So I'm thinking of ditching my landline

DeAnna

Just A Face in The Crowd
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
Posts
7,282
Reaction score
760
Location
Goodyear, AZ
anyone done it? seems like the only calls we ever get are telemarketers so doesn't seem worth it to pay the monthly bill.
 

Sandan

Oscar
Supporting Member
Joined
May 15, 2002
Posts
24,666
Reaction score
2,150
Location
Plymouth, UK
Only thing hold us back is getting my no longer monitored alarm not to get pissed off
 

jw7

Woof!
LEGACY MEMBER
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2002
Posts
8,194
Reaction score
7
Location
Ahwatukee
anyone done it? seems like the only calls we ever get are telemarketers so doesn't seem worth it to pay the monthly bill.

I completely understand. My land-line is a garbage dump for telemarketers.

3 reasons I keep mine:

1) I telecommute frequently. I can't afford to go to 3 hour meetings and chew up minutes or risk a dead battery.

2) It is required for my home security monitoring and DirecTV service (countdown until dreamcastrocks tells me I'm stupid and the connection is not needed unless I order PPV :) )

3) Whenever you sign up for any kind of service (dr., dental, exterminator, ISP or charities or insurance or anything) they always ask for a phone number. I do not want them bugging me on my cell and if you give that number you have an established business relationship and they can call you and eat at your minutes or more importantly your time.

I just find it more convenient to dump the land-line crap to my answering machine. 9 out of 10 messages I get are worthless. I have my ringer set to 2 rings and if I could figure out how to get it to zero I would do it.

If you are fine giving your cell to service providers and willing to accept the calls, then it might make sense to save the money.
 

Shane

Comin for you!
Super Moderator
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
May 13, 2002
Posts
68,943
Reaction score
38,702
Location
Las Vegas
Trust me its only a matter of time before you start getting the telemarketing calls on your cell. I do. I get the freaking car warranty people quite often.
 

Jersey Girl

Stand down
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2002
Posts
32,476
Reaction score
6,459
Location
Super Scottsdale
I haven't had a landline since I moved to AZ.

I occasionally get unwanted calls (the Arizona Republic comes to mind), but they are few and far between. Plus, if I don't recognize the number, I don't answer it.
 

dreamcastrocks

Chopped Liver Moderator
Super Moderator
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2005
Posts
46,247
Reaction score
11,851
2) It is required for my home security monitoring and DirecTV service (countdown until dreamcastrocks tells me I'm stupid and the connection is not needed unless I order PPV :) )



Biting.......My.......Tongue.......
 

Ryanwb

ASFN IDOL
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
May 13, 2002
Posts
35,576
Reaction score
6
Location
Mesa
I have MagicJack. It's 19.95 A YEAR and it's just awesome. I had to dick with it for about 3 months to work out the kinks but now it's rock solid. I take a lot of after hours calls (not those kind of after hour calls) and many long distance calls. This helps keep my company cell bill and personal cell bill down. Voicemail, long distance, all the features are free. Plus you don't need anything special exept this USB thing, unlike vonage. The price along makes it worth it to me....

Check it out, I highly recommend it

The only thing that sucks is you need to have a solid UPLOAD connection on your internet, if it drops below 1Mbps people claim you're breaking up.
 
Last edited:

thirty-two

boglehead
Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2003
Posts
26,989
Reaction score
3,984
I stricly use a cell phone and will continue to do so once I buy my house. I may look into getting a landline then, but honestly, a cell has been more than fine for me. I'm sticking with a cell until I find a reason to get a landline.
 

Shane

Comin for you!
Super Moderator
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
May 13, 2002
Posts
68,943
Reaction score
38,702
Location
Las Vegas
IMO if you are a femanle and live alone or have kids in the household you should ABSOLUTELY have a landline. No questions asked.
 

Linderbee

Let's GO, CARDINALS!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2005
Posts
29,146
Reaction score
2,654
Location
MESA! :thud:
2) It is required for my home security monitoring and DirecTV service (countdown until dreamcastrocks tells me I'm stupid and the connection is not needed unless I order PPV :) )

Biting.......My.......Tongue.......
:shrug: I don't know how DTV works, but Dish charged me $5/month for not having a landline because having it connected to the phone line was how they updated the programming menu nightly.
 

Shane

Comin for you!
Super Moderator
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
May 13, 2002
Posts
68,943
Reaction score
38,702
Location
Las Vegas
:shrug: I don't know how DTV works, but Dish charged me $5/month for not having a landline because having it connected to the phone line was how they updated the programming menu nightly.

I dont have any DVR's connected to a phone line with DTV. It is not an issue and they do not charge me. My receivers work perfectly without.
 

Mulli

...
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2004
Posts
52,529
Reaction score
4,601
Location
Generational
Trust me its only a matter of time before you start getting the telemarketing calls on your cell. I do. I get the freaking car warranty people quite often.
Did your warranty expire? You should renew it.
 
OP
OP
DeAnna

DeAnna

Just A Face in The Crowd
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
Posts
7,282
Reaction score
760
Location
Goodyear, AZ
Ryan, the MagicJack sounds great - do you know if you can keep your current phone number?

I'd have to find out from DTV if they have other methods of updating the programming without a landline.

I also have to check what my upload speed is on Cox. Not that it matters - the telemarketers will have to live with it. :)
 

O

LD @ F.O.H.
LEGACY MEMBER
Joined
Aug 2, 2002
Posts
13,905
Reaction score
5
Location
The Vortex!
Ryan, the MagicJack sounds great - do you know if you can keep your current phone number?

I'd have to find out from DTV if they have other methods of updating the programming without a landline.

I also have to check what my upload speed is on Cox. Not that it matters - the telemarketers will have to live with it. :)


You do not need a land line for DTV. Programming updates through the satellite.
The only reason for the landline is so you can order movies or PPV's with your remote. The work around for that is to connect your receiver, depending on your receiver, to the internet.
If you don't do either you can order movies, etc, online or by calling them.
 

Sandan

Oscar
Supporting Member
Joined
May 15, 2002
Posts
24,666
Reaction score
2,150
Location
Plymouth, UK
Alarm system used to be monitored and it expects a dialtone.

Going to try disconnecting soon and see what happens.

So you can order PPV if it is internet connected, mine is ?
 

jw7

Woof!
LEGACY MEMBER
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2002
Posts
8,194
Reaction score
7
Location
Ahwatukee

Shane will have to get in line to correct me when I am wrong behind DCR.

My guess as to what he will say is that if there is some kind of home emergency and you need police or fire or ambulance 911 help, if you have a land-line they know exactly where you are.

If you have a cell-only they don't right away.
 

Shane

Comin for you!
Super Moderator
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
May 13, 2002
Posts
68,943
Reaction score
38,702
Location
Las Vegas
Shane will have to get in line to correct me when I am wrong behind DCR.

My guess as to what he will say is that if there is some kind of home emergency and you need police or fire or ambulance 911 help, if you have a land-line they know exactly where you are.

If you have a cell-only they don't right away.

Thats precisely why Bob. We are already seeing this with people that drop their landlines to save a few bucks.

People are in need of emergency services and are in IMMINENT danger and they drop the call with 911 long before they are able to give a location, or their battery dies because they just happened to forget to charge it that day etc.. etc.. In an emergency situation a few seconds can make all the difference. If you have a hardline phone we (police) know from the second you make that call who the phone belongs to and exactly what the address is that the call was made from. It can and has made all the difference.

I know people think it will never happen to them. But so did everyone this stuff has ever happened to. If you have kids in the household especially a landline NEEDS to be installed. IMHO you are an irresponsible parent if you don't have one.
 
Last edited:

Jersey Girl

Stand down
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2002
Posts
32,476
Reaction score
6,459
Location
Super Scottsdale
I agree with having a landline if you have kids. It's an additional safeguard.

As a single woman who lives alone, I see no point in having a land line. If I can't get to the phone, I can't get to the phone, cell or land line.
 

Shane

Comin for you!
Super Moderator
Moderator
Supporting Member
Joined
May 13, 2002
Posts
68,943
Reaction score
38,702
Location
Las Vegas
I agree with having a landline if you have kids. It's an additional safeguard.

As a single woman who lives alone, I see no point in having a land line. If I can't get to the phone, I can't get to the phone, cell or land line.

Most landlines can have a phone in almost every room either by a phone jack or a muti phone sytem that has extra handsets. So in most cases you are likely to be able to get to one of them. While a cell is usually in one part of the house that you may or may not be able to get to.

On top of that you never know if or when you will drop a call on a cell phone. Everyone I know has dropped calls on all carriers. Battery power or just overall poor reception but not necessarily a dropped call.
 

Ryanwb

ASFN IDOL
BANNED BY MODERATORS
Joined
May 13, 2002
Posts
35,576
Reaction score
6
Location
Mesa
Ryan, the MagicJack sounds great - do you know if you can keep your current phone number?

Nope, they assign you a new one... but apparently they are working out a way for you to port an existing number over much like cell phones now allow you to do. ...but that will be in the future

My entire motivation was when Cox raised my rate to something insane like $35.00 a month, maybe it was $40.00. I just couldn't justify having a landline and our family share plan at those prices.
 

Linderbee

Let's GO, CARDINALS!
Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2005
Posts
29,146
Reaction score
2,654
Location
MESA! :thud:
I know people think it will never happen to them. But so did everyone this stuff has ever happened to. If you have kids in the household especially a landline NEEDS to be installed. IMHO you are an irresponsible parent if you don't have one.
I agree. Landline is necessary if you have kids.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
552,849
Posts
5,403,446
Members
6,315
Latest member
SewingChick65
Top