VERIZON CHANGING DATA PLANS AGAIN

[RoyB]

VERIZON running off us GRANDFATHERED guys I guess. We have the unlimited DATA on our older DROID cell phone account which isn't suppose to go away until around 2030 sometime.

Also have a grandfather MIFI 3GB dataplan unit...

They tried this before and after we reminded them we have a signed agreement between us they stopped bothering us. Don't know if that will work again this time or not.

Hearing instead of dropping us this time they are going to raise the rates in hopes we will drop ourselves... It is almost double for the data starting in November. Thats big for me with three phones on the account...

Suppose to be bigger data rates in the NOV BILLING cycle... Seems like the signed contract should prevail...

My bigger problem is VERIZON is the only reliable service where we live. To make phone calls with the other guys I would have to climb a telephone pole like on Green Acres haha...

I'm going to miss my Internet Radio Scanners downstream operations I guess...

Anyone have any ins and outs on this???

Roy Ken

[dahkota]

RoyB wrote:
dahkota - we are almost the same as you except my DROID does not tether. Had to get the MIFI unit to do that. It actualy worked out better for me in that I can have up to five of my wifi enabled devices working at same time. Also in the early days of using tether mode it tied up the cellphone.

Understand the newer cell cellphones doesn't get tied up when in tether mode...

My VERIZON bill is $248 a mo for two smart phone accounts, one standard cellphone account and the MIFI 3GB dataplan account. It appears I will be seeing a $40 increase depending on what VERIZON will want to do about my grandfather MIFI 3GB account.

We use Easy Tether. It works really well (I am using it right now). Using the phone's tethering would cost extra - easy tether is a one time charge (and you can try the lite version free). Right now, we have 5 phones on our plan (3 smart phones, 2 regular phones) for $240 per month. We will be dropping the 2 regular phones (mom and a dummy line) so with the increase, the three phones will be $240/month.

When tethered, my phone still works. I lose the internet when on a cell call but when we need to talk and be on the internet, we use one phone for the call and the other for the internet. The third smart phone is my son's who is in New York. I don't think we have 5 wifi devices we need to use at the same time...

[1492]

Have an iPhone and Droid on Verizon(PagePlus), and a Samsung Note on Sprint(Ring Plus). Don't tend to have long conversations on my mobile phones, text rarely, and use mobile data for just email and web surfing ~ 250mb. Otherwise, mostly on WiFi. My total bill for all phones is not much more than $15. a month. Also, have a Samsung Galaxy on FreedomPop w/500mb 4gLTE/3g data per month - Free. Guess, I have nothing to complain about? :B

[MrWizard]

I agree with what's sad, and put down the phone

Let's see $2.50 a minute 60 minutes $150 plus the the monthly service charge
Looks a lot like $200 a month to me
That said...consumers get a lot more for the money..Now
Than they did then, when it was not a consumer item..

Create a market, fill the market, raise the price
Nothing new

[Gdetrailer]

MrWizard wrote:
cell phones used to be Hundreds of $$ per month for like 60 minutes of talk time
even with rates increasing, they are a bargain compared to when first introduced

talk is cheap..
its internet connection and data that really cost a user

Henry Ford's first cars where cheap compared to every other MFG
costs came down across the board for consumer grade
then rose as wages costs increased
Henrys first car would not sell in todays market, to crude by todays standards
although much cheaper to build than current models

cellphones became a consumer item, the market is saturated
but the demand is for service, faster and faster data speeds,
the consumer is hooked on the "always being connected drug" instant access to friends and info

they have the consumer by the short hairs, supplying the data to supplement the craving

better, faster service, longer battery life, more convenience, its still a bargain compared to then

i don;t like price increases, but i could not be on here, and could not stream video, or email freinds, if i drop my data,

Early "cell phones" AKA "bag phones" actually did not cost hundreds a month, ever.

You had a BASE SERVICE "rate" of something like $20 or $40 per month, then you paid $2.50 PER MINUTE on top of that base Service rate..

It took quite a few years before cell phone companies came up with a monthly price "package" that included a set amount of minutes per month..

My first Cell phone was on Bell Atlantic in the late 1990s for a dual mode analog/digital phone (I skipped the old analog bag phones)..

That phone cost $9.95 and my service package cost $24.99 and I got 250 prime minutes and unlimited night and weekend minutes.. The only problem I ran into was something folks take for granted.. called ROAMING CHARGES.. Not a problem in my home area but if I left my home area I would get slammed with $2 per day roaming charge PLUS $2.50 PER MINUTE rate!

My phone is nothing more than a simple communication tool for emergency usage since I spend a considerable amount of time during my daily commute.. I see no real use with smart phones, the tiny little screen plus the hassle of using thumbs to surf or type to me is not worth the hassle..

Folks need to vote loudly at the expense and unplug.. But since folks have become smart phone zombies I doubt many would ever consider turning it off completely for even on hr..

It is sad, I see people driving with cell phones in hand, I see them walking with cell phone in hand, heck sightseeing with cellphone??

Put the phone down and look around and see what you are missing..

[chiefneon]

Howdy!

I have looked at the link to Verizon and it only addresses phone and unlimited data being raised $20.00 more. I have a unlimited data only plan that is 3g only and pay $59.99 a month for it. I do not want to lose this unlimited plan as we at times use in excess of a 100 GB a month and never less than 60 GB. I would be willing to pay an extra $20.00 a month if Verizon would let us move into a new 4g MiFi. But they continuiously tell us we would have to give up our unlimited plan to move to 4g even though they no longer support 3g MiFi unit we have. As stated I don't read into this as it effect our unlimited data only acount, but I guess we'll see what happens next month.

"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon

[Bill_Satellite]

RoyB wrote:
Bill - nothing that you said adds up to the $248 a month I presently pay haha...

One smart phone........... $46.00
One smart phone........... $47.00
One dumb phone............ $16.00
MIFI...................... $35.00
Nationwide Txt and Tlk Share 1400....$100.00
Nationwide Email and Web Share 1400.. $60.00

TOTAL ....................$260.00 but bill is only $248.00

Total Data used 356MB

I believe you understood what I was posting. You are paying WAY TOO MUCH for the services you use. I failed to mention that the plans I quoted also include UNLIMITED voice minutes and UNLIMITED text messaging. Verizon certainly does not want you to change anything as you are the customer that pays the CEO's salary!

[MrWizard]

cell phones used to be Hundreds of $$ per month for like 60 minutes of talk time
even with rates increasing, they are a bargain compared to when first introduced

talk is cheap..
its internet connection and data that really cost a user

Henry Ford's first cars where cheap compared to every other MFG
costs came down across the board for consumer grade
then rose as wages costs increased
Henrys first car would not sell in todays market, to crude by todays standards
although much cheaper to build than current models

cellphones became a consumer item, the market is saturated
but the demand is for service, faster and faster data speeds,
the consumer is hooked on the "always being connected drug" instant access to friends and info

they have the consumer by the short hairs, supplying the data to supplement the craving

better, faster service, longer battery life, more convenience, its still a bargain compared to then

i don;t like price increases, but i could not be on here, and could not stream video, or email freinds, if i drop my data,

[Gdetrailer]

paulcardoza wrote:
Not sure why people believe that their cell rates are locked in forever..... Why is wireless service different than any other utility? Cable raises rates regularly, even though your plan doesn't change. Electricity, landline phones.

Sooooo, you are perfectly fine and happy to pay more?



"Wireless" companies must LOVE you if you are happy and willing to take it in the shorts just so the executives can afford to fuel their private planes, yachts, sports cars and keeping a few vacation mansions on private islands furnished..

I ditched Verizon years ago, went to Tracfone and have not looked back.. Less than 10 cents per minute and that has not raised a penny for the LIFE of my cellphone..

Vote with your pocket book and walk, yep, you will have to "unplug" a bit from your highly integrated smart phone but think about all that time you will have to go camping if you are not glued to a phone screen..

[RoyB]

APT - Thanks... I see one of the additions I have is NATIONWIDE SHARE 1400 minutes which my bill has listed fro TXT and TLK for $100

Then under the two smart phone it also has another NATIONWIDE S1400 minutes for Email and WEB Unlimited for $30 ($60 total ??). I have no idea what this is... My only email accounts is one with NETZERO and one with our CABLE TV provider METROCAST. This must be GMAIL??? I don't even know how to get to GMAIL or what my GMAIL email address is...

The NATIONWIDE S1400 minutes was used to call home from my working travels at no cost and we also have family in TEXAS , ILL, NC that we call a lot...

Some of that will have to get moved into your numbers...

When I talk to Verizon I bet VERIZON will end up with I am doing now plus $60 haha... $308

[APT]

If you have a Verizon Wireless web site account you can monitor and check on your prior months' data usages. If you call or visit a corporate store, someone can also assist with determining how much your data usage is as well. I was on the more everything plan with 3 smartphones, 10GB data shared, and unlimited text and voice minutes for right at $200/mo including corporate/employer discounts. I switched to the current no contract plan, 12GB shared data and saved $60/mo. While there are some people like dahkota that are using lots of data, most people just don't so there is little to be afraid of by losing the unlimited plans.

This would be your cost under today's plans:
Smartphone 1: $20
Smartphone 2: $20
Dumb Phone: $5
Mifi: $10

That's only $55/mo and you pick the data amount you need in $20/mo increments. Even at 18gb/mo for $100, that's only $155 total for you, a great savings from your current costs. Plus you get unlimited texting and voice minutes, even if you aren't using that today.

[RoyB]

Bill - nothing that you said adds up to the $248 a month I presently pay haha...

One smart phone........... $46.00
One smart phone........... $47.00
One dumb phone............ $16.00
MIFI...................... $35.00
Nationwide Txt and Tlk Share 1400....$100.00
Nationwide Email and Web Share 1400.. $60.00

TOTAL ....................$260.00 but bill is only $248.00

Total Data used 356MB

[RoyB]

Hey Paul,

Just looking at what options or alternatives might be available... being on fixed income things have their limits here and when prices increase other things have to go away...

Have a feeling I will be losing my MIFI HOTSPOT plan or dropping one cell phone account...

[Bill_Satellite]

Roy,
The current Verizon plan costs $10/month for your MiFi and $20/month for each smart phone ($10 for a dumb phone). The MiFi and the phones then share of data plan with 3GB shared going for $36 (normally $45) and 5GB for $48 (normally $60).
So 2 smartphones and a MiFi $50 plus your data 36 o5 48 and you are all in for $86 or $98. Not sure what has the unlimited data or how you use it but this is assuming you are looking to gear down, save some money and eliminate the unlimited plan. If you are not under contract, they will absolutely be raising your current unlimited data plan by $20/month.

[paulcardoza]

Not sure why people believe that their cell rates are locked in forever..... Why is wireless service different than any other utility? Cable raises rates regularly, even though your plan doesn't change. Electricity, landline phones.