That's weird, because we've used Verizon for years now and have been generally pleased with them. DH has had next to no problems in 4+ years with them, and the problems I've had in 3+ years with them were probably due to using the "promo" (aka cheapest cell phone available) phone and not a higher quality phone like DH. Currently we're in Central Ohio, but DH travels a lot for work and uses his nationwide.

I've had a few times where I've gone way over minutes but they've always taken care of it for me. We're very pleased with Verizon's Customer Service, but I have heard a few horror stories of accounts not being coded properly and getting massive overcharges.

No matter who you go with for a carrier, ASK questions and get items in writing to review BEFORE signing a contract. Make sure you completely understand how many anytime minutes you get, how any 'free nights and weekends' minutes work, how any 'free cell phone company network' promotions work, and what cities are generally covered by your plan. If you use your cell for text messaging, IMing, sending pictures, downloading ringtones, and other fun stuff, make sure you choose a plan that includes these options to avoid painful billing surprises. See the answers in writing, do not just depend on what the salesperson tells you. You are signing a legally binding contract.

While I'm on this 'read the contract and understand everything before signing' kick, you may want to only sign a one year contract instead of two. I know Verizon usually charges a small fee for a one year, but it may be worth it instead of being locked into a carrier you hate or is habitually problematic.

The same thing happened to me too! Its why I switched to T-Mobile!

Never had a problem with Verizon - I had Sprint previously and it was awful, maybe it's just by comparison that I'm such a fan of VW.

However I've been with them for two years and things have been great - no problems as of yet.

Just be sure to check the coverage map and see if it meets your needs. Verizon has good coverage as does Cingular.

Cingular has GAIT phones that cover nearly the entire United States. If you're staying mostly in the Central/Eastern US, Cingular's GSM plans kick butt and include rollover.

I switched from Sprint PCS (Should be Sprint POS) to Cingular and will never look back.

T-Mobile has been my carrier for two years now and I love them.

Contracts are a year long and depending on your credit you could qualify for a free phone. If it's not the phone you want, the cool flip phones are offered at a discounted price.

After my first year they gave me an extra 50 loyalty minutes so now I have 650 minutes in my plan at no extra charge. For a phone upgrade you don't have to resign the contract. As far as plans I think they probably have the cheapest around.