Is there a need for land lines any more?

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No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
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Yes. Cellphones still get iffy coverage in some areas (like our house), and if you happen to talk on the phone a lot you'll pay a lot on your cellphone. I was listening to some dolt at work yesterday talking about his cellphone bill. The clown was paying like $100/month for 800 minutes and this putz was stupid enough to pay $4.99/month PER PHONE for insurance or some such crap on the phone, and it didn't even pay for batteries. People are dumb.
 

CaseTragedy

Platinum Member
Oct 24, 2000
2,690
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I mostly use my landline since my main calls (gf) are local. No point in wasting minutes.
Also, it's more convenient to have alarm companies call your landline during an accidental trip.
 

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
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Originally posted by: CaseTragedy
I mostly use my landline since my main calls (gf) are local. No point in wasting minutes.
Also, it's more convenient to have alarm companies call your landline during an accidental trip.
Ahh yes... thanks for the reminder... our alarm is tied to our main landline. That's how it dials to central station should something trip it.
 

VWhed

Senior member
Jan 23, 2004
816
0
71
I ditched my landline after a stupid billing dispute, now I get cable, broadband and my nextel phone for about $5.00 more per month than Landline phone, dial-up, at+t cell phone (I had no cable T.V. before). I seem to think it is a good deal, but some of the people around me think I am weird b/c I don't have a landline
 

thirdlegstump

Banned
Feb 12, 2001
8,713
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Man, cell phone service charges ARE ridiculous. I have a $99/month plan with Verizon's shared family plan with 2 phones (1200mins total) and I get a $164 bill each month. When they sell you the service and phones, they freakin flat out LIE about many things..such as the federal regulatory axes on TOP of the $99, plus $10 insurance for 2 phones and $20 for each additional phone. I asked the salesperson, "so it's $99 plus about $20 in fed taxes, is that all?" And he tells me "Yep, for both phones." What freakin LIARS.
When I got my first bill, I called them up and claimed that my salesperson lied, the customer service reps told me that he shouldn't have said that and that there's nothing they could do......WTF. Absolute bullsh*t. These companies have NO RESPECT for the people that actually KEEPS them in business.
I would've had NO PROBLEM if he told me what the real costs were ahead of time, but I f*ckin hate being lied to like that especially without an apology.
 

LethalWolfe

Diamond Member
Apr 14, 2001
3,679
0
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Originally posted by: azazyel
Originally posted by: LethalWolfe
Originally posted by: daveshel
I still have one and have no intention of going wireless.
I have no desire to be reachable at every moment of every day
Just don't answer the phone. Personally, I like being able to make calls when ever, where ever I want to. If someone calls and I can't/don't want to talk I let it go to voice mail. No big deal.

*exactly just let that stupid ringtone go on and on until it goes to voice mail.

I don't want to be tempted to talk while driving
just don't talk on the phone.

*that would actually be easy because I play my stereo too loud to hear over anyways

and don't want to pay the extra.
Pay the extra what? .

Cellphone+plan can easily be cheaper than phone+local service+long distance+answering machine or voice mail via phone company.

*Don't know don't care

Lethal

Personally I don't like talking on the phone. I did enough of that as a CS agent. Now, if you want to get ahold of me or want to go out....PLAN AHEAD.

Re: Ring tone, my phone is either on vibrate or I silence the ringer if I'm not gonna pick up.

Next time you plan ahead to have your car break down in the middle of no where lemme know. ;)

Besides talkin' to my g/f (who is 2500 miles east of me) I spend, on average, less than 10 min a day on the phone. I jus like the convience<sp?>. Plus when doing freelance work and/or work where you will be away from you home for an extended period of time it helps a lot having a cell.

To each their own.


Lethal
 

cyclistca

Platinum Member
Dec 5, 2000
2,885
11
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Originally posted by: daveshel
I still have one and have no intention of going wireless. I have no desire to be reachable at every moment of every day, I don't want to be tempted to talk while driving, and don't want to pay the extra.

- Don't want to be reachable then turn off your phone
- Dont want to be tempted to answer the phone while your driving. Well then just don't answer it when it rings.
- My cell phone plan cost 5 dollars more then a local land line. That's for unlimited local calling.

I went wireless last December and I'am happy I did.
 

Pepsi90919

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
25,162
1
81
Originally posted by: deathkoba
If you need something rock solid and run a business...yes. Also, remember the blackout almost 2 years on the north east? Land lines were A-OK as long as your freakin phone didn't require AC power for itself.

um, it wasn't even a year ago.
 

oboeguy

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 1999
3,907
0
76
Landline free more than a year and a half. My better half and I got a pair of cell phones on a family plan. The only time we regretted it was during the big blackout last year in NYC.
 

KeithP

Diamond Member
Jun 15, 2000
5,664
202
106
Can't anyone, with the right equipment, listen in on a cell phone conversation? If you ever need to give out your SSN or CC over the phone, that would be a problem.

-Keith
 

civad

Golden Member
May 30, 2001
1,397
0
0
Vonage VOIP @ cable Internet / my trusty sprint pcs cellphone...

Edit: :VOIP i sPacket8, and NOT Vonage.

Silly me...
 

spacejamz

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
10,971
1,679
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Originally posted by: thomsbrain
if you have a cell, a land line is pretty much pointless unless you need it for DSL.

or your Satellite receiver box or home alarm system if it is monitored....
 

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
42,808
83
91
only reason we have a landline is for DSL.

there's only one phone hooked up to it, and it's never rung.

but $6 for phone service and $30 for DSL is still cheaper than getting cable internet :thumbsup:
 

Anubis

No Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
78,712
427
126
tbqhwy.com
it will be around for at least 50 more years, BECAUSE, there are way to many middle aged-Old peopel that dont know dick about VOIP and Cell phones and untill they are all dead and gone we will still need it, and also not anough young people are into it, Yes every pre-pubeset teenager has a cell phone but VOIPO and the like is really new, im 23 and want nothing to do with it or cell phones, haveing a cell phone means that i can never get away from the phone and i dont like that