Verizon Max Data Plans are not a deal
michaeljtimko
Specialist - Level 1

I just read about the Olive Branch Verizon has extended to us obstinate unlimited data plan holders. 

The Max Data Plans are a weed dressed up to look like an Olive Branch.

I did the math on my unlimited nill vs a Max Bill with Edge phones.   Currently I pay $201.75 for two lines + unlimited data.

I have an S4, so I don't need a new phone,  but if I did I would go Note 3.  My wife has an iPhone 5 64gb, so a 5s 64gb would be a good choice.

After crunching the numbers and entering Edge would go up to 221.68 per month.   That's right up not down.

Knowing this, why would I give up unlimited

data?

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Re: Verizon Max Data Plans are not a deal
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

I got an email suggesting that I could upgrade and switch to this "Max" data plan since my average monthly usage is less than 4 GB per month. What they failed to mention is my peak (highest) monthly usage over the past six months to a year has been. I know for a fact thanks to my own data tracking that my peak is hovering in the 5-6+ GB rangeiincluding tethering. This doesn't work very well for me and the "Max" data plan.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

Re: Verizon Max Data Plans are not a deal
michaeljtimko
Specialist - Level 1

Verizon needs to really think outside the box on how they will get us to give up these lucrative data plans.   In all honesty, I could see myself dropping unlimited data, but it would have to be worth it.

I think they thought,  they would throw this Max plan at us and we would capitulate.  They probably never thought we'd do the math.

I'll even help them.  Make Share Everything more cost effective.  The data cost is too high.   My share everything bill would be $273.  That's 43 than I pat now and yet I can save $39 if I go to T-Mobile.

If the cost structure was closer to T-Mobile,  then I could do Share Everything.  I could see myself buying, 20gb of data.  Will I use that much... probably not, but it would serve the same purpose unlimited does now.

It's  safety net.

Re: Verizon Max Data Plans are not a deal
CG101
Enthusiast - Level 2

Michael,

I am so tired of reading these Verizon forums, and seeing all these people who have been victimized by losing their unlimited data become Verizon's biggest defenders. Misery truly loves company. I don't care what they say, be it saving a few bucks for losing unlimited data (yet ignoring opportunity costs in keeping unlimited data OR even leveraging the unlimited data in other ways by utilizing "assumption of liability"), or praying for this magical day of July, 2014 when we're all supposed to lose unlimited data (which is complete and utter nonsense, forget speculation.) I thought that Verizon was supposed to be the one providing us a service, and not the other way around...though I suppose the Stockholm Syndrome folks enjoy that, I guess.

Problem is there doesn't appear to be many people who have unlimited data offering information that would help people like us KEEP unlimited data; all it is are these people inundating these forums with misinformation and misery about losing unlimited data.

So I will just tell you what I did to upgrade and hope that points you in the right direction.


Recently, I did use the Device Payment Plan (different from Edge, which sounds like utter garbage) to get a Note 2. 700 divided by 12 plus $24 total. I figured why not; anything to get off this Samsung Droid Charge. Now, I am utilizing the alternate upgrade method, which allows me to upgrade a basic phone in my plan and switch that phone to the line with the Note 2, which I then will give the Note 2 to the wife, who also has an unlimited data plan. I probably should have done this earlier, but I initially thought it'd be too much work. However, after I did the math, even after activation fees and such, I still get a better phone at a better price than if I Device Payment Plan'ed it.

I will let you know how it goes...I have three unlimited data plans that I can do a "transfer only" to get the hot new phones, and I plan on using anyone of them. And despite what some of you Verizon apologists say, I do not lose unlimited data when I transfer an upgrade to another line, which apparently, I can do THREE times...

I am just sick and tired of seeing these people inundate folks with such bad information. Since this is a peer-to-peer forum where Verizon customers help each other, I figure let me help my fellow Verizon customers SAVE their unlimited data and also help lead in the ignoring of these bitter haters who just want other people to be miserable by having you lose your unlimited data plan.

Re: Verizon Max Data Plans are not a deal
michaeljtimko
Specialist - Level 1

Here, here.

I remember reading an article from July of this year (the only statistic I have ever found) that 64.4% (60.7 million subscribers) of Verizon Wireless customers are post-paid like us and of that percentage, only 36% (about 21.8 subscribers) are on Share Everything.  That tells me a large margin of us are still hanging to unlimited data.  That's a large amount of customers who "COULD" be participating in Verizon Edge and making Verizon a lot more money.

They would still be getting us to pay our normal phones minute plans (I pay $110 for 1400 minutes) at the old subsidized rates and also get us to pay full price for our phones.  The very thing they told us to do if we wanted to keep unlimited data.

Sounds like a win, win to me for Verizon.

But what do I know... I'm just a stupid, blue collar steel worker from Ohio not a marketing genius.

Re: Verizon Max Data Plans are not a deal
kag528
Newbie

Are you sure that if I transfer an upgrade with unlimited data, to another phone on my plan, that I will not lose the unlimited plan.  Did you do this online?  Thank you

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Re: Verizon Max Data Plans are not a deal
Swhite1294
Newbie

I agree, if you are like myself and my husband on the unlimited plan this max really isn't better at all.  We do know we use major data certain times have a teenage daughter so it's not worth it and frankly what VERIZON  charges for phones and what I buy our phones for is hundreds less.  So it doesn't make since, but there is a down side for us unlimited users we are so throttled back that  my husband and daughter who still have the unlimited plan will be sitting right in front of me on my iPhone and mine says 3G theirs will say 1G.  So we deal with it but I paid a couple hundred for our iPhones verses their 400-500 so do the math. Really their sales have plummeted and we've talked about leavening been with them 4 1/2 years and our bill runs $215 a month but that's because we get a 21% discount through my husbands employer. But this is for 4 iPhones two are unlimited and two are 2GB a month.

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Re: Verizon Max Data Plans are not a deal
Swhite1294
Newbie

I've changed our phones so many times, I'll buy our phones through eBay smartphone then go online and activate it .  You choose which phone line your changing the device on then enter the MEID. Number and it will show you have the unlimited plan then activate it. No biggie at all. This idea you have to upgrade or buy your phone from Verizon is wrong. If your purchasing another smart phone request the MEID OR ESN number then go to verizon and check to make sure its clear. If it's not you will waste your money because it's tied to a contract that defaulted and they won't activate it but most on eBay will state good ESN or bad ESN.  Hope this helps.

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Re: Verizon Max Data Plans are not a deal
joeguy0326
Enthusiast - Level 3

It is a good deal for people who use under 4-6Gb beacuse you don't have to pay outright full retail for a new phone

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Re: Verizon Max Data Plans are not a deal
joeguy0326
Enthusiast - Level 3

A rep actually told me that only 18% of customers have unlimited and obviously that number is decreasing.

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