FMCA Verizon Plan "On and Off"?

[hanknjoyce]

Before I talk to a series of Verizon rep's about this just wondering - I was told when we got our FMCA Verizon Hotspot plan last April that I could turn it on and off whenever I wanted/needed to. We got the plan to use for extended travel which did not work out. We used it for 2 months, got the free 3-month suspension and now will be charged the $10 per month suspension charge if we want to keep the acct active (ouch?).

I plan to turn it back on next week for a 1-2 month trip and then turn it back off. Has anyone tried doing this "rapid" on/off thing? I realize this is not typical but just assessing our options. FWIW I have found when talking to Verizon about the FMCA plan that it takes at least three rep's before I find one who understands the provisions.

Hank
2005 Mandalay DP
2012 Honda CRV
At Home in South Dakota (really..)

[Sunnysidebeach]

Why not do the Walmart plan; Prepay month to month, or cancel it for a few months when not needed at no charge, for the same service.

[fj12ryder]

Yeah, we had something very similar several years ago. They told us we could turn it off when we didn't use it. They neglected to mention you had to pay a "holding fee". We didn't use very much data, so we dumped them.

Now we still don't use much data and only a couple time per year so we use the Straight Talk hotspot. We only pay for it when we use it, but if you use a lot of data, it isn't the best deal at all. But it works for us and no strings attached or small print to doublecheck.

[Gulfcoast]

Sounds way too complicated to me.

[rr2254545]

From the FMCA website

Can I suspend my data plan when I’m not using it?

Verizon's standard suspension policy allows you to suspend your service up to 90 days, twice a year. You have 2 options for how you'll be billed while your device is suspended:

With billing - You'll be billed for all services and features during the suspension period. However, your contract and upgrade eligibility dates won't be impacted.
Reduced rate billing - You can suspend at a reduced rate of $10/mo. Monthly device payments will continue under your device payment agreement. If you choose this option, your contract and upgrade eligibility dates will be extended for however long your line is suspended.

No mention of free 3 month suspension ?

[hanknjoyce]

I spoke at length with Verizon today (via "Chat" so I would have an e-mail record again) and they confirmed I can turn my FMCA plan on and off when I wish. Of course, I will incur a suspension charge of $10 per month now when I am "off" and not using it. But still better than paying $50 a month plus fees for a service I do not usually use at home. A side issue was they had not honored my free 3-month suspension and I also got them to credit that back to me.

So I will turn my MiFi back on next week for a while and stay connected on the road.

Hank
2005 Mandalay DP
2012 Honda CRV

[dons2346]

I do believe that you can get one "hold" per year. After that there is a monthly charge

[hanknjoyce]

The DW uses enough GB's with her IPAD on our trips that I think I will keep the service whether actually using or in suspend mode. I still have an old flip phone so switching now to something newer raises a whole bunch of pricing and usage issues.

Thanks for the responses.

Hank

[GordonThree]

Gulfcoast wrote:
I simply pay the bill every month whether I use the hotspot or not. It's so much easier that way.

X2, it's a good deal, keep it active and keep it grandfathered in

Otherwise, both V and T offer contract-free options, just cancel when not in use.

[Gulfcoast]

I simply pay the bill every month whether I use the hotspot or not. It's so much easier that way.