammaker23 said:
Aight bud..Good it worked out for you!
Enjoy your New toy... Peace!
BTW: Enjoy this video..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L7flsHhQxY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Hodge Twins are Hella Funny!
TAKE THE BLUE PiLL THE STORY ENDS, YOU WAKE UP IN YOUR BED AND CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR BORING LiFE. TAKE RED PiLL, YOU STAY IN WONDERLAND & I SHOW YOU HOW DEEP THE RABBiT HOLE GOES.
SENT FROM EVO - THE MATRIX
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Click to collapse
Lol That video was nutz. I couldn't even watch the end. :laugh:
So I've been using the Gear S for a few days, and thoroughly enjoyed leaving my Note 4 in the truck or at home for quick errands. But aside from call forwarding I think I'm a bit confused about the functionality of the watch in terms of it as a stand alone device, and don't get me wrong it came through as promised as a stand alone, and I love this thing, the wait was worth it.
But the question is: when paired to my phone as Bluetooth I can not receive calls direct to my Gear S number, unless I'm missing something, but it goes straight to voicemail when I'm connected to my phones, can I set call forwarding to phone from my watch number or just only my phone to my watch? And do I only get text/calls forwarded, or all of my notifications (aside from emails which I know you got to add to the email app.) and does my phone need to stay on while at home?
I studied the crap out of this watch for 2 months before release, but a lot of the information was vague or speculation, then out of no where it dropped and just kind of looking for solid informed information now.
Overall, I'm still on the fence about using it on a plan, not because its come up short on what it promised, but because I'm not sure how often I'll use it. Im mainly just looking for any and all advice/tips to get the most out of this thing thinking maybe I've missed something ...
I justify the At&t $10 a month, because out the gate I saved $100 (Basically a free 10 months of stand alone service) and I do see the beauty of leaving my phone at home sometimes, plus for hitting the gym or taking the dog for a walk, I love my Note phones, but they do take up a lot of pocket real estate, so the watch is a nice feature.
And as far as battery life, I def get more on Bluetooth than as a stand alone, I can easily get a full day with cellular connection, but probably 2+ with just Bluetooth, and those numbers are wifi off/motion off.
Today: 8am - 100% - 12:45pm 92%.
Bluetoothed, Motion on, 19 Apps set to notify, brightness very readable but low.
Chances are I'll keep the cell plan on it, as far as the watch try and pry this thing from my hand ... at least until the Gear S2 drops lol. I'm just looking for any tips or tricks with the watch I might have missed, or maybe stories on how having there stand alone watch has improved your life.
It seems as if they focused too much on locking this watch down so you can ONLY use it with Samsung devices that they ended up with a watch with so much potential.
I thought I would be able to log in to my Google account on my watch and still be able to receive notifications on it. But nope, Samsung can't have us set up the phone temporarily and keep using it without a Samsung device. There's really no justification at this point to have a SIM card on this watch and being charged a monthly plan.
I wish another company would have released this device without the greediness of Samsung.
See I only buy Note series phones, so the locked to Samsung phones doesn't bother me, all the other watch companies would do the same if they weren't only making Android Wear devices and had proprietary software, just like the Iwatch will only run off an iPhone and not a peep will be said about that, people will praise it's old tech and uglymess as the second coming of jesus. Only samsung seems to catch the heat.
Let me reiterate that I'm 1000% happy with this watch, it's beautiful and functional, and the stand alone is great, just looking for a reason to keep it on a data plan in terms of fitting my lifestyle and need, I can see a lot of people needing this feature. The watch will stay on my wrist regardless. Me, I'm trying to justify the contract just to leave my phone in the truck during a shopping trip or to run errands or something. But again it's just $10 so it's not a huge deal.
It really depends on how your going to use it. Everyone is not going to use it the same way.
The price plan was not a concern at all and i was fine with that. I knew I was going to have the plan on it. Mines is mainly used for going on walks or runs. Sometimes i may still bring my phone, sometimes i may not. Felt i was covered either way. Making quick trips to shop, I'm set. Basically an "quick and short insurance policy" for me. Everything else is cool for me, but chances of me using is slim to none. And to do for $10. I'm good with that. It's doing every bit of what I had hoped it would.
Sent from my SM-N910P
Dmac1984 said:
See I only buy Note series phones, so the locked to Samsung phones doesn't bother me, all the other watch companies would do the same if they weren't only making Android Wear devices and had proprietary software, just like the Iwatch will only run off an iPhone and not a peep will be said about that, people will praise it's old tech and uglymess as the second coming of jesus. Only samsung seems to catch the heat.
Let me reiterate that I'm 1000% happy with this watch, it's beautiful and functional, and the stand alone is great, just looking for a reason to keep it on a data plan in terms of fitting my lifestyle and need, I can see a lot of people needing this feature. The watch will stay on my wrist regardless. Me, I'm trying to justify the contract just to leave my phone in the truck during a shopping trip or to run errands or something. But again it's just $10 so it's not a huge deal.
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THIS
---------- Post added at 08:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:19 PM ----------
Dmac1984 said:
But the question is: when paired to my phone as Bluetooth I can not receive calls direct to my Gear S number, unless I'm missing something, but it goes straight to voicemail when I'm connected to my phones, can I set call forwarding to phone from my watch number or just only my phone to my watch? And do I only get text/calls forwarded, or all of my notifications (aside from emails which I know you got to add to the email app.) and does my phone need to stay on while at home?
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Click to collapse
The Bluetooth thing if you forward your calls to GS your phone (on smartphone will ring) If you forward GS calls to smartphone it will ring both numbers. Its how you set up your GS. Think of GS as a house phone. When your home bluetooth/wifi your GS to pair with the smartphone. When you are out and about leaving your phone at home you may forward your calls to bluetooth as well as accept calls from your GS.
I have a Sprint note 4 and a Gear S T-mobile. I will not pay the Sprint plan for the GS the detailed plan does not work for me so T-mobile GS I got. I many never use my GS number on my watch but it's nice having it in case I may need an emergency phone.
gingy13 said:
how unique are you?
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I'm not your average bear boo-boo (Yogie)
Super subjective ...
I see that dilemma as one of extreme subjectivity ...
I carry my phone with me everywhere I go, for the most part. What I discovered today is that if my phone is at home, and I connect my watch to WiFi wherever I am, I can still see missed calls, browse the web, receive and respond to text messages, and view new emails (though there is a weird glitch in there with composing), all of which came to my phone while I was out.
That said, having a mobile plan can certainly be a safety net because it allows calls when you leave your phone somewhere ... and when you're out of WiFi range ... but I can't say for me that's all that much of a problem. When I run to court or have to do quick errands, I'm not usually gone long enough to have to worry all that much about receiving urgent messages -- that's not to say that it isn't convenient to still be able to.
Ten dollars monthly really isn't a lot of money. It's actually kind of a negligible amount. For me, though, it costs a lot more. I threw in a StraightTalk sim because I bought the device at AT&T but have Verizon phone service, and it was pricey, plus it doesn't feel worthwhile to pay 30 bucks for something that I only need as a safety net or a convenience.
I just went through the full specifications of the device via the model-config.xml file on it, and I also started digging through the folders on the device. This thing is nowhere near its potential right now ... but we will have to see what Samsung does with it, and more importantly, what developers do with it. It really is a phone on the wrist and it has a ton of power that isn't being used just yet.