Cell Phone Decisions...

[Menolly]

:::heavy sigh mixed with extreme emotion:::

Paul just informed me the post office is requiring him to get a cell phone. Since he's a Rural Carrier Associate, which is not a career position, he will have to use one of our cars to deliver mail on occasion, and they insist he has a cell phone to stay in touch in case he breaks down while delivering. But, as far as he knows, they don't compensate him for the cost of one.

Soo...now we're thinking family plan. Is there one where Paul can get a phone, and FIL (down in Fort Lauderdale), Beorn, and myself can get add a line for $9.99 or whatever it is? With free extra phones? Will FIL be able to get a different area code on a family plan? If not, will he be charged roaming to use it down in Fort Lauderdale?

Who would be the best service provider to fit our needs?

:::wah!! I liked being a cell free family!!!:::

[dlbpharmd]

Personally, I like Verizon. I used to have AT&T but when they changed to Cingular, service when down the drain fast. You can probably research plans on the Verizon website, but there's no substitute to going into a Verizon store and getting the information first hand.

Good luck!

[Fist and Faith]

I can't imagine they can require he get a phone for them, but not pay for it. Paul seems to be a very informed person, as well as someone who does his research, so maybe he's looked into all this. But, come on, how can it be legal to require your employees to incur a monthly charge?

[drew]

I can't imagine they can require he get a phone for them, but not pay for it. Paul seems to be a very informed person, as well as someone who does his research, so maybe he's looked into all this. But, come on, how can it be legal to require your employees to incur a monthly charge?

I don't know how things work down there...but up here Rural Mail Carriers are independants...just like most truck drivers.
If their bid on a specific route is accepted, they sign a contract for x amount of months, and although they are not empoyees of the Canada Post, they must abide by the rules.

So for the USPS to say, you need a cell phone to do this job that we contracted you for, is completely legit.

Although I may be way off base, without knowing further details.

PS-it's reason's like this that I gave up owning my own truck, it seems like the best of both worlds..working for a large company, but also being self employed...but in reality, it's the WORST of both worlds.


PPS--I'm still cell phone free...I call in to work though pay phones.

[Menolly]

Fisty, Paul says they can't require (a-ha! the story changes) him to get one but if he doesn't have one they are not responsible for picking him up if he breaks down on a deserted rural road...

Drew, since the USPS privatized, that's pretty much what Paul's position is now. No benefits, although he can work over 40 hours a week on occasion, and responsible for the upkeep of his vehicle.

But, he is called in to work, he doesn't bid on routes.

[drew]

I stand corrected.

[dlbpharmd]

Are there many deserted rural roads where you live?

[Fist and Faith]

Heh. Score one for the Fistman!

Personally, I'd take my chances on not breaking down.

[drew]

Drew, since the USPS privatized, that's pretty much what Paul's position is now. No benefits, although he can work over 40 hours a week on occasion, and responsible for the upkeep of his vehicle.

Canada Post only has independants on Rural Routes...BUt I work for a private Courier, and we're ALL independants...I owned Three differnt trucks and hated every minute of it.
No lunch breaks, no vacation, not allowed to call in sick, forced to work through adverse weather..now I work for another Owner Operator, driving HIS truck...I take his truck home-he pays the gas-he pays for my health plan-he gives my 10 paid vacation days-and if I want a cell phone-HE'LL pay for it.

On the cell phone note...are their any pre-paid plans around you? Those seem to be hey way to go, if you don't plan on useing he phone much.
My Father pays ten dollars a month, it gives him thirty minutes. If all he's going to do is to call work and tell them that he's broken down, and possibly call a tow truck, that would seem sufficiant.
You can buy those plans in grocery stores around here.

[Menolly]

Knowing my husband, he'll claim to only use it for work, and the minute usage will go up and up and up, kwim?

Don, yeah on the deserted roads. Paul says there are about 3,000 miles of total routes between the three post offices he's seen the routes of (and there is a fourth post office), and most are stretches of at least an hour walk to find a phone to call if you break down.

[Fist and Faith]

Fisty, Paul says they can't require (a-ha! the story changes)...

Knowing my husband, he'll claim to only use it for work, and the minute usage will go up and up and up, kwim?

So then, Paul - if that is your real name - what's it gonna be?

[drew]

Sounds like a pre paid plan would be the way to go..then if he goes over, the phone just shuts off until he re-pays.
With a regular plan, someone could talk and talk and talk, and thn you're stuck with a gigantic.

[Menolly]

Paul had to do Express Mail today, so we haven't shopped yet. But, he has heard since BellSouth and Cingular are merging back with AT&T that Cingular will be including free calls to all AT&T land lines in their plans. Since BellSouth is the main landline provider here in GatorTown, most businesses here are with them. So we figure that would cut down on cost as well.

Has anyone else heard this regarding Cingular?

[Fist and Faith]

This is excellent!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtFtcp4mNzA

[Menolly]

Can you tell me what it is? Doesn't work on dial-up...

[Fist and Faith]

It's a comedy take on the history of AT&T and Cingular. Really good!

[aliantha]

The only problem with prepaid is that you pay an arm and a leg for the minutes if you don't buy a ton of 'em at a time.

I started out with a Tracfone, which worked fine (except for the small fortune for a tiny number of minutes), when I remembered to carry the phone. Eventually we switched to a family plan with AT&T, which was great. Then, after the merger, I switched over to Cingular -- I was under the misconception that all AT&T plans would be switched to Cingular anyhow and I figured I'd beat the rush -- and DLB, you are exactly right when you say that the level of service plummeted. Trying to get a signal at our house is sometimes pretty close to impossible. We've got about another year on this contract, and then I'll probably switch to Verizon.

Menolly, I bought the cheapest plan I could and still get the family plan. I'm paying about $70/month for the three phones. It's an all-across-the-nation plan, which means no roaming charges ever. Calls between family-plan members don't count against our monthly minutes, so since we mostly call each other, we never even come close to running out of minutes. The only run-up-the-bill problem we have had is with text messaging, but I've cracked down on *that*.

You could certainly put your father-in-law on your plan -- I have a friend here in Virginia who got a family plan with her mother in Florida.

[Menolly]

Oh kewl, $70/month sounds doable. How many phone/lines do y'all have for that? And how much do 'taxes' and surcharges run?

Could we get the family plan, yet still get FIL the very basic phone with the extra large buttons? All he wants to do is to be able to dial...

[Alynna Lis Eachann]

I would advise against pre-paid also. It's usually pretty convoluted, and can end up costing more than a regular plan. Also, the coverage bites, so if you're in a rural area you're less likely to get a signal.

I've got Verizon, which has served me pretty well in the rural parts of the county, and the family plan I have has no long distance or roaming charges. I pay $87 a month for two lines, 750 plan minutes, and 250 text messages on my phone. Verizon-to-Verizon wireless calls are free, and I don't have to worry about driving out of my calling area unless I cross the Canadian or Mexican border. I got my phones during a promotion, so it cost me $30 for two (or would have, if I'd remembered to send in the rebate. ).

My friend has Cingular and her coverage isn't as good as mine but she gets service in all major metro areas, and she gets it in the rural areas around her city, so it serves her well.

My vote would be Verizon or Cingular, depending on the coverage and service details in your area. Defintiely read the fine print and talk to a sales rep to be sure you're getting what you think you're getting. I spent months looking at different companies and several weeks re-reading the details of the plan I chose, just to be sure I knew what I was getting into. Canceling a bad contract is expensive as all...

[aliantha]

Oh kewl, $70/month sounds doable. How many phone/lines do y'all have for that? And how much do 'taxes' and surcharges run?

Could we get the family plan, yet still get FIL the very basic phone with the extra large buttons? All he wants to do is to be able to dial...

We've got three phones. That's $70ish for everything, the three phone numbers and taxes included. I think my total monthly bill runs somewhere between $72 and $78 (unless, like I said, somebody goes nuts with text-messaging...).

I've seen ads for those phones with the extra-large buttons -- I was kinda interested in one for myself. I dunno which company carries them, though. We just got whichever free phones came with the plan.