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Virgin Mobile Custom Vs. Ting Rates Compared


MarshieZ

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So long story short, my mom works for a HUD apartment complex (government housing) where people with low income or disability come. Typically if a resident would ask for options for a "value oriented" phone plan, they would point them towards Air Fire Mobile.

 

But seeing as they don't exist anymore, I was called to help them find a new provider that my mom and her co-workers could point them to. I thought I'd share the spreadsheet that I'm currently working on comparing prices for. I made this one special for the blog to compare the rates and prices against the options of the Virgin Mobile "Custom" to Ting's standard rates... 

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HqO0-m4_zVnOvm4MwRJJpjj5vQjm6gcWTYjliUuddsY/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

Here are the links to each site:

 

Ting: https://ting.com/rates

Virgin Mobile: http://www.virginmobileusa.com/custom/?ID16=spot2:All:virgin%20mobile%20custom#/

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Does virgin mobil allow voice roaming like ting?

 

Jim, Sent from my Photon 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

There is a $5.00 add on service for roaming:

 

Voice Enhanced Coverage 50 Minutes for roaming $5.00 Data Enhanced Coverage 15MB for roaming

$5.00

 

I didn't think Ting allowed roaming?

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There is a $5.00 add on service for roaming:

Voice Enhanced Coverage 50 Minutes for roaming $5.00 Data Enhanced Coverage 15MB for roaming

$5.00

 

I didn't think Ting allowed roaming?

Ting includes voice roaming at no additional charge. I don't think Ting allows data roaming yet. Think they are working on it however.

 

Jim, Sent from my Photon 4G using Tapatalk 2

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Should HUD point them to Lifeline providers which I think they usually qualify for a free phone service.

 

Yes, they do point them to this, but the unfortunate part is that some don't qualify for it. Other times they see that they need a basic smart phone, and the free phone that you get is so basic it doesn't meet the needs for some.

 

Typically if they qualify, they get the JAX S1360 or a similar model phone like this: http://www.cnet.com/products/kyocera-jax-s1300-virgin-mobile/

 

And Sprint is the only option, AT&T is almost non-existent here and in a 50 year old big brick building that sucks your voice signal, it doesn't work and Verizon doesn't offer anything, just typical prepaid devices, but at $40 or $50 a month - none of them can afford that. Verizon too has very... "iffy" voice service here, especially in and around the building.

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What about FreedomPop?  I actually signed up for it the other night to replace my Sprint line for awhile cause it seems very cheap (and a fun geeky project) -- but had to back out since they couldn't port my wireless number for whatever reason. (Can't port my numbers to Google Voice either, I blame it on the local telco)...

 

Or Republic Wireless?

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What about FreedomPop?  I actually signed up for it the other night to replace my Sprint line for awhile cause it seems very cheap (and a fun geeky project) -- but had to back out since they couldn't port my wireless number for whatever reason. (Can't port my numbers to Google Voice either, I blame it on the local telco)...

 

Or Republic Wireless?

 

I was looking at Freedom Pop, but my fear is is that the site is kind of "sketchy" for some of these older people who barely know how to use a computer. The simpler the better.

 

Republic Wireless would be perfect for the ones who only need Wi-Fi, but the rest is steep for low income people. The other issue is that I don't know if some could swing $150 for a new phone. But it is an option that I'm including in there! 

 

Everyone in there is in different situations, so I would prefer to have every option available for them to use. And Virgin, Ting & Republic Wireless are all I'm giving as options.

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Yeah, I would think many would need a wireless phone "manager" with some of these options -- such as FreedomPop... even Ting could end up with a $500 bill if one learns how to watch a video over cellular (I manage the VZW for my MIL and occasionally she will use 3gb in one crack and I discover her WiFi is turned off)...

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Yeah, I would think many would need a wireless phone "manager" with some of these options -- such as FreedomPop... even Ting could end up with a $500 bill if one learns how to watch a video over cellular (I manage the VZW for my MIL and occasionally she will use 3gb in one crack and I discover her WiFi is turned off)...

 

I guess the fortunate (or unfortunate) part for me, is I might be that person. I'm the one who gets called in for all the tech in that building!

 

While I'm perfectly okay helping anyone of them with questions, I can't be a manager of 64 different residents!  :blink:

 

Thankfully for the data portion, they have access to free Wi-Fi when they are there. So data would only be important if they go into town or are visiting family. But for some, they don't understand what MB and GB mean. I need to either find or make a chart to help explain/breakdown what it means in simple terms. 

 

But I am happy that they WANT to learn, and I'm sure it's reassuring to know for them and their family that if they are out or what not, they have a way to get a hold of family or call for an emergency. 

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I was able to roam on Ting 1x on VZW here in South Dakota and use data. However, it would not work for me in Philly/South Jersey.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

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I was able to roam on Ting 1x on VZW here in South Dakota and use data. However, it would not work for me in Philly/South Jersey.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk

 

Is there a special allotment for roaming data or is it part of the normal rates?

 

My feeling is that if they don't qualify for assurance wireless for the freebie phone, I'll point them towards Ting for their flip phones and basic smartphones if they will be on Wi-Fi most of the time. Otherwise point them towards Virgin Mobile Custom if they will need more data, and depending on their needs point them to the normal Virgin Mobile plans.

 

What do you guys think? 

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AFAIK the rest of my family (all on Ting) couldn't data roam on VZW or USCC in western NC this past week. Voice and SMS worked fine though, as expected.

 

Re: Custom, I just checked and it'd save my family (four lines, ~1K minutes, ~1k texts, 1-2GB data) on the order of $5 per month, depending on the month. Now, it might allow one of my brothers to stream Pandora or the like as much as he wants, but then he'd have to give up my hand-me-down GS3. For that matter, to get LTE phones every family member would have to pay $130 per phone again. So no sense in switching to Custom, particularly since Custom doesn't have tri-band phones yet.

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AFAIK the rest of my family (all on Ting) couldn't data roam on VZW or USCC in western NC this past week. Voice and SMS worked fine though, as expected.

 

Re: Custom, I just checked and it'd save my family (four lines, ~1K minutes, ~1k texts, 1-2GB data) on the order of $5 per month, depending on the month. Now, it might allow one of my brothers to stream Pandora or the like as much as he wants, but then he'd have to give up my hand-me-down GS3. For that matter, to get LTE phones every family member would have to pay $130 per phone again. So no sense in switching to Custom, particularly since Custom doesn't have tri-band phones yet.

 

I agree completely with you. If they want this "option" to be successful, they definitely need to look at expending their line up of devices. I also think they're kinda limiting themselves by having it be a "Wal-Mart Exclusive" type program...

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Is there a special allotment for roaming data or is it part of the normal rates?

 

My feeling is that if they don't qualify for assurance wireless for the freebie phone, I'll point them towards Ting for their flip phones and basic smartphones if they will be on Wi-Fi most of the time. Otherwise point them towards Virgin Mobile Custom if they will need more data, and depending on their needs point them to the normal Virgin Mobile plans.

 

What do you guys think?

I don't think I'm supposed to be allowed to data roam. But on my bill it didn't charge the data roaming I did differently.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

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  • 2 weeks later...

I thought I'd look at Waldo worlds website... and most of the Wal-Mart stores around by me don't have any/some of the phones in stock.

 

So I'm taking it, even though they have a massive selection of 3 phones to choose from - and only 1 being LTE capable - consumers must be liking this new custom plan. 

 

Though one thought I have, I have seen ZERO advertisement for it beyond the website? Do you think it's needed or that much of a market/profit to push it?

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I was able to roam on Ting 1x on VZW here in South Dakota and use data. However, it would not work for me in Philly/South Jersey.

 

Ting doesn't mind you roaming to VZW full-time? Am I right in thinking you've kept that line so you can be the first to know if some native Sprint service goes live?

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Ting doesn't mind you roaming to VZW full-time? Am I right in thinking you've kept that line so you can be the first to know if some native Sprint service goes live?

I use Ting for when I travel into Sprint coverage. I don't really keep my Sprint SIM in my Nexus 5. I will occasionally put it in to check something. Otherwise, I only put my Sprint SIM card in when I travel into Sprint coverage areas. So I don't actively use my roaming data but for a few bytes here and there while my SIM card is in.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

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Ting doesn't have data roaming. How do you use few bytes?

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

I'm telling you, I have data roamed on VZW using my Sprint SIM card activated on my Ting account with my Nexus 5.  I realize it's not allowed, but it works for me here.  I don't actively use it, because I'm afraid it may trigger something and they will shut me down.  But, for whatever reason, it works for me.  

 

Is it a Verizon authentication error?  I don't know.  Has Ting flagged my account for some reason to allow it?  I don't know.  However, I have never used much data off it.  I don't need to.  I have pulled up google and performed a search.  I have opened S4GRU in Tapatalk.  And I have used SignalCheck Pro to pull info.  I have done this a few times.  Likely just a few MB's.

 

Robert

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I have also data roamed on Verizon when I was on Ting. For me it was out in west Texas where sprint didn't have coverage and roaming showed up. I received and replied to an email from our campsite and Ting did charge me for like .87Mb of data for that day. It is possible that the roaming indicator on my phone was wrong but I doubt that.

 

Also on my Nexus 5.

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I'm telling you, I have data roamed on VZW using my Sprint SIM card activated on my Ting account with my Nexus 5.  I realize it's not allowed, but it works for me here.  I don't actively use it, because I'm afraid it may trigger something and they will shut me down.  But, for whatever reason, it works for me.  

 

Is it a Verizon authentication error?  I don't know.  Has Ting flagged my account for some reason to allow it?  I don't know.  However, I have never used much data off it.  I don't need to.  I have pulled up google and performed a search.  I have opened S4GRU in Tapatalk.  And I have used SignalCheck Pro to pull info.  I have done this a few times.  Likely just a few MB's.

 

Robert

 

When I was in North Dakota last summer on Ting, I was able to get 1X data-roaming as well. I asked Ting support about it, and they basically indicated it was an isolated situation. I'm guessing something mis-configured or an edge case of some sort. When I returned to the same location this past summer, no data roaming. Perhaps they patch the holes as they find them. So enjoy it if you get it, but don't count it sticking around. The lack of data roaming is my one complaint about Ting. I'd be willing to pay a premium for a small amount of roaming data the few times I need it each year, mainly just so I can get e-mails.

 

Edit: Here's the message verbatim from Ting support:

 

Our policy has not changed where it comes to data roaming. There is roaming pockets that will allow you to connect. You can say its a technical oversight. If you are in an area that will allow you to use data, you will not get charge for roaming.

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