::merged:: Contract is up... new phone/plan suggestions?

My 2 YR Sprint contract was up in August. I have had Sprint for several years at this point. I have found much better deals with other providers but would like to remain loyal to spring.
Currently:
pay $45/mo for 500 anytime minutes, unlimited nights and weekends (which I use very little of), no Long distance or roaming.
Need:
1) earlier night minutes ideally. 9pm CST is 10pm EST where most of my long distance calls would be from.
2) More bang for the buck. A bill of almost $60 after taxes with few minutes that I can really use.
3) a new phone. It doesnt have to be sophisticated but it does need Bluetooth technology for use with Uconnect. I dont want a PDA phone as I already have a PDA. Any suggestions? Even better if I Can get a second phone to share the minutes with for hubby. I have no desire to pay nearly $500 for something I use just for the hour long drive home.
Im getting frustrated and every commercial I see for other providers looks better by the day.

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› See More: ::merged:: Contract is up... new phone/plan suggestions?

Have: an expired 2yr sprint contract. currently going month to month. Ive had them for well over 3 years and have no real reason to change other than price and crappy customer service which I seldom use anyway.
$45/mo for 500 anytime, unlimited nights (tho its 9pm) and weekends, no long distance.
Need: 1) more bang for my buck. Nearly $60/mo after taxes for services I use solely for the hour long drive home seems a bit much when the usual times are early evening (before 9). Otherwise, occassional weekend use mostly for long distance. No desire for vision, web, cameras, music and what not. Its just a phone for me.
2) earlier night hours would help considerably. I originally had 7pm, then 8, now 9. When everyone I know is EST and Im CST...its really too late to use.
3) must have free long distance
4) new phone. I need only voicemail and blue tooth enabled. I do not want a PDA as I already have that. I simply need to be able to link with Uconnect on the road so $500 for a phone isnt attractive.
Any suggestions or am I going to have to go with a different provider?

right now sprint is doing free roaming and long distance with the Fair & Flexible Plan. also, you can get nights & weekends at 6pm for $10 extra or 7pm for $5. If you already have good coverage everywhere you go and are happy with the quality of your service, I would say stick with Sprint. If you really decide to try someone else, just make sure you really are getting a better deal if you decide to switch.

What I would do if I were you is watch www.sprint.com for a special, or take advantage of the current special they are running. When I signed up during an online sale, I got a couple free upgrades. If you stay with Sprint, you can get up to $150 rebate when you upgrade your phone ($75 after 12 months, $150 after 24 months), and they have some pretty nice phones right now that would be next to nothing with the rebate.

Finally, if I were considering switching providers, I would be looking for a lot of local opinions, ie people you see in the grocery store or at work, ask them how their reception and customer service is in your area. The only reason you should be concerned about any provider on a national level is if you travel a lot. Hope this helps...

my plan:
Fair & Flexible Plan
Family Share Plan, 3 phones.
800 shared anytime minutes
unlimited nights & weekends @6pm
unlimited mobile to mobile (now includes nextel and boost)
free roaming, free long distance
500 text messages for each phone
each phone is insured @ $6 each/month

all of this comes to about $150 after taxes & all, i think it's
a pretty good deal because with the mobile-to-mobile combined
with the nights & weekends @6pm we have only used about
half of our anytime minutes the last two months.

just to compare:

my wife and i are on cingular:

2 phones (no insurance like Brad)
850 shared anytime minutes
Free nites/weekends @ 9pm
Free mobile to mobile
Free mobile to home # (landline)
Free rollover minutes
No text plan
I think we pay about $75. (granted we have a SBC bundle pack discount of like $5)

just for comparative reasons. but on the other hand, i get no cingular service at my parents' house.

I'd call Sprint, talk to a retention specialist and state your case. See what they will do for you. I just got a Samsung A900 for next to nothing, a smokin' good deal on my plan and free for 24 months, early nights and weekends (7pm) and Sprint to Sprint

omg, u are paying 45.00 for 500 minutes? i pay 45.00 for 1000 minutes, free nites and weekends at 7 for an extra 5.00! u should call sprint and straighten that out OR go to tmobile who has by far the NICEST/BEST customer service AND better plans and deals.. i have the brochure with the pricing and plans, if u want, i can type it all out by hand and pm it to u... let me know! but sprint is NOT giving u a deal... also, do NOT change ur plan at this point, cause they wont tell u this but, if u called today for exmaple, to change ur plan, it sets ur contract back 2 years... and u must start ALL over... =(

Originally Posted by TwoToneGT

I just got a Samsung A900 for next to nothing

How did you do that? And how much did the phone cost?

Everywhere I look, the special offers are for NEW phone number activations. What about the current subscribers? Does Sprint think I won't switch? I want a good phone, not some cheap ass phone that will break in 5 months like my piece of CRAP Sanyo SCP-8100

My 2 year contract ends in May.

Why has this rentention specialist never been made public?

I think you should consider looking into Tmobile! If you have a significant other, who doesnt have a phone but wants one, they have a special going on, buy one motorola razor and get the 2nd one free. If your satisfied with Sprint, why not stay. Just demand that you get a better plan. Do you get the 5% loyalty discount?? I am not sure if you know about that, im assuming you dont. Sprint isnt going to run around TELLING people that they could get money off their bill each month, for being a good customer! lol.. but u can. Its called the 5% Loyalty discount. what that is, is a 5 percent subtraction off your bill every month. It does help. If you already knew about this, im sorry, just thought i was giving you some new information. Also if you work somewhere, for the government or something like that you can get 25 percent off, as well. If your interested in details, let me know by PM or a reply in this message and ill give you more information on both of those matters. So anyways.. hope this helps! =)

Originally Posted by Renizay

Also if you work somewhere, for the government or something like that you can get 25 percent off

25% off? Yes I work for the government. I'm in the military. tmobile... NEVER! Everyone who has a tmobile phone sounds like crap. I have to tell them to speak up, the sound quality of tmobile is awful.

are u serious? that isnt tmobiles fault, its the PHONE or the tone in which the caller is speaking.. well, you are qualitifed for a 25% discount for being employed by the government, as well as 5 percent on top of that for loyalty discount, for being with sprint for so long... ALSO... i really do resent that statement about tmobile sounding horrible, thats a pretty biased statement, considering tmobile is the service provider, its the CELL phone itself that is LOW. that can be with ANY company, my mother gut 2 phones.. and has another VERIZON phone which is EXTREMLY low yet at the same time, she puts her verizon NOKIA 6015I up to her ear at the SAME time, and i do the same with 2 phones, ITS THE FIRST PHONES FAULT, NOT VERIZON OR HER.. so, to say all tmobile is unfair

AGAIN I ASK:

Originally Posted by TwoToneGT

I just got a Samsung A900 for next to nothing

How did you do that? And how much did the phone cost?

yeah, how much was the a900? I know there are some major deals going on at sprint for it because there are newer samsungs out and i believe i saw it on newbury st. in boston selling for 80.00 with new activation but 299.00 for exsisting customers. Is this the deal you got??

My experience with sprint sucked. May be your experience with sprint was better than mine, i dunno but Verizon is much IMO.

My new Verizon Moto V325 phone is great no problems with it so far.

Good luck

your most likey eligable for a 150 dollar rebate torwards a new phone with a new contract. id go with the fair and flex 1000 minutes for 59.99. 7pm nights and weekends an extra $5 buck. the price for the plan can vary in some areas. i'd call sprint and check it out (*2 on your handset or 1-800-sprint-1)