Verizon says unlimited data plans are on the way out!

[mykaelp]

Ugh, you're right.  Seems their prickish behavior knows no bounds.  I truly used to love Verizon, not to long ago.   Amazing what a difference a year makes.  Can't wait to see this years most hated companies list is.  I know who I'm voting for.  Comcast looks like saints compared to likes of Verizon.

[RMathis]

Did Verizon not learn anything when Netflix tried to get stupid?

Tell date I'm still waiting on updates to the Thunderbolt to have 4G work correctly. Forcing it back to 3G is the only way to get a decent connection in my area. I pay $110 a month fro pretty bad service. AT&T and Sprint work better in my area but had worse phones when I switched.

Why dose my bill go up and service go down? Don't give me infrastructure cost it's a total BS answer. Learn to do your stuff right the first time and it wont hurt you. Oh wait it's all profit that you dont put back into your network.

If the unlimited has any changes made to it I'll be gone. This tiered junk is a waste it's only more options to trick people into spending more. At this point I could care less about a phone I have wifi and a laptop with me every day. Skype works pretty good.

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Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

[WCU80MT]

Read the responses and I'm right there too.

If they want to trash my 10+ years as a customer (and a $300/month bill), then I'm gone as soon as this crap kicks in.

No reason for me to stay!  I'll find another carrier and the screen door won't hit me in the ass on the way out.

Take note VZ.....customers leaving in droves if you stick to this plan.  'Cause we WON'T stick with you.

You've been warned.

[curtterp]

Lets look at the past few months of Verizon

• Delayed the launch of the Galaxy Nexus. Even Samsung's brass said that it was up to Verizon when to launch. Why the delay? Because Motorola's Droid Razr was released in the same time frame, and Verizon wanted Motorola to have every advantage of sales.
• Disabled the ability to get Google Wallet. Why? There is no security issue other than the security of their competing product which will not come out until next year. They don't want Google Wallet to get a loyal customer base on their network. I am sure that they will be instituting some policy to charge customers on this product.
• Delay the update to the Galaxy Nexus. For those people that think it is because of the CDMA technology, guess what. Sprint uses the same technology and their Nexus phones are on 4.0.4. So what is the holdup Verizon. Android has been your savior in the smartphone market, but yet you continue to play these games with the Galaxy Nexus.
• $2 'convenience' fee for paying online. Yes you did scrap this plan after customers complained. How do you charge a fee for paying online because the money is in their account almost instantly. Just a money grab attempt
• Removing the 'pesky' unlimited data plans, Here we go. They are having an increase of data, but the revenue is not increasing at the same rate. That is why they want to eliminate the unlimited plans. Guess what. If they actually look at the numbers, I am willing to bet that a larger percentage of the data increase is due to people on capped plans are using more data closer to their caps than when they first got their data plans, because they are learning how to use the data to get closer to their caps, rather than the unlimited people using that much more data.
• $30 'upgrade' fee. This one is as hilarious as the $2 convenience fee for paying online. We, the customers of Verizon Wireless. get to pay Verizon this fee for the privilege of signing a new 2 year contract at higher prices to use their network. What a deal

So there is a history of corporate shortsightedness on their part. They are looking at short term profits, not long term viability.  They are betting that they will have more profits from moving people from unlimited data plans to shared data plans, than losing customers to other carriers. They have accountants that have sold them a bill of goods and made it sound like nirvana, but in fact, it will be a place closer to hadas.

While only 2 other carriers claim to have 'unlimited' data, TMobile will throttle the data after about 3 gigs, and Sprint claims to have no throttling at all. Unfortunately, in my experience, Sprint has worse customer service than Verizon, which isn't saying much.

If they do institute this plan and try to force me to a shared data plan, I will definitely look at other carriers. My criteria will be price, availability of 4g in my home, work, and my kids home area's.

Personally there have been 3 things that have kept me at Verizon. 4g coverage in all area's, employer discount on my main line and data, and my data has been unlimited. If Verizon goes through with this, upgrading my phone will cause the unlimited to go away, ATT does have an employer discount, and ATT does not have 4g in all my area's yet, but they all have HSPA+ in all the areas. They do not have unlimited data anymore, but if I lose unlimited data on my 2 lines, then it doesn't matter about the data. Now it all comes down to price, will ATT have a better price? Well the last time I checked, the prices were comparable, without a discount. I will wait to see what Verizon actually does in regards to the unlimited data plans and if they will force me to look. The debacle with the Galaxy Nexus has really soured me on Verizon because the Nexus product is the only product on the market that doesn't have a skin from the hardware manufacturer. I feel that Verizon will never be able to sell another Nexus product from all the crap that they have put the Galaxy Nexus, why would any manufacturer put themselves through that.

Verizon dropped the ball on this... and it looks like they will continue down the path of corporate greed and bend the customer over a barrel.

[nexus_truth]

My understanding is the only way Verizon can do this is if you do not currently have an unlimited 4g plan, meaning you upgraded to a 4g device while renewing your unlimited data. I believe that those who currently have unlimited 4g will be safe unless they change their contract. If you currently have unlimited 3g, you are not safe. You are grandfathered in under unlimited 3g not 4g. If you are content keeping 3g and can find 3g devices they can not take away your unlimited data. By upgrading from a 3g to 4g device you are changing your data plan and this is why they can force you onto a tiered data plan.

[jayare]

nexus_truth wrote:

My understanding is the only way Verizon can do this is if you do not currently have an unlimited 4g plan, meaning you upgraded to a 4g device while renewing your unlimited data. I believe that those who currently have unlimited 4g will be safe unless they change their contract. If you currently have unlimited 3g, you are not safe. You are grandfathered in under unlimited 3g not 4g. If you are content keeping 3g and can find 3g devices they can not take away your unlimited data. By upgrading from a 3g to 4g device you are changing your data plan and this is why they can force you onto a tiered data plan.

I spoke with a CS rep the other day.  He told me that (at this time) if I were to upgrade my 3G device to a 4G device, I could keep my unlimited data.  That's the word today.  Tomorrow?  These things can change on a daily basis, as we are finding out.  I am considering borrowing an upgrade from another line to upgrade so when they change their mind, I'm not out of luck.  What they are saying today is, "We have no information on shared plans, so you are okay."  We all know, though, that as soon as they DO announce the plans, it's over.  There will be no "window" of opportunity to make the change.

Don't get me wrong.  If the plan would work for my family, I might be willing to trade a couple of my feature phones for smartphones, share the data, and go on with life.  But for me to give up my unlimited data, it will have to be very attractive.  If they will make it attractive, and give people time to analyze the product, they might find some happier customers.  I think a better business strategy would have been to announce the upcoming shared plans, educate people on the benefits, make the plans attractive, give people time to analyze the plans, and allow them to make their choice.  Yes, some would stay with their unlimited plans, but many would shift.  But, as of late, when has VZW shown good business sense?

[Frankie2names]

I have for unlimited even though i am not a heavy user, just to grandfathered in. I think it is time for a class action law suit

[curtterp]

Frankie2names wrote:

I have for unlimited even though i am not a heavy user, just to grandfathered in. I think it is time for a class action law suit

There is no basis for a lawsuit. Verizon is allowed to modify contract terms on NEW CONTRACTS. They are not taking away the unlimited plan if you do not upgrade your device, or upgrade paying full price for the device. Those two ways you do not have a new contract with Verizon. However, if you buy a new phone at the subsidized price, that is when you would be moved to a new shared plan, IF THEY FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THIS.

All perfectly legal and within Verizon's right to do.

The CFO has sent up a trial balloon on this concept. He also said that this plan was PAPER ONLY right now, not a NEW POLICY at this time. They are gauging the response and looking to estimate how much churn (people leaving) this would create and see if this is acceptable.

[DavidRT1]

I have seen a few articles on Pulse about this and I agree with a lot of you. As long as we are currently under contract they can't make us switch. But once we go and upgrade our phone then they can make us loose it. I have a family plan and I have unlimited data package on two lines. So I am paying 29.99 for line 2 and 23.99 for line 1 since I get a discount from my place of employment. But depends on the amount and price it might save me money. I have two different phone one is using 4g LTE and the other is using 3g service. I am good until November for 2 lines and in February for the other 2 lines. SO they have time to get it right. My only question to them is will I still be able to use my discount on the data package since That is what my company's contract says? I am also in another thread about the 30.00 upgrade fee. I don't agree with it at all. Yes every one else is doing it but if everyone else does something does that always means it a good idea?

[michaeljtimko]

But what if the existing contract does not lapse.  Anytime I have gotten a new phone from Verizon its always been at one year (before they took that away... thank you Verizon) or at the 20 month mark.  On more than one occasion, the salesperson has said we are extending your contract an additional 24 months.  The way I see it, for their plan to legally work, they would have to excuse you from your existing contract and get you to start a whole new one.  Then and only then could they change the terms.  On a side note, I did call yesterday and express my displeasure with Fran Shammo and spokesperson Brenda Raney.  I told Tony, their unwitting CSR pawn, that if Verizon carries through with this stupid plan, then at the end of my contract I will leave Verizon.  If there not going to give me a reason to stay and the grass is just as green at AT&T, then why would I stay.