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

[bpeugh]

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!!!!!!!

[StreetDocRN]

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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!!!!!!!

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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]

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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.

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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]

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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.

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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.

[SFObrien]

I don't mind the data fee but I do feel the VZW should reconsider its other pricing on extras.  For example VCAST Videos and VZ Navigator.  Both pretty good extras but if you subscribe to both and a data plan that money would pay for another cell contract!

[StreetDocRN]

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SFObrien wrote:

I don't mind the data fee but I do feel the VZW should reconsider its other pricing on extras.  For example VCAST Videos and VZ Navigator.  Both pretty good extras but if you subscribe to both and a data plan that money would pay for another cell contract!

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Good point. 

Doc

[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...

[nmchileman]

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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...

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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.