• phoneymouse@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I don’t play this game. I buy my own unlocked phone and find prepaid cell service at a fraction of the cost.

    • ObstreperousCanadian@lemmy.ca
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      1 month ago

      One of the three carriers in Canada is about to do away with prepaid entirely in December. That said, I have a pretty affordable monthly plan and I buy my phones outright.

    • M600@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Why is prepaid service cheaper? I never understood why plans cost more. You would thing it would be the opposite.

      • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        Some reasons:

        • prioritized traffic - if towers are congested, carrier customers get priority over prepaid customers
        • name brand recognition - most have heard of Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T, few have heard of Tell, Ting, or RedPocket
        • financing - you can get “free” upgrades from bigger carriers, whereas I pay cash w/ my prepaid service
        • features - most big carriers support roaming (sometimes international roaming), whereas those tend to be ala carte w/ prepaid

        In short, you get a bit more hassle w/ prepaid, but you get a lot of savings. I pay <$10/month for my service (1GB data, unlimited text, 300 minutes call), and I could get unlimited everything for $25-30 (depending on prepaid carrier). I bought my phone for <$400, whereas cost is less of a concern for big carriers since they often offer financing issues. I hate monthly payments, so I prefer to buy devices in cash and keep my monthly service payments low.

        • Cort@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Plus the bills are paid up front. No collections department, or write-offs. Plus you get to earn interest if the customer pre pays multiple months or a year in advance.

      • Psythik@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Because prepaid customers get lower priority on the tower. If I’m in even a moderately crowded area, my connection speeds go to shit and nothing loads.

      • gray@pawb.social
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        1 month ago

        Money up front vs people just not paying the bill at the end of the month.