This morning, Finally Frugal had nothing but positive things to say about their switch from Verizon Wireless to Virgin Mobile.
I too made that exact same switch back in October of 2007, following Frank from the Happy Rock’s lead.
And you know what?
I’ve got nothing but great things to say too…
My “service” hasn’t been any different since my days with Verizon but my bill certainly has — to the tune of a $900 per year savings.
Here’s how it works…
Every three months, I’m required to “top-up” my account. It’s simply a $21.20 bill that I have automatically billed to a credit card.
Yes, $21.20 for THREE months. Not per month, but THREE whole months.
My cell phone bill is $84.80 per year. Think about that the next time you pay your monthly cell phone bill.
The best part is that my $21.20 payment isn’t forfeited at the end of the three months.
I suppose it’s like those rollover plans that AT&T advertises on television — my Verizon plan never offered that (and cost more too!).
Looking back, Verizon was horrible.
I sent them forty something dollars each month and if I didn’t use the $40 worth of airtime, well, tough luck. I put up with that for years. It was stupid.
So I’m due to “top-up” with Virgin later this month, you know, for another 3 months of service. With all of the roll over from my previous payments, it will put my “balance” at over $120.
Obviously I don’t use my phone very often (which might be why this plan has worked out so well for me) but with $120 worth of airtime available for use, well, let’s just say that I don’t have to be concerned with running out of minutes.
And that peace of mind is only costing me a smidgen over $7 per month.
I’d bet most folks are paying 6 or 7 times as much per month.
Just something to think about if you’re looking to cut your costs.