Verizon needs to do what's best for Verizon and their share holders. You need to do what's best for you.
If they have friends and family they can simply add you. Nowadays almost all carriers have prepaid with unlimited minutes and text.
brian68, one last comment: I see you posted on another forum ("Limited selection of basic phones, forcing customers to buy data plans"):
"Don't expect then to start offering more. Not to mention the phone manufacturers simply aren't making as many of them anyways. They are focusing on smartphones. Everyone will eventually be on Share Everything so you just better get used to paying for data."
Given your comments, I think it's fair to respond that you seem to have some ax to grind against people who just want basic phones. Lots of people don't have the means to "just get used to paying for data". You're not obligated to care, but your comments do come across as being unnecessarily cold and almost mean. Maybe you can go to some other forums that are more relevant to your interests.
that is the direction we are headed. It's not that he has an "axe to grind". If you noticed all the major carriers, and regional carriers have been pushing smartphones and adapting to what manufacturers are willing to make. At some point in time(probably when Voice of LTE happens) there is probably be no basic phones on any carrier that uses VoLTE.
I think the point is that Verizon can tailor their business as they want. If they don't offer the product you want, stop complaining and go to another provider. If you wanted to buy a Ford, would you go to a BMW dealer and complain?
twistylee wrote:
brian68, one last comment: I see you posted on another forum ("Limited selection of basic phones, forcing customers to buy data plans"):
"Don't expect then to start offering more. Not to mention the phone manufacturers simply aren't making as many of them anyways. They are focusing on smartphones. Everyone will eventually be on Share Everything so you just better get used to paying for data."Given your comments, I think it's fair to respond that you seem to have some ax to grind against people who just want basic phones. Lots of people don't have the means to "just get used to paying for data". You're not obligated to care, but your comments do come across as being unnecessarily cold and almost mean. Maybe you can go to some other forums that are more relevant to your interests.
No it's not fair to respond that way. I have no ax to grind. I do however believe in dealing with REALITY. If you want to pretend that wishing hard enough or complaining hard enough will make more and better basic phones come about by all means do so. It won't actualy happen and you'll just make yourself miserable, but go ahead. Every few months the number of basic phones gets smaller and smaller. It's not hard to see where this trend is headed.
Also the fact is that evenutally everyone WILL have to go Share Everything. It may take 2 years before this is accomplished but it IS the end goal for Verizon. Trust me they have no intention on keeping two vastly different pricing schemes in the system indefinately. Once again if you want to pretend this won't happen by all means please pretend. That won't change REALITY. And reality hits you in the face you'll be in for a shock because you haven't prepared for it.
twistylee wrote:
jimfitz, I do get that, but seem to be stuck with Verizon because,
"I’d like to dump Verizon. ...But... I talk mostly with out-of-town family members, and we're all on Verizon because cell-to-cell calls are free. If I drop Verizon, both parties would get charged minutes against their plans. So I'm an involuntary captive for now. (If anyone knows a better way, I'm all ears!)"
I don't know how to switch carriers without having my relatives (and me) incur minute charges against their plans when we talk. And of course I can't ask them all to switch from Verizon, just for me. There are plenty of other people in this situation, too. So again, I have to say, being the behemoth carrier that it is, Verizon should not abandon basic users as it has.
So they incur minutes. Don't they have a certain amount of minutes to use anyways? Not to mention nights and week-end are free. Are you seriusly going to be talking that much that you wil cause them to go over?
twistylee wrote:
Brian68, I updated my post, then afterwards, saw your post. By coincidence, I addressed that in my update: "Please, nobody say it's the manufacturer's fault, when mega-firms like Verizon have plenty of muscle to control what's being produced.." Sorry, we'll just have to disagree on this. It's not like the phone companies, Verizon especially since it's so large, are merely non-involved by-standers. And, everything they are doing shows they're totally in sync with phasing out decent basic phones. When I went to the Verizon Store, for example, the rep couldn't show me the door fast enough.
A) Once again Verizon doesn't make phones. And they can not force a manufacturer to make a basic phone if the manufacturer doesn't want to no matter how much muscle you think Verizon has.
B) Not to sound mean but why does Verizon even have to offer basic phones at all? That's not suggesting I am against basic phones I'm merely asking why you think Verizon has some sort of duty to provide them?
I have empathy for low and moderate income people, but I get tired of reading their complaints that Verizon doesn't cater to them. If you can't afford the Verizon product, there are plenty of very good alternatives.
Wow, looks like I got walloped!!!!
You guys are really something!
Thanks, Tidbits, who said somewhere up there: “At some point in time (probably when Voice of LTE happens) there is probably be no basic phones on any carrier that uses VoLTE.”
I think I got it now, this market is going to die. I did get it, just from Tidbits post alone, believe it or not, thanks. Neanderthal that I am, probably didn't need the clubbing from the others, thanks though, for letting me have it - obviously deserved it and feel great now!!!
Seem to have struck a nerve here. That's good, it’s progress and I got my answer. I think we can all finally put to rest the various posts wondering if the market what's happening to the basic phones (including this one, "Verizon... does anyone care about us basic users Really?").
(Still wondering about the drubbing, though. Hey, I really didn’t know the situation – truly sorry, believe me -- this is my first time posting!)
This has been very helpful and I hope others will read it all, who were hoping (like me) that there was just some brief anomaly in the system, and that maybe they can just wait for good basic phones to return soon. It said at the top of this post “This question is Not Answered”, so I thought I’d join in. But now that the answer is a resounding NO, maybe this topic can safely be closed out as RESOLVED!
Message was edited by: Lee Oops, sorry about the large font, didn't intend it and can't figure out how to adjust it after posting.
>Full name removed from post and the size of the font changed for the poster. And this thread will be locked as the answer has been given<
Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator
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