sharing phone plans, Consumer Cellular

[rodeosweetheart]

This is a question about sharing phone plans and whether anybody has switched to Consumer Cellular and/or Republic Wireless.

We currently do not share a phone plan but are considering it. Husband has a Samsung Galaxy 3 on Total and he likes it--35 dollars a month. I have Cricket, a Blu phone that is okay, not spectacular 40 amonth.

I honestly liked my old flip phone better as a phone, but the kids like to text and I love getting pictures of the grandchildren, which are more easily seen on the Blu, which is huge, and I can text easily enough with the Blu.

It seems that we (kidsand I )communicate much more when I have the smartphone even though I basically do not like the smartphone.

If I switch over to Total we can get shared plan for 60 dollars a month. But I'd have to buy a different phone.

With Consumer Cellular, we can get sim cards and keep our phones, but we would have aarp 5% discount, and probably come in around same as Total, but less data and does not have unlimited minutes unless we go higher in price.

Republic wireless would mean both getting new cell phones and I am not sure it would work, but the savings might be incredible.

Anyonehere using REpublic or Consumer, or considering the switch?

[Aqua Blue]

I have consumer cellular, but don't share it. My brother has consumer cellular and shares with his wife. We are all very happy. Good coverage. I have a flip phone. They have smartphones. They moved their phones over with sims cards. I don't think that was a problem.

[rodeosweetheart]

Thanks, Aqua!

[shadowmoss]

Mom and I share a Consumer Cellular account. She doesn't use data, but she currently doesn't have home internet and so I'm thinking I'll get her a myfi thing they now have and add her home desktop to our data plan. Lots cheaper than wired internet, and she doesn't use a whole lot.

What I really like about Comsumer Cellular the most is that I can move the usage brackets up and down whenever I want, as many times a month as I want right up until the time the monthly bill closes. So, if I have a high usage month, I move it up, such as if we are on vacation. I can drop it down anything I want to after if we aren't using the data/voice as much anymore. They also have customer service based here in the US and are used to helping folks who are not technology savy. And, they use AT&T towers, so if you have an unlocked AT&T phone, just put one of their sim cards in and you are on Consumer Cellular. Happy customer for about 3 or 4 years now.

[rodeosweetheart]

Thanks, Paula, that gives me something to check into, the AT & T question re where we live, and whether that will work. I really like the usage adjustment feature alot.

[SteveinMN]

We just switched DW (and her new phone) to Consumer Cellular; I'll be porting over mid-January when my GoPhone month is over. We both had ex-AT&T phones, so all we needed were SIMs and the number ports. DW likely will be using some data, but the plan we're on should carry us both; if not, we go up a notch (though at that point we'll stop saving over what we're paying now).

FYI Consumer Cellular is offering a $20 (per line) invoice credit if you start service with them before the end of this month. And be aware that Consumer Cellular's service footprint appears to be that of AT&T postpaid, so it should offer far better coverage (especially in rural areas) than Republic. You also likely will have some residual value from a phone used on CC, while a used Republic phone may just end up as electronic flotsam. <-- not a lot of money, but another point to consider.

[rodeosweetheart]

We just switched DW (and her new phone) to Consumer Cellular; I'll be porting over mid-January when my GoPhone month is over. We both had ex-AT&T phones, so all we needed were SIMs and the number ports. DW likely will be using some data, but the plan we're on should carry us both; if not, we go up a notch (though at that point we'll stop saving over what we're paying now).

FYI Consumer Cellular is offering a $20 (per line) invoice credit if you start service with them before the end of this month. And be aware that Consumer Cellular's service footprint appears to be that of AT&T postpaid, so it should offer far better coverage (especially in rural areas) than Republic. You also likely will have some residual value from a phone used on CC, while a used Republic phone may just end up as electronic flotsam. <-- not a lot of money, but another point to consider.

Thanks, Steve, this is really helpful; the one thing that I am concerned about is the A T & T aspect. I guess Republic is out. Where we live, Verizon is king, and I THINK there are places where we drive that A t & T not good, but I need to check the maps and talk to somebody at Bestbuy that can explain the coverage up here--it is pretty rural northern Michigan.