Some questions about ST service

[gyropilot]

Anyone using an iphone 4/4s? I was reading on another forum that I would also lose my visual voicemail, I'm not sure I can handle that as it's been so many years that I've grown accustomed to it.

I'm using an iPhone 4S and you are correct, StraightTalk does not not support visual voicemail. On an iPhone with ST, your voicemail will revert back to the old fashioned call-in-to-listen-to-your-messages method from the pre-iPhone days. With ST you'll still receive voicemail message notifications in the native iPhone app, and when you click on the Voicemail tab, it'll dial right into your voicemail where you can hear and manage your messages.

Have you considered using a free Google Voice telephone number as a front end (forwarded) to StraightTalk service? Google's free iPhone app has it's own visual voicemail system with all sorts of goodies like multiple greetings, voicemail transcription, push, text and email notifications.

John L.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[bpaulson]

You can use YouMail for visual voicemail. I have an iPhone 4 and was bummed to lose visual voicemail until I realized that YouMail gives free visual voicemail.

From the sounds of it you'd be a perfect ST customer as you don't use much data. If I were you I'd switch. If you do happen to use too much data they will warn you before terminating service...

[Airforcekid]

Anyone using an iphone 4/4s? I was reading on another forum that I would also lose my visual voicemail, I'm not sure I can handle that as it's been so many years that I've grown accustomed to it.

I use a 4S you will have access to HSPA 4G and +1 for YouMail beats apples version on AT&T.

[SpineDoc]

Very cool, I was looking at Youmail today. I do have a Google voice account but the reason I don't use it is that the GV app is that it's very flaky. Often when I try to listen to a voicemail I get a no network error, even if I can still make calls. I just didn't want to rely on their app and miss an important voicemail. I am hesitant even with Youmail as it looks like it is internet based as well.

[bpaulson]

YouMail is data based when you listen to your voicemail (but then so is AT&T visual voicemail)

Can't knock it till you try it... It beats ST voicemail hands down!

[gyropilot]

I do have a Google voice account but the reason I don't use it is that the GV app is that it's very flaky. Often when I try to listen to a voicemail I get a no network error, even if I can still make calls.

SpineDoc,

When you listen to voicemail through the GV app (visual voicemail), it's data based. Network congestion could cause interruptions in the playback. The good news is you don't need to rely on the GV app to listen to voicemails.

You can still call in and listen to your GV voicemail the old fashioned way completely independent and outside of the app. To access it, call your own GV number then hit * when you hear your message and enter your voicemail PIN when prompted.

Enjoy,

John L.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[DannyNY]

VERY much thinking of going to this service, I'm currently on ATT and paying $210 for 2 lines with grandfathered unlimited data.

I'd be using an iPhone 4S.

1) How much taxes and government, etc fees are you all paying over the $45? Can anyone give me a rock solid final price after all the junk fees are added on?

2) Will straight talk let you block your caller ID so it shows up as blocked when calling someone?

3) If I can block my caller ID can I unblock it selectively to phones I call, for example with ATT I can prepend*31# to the phone number I'm calling and it turns off caller ID block only for that phone call.

4) Do you guys think the trending towards 1.5GB/100mb data will continue to get worse, or do you think we've hit rock bottom and that's the number ST needs to have a profitable business model?

5) Has anyone actually lost their phone number due to being inactivated because of going over data caps? I've read elsewhere others are saying they simply had their data shut off, but did not lose their number.

Thanks much guys.

I'm surprised that you haven't received any adequate responses to your questions as it seems most are guessing in their answers. So let me try to answer all your questions accordingly.

1. Straight Talk refills can only be purchased on straighttalk.com, walmart.com, and in a Walmart store. The law on prepaid refills is that there is only sales tax on them (911 fee is allowed too but no one collects it except Straight Talk on their website) but it varies by state. Some states have no sales tax at all and some states have a law where there is no sales tax just on prepaid refills. For example, California has sales tax but don't charge sales tax on prepaid refills. With that said, I live in NYC and have been paying $45 as a FINAL COST and have 3 other family members on Straight Talk that are paying the same! There is never any taxes at all and I can tell you how to completely avoid them if you message me. It has worked 100% for us and it makes sense since there are people who use their phone in NH for example but live in NY.

2. Why so much confusion to such a simple question? Calling ID blocking works 100% as it does with every single cell phone company! You can either do it on a per call basis by dialing *67 then the 10 digit # and hitting send or you can go into the iPhone 4S calling menu and go into "Phone", "Show My Caller ID", and then toggle it to "Off". Why are you people trying some *31# method that no one has ever heard of. You can block your # for sure and I've done it a bunch of times. You can also dial from a Pinger (TxtFree App) # or Google # from Talkatone on a # no one knows and you can just log out the App when you're done. There are a bunch of App's on the iPhone that give you a # which you can use for those purposes and then just log out after you place the call.

From using Straight Talk these are the features supported:
Call # Blocking, Call Waiting, 3 Way Calling, Call Forwarding, Voicemail, Free 411 (not the same as AT&T 411, it's some free service such as 800-FREE-411), Nationwide Roaming, Multi-Txt, and International Texting.
Contrary to what people are saying, the international texting works on my phone and the only thing I've heard is that Straight Talk can potentially block the messages from going through but I haven't had that happen.

The only features that AT&T postpaid offers which I've noticed that Straight Talk doesn't are:
Premium Texting & Visual Voicemail. Premium texting is short code messaging such as when you designate your # to have messages from example AOL fowarded too or when you cast a vote to some contest or TV show. You can get around that by setting up Google Voice or other services which accept these kind of texts...but they won't work on Straight Talk. It's not such a deal breaker but just letting you know about that.

AT&T's visual voicemail isn't supported and you can use a YouMail client or Google Voice if it's that important to you. You don't necessarily have to use a Google Voice # to use Google visual voicemail. You can create a Google # and never use it by unchecking it and then go into it and click on enable Google Voicemail...it will then give you the call forwarding commands you need to press to override your Straight Talk voicemail with Google Voicemail. It's that easy.

The Google Voice app relies on data connection but so does AT&T's visual voicemail. There is no such a thing that you will play part of the voicemail and be interrupted because data was weak. Whoever posted that was completely wrong - It's either you get the whole voicemail or you don't get it at all...! I been using Google Voice for a while and I'm very familiar with it. So you say that the GV app gives you problems and you dont' want to rely on it for your voicemails...FINE - don't install it as there are options to have a TXT or EMAIL sent to you when a new voicemail hits your mailbox. They will even send you a transcription of the voicemail. You also have the optoin of calling into your voicemail but dialing your own # then hitting * and no you don't have to enter your password each time! You just make sure that when you set your forwarding # to go into advanced settings and take password prompt off when calling my voice mailbox from this #.

There are no other differences that I have come across between Straight Talk and AT&T postpaid on an iPhone 4S. The data speeds are identical! In regards to being shut off on data overuse, you do get a warning from Straight Talk and some have reported that when they kept using tons of data thereafter their service was shut down and they had to call in to have it reinstated. For those who got booted and banned, all they had to do was call Straight Talk and have them turn the service on for 48 to allow for the # to be ported. Straight Talk says they do allow # porting for those who are banned but the customer must call in.
The thing is that this may be an act of the past as many are reporting that Straight Talk is now throttling their data abusers. We have reports of a few losing their # but they were lazy and didn't even call in trying to see what can be done with their #...rest assured that Straight Talk will not force someone to lose their # - there is also a way to contact their corporate division for help and #'s on prepaid don't get thrown into the pool until 30 days have passed anyway.

Speedtest conducted by my house in NYC running on iPhone 4S with Straight Talk:
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[DannyNY]

Sorry the same picture posted twice. Error was from the website which doesn't even show which picture is being attached....