Penalizing long term customers for keeping their unlimited data plan is unwise an business

[Ncpirategirl]

Dear Verizon President and Employees,

I have spoken to three Verizon employees via the phone today who have failed to be able to tell me why I should stay with Verizon. You see I have a very small portion of my plan that is unlimited data, I have it because I have been a long time customer. I don't use a lot of data but when I got I thought I would never use any data. Times change people change in fact my family has changed and I was thinking of adding another line to my account for my son. Maybe at xmas I will buy a tablet but I need to update my phone. I found out that if I tried to upgrade my phone I would lose my unlimited data package plan. Now I understand why Verizon no longer carries an unlimited plan. I actually have worked for a competeing wireless company and they don't offer the plan either. So yes I can understand telling people its a grandfathered plan and we honor our loyal longtime customers who have that plan by continuing to carry the plan as long as they don't remove it from their accounts. I Can understand why if you switch to the convenience of the mobile share plan you couldn't switch back. What I can't understand is why you are forcing your long time customers to question why they should be with you. I don't use huge amounts of data right now but I have been happy not having to worry about my plan and after all I have spent a lot of money with Verizon wireless over the years. In fact lets do a little math I have spent on average on my single line at least $120 a month for the last six years (I am being conservative its probably more like 150 but I think we should be conservative) that's 8640 to Verizon for the last six years... I am looking at wanting another line (Probably will add 50 a month to my phone bill) I am thinking about adding a tablet at xmas. I understand I have to get a separate data plan for the tablet or I would lose my unlimited data another 40 so saying I wanted my two year contract that's almost 200 a month for the next two years in fact lets say its an even two hundred  that's $4800 you would get from me for the next four years. Am I such an unimportant customer you would sacrifice that for $300-400 on a phone? It doesn't make good business sense. If I am going lose my plan when I am already shelling out that much money I should look at other carriers who don't penalize their long time customers by saying you can only keep your plan buy paying full price on a phone. You see its dumb your taking away your own juicy carrot. As long as I had something with you I knew I couldn't get with anyone else I wasn't going to look at another service provider. I can get a limited data package plan anywhere and there are very competitive offers. Customers should be able to choose when they want to drop their plans... not be penalized into doing so. Why do you offer a discounted price on a phone? Because the customer is signing a contract they will stay with you for two years. You are guaranteed to get those fees. You have already told me it doesn't have to to do with the phone... if I can bring my own phone to the plan. It has to do with trying to bribe people if you want this phone at this price you have to give up your unlimited data... sadly its a poor choice... I can get that phone at a nice price and give up my unlimited data by going somewhere else... I will pay the same price and you... you will lose  not only my money but loyalty... all because I wanted 400 off a phone like your other people get when they sign a 2 year contract and to stay my current plan. Yes I know that you said 95% of people use 2 GB or less that may be true but I want the freedom to be able to choose I am an individual not 95%. And I should be important as a customer. I have been a customer for a long time. My current contract ends in October, So again I ask why should I stay loyal to a company who doesn't stay loyal to its long time customers.

Sincerely

Candice M.

[#2]

It comes down to money and profits.

The juicy carrot of unlimited is still there. But you buy the device at full price. You pay no upgrade fees and you have no contract. The data costs are not carrots but gardens of green. (money) Those same 95% are now seeing huge overage fees and that is more green to the company and the stock holders.

Sprint & T-Mobile offer unlimited data but their buildouts of 4G LTE are way behind Verizon & AT&T so you may not want their service. AT&T has no unlimited and price and coverage wise are almost identical so no savings there.

Loyality is an over used word. You are a customer like everyone else, no distinction is made because you paid $5,000 or $2,000 it just depends on what service is right for you.

I never take subsidize devices, I don't like contracts and personally I use Verizon for the coverage and I think I have called them less than five times over 30+ years for any service requests or anything.

America is profit generated and you have to remember that. When the customers leave in droves due to lower costs at another provider that is when Verizon will take a long look at trying to get customers back. But that will be many years in the future

Good Luck

[Ann154]

Did you send this "letter" to Verizon Wireless by any other method? All you did here was post it on the Verizon Wireless Community forum which is a peer to peer customer forum. The higher ups in Verizon Wireless are unlikely to see it ever. There might be a rep from their social media team who see it since you marked it as a question, but when and if they can do anything about your issue is unknown.

[rcschnoor]

Elector wrote:

Those same 95% are now seeing huge overage fees

Some, not all. Out of all the Verizon customers I know personally who have tiered data or are on the Share Everything plan, not a single one has paid for a data overage GREATER than $15 in any given month. Most have had NO overages and the ones who have had overages normally DON'T have overages. I haven't had ANY in the 10 months since I switched to Share Everything and I DO NOT access data any less frequently than before I switched, probably more frequently actually. Additionally, I DO NOT have a large data allowance. Switched to 4 GB/month across 4 smartphones 2 months ago and am planning to switch back to a shared allowance of 2 GB/month. Just don't need the extra 2 GB/month.

If I were to guess IF 95% of Verizon customers use less than 2 GB of data/month, there would be a much greater amount of complaints on these forums if a substantial number of them were seeing HUGE overages.