Used and Paid For By Me – Ongoing Service
I’ve been a Verizon customer since 2007. For the past eight years, I’ve lived on five rural acres in North Texas, about five miles from a town of fewer than 2,000 people. This review is based entirely on my experience paying for and using Verizon service for nearly two decades.
Coverage and Reliability
In 19 years, I cannot recall a major service interruption. That doesn’t mean there were never minor issues, but none significant enough to stand out in memory.
Where I live, reliability matters. During storms, my home internet has gone down while my Verizon cellular service remained active. I’ve been able to handle email, banking, browsing, and even stream video when 5G is available.
I’ve seen neighbors complain online about dropped calls from other carriers. I can’t speak for their experience, but in my specific rural area, Verizon has been consistently dependable.
Billing and Cost
I’m on the Unlimited Welcome plan.
Without discounts, it would cost about $80 per month. With military and auto-pay discounts, my service portion is closer to $62 per month before device payments and taxes. Including everything — taxes and a device payment on my Pixel 9 Pro — my monthly withdrawal is about $70.
Over the years, my bill has remained very stable, usually varying only by a few cents unless there’s a national price adjustment.
Upgrades and Support
The last two phone upgrades were handled entirely over the phone. I received documentation by email during the call, reviewed my next bill online before finalizing, and had the new device delivered within 24 hours. A prepaid return label for the trade-in was included.
In 2013, I lost a phone while visiting Tampa, Florida. A replacement was in my hands the next day.
I’ve also had my military discount disappear from my bill once. After navigating the automated system and reaching a human, it was resolved in a single call.
The only consistent frustration is the automated customer service system. Reaching a person can take patience.
Where Verizon Falls Short
Verizon’s perks are slim compared to some competitors. Streaming bundles and aggressive “free phone” promotions tend to favor new customers over long-term ones.
If perks are important to you, that may matter.
Final Verdict: Quality At a Little Higher Cost
I don’t stay with Verizon for perks.
I stay because in my rural North Texas location, the service has been dependable for nearly twenty years.
If someone in my area asked whether they should switch, my answer would be yes — based on my experience here.