Basic phone plan and web access costs?

[nonotion]

My wife recently bought a Verizon Samsung Intensity III as an upgrade from her old  Kyocera.  She very rarely uses the cell

and makes only two or three calls per month  but wanted one w/a camera???   We have been w/Verizon for 10 years and have a Basic

month to month plan (Legacy -no data or frills).  She has loads of minutes (available dollars for use) accumulated over several years.

Three questions:

1.  The Verizon Plans web site shows a 25 cent a minute calls plan with a 99 cent/day data option.  Can I change to this plan without loosing the accumulated dollars and what data can I receive?  (ex there is an ESPN icon on the mobile web menu -and Opera mini)

2. Can this phone receive wi fi signals from my home network (the Verizon phone package had no phone instructions)

3. How do I use the Opera mini and what is the cheapest way to take advantage of it since we are only occasional users?

Any help would be appreciated.

[#2]

If you want a phone with wi-fi you need a smartphone

if you want to use the Opera browser you just open it like any other app I suppose.

[nonotion]

Opera mini is initiated when I select Mobile Web and this brings up icons for ESPN ,Facebook, Utube,,and My Verizon etc. If I select one of these, message says "Connection Failed, for internet service dial 611".  When I do this, I get endless recordings to choose from.

What Im trying to find out is What is the cost of using Utube for instance, with my Basic pay as you go plan, and how do I get it activated.

Thanks

[rcschnoor]

I assume you mean YouTube, not Utube.

I urge you NOT, NOT, NOT to use YouTube on a pay as you go data plan. You are paying $1.99/MB for data on this plan. Youtube will use several MB/minute, so you will be paying maybe $10/minute to watch those videos!!!!!!!

[SuzyQ]

nonotion wrote:

...  We have been w/Verizon for 10 years and have a Basic

month to month plan (Legacy -no data or frills).  She has loads of minutes (available dollars for use) accumulated over several years. This sounds like a pre-paid plan?  As far as I know minutes / $$ expire after a set time.  Correct me if I am wrong; can you just keep adding $ before expiration and they just keep adding up?  I'm not sure how that all works with pre-paid - enlighten me, please!

Three questions:

1.  The Verizon Plans web site shows a 25 cent a minute calls plan with a 99 cent/day data option.  Can I change to this plan without loosing the accumulated dollars and what data can I receive?  (ex there is an ESPN icon on the mobile web menu -and Opera mini)  I don't know what would happen to the "accumulated" dollars - 888-294-6804 is the pre-paid Customer service # and they may have better answers.

2. Can this phone receive wi fi signals from my home network (the Verizon phone package had no phone instructions) I don't think that phone has wi-fi capability.

3. How do I use the Opera mini and what is the cheapest way to take advantage of it since we are only occasional users?  If your pre-pay allows you to do the "pay as you go" where you pay a set fee and get 24 hours of web/data use.... so the max it would cost is $30 a month if you used it every day.  On the "basic" phone there is no per MB charge on the pre-paid, so you COULD watch YouTube, but I don't know how much quality you would get.  The reason the Opera browser may not be connecting is a data block - that can be removed by calling your pre-paid customer service or logging in to your account on line and removing the data block.

Any help would be appreciated.

[rcschnoor]

Sorry, but if SuzyQ is correct that you are on a pre-paid plan, you may not be paying that $1.99/MB charge for data. This is for post-paid plans. If your plan is anything like the current pre-paid plans it lists the cost of mobile web as $0.99/day. I would assume YouTube is included in this since the icon for it comes up when you activate mobile web.

Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks for the catch, SuzyQ.

[nonotion]

SuzyQ

Your response is much appreciated.  We do have a pre paid plan and every year we pay for another year before the current year expiration date and that is how we have accumulated the minutes/$s.  I haven't been able to reach a human on the Verizon phone line and also can't determine if I could unblock the data block and/or receive :YouTube views with my  minutes at the 99cents a day price posted on their Pre paid plan web page.  Which is exactly what I'm trying to find out.?????

Maybe one of the Verizon support folks who occasionally monitor these posts could help resolve the question.  Right now it seems I have a data capable phone with pre loaded "Apps"  (ESPN, YouTube,Facebook, etc) and can't use them at a reasonable cost.

You addressed exactly the issues I was inquiring about.  Thank you

[SuzyQ]

nontion,

Glad I could help.  As far as I can tell, you should be able to do what you want on the 99 cents a day data option. 

To talk to a "real" person, try calling 800-022-0204 (regular customer service line), choose option 4 for "other", and then SAY "Speak to an agent" when prompted.  Normally that connects me to a live person in a couple of minutes.  However, that's the post-paid customer service line - the rep MAY be able to get into your account and turn ON the data option, and answer your question about the accumulated funds.  It makes sense to me that they would be available for you to use for data or voice on the basic plan, and adding the data would not change the balance until you used it.

Can you log on to your account on line and is there an "Add and remove features" box? If there is, that's where you turn web browsing on and off....

[shiffty]

On a prepaid service the data is always initially on. When you access the mobile web it will prompt you to agree to the .99 cent charge. The number ot prepaid customer service is 888-294-6804 and then chose options 4 then 5 and then 4 again to reach a customer service representative. If you are having trouble with the mobile web try taking out the back and the battery or you could always try programming your phone again by *228.

[Minniehaha]

To add to what Suzy told you the money you have on your account is carried over up to the amount of $1,000.00 as long as you keep your contract in place (adding minutes every 30 days or 60 or whatever your schedule is. If you have alot of money in the account enjoy playing some games or music to use some of it up.