What is more important to you with Wireless Service?

Isn't it amazing that we have these discussions now. 8-10 years ago, mobile phones were just the stuff of fantasy for most of us. I worked for a company where you had to sign for a company phone when you traveled and any usage over 30 minutes/day had to reimbursed by the employee to the company! And if you went with a small provider (remember companies like 360 Communications?), you were lucky to have a signal across the state line - and if you did then you paid 45-50 cents/minute.

 

No offense taken. Not at all. Every wireless service is not for every person and thier situation. A wireless service should be "tailor fitted" to that person and thier needs just like a suit of clothes. Again, I have not had an problems with my coverage to the point of getting upset with it. I just know after being in the cellular business for over 8 years that it is not perfect nor will it ever be. Alot of people think it it will work like a landline and never lose signal. Simply not true. Yes, some are better than others in coverage but it will never be perfect. One thing that some don't know is that the one's who have analog coverage (Alltel, Verizon, US Cellular and Sprint) will soon lose thier ability to use analog service. The analog system is old and falling apart and not secure at all, therefore, the wireless companies are moving towards having phones that do not use the analog system. That move began at the first of this year. Granted it will take a little while for that to happen but it is coming. There will be some upset people who are used to using the old system because it won't be there for them to use anymore.

 

Well...let me answer your "PS" first. The phone costs are MUCH more than $5. My lowest phone cost is $85. They used to pay larger commissions and reimburse the phone costs but not anymore. What I pay for aphone is taken out of my commissions at the end of the month. I lose, on an average, about $90 per phone. If I sold them at my cost, then I would be out of business. I have to keep up with the competition by selling them at the same price everyone else does. For example: I sell a Samsung X496 at $29 with a new 2 yr contract. My cost on that unit is $119. I make a commission of $270 on a 2 yr activation on a main line and $245 on a 2 yr share line. So, if I activate a main line, my actual profit is $180 or $155 on a share line. Now, if I have to pay a commission out to an employee on either one of those activations, then my profit is $135 on either one. (I pay $45 on a main line, $20 on a share)

Phones are only six tenths of a watt, now, compared to 3 watts back when bag phones and the "Brick" phones were out. Since our guvmint did thier wonderful studies as to a cell phone causing brain cancer (they only tested analog phones, by the way), the wattage has drooped to what it is now. I am with you on the "Just let me make a phone call" thing. I don't care about all of the gee-whiz gadgets at all. I do like the Bluetooth capabilities, though. No wires attached to me and my phone and I can use it to go online with my PDA if I want. That's pretty cool. As for games, MP3 players, cameras, etc......who cares.

 

Yup.

Centel Cellular = 360 Communications = Sprint (sold to Alltel so they could start Sprint PCS) = Alltel

Cellular One = GTE Wireless/Bell Atlantic Mobile/Airtouch/PrimeCo = Verizon

Bellsouth = Cingular

AT&T = Cingular

Nextel = Sprint PCS

SunCom/AT&T = SunCom = (possibly will become T-Mobile before too long)

And these are just the changes that I have seen.

 

Blu's, "The phone costs are MUCH more than $5" I did not mean "you" I meant the manufacturers and distributors of the phones. I'm sure you've poped a few of them open. Not much to them. About the most complex item in the whole package is the LCD. These phones are being made in Asia for penny labor.

Blu's, Ive got a question for you. I want to put a Yagi (homemade) on the roof to get better reception inside the house. Better means I have none in the house now and I do the "signal dance" on my porch to get 1 bar. I know I need an amplifier in the line to accomplish anything but $300 ain't worth it. Do you know where I can find a basic schematic on a 900 / 1800Ghz amplifier / tranciever?

 

You altell people only THINK you have great service. THat's because those of us who try to call you can never reach you. All we get is a series of clicks and other noises. Two of my best friend have altell. I can get one pretty much whenever because she is fairly stationarybut I can tell if she is on the road. THe other one goes all over the triangle and I get more clicks them I get connections to his phone. There are several other peopl eI know who have altell and live in the boonies and can't wait for thier contracts to expire.
I have sprint. I just added kiddo. Despite what ever I have heard and seen I have NEVER had no reception. Even i my little house. Now maybe I am not going to far but it worked great in Washington DC and in Wilmington. My Roaming is blocked so that is never a problem for me. When am sitting next to an Altell buddy I usually have more bars and better reception then they do. I love my little sprint phone. But i would like a new case...

 

As posted under the "If anyone wants to jump on Suncom" thread........


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blusdrmr wrote:
And, Traveler.....I have asked you to come by the store and let me take a look at your phone to see if there is something wrong with it but you have neglected to do so. If I can do anything to help you out, I will. If I can't, then I will let you know as well. One question....where did you get your phone from and how long have you had it? Have you tried to take it back to the store? If it were me, then I warranty every unit up to 30 day sin the store and every phone has a warranty on it for one year from date of purchase. If I remember correctly, it is a Motorola V180. I have sent a few phones to Motorola and have gotten great service from them to fix any problem with every one I have sent them including my own phone (I have the RAZR). I have used the V180, V220, V505, V555 and RAZR and have had no problems at all. It may be a defect in the phone. I have extended my hand to help and all you can do is bite it.

Traveler wrote -

EXCUSE ME ................ I have in no way bitten your helping hand, just voiced my opinion, I am entitled to that am I not? Why do you get your pants in such a wad every time someone voices their opinions about Suncom.

In reference to our original post conversation, I told you that your location was not convenient and that I doubted that I would stop by (ergo I have shown no NEGLECT) Actually, I think it was quite nice of me to inform you that I would not be by.

I also already told you where I got the phone and when I got the phone and the fact that I had already (based on what you told me to do in your original posts) taken the phone back twice (gotten it replaced), that I had talked to Suncom directly, and they told me it was the SERVICE in my area................ So you see it was not very hard for me to deduct that there is nothing that you could do.............

That is unless you are some kind of cell phone/tower wizard, is there something that you can do that Suncom, Motorola, or other Suncom distributors can not? Do you have your own private Suncom tower that I can use? I think not!

I usually don’t get offended by what folks say or do on this site - but why don’t you step back (remember your posts) before spouting off and make a mental note that EVERYONE is entitled to their opinion.

So again EXACTLY how did I bite your hand?

 

I don't even remember where the store is???

 

He's at 40/42 somewhere....

 

Like I said, I offered to try to help you out no matter what SunCom has said or what the other stores have done (or not done). I will not benefit monitarily at all. It could be a setting in the phone that needs to be changed, I don't know. I know there are some areas that don't do well for service but I don't know where you are. If I remember correctly, you live off of Barber Mill Rd. I know there are some "come and go" service areas out there but changing the settings to only pick up Cingular may correct your problem or, maybe, help it. I can't guarantee that it will help but I am willing to do whatever I can to help you out. I have done that for other customers and it has helped so I figured it might do the same for you.

You are correct in saying that everyone is entitled to thier opinion but not taking help from someone who is offering is like asking for food when it is right in front of you and then complaining that you are not getting any. Constantly complaining and not taking the offer is just odd to me.

By the way...I am not getting my pants in a wad at all. Again, everyone is entitled to thier opinion (the reason I put the poll out here).

I find it odd that you tell me that my stores are not "convenient" to you when you have gone back to the one that di not help you and you exchanged the phone already. I honestly forgot where you said you purchased your phone, so don't hold that against me. I know that I warranty the phones for up to 30 days, personally, but the manufacturer warranties the units up to one year from the date of purchase. I would even be willing to give you a loaner phone if you had to send yours in for repair or service. Motorola is pretty good about fixing them quickly and getting them back to the customer.

Again, I am extending a hand to you. If you take the offer, great, if you don't, then I can't help you. :?

 

Two locations.

Hwy 70 at the corner of Guy Rd and Hwy 70 and on 42 behind the Golden Corral. My wife is working at the one on 42 and I am at the Hwy 70 location.

 

Oh, I hear ya. I just get the comment all of the time from people if they have to pay retail for a phone as to why are the prices so high. My cheapest phone is $105 at retail. I only make $20 on it. I wish they would reimburse me for the phone cost when I sell a new line of service like they used to, but that is a thing of the past.

Yeah, I have "popped a few open" in my day. I used to do repairs on some of them. You wold not beleive the "stuff" I have found inside a phone. Coffee, Coke, pocket lint, makeup (yup), milk, water, mud, paint, part of a dog's tooth, soap, etc. Some of it is just plain strange.

Hmmm....I have had a few people mention the Yagi but, honestly, have never dealt with them or even heard of them until recently. I can do some searching and try to see what I can find for you. In the meantime try www.phonescoop.com. There are links to many of the wireless magazines on there and alot of good information.