Comms
Got to have a cell phone -
means you got to deal with the cell phone
companies. What a drag.
This page aims to sort it all out - who sucks and who doesn't.
If, as a representative of one of these outfits, you see your company name
getting drug through the mud
here, don't
get mad; get better. What you're reading here are the opinions of your
customers.
| Company |
Cost |
Coverage Map |
Customer Service |
Will you renew? |
Typical Story |
| Centenniel Wireless |
$49 for basic service, 600 minutes. New customers get a better deal. Caller ID $2 extra. | Lies about southern Lousianana |
OK for walk-ins, call and they leave you on hold for ever. | Not just no, but... |
Had a $230 bill. Tried to dispute it. Asked for a detailed invoice for that month. Paid all subsequent bills while waiting for detailed invoice. Centennial customer service promised three times to send it. Never did. Shut my phone off even though I was current on all other charges. Bastards shut it down on a weekend and forced me to pay the disputed charge by credit card to get service back. Like every other diver, I need my phone to go to work. Just the latest in a history of annoyances. My service expires 9/2005. Adios MF'ers. |
| Tracfone |
Phone - 60 Mins: 300 - 75 |
After a year or 2 of paying 2.80/min.(!!!) for the priveledge of using the Petrocom system from my Cingular phone, a buddy told me about Tracfone. I bought one at Wal-Mart for $60 or so, bought a 300 minutecard for $75.00, and Voila! Petrocom (or whetever system you happen to benear) for 50 cents a minute. I signed up for the double minute autopay thing, it drafts $15.00 from my account every month and, you guessed it,doubles my minutes, so now I'm paying roughly 24 cents a minute from offshore, I can get good reception on most diving jobs and sometimes on location in sat. The phone seems to be able to use any cellular system,incuding Petrocom. A very good way to keep in daily contact with the house for very reasonable money. Chech out www.tracfone.com, very good website as well. Thanks to T. Gessner |
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| NEXTEL | Varies; Example: 450 mins for $450 | Sucks | Fair | Fuck No! |
No roaming so even when you are at a dock, service is spotty. They send you so much junk mail that I got tricked into extending service for a year because I missed the letter that said "If you would like to stay in your rate plan, do nothing. If you would like to opt out, sign and make your corrections. All people who do not respond will AUTOMATICALLY be extended for one year of service." Thanks to J Bowers |
| Cingular | About $50 per month for 500 R/O mins. | Great so far. Works offshore too. | So far, so good |
Probably | Had to get a cell phone again after going back to beeper for two years. Man I miss that beeper. Got 500 minutes a month with roll over and anytime I use the phone offshore whether it goes through Petrocom or not, I do not pay for roaming. |