Thread Question Change: Wireless Phone Warranty or No Warranty?

[PrinceXizor]

First off...if there are other threads, please direct me/post links etc...

My wife and I are going to get a Verizon plan and were wondering what the best free phone offered would be. We'd be willing to spend a little more to get a better phone (but not too much more).

Best is defined as:

1. Best reception (as in service available i.e. tri-mode)
2. Best Sound quality
3. Best range (as in strength of signal).

Any tips or pointers too?

AND

PLEASE KEEP THE FLAMES AND OTHER SIMILAR COMMENTS IN OTHER THREADS

If you have a strong opinion I'd be glad to hear it of course. Just framed in a respectful way.

Thanks!

P-X

 

[mb]

Motorola E815


$99.99 price
- 50.00 online discount
$49.99

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE

I don't know if this link will work or not, but: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/stor...oItem&action=viewBogoDetail&bogoId=620

 

[PrinceXizor]

Even if I don't need or want a camera phone? Just curious. By the by, these things were RIDICULOUSLY overpriced when I walked into a Verizon store. Something like $299/ $199 with a 2 yr. plan.

Sheesh. Thanks for the link. Any other suggestions?

P-X

 

[mb]

I don't use half the features on my E815, let alone the camera, but the reception and sound quality are excellent.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: supafly
Motorola E815


$99.99 price
- 50.00 online discount
$49.99

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE

I don't know if this link will work or not, but: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/stor...oItem&action=viewBogoDetail&bogoId=620

Do you have to buy the mp3s from Verizon to get them on there, or does it come with a cable to transfer them from your PC?

 

[ultimatebob]

You can get either an E815 or a RAZR for free (with a new Verizon or T-Mobile activation and 2 rebate forms) from Amazon.com, and they'll even throw in a Bluetooth headset.

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: supafly
Motorola E815


$99.99 price
- 50.00 online discount
$49.99

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE

I don't know if this link will work or not, but: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/stor...oItem&action=viewBogoDetail&bogoId=620

Do you have to buy the mp3s from Verizon to get them on there, or does it come with a cable to transfer them from your PC?

No & no. You don't have to buy mp3s from Verizon, but it does NOT come with a transfer cable - you will have to buy it separately. I got one from ebay just to try it out and it works great. If you hack your firmware (which you will need a cable for first) you can even transfer mp3s over bluetooth.

 

[PrinceXizor]

Oh...any recommendations on accessories? My wife will be in a car a lot using this. Also, does anyone know if you can add lines afterwards? Or do they sock you with an activation fee for those lines any time outside the original sign-up?

P-X

 

[PrinceXizor]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
You can get either an E815 or a RAZR for free (with a new Verizon or T-Mobile activation and 2 rebate forms) from Amazon.com, and they'll even throw in a Bluetooth headset.

Seriously? Heading on over...

Oh...how long does this last?

P-X

 

[InlineFour]

tmobile has been giving away razrs for free after rebate with a contract. add a bluetooth headset and you're set.

 

[mb]

You can add a line for $9.99 without any activation fees.
I recommend getting the leather case from Verizon. I've tried several others, and the one they sell in the store is the best. I wasted money trying out other ones because I thought that Verizon cases were crap, but it is really nice. Obviously you'll want a car charger too. I also suggest a bluetooth headset for hands free talking while driving.

If you want to learn a lot more, check out http://www.howardforums.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=30&f=294
That's where I learned everything I know about cell phones.

 

[sswingle]

Originally posted by: supafly

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: supafly
Motorola E815


$99.99 price
- 50.00 online discount
$49.99

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE

I don't know if this link will work or not, but: http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/stor...oItem&action=viewBogoDetail&bogoId=620

Do you have to buy the mp3s from Verizon to get them on there, or does it come with a cable to transfer them from your PC?

No & no. You don't have to buy mp3s from Verizon, but it does NOT come with a transfer cable - you will have to buy it separately. I got one from ebay just to try it out and it works great. If you hack your firmware (which you will need a cable for first) you can even transfer mp3s over bluetooth.

Or get a memory card and load them on there.

 

[mb]

That too, I only put mp3s on my phone for ring tones so I never felt like buying a memory card for it.

 

[PrinceXizor]

Originally posted by: supafly
You can add a line for $9.99 without any activation fees.
I recommend getting the leather case from Verizon. I've tried several others, and the one they sell in the store is the best. I wasted money trying out other ones because I thought that Verizon cases were crap, but it is really nice. Obviously you'll want a car charger too. I also suggest a bluetooth headset for hands free talking while driving.

If you want to learn a lot more, check out http://www.howardforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38
That's where I learned everything I know about cell phones.

Thanks for the link.

My only question is does the Amazon deal work with two phones and a family plan.

Buy one (for $49.99 AR) and get one free at the verizon on-line store. But, then no free bluetooth handset. For better or worse, Verizon has the best coverage in my area AND most of my friends and family are on Verizon so I get free mobile-to-mobile is nice.

P-X

 

[Mill]

PLEASE KEEP THE FLAMES AND OTHER SIMILAR COMMENTS IN OTHER THREADS

What kind of loser puts this in a thread about cellphones? It isn't like you asked about abortion or racism.

 

[mb]

It looks like you would be spending more to buy two E815s on a family share plan from Amazon.

On amazon:
Select E815. Choose 1400 minute fam share plan.
Select additional E815 for $174.99. Amazon tacks on Vcast at $15/mo per line. You will have to call Verizon to remove this once you get the phones if you don't want it.
Amazon also says there is a $35 activation fee per line. Subtotal is $349.98 today (plus $70 activation? I don't see that in the cart..), with $200 MIR coming in however long it may take.

At verizonwireless.com, you spend $50 and get two phones with no activation fees. Total due today is only $50.
You can add the Bundled Accessories Motorola Bluetooth Headset (Black H500), Leather Case & Vehicle Power Charger for $79.97 if you want. You can buy a cheaper case and charger on ebay, but they are junk.

 

[PrinceXizor]

I didn't see an activation fee either. Hmmm...

So with Amazon.com I get stuck with $15/mo per line for at least a month or two. Is there a cancellation fee for this service?
The way Amazon's rebate works, I'd be better off with two regular plans. Then I could get the super rebate per phone.
With Amazon I can sign up for only a year. To get verizon's deal, I'd have to sign up for two years.

I also have my sister-in-law and her husband who were going to go in with us (thus the family plan), but not right now. That's why I was wondering about activation fees for the additional lines. I also didn't know the second line starts with the extra, so a two line basic family plan is $80 not just $70.

Another question, is there any where I can check out the additional "fees" so I can determine what the actual phone bill costs would be?

P-X

 

[computeerrgghh]

E815, Samsung 950, LG 8100 are all good phones that cycle in FAR deals. The E815 can load mp3s via bluetooth or usb cable.

 

[PrinceXizor]

Scratch what I said about the family plan, that's just Amazon's way of ringing it up. They charge $60 for the plan, and charge an additional $9.99 for each line. Add it up and you get the normal $69.99 for the family plan.

My apologies for any confusion.

So how does the $80 verizon package (vehicle charger, cover, headset) compare to the accessories from Amazon (the free headset and their charger)? Does everyone use a cover? even with a swivel holster?

Sorry for my probably n00bish questions.

P-X

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: PrinceXizor
Scratch what I said about the family plan, that's just Amazon's way of ringing it up. They charge $60 for the plan, and charge an additional $9.99 for each line. Add it up and you get the normal $69.99 for the family plan.

My apologies for any confusion.

So how does the $80 verizon package (vehicle charger, cover, headset) compare to the accessories from Amazon (the free headset and their charger)? Does everyone use a cover? even with a swivel holster?

Sorry for my probably n00bish questions.

P-X

That's how they'll ring it up at a VZW store too.

That's a huge ripoff for accessories. I don't use a cover for my flip phone. Car chargers shouldn't cost more than $10 shipped for third-party on eBay. I don't use a headset because I just clip my phone to the visor and turn on the speaker. If you absolutely, positivly, must have VZW branded accessories, then it's probably not a bad deal. Personally, the only third-party accessory I won't use is batteries, because I don't want my phone exploding.

I've always been a fan of the LG phones VZW sells. They're usually pretty "hackable" too - check out HowardForums for any info you might need.

Edit: You may not get charged activation fees today, but chances are they'll show up on your first months bill, no matter where you buy the phones. I think it's pretty rare for Verizon to not charge the activation fee for new equiptment, unless it's part of a special promotion.

 

[PrinceXizor]

According to the Verizon web-site, if you sign up for a 1-year service, its $35.00 activation fee. 2-year service is free. Also, the "base" cost of the phone changes. The E815 is $149 with a 1-year service and $99 with a 2-year service. Also, FYI, the BOGOF sale is repeatable, so 4 phones costs you 2 ~ $100 total with the internet savings special.

The flip side is that if you go through amazon you can actually net $25 with a single plan. Base cost of phone is $175 + $150 Amazon rebate + $50 Verizoin MIR = $25 Cash. If I have any other car power adaptors will they work? The variable charging circuitry for the battery has to be located in the phone not the charger, no?

To those that don't like VZW branded accessories, any suggestions?

P-X

 

[LordUnum]

No cover for my RAZR V3c here as the phone itself is pretty damn durable and still practically mint after four months of use and abuse. I also wanted to keep it as slim as possible when slipping it in a pocket. that I'm happy with. Sticking to that same 'keep it slim & clean' philosophy, I opted for a nice swivel clip/holster ($15 online) to use when I'm wearing a belt over a far more bulky, albeit protective pouch/clip combo. Steel rivets used in manufacturing the clip and holster give me peace of mind when carrying around. I think I picked up a USB cable for ~$15 or so from the same place and got the car charger and BT headset for half-price when ordering the phone from the Verizon store I went to. Snagged a BT dongle from Fry's for $19.

Bad Pic 1
Bad Pic 2

Incredible reception on this phone, BTW. Also much more useful and pretty after flashing/hacking.

PM me if you get a Motorola and you, well, you know... might want to find out 'more' about valuable tools like MPT and PST.

 

[PrinceXizor]

It's always good to have *ahem* sources of customer information. Though I probably will run into any "problems" requiring such a resource

Where did you get your holster? I'd probably get one and my wife would presumably use her purse.

P-X

 

[PrinceXizor]

Oh...and any gotchas to look out for? These should be mostly used mobile to mobile. I'm estimating $20 in fees/taxes. Is this reasonable? Brings the total plan plus two lines to $69.99 + $9.99 + $9.99 + $20 ~ $110. The $70 plan has 700 minutes.

Oh, can I get dinged if OTHER people send me txt msgs? I won't use them.

P-X

 

[LordUnum]

I picked mine up from EliteXtreme.com... and whaddya know, they still have it for that price.

I ordered a bunch of stuff for my parents' phones as well, and while we eventually received everything--be warned--they did take their sweet time sending the items. I think it was about a full month or so before I received everything I had ordered, with that holster being the last item shipped because they were apparently 'back-ordered.' IMO, it was still well-worth the wait though as opposed to receiving a much inferior product anywhere else quicker.