What Cell Phone Carrier Do You Use?

[ed8383]

whatever you do, just don't get virgin mobile. They have the worst plans of all the big chains.

[The X-Factor]

I have had Verizon for 4 years now and I am happy. I live in Nashville Tennessee.

[helloimcdog]

i have verizon, but i dont even get reception in my room...lame

[housenuts]

i don't use a carrier, i usually just put it in my pocket

[KUJustin]

[ QUOTE ]
Nah, I trust your actuaries to have done the math correctly and found it profitable for your firm to sell insurance at those prices.

[/ QUOTE ]

While this is true, it's not sufficient to make this decision.

First of all, for a certain percentage it's not feasible to self-insure this. It sounds silly when you're talking about $150 for a phone but if you're living truly paycheck-to-paycheck then self-insuring could be a bad idea (though some would say this is a sign that you shouldn't have a phone at all).

Also, you have more information about yourself, personally, than the actuaries can ever have. If you're careless with your phone, spend a lot of time on lakes, etc, etc, etc it's possible that this is profitable for you in the long run despite the overall plan being profitable for the company when considering all users.

[SamIAm]

[ QUOTE ]
First of all, for a certain percentage it's not feasible to self-insure this. It sounds silly when you're talking about $150 for a phone but if you're living truly paycheck-to-paycheck then self-insuring could be a bad idea (though some would say this is a sign that you shouldn't have a phone at all).

Also, you have more information about yourself, personally, than the actuaries can ever have. If you're careless with your phone, spend a lot of time on lakes, etc, etc, etc it's possible that this is profitable for you in the long run despite the overall plan being profitable for the company when considering all users.

[/ QUOTE ]
Another important point is that you'll be paying retail if you need to replace your phone, and obviously the company isn't. When you originally bought the phone, you paid what you considered a good price, and the phone company offered you what they considered a good price, and you were both happy. That's how commerce is supposed to work.

Just because the company is gaining from the deal doesn't mean you're losing.
-Sam

[Pokertastic]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
First of all, for a certain percentage it's not feasible to self-insure this. It sounds silly when you're talking about $150 for a phone but if you're living truly paycheck-to-paycheck then self-insuring could be a bad idea (though some would say this is a sign that you shouldn't have a phone at all).

Also, you have more information about yourself, personally, than the actuaries can ever have. If you're careless with your phone, spend a lot of time on lakes, etc, etc, etc it's possible that this is profitable for you in the long run despite the overall plan being profitable for the company when considering all users.

[/ QUOTE ]
Another important point is that you'll be paying retail if you need to replace your phone, and obviously the company isn't. When you originally bought the phone, you paid what you considered a good price, and the phone company offered you what they considered a good price, and you were both happy. That's how commerce is supposed to work.

Just because the company is gaining from the deal doesn't mean you're losing.
-Sam

[/ QUOTE ]

Sam, exactly my point. If you don't have insurance and you break your phone within 6months of owning it there is nothing we can do for you. Any decent phone is going to cost you over $200, probably closer to $250-350 retail. Sure you could get a $150 nokia and not get insurance and just replace it any time if it gets stolen or whatever, but if you have to get it replaced a second time it would still be cheaper to make 2 insurance claims and pay the insurance for a year (160 for 2insurance claims and 12months at $5/mon vs $300 for two replacement phones). Paying $60ish/year vs replacing a $250 phone should be a no brainer. Even if you're careful with your phone accidents happen... phone gets left in a pants pocket and your wife does the laundry, someone spills their drink on you, someone robs you... it all happens and isn't something you can control.

Also, Sam, what you're talking about seems more like transfer of service, moving from one person's account to another. For that you'd need to have permission from both account holders to take your number and put it on someone else's (better yet get your one friend to call in and leave a note on the account giving permission and have the other friend call in and request for the transfer to be done). The reason you need to have permission is because the person taking your line needs to accept financial responsibility and the person having the line taken needs to give permission because technically the line belongs to him.