I wanted to see if some of you had anything to provide for experience with this provider. I ahve two Galaxy 2 phones I am getting ready to switch with because Tmobile is so bad in our area. However, I keep hearing varying issues like ST throttling inside even one days usage. I don't use just a ton of data, maybe about 500Mb a cycle with Tmobile but probably about that much more if I can actually get data most of the time, unlike TMobile. Are there any other shady things they do with MMS, texts or phone calls?
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Straight Talk
- Thread starter ravx25
- Start date
I know one person who has lost her number transferring to ST and decided to immediately switch to AT&T, who got her number back... It's almost like a bait and switch. I dunno how ST lost the number and told her to call AT&T, who said they cannot help her unless she is a customer. So she wasted time and $15 on a sim card.
Other than that, ST is overwhelmingly positive.
Other than that, ST is overwhelmingly positive.
My wife and I have been on ST for about 6 months, (3 months in GA and 3 months in HI). We both are using the AT&T SIM cards.
Voice performance has been great, reception everywhere we go with no dropped calls.
Data has been below average, we switched from AT&T and I can tell that ST does not give you access to full blown AT&T data. I do believe they throttle the data after a certain amount of usage (I haven't documented or tracked it, just an observation), not a huge problem in my case b/c we are still able to use google maps, check email just fine with the slow data rate.
Setting up our phone and switching our numbers over really wasn't that hard. I had to call CS 1 time and they were semi-helpful. Since you are posting on this forum I will assume you are smarter than the average cell phone user and won't have a problem setting them up. (Just follow the ST directions on their website.)
Everything considered $45 per line for unlimited international everything is worth the downside. My bill went from $140 a month to $90 and I couldn't be happier.
If your phones are unlocked it might be worth getting a T-mobile SIM and an AT&T SIM and seeing which phone gets better service for your area.
Voice performance has been great, reception everywhere we go with no dropped calls.
Data has been below average, we switched from AT&T and I can tell that ST does not give you access to full blown AT&T data. I do believe they throttle the data after a certain amount of usage (I haven't documented or tracked it, just an observation), not a huge problem in my case b/c we are still able to use google maps, check email just fine with the slow data rate.
Setting up our phone and switching our numbers over really wasn't that hard. I had to call CS 1 time and they were semi-helpful. Since you are posting on this forum I will assume you are smarter than the average cell phone user and won't have a problem setting them up. (Just follow the ST directions on their website.)
Everything considered $45 per line for unlimited international everything is worth the downside. My bill went from $140 a month to $90 and I couldn't be happier.
If your phones are unlocked it might be worth getting a T-mobile SIM and an AT&T SIM and seeing which phone gets better service for your area.
She may have cancelled her previous carrier service before signing up with ST. You have to keep your current carrier who holds your phone number, sign up for ST and provide the needed information, ST will contact your carrier and request your phone number be transferred. After ST gets your number transferred you are free to cancel your old service, AT&T auto canceled my service after my phone numbers were transferred to ST.
If you cancel your current carrier service first then your number goes back into the pool of usable numbers. ST doesn't have the best CS so I can see how they were not successful in retrieving the number for your friend.
I've done a little research and I am thinking about using Net10. They have a new "Family Plan" as they put it that is $85 a month with auto activation, although no option to pay for year straight up like ST has. I'm understanding they both run under the Tracfone business more or less, with both having access to use the TMo or AT&T networks. The biggest difference that I am reading so far is that while Net10 has the same shady contract for data usage, I'm not hearing of throttling/blocked data/disconnects even during the cycle like I am with ST. My biggest fear is that I am reading that some folks don't use anywhere near close to 2GB and they get throttled and or disconnected. It's almost like they monitor daily and if you have a spike in data one day that is enough for them to invoke their contract terms. If they boot you, I hear you lose your number too, so its a lose/lose situation for the customer.
NoxTek
The Geek Redneck
- Joined
- May 27, 2002
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- 9,300
The $45 per month plan doesn't provide unlimited international calling or texting, for that you would have to pay $60 per month to the best of my recollection.
How do you use your data though? I certainly don't do anything crazy with mine. I listen to Pandora once in long while for about 30 minutes tops, an occasional YouTube video but really not much more than that. I just keep reading these occasional stories that more or less say the user got up to .5Gb, as in 512MB, halfway through the month and ST is calling them telling them they will be shut off. I certainly don't want to lose my number all of a sudden because ST decided to think I'm over here torrenting one day all of a sudden just because I had more data than normal in a time frame.
She made sure that she didn't cancel her plan. So how ST lost the number is ridiculous. She had to transfer her supposed lost number from ST to AT&T. And somehow, AT&T got it in a jiffy.
heatsinker
Supreme [H]ardness
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2001
- Messages
- 5,479
I switched from Tmobile to an ATT sim from Straight Talk today, didn't have any issues using their online number transfer. I sent the request for transfer at 10PM and it was switched by the next morning.
I'm a very light data user, I use it mostly for email and occasional web surfing since I'm almost always near a WIFI spot so the 2GB data limit doesn't bother me. Speed are comparable as I don't do very much streaming or downloading.
I'm saving about $18 from my previous Tmobile plan, plus I get unlimited minutes (had 750 a month on Tmo) and reception is better at my house so I'm pretty happy with it so far. I never had problems with Tmo though, heck they even gave me the unlock code for my S3 no questions asked.
I'm a very light data user, I use it mostly for email and occasional web surfing since I'm almost always near a WIFI spot so the 2GB data limit doesn't bother me. Speed are comparable as I don't do very much streaming or downloading.
I'm saving about $18 from my previous Tmobile plan, plus I get unlimited minutes (had 750 a month on Tmo) and reception is better at my house so I'm pretty happy with it so far. I never had problems with Tmo though, heck they even gave me the unlock code for my S3 no questions asked.
That's because AT&T was in charge of the transfer not ST which is why they couldn't do anything. AT&T's the carrier, ST just rebrands the service... That being said, it's been known to happen on every carrier, but MVNOs seem to have it more often because they're not in charge of the process.
I have been on Straight Talk ATT for three months on my international One X, left Verizon before that. I am very satisfied with the service, yeah download speeds are a bit slow, no LTE, just HSPA+, but for a cell phone it does the job. And keep in mind it's $45/month for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 2GB data, no one offers that kind of plan, and no contract, no commitment.
But some people tell me, they try call me, and it goes straight to voice mail, or won't go through to me. Clients tell me they tried calling, but I not answer. But I never even seen those calls as missed at all. So that is strange.
But some people tell me, they try call me, and it goes straight to voice mail, or won't go through to me. Clients tell me they tried calling, but I not answer. But I never even seen those calls as missed at all. So that is strange.
One issue with ST I have is, is group messages rarely if ever go through. I have to send individual texts to one person at a time to make sure they get it. When I send to two or three people at the same time, it's like 50/50 if it goes through. And picture texts take forever to go through, most of time only like half actually get sent.
That's odd that you all would issues with MMS and calls not going through. As I understand it runs on either the Tmobile or AT&T networks. It stands to reason, aside from not having LTE, you would get the same QOS as you would if you were a TMo or AT&T customer. The group messages being a 50/50 shot is really crazy though since it's not consistent.
ShoeyPeachew
n00b
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
- Messages
- 24
The past week Straight Talk has been limiting my data download speeds to 250kbps. I've repeatedly tried a couple online bandwidth tests and it never goes above this (speakeasy and sonic.net). When it's not limited I can get over 6mbps, but right now it stinks. I never go near to using their 2gb monthly download cap on their unlimited plan and I don't why this is happening. Using ATT SIM card a note 2 in San Francisco
And this is worrisome type of thing I've been hearing. Their contract basically states you can't do crap so if you were to call they wold reference their TOS saying that. You can't visit social media, stream anything, download apps through google play, view youtube or even look at it sideways from what I understand (last part i am being facetious for the record). I was thinking about jumping ship from Tmobile in our area because they have poor service, but I'm extremely worried about ST and their shady tactics. Frankly, I am waiting for someone with enough money to sue them for false advertising.
Use their support system on facebook and they will remove the limit. If one rep doesn't submit a new ticket again.
ShoeyPeachew
n00b
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
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- 24
Great! I submitted a ticket. Let's see how long it takes for them to respond.
Edit: I wasn't able to contact Straight Talk's Facebook help support because I kept getting an error trying to open a ticket. However, my billing cycle started over today and I'm getting fast download speeds once again or maybe it's because I reinstalled Omega ROM that fixed it. Either way, I'm going to be more conservative with my data usage from now on.
Edit: I wasn't able to contact Straight Talk's Facebook help support because I kept getting an error trying to open a ticket. However, my billing cycle started over today and I'm getting fast download speeds once again or maybe it's because I reinstalled Omega ROM that fixed it. Either way, I'm going to be more conservative with my data usage from now on.
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What were you doing exactly if you don't mind me asking? Was it simple tasks or were you using Netflix maybe (i.e. lots of streaming)?
ShoeyPeachew
n00b
- Joined
- May 18, 2012
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- 24
Simple web browsing mostly. Except, one time my GF and I were shopping at a mall during the Ravens/Broncos game and I used Wiziwig for all of maybe 1 minute before she yelled at me. Honestly, that was it. I always set my phone to turn off data when I hit 2GB and I've never come close.
striker444
Gawd
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2012
- Messages
- 520
Been on straight talk for almost 3 months now on my Nexus 4. I went from a crappy Verizon prepaid phone to this and it was a very good experience. In my area AT&T is more prominent than T-Mobile so I went with them. It took them less than 2 min to port over my number and get going. The only issue I found was my phone would lose its data connection a few times a week. I did some research and found that its mostly an AT&T issue and if I put my phone in airplane mode and then back to normal mode it fixes it. Also read a suggestion that if I remove the proxy and put nothing in its place it helps. Sure enough it did, now I only encounter that bug maybe once a month. Download speeds are fantastic (not even using 4G) and its literally no different from someone with AT&T, just a much smaller bill.
What info did you gvie ST to have them port the number?
striker444
Gawd
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2012
- Messages
- 520
My account number which was just my phone number and the 4 digit PIN from Verizon. By default it's the last 4 digits of your phone number until you change it yourself. Did it all from the Straighttalk website too, went to Activate/reactivate at the top then transfer number.