Simply The Best: AT&T Wireless in Maryland
Written: Jan 22 '01 (Updated Jan 22 '01)
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Pros: Great service, awesome coverage, Nokia phones!
Cons: Could be a little cheaper, but I'm not complaining too loudly!
The Bottom Line: Great coverage, great service, free roaming in the East plus national long distance. Not to mention Nokia phones, the very best the world offers!
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| erisynne's Full Review: AT&T Mobile Phone Service in Washington/Baltimore |
Let me start off by saying what prompted me to write this opinion. I have a Nokia 8260 phone, which I am in love with. Actually, that's the main reason I chose AT&T over Verizon for my wireless provider, but that's another story. Recently I managed to break my 8260 by breaking the spring for the volume-up button, so the phone OS is monopolized when it is on by forever trying to turn up the volume. This was my fault, so I was looking for a replacement phone.
The phone is AT&T branded, so I called up AT&T warranty service. They sent out a phone that day that arrived the next day to replace my current one. I didn't accept the phone because I found out that if they decided it was my fault, they would charge me $200 -- what I originally paid for the phone. And this one was refurbished, not new. So I refused to take delivery of the phone and hunted around to find the best price to replace my phone.
On buy.com, I found out that I could get the 8260 for $80 plus a $25 sign-up fee if I canceled my current account and signed back up. (The early cancelation fee would have been $90, or $10/month of unused service.) This added up to $195, just $5 under what they wanted me to pay for the phone. But the kicker was that I would get an additional free 1000 off-peak minutes per month for a year if I signed up then. So I called up AT&T to threaten to cancel, and explained what I had discovered.
The representative I spoke with offered me a much better deal: they would sell me a new phone for $199, but credit my account for $50, so the end result would be only $149 for the new phone. Much better than regular retail, cheaper than I would have spent in my little scheme. And better than that, she also added the 1000 free minutes to my plan at no extra cost.
This was on Saturday and I received my new phone today (Monday -- FedEx doesn't deliver Sunday!). I also received another warranty phone due to an accident on their end, so right now I have 2 of their phones and none of them paid for. And the new phone I ordered has a problem with its case, so it has to be returned and replaced. AT&T is being wonderful about it -- my replacement will be here tomorrow, and then I will send all the surplus phones back... on THEIR shipping tab, with the boxes they supplied to me at no charge. I'm just amazed at how they jump to help me.
But that is just one reason I am pleased with the service. There are others.
Price
Price is an important factor. I bought the $49.99 regional plan -- I can roam up and down most of the East Coast without paying a roaming fee, as well as receive nationwide long distance at no extra charge. That plan includes 400 minutes, so the minutes work out to 12.5 cents a minute -- a great deal when you consider that I frequently visit 3 or 4 different states per week, and almost all the numbers I call are outside of my own area code. And now, when you factor in the 1000 free off-peak minutes (that INCLUDES long distance and roaming in my calling area), well, it's just amazing.
Coverage
I wasn't aware of how good the coverage with AT&T was until I checked out their map, right before I purchased the service. Every summer I take a trip to Nantucket Island, and they are the only wireless provider to include that in a free roaming plan! Also, on my way up to Pittsburgh from just outside D.C., the service only blinked out once, all through the lonely, desolate mountain roads. I couldn't believe how good the coverage was in this most unlikely of areas. I have never really had a problem with static, though occasionally someone's voice will sound sort of hollow -- but I can't tell whose fault that is.
Customer Service
Need I reiterate my happiness with their customer service? I don't think so. Though I will say that the ability to access all my account details online through www.att.com/wireless is wonderful. I can review my full bill, including details of calls, as well as make a one-time payment or change features on my phone. It's extremely handy.
General
As I mentioned above, one deciding factor was that I could use a Nokia phone with AT&T, and the phone I wanted so badly was a Nokia. I'm extremely happy with that aspect, because I love the phone.
Another one of the real clinchers was AT&T's early cancellation fees. The only other telco I was considering was Verizon, because they too have a regional roaming plan. Verizon wanted $185 if you canceled even a month before your contract ended; AT&T only charged $10 a month. So even if I canceled the whole thing from AT&T, it could only be $110 (30 day grace period), NOT $185, which is just ridiculous.
Overall
All in all, so far I am very happy with my service from AT&T. I've had it since November, so I've had a chance to see both the bad and good. The free long distance and free roaming on the eastern seaboard are great; I can't imagine how I could survive on, say, a Sprint PCS plan -- you walk five miles and you're out of your home calling area!
If you move around a lot, get the Regional Advantage, or even the National Advantage. Other AT&T plans that don't include roaming do include free long distance. There's a huge range of choice, plans to fit every need. I'm happy, I'm sure you would be too.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 49.99
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Epinions.com ID:
erisynne
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Member: Amy Hoy
Location: Baltimore, MD
Reviews written: 28
Trusted by: 9 members
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