How do you feel about PTel now? I'm looking to switch but finding mixed reviews around the net.
Wow, quite the necropost! I can't answer for Adam (though I know he had switched to Airvoice
due to getting jumpy after some issues of his own with P'tel, though he talked of
switching for work reasons prior), but I can answer for myself.
Both my wife and myself have been with P'tel now for just a little over four years (October 2010), so we've been through both the Sprint and current T-Mobile MVNO eras with the company. Also for full disclosure, I know people can be wary of folks who shill for companies as money and referrals can influence the perception and believed quality of a service, so let me disclose
exactly how much in the way of referral kickbacks I've received from them in that time: $5 in phone credits that I received from one fellow MMM forum member as a referral back when they offered the program before the T-Mobile transition. The parent company of P'tel/Giv Mobile also donated ten feature phones and twelve SIM cards each with one month of $40 unlimited talk/text/data (at the time) service to help with the 2013 Oklahoma tornado relief efforts, with all phones and service distributed to folks within the Bethel Acres community. I do not participate in their current referral service, nor any of their advertising campaigns.
My mother is also currently on P'tel for a total of three months now, and T-Mobile coverage in Oklahoma (the native coverage stomping grounds) is probably some of the best coverage statewide of any of the T-Mo coverage areas, even if most of it is 2G GSM. Between my wife and myself, we spend on average about $15 of service credit a month. My mother is on their newer $25/month unlimited everything plan, but may transition down to their $20/month plan now that it includes 150MB of data.
Customer service has always been helpful, though hold times to talk with a person has increased a bit over the years. There's never been any billing issues, no issues with mysterious vanishing credits, and service has always worked for us when we've needed it. We're pleased, all of us, and I'm notoriously difficult to please (as I'm sure you've noticed if you've ever read
the guide). There's a reason why it's there and I still recommend them. Of course, the greatest dependence upon service quality for most everyone is going to come down to T-Mobile coverage in your area, which can be spotty in some regions (it was worse for us personally with Sprint), and I think most people confuse technical limitations of the network with problems with the MVNO itself, because I too read and keep up with these sorts of reviews. This isn't to say that they haven't had some technical issues in the past that have briefly disrupted service for some people (such as back in May or so of this year, IIRC), but they've always been helpful and done what was needed to correct issues for myself, my wife, and others here in the community who have used P'tel and followed-up with me both in the good times and bad with the provider. I also know of a lot of other satisfied P'tel customers here on the forums, who have expressed their fondness both publicly and privately.
Take it for what it's worth, but I'll take P'tel over
any America Movil product out there (TracFone, NET10, StraightTalk, SIMple Mobile, and Page Plus after January 2015),
definitely take them over Republic Wireless, and I'd still take them over T-Mobile's own prepaid division and most of the other T-Mo MVNOs as well, including Brightspot, Walmart Family Mobile, LycaMobile, Solavei, and Ultra Mobile. I won't say they're perfect or 100% problem free, but they've treated us extraordinarily well... especially when you consider what we spend per month with them.
There's my two cents and more, hope it helps.