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Anyone have wireless-only phone for house


nurkvinny

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Just wondering... out of people on here that do not have a 'house' phone (i.e. they use their cell phone as their home phone), have you ran across any issues doing this? I am strongly considering cancelling my AllTel home service, and switching all of my accounts / cards / etc over to a cell phone.

 

Any downsides to this?

 

Thanks

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just make sure you have enough minutes. My dorm had a phone, but I only used it to call other dorm rooms. My last apartment had a phone, but I never used it, just my roommates. I had no need for it. I've just had a cell phone the whole time I've lived in Columbus, it's still a Marietta number but it doesn't matter since everyone I know has only a cell phone, and they all seem to come with free long distance these days. Just make sure you get plenty of minutes with free night and weekends. I have 350 daytime and I never go over. It also helps to get the same service that the majority of your friends have, and get the extra service of free mobile to mobile of that company. Also, make sure you get good reception in your home, or else the phone is worthless.
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Thanks for the input. I can get a good deal piggy-backing on my wife's plan. She gets a healthy discount through her work (Children's Hospital).

 

I am RARELY on the phone. I make maybe 2 calls a week from my house. I am at work and/or at my dad's shop way more than I am home.

 

We already have our long distance tied into her cell bill - through Sprint. It basically seems I am paying 19.95 a month for telemarketers to call my house, and to have AllTel techs fixing my neighborhood's lines all the time.

 

Do you guys ever have a problem with telemarketers / charity organizations clogging up your voice mail?

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Originally posted by NurkVinny:

Do you guys ever have a problem with telemarketers / charity organizations clogging up your voice mail?

I have never had a telemarketer call my cell phone...and there would be problems if one ever did.

-Marc

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Do you guys ever have a problem with telemarketers / charity organizations clogging up your voice mail?
I don't think telemarketers are legally allowed to harass you via cell phones.
until now. starting here in a few months, cell phones are going to lose their "protected" status and there will be a national directory released. keep watching this space, and ill get you the number to call to get your name removed from that list.

 

on topic, i have no home phone, and no problems. the only issue you may run into is that some companies who require a credit check for certain things will need a landline phone number in order to check your credit. usually a work number or something will suffice, but thats about the only thing i can think of that hasnt been covered in this thread already.

 

if you have broadband, another option is a voip phone. vonage has some awesome deals on that right now. unlimited calling inside the u.s. for 25 bucks.

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Good info. I got a call once on my cell that seemed to be telemarketing. I interrupted the person telling them it was a cell phone, they said sorry and hung up immidiately. DJ, I'm glad that you mentioned that. I recall now having heard about it, but had forgotten. Post up the way to get on the do not call list as soon as you get the info.

 

Vince, sounds like you found a good deal. With the Sprint, I recommend the free PCS to PCS calling, it's an extra $5 a month and if you talk to many others on Sprint, you'll save a lot of minutes. I have the Sanyo PM-8200 phone and recommend it, especially if you want to do internet stuff on your phone. Either way, it's a camera phone and speakerphone, with some other nice options.

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Cancelled the land line today.

 

Went with:

Sprint PCS

800 anytime split between my phone and my wife's

Unl. PCS to PCS calls

Unl. Night/Weekends 7p-7a

Unl. long distance / roaming

Unl. Ready-link (Sprint's version of Nextel's walky-talky deal).

Voicemail,call-waiting, etc (the usual freebies)

 

$80 a month - $20(25%) for Children's hospital discount.

 

$60+tax total. That's almost exactly what I was paying for her cell+land line.

 

Also, up to 100 minutes over = $5.

 

I am pleased.

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one thing you might want to think of.

 

When calling 911 in an emergency they will not be able to trace your call to your addres as they would in a land line. i found this out the hard way when i had to call for an ambulance in our new apartment, we didn't have a home phone and i barely knew the zip code.

 

just something to keep in mind.

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Your biggest issue with no home phone is if your credit is iffy and you aply for a car loan or a cc some banks require you to provide them with a home phone number and they will not except a cell phone as a home phone. We ran it to this problem several times here at the dealership and could not sell someone a car.

 

If you have good credit above 650 you should be ok (of course only about 50% of america has over a 650 becone score).

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Originally posted by pbsracerx:

If you have good credit above 650 you should be ok (of course only about 50% of america has over a 650 becone score).

Beacon score is not an issue for me; I am well above 650. I am not planning on applying for ANY credit cards, and I'm on a first name basis with my car-loan lady. smile.gif

 

Also, FYI, MOST creditors will accept a cell number + a work number.

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Originally posted by harry's94tsi:

one thing you might want to think of.

 

When calling 911 in an emergency they will not be able to trace your call to your addres as they would in a land line. i found this out the hard way when i had to call for an ambulance in our new apartment, we didn't have a home phone and i barely knew the zip code.

 

just something to keep in mind.

New cell phones have GPS built in specifically for 911. It takes a few minutes for them to find your location, but they can do it. I wouldn't worry about it.
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Originally posted by NurkVinny:

Do you guys ever have a problem with telemarketers / charity organizations clogging up your voice mail?

Lately I have. 90% of them are Verizon asking me to go sign another contract.

 

The rest must get it off the internet or something.

 

Overall, there is no reason to have a house phone, as when you are home (nights/weekends) service is free. Plus, free caller ID. smile.gif

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