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So So AGAINST the $30 data charge that applys to monthly cell phone bill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have wanted a blackberry ever since I activated my first phone with Verizon but I REFUSE to pay the $30 monthly add on charge to the bill. I think that it is a shame that Verizon charges it!!!!!! AT&T does NOT!!! I have several friends that refuse to get a blackberry thru Verizon because of this....they have in turn deactivated their phones and switched to AT&T which is what im about to do. I feel helpless like one voice will do NO good against Verizon but what else can I do except post a lame blog about it!!!! I think that it is a shame that in this economic downturn that Verizon has not made more of an effort to bring in and keep new customers...not only draw new customers in but give them incentive to keep their services...i believe offering the blackberry plan without the 30 monthly charge would boost not only their current sales but new sales as well!!!!!!!

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StreetDocRN

bpeugh wrote:
I have wanted a blackberry ever since I activated my first phone with Verizon but I REFUSE to pay the $30 monthly add on charge to the bill. I think that it is a shame that Verizon charges it!!!!!! AT&T does NOT!!! I have several friends that refuse to get a blackberry thru Verizon because of this....they have in turn deactivated their phones and switched to AT&T which is what im about to do. I feel helpless like one voice will do NO good against Verizon but what else can I do except post a lame blog about it!!!! I think that it is a shame that in this economic downturn that Verizon has not made more of an effort to bring in and keep new customers...not only draw new customers in but give them incentive to keep their services...i believe offering the blackberry plan without the 30 monthly charge would boost not only their current sales but new sales as well!!!!!!!

Hi,

I am sorry to call you out on this one, but what you stated above about ATT is incorrect. ATT, like all of the major carriers, requires a $30 dollar/ month data charge on all smartphones, including the Blackberry. You can check their website for confirmation of this fact. The data charge is actually in the customer's favor since it prevents you from getting an unwelcomed bill of several hundreds of dollars. I saw a post here in the forums a few days ago about a person who received a bill for a huge amount due to data. I'm not sure of the circumstances, but all new activations on Verizon and other carriers require a data plan that is separate. It is not a conspiracy on the part of the carriers but a way to regulate data charges. The $30 dollar charge gives the user unlimited data for web, email, and other data intensive apps. I just wanted to clear this up before this thread continued on any more.

Doc

SydneyK

I know it's a lot to pay, but I've never heard of anyone being allowed to activate a BlackBerry without a data plan, on any carrier. That is a RIM requirement, so I'd check into that before switching. And you really do need a data plan on this device -- between web browsing, apps, e-mail, BB Messenger and the other things you can do, like streaming radio, it uses a lot of data. There is no reason to even get a BlackBerry without a data plan, unless you want it as some kind of status symbol but don't want to use it the way it was meant to be used.

supitsmike

SydneyK wrote:
I know it's a lot to pay, but I've never heard of anyone being allowed to activate a BlackBerry without a data plan, on any carrier. That is a RIM requirement, so I'd check into that before switching. And you really do need a data plan on this device -- between web browsing, apps, e-mail, BB Messenger and the other things you can do, like streaming radio, it uses a lot of data. There is no reason to even get a BlackBerry without a data plan, unless you want it as some kind of status symbol but don't want to use it the way it was meant to be used.

I agree. There's no reason that you should even have a smart phone without the data plan period. However, under the customer agreement and "Can Verizon Change my Plan" section, if any changes they make have a 'material adverse' on you then you can leave without paying an ETF.

sadie85

supitsmike wrote:
I agree. There's no reason that you should even have a smart phone without the data plan period. However, under the customer agreement and "Can Verizon Change my Plan" section, if any changes they make have a 'material adverse' on you then you can leave without paying an ETF.

A data package for a blackberry wouldn't be considered to have an adverse effect on your plan since it's been a requirement for...ever?

Since Verizon grandfathers you on your existing plan whenever they make changes you wouldn't be able to say it was an adverse effect and get out of your contract. To use that clause to get out of your contract Verizon would have to say starting today all blackberry plans are $50/mon and everyone on a $30 plan must change to $50.

Droid2010Foreve

I was about to also add my .02 on this topic. Most carriers do require a separate data add-on for smartphone type devices. Yes, it is more money but considering the amount of data they can eat, it's not all that much. I think the only carrier that may not charge additional is Sprint but they do also have their requirements in other forms. Namely, you must be on Simply Everything or some type of plan that incorporates data which cost slightly more. All-in-all I don't think its that much of an additional surcharge. And with reduction in fees for some plans it probably kinda balances out.

bpeugh

Doc....you are correct...I was wrong...its not AT&T it is SPRINT that does not charge the data fee. I understand there is a reason for every charge they have...I just think that it sucks that you have to pay an extra 30...i wish there was some kind of compromise... :smileywink:

nmchileman

bpeugh wrote:
Doc....you are correct...I was wrong...its not AT&T it is SPRINT that does not charge the data fee. I understand there is a reason for every charge they have...I just think that it sucks that you have to pay an extra 30...i wish there was some kind of compromise...

:smileyvery-happy:

Sprint requires a data plan on all Blackberry's too!!

And before you try again...so does T-Mobile.

All major carriers now require a data plan for Blackberry and most Smartphones in general. Even if they have Wi-Fi. It's a fact we all need to get used to: data revenue is a major cash cow for all carriers. So providers are going to start lowering prices on minutes and start charging more for anything "data" related. When LTE comes pricing is going to get a major overhaul, hopefully for the better, but it's all going to be geared toward data plans, features and applications.

What's even worse is what's happening with residential cable providers. Comcast and Time Warner are running trials on pricing with caps on data usage. But I digress, that's a different story.

The bottom line is, you've got to pay to play. These days, there's no way around that.

woyala

bpeugh wrote:
Doc....you are correct...I was wrong...its not AT&T it is SPRINT that does not charge the data fee. I understand there is a reason for every charge they have...I just think that it sucks that you have to pay an extra 30...i wish there was some kind of compromise...

You see, the thing with sprint everything data plans is that its got a problem people do not see. Lets say I want 3 lines with them and 2 basic phones for parents and 1 smartphone. You are forced to go with their everything data $129.99 1500min +$19.99 additional line. So you are stuck paying $149.99+tax/month and you are the only one using data on the family plan. VZW gives you the option of going basic family share and add $30 if you only have 1 blackberry and 2 regular phones on the account.

flygirl727

so, this dictates what kind of phone someone can have. "There's no reason that you should even have a smart phone without the data plan period."

Why? The picture features are better, the keyboard on some are better. Because I don't want data means I shouldn't have a higher grade phone! That's just ridiculous!

BTW, they are not 'changing' the plan...they are too smart for that. They are implementing it as of 1/18/2010. SO, if you now purchase a 'smart phone', you HAVE to purchase the data. And you think this is fair? There is no reason for it! Disable the web feature for those that don't desire it. For what technology can do now, that seems pretty easy. Either of you have no right to say that someone shouldn't get a phone because of what it does. That's just an opinion...

And yes every carrier has a data package...question is do they MAKE you purchase it? And it should depend on the phone you get. Personally I don't want a blackberry....but other phones have features I do want...just not web, or streaming radio...I have a iPod...don't need a streaming radio for goodness sake!

"There is no reason to even get a BlackBerry without a data plan, unless you want it as some kind of status symbol but don't want to use it the way it was meant to be used". wow

supitsmike wrote:
SydneyK wrote:
I know it's a lot to pay, but I've never heard of anyone being allowed to activate a BlackBerry without a data plan, on any carrier. That is a RIM requirement, so I'd check into that before switching. And you really do need a data plan on this device -- between web browsing, apps, e-mail, BB Messenger and the other things you can do, like streaming radio, it uses a lot of data. There is no reason to even get a BlackBerry without a data plan, unless you want it as some kind of status symbol but don't want to use it the way it was meant to be used.
I agree. There's no reason that you should even have a smart phone without the data plan period. However, under the customer agreement and "Can Verizon Change my Plan" section, if any changes they make have a 'material adverse' on you then you can leave without paying an ETF.

crimedoggies

Flygirl, if I were to go out and buy a Ferrari today, once I report the purchase to my insurance agent my rates are going up. I can't say to my agent; I know it's a Ferrari but I'm going to drive it just like a Toyota Prius so why don't you lower my rates? The higher insurance premium is part of the cost associated with owning a Ferrari. The insurance agenet surely doesn't care that you insist you will never test the 0-60 speed. You bought the Ferrari because you like the way it looks and the status that comes with it. Same rules apply to smart phones and now 3G multi media phones. Nobody forced you to buy the Ferrari and pay higher insurance rates. The customer chose to do so knowing the costs.

gal2010

Also, it's not Verizon who is making you have the Email & Web Blackberry data feature. It's the company RIM who requires that all Blackberry's have that feature. {edit}I hear it everyday how people don't feel it's fair. I don't think it's fair either but RIM requires it so we have to add it. :smileysad:

snookielady

OK, I understand that Blackberry devices need a data plan. I have also seen a couple of people say that if you have a smartphone you should have a data plan. I just had my old Palm 700P die and ordered a XV5800 based on the fact that on that day, 1/14, you didn't need a data plan for it. I use my phone for 3 things: a phone, reading books, and taking notes in meetings. All three do not need a data plan, but reading books requires a smartphone. When I got my phone on 1/19 from FED/EX, I tried to activate it and was told I HAD to have a $30 data plan. Fortunately for me, I spoke to a coworker who said to contact our corporate Verizon person, who managed to activate the phone, but had to BLOCK the data including pic messages. This only worked because I had a 'grandfathered' phone AKA - OLD!!

Now my problem is, I can't get my contact from one phone to another. The corporate people said they didn't have the software, the 'authorized reseller' store I stopped at said I couldn't do it without using the Internet, and the regular store said they no longer have machines to move from one phone to another because 'everybody' with a smartphone can do it over the air or use Backup Assistant!! HELP!!!

nmchileman

snookielady wrote:
OK, I understand that Blackberry devices need a data plan. I have also seen a couple of people say that if you have a smartphone you should have a data plan. I just had my old Palm 700P die and ordered a XV5800 based on the fact that on that day, 1/14, you didn't need a data plan for it. I use my phone for 3 things: a phone, reading books, and taking notes in meetings. All three do not need a data plan, but reading books requires a smartphone. When I got my phone on 1/19 from FED/EX, I tried to activate it and was told I HAD to have a $30 data plan. Fortunately for me, I spoke to a coworker who said to contact our corporate Verizon person, who managed to activate the phone, but had to BLOCK the data including pic messages. This only worked because I had a 'grandfathered' phone AKA - OLD!!
Now my problem is, I can't get my contact from one phone to another. The corporate people said they didn't have the software, the 'authorized reseller' store I stopped at said I couldn't do it without using the Internet, and the regular store said they no longer have machines to move from one phone to another because 'everybody' with a smartphone can do it over the air or use Backup Assistant!! HELP!!!

If you're data services are blocked you won't be able to do anything over the air. You'll need to use a USB cable, a PC and Microsoft's ActiveSync to get your contacts to your new phone. ActiveSync doesn't require a data connection.

maxtorque

Folks, I appreciate your outrage, but I'm afraid all of the major wireless providers have moved to similar billing plans. See this recent article, http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/187270/verizon_atandt_price_war_may_cost_you.html.
As someone in a major metro area, I have tried all carriers over the last few years. Verizon Wireless has had the best signal and coverage across the Mid Atlantic and in many of the large and small cities I have traveled to. Sprint had slightly faster data rates in the larger cities, but their overall coverage was pitiful. AT&T had such a weak signal in and around our office HQ, the brass paid to install repeaters all around the site (corporate VPs had BBs on AT&T) - Verizon, no problems.
Ultimately, if you really want control over your plans you need to purchase an unlocked version of the phone you want and pay to have it activated on the network of your choice. Yes, the phone costs you more up front, but you don't get locked into a contract based on a new phone purchase through the network provider, thus get stuck paying high contract termination fees. This will require a little more homework on your part to make sure the phone you want is compatible with the network provider of your choice (many are compatible on all networks here and in Europe). The information is out there. Use it to your advantage and get a better deal over the long haul.
Good luck.

Laohu

While there are some people on this forum stating that "ALL" carriers require a $30 data plan on Blackberry's, I must respectfully disagree with you, because T-Mobile does not!

Of course, there are many things that Verizon does that other carriers don't do, such as restrict downloads from sites such as www.freeformobile.com, which Sprint and At&t customer are allowed to download tones and videos from for free!

Of course, you can get around that by having someone with Sprint or ATT download it for you, and then share it with you by text; however, Verizon also sets a ridiculously small limit to the size of file that can be shared. I think it's like 300k, which is really petty when they design the phones to hold 8GB micro sd cards.

Verizon needs to stop trying to force its customers to purchase everything from them, and let them enjoy the phones and services they want too, and are paying good money for!!!

IF THEY DON'T, I'll be an ATT customer when my contracts up, because despite all the hoopla about "spotty coverage maps," my family have ATT and have great service!

StreetDocRN

Laohu wrote:
While there are some people on this forum stating that "ALL" carriers require a $30 data plan on Blackberry's, I must respectfully disagree with you, because T-Mobile does not!

Hi,

To quote from TMobile's web site, pricing for new service for a Blackberry Bold:

BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700

This premium device gives me the cutting edge technology to keep me productive and “in the know” in work and life when I am away from my computer without trading off style. A BlackBerry data service is required.

As you can see from their web site, TMobile does require a separate data plan. All of the major carriers do. This has become a popular topic of conversation, not only here, but in other carrier's forums. Data plans are required for all new Blackberry devices. The reasons have been told before in this thread and in other threads of similar topic. I agree that a customer can be against the separate data charge, and that can be a reason not to buy a Blackberry. That is a customer's choice. Let's stop "beating a dead horse" to coin a phrase.

Doc

That's all I have to say about this topic.

Janayiah

Me i think it wrong that i have to pay 30.00 a mth for wed on my 2 blackberry phone. When i was with t mobil that never happen to me .

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