I Moved Here and Couldn’t Use My Cellphone! What Next?!
Ah, the thrill of a family move. Luckily for us, this move was only a five hour drive from where we were living before and from our families. When we arrived I had been using Sprint as my phone carrier for over a decade (we’re talking freshmen in college days)! Even though Sprint’s reputation had since diminished, I had a long-standing, positive experience with them, including excellent customer and cellular service. I simply never thought that I would leave them. For years, I had listened to friends joke and complain about faulty service and I brushed it off because I simply couldn’t relate. I also defended them to no end. It seriously never entered my mind that a change in location would deter that.
Well, we moved to Sneads Ferry, and everything was lovely: from our new neighborhood to our kid’s school. It would be a few months before we started to have issues with reception, but the time came and it slapped us in the face. We started to notice that unless we were at home, we couldn’t make calls or get on the internet. Okay, we thought, they are having some issues, maybe it will pass… and so we didn’t immediately reach out.
I have several phases of reacting to products and services I am paying for, and giving them the benefit of the doubt is always what happens first. You gotta remember: I’m a loyal customer. If I love something I use, I will tell everyone I know about it and suggest they use it as well if it’s a benefit for them. Let’s be honest, I’ll tell everyone I don’t know too!
The turning point:
The issue persisted. And worsened. When we would be away from home, our calls would constantly drop. Finally, I made my first call at the beginning of summer (a few months after we moved to the Topsail area) and was informed that a tower in our town had been hit, which interrupted service, but there was ticket for it that would guarantee its repair.
Sadly, this would be the beginning of several months of calls, filled with misinformation and outright lies on the status of the repair. At the start I was also given a date as to when it would be fixed! Be advised, that I’ll be providing approximate times since it’s been a year, but I remember the date being around a week from when I first called. From that time on, we endured the faulty service in anticipation that it would be over soon. The “repair” date came and went and I actually waited until the day after to determine if there had a been a change. Cue crickets!
Very long story short, I began to have to contact Sprint on a weekly and sometimes bi-weekly basis, due to being given new dates for the repair. They kept insisting it was a priority and they were also very apologetic. Then came their magical solution about what would help our service. Sprint advised us they had “magic box” that would improve service while you were at home. Except my service at home was fine – the issue was the fact that when I was away from the house, my phone was useless! They sent it anyways and it was completely worthless.
Was anyone else experiencing the same thing?
That’s when I took my frustration with them to sources that I’ve always known to be very dependable: a group of Facebook moms and Google search engine. Not only did I do an inquiry about Sprint in general, but I asked the Facebook mom group if they were experiencing reception issues. The response was overwhelming. I learned that even though I may not have suffered in the past, the wide-spread rumors about Sprint and its lackluster service were valid. They were fully aware of reception issues and that was precisely why they were attempting a merge with T-Mobile.
However, it would be a significant amount of time before this merger was finalized. I remember thinking: I could be hopeful if I had an outage in a sprawling metropolis where they are being inundated with countless calls, but how am I supposed to believe you will prioritize my beach town in a rural area of Eastern North Carolina? They were obviously buying time by giving me new dates when I called, and the local moms echoed that sentiment. They too were being given the run-around, and what’s worse is that their bills were not being comped on account out of the outage! Every month they would give me a credit, greatly reducing my bill for the inconvenience, but it was only because I was calling them. They weren’t extending or volunteering this to everyone, so if you are someone who avoids calling customer service or just suffering in silence, the regular amount was being collected.
My disappointment grew. Even though my chats with supervisors were well received, it was still pointless. That’s when I started facing hard facts: for the first time in my life, I would have to switch phone carriers. Sprint is also known for the glaring difference it has in its price. It had always been much lower than some of our more popular options and that was a drawing point as well.
Light at the end of the tunnel: Spectrum Mobile
What I didn’t know was that my cable and internet provider, Spectrum, had recently starting providing mobile service. We already had them for wi-fi and cable (at the time,) so adding on another service was quite ideal. Please note that you do have to use them for cable internet in order to sign up for mobile.
How does it work?
They use the Verizon Wireless Network, for a fraction of the price. In addition, they use their own hotspots to fill in for any Verizon service gaps a customer might incur. I started doing my research on them and I found all the reviews and articles on them to be overwhelmingly positive. Here is where I need to let you know that I’m an iPhone user, but yes they provide Androids as well. This also means that I always opt for an unlimited plan, and as I previously stated, you’ll find their price is generously lower than its competitors, including Sprint. For example: one, unlimited phone line will run you $45 vs $60. Of course, this is without phone cost. Do you already have a phone? Do you rent your phone month to month? Even that is cheaper, as we are paying a SET price of $170.25 for two unlimited iPhone plans, tax free. They do also require customers to be set up on auto-pay.
I have never experienced lengthy wait times, but then again I have never even had to contact them since I have signed up, which was a little less than a year ago. I also love their website and especially their app: it’s easy to navigate and its one that is actually useful-I was just looking tonight because I want to upgrade my XR :).
They can also easily transfer your phone number from your previous carrier if desired. I made my decision to switch over, and from the very first time I talked to someone, it was a positive and professional experience.
Cutting the Cable Cord
We ended up doing away with their cable after years of muttering about how we didn’t need it and would cancel. This is another decision I don’t regret to this day. I can’t remember how much we were paying for both, but we saved well over 50 dollars by dropping it. Now we pay $74.99 for internet. We purchased two Amazon Fire TV Sticks and we have loved them since the start! You can access everything you need and want- there’s simply no need for a cable bill. The partnering of Verizon and Spectrum saved my life. My communication life, that is.
What Spectrum Mobile did was what I needed Sprint to do, but much faster. Sometimes, we are unfortunately forced to leave companies that we have been fond of and it’s always a hard bridge to cross. And guess what? I am still rooting for them! I hope the merge with T-Mobile eventually happens. I have no ill feelings and have even still recommended them to friends and family as long as they have proven service in their area. It’s about everyone doing what works for them because we are in a place and time where reliable communication is a necessity.
Are you new here and experiencing issues? Are you a native here and you’re looking to switch? Are you a customer of Spectrum who loves their service too? I urge you to explore your options if need be!
Visit their website or contact Spectrum at (833) 224-6603.
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