I have just gotten off the phone with a customer service agent who said that this phone is and is not compatible with our old plans. While it doesn't need a data plan and you can block the data, data will not come off your minutes! If you try to unblock data, they automatically charge you with the $15 data plan! Up until today it had been coming off my minutes and then all of a sudden now, it's not any longer. They said that this phone is not compatible with the plan, even though they allow you to keep it.
I checked with 6 different representatives. Local, Online, and phone sales to make sure that this phone wouldn't change my plan and that data still came off my plan minutes. I was told yes every single time. I even called in yesterday and checked because I received a letter that some services were added to my line that didn't cost anything. They guy on the other line told me no that according to his records that it was coming off my minutes. Then today I find the $15.00 data plan added to my account. Everyone I talked to today said that the phone is not compatible with the old America's Choice plan, but they still allow you to keep it. The whole reason I bought the phone was that I could use my extra minutes up just like the Samsung Intensity II allowed me to do. I checked multiple times and was all told the same answer before I bought the phone and even after I had it!
I just wanted to warn people because their reps know nothing or their store personnel. Plus when you upgrade it does not say that the phone is not compatible with the plan but they let you keep it anyway. The website says nothing at all. So hopefully if you're interested in the phone, you'll see this little bit of information before you buy it.
Right now, I have no idea what I'm going to do. I really like the phone, but if I keep it we waste 300+ minutes every month. If I don't, I loose a good phone. So much for a loyalty plan...
I'm still going to corporate though and see if they can do something. Because when I changed phones I could use the browser and everything just fine without wifi on and no data block. and it WAS coming off my minutes. I know it was. I could see it. Now all of a sudden it isn't. So I am talking to corporate to find out why. Someone must know something somewhere. This is ridiculous. I'd be gone if it wasn't for the fact that I can't get service with anyone else where I live. They are darn lucky! This is the 2nd time that I've been miss led while upgrading my phone, and I end up paying the price.
Mel
I KNOW!!! I am absoultely aggravated as this is the sole reason I purchased this phone as well. I usually have 400+ minutes extra and I was sold on the idea that I could use these extra minutes for data. How can they up and change it after renewing my contract? Im really fed up and may just move on to another provider. AGGRAVATING
I know I was looking into changing providers however, being I live in a rural area, the only one that I get service with is Verizon. I am stuck, and can't do anything about it. I had the Samsung Intensity II and I loved it accept for the fact that the camera sucked and no video. When I saw the kin I thought my problem had been solved. That I could use the data just like the Intensity II, but nope. I'm still trying to contact someone to see if they know more about it. Why would 6 different people say that it was compatible and I wouldn't have any problems if there was? I even called them yesterday and was told it was coming off my minutes, and suddenly today it's not? The right hand doesn't know what the left is doing.
They did this to me before when I was trying to upgrade to the Samsung Omnia and they started those stupid data plans. I was told repeatedly I didn't need a data plan that all I had to do was sign up for the data plan and I could cancel it. Nope, get the phone and the current months bill to find a data charge. Even called up and told them that I wanted to cancel the data plan and the customer service rep said it was taken care of. No it wasn't! I ended up having to return the phone for something I didn't want and still got stuck with the restocking fee!
It would be nice to see that for people if they use under a certain amount of data every month that it comes off their minutes until they run out of minutes and then data charges kick in. I only use the internet to check for weather while I'm out of town or camping. That's probably maybe 4-5 times a year.
It's ridiculous. It doesn't have any social networking apps at all. Heck you can't even download anything through the browser or upload anything. You have to send pictures to Facebook through pix messages, and that's covered through my 250 text messages a month plan! With the intensity II they have an app for social networking where you can upload pictures through it. That uses more data for cripes sake.
I'm hoping that with contacting someone else I can get a straight answer.
All I can add is that I have used the Kin TwoM for a couple of weeks at Wifi locations. To date not a single minute has been taken off of my monthly allotment. I have data services blocked so no data charges incoming.
I agree the reps do not seem to know a lot about the phone.
The reason I am close to flipping my lid is because the phone was marketed to me on the basis that I could use my extra minutes for data. This was just over 30 days ago, and ironically enough...as soon as I got out of my 30 day worry free guarantee they up and changed the way my data works. I mean honestly...is this not illegal? I enforce contracts at work all day and I do absoultely know that you cant make changes mid term without CONSENT. I know im just a small fish in a big pond, but I sure hope someone from Verizon reads this post and decides to make this right for me. I got my first Verizon phone 11 years ago and I have never changed providers a single time. That is loyalty...How about some of the same in return.
You don't have to text your pictures to facebook. I use wifi to send pictures to Facebook from my Kin2m.
Carolyn
If you got your phone between Nov 26 and Dec 15, you have until Jan 15 to return/exchange to phone. Look at your contract under Return/Exchange Policy.
Carolyn - I know you can send it through email through wifi, but I'm talking directly through the browser.
I have talked to a couple of customer service reps who say that data coming off my monthly minutes was never possible with this phone because it was designed as a social media phone. I was on the phone today for several hours talking to them. They only resolutions they had for me were:
1.) Give up the phone I like for something I really don't want
2.) Deal with it and have data blocked
3.) Fork out more money for something that by my plan contract should be coming off my minutes.
Someone contacted me from Verizon through the forum here, and I told them give me a resolution that doesn't involve 1,2, or 3. I feel the fair solution if they can't make the data come off my minutes is to honor what they told me. Give me a $15 discount on my bill every month because in order to get the phone to work like was promised, I'd need the data plan. It should be coming off my minutes anyway and wouldn't pay anything there.
I've gotten no response on that one, only the reiteration of the aforementioned 1-3. I found a Corporate number 1-908-559-5490. But when I called today I got a menu that told me if I had a billing or customer service problem press 1, 2 for tellesales, 3 if I knew the extension or the name of the person and to press 0 to get the operator. I tried the operator which took me back to the menu. I then went through option 1 to get to customer service. I got a busy signal and then was hung up on. Couldn't get anyone! I wanted to scream. I was so frustrated and angry...I had to take a Xanax to calm me.
So I found a page on the Verizon site that had someone that is in charge of Customer Experience. So I emailed him. Have not heard back from him yet. You can email anyone in Verizon through a page on their website. But they limit characters which can be frustrating when you have to explain your exact situation. If it's more than 1,000 characters it cuts you off. Frustrating. They don't give direct emails on those sites.
Here is that URL: http://aboutus.vzw.com/leadership/executive/index.html
The other page which gave email addresses. This is the person I contacted:
Customer Experience, Information Technology, Business Continuity
Tom Pica
908-559-7516
Thomas.Pica@VerizonWireless.com
But below is the guy in charge of National Customer Service.
John Bianchi
Vice President - National Customer Service
If the above email is any indication of how email is set up, maybe John's direct email is john.bianchi@VerizonWireless.com
I'm going to try it, will let everyone know if it comes back mailuser unknown.
Mel
Sent the email about 10 minutes ago and so far no return email saying it's a bad address. So it looks promising!
Got a call from Andrew today at the president of Verizon's office. Wanting me to call him regarding my email. I called him back. All he could do was apologize for me being miss-informed by so many people. He said that there was no way to get the phone to work as was told to me and, that my only options are to keep the phone and have data blocked, Get a new phone (which I don't want) or pay for the data. But a promise was made to reprimand the people I talked to (which was every possible place) and have them informed that they can not sell customers on the phone based on that information. Not sure if that will even happen at all. I doubt it. However, in month or two I plan on calling in and asking them the question again like I'm interested in it and I'm sure I'll be told the same information.
So even higher up they refuse to do the right thing, and it's only those three options. Sad.
So, just beware if you're reading this thread that data won't come off your minutes. If you don't like that fact, don't get the phone.
So now, basically when I'm going to be away from home, it looks like I have to swap phones with my old Intensity II which was supposed to be a reserve phone when this one died.
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