Ask the Readers: Do You Still Have a Landline?
Editor's Note: Congratulations to Lazygal, @cdcookin, and Elizabeth Wilie for winning this week's contest!
In an age where almost everyone has a cell phone, more and more people are opting to save money by getting rid of their landline. For many people, it makes more sense to rely solely on their cell phone than continuing to pay for a landline. However, there are still quite a few people who have opted to continue having a landline in their home.
Do you still have a landline? Why or why not?
Tell us whether or not you still have a landline and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards
We're doing three giveaways — one for random comments, one for random Facebook "Likes", and another one for random tweets.
Enter 1 of 3 Ways:
- Post your answer in the comments below, or
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- Contest ends Monday, April 4th at 11:59 pm Pacific. Winners will be announced after April 4th on the original post and via Twitter. Winners will also be contacted via email, Facebook, and Twitter Direct Message.
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We eliminated our land line 2 months ago and are using our existing cell phones. We save $50.00 per month and we hardly notice life without it.
Yes, the primary reason is a teen girl who lives on the phone in the summer during the day. It's cheaper to have a land line than pay for unlimited voice or risk going over. Also, while everybody in the house has mobile phones, the reception is not great and while a femtocell could fix it there is no need since we get by on land line. Lastly, it's nice to be able to all get on other phones and talk at once to family. Note - while there are bluetooth phones that could accomplish this, landlines also allow you to have your phone ring in each room without having to take phone with you.
Landline only. Here's one reason why: been in business on main street in a small town for 25+ years. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CELL PHONE WORK! Not once. My addicted customers go crazy when they realize this (usually 5 steps from the door) and rush outdoors to try to get a signal. When their phone won't work outside either, they often come back to harangue me, in anguish, about what could be wrong??? Those are the polite but slightly crazy people. The belligerent people berate me; the entitled people grab my business landline without asking. Oh, and the nice people? We offer them the phone!! (Then, they're the ones that become abusive when asked to wind up their chit chat so an actual customer can make a purchase using a credit card.) People are so self involved - they don't understand that it's NOT ME personally who is depriving them of their fix. If it was up to me, your phone would be working so your tantrum wouldn't cause everyone else to run around in circles trying their own phones/services/connections - instead of enjoying my shop.
Oh, and the earliest adopter I know? Thank God a neck cancer survivor.
Nope. I've never had a landline since I've had my own place (about 6 years) and I'm 26.
No I no longer have a landline. I have two cell phones now so I have no need for one!
I do not have a landline - I have two cell phones with me at all times so I have no need for it!
I don't have a land line anymore. I only use my cell phone. But my roommate has a land line (I think we had to get it because of our alarm system) and she uses it in our apartment when her cell gets bad reception.
Yes, I always keep a landline so that I never have to loose minutes searching for a cell phone if I ever have to call 911.
I still have a landline (or VOIP). First reason is that a 911 call is easier to deal with on a land line instead of a cell phone. My son is young and has had a couple of febrile seizures, for with we had to call 911. The second reason is that the cell phone reception in our house is bad.
Yes, but we only use it for the fax machine.
We've never had a landline.
I still have a landline, only use a tracphone cell when I travel - I use the landline plan to get internet access for $20 a month
In the past we couldn't get any or reliable cell service in our home. But even now that we can get cell service near and in our home, we have retained our landline for several reasons...
- Cell phone reception and talk quality still just isn't as good as landline phones.
- We have a limit on talk time on our cell plan, and the cost to add unlimited would equal or exceed the cost of our landline (and since landline talk quality is better...)
- Don't want all the calls going to my landline to be coming to my cell phone -- in the middle of my commute I don't want to be getting those robocalls or a political call or a nonprofit foundation wanting to do an item pick-up. No thanks - I want to keep my cell phone for the calls I care about.
I think it's a generational thing, though. I don't think my 18-year-old son will probably ever have anything but a cell phone in his life.
We have a trak phone and use our telephone company for our internet service. We had our land line disconnected but can still receive incoming calls on it as well as dial 911 if necessary. Since we made few calls anyway, this has turned out to be a perfect solution for us.
I gave up my landline when I left working in politics about 4 years ago. The only reason I had a landline then was to monitor robo-calls and such.
Sadly, we do. We live very rural and there are too many places, namely in our home, that cell phones still don't work well. It's getting better so there is hope that in the next few years we can cut the cord.
Yes, we still have a landline. We live in the country and landline still allows us to have dial-up internet which is the cheapest way to have internet for us. I'd love cable access to internet which would then maybe allow cell phone. We have a tracfone for times when power outage makes our cordless phone not operable. A regular cell phone does not always work well here because out house sits in a low spot. Oh how I'd love to be in the 21st century!!!
Yes, I have a landline. I work at home and cell phone reception isn't good in my large condo. Odd. Today Verizon is palming off its long distance charge (includes calls to Mexico and Canada) to another firm and will reduce my monthly charge by $10. Said they were doing this to compete with cell phones.
Yep, still have a landline. It is bundled with the cable and internet. Makes sense in an area where cell phone service is not always reliable.
I haven't had a landline for years. Another good question would be if anyone has cut the cable\satellite and how they did it.
It's just my husband and myself, but still have a landline for a number of reasons:
• I refuse to have a cell phone
• House alarm is tied to the landline
• Internet is through the landline
• during emergencies that took out the electricity (Hurricane Ike) our landline worked just fine
My husband has a basic cellphone (we call it his dumbphone) and we'd love to get rid of that too, but there are occasions where having a cell has come in handy and we use it for any and all long distance. We have a basic plan with his cell, and pay the minimum for landline service and it's much cheaper than having two cell phones.
We still have a landline. Teens & husband have cell phones, but I do not and I work at home, so the landline is a necessity for me.
Yes, I have one. 1. we still don't know whether cell phones can cause brain cancer (with the jury still out, do you really want to risk it?), 2. if the electricity goes out, it still works (yes, cell phones work but what about recharging?), 3. cell service isn't always great. If would save money if I didn't have one, but I feel safer with one.
I haven't had a land line for about 7 years now. There's no way I'll ever go back, with the convenience of cell lines. Also, having the unique ability to slowly wear down a customer service rep, I have a pretty cheap monthly price, so it makes it even better!
Yes, we still feel like it's good for emergencies. We have an old-style phone that does not have to be plugged into an electrical outlet to work. It only costs about $25 a month for me to have the landline service (includes voice mail). There may also be a sentimental attachment - I have had the same phone number since 1993, when I moved to this town that I love.
We have a land line because our cell phones don't have great service in our (furnished) basement.
yes, for emergencies and when I want to talk to someone with out fear of dropping the call.
I have a landline. Cell phones are difficult for some people with disabilities to use. I also need it for my dsl line.
We do still have a landline, and don't plan on getting rid of it. Yes, we have cell phones, but we live in a rural area where cell reception can be spotty. I am home alone with 4 children all night long (hubbys works 3rd shift) so I like having the landline for 911 calls, and use the cell phone as a back up. We also have DSL that requires me to keep the landline. I honestly use the landline MORE for phone conversations because most of my family and friends live locally. Same with my younger kids classmates, my son can call his friend and talk for 2 hours and it doesn't cost me any extra. I pay $28/month for a landline w/caller id # only. No other fancy features, just a good old phone!
Used to have, it was cheaper to take phone+DSL than DSL itself. But never hooked up the phone. Now, no longer have it. Mobile phone only for all needs + Google Voice
Absolutely not. With the ubiquity of cell service in pretty much every area I visit/travel to, I cannot see a reason to "double-up" on phone service.
I have not had a land line for at least 8 years maybe longer. But since I got married and my husband's daughter lives in Canada I'm thinking of getting a land line just to make international calls to Canada. Cell phone calls are expensive to Canada.
Yes. I'd love to get rid of it, but my husband wants to keep it.
Yes, we have a land line for alarm system.
Yes, we have a landline to make sure we're reachable when at home where we may not hear cell phones or our reception is poor. Also I want an easy way for any babysitter to call us or 911 without worrying about how much battery their cell phone has.
We have a bundle with internet through a local provider that is really very reasonable and includes long distance so I don't have to use minutes to call back east.
No, I gave it up about five years ago and have never missed it.
Ido. I'm disabled and don't go out much so it doesn't really make sense to have a cell phone.
We do not have a landline since my wife and I both have cell phones with free night and weekend minutes. We work during the day so we have no need to have a landline at home.
No, we haven't had a landline since 2002. I'm almost 50, so was one of the first of my friends to eliminate it.
I don't quite understand why some people have commented that they keep theirs for 911. I've had to call 911 a couple times and have always been able to do so with my cell.
nope haven't had a land-line since I got married and moved from my parents house. There is no need for one our cell phone plan has more minutes then we use already.
yes land line at home. but when i get married and move out, we won't plan on having one.
We got rid of the landline just a few months ago after discussing it for a couple of years. The actual telephone broke, and it was either buy a new one or drop the service. It was a good excuse to finally make the break.
no! would be very redundant. we dabbled with vonage a few years back...nightmare.
cellphones only since 2001.
Nope, we got rid of the landline when everyone in the house got a cell phone
I have not had a landline in more than 7 years. My cell phone is always with me and for $20 a month with unlimited text and talk, who needs a landline!
We had a landline for years for "just in case". Then one day, our bill was $6 higher than the month before, not because we used it on long distance calls but because the phone company just decided to raise our rates. The day I received the ...bill with $6 more than what it's supposed to be is the day I decided I've had it with the landline and cancelled our service. We use our cell phone to make and receive calls.
Yeah. Use the landline for a base contact with answering machine. Had the number for 23 years. Listed in the phone directory. If I don't know you personally that is how you can call me. Only minimal incoming service, low cost.
No landline here! Just not worth the money when I'm never home. Besides I can do anything I need to from my cell. Much more convenient.
We have a landline. We can only get basic ADSL broadband in our area, which needs a landline. When we had wireless internet we didn't have a landline, but the rates were too expensive, and the download quotas too stingy, so we had to change to basic broadband and get the phone back. Nobody calls us on it except for telemarketers, so we tend not to answer it most of the time!
I haven't had a land line since 2001. That's when my employer gave me a cell phone that they pay for. Now it's morphed into a Blackberry and I have to pay 20% of the cell plan portion of the bill. So, I have a smartphone with unlimited everything and it costs me $12 per month.
I had one about 10 years ago so I could have DSL. Once I left that apartment and got cable, I haven't gotten a new one. Don't need it.
We gave up our landline to save money...and we do...but I miss the clarity of the old phones. I just don't feel like I hear all of the conversation when I'm on the cell. We may go back to a landline as soon as the kids move out....and get rid of the cell altogether (eek).
We just got rid of our landline a few months ago. So far we haven't missed it.
We disconnected our land line a couple of months ago. It does not make sense to keep it when we rarely used it. The only calls I get on the land line are telemarketers. Now I'm saving some $$ and no annoying phone calls.
Do not have a landline, and do NOT miss it!! Cancelled it to save money, works well for me!
Yes I still have a landline. Two reasons: 1. I'm old.
2. In case of emergency 911 knows where i am.
Yes, we still have a landline. We have DSL and that requires a landline. Also, my husband's employer pays for our landline--so why not have one!
I do still have a land line. Why? Because Vonage is far less expensive than any of our local mobile providers. Also, I really don't fancy dragging an electronic ball and chain with me everywhere I go.
Yes. I still have a landline. It is part of our cable/internet bundle so I would not save much if I dropped it. Also, it is reliable. The area we live in does not have good cell phone service at times.
I do have a land line. I'm not sure why. Between my cell, land line and internet service, my phone bill is over $150 (US) per month. I am going to make a change... I'm just not sure what will change.
Nope - got rid of it last year and haven't missed it.
Have not had a landline for for several years now.
K.H.
Central Florida
I haven't had a landline for about ten years.
Yes, we have 2 land lines! One is for a fax machine and the other is our home phone. After surviving 9-11 and having family living in a hurricane zone, we realized that cell phones were NOT a reliable means of communication, so we will NEVER get rid of our land lines.
I got rid of my landline about 7 years ago. I loved saying good-bye to Qwest! Good-bye to the bill, and to the bad customer service.
I cancelled my landline 7 years ago, and good riddance! Good-bye to the bill and to bad Qwest customer service.
We kept our landline and switched our cell phones over to pay as you go, because the economy and housing crashed and we mainly used those on the construction site. Our regular cell phone acct was more expensive than our landline, which we also use for internet access and phone contact for all our friends, family and personal accts. We didn't want them calling us when we were on the roof or putting up walls, etc, so nobody had our cell phone numbers except people associated with work and nobody's working anymore anyway. We could use that Amazon card!
I don't have landline now . Why ? Because I already had a cellphone, and it is easy for me to use cellphone than landline. A cellphone is portable , flexible, easy to go.
Yes, I do still have a landline, but I'm questioning its value and may get rid of it soon.
I do have a landline (VOIP) because AT&T has terrible service in my condo but I'm a die-hard Apple fan so couldn't live without an iPhone!
No we don't have a land line. It made no sense paying for cell phones and a land line.
Yes, still have a landline in case of emergencies. (for example-cell phones do not work)
i still have a land line because I think I'll need it when the power goes out. if you live in an area where this is unlikely to happen maybe you don't need one but we live in a semi rural area.I f the power stays off a long time you cannot charge your cell phone.
Still have landline and love it - besides nothing else works in rural mtns.
I have a landline. To get FiOS I had to get a "package" to keep the price reasonable. I don't have a TV so I picked the phone and I use it all the time! I get really bad cell phone signal in my house so the land line is pretty awesome. No more going out on the porch to make a phone call!
For my kids, in case there is an emergency. They are too young for cell phones.
Gave mine up three years ago.
Here in the Uk I still have a landline - it has my sky tv and broadband attached to it and I dont pay for local calls. Its cheaper than a mobile/cell phone on contract although I have one of those too for emergencies and the free texts service I get.
rachel
no way - and haven't for over 7 years - at first folks looked at me like i was from mars - now it is the norm
i don't like to talk on it, so why pay for two (landline and cell)
Yes I do. Mostly because I have an 11 YO at home, often alone and I want him to be able to pick up the phone and call 911 if necessary. He did get a cell on his last birthday but often lets the power run down. My phone service is bundled with my cable TV and internet.
All I have is a landline. Don't need or want a cell phone.
No land line for couple years already. When we first got married and moved in, my husband and I got those land line + DSL deal. But we found out we were NOT using the land line at all! So, we ditched it and never miss it! :)
My family has a landline, but I think it's mostly for convenience. It's always available even when the cell phone is on silent.
I have the bundled service through Time Warner that offers high speed internet, cable and landline phone, so the cost is pretty cheap. Every time I've contemplated dropping it, something with my cell phone goes haywire and I am thankful to have an alternate phone available for making phone calls.
We have a high-speed DSL connection, but we make phone calls using a VOIP system. We save about $55 a month and get unlimited local & long-distance calling.
Yes, I have a land line. The plan I am on doesn't have enough minutes and I have free long distance on my land line.
I do still have a landline. My reasoning is that everyone in my family use their own prepay cell phones. I bought everyone a Tracphone model, each for $10. After some initial opposition, everyone is now used to using a very low tech model cell phone. This includes my daughter in college and my other daughter in high school and my son in high school. Because we don't really claim ownership of the prepay cell phone numbers, I wanted to keep a landline so that we always have a "permanent number." This way, my children can list their cell phone numbers as well as our landline home number on their resumes. Also, I didn't want to have spotty phone service when we have blackouts. I got my landline down to $20 with Verizon. I found out that I could go to the very basic services and use Sprint phone cards for phone calls. The phone calls from the phone cards are very inexpensive and don't get taxed. My phone bills with the prepay minutes and Verizon total $120 per month, at most, cheaper than most cell phone plans.
Yes, but it's voice over IP, which doesn't count as a traditional landline.
We no longer have a personal land line, but my husband does have a line for business faxes. I have not used a land line in over a year.
Yep. Still have a landline for a few reasons. First, the sound quality is better than on my cell. Second, I'm on the phone for hours sometimes and I'm not comfortable holding my cell to my ear (or a bluetooth etc). I like my brain unradiated.
I still have my landline. I actually jump when it rings! I can't say why I'm afraid to drop it; old habits?
I got rid of my landline about a year ago, and I don't miss it at all. When I switched from cable TV to satellite I was no longer going to qualify for their bundle deal, so I decided to ditch the home phone. Now I just use my cell, and it works out fine and saves me some money every month.
YES! We went without one for a long time, but our cell phone bill was ridiculously high. Now, we pay our monthly fee for the landline and only buy pre-paid minutes for the cell phone. Which is for emergencies and my husband to call me for clarification on an item when I send him to the store for me. Whenever someone leaves the house, they take the cell phone. We almost never use it, though.
Nope. I haven't had one since I ventured out on my own (7 years ago). I just don't see the need. I only talk a lot at night and have free night and weekend minutes on my cell phone. My parents live in the middle of nowhere so I can see the need for them to have a landline still.
I don't know, but for some reason it finds me very useful to have tellephone line in the house. I think it's because we could use it anytime for emergency purposes, just incase we don't have our cellphone handy or we lost it somewhere and we want to call home then we can just use the pay phone right in the streets. For me, having telephone line is quite important.
still have a landline, but seriously considering letting it go
We cancelled our land-line in November. My husband, my oldest daughter, and I have cell phones and we haven't had any real problems without it. We did have to switch from DSL to a cable modem, but we had the cell phones anyway and the cable bill is less than the phone bill was. Then my mother, who lives in an attached apartment behind our house, insisted on having a "real phone" so we got her a Vonage account. I don't know if that counts as a landline or not, but those of us in the main house don't have one and don't miss it. I'm not sure we're really saving much, but I really didn't like the local phone company anyway.
I haven't had a land line in over 8 years. I live alone so I have no real need for one and it really helped me stretch my dollars when I needed it the most. Now, it's just a way of life for me.
The only reason I keep my landline is so my mother's call from Germany is cheaper for her. When she no longer calls my number then I will (gladly) terminate my service with AT&T
I don't have a landline -- and sometimes I have gotten by without even a cell phone, using my Google Voice account. Google Voice is supposed to be tied to a cell phone, of course, but if you disconnect your cell service, Google won't notice the difference, if you forward all your phone calls to Google Chat and talk to people via the microphone in your computer. It's one way to cut corners when you have run out of other things to cut! And it just means that you can't be reached away from your computer -- well, as I discovered, there are worse things! I'm old enough to remember a time when people didn't have phones with them everywhere they went, and the world didn't come to an end. In fact, with Google Voice, I didn't even have to tell people I didn't have a phone -- and when I got my cell phone service set back up again, I still didn't tell people -- I just forwarded Google Voice back to my cell phone. Voila!