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Alltel Wireless Prepaid Cellular - U Prepaid
Editor Rating
Overview
In 2008 Alltel was the fifth-largest mobile operator in the United States, behind AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. During the year Verizon purchased the company, and the sale closed in January 2009. Most Alltel markets have since migrated to Verizon.
While the majority of markets have switched to Verizon, there are still a number of markets in which Alltel still operates. This includes their prepaid service.
Pros: Alltel's prepaid plans cover three different tiers to fit various types of users. Subscribers can get a number of unlimited features for 75 cents per day, and can pay a quarter to add more.
Cons: Most of the available phone options with Alltel prepaid pay as you go service are on the expensive side. In addition, the activation fee is expensive and there is a minimum initial balance required to start up service.
Detailed Provider Information
Plans: Alltel U Prepaid offers three basic plan types. With the pay per minute plan, all calls are 15 cents per minute. There is a minimum 20 dollar initial balance. For each month of non-use, a fee of four dollars applies. The pay per day plan costs 75 cents per day, so between $22.50 and $23.25 per month. Subscribers can choose two of four feature options: unlimited nights and weekends, unlimited mobile to mobile, unlimited favorite number calling, or unlimited text messaging. Subscribers can add a third feature for an additional 25 cents per day, and can further add a fourth feature for another 25 cents. Calls not covered by the voice usage options are 10 cents per minute. There is also a 20 dollar minimum initial balance. The pay per month options features three plans that resemble regular phone plans, but without the contract. The $29.99 plan offers 200 peak minutes and 1,000 night and weekend minutes. Calls made above those minutes are charged at 35 cents per minute. The $39.99 plan offers 400 peak minutes and 2,000 night and weekend minutes. Calls made above those minutes are also charged at 15 cents per minute. The $69.99 plan offers 700 peak minutes, unlimited night and weekend minutes, unlimited mobile to mobile, and unlimited text messaging. Calls made above those minutes are charged at 15 cents per minute. Unlimited favorite number calling is available on any monthly plan for five dollars extra per month.
Customer Service: Customer service is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week via a toll free number, email or by dialing a special number from your Alltel prepaid cell phone with no airtime charges. Customer service is also available at retail locations during normal business hours.
Credit Check: None
Contract: None
Payment Options: You can pay for your Alltel minutes or plan online, via phone, by purchasing a replenishment card, visiting an Alltel store or contacting an Alltel customer service agent.
Text and Picture Messaging: On plans that do not include unlimited text messaging, the cost is 10 cents per message. Picture messaging is available for 25 cents per message, though it is not available on all handsets. Text messaging packages are available for the pay per minute and pay per month plans: 5 dollars for 300 messages, or 10 dollars for 750 messages.
Data Plans: Alltel U prepaid offers use of their Axcess data service. There are three price points: $19.95 a month for the All Axcess Pass, which includes unlimited messaging and web, plus a one-time $5 credit for downloadables; $5.99 for a month of just web; and $1.49 for a day pass of web-only.
Downloadables: Alltel prepaid offers several offerings including ringtones, wallpaper, games, podcasts, email, IM, and others depending on the capabilities of your phone. Prices vary.
International Calling: International calling is available, but only to Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico. You'll want to check with Alltel prepaid customer service prior to making calls to verify rates to the destination country you plan on calling.
Roaming Charges: Alltel does charge 59 cents per minute for calls made while roaming.
Calling Features: Alltel's U Prepaid offers voicemail, 3 way calling and caller ID with all plans.
Activation Fee: A 35 dollar activation fee is required. In addition, new users must carry a 20 dollar minimum initial balance to start service (except for the pay by month plan).
Nationwide Long Distance: Alltel wireless includes nationwide long distance in all of their calling plans. Calls made within the United States are treated as regular calls.
411 Calls: Directory assistance is available at a cost of $1.50 per call plus airtime.
Earliest Minute Expiration: Alltel's pay per minute plan has minutes that expire based on the amount you replenish. For a $20 to $44.99 refill, minutes expire in 60 days. For a $45 to $54.99 refill, minutes expire in 90 days. For a $55 to $99.99 refill, minutes expire in 180 days. For anything one hundred dollars or over, minutes are good for one year. Minutes from the pay per month plans expire at the end of the month and do not rollover.
911 Calls: Yes
Phones: Phones are available in a wide range of prices and with a wide range of features. Most modern features are available such as speakerphone, Bluetooth, camera phone and more.
Some Available Cell Models:
Samsung "Smooth" (pictured)
LG VX5500
Samsung Juke (red and navy)
Verizon Blitz
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Alltel Prepaid
I love allet
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Alltel Prepaid
its better than being stuck under a contract
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Alltel Prepaid
Andrew:Where can I see if the data feature is on?If its under"options"
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Calcio
2009/11/08 |
Andrew:Where can I see if the data feature is on?If its under"options" then under "mobile network":it's showing it as "on".I haven't been charged(I check my balance and minutes twice a day) and Its been on ever since I activated the BB.I don't see the phone say 1xev in lowercase or 1XEV that way anywhere.I assume you you mean I should see this on the front screen;what is there,is 1x(just as I typed it).I'm not seeing EVDO in any way either.I downloaded opera mini and it doesn't connect.I'm hoping it downloaded correctly;I assume it did,because opera mini will start to install when I click on it.Then it shows me:The application opera mini has attempted to access a low-level network connection.Would you like to allow this?It wants me to choose a yes or no.Either way I answer(I've done both),it asks me if I want to allow Opera mini to access server4.operamini.com.And again,either way I answer(I've done both),I get an error that says:Failed to connect to the internet:Go to http//www.operamini.com/help?version=4.2 with your desktop browser or contact your service provider for internet settings.What do I need to do?Do I need to download those service books?If so,as John recently asked,how?Thanks again for all your help.You've been a blessing,I hope you're ok or still with us here,haven't heard from you this week at all.I hope verizon didn't screw somthing up with your internet connection! A few days ago,my other phone,an alltel,not my verizon BB,got switched to roaming.Now it's always on roaming.They're telling me that I'm not getting charged for it being on roaming,and that's true as far as it just being on roaming,however,I made a call i thought would be free,it was a 428(I assume alltel) phone number,I saw my bonus minitues plummit!I'm fightin' with verizon about that!One verizon rep insisted that I only get charged monetarily,not minutes.It seems some reps don't know how alltel prepaid worked compared to verizon prepaid.Verizon and I are not thru yet.Oh,and she also insisted that I didn't get charged for the call.I think she only looked at my monetary balance not subtracting.It seems she had no clue about my bonus minutes in any way!I'm dreading this take-over by verizon!
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Alltel Prepaid
The phone that I got does not work half the time and you all
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Shirley
2009/11/05 |
The phone that I got does not work half the time and you all need more then expensive phones and ones that people can aford.
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Alltel Prepaid
AndrewWhere can I download the generic service books? How doI
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Alltel Prepaid
Monique sorry to hear it didnt work for you still. I dont know
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Andrew
2009/11/01 |
Monique sorry to hear it didnt work for you still. I dont know what could be wrong unless that was a 'bad' phone. as i told you guys in other reviews, my verizon usb modem works on my prepaid account. when verizon took us over, i was still using my alltel blackberry. the next day everything data capable on my blackberry was disabled. i was only able to make calls and texts. knowing that my verizon usb modem works with my prepaid account, i knew any other verizon phone would also. Calcio cleared up that his blackberry now works too, but as he said his web browser doesnt. I mentioned he needs to load the generic blackberry service books for it to work again OR just get opera mini, a good smartphone web browser. Dont be fooled- none of this is "hacked" software. and if we wanna say that it is, then your phone is "hacked", wheather t-mobile justifies it "ok" or not, because the blackberry storm wasnt MEANT for t-mobile in the first place. ..dont also forget that as a prepaid customer, YOU shouldnt have a blackberry in the first place (just clarifying stuff, no hard feelings). I was going to get a verizon blackberry tour but seeing the blackberry storm2 just came out, I got that instead. this phone is cool!! but ya, the same as with the alltel blackberry and now my storm2, I entered the ESN hex. dialed *228 and it programed my phone the first time around. it DID delete the service books. but all I did was downloaded the generic service books and everything works just like with a contract! the blackberry browser, all the instant messengers, etc. and ALSO... the internet is FREE! its not charging me for data usage. I have no guilt because i even called verizon and the rep TOLD me that as a grandfathered alltel prepaid customer, data IS unlimited on my account. that explains why when with alltel, when our minutes ran out, web or internet would still be working. the generic service books made it possible to use that feature. why verizon would take it from us along with not allowing smartphone use, i have no idea. but as i said i called and asked and thats what i was told, so im using my features. $20 a month = unlimited nights and weekends, unlimited text and able to add unlimited mobile to mobile and unlimited favorite number, having a verizon usb modem AND a blackberry storm2! (can also be used as a modem for laptop) as far as going to t-mobile, good luck. in my opinion, theyre worse than sprints coverage, and SPRINT is bad. i know verizon has its faults, but id rather have coverage. but as long as youre satisfied, cool. cause i am!! I hope i was able to help everyone in some way to benefit from the things i know and am able to do to get the best out of their prepaid service. see ya. (p.s.- all a generic service book is, is an EXACT remake of the books that get taken away when you dial *228. all youre doing is putting them back on the phone..)
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Alltel Prepaid
Calcio, hey thanks for the comment. They notified me that they
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Monique
2009/10/31 |
Calcio, hey thanks for the comment. They notified me that they were changing both, my account and my area. So I waited until I could access my account on My Verizon...when I tried it, it still didn't work for me. I've already switched to T-mobile. They sent me a sim card and remotely programmed my phone (They were completely aware that it was a Verizon phone) for the internet on their service. I'm paying practically the same amount and enjoy unlimited usage on my phone. So I'd definitely recommend the switch. And you can still use your Blackberry without having to download hacked software that could damage it. T-mobile has an entire department dedicated to their customers that want to use third party phones. LOL I'm starting to sound like a spokesperson for them! I'm glad it all worked out for you though...have a good one.
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Alltel Prepaid
Calcio, see? i knew itd work. it was just that you guys were
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Alltel Prepaid
An additional comment for Monique:Verizon may have switched your
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Alltel Prepaid
Hi Monique,I dialed *228 the day after they told me my prepaid
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Alltel Prepaid
Calcio, yeah I thought that too, but even after they switched
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Monique
2009/10/28 |
Calcio, yeah I thought that too, but even after they switched my area, it still didn't work. They had a Verizon plan that was similar to what I already use and it included data for a couple of bucks less than what I pay for alltel, but the wanted a $400 deposit..even though I opted for month to month service and was NOT buying a phone from them. Since the switch...they really suck now. I just got off the phone with T-mobile and they are letting me use my new blackberry with unlimited talk, text and data for 79.99 a month. That's about $10 more than what I was paying with my alltel plan not including the internet (since the switch, internet stopped working on my phone and they want me to pay monthly to add it back..no thanks) T-mobile charged no activation fee and I'm not under any contract. So I'm happily switching over. Verizon buying Alltel pretty much sucks as bad as when AT&T bought Cingular... Hope things work out better for you.
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Alltel Prepaid
Monique and Andrew,I just received an email last Tuesday from
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Alltel Prepaid
Excellent service. Let's hope that Verizon does not mess it up(
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Alltel Prepaid
Chevelle: go to operamini.com and download it from there. blackberry
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Alltel Prepaid
whats the web site to go on if u want to change your pre paid
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Alltel Prepaid
John you can set it up online in your verizon profile.go to my
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Andrew
2009/10/22 |
John you can set it up online in your verizon profile. go to my services, change your prepaid phone, and enter the ESN hex number. have your old phone off, wait 5 mins then dial *228 from the blackberry. press 1 and itll program the blackberry. turn off. turn back on and you should be using a blackberry. ESN hex: in blackberry go to options, status, and there you find the ESN (hex). its 8 characters long mixed with letters and numbers.
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Alltel Prepaid
ADREWHow did you go about setting up your blackberry to your
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John
2009/10/22 |
ADREW How did you go about setting up your blackberry to your prepaid account? I just bought an Alltel Blackberry Curve 8330 I want to try out on my prepaid.
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Alltel Prepaid
I love Alltel because of thier service, qualtiy, Custumer Care.
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Alltel Prepaid
Was ok at first, not even a month after having it cuts out a
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Meg
2009/10/22 |
Was ok at first, not even a month after having it cuts out a lot. Having a lot of problems making calls and sending texts, comes up with "call failed" or "text unable to send" Not what I expected. Also hate how you have to go on the internet to see pictures that are sent to you.
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Alltel Prepaid
AHA! I just had to call customer service...I was mysteriously
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Chevelle
2009/10/22 |
AHA! I just had to call customer service...I was mysteriously running out of minutes after adding to my balance yesterday. It was explained to me that the $5.99 fee simply grants access to the web. Any kind of airtime that you use will be $.10 a minute for the airtime. Oops! I did not understand that at first. So I have been using facebook, downloading e-mails etc. and sucking my account dry. Now I totally understand what you (Andrew) meant by using unlimited nights and weekends. The rep told me that Unlim N&W was the workaround for these charges. Live and learn. Ya, only going to use internet on N&W, therefore I won't even worry about the $5.99 monthly fee. Even better. Andrew: Did you download Opera from a BB software site?
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Alltel Prepaid
Chevelle glad you can enjoy what theyve been hiding from us for
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Andrew
2009/10/21 |
Chevelle glad you can enjoy what theyve been hiding from us for no good reason. I see it as, if a prepaid person really WANTS a balckberry or smartphone, why wouldnt they just allow us to have it? If we wanna spend $600 on a phone, they still profit (except... i bought mine for $60 brand new lol). but, they made us have to go another route. and in the end, we still win! as you mentioned about the browser in the phone, ya, that wont work. even when we were still alltel, my blackberry web browser didnt work either. but I downloaded opera mini web browser and it worked, so try that, though, I doubt itll still work because when verizon took us over, all data capable features got turned off. but opera mini was free, you didnt have to pay the $1.99 or $5.99 subscription. on your blackberry, it wont ask you if you wanna renew the $5.99/month because blackberry wasnt geared for prepaid so youd either have to call or go on your prepaid profile or reactivate your old phone, select it, then reactivate the blackberry. tip: if you have unlimited nights and weekends, internet is FREE reguardless if you pay the $1.99/$5.99 or not. (I DONT pay for whats free!.. im using it now)
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Alltel Prepaid
Andrew, THANK YOU for all of your help. I found this forum,
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Alltel Prepaid
Calcio thanks. i will continue to look into stuff. i dont know
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Alltel Prepaid
Andrew,much appreciation to you for your efforts on helping those
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Calcio
2009/10/18 |
Andrew,much appreciation to you for your efforts on helping those of us on prepaid who have blackberrys.Thanks for your patience with our questions. Monique,I too share with your frustration.I too am trying to activate my verizon blacberry curve and I also am getting the same response when i dialed *228.I even tried to dial *22898,I think that's because I saw it on the verizon website,but I'm not sure.Well,I got the same response as you did.Andrew and Monique,please stay on this forum because we probably all can help each other concerning this and maybe are helping others.Thank you both.However,if either of you want to,you can email me at Liberoforza@yahoo.com.I just need help on this.I'm really trying to refrain from paying close to 90 bucks a month to use my blackberry.Thanks again, Calcio
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Alltel Prepaid
ANDREW, Yeah I'm still here. If you want you can also reach me
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Alltel Prepaid
Monique i know what youre talking about. let me know if youre
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Alltel Prepaid
I bought an Alltel phone 2 days ago but it turns out they stopped
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Alltel Prepaid
Hi all, I hope I can get some updated feedback here... I just
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Alltel Prepaid
when i try to text someone from my lg phone from alltell it says
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lyndsay
2009/10/15 |
when i try to text someone from my lg phone from alltell it says send failed so what is wrong with my phone and what should i do?
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Alltel Prepaid
ANDREW, yes I put in the ESN Hex online, it tells me to dial
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Alltel Prepaid
Nick you dont have to have the alltel phone with you to transfer
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Alltel Prepaid
Well Andrew I have another question if I were to do this i don't
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Alltel Prepaid
ANDREW, I've got the phone and it is unlocked, but when I tried
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Alltel Prepaid
..im gonna run a few tests and let everyone know the outcome.
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Alltel Prepaid
ey Chad sup. you can use your verizon LG VX8300 on your alltel
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Alltel Prepaid
Hi, I have a alltel prepaid service and recently purchased a
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Alltel Prepaid
Hey Andrew,I have an older verizon LG VX8300 and it is my favorite
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Alltel Prepaid
Hey Monique,by it being an unlocked phone, it should work. if
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Alltel Prepaid
ANDREW, correction on my last review. I purchased a Blackberry
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Alltel Prepaid
I've had the Alltel prepaid for about a year now and I've never
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Alltel Prepaid
Today verizon starts transfering us over from alltel little by
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Andrew
2009/10/05 |
Today verizon starts transfering us over from alltel little by little. glad i was able to help, Richie! here are a few tips for everyone: -*228 (i reccomend everyone dial it atleast once a month. updates your phone for the better!) -*780 (turns OFF your voicemail so that you wont get charged 10 cent when someone leaves a voicemail during the day) -*78 (turns back ON your voice mail) -manage connections, mobile network options, data services: OFF (ONLY for those of you who updated to a blackberry as i mentioned. you wanna keep data services OFF, atleast during the day because when the blackberry (or any smartphone) synchronizes with the network during the day, itll charge you!) -opera mini (i reccomend any prepaid blackberry or smartphone user to get opera mini as your web browser in your phone even over your origional phones web browser! first: for me, because my blackberry on prepaid would not let me use the blackberry web browser in the phone, opera mini WILL work. you know how in your phone you HAVE to do the $1.99 a day or $5.99 a month thing to use the internet in your phone? well opera mini is FREE. and its a real internet like web browser for your phone. not the cheap browser like the phone came with. its really better! it will charge you during the day, of course. and you would need to have your data setting turned on. unlimited nights and weekends it is free.) call me out if you need me. otherwise, see you guys on the other side (verizon.. when they transfer us)
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Alltel Prepaid
Calcio: you do have an alltel prepaid account online right? cause
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Andrew
2009/09/28 |
Calcio: you do have an alltel prepaid account online right? cause its easier like that. if you call customer service they might give you problems knowing that youd want a blackberry on prepaid. correct about the ESN number. but youd wanna put in the ESN hex (has letters and numbers) not the other ESN. after you put it in you need to have your old phone off and dial *228 to have the blackberry activated. then youre good to go. as far as it being a verizon blackberry... im not so sure on that one. because the networks still know that were alltel. my blackberry is an alltel phone. now.. it may still work but i never tried a verizon phone yet (in a way). but, even if it doesnt work, still hold on to it because when verizon gives us prepaid accounts on their site, it will also give us the option to change phones and because we will officially be verizon, it should work. you may need to get the web pass to use the features in the phone. im not using my features (yet) but i will look into it. i just use mine for now for regular texting and calls and to link to my laptop for the internet (im using it now). (p.s.- when you run out of minutes, internet is free!) i did test my verizon usb card with my prepaid number but didnt have success. as i said i think its because the verizon network knows that im an alltel customer. so id have to use an alltel usb for it to work (untill after were 100% verizon). it did program and everything but it just wouldnt let me connect to the internet.
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Alltel Prepaid
I'm not happy with alltel prepaid at alll.they charge too much!screw
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Alltel Prepaid
Andrew,I agree with you 100% about allltel's prepaid plan and
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Alltel Prepaid
I have had a lot of different kinds of phones and i love the
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Alltel Prepaid
I have been on the prepaid plan for three years now and I absolutely
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Alltel Prepaid
sorry to hear and see people have problems. but for me, i grabbed
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Alltel Prepaid
I have had Alltel in the past and currently in the process of
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Janice
2009/09/10 |
I have had Alltel in the past and currently in the process of changing carriers. Alltel not only does unauthorized debits to customers accounts they also overcharge the prepaid accounts. (Example - When there is a 10 cent charge Alltel will try to deduct up to $2.00 from your account) Trying to get anything corrected is nearly impossible with Alltel. |I currently have a unsettled complaint against Alltel witht he Better Business Bureau.
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Alltel Prepaid
I was really happy with Alltel until recently. to begin with
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AngryAlltelCST
2009/09/09 |
I was really happy with Alltel until recently. to begin with I was told that since the merger, alltel and verizon were m2m. Since some customers were being switched and some werent right now. Well, up until today, both my phones ( we had 2 alltel phones. mine and my daughters) well they converted mine over to a verizon prepaid ( even though the prepaid account page and phone both say alltel, I was ok as long as I could keep m2m with my daughter and vise versa. I found out that hers was still considered alltel) Well, today it started charging her for calling someone else that has an Alltel phone that has been switched over to a verizon number and was charged 25c per minute and all her bonus minutes were gone as well. I tried calling customer service about the issue and was hung up on multiple times. When I asked to speak to an English speaking supervisor, They hung up on me again. No resolution. at this point and I am very disapointed in the fact that we are basically being pushed around like ragdolls. I love the pay per day plan, BUT how are we supposed to know when we call or receive a call that someone that we used to have m2m with, we may not have anymore, and they are unwilling to help in anyway to correct this issue.
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