[jahoobob]

I was comparing smart phone plans. With verizon he will lose the nights at 7pm and unlimited texting on all lines he would get with a smartplan.

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You may very well have been comparing smartphones but I quoted a real life example with NO smartphones. Neither he nor his wife texts so that is not part of the equation. His VZW plan is real world less expensive. He doesn't have to worry about the 7pm vs 9pm because he shuts his phone off around 6pm. He uses it for business so there you go. I call BS on you for continuing this

[jahoobob]

You're really fortunate that you haven't had any dropped calls with VZW because many people I know have had this problem with VZW. It is probably market and location related.

My plan comparison experience in the VZW store resulted in plans that had a one cent difference in price. The VZW ala carte plan solution gave me 300 more minutes. It went down hill for VZW from there. Circle goes from 11 to 5. Unlimited texting dropped to 250 per phone. Nights and weekends would change to 9pm from 7pm. No brainer...Alltel plan the winner. The 80 million plus subscribers with VZW means very little to me as many of my calls are to land lines (several hundred million of those!). Also, many of my friends have the ATT itoy.

Bashing the competition is a poor way to generate positive attitudes for VZW. It is also unprofessional. I can say that I have had negative experiences in both VZW and Alltel stores. My overall experience has been positive in both brands except for one thing. I am currently dealing with trying to restore satisfactory phone service from home with my Curve. The VZW reps and techs have tried to be helpful but the issue has not been resolved. My Alltel phone service was fine until VZW monkeyed with it. I am being optimistic that once tower convergence is completed in my locale that my service will be good again. Meanwhile, I am working on a temporary fix.

I live in the boondocks of SE Georgia.
I don't work for VZW, I'm retired from the paper industry so I'm not in "competition" with Alltel. I was simply replying to a thread in which someone said he was tired of being told he should be thankful Verizon bought Alltel. If I was bashing Alltel I would say things like Alltel sucks, etc. I didn't. I presented a real life example were an Alltel customer is thankful he is a new Verizon customer.
I didn't even bring up why I switched from Alltel to VZW a number of years ago. I had a Motorola phone with them and the charger plug in loosened so that I had the tape the charger to the phone when charging. I went to Alltel with the problem and the rep said too bad. I went to VZW and got a phone with them. I called to cancel my Alltel and the rep told me the previous rep should have offered me a free phone 'cause I had been with that phone for over 2 years. Oh well.

[Tiako44]

Verizon keeps sending me a bill for 180.00 bucks. They said they would take it off but only credited it once. It comes back everytime..

[forkup]

You may very well have been comparing smartphones but I quoted a real life example with NO smartphones. Neither he nor his wife texts so that is not part of the equation. His VZW plan is real world less expensive. He doesn't have to worry about the 7pm vs 9pm because he shuts his phone off around 6pm. He uses it for business so there you go. I call BS on you for continuing this

Seeing as how we are on a forum for smart phones I feel my reply was in line. When I checked into switching to verizon my experience was similiar to i_hikers above. I'd have to pay more money for far less benefits. Like he said it was a no brainer for me, mileage may vary for others. 87 million verizon customers mean nothing to me since 95% of the people I call were all on Alltel. My service went downhill with the changeover July 13th, hopefully when the towers are integrated my excellant service will be restored.

Anyways I wasn't trying to bash you just stating what I myself experienced and what many many others on here have went thru.

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[R.O.C.]

When you compare the Alltel Smart Packs with the Verizon Nationwide Select plans... the prices and features are VERY similar. If you have two or more lines, and want to share more than 500 minutes, the plans are very close in price. And as you add more lines and features, the Verizon plans become more price friendly.

And for a couple of you that say the 80 million callers don't matter. Hopefully you've been informed that on Alltel you still can call any of the Verizon subscribers airtime free, they ARE included in your M2M.

[i_hiker]

I live in the boondocks of SE Georgia.
I don't work for VZW, I'm retired from the paper industry so I'm not in "competition" with Alltel. I was simply replying to a thread in which someone said he was tired of being told he should be thankful Verizon bought Alltel. If I was bashing Alltel I would say things like Alltel sucks, etc. I didn't. I presented a real life example were an Alltel customer is thankful he is a new Verizon customer.
I didn't even bring up why I switched from Alltel to VZW a number of years ago. I had a Motorola phone with them and the charger plug in loosened so that I had the tape the charger to the phone when charging. I went to Alltel with the problem and the rep said too bad. I went to VZW and got a phone with them. I called to cancel my Alltel and the rep told me the previous rep should have offered me a free phone 'cause I had been with that phone for over 2 years. Oh well.

Sorry for assuming you work for VZW. Earlier in this thread you posted info about VZW plans and costs, so I made what I thought was a logical assumption. Also, you presented an obvious bias towards VZW to reinforce my assumption. My definition of a "real life example" includes presenting both sides of a situation, which you did not do...and I did. You presented your personal experience. Obviously, it was not a good one. My experience with both brands, as you point out in the above quote, can depend on who you speak to. A company cannot stay in business by only offering bad service. At this point in time, VZW is providing many former Alltel customers bad service and we are waiting for that to change. We just want the same good service that ALL VZW customers should have.

[forkup]

Agreed, my experience has been that we are treated as second rate customers and until we switch to a verizon plan we will not get the full benefits verizon customers get.

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[i_hiker]

When you compare the Alltel Smart Packs with the Verizon Nationwide Select plans... the prices and features are VERY similar. If you have two or more lines, and want to share more than 500 minutes, the plans are very close in price. And as you add more lines and features, the Verizon plans become more price friendly.

And for a couple of you that say the 80 million callers don't matter. Hopefully you've been informed that on Alltel you still can call any of the Verizon subscribers airtime free, they ARE included in your M2M.

You need to look at the whole picture. Yes...we understand the 80 million callers and M2M. I would hope VZW has M2M...as most of the other carriers do. What you fail to see is what I will refer to as a "real world situation." There are several hundred million land lines out there...far more than the 80 m VZW. Add in ATT and the other carriers and the percentage of VZW phones vs the real world becomes small in comparison. Most of my calls are to the rest of the world. I will admit that the larger VZW network and has a positive impact on my calling abilities but it is very minor in comparison to my overall typical phone usage.

Next, VZW changes my "11 Circle numbers" to "5 Friends and Family" and this creates a huge negative impact for me. Then they move the Nights from 7pm to 9pm and this creates another negative impact. I don't know about you, but by 9pm I want to hang up the phone, not place calls. Last, but not least, is the unlimited texting that is included in my Alltel data plan. No such thing with VZW according the rep in the retail store.

I am sure that there are those out there who would be attracted to have a few more minutes of calling as opposed to the feature comparison I just mentioned. As for myself, I am going to hang on to my Alltel plan as long as possible, unless the VZW plan becomes more competitive for my real world use.

Lastly, give me service that was equal to what I had with Alltel. I am still waiting for tower convergence or a hybrid PRL. Until that happens I am not getting the service I am paying for.

[forkup]

+1

10char

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[Tiako44]

Agreed, my experience has been that we are treated as second rate customers and until we switch to a verizon plan we will not get the full benefits verizon customers get.

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Exactly. We get alltel towers with verizons policies. We get told we need to convert when ever we go to a verizon store. Some of us lied to.

[i_hiker]

Exactly. We get alltel towers with verizons policies. We get told we need to convert when ever we go to a verizon store. Some of us lied to.

I have resisted using the "L" word. To me, it has been obvious that VZW employees have different perceptions of the facts. The many faces of VZW are not speaking with the same voice. Maybe I have been lucky or the rep just senses that he will get nowhere with me, but not a one has tried to strong arm me to switch plans. On the contrary, when I calmly map out my Alltel plan to what they offer the rep realizes I am in a superior plan for my personal use. Their shoulders start to sag. When I mention that my phones are fairly new and I would have to buy new phones, they completely cave. To be honest, if I were to be offered a free Tour to switch, I might take them up on the offer.

[tsguy52]

Exactly. We get alltel towers with verizons policies. We get told we need to convert when ever we go to a verizon store. Some of us lied to.

Don't listen to them then.. They are sales reps.. When do you ever go to a store and speak to someone making comission about a problem you are having. You also have Verizon towers now by the way..

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[GIXXERJOE]

I don't know where you are getting your misinformation at regarding your Alltel plan's or equipment. When you have been rolled over to VZW if you choose to upgrade your equipment, you may keep your Alltel plan. And use Verzion equipment on that plan. Verizon is forcing no one to change their plan. The only exception to this would be if you got a data only device. Then you would need to change to a VZW data plan.

So yes Alltel customers have everything to gain from this merger, you have more people that you can call for free with M2M, you now have a larger coverage area, and can keep your plan the same and still get a VZW phone. What is the problem???? I am confused...

[i_hiker]

Don't listen to them then.. They are sales reps.. When do you ever go to a store and speak to someone making comission about a problem you are having. You also have Verizon towers now by the way..

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I have received better service from the retail side than tech support. Six calls to tech support, 2 work orders, 3 promises of a call back, and zero call backs. I have been Mr. Nice guy on every conversation. Maybe some areas of the country have VZW towers but I do not have the omni-directional tower that is 7/10 of a mile from my house. As I result of this merger I now have pathetic service from home. When it comes to VZW and my phone service, I am an unhappy hiker.

[JR_Rider]

I don't know where you are getting your misinformation at regarding your Alltel plan's or equipment. When you have been rolled over to VZW if you choose to upgrade your equipment, you may keep your Alltel plan. And use Verzion equipment on that plan. Verizon is forcing no one to change their plan. The only exception to this would be if you got a data only device. Then you would need to change to a VZW data plan.

So yes Alltel customers have everything to gain from this merger, you have more people that you can call for free with M2M, you now have a larger coverage area, and can keep your plan the same and still get a VZW phone. What is the problem???? I am confused...

I agree with your statements but it seems like some people are experiencing worse service as a result of the merger. But I do like the fact that with a Verizon handset I can access all Verizon's additional features. To those of you who are thinking about upgrading to the Tour for example, just remember that if you currently are on a Smartchoice plan, you can renew that contract and are not required to switch to an actual Verizon plan.

[big.daddy]

This is not what is being expressed in the local stores. I understand the whole salesperson-commission relationship but, we need to have that proverbial "line in the sand" drawn so everyone is on the same page. I think the information or misinformation is one of the most aggrevating results of this merger (no way I'm downplaying the people whose service went downhill). My service hasn't changed since the changeover in my area (a few little hiccups) but the info is the biggest downer.

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[i_hiker]

This is not what is being expressed in the local stores. I understand the whole salesperson-commission relationship but, we need to have that proverbial "line in the sand" drawn so everyone is on the same page. I think the information or misinformation is one of the most aggrevating results of this merger (no way I'm downplaying the people whose service went downhill). My service hasn't changed since the changeover in my area (a few little hiccups) but the info is the biggest downer.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

You're absolutely right! The conflicting information coming from VZW personnel makes one wonder if there is anybody at the helm.

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[lissa5168]

I have to agree with conflicting information. I have been told no less than 5 times now at the actual store that once one of my lines upgrades equipment (ie: Verizon phone), we must ALL get new Verizon phones and Verizon plans.

I even asked why I would have to replace my month-old Alltel Curve. Answer: Because it's not a VERIZON phone so it won't work on our system. Me: But it works NOW doesn't it? *blank stare with crickets*

I'm not at ALL anti-Verizon. But I am anti-my-local-Verizon-store. Very much so.

[sarivers]

I have to agree with conflicting information. I have been told no less than 5 times now at the actual store that once one of my lines upgrades equipment (ie: Verizon phone), we must ALL get new Verizon phones and Verizon plans.

I even asked why I would have to replace my month-old Alltel Curve. Answer: Because it's not a VERIZON phone so it won't work on our system. Me: But it works NOW doesn't it? *blank stare with crickets*

I'm not at ALL anti-Verizon. But I am anti-my-local-Verizon-store. Very much so.

I've been told exactly the same thing at the Verizon store in Columbia, SC. My family has 4 phones. I was told if one upgrades to a Verizon phone all have to. Also, my service has been worse since the switch.

[GIXXERJOE]

I promise you!! You do not have to change your plan if you were rolled over to VZW from Alltel. As I stated before you may use Verizon on your existing Alltel plan. If ANY REP tells you different whether it being a Verizon corporate rep or a indirect agent, tell them to check Verizon policy on this!! Misinformation like this comes from reps being lazy and not keeping up to date with current policies.

Also as for network issues and declined services, as frustrating as it can be for a lot of people, network integration will be the last part of the puzzle to take place in this merger. Give it some time. This does not happen overnight. When the Alltel towers are integrated to work hand in hand with Verizons towers you will truly see an improvement in network quality.

[i_hiker]

I promise you!! You do not have to change your plan if you were rolled over to VZW from Alltel. As I stated before you may use Verizon on your existing Alltel plan. If ANY REP tells you different whether it being a Verizon corporate rep or a indirect agent, tell them to check Verizon policy on this!! Misinformation like this comes from reps being lazy and not keeping up to date with current policies.

Also as for network issues and declined services, as frustrating as it can be for a lot of people, network integration will be the last part of the puzzle to take place in this merger. Give it some time. This does not happen overnight. When the Alltel towers are integrated to work hand in hand with Verizons towers you will truly see an improvement in network quality.

Thanks for the sincere, accurate, and to my knowledge, TRUTHFUL response. And no pathetic sarcasm. Do you work for VZW?

[GIXXERJOE]

I hiker,

Thank you for your kind words. To answer your question, I work for a indirect agent location for Verizon. And also have previously worked for US Cellular. All in all I have been in the wireless industry for around 5 years. To the contrary not all agent locations are bad, nor are all reps that work in them. Or the corporate side either. But it does seem that no matter where you go, whether it be for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc... You will only get good service if the person you work with cares enough about what they do. It is sad that more reps out there do not see it this way. And only want to make a sell. I have found that truly listing to your customers needs, making honest recommendations based on those needs, and simply not making crap up if I don't know the answer. If I don't know I find the correct answer. I think mis information and not being honest create the biggest problems for you in the future. Just my 2 cents

[high life]

GIXXERJOE, I went into a local vzw corprate store and was told I could use a vzw phone on my alltel plan as long as it was not a smartphone. They claim smartphones like the BB's moto q, and palms were not able to be used on an alltel legacy plan.


I would love a vzw phone at this point. VZW tells me that my alltel curve is still using alltel towers and we have had a whole slew of problems since july 10th. I loose data service almost daily during peak work hours, and drop calls like gsm. Granted I lost data before july 10th but every blue moon, and dropped calls were so rare I would forget about them till I saw the missed call credit on my bill.

[grandpa dan]

Ok I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say alltel bb's are not using alltel towers exclusively. Reason...I have an alltel bb and there are places I used to roam that I no longer do, I can only assume that it because I now access vzw towers in those areas.

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[tsguy52]

Ok I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say alltel bb's are not using alltel towers exclusively. Reason...I have an alltel bb and there are places I used to roam that I no longer do, I can only assume that it because I now access vzw towers in those areas.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

That and the new prls do not show the roaming indicator when your in extended area (hitting Alltel towers outside your home area or other companies with roaming agreements).

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com