Ting vs. Verizon – Ting Saved Me $138

In December, my Ting cellular bill was very low considering I have 4 phones.  Here is how my bill broke down:

Ting Actual Bill (Nov 13 – Dec 12)

Combined Minutes   (medium):  $ 9.00
Combined Messages  (medium):  $ 5.00
Combined Megabytes (medium):  $ 3.00
4 Phone Devices:              $24.00
Usage Total:                  $41.00
Taxes and Fees:               $ 3.91
Total:                        $44.91

Verizon Hypothetical Bill

Android Device 1:             $ 45.00
Android Device 2:             $ 45.00
Android Device 3:             $ 45.00
Android Device 4:             $ 45.00
Usage Total:                  $180.00
Taxes and Fees:               $  3.91
Total:                        $183.91

Ting Saved Me $138 that month!

If my four android devices were on Verizon’s $45 ALLSET plans instead of Ting it would have cost me at least $180.  I suspect that I have underestimated the taxes on the Verizon accounts but I’m not sure.  I would have been able to use more minutes and more data and more text messages on Verizon but I didn’t.  Our actual usage was pretty  low because we are always on wifi as a family and we don’t talk on our cell phones that much.

How Did That Happen?

As I have explained in previous posts, we are heavy wifi users.  Our kids are young so their phones are mostly for emergencies or occasionally when they go over a friend’s house.  The kids use almost no minutes, messages or megabytes but both of their phones are active.  My wife is home on wifi a lot but she does text a lot.  She also uses her cell phone from time to time.   I’m home all the time so I use wifi for most things including voip calls over wifi.  I do text a lot – usually with my wife so that counts as 2 texts (me sending and her receiving).   We fit the perfect profile for a Ting user who saves a ton of money on cell usage.  We text plenty, don’t talk that much and don’t use much data (since we’re always on wifi).

Does That Mean That Verizon is A Bad Service?

No.  Verizon is a good service (so I’ve heard).  They have a ton of coverage and for some people it is probably a better choice than Ting.  If you use a lot of data or you talk on the phone a lot then it might save you money compared to Ting.  The other upside to Verizon is that their coverage map covers almost everything in America.  If you travel around for work, Verizon might be a better choice.  Heavy talkers should consider Verizon too.  Since my family doesn’t use much data or talk that much, we are better off with Ting.

Sign Up for Ting And Get a $25 Credit (I’ll get a $25 Credit Too)

If you find my blog posts about Ting helpful and are considering signing up for Ting, please consider using this link. If you use this link to sign up, we will both get a $25 credit in our Ting accounts (thanks!) https://zejffn1eh54.ting.com/

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Ting vs. Straight Talk – Ting Saved Me $138 Last Month

Last month my Ting cellular bill was very low considering I have 4 phones.  Here is how my last month’s bill broke down:

Ting Actual Bill (Nov 13 – Dec 12)

Combined Minutes   (medium):  $ 9.00
Combined Messages  (medium):  $ 5.00
Combined Megabytes (medium):  $ 3.00
4 Phone Devices:              $24.00
Usage Total:                  $41.00
Taxes and Fees:               $ 3.91
Total:                        $44.91

StraightTalk Hypothetical Bill

Android Device 1:             $ 45.00
Android Device 2:             $ 45.00
Android Device 3:             $ 45.00
Android Device 4:             $ 45.00
Usage Total:                  $180.00
Taxes and Fees:               $  3.91
Total:                        $183.91

Ting Saved Me $138 Last Month

If my four android devices were on StraightTalk each with their $45 unlimited plan instead of Ting it would have cost me at least $180.  I suspect that I have underestimated the taxes on the StraightTalk accounts because each account would have to pay the same taxes and fees.  I would have been able to use more minutes and more data and more text messages on StraightTalk but I didn’t.  Our actual usage was pretty  low because we are always on wifi as a family and we don’t talk on our cell phones that much.

How Did That Happen?

As I have explained in previous posts, we are heavy wifi users.  Our kids are young so their phones are mostly for emergencies or occasionally when they go over a friend’s house.  The kids use almost no minutes, messages or megabytes but both of their phones are active.  My wife is home on wifi a lot but she does text a lot.  She also uses her cell phone from time to time.   I’m home all the time so I use wifi for most things including voip calls over wifi.  I do text a lot – usually with my wife so that counts as 2 texts (me sending and her receiving).   We fit the perfect profile for a Ting user who saves a ton of money on cell usage.  We text plenty, don’t talk that much and don’t use much data (since we’re always on wifi).

Does That Mean That StraightTalk is A Bad Service?

No.  StraightTalk is a pretty good service (so I’ve heard).   For some people it is probably a better choice than Ting too!  If you use a lot of data or you talk on the phone a lot then it might save you money compared to Ting.  The other upside to StraightTalk is that you always know what your bill is going to be so you don’t have to worry about it being more than expected.  Heavy talkers or data users should consider StraightTalk.  Since my family doesn’t use much data or talk that much, we are better off with Ting.

Sign Up for Ting And Get a $25 Credit (I’ll get a $25 Credit Too)

If you find my blog posts about Ting helpful and are considering signing up for Ting, please consider using this link. If you use this link to sign up, we will both get a $25 credit in our Ting accounts (thanks!) https://zejffn1eh54.ting.com/

Ting vs. Boost Mobile – Ting Saved Me $175 Last Month

Last month my Ting cellular bill was amazingly low considering I have 4 phones.  Here is how my last month’s bill broke down:

Ting Actual Bill (Oct 13 – Nov 12)

Combined Minutes   (medium):  $ 9.00
Combined Messages  (medium):  $ 5.00
Combined Megabytes (medium):  $ 3.00
4 Phone Devices:              $24.00
Usage Total:                  $41.00
Taxes and Fees:               $ 3.91
Total:                        $44.91

Boost Mobile Hypothetical Bill

Android Device 1:             $ 55.00
Android Device 2:             $ 55.00
Android Device 3:             $ 55.00
Android Device 4:             $ 55.00
Usage Total:                  $220.00
Taxes and Fees:               $  3.91
Total:                        $223.91

Ting Saved Me $175 Last Month

If my four android devices were on Boost Mobile with unlimited plans instead of Ting it would have cost me at least $223 (assuming none of my payments had shrunk yet).  It is true that I would have been able to use more minutes and more data and more text message on Boost.  This isn’t about what I could have done.  This is about what I actually did.  My actual usage was low because we are always on wifi as a family and we don’t talk on our cell phones that much.

How Did That Happen?

As I have explained in previous posts, we are heavy wifi users.  Our kids are young so their phones are mostly for emergencies or occasionally when they go over a friend’s house.  The kids use almost no minutes, messages or megabytes but both of their phones are active.  My wife is home on wifi a lot but she does text a lot.  She also uses her cell phone from time to time.   I’m home all the time so I use wifi for most things including voip calls over wifi.  I do text a lot – usually with my wife so that counts as 2 texts (me sending and her receiving).   We fit the perfect profile for a Ting user who saves a ton of money on cell usage.  We text plenty, don’t talk that much and don’t use much data (since we’re always on wifi).

Sign Up for Ting And Get a $25 Credit (I’ll get a $25 Credit Too)

If you find my blog posts about Ting helpful and are considering signing up for Ting, please consider using this link. If you use this link to sign up, we will both get a $25 credit in our Ting accounts (thanks!) https://zejffn1eh54.ting.com/

Ting vs. Virgin Mobile – Ting Saved Me $85 Last Month

I have recently blogged about Ting and Virgin Mobile and I have compared the two services.  To read more about the comparisons you can see the category here.

This post is about how much money I saved with Ting last month.

Ting Bill

Last month (from Sept. 13 – Oct 12, 2013) my Ting bill was:

Combined Minutes   (medium):  $ 9.00
Combined Messages  (medium):  $ 5.00
Combined Megabytes (medium):  $13.00
4 Phone Devices:              $23.80
Usage Total:                  $50.80
Taxes and Fees:               $ 3.91
Total:                        $54.71

Virgin Mobile (Hypothetical Bill)

My Virgin Mobile Bill would have been:

Beyond Talk phone 1:  $35 + taxes and fees
Beyond Talk phone 2:  $35 + taxes and fees
Beyond Talk phone 3:  $35 + taxes and fees
Beyond Talk phone 4:  $35 + taxes and fees
Total:                $140 + taxes and fees for 4 accounts

Ting Saved Me $85 Last Month

Not including the taxes and fees from Virgin Mobile, I saved at least $85 by switching to Ting.  Those taxes probably add up to another $12 so the real savings is probably closer to $97.

How Did That Happen?

As I have explained in previous posts, we are heavy wifi users.  Our kids are young so their phones are mostly for emergencies or occasionally when they go over a friend’s house.  The kids use almost no minutes, messages or megabytes but both of their phones are active.  My wife is home on wifi a lot but she does text a lot.  She also uses her cell phone from time to time.   I’m home all the time so I use wifi for most things including voip calls over wifi.  I do text a lot – usually with my wife so that counts as 2 texts (me sending and her receiving).   We fit the perfect profile for a Ting user who saves a ton of money on cell usage.  We text plenty, don’t talk that much and don’t use much data (since we’re always on wifi).

Sign Up for Ting And Get a $25 Credit (I’ll get a $25 Credit Too)

If you find my blog posts about Ting helpful and are considering signing up for Ting, please consider using this link. If you use this link to sign up, we will both get a $25 credit in our Ting accounts (thanks!) https://zejffn1eh54.ting.com/

Ting vs. Virgin Mobile

I recently switched to Ting from Virgin Mobile.  I have already blogged a couple times about the switch.  In one post I talked about why Ting is better than Virgin Mobile and in the other post I talked about why I made the switch.  In this post I want to compare Ting vs. Virgin Mobile for different types of users.

Always On Wifi – Advantage Ting

If you are like me and always on wifi then Ting is for you.  Ting’s voice minutes are cheap enough and their text minutes are cheaper.  If you use a lot of data Ting can get expensive.  I myself am always on wifi so my actual mobile data usage is minimal.  There are lots of days when I use no data at all because I was at home all day and on my wifi.  Because I’m on wifi so much, I also minimize my mobile minutes by using a voip app like Magicjack’s app or SparePhone or GrooVeIP.

Always On The Road – Advantage Virgin Mobile

If you are on the road a lot and not connected to wifi then Virgin Mobile is for you.  They offer unlimited data plans which only throttle your data speed when you cross 2GB.  Heaving mobile data users should not switch to Ting.  Ting will get very expensive fast for heavy mobile data users.

Sir Talks A Lot – Slight Advantage Virgin Mobile

If you talk a lot then the unlimited voice plan with Virgin Mobile might be for you.  For $55 per month you can have unlimited talk time on Virgin Mobile.  If you talk 3000 minutes a month, on Ting it would cost you $52 for just the voice minutes (not counting service, mobile data or text messages).  So, it really depends on what you consider a lot of talk minutes.  If you consider 1000 minutes a lot, then Ting could still be for you.  If you talk more than 1000 minutes on a single phone plan, then you should look at Virgin Mobile.  If you talk have multiple devices then the lines start to get fuzzy.  One heavy talker in a family of four might still come out ahead on Ting.

Family Plan – Advantage Ting

Virgin mobile does not offer any discounts for multiple devices.  Ting only charges $6 per device and all devices contribute to the overall voice minutes, data usage and texting charges.  Since neither provider offers any discount for texting or calling between family members, that doesn’t come into play.  Ting is a better choice for families unless you have a couple heavy mobile data users or a couple heavy talkers.

Texty Texterson – Slight Advantage Ting

Ting does charge you for each text message but the rates are pretty low.   Unless you are texting many thousands of times a month, Ting probably still makes sense.  Virgin Mobile will offer unlimited texting for $35/mo.  On Ting you could send 4000 texts, medium data usage and flip flop between 100 and 500 voice minutes for the same price.  On a family plan it tilts more towards Ting as well.

If you find my blog posts about Ting helpful and are considering signing up for Ting, please consider using this link.  If you use this link to sign up, we will both get a $25 credit in our Ting accounts (thanks!)  https://zejffn1eh54.ting.com/

Why Ting Is Better Than Virgin Mobile

Recently I switched from Virgin Mobile to Ting.  Here are a few reasons that Ting is better than Virgin Mobile:

• Customer Service!!  Ting’s customer service is fast and fantastic.  When you call Ting’s customer service, you don’t get funneled into a deep menu system.  Instead, a human being picks up the phone after a few rings and helps you.  They actually know about their products and services or have access to other people who can answer more complicated questions.  I have called them a few times so far and I am sold.  All companies should do customer service like Ting does customer service!
• Price!  On Virgin Mobile I had service for 2 phones and those phones were costing me $70/mo.  On Ting I have service for 4 phones and it is costing me $54/mo.
• App!!  The Ting app on Android is great!  It lets me track my usage and set alerts for myself and estimates my next bill.  In contrast, when I was on Virgin Mobile I actually built my own app to to track my used minutes.  The company supplied app was useless.
• My MMS picture messages finally work.  On Virgin Mobile they never worked properly.  I would get empty mms messages and not know what was being said.  On Ting, the messages at least come though and I can read them.  I still have the Android problem that the stock messaging app mismanages group chats but at least I get all the messages now!

If you find my blog posts about Ting helpful and are considering signing up for Ting, please consider using this link.  If you use this link to sign up, we will both get a $25 credit in our Ting accounts (thanks!)  https://zejffn1eh54.ting.com/

Switched from Virgin Mobile to Ting

I just switched (3 days ago) to Ting from Virgin Mobile.   Ting is another mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) on the Sprint network similar to Virgin Mobile and Boost.  I made the move for a few reasons:

• I think I can have 4 phones with Ting for the very close to same price I was paying for 2 phones with Virgin Mobile
• Ting pools minutes, text messages and data which has the potential to save us money
• Ting appears to save the most when you don’t use your devices that much for 3g or calling

• We use little data because I’m always at home on wifi.  The kids *should* use little data because they are in school without their phones and on wifi most of the time.  My wife uses little data because when she is at school or work she can’t really use her phone very much.
• We use few minutes.  My wife and I both had the 300 minutes plan on Virgin Mobile.  I would use close to that but she would use less than half of her minutes every month.
• We don’t send that many text messages and text messages on Ting are pretty cheap anyway

The things so far that I like

• I got a $25 credit for signing up.  If you use this link to create your account with Ting, you will get a $25 credit (and so will I)
• Porting my number was super easy
• Setting up my Sprint BYOD devices that I bought on ebay was easy
• Picture messages seems to work after getting it setup (I always had problems on Virgin Mobile)
• Customer services is crazy good.  They answer the phone without a menu system.  They speak English well and are actually very helpful
• The app and the website are great for monitoring your usage and setting alerts per device and for the whole family to prevent your from using too many minutes, txt or data

Things I don’t like so far

• Texting my wife now costs me 2 texts – one for me sending a text and one for her receiving a text.  They don’t remove the charge when you text someone on your plan, which means it costs the most to text the people you are paying for (your family).
• Calling my wife is the same way.  It costs me minutes and it costs her minutes so that can add up fast.
• I had to get new devices.  I don’t think this is Ting’s fault but it still stinks.  It would have been nice if my Virgin Mobile phones (which work on the same Sprint network) had been able to make the move to Ting.  I had Virgin Mobile LG Optimus Elite phones and could NOT take them to Ting.  I ended up buying 4 of the Sprint LG Optimus Elite phones to make the switch and selling my Virgin Mobile devices.  Luckily I picked the Sprint devices up for cheap on ebay with clean ESNs.

If you are going to make the switch, please consider using or sharing this link on your site or blog (https://zejffn1eh54.ting.com/).  If you use it to sign up you will get a $25 credit (and so will I).  Thanks!