j1983m

hi there.
im looking into getting my first cell phone here in the us. i know i should probably go into see at&t for help on this but hoped someone here could help.

looking at the at&t nation 450 plan(not sure if this makes any difference)... my questions are...

1. if i get a phone & number now i will want it to have a dialing code of where i am at the moment, what if i move to a new city how do i get a local dialing number? do i need to end my cancel my plan and start again in the new city? do i just get a new number through the same plan?... how does this work.

2. is a toll free number free from a cell phone in the US(i know some in the UK arent).

3. to receive a call from an international number - do i need to pay international charges on this or does it just come out of my standard minutes?

4. and lastly... how easy is it to cancel my plan without finishing the contract? (can you pay a get out fee as in the UK?)

any help on these would be great, i know i should be asking at&t but there website doesn't allow you to email them and i really dont want to have to go into the store with all these questions and have them try and sign me up to stuff i dont need or want.

Bob

It all depends on the plan and provider.

Cancelling service will be a bugger, really expensive cancellation fees involved usually and if you had to put a deposit on because you didn't have credit history, you usually lose it.

If you move, you get a new number, depending on the provider you might have to sign a new contract, but you might not.

Toll free numbers might be free, might not be, depends on the package....same goes for receiving international calls.

hobbes79

1. With AT&T, they don't change your code if you move. It might be something you can request though am not sure. Your getting a national plan, so no need to worry about new plans if you move... simply update your mailing address. My wife had a Waco, TX number for the longest time despite not living anywhere near there!

2. No, will count towards your mins. As will received calls, just so you know.

3. Standard mins.

4. Very expensive and tricky. In the order of a few hundred dollars. It's often cheaper just to change your plan to something completely minimal and finish out the contract.

Steerpike

Agree - no real need to, but if you want to change it, they will probably do it for you on request and it will not reset your contract.

Agree

Agree; but - benefit compared to UK - your caller does not pay EXTRA (compared to calling a land-line), unlike when a US resident calls a UK cell phone.

I'm going through the process of evaluating cancellation costs of our T-Mobile, ATT, and Sprint phones at work (we've just been acquired by someone else, and they are Verizon-based).
T-Mobile: $200 per line, regardless of how close you are to end of contract.
ATT: (oops - can't find that info right now)
Sprint: $200 if canceling within first year, $150 if canceling within second year.

SO - "do the math"; a typical minimum monthly fee these days is $45/month; so that's 4-5 months before you spend $200. If you really don't need a phone at all, paying the $150 or $200 cancellation fee is not such a bad deal.

md95065

If you decide to go with AT&T be aware that it is possible to get a 1 year contract, although it is not something that they will offer you and you will have to ask for it.

I recently signed up with AT&T for their National 450 plan and was able to get a 1 year agreement. I was, however, providing my own phone and just needed to get a SIM card from them - if you take advantage of one of their "free" or discounted phones you will probably have no option but to take a 2 year contract.

Tarkak9

I'm just going on my experience and what info I know...

chartreuse

Most land line plans tend to include National calls these days, so having a local number isn't as important as it used to be.

Nobody in TX has batted an eye when I've given them my 206 (Seattle) cell number.

Duncan Roberts

You can usually get out of any contract for free if you pay attention. Keep an eye out for them to change something with any part of the contract, usually that will be text messaging rates or privacy policy updates. It happens fairly regularly and if you read the small print you have a window after you get the notice that enables you to get out of the contract for free.

hobbes79

That's a lot less than when I last looked. I had about $500 in mind, so on a 1-year contract it pretty much made sense to just see out the contract than pay the fee.

I think the FCC went after the cell phone companies quite a bit... that's why you can take your number with you these days. As little as a few years ago, that was an absolute no no.

hobbes79

It's swings and roundabouts a bit. I went for the 2-year contract and 2 free phones (one for wife also). I had phones already, so sold the brand new ones on e-bay and got almost $300!

More than enough to pay a cancellation fee

Bob

Like I said, depends on the carrier and the plan. Had a mate who moved and if he wanted it done it would have reset his contract, actually it's happened to a couple of people I know, one on Sprint and another on ATT.

Happy in NC

Hello.

Why get a cell phone that requires a contract of 12 or 24 months when you can get a prepaid service from Net10 or T-Mobile? I'm with Net10 and they're great. Ten cents per minute within the USA, 24/7 and 5 cent (more) calls to the UK. You can buy a years service with 2,000 minutes for $200.00 and NO extra charges. Add more time easily with cards from WalMart or over the net.

I've had contract service with AT&T and Verizon but they are a pain in the ass and you NEVER seem to be able to pin down what the actual cost per month is going to be.

Go prepaid and you know exactly where you stand. The phone selection is good and at 10 cents for calls and 5 cents for text messages it's hard to beat.

Steerpike

It's certainly something everyone should consider. All major networks offer them, not just T-Mo and that other one you mentioned. But you have to factor in the cost of the phone to start with. Also - at least with ATT - if you use their pre-paid service you don't get full access to their roaming agreements, so your coverage is not quite as good. May not matter to many people, but just keep it in mind. Reason is this - network providers sign agreements with other network providers to extend their own network in areas where their network is not so good. When a customer roams, the networks charge each other. As a 'contract' customer, you can roam onto these networks without paying extra. That is, they don't pass on the charge any longer (typically - they used to). They don't allow their pre-paid clients the same access. This is certainly the case with ATT; I can't speak for other networks.

Happy in NC

I've travelled extensively within the us and taken my Net10 phone to Puerto Rico and it works everywhere I've been.

Duncan Roberts

Unless you're on the phone for something like 1000 minutes per month and send a few hundred texts. I know people who would use your years service (2000 minutes for $200) in less than 2 weeks, some in less than a week. Not good value for money I think you'll agree when they can get unlimited minutes on a contract for half the price.