All that and a speakerphone!!! Nextel rocks!
Written: Feb 18 '02 (Updated Feb 22 '02)
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Pros: Good reliable Coverage. Great phones. Nice options. Good customer service.
Cons: Rate plans are competitive but may start at a higher price.
The Bottom Line: Nextel service is awesome! I love my phone and it's speakerphone option! The coverage and value beats Cingular and Sprint, and is on par with Verizon and AT&T.
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| nguyen5's Full Review: Nextel Mobile Phone Service in Sacramento |
» Why did you choose this service?
I was a Cingular subscriber for two years. The service was fine in Long Beach and Los Angeles, but horrendous in Davis and Sacramento (especially Davis, where I reside). I
would always have dropped calls everytime--a 15 minute conversation with my dad (who was also using Cingular)would require me to call back 3-4 times due to dropped calls. Since this was my only phone number, I needed a more reliable service. Based on input from many of individuals from the Davis and Sacramento area, I found Nextel and Verizon to be superior over Sprint and AT&T. I chose Nextel because of the following:
1) No Roaming
2) Direct Connect (walkie talkie ability)
3) A rate plan that fits my need (Traveler 400: 400 anytime minutes, 4500 nights and weekends, free long distance)
4) Cool flip phone (Nextel i90c) with speaker phone and many cool options. (They have recently come out with new phones which are significant improvements over their older bulky phones).
5) Good promotion: free battery with Nextel i90c purchase, $25 service credit, $50 discount of phone, free overnight shipping, no activation fee.
» Describe your experience with this service.
I ordered my phone and rate plan from nextel.com. They were not good at updating the status of my order--when I received the shipment, they still did not have the tracking number up. However, the customer service is great. When I was considering the service, I used the callback service online in which I leave my number and they call my number within 2 minutes. When I call their toll-free number, I get through promptly. (BTW, you will get much faster service by talking with them on the phone then via email). After I got my phone, I needed to change my phone number to another area code and they took care of that immediately on the same day. They also called me within 2 weeks to see how my service was and to inform me that I would be getting a bill on such and such date and how it would be prorated so that there would be no surprises.
» What do you love about this service? What do you hate?
1) Coverage. I actually get service in places that most of my friends on Cingular and Sprint don't! My favorite reaction when my phone rings in a certain building: [incredulously] "Wow, you get service in here??!!" On the downside, I still have some problems with coverage inside my bedroom, but then again, so do my friends with Cingular and Sprint. I drove from Sacramento back to LA on the I-5 and visited the central coast (Solvang and San Simeon). I got service everwhere except from occasional pockets where I was only surrounded by mountains. My boyfriend works in Chicago and travels around alot. He was considering switching from Sprint to Nextel. I took my phone to Chicago and it worked flawlessly. He switched to Nextel shortly thereafter and now his coworkers are all considering switching as well.
2) SPEAKER PHONE IS THE GREATEST THING ON EARTH!!! I can drive and talk on speaker phone with the phone in my lap. This is great because it frees up my hands and I don't have an annoying ear piece in my ear. PLUS, I don't have to worry about too much radiation next to my head.
3) I have a really cool phone. I have the i90c, a cool flip phone with blue lighting which EVERYBODY oohs and ahhs over. My boyfriend has the i80c, which is a very thin, sleek, silver candy bar style phone with orange lighting. PLUS, these phones are very durable (most were made with construction workers in mind). I've dropped my i90c more than a couple of times and there still isn't a scratch!
4) Nice options, such as "always-on" unlimited internet service which does not use up any phone minutes!!! I pay $5 extra a month for their regular Nextel Online and can access Hotmail, my flight info, restaurant and theater info. My boyfriend pays $10 extra a month for Nextel Online Plus and is able to coordinate his address book online, access his normal work email, and tons of other things. (He loves it and feels no need for a PDA!) Prompt and efficient customer service via the telephone.
5) Nationwide free long distance and NO ROAMING. Cingular used to charge me $0.65 a minute for roaming PLUS long distance charges whenever I was out of the CA/NV region.
» Who should choose service?
People who want reliable service and speaker phone option. Frequent travelers will benefit from the NO ROAMING and free long distance. Business and IT people love the Direct Connect service as it is a cheaper option than using cellular minutes. In fact, Nextel used to only target businesses, construction workers and IT people because Direct Connect was so useful for them. Nextel used to be way more expensive then other wireless carriers, but now they are making an effort to target average consumers like myself and their rates are now pretty competitive, even with the extra options they provide. PLEASE NOTE: The Direct Connect option is only useful if you have other friends who have Nextel and who share the same area code. My boyfriend and I can use the service from any two points in Northern California.
» What other options should people consider?
If you don't care about speaker phone and/or Direct Connect, and don't really use mobile internet services, then Verizon might have some cheaper plans. Most of my friends in the Sacramento area use Verizon. Nextel has only recently started targeting everyday consumers and based on my experience with them, I believe their market share will continue to grow. Especially since I have three or four friends who will be switching to Nextel once their Cingular contracts expire!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50
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Epinions.com ID:
nguyen5
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Location: Davis, CA
Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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