The truth: Why the extra fees are a rip off

[IOWA]

Let's get one thing straight here... tmos hspa+ averages the same as wimax... average is key here. Not to mention 4G networks are more future proof th

Ok....but as of today, similar speeds can be had on both networks (6-7Mbs) as I don't believe there are any 21Mbs "phones" out yet, at least in the states. T-Mo has 7Mbs running in a lot of city's...I've personally exp. from DC up thru Philly, with the rest of the build-out slated to be live this year. Point is if both carriers are available in a given market, its only logical to compare data plans, especially when there is such a big price difference.

From a carrier's perspective, the 4G fee it justified. From a consumer's perspective, there are options.

FWIW, I was paying $30/mo for 500 min. and $10 for data on a "no-contract" plan. I added Skype out for $3/mo. which bought me unlimited calling to the US PSTN, using my cell phone # as callerID...Skype in would run me another $10-$12/mo., so I effectively had unlimited voice and 7Mb data for $55/mo. Will that soution work for everyone? Probably not, but again its something to consider for some people. I could forgo Skype altogether, use my Vonage account via SIP client, and be back down to $40/mo "total", but that's a different story.

Fair enough. If tmo works for you, that's great. If sprint works for me, also great. But in chicagoland area, tmo's got a lot of dead zones. For me, that does not work.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

 

[colnago]

Fair enough. If tmo works for you, that's great. If sprint works for me, also great. But in chicagoland area, tmo's got a lot of dead zones. For me, that does not work.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

I know you love your Sprint...not trying to piss on the 4G/Evo parade. Just saying the OP has a valid point, not that anyone has to agree with it. I actually re-upped w/AT&T, just because I get the most consistent reception with them, with the devices I prefer. If it makes you feel better, my work phone is a Moto i730 on Nextel. Best audio from earpiece/speaker I've ever experienced, and built like a German tank. This from a VoIP eng. and self professed audiophile.

 

[mcnutty]

News Flash...Sprint, for-profit corporation.

 

[IOWA]

Fair enough. If tmo works for you, that's great. If sprint works for me, also great. But in chicagoland area, tmo's got a lot of dead zones. For me, t

I know you love your Sprint...not trying to piss on the 4G/Evo parade. Just saying the OP has a valid point, not that anyone has to agree with it. I actually re-upped w/AT&T, just because I get the most consistent reception with them, with the devices I prefer. If it makes you feel better, my work phone is a Moto i730 on Nextel. Best audio from earpiece/speaker I've ever experienced, and built like a German tank. This from a VoIP eng. and self professed audiophile.

But here's the biggest thing. Why piss and moan and say "blah blah is better" and just go get it already..

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

 

[leaddog]

And T-Mobile offers straight up unlimited service, landline or cell phone, any number, for the same price as Sprint's 450 minute plan. Just in case you missed it.

I don't agree. Are you talking about the Individual Talk + Text Unlimited plan for %$69.99? Well that plan has no web. So if you are talking about another plan, please state the plan. It could be by eyesight is not as good as yours. Please enlighten me as to what plan you are referring to? Thanks.

 

[leaddog]

I hardly think it would be a fair comparision.... first off, the tmo 3g coverage area is about to be smaller than sprints 4g coverage area....

And if you hit the tmo website you'd be surprised to see how many areas have no service at all... not even roaming...

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

The $10 is NOT for 4G coverage. As River has said, this is a fee for the phone. As you pay extra fees when you buy a luxury car, you pay the extra fee for buying the luxurious phone. I don't why people cannot understand this simple fact, unless people are arguing just for the sake of arguing.

 

[leaddog]

It's a rip off because of the principal. They're charging you a fee simply for owning the new phone, without any justification. You have to compare it within the context of owning the Evo when justifying the fee, you can't say "don't buy the evo" because if that's your mentality, no one would ever be able to complain about anything, ever.
I mean, am I not allowed to complain if california raises taxes, because california isn't forcing me to stay in california?
Can I not complain if they raise the cost of parking meters from a dollar per hour to 10 dollars per hour because I can choose to take the bus?

Think about it, this guy isn't simply trolling because he's an apple fanboy, he's making VALID complaints as an Evo user, and even if you don't MIND paying the $10 fee, I really doubt you can, after knowing the facts, actually justify that it's OKAY for them to charge you extra only because they KNOW you'll pay it.

I am not siding with $print, but they might have done this (the extra $10) to have another way for users to pay for the phone. Instead of asking the user to shell out $450 with no $10 fee per month, they have reduced the cost by $240 and instead asked for the $10 a month. It sort of looks cheaper (even though it si not). This reasoning might be why most prices for commodities end with xxx9.95 because the human mind does not see as the higher rounded amount. A shoe costs 99.95 and people think that they are paying in the Nineties for it, not realizing that they are nearly paying $100.

 

[leaddog]

Wow !You're a genius! Master of the obvious congratulations!
Guess what?I'm not using the phone because I buy the phone because I think paying 120.00.. more a year for something I don't get us crazy. But then I'm mot a genius so maybe I'm missing something. Wait the fee isn't for 4g it's for the privilege to use a 4g phone that doesn't get 4g, any where near me, and it removes a cap from your unlimited data plan. Again CRAZY!!! Drink Koolaid much?

This "premium service" should be an option until their "premium service" is more widely available.

The EVO has another advantage without even considering the 3G/4G part. The 1GHz processor. Have you tried running an application on it. The wait time is reduced considerably. I sampled an EVO at the $print store last weekend and took a few test pictures. I have not seen a phone take that good pictures. The EVO is a premium phone for Sprint right now, not considering the network speed (or lack thereof). Had I been able to purchase an EVO and still use my current plan, I would have paid full price and the extra $10 per month for the privilege of having a super fast phone. It's just that my current plan is so unbeatable that I have decided to stick with my TP2.

 

[BlackDynamite]

I don't agree. Are you talking about the Individual Talk + Text Unlimited plan for %$69.99? Well that plan has no web. So if you are talking about another plan, please state the plan. It could be by eyesight is not as good as yours. Please enlighten me as to what plan you are referring to? Thanks.

Even More Plus Individual Talk + Text + Web is $79.99 per month for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and unlimited smartphone data. The same plan with 1000 minutes is $69.99 per month. If you only want 500 minutes with the unlimited texts and smartphone data it's $59.99 per month.

Those are all smartphone prices.

It's right on their website, don't know how you missed it.
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/...teplan=Even-More-Plus-Unlimited-Talk-Text-Web

http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/...b1&rateplan=Even-More-Plus-1000-Talk-Text-Web

http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/...tb1&rateplan=Even-More-Plus-500-Talk-Text-Web

 

[dksnet]

Another one of these? How many threads with the same exact content do I have to prove your wrong on?

Those t-mob charges include the GPS? wow
My wife paid premium prices with NO hint of gps.
That's why we are with Sprint.

Tmob's data prices do not reflect the price of gps usage.

 

[leaddog]

Even More Plus Individual Talk + Text + Web is $79.99 per month for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and unlimited smartphone data. The same plan with 1000 minutes is $69.99 per month. If you only want 500 minutes with the unlimited texts and smartphone data it's $59.99 per month.

Those are all smartphone prices.

It's right on their website, don't know how you missed it.
Unsupported Browser

Unsupported Browser

Unsupported Browser

The plans you quoted are with no annual contract. Which means that you pay full price for a phone. Coming to think of it, the no-contract plans are better on T-mobile than their contract plans, specially when you pay $20 less per month (which equals $480 over 2 years for the unlimited talk + text + web). You could have bought an EVO (if they had it too for the same price) and come off better.

That being said, I wish Sprint had a no-contract plan. Contracts are a pain and locking a person for 2 years, is a rip-off IMO.

 

[BlackDynamite]

Those t-mob charges include the GPS? wow
My wife paid premium prices with NO hint of gps.
That's why we are with Sprint.

Tmob's data prices do not reflect the price of gps usage.

GPS is free on just about every smartphone nowadays (google nav, bing, etc).

 

[leaddog]

Even More Plus Individual Talk + Text + Web is $79.99 per month for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and unlimited smartphone data. The same plan with 1000 minutes is $69.99 per month. If you only want 500 minutes with the unlimited texts and smartphone data it's $59.99 per month.

Those are all smartphone prices.

It's right on their website, don't know how you missed it.
Unsupported Browser

Unsupported Browser

Unsupported Browser

I also like the description of the Unlimited minutes plan where it says that there is unlimited nationwide calling AND unlimited T-Mobile to T-Mobile calling. I think the latter statement is a "duh" moment. Now let me see, unlimited to any phone, but limited T-Mobile to T-mobile. How can that be?

Just to keep this post on track, I think it is unfortunate how $print has spun the fees for the the EVO and most likely for other high-end smartphones.

 

[BlackDynamite]

The plans you quoted are with no annual contract. Which means that you pay full price for a phone. Coming to think of it, the no-contract plans are better on T-mobile than their contract plans, specially when you pay $20 less per month (which equals $480 over 2 years for the unlimited talk + text + web). You could have bought an EVO (if they had it too for the same price) and come off better.

That being said, I wish Sprint had a no-contract plan. Contracts are a pain and locking a person for 2 years, is a rip-off IMO.

Agreed, that's what I have been saying. All these people saying "nobody can compete with Sprint's prices" are ignoring T-Mobile. Even Sprint's leaked training slides that compare the prices leave T-Mobile out (even though they compare device prices with T-Mobile devices).

 

[dksnet]

GPS was not free when she had tmob. Sorry, but no I did not go and look it up. I just remember her complaints. No gps and no signal 20 miles from home.

Guess we all have our like and dislikes about all smart phones. It is like being a kid in a candy store. You see so many different flavors,colors and prices you just can't be satisfied 4ever...........
Next 3-6 months and even the EVO and HD2 will fade away from the limelight.

 

[BlackDynamite]

GPS was not free when she had tmob. Sorry, but no I did not go and look it up. I just remember her complaints. No gps and no signal 20 miles from home.

Guess we all have our like and dislikes about all smart phones. It is like being a kid in a candy store. You see so many different flavors,colors and prices you just can't be satisfied 4ever...........
Next 3-6 months and even the EVO and HD2 will fade away from the limelight.

I don't know what kind of phone she had or how long ago it was, but Google Maps/Google Nav is free on every Android phone (and a lot of other phones too) and Bing (used to be Live Search) is free on every WinMo phone and several other phones. It's not a carrier thing, it's an OS thing.

 

[colnago]

But here's the biggest thing. Why piss and moan and say "blah blah is better" and just go get it already..

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

Oh I don't know...you have to ask SaltyDawg. I was just trying provide some clarity and additional info to the debate.

 

[colnago]

The $10 is NOT for 4G coverage. As River has said, this is a fee for the phone. As you pay extra fees when you buy a luxury car, you pay the extra fee for buying the luxurious phone. I don't why people cannot understand this simple fact, unless people are arguing just for the sake of arguing.

But are there "3G" phones which qualify for the same basic minutes/data plans? Is the $10 fee "mandatory" for the Evo or just if you want access to the 4G network?

I would think that the costs of the network upgrade far outweigh any phone subsidy.

 

[IOWA]

Even More Plus Individual Talk + Text + Web is $79.99 per month for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and unlimited smartphone data. The same plan w

The plans you quoted are with no annual contract. Which means that you pay full price for a phone. Coming to think of it, the no-contract plans are better on T-mobile than their contract plans, specially when you pay $20 less per month (which equals $480 over 2 years for the unlimited talk + text + web). You could have bought an EVO (if they had it too for the same price) and come off better.

That being said, I wish Sprint had a no-contract plan. Contracts are a pain and locking a person for 2 years, is a rip-off IMO.

Yeah that tmo e+ plan still isn't a valid comparision. You STILL end up paying more on tmo in the long run.

You know, since I get a new phone every 11 months.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

 

[BlackDynamite]

Yeah that tmo e+ plan still isn't a valid comparision. You STILL end up paying more on tmo in the long run.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

No you don't. T-Mobile at $20 per month cheaper than Sprint is $240 per year, or $480 per 2 year contract (which T-Mobile doesn't even require a contract anyway).

At a $480 per 2 year savings, Sprint would have to give you the Evo for free plus another $30 credit in order for the Sprint 450 minute plan to cost the same as the T-Mobile 500 minute plan.

T-Mobile's 1000 minute plan is $10 per month cheaper than Sprint's 450 minute plan. That comes out to $120 per year cheaper, or $240 per 2 year contract (which, again, T-Mobile does not require). If you get a new phone on the day your contract expires, this would cost you $10 more than Sprint's 450 minute plan over 2 years. But then you get hit with Sprint's $36 activation fee which T-Mobile does not charge. Yeah, you have a 50/50 chance of getting it waived with Sprint, but T-Mobile flat out doesn't charge an activation fee on a new phone. Just pop in your SIM card, no calling to activate

So it comes down to this formula:
m-t=c
where m=mobile to mobile minutes, t= minutes used calling t-mobile phones, and c=the amount of mobile to mobile minutes used to call carriers other than T-Mobile.

If c < 50, then T-Mobile's 500 minute plan is a way better deal than Sprint's 450 minute plan.
If c < 550, then T-Mobile's 1000 plan is a better deal.

 

[IOWA]

Yeah that tmo e+ plan still isn't a valid comparision. You STILL end up paying more on tmo in the long run.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

No you don't. T-Mobile at $20 per month cheaper than Sprint is $240 per year, or $480 per 2 year contract (which T-Mobile doesn't even require a contract anyway).

At a $480 per 2 year savings, Sprint would have to give you the Evo for free plus another $30 credit in order for the Sprint 450 minute plan to cost the same as the T-Mobile 500 minute plan.

T-Mobile's 1000 minute plan is $10 per month cheaper than Sprint's 450 minute plan. That comes out to $120 per year cheaper, or $240 per 2 year contract (which, again, T-Mobile does not require). If you get a new phone on the day your contract expires, this would cost you $10 more than Sprint's 450 minute plan over 2 years. But then you get hit with Sprint's $36 activation fee which T-Mobile does not charge. Yeah, you have a 50/50 chance of getting it waived with Sprint, but T-Mobile flat out doesn't charge an activation fee on a new phone. Just pop in your SIM card, no calling to activate

So it comes down to this formula:
m-t=c
where m=mobile to mobile minutes, t= minutes used calling t-mobile phones, and c=the amount of mobile to mobile minutes used to call carriers other than T-Mobile.

If c < 50, then T-Mobile's 500 minute plan is a way better deal than Sprint's 450 minute plan.
If c < 550, then T-Mobile's 1000 plan is a better deal.

Invalid. I get a fully subsidized phone every 11 months.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

 

[BlackDynamite]

Invalid. I get a fully subsidized phone every 11 months.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

Not everyone does though. And even the people who are premiere and get an upgrade every year, only get 1. So if you are on a 4 line family plan, you get 1 upgrade and pay full retail on the other 3.

 

[rushmore]

Sprint kicks Tmo's butt for coverage- no comparison. With Tmo, you truly get what you pay for. That said, if you have 3G in your area, do not travel much and like Tmo's low end phone options- good for you! I was with them for 8 years and finally bailed. I pay $20 more a month, but we have coverage everywhere and 3G along with it

Tmo for 8 years scarred my perception of good call and data coverage (they are not good). Sprint and Verizon blow Tmo away for data and call coverage. I use Verizon, but Sprint uses a lot of the same towers, so similar call coverage.

I still think Tmo has better customer service, but that does no good if you can not make a call, or pay $30 a month for data, with little to no 3G coverage in your area.

 

[leaddog]

But are there "3G" phones which qualify for the same basic minutes/data plans? Is the $10 fee "mandatory" for the Evo or just if you want access to the 4G network?

I would think that the costs of the network upgrade far outweigh any phone subsidy.

There are 3G phones that can use the same plan. I have a TP2 that I have on a $30 SERO plan (got it when they had opened it up for the world) and that's why I will never leave it, even though I really love the EVO and its capability.

The $10 is mandatory if you get the EVO, unless a Sprint rep takes it off you. Again, the Sprint Reps have some latitude on what credit they can provide customers. But, if you simply get the EVO, no matter what plan you choose or where you live, you have to pay the $10. This fee goes hand in hand with this phone.

 

[colnago]

There are 3G phones that can use the same plan. I have a TP2 that I have on a $30 SERO plan (got it when they had opened it up for the world) and that's why I will never leave it, even though I really love the EVO and its capability.

The $10 is mandatory if you get the EVO, unless a Sprint rep takes it off you. Again, the Sprint Reps have some latitude on what credit they can provide customers. But, if you simply get the EVO, no matter what plan you choose or where you live, you have to pay the $10. This fee goes hand in hand with this phone.

Roger that. When I was ordering online, it looked to be an "option", though I didn't follow thru to see if it was "mandatory".