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Lone Wolf
Retired
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
USA

1 recommendation

Lone Wolf to cdru

Premium Member

to cdru

Re: I don't like the mandatory data plan, but...

said by cdru:

said by Lone Wolf:

Even funnier than the math game with data plans is the math game with subsidized phones. People are paying up to $1600 for a $400 phone because they bought a subsidized phone for $1 ( or so they thought).

Can you give an example, please?

Here's a quick example.

»Does Anybody Ever Look At What They're Buying?

I just went to the verizon site and entered all of the info to purchase the 16gb Siii with 2gb data and unlimited talk/text.

It came to $200 for the phone and $120 monthly for the service.

Now comes the fun!

120 month x 24 months = $2880 add $200 for the phone and you have spent $3080 plus taxes and other fees for 2 years for cell phone and service.

I can buy the phone outright anywhere for around $600 without a service plan. Personally I would only buy a GSM phone (worldwide) rather than the CDMA model (US only). Then I would buy an unlimited everything service plan from an MVNO for between $40 to $60 monthly.

$50 month x 24 months = $1200 plus $600 for the phone and I will have spent $1800 (no taxes or anything else added) for 2 years for cell phone and service.


cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru

MVM

said by Lone Wolf:

said by cdru:

said by Lone Wolf:

Even funnier than the math game with data plans is the math game with subsidized phones. People are paying up to $1600 for a $400 phone because they bought a subsidized phone for $1 ( or so they thought).

Can you give an example, please?

Here's a quick example.

»Does Anybody Ever Look At What They're Buying?

But that example is not what you said. You said they are paying $400 for a phone, but then you use a $600 phone as an example.

Your plan pricing might have been correct when you posted your message, but 2GB data+unlimited voice on Verizon is now $100+taxes/fees.

Your $40-60 MVNO plan doesn't include LTE data as Verizon's does. And depending on which MVNO you go with, you may be stuck with just 3g speeds, not even HSPA+.

Also depending on which MVNO, data or voice coverage may be less then what a MNO's coverage is, due to the MVNO not having the same roaming agreements or favoring one network over one that has a better signal at a location.

Going with a carrier directly isn't a requirement for everyone. But a MVNO doesn't meet everyone's requirements either. Just saying people are paying $1600 for a phone is a little bit of a characterization of the situation.