Love/Hate relationship with Alltel
Written: Jul 27 '01
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Pros: Works everywhere in the city -
Cons: changed price of plan before 2yr contract was up -
The Bottom Line: They are better than most other providers -great coverage - poor customer relations
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| dbly1850's Full Review: Alltel Mobile Phone Service in Cleveland |
When AllTel offered the $49.95 UNLIMITED minutes for LIFE. I
Walked - No RAN to the store and bought two phone contracts. (one for me - one for the wife) I had to sign for a 2 year contract and pay for security deposit (my not so great credit) But I got two Motorola StarTac 7678 phones.
First lets talk about the service. I live in Strongsville, a burb of Cleveland, and work on the east side of Cleveland. So there is a long distance of travel.. My phone gets a full 5 bars most of the time (even on rapid trains and buses) The few death spots are Terminal Tower in the basement, and the hospitals with their Cellphone Jammers working. All and ALL the coverage is great. I have traveled
Over northern Ohio and I still get good coverage (although the roaming light kicks on - so I am on a non-AllTel repeater) I have friends with Sprint PCS and they can't even get dial tone. I have yet to find a dead spot (other than those listed above)
The Calling Plan -I got unlimited minutes anytime - any day, for Local calls (just about everywhere north of Columbus -to Teledo to Youngstown. That's a lot of area and more than 99 percent of the people I talk to. For $49.95 a month. Note: they do nickel and dime you to death for Insurance, voicemail box, Taxes and surcharges so that's another 16 dollars so the bottom line is about $64.00 a month. Still a bargain when I use the phone to talk to people during 7am to 6pm ( I have been on the plan 10 months and I have 11,657 minutes used ) So I think I got a good deal.
NOW the BAD NEWS and The Truth so Help me God !! First when I joined I paid extra for the data/internet service ($8.95)
Well 3 months into the plan the data/internet stop working.
I called and they said the sells person was not allowed to offer data on the unlimited minutes plan.. And even if I paid extra - it was not allowed. They refused to refund what I paid -(of course I used the data service so there is no problem) They did lower the cost of the service (less nickel and dime surcharges to the current $64.00) Ok - I have a computer and didn't use the data enough - so I didn't raise a beef.. It's still $49.95 for life..
On July 14 I get a letter from Kevin Halpin Vice President of Marketing - the cost is *Now* $59.95 for Unlimited and *if* I used the phone on or after July 16 - *I* agreed to the new costs.. It will be one year Sept 8, 2001 of a 2 year contract.. No where in the contract written or otherwise does it say Altel can change the $49.95 for life.
And what is life?? The 2 year signed contract - Till I drop dead??.. Need less to say - I am Not a happy Camper.. And it is a dead issue - Customer service tells me I can quit the plan (no penalty) pick a limited minute plan or Pay $59.95 for life (Yea -here we go again.. Can't wait to see what happens when my 2 year contract comes to the end of it's lease)
But I love the coverage - I like the cute phone and I sleep at night knowing I can never go over the minutes.
(yea lot's of companies are offering 2000 plus weekend minutes.. How many people do you call between 11pm Fri and 8am Saturday or 10pm Sat to 8am Sun.. Not that many -huh?
That's why they only offer 250 -500 minutes prime time during normal business hours..)
So What's the Bottom Line.. AllTel in Cleveland, Ohio has great coverage.. But when they say something in advertisement... they don't *always* tell the truth.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 59.95
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Epinions.com ID:
dbly1850
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Location: Strongsville, Ohio
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 0 members
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