A Trip to the Verizon Store
I accompanied Mrs. Parkway to the Verizon store for her purchase of a new cell phone. Her current phone has been a piece of crap from day one. Often, to get the damned thing even to turn on, you had to remove and reinsert the battery. Lately, it would hold a charge for about an hour. A new phone was definitely in order.
I was there merely for moral support but more importantly as the “account holder,†for without my presence, nothing can happen. Verizon is quirky that way, but it would a pain in the ass to set up two totally separate accounts, and one can only spend so much time in a phone store without risking a hypertensive crisis..
Anyway, she picked out a very nice, serviceable phone, with a minimum of doodads and without any meddling on my part (see above photo). Besides, Verizon doesn’t offer a phone with a doodad that I think would be very useful for her. That would be a phone with a doodad on it that would remind her to turn the farookin’ thing on.
that looks like the one sweetthing got. All I want a cell phone for is to make calls. i don’t want no gotdam taextin or twiiterin nor taking pictures. I don’t think anyone even makes a cell phone like that anymore
Comment by GUYK — June 10, 2009 @ 7:16 pm
Look at it this way, Jimbo: leaving it turned off dramatically reduces the wear and tear on it, avoids wasted minutes, and doesn’t violate the warranty. She’s doing you a favor.
GUYK — if you’re open to the idea, have a look at one of the pay-as-you-go systems; TracFone has some minimalist phones, and the prices are actually reasonable.
Comment by Dave Merriman — June 10, 2009 @ 10:56 pm
GUYK…….I have been using TracFone for about 3 years , I prepaid for 1000 minutes [about $110.00]& have been renewing every year taking advantage of 2 for 1 minute buys. I figure it costs me about $85.00 a year for my cell phone which I use every day for business & personal calls.I got one for my wife which costs her about $60.00 a year.With my old cell phone , I was spending that combined total each month. I do not understand why anybody would continue to use Verizon, CellularOne or anyother similar expensive or restrictive system.
Comment by dudley1 — June 11, 2009 @ 8:29 am
I’ve been using the Verizon pay as you go plan since 2001. I just updated my phone with the “new and improved pay as you go plan” and got a new Samsung phone (with camera) for 49.95. My poor old coal fired Nokia “candy bar” phone finally bit the dust and it was time. My cost is around 15 bucks a month….not much of a cell phone user. The primary purpose was to have it with me in the event of an emergency such as an accident or breakdown on the road late at night. I’m a gadget guy (electronic junkie/broadcast engineer), but I want my phone to remain a fairly simple device and the new Samsung fits the bill nicely.
Comment by JerryK — June 11, 2009 @ 10:47 am
Ditto on the pre-pay. I’ve been using Virgin Mobile for years. I’m on the $25/month no contract plan. 200 anytime and 500 night and weekend minutes per month. I usually come within 20 minutes of maxing out both, and I don’t give a rats ass about GPS or updating facebook or tweeting etc. so it’s perfect for me.
Comment by Graumagus — June 11, 2009 @ 11:43 am
I am in the freakin’ middle of nowhere. I have to drive 2 miles to get a decent cell signal from any carrier. However, talk and data are 2 different things and I get plenty of signal for data on my phone.
So…Why would I pay for a data plan? Because when my electricity and phone went down in the big ice storm in December – my cell phone data plan was the only thing that worked. I was still able to use my blackberry to get online and text and do email and all that. I was also able to look things up and find info on what was happening in the area. That doesn’t happen with a TracFone or a pay as you go plan.
If you don’t feel you need these services then certainly it’s silly to pay for them. However, during the days when I had no access to anything (including power) my data plan paid for itself for the entire year as far as I’m concerned. heh.
Having communication available when all else is down and out… priceless.
Comment by Teresa — June 11, 2009 @ 12:56 pm