 | | Ripoff time How much you all want to bet that the LTE Pricing/Caps/Speed Tier pricing they come up with blow the air out of any remote excitement with 4G/LTE will have? Especially for those in rural areas. | |
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 | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: Ripoff time Did you honestly expect otherwise. New network, new prices. It's been long rumored (and it's a logical time to implement) that LTE will bring tiers, caps, and/or meters. | |
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| | Mobile Data This makes me very happy I dont use a data plan. Although Karl will like it becuase of the posts it will generate:) | |
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|  morboComplete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000 | Re: Mobile Data said by FloridaBoy:This makes me very happy I dont use a data plan.
Okay, grandpa. | |
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| | | | Re: Mobile Data I am not a Grandpa yet but I have never seen the need for a data plan.
I do have a question for you morbo. If you have a data plan, how much of your use is "essential" and how much is just because you can??
I am really curious and I am not be ing a smart**s here. | |
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| | | MRCUR
join:2007-03-09
Columbia, PA | Re: Mobile Data I'm someone who has made damn sure of it that AT&T doesn't screw with or lose my unlimited data plan on my iPhone line. While I only use about 500MB/month on average, sometimes much less, sometimes much more, I don't want to lose the unlimited option.
I'd say 80% of my usage is "essential", meaning it's either dealing with emails for work or using pure data to do work related tasks. Sure, there's still plenty of time where I'm using an app that doesn't directly have to do with work, but what's wrong with that?
Everyone I know who has said the same thing as yourself prior to getting a data plan very quickly changes their tune once they have one. Once you get a smartphone with a data plan, you can't go back to a dumbphone. | |
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| | | | Reviews:
 ·Frontier Communi..
| Re: Mobile Data said by MRCUR:Once you get a smartphone with a data plan, you can't go back to a dumbphone. Speak for yourself. I would go back to my v9m in a heartbeat over my Droid-X if I actually had to pay for my own cellular service. Thankfully my employer pays for it and was willing to provide me with the data package.
Don't get me wrong, I'm in love with my DX, but I'm a penny pincher and would not keep it if I actually had to eat the cost of having it. As it was I only choose to get a cell phone when the cost of having a cell phone equaled the cost of keeping a landline. Until Verizon rate-jacked everybody with a landline (my landline cost $18/mo for the longest time, then went up to nearly $50/mo in the space of three years) I saw no need to even have a cell phone. | |
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| | | Reviews:
 ·Verizon FiOS
 ·DIRECTV
 ·Optimum Online
·Cablevision
| Essential is a subjective word, and worthless in the world of cellphones, because a cell phone itself isn't essential, the only true essentials are food, clothing and shelter.
I use my data plan, to sync my google calender in which I keep all my appointments, read work email on the go, get gps directions to places I need to go, all of which I find essential.
I also use it for personal reasons, checking facebook, twitter, reading news none of which is essential but adds value to having just a regular cell phone.
Just because it's not essential doesn't mean we should be happy when any company rips us off and charges unreasonable prices or takes away lower cost options for similar service. | |
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| | | morboComplete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000 | said by FloridaBoy:If you have a data plan, how much of your use is "essential" and how much is just because you can??
I do have a data plan. I use it for work and play. I'd say 50/50. It has been very useful to catch up on work while out of the office so that I'm not swamped when I return. | |
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| | | I don't use a data plan either, however I do have a phone that would be considered to be a Smartphone. (I use SMS and have unlimited SMS.) When I renew, I'll be forced to purchase a data plan for an extra $30 a month. That's $360 a year that I really *don't* need to spend.
I need to find out how Verizon's handling family plans with data plans. If my wife gets a "Smartphone" too, do we get charged $30 a month per phone? Or is that $30 a month spread across all phones on the plan? Because as painful as $30 a month is, $60 a month for services we don't need/use would be much worse.
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-Jason Levine | |
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| |  travmcgee
join:2002-04-29
Mechanicsville, VA
kudos:1 | Re: Mobile Data Per phone my friend! | |
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| | | | | Re: Mobile Data After posting, I went to their site and found out it is per phone. Even worse, our Unlimited Texting plan seems to have been replaced by a 5,000 texts per month plan. That's fine, but we get a lot of texts (Twitter usage). I can sometimes get 200 per day. So overage on 5,000 per month is a possibility. Of course, a forced data plan might mean we could drop down on the texting plan, but the plan directly under the 5,000 for $20 a month is 500 for $10 a month. So I can either get 250 texts for my dollar or 50? Way to milk the customers, Verizon!
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-Jason Levine | |
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| | | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: Mobile Data With a data plan, use Google Voice and drop the text plan  | |
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 BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | Verizon is stupid. As soon as I'm required to go to the $30 data plan I'm selling my smartphone and going back to a regular phone. This is bullshit. $360 a year for a feature I have ZERO interest in using? | |
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| openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: Verizon is stupid. Yet, you have it now  Egad, $360/yr for all of the capability that a smartphone with nationwide data access brings. I made the transition from a "normal" phone seven months ago and I can't imagine going back. | |
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| | BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | Re: Verizon is stupid. said by openbox9:Yet, you have it now Egad, $360/yr for all of the capability that a smartphone with nationwide data access brings. I made the transition from a "normal" phone seven months ago and I can't imagine going back.
Hey genius I don't need data. That's the point of having a phone with wi-fi. | |
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| | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: Verizon is stupid. Hey Einstein, you stated yourself that you subscribed to a data plan, did you not? | |
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| | | | | Legit Question (not snark) - Does Verizon even sell wi-fi capable phones without a mandatory data plan (like they make you buy with BlackBerry?)
edited for clarity
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If a man speaks in a forest and no woman is around to hear him, is he still wrong? | |
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| | | | QLR
join:2009-06-23
Tallahassee, FL Reviews:
·Comcast
 ·Verizon Wireless..
| Re: Verizon is stupid. The only WiFi capable phones in the Verizon line up that don't require a data plan are the Kin oneM and Kin twoM. They're relatively cheap since Microsoft and Verizon abandoned it over the summer. All other current WiFi enabled phones require a data plan. | |
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| | | | | JonRup
join:2008-07-20
Hilliard, OH | Re: Verizon is stupid. Actually I'm using the Kin TwoM and it's a great phone. I didn't need the data so I just use wifi and it works wonderfully, the internet browser is blazing fast. | |
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 Steve BPremium
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | What I've noticed... You were paying $15 for 150MB. Now its $10 for 75MB. They have taken away half of the data allowance but didn't take away half the of original price. I would say rip-off. If they valued $150MB at $15 then the new price for $75 should be $7.50 +/- $.50 (because VZW doesn't seem to do anything by the $.50). | |
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| openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: What I've noticed... Don't compare feature phone and smart phone plans. | |
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| | Steve BPremium
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | Re: What I've noticed... It is what it is. They chopped half of the data but didn't chop half of the price. So yeah, rip off. | |
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| | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: What I've noticed... Or, VZW increased the cap from 150 MB/mth to unlimited and only raised the price by $15/mth. Spin it however you'd like, but "rip off" is relative to the person willing to pay money. | |
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| | | | Steve BPremium
join:2004-08-02
Seattle, WA | Re: What I've noticed... No, because, the unlimited has thus far always been there. They took away the lower option and replaced it with something else. So to then try and "spin" it they way you did wouldn't be correct. The proper comparison is the one I made. | |
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| | | | | openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: What I've noticed... said by Steve B:So to then try and "spin" it they way you did wouldn't be correct. And neither is comparing data plans between feature phones and smart phones Value is still relative no matter the spin. | |
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| BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | said by Steve B:You were paying $15 for 150MB. Now its $10 for 75MB. They have taken away half of the data allowance but didn't take away half the of original price. I would say rip-off. If they valued $150MB at $15 then the new price for $75 should be $7.50 +/- $.50 (because VZW doesn't seem to do anything by the $.50).
Worse than that because the $10 plan isn't available for smartphones. | |
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 jgkoltPremium
join:2004-02-21
Lakewood, OH | over I am surprised no one mentioned the huge jump in overage charges:
"...20 cents per MB to $10 per 75MB..." | |
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1 edit | Re: over My first thought when I saw that was "Hey, Verizon lowered the overage charges! 75MB of data at 20 cents per MB is $15 and they lowered it to $10."
Then, I realized the scam. If you use 51 MB - 75MB overage, you do save. (50MB over is the break even point.) However, if you use under 50 MB or over 75MB of overage, Verizon gets more money. Go 2 MB over your cap? Instead of being charged $0.40, you're charged $15. Go 100MB over your cap? Instead of being charged $20, you are charged $30.
They've structured it in such a way as to be able to *claim* that the fees are lowered while raking in more money.
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-Jason Levine | |
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|  ropeguruPremium
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA | said by jgkolt:I am surprised no one mentioned the huge jump in overage charges:
"...20 cents per MB to $10 per 75MB..."
Pull out your calculator and recheck..
$10/75MB = $.13/MB
Looks like to me you have to purchase in a block, but per MB is cheaper. | |
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| | | | Re: over Which means that if you go 2MB over you'll pay $10 instead of $0.40. If you go 1 MB over through 49 MB over, you pay more. 50MB over means you pay the exact same amount. 51MB over to 75 MB over means you pay less. Verizon's restructured it so that you're more likely to pay them much more.
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-Jason Levine | |
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| | HAHA.. Well if you don't like it Wally World has a great assortment of pre-paid phones...  | |
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| | | Re: HAHA.. you would be surprised how many people are going that way. | |
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| | | | Re: HAHA.. Oh.. no doubt dude... someone who needs a basic phone that way is sweet.. or metroPCS of course!! | |
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 Duramax08Win8 sucksPremium
join:2008-08-03
San Antonio, TX | I just saw my AT&T bill Used 30GB last month on my iphone 4.
Life is good..... | |
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See 12 replies to this post |
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 moko
join:2002-12-22
Fayetteville, GA | thanks Karl Keep bring'in us the truth of what's going on Karl,and not the manipulative lies the corp's want us to believe.  | |
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|  dispatcher21911 Where is your emergency?
join:2004-01-22
united state
kudos:1 | Re: thanks Karl If your currently in a contract at $15.00 a month, it stays that for the remainder of the contract correct? | |
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| | DSL ring... No surprises here.
DSL pricing was dropping then...it doubled! Forced users to go elsewhere (those on a budget) or to their faster FIOS. Those that didn't jumped to cable or 3rd party.
Now same strategy for 3G to LTE. They effed us with ANY PHONE with a Keyboard is a smartphone (hitem with dataplan).
And iPhone users...we are getting shaft. First we hold out for 2+ years. Then we are rewarded with...last years model! Ow. My balls really hurt! | |
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|  IPPlanManHoly Cable Modem Batman
join:2000-09-20
Washington, DC
kudos:1 | Re: DSL ring... Damn right you are. Here's some ice for your balls... | |
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IPPlanManHoly Cable Modem Batman
join:2000-09-20
Washington, DC
kudos:1 | Wow... I never thought I'd say it, but the savior of the wireless industry is Sprint with its 4G. | |
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| openbox9Premium
join:2004-01-26
japan
kudos:2 | Re: Wow... Which continues to raise prices as well | |
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| | IPPlanManHoly Cable Modem Batman
join:2000-09-20
Washington, DC
kudos:1 | Re: Wow... At least it beats the metered crap that VZN and AT&T are pulling. | |
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| | | If Sprint is "the savior", the game is over. | |
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| | Time to leave Verizon We got our new phones before the "Any phone we call a Smartphone MUST have a data plan" requirement. We don't use the data plan and, in fact, have it blocked thanks to the phone "accidentally" accessing data a few times. When our contract is up and we renew, later this year, we'd likely wind up paying $200 a month.
The big changes for us will be:
- Data Plans. We don't use them, but like using keyboards when we text. However, Verizon Wireless has now declared on keyboard-enabled phones to be Smartphones. This means that they would charge us $30 a month PER PHONE for something we don't need.
- Texting Plans. We're on an unlimited texting plan. When I went to their website, I couldn't find any mention of this. Instead, I found a 5,000 texts plus free mobile-to-mobile plan. We receive a lot of SMS messages that don't originate from VZW phones so we'd need this plan for an additional $20 a month per phone. There's even a chance we could go over (and pay more).
If we cut down on the texting and used the data plan, we might be able to go for a lower texting plan, but under the 5,000 texts plan is a 500 level plan. I'm not sure that would be enough. Still, going with that plan would only save us $20 a month ($10 a month per phone).
AT&T is probably just as bad. Time to consider Sprint or one of the other cell companies.
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-Jason Levine | |
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| | | Re: Time to leave Verizon They're all the same, my friend. They all blow chunks in one way or another and do their best to milk every customer for every penny they can soak (ARPU!!). | |
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| | Don't own one... Makes me glad I've held off even owning a cell phone
My work continues to tell me I need one, I continue to tell them if I need one, you pay for it.
They don't, so I don't have one. | |
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| | | Re: Don't own one... I remain happy with my Verizon. They have fixed mistakes when they happen, even recently. I still have my unlimited Data Plan.
If you are looking for more basic service than they may not be for you.
That said, not every VZW keyboard phone has to have the smartphone plan. You can get a $10 basic data plan. Still pretty annoying that they force it on you, but better than going with the $30 one. | |
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| | QLR
join:2009-06-23
Tallahassee, FL | Re: Don't own one... And there are phones with QWERTY keyboards that don't require a data plan. The Pantech Jest, LG Octane, and the Samsung Zeal are 3 that don't require data plans at all. No, they're not smartphones, but no extra money required per month either. | |
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Unxchay
join:2003-10-14
Milwaukee, WI | Don't kill the 150mb plan I use my Blackberry Tour primarily for its calendar/contacts/e-mail. Mobile video, texts, twitter, et al aren't a big priority for me. I use maybe 60-80 megs a month. I love that VZW offered a downgraded $15 150mb plan, I jumped on it within a day of it going live. I assume I will be able to keep it until I choose to upgrade to a spendier plan sometime in the future. My contract is up in April, so I'll need to carefully determine if I want a more feature-rich phone and the add'l $180/year it may bring. | |
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 DeathKPremium
join:2002-06-16
Cincinnati, OH | Could be good for some, bad for others... I have a feature phone and don't use data all that much. I have the forced $10 25MB data plan for my Samsung Reality. It is kind of nice getting a bump in the cap. More value for your money if you don't go over.
On the other hand charging in 75MB chunks sucks. I guess you've gotta watch your consumption and if you go over you might as well make use of that extra $10 you're going to be charged. | |
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 djousma
join:2000-04-18
Hudsonville, MI
1 edit | VZW data plan credit. odd no one has mentioned it, but VZW is offering a $10 unlimited dataplan for existing customers. Seems those that qualify get an email from VZW. I'm getting it, in the form of a credit per line. I was told no expiration date, but I guess we'll see....
Here are the details:
»ecrm.vzwshop.com/2010_ECRM/consu···hart.jpg | |
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| | WiMax "It's been long rumored (and it's a logical time to implement) that LTE will bring tiers, caps, and/or meters."
If you're in a city that has it, I don't know why you'd opt for LTE once it arrives when Sprint has WiMax that has no buckets of data. It's doubtless cheaper than whatever Big Red and the Deathstar will offer, and it looks like their speeds will evolve similarly. If you can't get coverage though, I guess you're SOL. | |
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