K&C Cellular, which previously was located at 68 E. Market St., has a new location and is under new ownership and management.
Scott Ferguson, who purchased K&C Cellular, said he bought the business to provide customers with better cellular services. He said he wants customers to know, while he purchased the merchandise inside the store, everything else is different, including the location, name and quality of service.
The company now is called Nationwide Prepaid Cellular, Ferguson said, and is located inside Sameday Signs, 80 E. Market St., where the phone number is (419) 448-0123. Ferguson also is the owner of Sameday Signs.
The change of ownership and location happened in early October, he said.
Nationwide Prepaid Cellular offers pre-paid, no-contract cell phone service, including unlimited talk and text with Internet access, Ferguson said.
The network, Page Plus, is as reliable as Verizon, he said, because both networks use the same towers.
Nationwide Prepaid Cellular is a convenient choice for customers who don't want to commit to long-term, expensive contracts, he said, because services can be chosen each month depending on the customer's needs.
"Times are tough," Ferguson said, and Nationwide is able to offer the flexibility other companies do not.
The company will continue to buy and sell cell phones, Ferguson said, including smart phones, and also carry phone covers and other accessories.
In addition to the products carried over from the previous location, he said, Nationwide Prepaid Cellular also now takes utility bill payments. Offering cell service and a utility payment location, Ferguson said, seemed to go hand-in-hand, and is a convenient service for customers.
Also, the company now is able to "flash" cell phones from other providers, allowing them to be used in conjunction with Nationwide's plans, so a customer wishing to change to Nationwide doesn't have to change cell phone numbers or phones.
The previous nearest location able to flash phones, he said, is in Findlay.
Ferguson said he chose to open Nationwide Prepaid Cellular inside Sameday Signs for the convenience of the location. The store is easily accessible to customers within walking distance, he said, and if he decides in the future to have Nationwide in a separate location, the store will remain downtown.
Ferguson said he soon will begin advertising the store, and a special promotion on a new camera flip phone will be offered in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
He said Nationwide will likely have a website in the near future, and will be able to take cellular payments online.
