Help w/ switch to Boost Mobile

Anyone have Boost Mobile as a service provider? I am thinking of switching to them because nextel is charging me around $40 - $50 per month (I'm not even close to using all of the time they are giving me) and I think Boost would be a better option. Supposeably they are ran by Nextel/Sprint so I could still 2way/walkie talkie to my dad/cousins/friends (many of them have nextel or sprint). I like the idea of pay as you go. Could someone just clarify how you pay for your minutes. From what I have read you buy cards input the card ID into your phone and that is your minutes & you never get billed you just keep buying cards to replenish your minutes.
Also, what do you think of them? (how their phones are, & quality of service, what you pay, etc.)

thanks in advance.

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Boost service is identical to Nextel service as far as reception/coverage is concerned. Boost simply is prepaid Nextel. Honestly, whether or not this will be a good deal to you depends entirely on how you use the phone and how often. If you ONLY use the walkie talkie, you can get by with about $30/month, as they only charge your prepaid balance one dollar per day on the days you use it. Otherwise, the minutes are either 25c/min daytime and 10c/minute after 7pm. Note, calling other Boost, Nextel, and Sprint users qualifies as mobile-to-mobile which is always 10c/minute.

Then, there is the Boost Premium plan, which is a prepaid "plan" where you have to register a credit card on file, and they charge the card monthly for service. This isn't a bad deal if you use the phone a lot. You get 300 daytime minutes, unlimited nights & weekends starting at 7pm, unlimited 2way, and unlimited mobile web access for $49.99/month. If you go over your 300 minutes, your credit card is automatically billed $15 (150 extra minutes at 10c/minute).

Putting the premium plan aside and going back to the regular prepaid Boost, the ways to refill your balance are very convenient as well. You can buy reboost cards at many grocery and convenience stores, or you can buy the minutes online. You can even do it from the handset with a credit card.

Hope I answered all your questions... oh and welcome to CPF!

Alright, I think I got all of the facts straight now. Thanks for the reply. I'll try a figure out which plan is better for me, thanks again.
If anyone else wishes to post their expierence w/ Boost, I will keep checking back to this topic

thanks

yea boost is good but always remember to reboost cuz my account expired b/c i didnt use it 4 lik 3 months

If you don't use nearly all of your minutes, Boost is generally a good idea, If you want to keep your current phone have it unlocked.

Originally Posted by G2gGolfing69

If you want to keep your current phone have it unlocked.

A Boost SIM will work in almost any Nextel phone, no unlocking required. The catch is, a Nextel SIM will not work in a Boost phone. I know, it makes little sense at first glance, but Nextel is a contract service and they want you to use a contract phone, Boost is like, "whateva I do what I want".

Not to correct you, but a nextel sim will work in a boost phone if you have it unlocked. I currently use a Boost i860 tattoo with a nextel sim card. You will have to find someone that has the ability to unlock on this site I am not sure because I am new here but, just figured I should post the correct info.

Originally Posted by G2gGolfing69

Not to correct you, but a nextel sim will work in a boost phone if you have it unlocked. I currently use a Boost i860 tattoo with a nextel sim card. You will have to find someone that has the ability to unlock on this site I am not sure because I am new here but, just figured I should post the correct info.

Yes, that's what I meant. However, a quick review of the sticky threads and forum announcements will explain to you that the methods of tampering with your iDEN phone's software to unlock it are often illegal, which is why we don't discuss them here. They are illegal because they alter the phone's identifying information such as the serial number. The only way to get a Boost phone legally unlocked is through an authorized Nextel dealer, who has the correct, legal, and legitimate software to use.

EDIT: Unfortunately the darned Nextel dealers are SO reluctant to unlock a phone, since they make little or no profit from it, and it doesn't help them sign someone into a contract. That also makes the illegal methods more tempting, unfortunately.

Yes, it is sad that a lot of places won't do it, but generally if you look hard enough you can find a retailer that does it or a person that works for nextel that has the software can do it legally.

I have worked at a Nextel service center since 1997 or 1998 (can't remember). Oh and before that I worked on cellphones (back 1987) (including Nextel's Cellular One phones - back when their service was so bad that all the big shots and enginers carried a back up phone) I was trained to work on the Nextel giant 1 watt Lingo, 3 watt installed car phone, cell phone only (no 2 way) flip all the way up to current models like the i870. I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable when it comes to software available and Nextel policies.

I assure you that there is NO SOFTWARE available to ASC's to unlock Boost or Nextel phones. If I were caught unlocking a Boost phone, we could loose our service center. The strongest thing that I can download is Super Agent RSS thats it. Every other mod is done just as you guys... The hack programs. That is why service centers give you a hard time. I can not even order parts for Boost phones. Now a company owned store may be different but I doubt it because both my area reps for nextel service and for Boost asked me to get thier phones unlocked.

I HATE BOOST.. Boost won't let us order parts, they make us wait on hold for customer care (no dealer support), while on hold we are forced to listening to crap (people trying to be too hip - yo..yo... my baby daddy uses da chirp cause itz only a doll`a a dae!) , they transfer you all around and after about an hour most of the time they wont talk to me they want to talk to the customer, we have a hard time getting phones and starter kits (they give them to Target and Walmart 1st), we don't make enough profit for the time and effort (we make more off a car charger).

I would never trust anything that you don't a detailed bill on. So many people come in and say I don't know where my money is going? I just use it for 2 way and I am spending over $40 a month. Nextel's new monthly plans should run you about $45 a month with all the taxes and fees figured in. That would give you 300 outgoing mins and unlimited incoming. Unlimited nights and weekends nation-wide toll free cellular and 2-way. It also now includes voicemail and caller id.

If you work anywhere remotely big like fire fighter, police officer, school, mc donalds, kfc, pathmart.. and so on they get discounts on the monthly all the way up to 34% off the monthly for Texas instruments and waste management (trash men) employees.

If you have been on with Nextel for a while, call into customer care follow all the automated prompts as if you were going to cancel. Tell them you were thinking about canceling and wanted to know the step required (be nice and business like). They will try to keep you. pecentage off your monthly and a new upgrade.. or sometime a lump credit... Number portability has made thier job loanly. If you were to switch to Boost and take your number, it would automaticlly cancel your nextel service with out speaking to them. They are then in turn not saving as many people. Not doing thier job. You follow me.. The old drop calls and I hate you doesn't work anymore...

This is crazy... Why do they claim "unlimited everything" for $50 a month...!!! I've been looking into Boost for this reason... and because I may be moving to MX which where they have some network service. But Geez, it sounds like it's going to give me more problems than anything. Thanks for the post!