Re: New Data Requirement!
pemlee
Newbie

I to was a caught off guard by this sneaky tactic.  My wife and son got their devices upgraded on Friday and when I went in to upgrade my daughters two days latter I am slapped with this new requirement. 

 

Unfortunately since they have just upgraded and are not part of the new data plan era they are required to stay with Verizon for two years.  I on the other hand am strongly considering leaving.  It am so poised that I might just pay the extra money to a different carrier.

 

I hope the flood gates open wide and the mass exodus begins, maybe a competitor might take this opportunity to take a few notches out of Verizon's bottom line.

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Re: New Data Requirement!
larrwill
Newbie

I truly hate litigiousness and big government but Verizon deserves a campaign of writing to your Senators and Congressmen to regulate the wireless companies not to force data plans!  

 

Perhaps even Verizon has gotten too big and the free market to control and needs some help by breaking Verizon up much like AT&T years ago.

 

BTW: Those of you that think it is fine to tell your teenage daughter she must trade in her enV2 for a Razzle must not have children or you work for Verizon!

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Re: New Data Requirement!
BooBee
Newbie

I'm sure Verizon is getting tons of calls and complaints about the new pricing plans cause I called myself.  From what customer service told me, if I add a phone or upgrade my phones I would NOT be forced into the new pricing plan IF I get phones that work under the existing tier of phones we currently own.

 

Since my wife and I both own Alias 2's they fall under multimedia phones (not smartphones) so in that case we could renew for better multimedia devices (not smartphones) and we would not be required to change our Connect Plan.  If we wanted the new Droid, Blackberry or other "smartphone" then we would have to change our pricing plan.

 

I plan on porting my son's Sprint phone to Verizon in three weeks so at that point I guess I will see if Verizon tries to force us into the new pricing plan because if they do our family will just go back to Sprint since they have by far more competitive pricing plans with unlimited options too.

 

I know a lot of people are upset but just ride this out and when renewal time comes demand they keep you in the old plan or you will jump ship.  I'm sure they don't want to lose people, or they might let a few thousand go then realize the number increasing and make a change.

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Re: New Data Requirement!
crimedoggies
Specialist - Level 1
My son had an Env2 and now has a Samsung Intensity which he actually likes better. My teenage daughter had an alias and now has a Motorola Rival that she likes better. What do those 2 phones have in common? No need for a data package. There are options out there, you just need to look at them and determine which one would suit you best.
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Re: New Data Requirement!
LindaB
Newbie

Crimedoggie:  Do you work for Verizon?  You are trying too hard to make this better.   It won't work for me.  I sent Verizon an email over 24 hours ago.  Anytime I have a question, they reply to my emails (sent through their support area) fast.  I sent them an email asking them about my plan over 24 hours ago and guess what???  No reply.  So if you work for Verizon, tell them to answer my email.  If you don't work for Verizon, you should..

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Re: New Data Requirement!
drnc03
Enthusiast - Level 2

WOW... This thread has had more than 2100 hits... this just reiterates my point that Verizon needs to take a hard look at what its customers want... they obviously are not pleased with the direction Verizon is trying to move in... lets keep this going... get your friends an family involved... let them know how you feel... word of mouth is a consumers most valuable tool... trust me... Verizon puts a lot of weight on customer opinion... so when you go into a store remember to feel out the survey... let them know how you feel and that you plan to let people know...

 

Visit    https://survey.verizonwireless.com/vzwsurvey/    and take the Verizon Wireless customer satisfaction survey... let them know how you feel!

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Re: New Data Requirement!
jshel27
Newbie

I too am outraged by the new data charge that verizon has imposed.  I was a Alltel customer and Verizon bought Alltel out.  My 13 year old son has an EnV Touch & I have a Blackberry.  Imagine my surprise when I received the bill for nearly $300 last month, which included the $30 data charge and additional fees incurred from my son's phone!  He doesn't even use his phone that much except mainly for texting!  I have not complained to customer service about the charges but now that I came across this forum, I certainly will!  Verizon needs to wake up and make some changes...people do have other options. 

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Re: New Data Requirement!
mandyhem
Newbie

I just got my LG Envy right before Christmas, I was looking at my bill about a week after wards and found out that some how we were getting data charges.  When we went to the Verizon store they told us that it can come from about anything,  Well since no one was able to tell me why or how they were happening and I can't afford 20 a month for 2 phones that they could just block the apps and internet on the phone.  They blocked all of these for us and we have had no problem with using our phone just like our old Razors.  We did that at a store, it seems you get a different story every time you call to Verizon, go to a different store.  Just keep talking and asking for different ones till you get the answer that you want.

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It's Really All About Reasonable Expected Use of a Device
CellTalker
Enthusiast - Level 3

I think most if not all of the outrage we have is directed at the $9.99 forced data plan for so call multimedia phones.  Most people probably can accept the requirement for a data plan for smartphones because email/ browsing/ twitter/ facebook are certainly within reasonable expected use of these phones.  Verizon does have a right to price devices and plans to "recover" subsidies over time.  I'm even somewhat okay with the sky high ETFs on these phones.  Verizon says you must buy a $30 data plan as part of the agreement of getting a discounted smartphone.  However, using this logic, Verizon shouldn't be allowed to force a data plan on a smartphone (or any phone) that they didn't subsidize. Even so, it doesn't mean you will use EVERY feature of the phone but at least the core features which include email and data will be enabled.

 

Now, let's apply this to the multimedia phones and Verizon's inexplicable new plans. By Verizon requiring data plans on these phones they have created a severe mismatch in "reasonable expected use" and "required use".  Reasonable use of most of these devices is texting (qwerty keyboards), pictures (camera), music (mp3 player), and even (gasp!) calling.  None of these require the added data plan and In spite of what some try to argue, these features are not just a bunch of 10 year old technology.  Some mix of these have become standard features on the majority of even basic phones.  Yes, most of the phones are also web enabled and some people want to use them for that purpose but it's not the primary design or purpose of these phones.  The web experience is horrific on some and okay on others.  VZN needs revenue but they recognize that many of these phones are marginal at best for data and internet, hence the requirment for "only" a $9.99 plan. Plus, the $9.99 plan will generate overages to more than make up for them losing the "ghost" $1.99 charges that they've been unethically applying to our bills.  I was actually told this week "we can't remove the monthly charge but you can block it if you don't want it".  Huh?  That's like my cable company telling me I have to pay for premium channels or an on demand movie because the settop box is capable of delivering it but I don't have to watch it if I don't want to.  And, it would be like them telling me that if I don't want that extra charge then I can't have a set top box, DVR, or HD service either.  My cable company has not done these things and I sure don't want to give them any ideas!

 

We've all seen the failed attempts to rationalize and justify this change as well as the flawed analogies and NONE of them hold water. I wish they would just stop trying.  I'm sure the inside word is to just weather the storm and everyone will get over it in a week.  Uh, no.  We'll be reminded of it every month as the forced $9.99 plus overages replaces the fraudulent $1.99 on our bills.

 

Verizon could have softened the blow by having a greater subsidy for people that agree to a data plan and allowing people the choice to decline a data plan while still getting the majority of the benefits of these nicely featured phones.  "BYOP" shouldn't require a data plan unless that phone is still under a subsidized contract.  Instead, the only choice Verizon is driving people toward is to change carriers.  Maybe no one else is any better but for the first time in years I'm willing to give someone else a chance versus a $50 a month price hike (I have 5 lines) as soon as I've gone thru a replacement cycle.

 

They drew first blood.

 

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Re: It's Really All About Reasonable Expected Use of a Device
BooBee
Newbie

CellTalker wrote:

 

They drew first blood.

 


LOL!  I'm not a huge fan of Sprint but heck they are better than AT&T with far better pricing plans.  Where you normally couldn't afford a blackberry, Sprint has pricing plans that allow you to afford a blackberry.  If the new pricing plans force me to change my plan come upgrade time, I have no problem going back to Sprint.  I used every carrier known to man and Sprint was one of my favs based on network reliability in my area.

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