Verizon Ending Unlimited Data for Grandfathered Users

[Wizard Prang]

So, you're bitter that they let you have unlimited data for the last year? I really don't get your point here.

Bitter? No. But when you are explicitly told that you kept your plan until/unless you changed it, it is disappointing.

I find your (Verizon's) lack of faith... disturbing

The value proposition of the two-year contract was a subsidized phone in return for a guarantee of two years of continued business. For them to seek to use that as a tool to force customers out of a "good" plan is just... wrong.

You will need to voluntarily change your data plan if you buy a new phone with a subsidy. If you don't get a subsidized phone you're free to keep unlimited data as long as you want.

Since when? Oh yes... since Verizon decided to change the rules and redefine the term "grandfathered" as we understand it.

It could be worse...

It's worse

I don't think Verizon has any idea what will hit them if they go ahead with this.

While I certainly wish I could keep my unlimited data forever and keep getting subsidized upgrades, I really don't see how this situation can be considered Verizon robbing us.

Robbing us? No. P!ssing us off? Look at the last nine pages of... er... polite discourse and you tell me. Being half way through my contract period on a 3G phone, I was expecting to keep unlimited when I moved to 4G. Now I'm told "sorry, but.... no". I'm torn between adding a line and using that upgrade credit on a 4G phone before they lower the boom, or simply waiting until I can leave.

I could go on, but let me summarize in culturally relevant terminology:

I am altering the terms of our agreement. Pray I don't alter it any further.

This deal is getting worse all the time...

 

[Yeahha]

Bitter? No. But when you are explicitly told that you kept your plan until/unless you changed it, it is disappointing.

I find your (Verizon's) lack of faith... disturbing

The value proposition of the two-year contract was a subsidized phone in return for a guarantee of two years of continued business. For them to seek to use that as a tool to force customers out of a "good" plan is just... wrong.

How dare they make you choose a plan they offer instead of a plan that was phased out in 2011? You have the right to choose not to sign a new contract and get a new phone at full retail if you wish, you could also choose to go to a different company come the time your contract with VZW expires. It is your choice if you sign a new contract with VZW and you will be aware of what happens if you do.

Since when? Oh yes... since Verizon decided to change the rules and redefine the term "grandfathered" as we understand it.

It could be worse...

It's worse

I don't think Verizon has any idea what will hit them if they go ahead with this.

I don't think Verizon redefined anything...being grandfathered in means they won't change the existing contract for those of us who already have unlimited data...not offering it again if the customer decides to sign a new contract means they are no longer offering to extend that part of the contract to existing customers, you will still be grandfathered in if you do not sign a new contract...again the choice is yours.

Robbing us? No. P!ssing us off? Look at the last nine pages of irate rantings and you tell me. Being half way through my contract period on a 3G phone, I was expecting to keep unlimited when I moved to 4G. Now I'm told "sorry, but.... no". I'm torn between adding a line and using that upgrade credit on a 4G phone before they lower the boom, or simply waiting until I can leave.

I could go on, but let me summarize in culturally relevant terminology:

I am altering the terms of our agreement. Pray I don't alter it any further.

This deal is getting worse all the time...

Actually most of this thread has been reasonable calm discussion, not "irate rantings"

Verizon has altered nothing about our existing contracts with them just stated they will be puttnig in a new policy soon that will make us think about what we should do when we can upgrade at a discounted price.

As a consumer the choice is up to you come the time your contract is done, you can upgrade and change to a tiered plan and save a few $100 on a phone, you can spend the extra money and buy a phone a full retail and keep your existing plan or you can look elsewhere to see if another company will suit you better. It is up to you

 

[MrB206]

I don't think Verizon redefined anything...being grandfathered in means they won't change the existing contract for those of us who already have unlimited data...not offering it again if the customer decides to sign a new contract means they are no longer offering to extend that part of the contract to existing customers, you will still be grandfathered in if you do not sign a new contract...again the choice is yours.

Exactly. Being grandfathered isn't like a rent-controlled apartment, regulated and enforced by law and state government... this is a policy and allowance from a merchant to consumer. The fact that they grandfathered us AT ALL was a move Verizon didn't have to make.

Ultimately, if this data change is the dealbreaker for you, then your decision is already made. Frankly, no one is happy with any cell phone carrier, except for T-Mobile... but those are generally poorer individuals that are just happy to have a non-prepaid cell phone and T-mobile treats them in kind with their crap service.
-VZ has solid coverage, no throttling (unless you're a hog) and awesome customer service (IMO).
-Sprint uses 'uncapped' data as a selling point, but they have shoddy coverage and terrible service (like having account limits and turning off your phone if you surpass that limit, like paying late, after a new bill is issued).
-AT&T has decent coverage, but all my friends with AT&T complain when we're outside metro areas... they have no coverage and they have FAR too many iPhone users, clogging up networks in metro areas (like mine in Seattle), so bandwidth is fickle.

So it's really based on what you want. Do you want a reliable network with solid service? Stay with VZ. Do you want uncapped data? Go to Sprint. Do you want... well, I dunno why you'd go to AT&T... it costs the same (when I priced it out) as VZ and doesn't meet the service levels.

 

[euph_22]

Exactly. Being grandfathered isn't like a rent-controlled apartment, regulated and enforced by law and state government... this is a policy and allowance from a merchant to consumer. The fact that they grandfathered us AT ALL was a move Verizon didn't have to make.

Ultimately, if this data change is the dealbreaker for you, then your decision is already made. Frankly, no one is happy with any cell phone carrier, except for T-Mobile... but those are generally poorer individuals that are just happy to have a non-prepaid cell phone and T-mobile treats them in kind with their crap service.
-VZ has solid coverage, no throttling (unless you're a hog) and awesome customer service (IMO).
-Sprint uses 'uncapped' data as a selling point, but they have shoddy coverage and terrible service (like having account limits and turning off your phone if you surpass that limit, like paying late, after a new bill is issued).
-AT&T has decent coverage, but all my friends with AT&T complain when we're outside metro areas... they have no coverage and they have FAR too many iPhone users, clogging up networks in metro areas (like mine in Seattle), so bandwidth is fickle.

So it's really based on what you want. Do you want a reliable network with solid service? Stay with VZ. Do you want uncapped data? Go to Sprint. Do you want... well, I dunno why you'd go to AT&T... it costs the same (when I priced it out) as VZ and doesn't meet the service levels.

I was pretty happy with T-Mobile service when I had it, and the coverage was fine for where I used it (big cities and along major highways). However their coverage drops like a stone beyond those areas.

You can also look into prepaid or other 3rd party services (boost, virgin mobile, page-plus, etc).

 

[Yeahha]

I wouldn't judge someone's financial situation based on their phone carrier...I know people who make far less than I do and have VZW as well as people who make far more than me and are on T-mo and Boost...it is more personal preference than anything else IMO.

 

[agentc13]

but those are generally poorer individuals that are just happy to have a non-prepaid cell phone and T-mobile treats them in kind with their crap service.

My service with them is just fine. It all depends on where you live. Verizon isn't much better around here, I left them a couple years ago and don't plan on going back. Verizon seems to have the most consistent coverage in most areas, but there are places where it fails miserably and another carrier does much better.

I wouldn't judge someone's financial situation based on their phone carrier...I know people who make far less than I do and have VZW as well as people who make far more than me and are on T-mo and Boost...it is more personal preference than anything else IMO.

Yep, I have a close friend that makes way more money than me and is on a $25/month Virgin Mobile plan. He doesn't have to do that, as he definitely is affluent enough to afford any plan on any carrier he wants and have plenty to spare. Generalizations and stereotypes don't hold true to everyone, and judging based on them doesn't seem very prudent to me.

 

[substring]

For those who might be wondering, I have just pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy S III on verizonwireless.com in about 10 minutes ago. It will be shipped by July 9.

I bought the 32GB White for $249.99 + $30 upgrade fee, using my eligible upgrade discount. Then I added the anti-glare screen protectors and the white silicon cover.

The best of all, I can keep my unlimited data plan. Nothing is changed. I am very happy.

 

[Yeahha]

Gratz substring!

 

[MrB206]

I wouldn't judge someone's financial situation based on their phone carrier...I know people who make far less than I do and have VZW as well as people who make far more than me and are on T-mo and Boost...it is more personal preference than anything else IMO.

Maybe these days, but T-Mobile's business model was catering to the lower-income echelon, to offer service to those that had credit too poor to get VZW or AT&T. Their packages are cheaper (substantially cheaper than VZW) and are designed to appeal to those who want to pay less (especially their 'unlimited' plans) more than they care about coverage or service, so it's not shocking some of you know people that have them and make more money than you. This has been the case before they made their big push to '4G' a few years back. I was part of one of their customer service call center operations a few years ago before I was hired by a different firm. They may have changed how they operate, after their image rebranding after the acquisition of Voicestream and others, but people I know with them complain consistently about the shit service they receive, so it seems not much has changed. I'm told their prepaid service is really good, but I've never used it.

Other than paying far too much for service, I'm happy with VZW. I can go almost anywhere and have coverage.. even in the mountains when I'm camping. All my friends with T-mobile and AT&T complain about no service in places where I have great reception. Of course, that's dependent upon the phone... my wife's X was horrid outside the city.

 

[Yeahha]

However being a lower cost alternative doesn't mean the people who use that service are poorer in general, it means they want to pay less monthly for their phone service.

There are plenty of areas where service with any carrier is great for example where I work outside everyone gets great service with any carrier. Inside the building I work T-mo and Sprint get the best service, then AT&T, followed by VZW getting the worst service in my office.

I am happy with my VZW service but know I could go to Sprint or T-mo to get better service at my house, I choose not to since I don't actually use the voice part of my plan much and have wifi at my house.

 

[AntimonyER]

In the end its all about Value. And right now, Verizon may seem like they are nickel and dimeing their customers, but they are massively and rapidly expanding their LTE coverage. No other carrier comes close. And go look at a coverage map vs. Any other provider. No comparison. Yes I hate verizon getting rid of grandfathered unlimited data, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it yet,and their release process for phones and hardware is beyond maddening. But verizon isn't sending all our money to the shareholders, they are spending it on massive network improvements, for their customers. Got to give it to them for that.

 

[Yeahha]

Good point Anti! They actually expanded their LTE network in Charlotte NC recently so I am seeing some benefits from that

 

[substring]

...But verizon isn't sending all our money to the shareholders, they are spending it on massive network improvements, for their customers. Got to give it to them for that.

Yupe. The speed and coverage of my 4G Galaxy Tab 10.1 is fantastic in my metro area. On the other hand, I can see the 3G on my Fascinate is degrading....which is natural evolution. I can't wait to get my GS3.

 

[rehpyc]

Still no official word of when they'll force you to upgrade by in order to keep your unlimited plan?

 

[Yeahha]

There has been no announcements as to when they will start the policy that if you sign a new contract you will need to choose a new data plan.

 

[Wizard Prang]

How dare they make you choose a plan they offer instead of a plan that was phased out in 2011?

You mean "phased out less than eleven months ago", right?

Most of us were sold the plan on an assurance that we would be able to keep it as long as we stayed with Verizon - an assurance that turned out to be less than trustworthy.

I love Capitalism (when it is allowed to work!), but I also love companies that innovate, keep their word and delight their customers. This decision is none of those things.

I don't think Verizon redefined anything...

Until now, being "grandfathered in" to a plan has never had a dependency on phone subsidies. That looks like a redefinition of the term to me.

Actually most of this thread has been reasonable calm discussion, not "irate rantings"

*sigh*... so much for levity and entertainment value. Either your sarcasm detector failed to go off or I was unclear. Being unable to find a strikethrough feature, I have edited the original post lest I mislead anyone else.

My point was not the tone of the replies but the fact that there has been so much passion and discussion on the subject on this and other forums.

As a consumer the choice is up to you come the time your contract is done, you can upgrade and change to a tiered plan and save a few $100 on a phone, you can spend the extra money and buy a phone a full retail and keep your existing plan or you can look elsewhere to see if another company will suit you better. It is up to you

That was not my understanding when I signed up a year ago, and like many, I feel like Verizon has pulled out the rug from under a large number of its customers.

In this case, "It is up to you" == "Take it or leave it". And I think that Verizon will be surprised at the number of "leave-its" that will ensue.

 

[heyeaglefn]

In this case, "It is up to you" == "Take it or leave it". And I think that Verizon will be surprised at the number of "leave-its" that will ensue.

I wouldn't count on that. Sure, some people from this forum could leave, but the average consumer is going to flock to big red, especially when the 4G iPhone is out.

 

[Yeahha]

You mean "phased out less than eleven months ago", right?

Most of us were sold the plan on an assurance that we would be able to keep it as long as we stayed with Verizon - an assurance that turned out to be less than trustworthy.

I love Capitalism (when it is allowed to work!), but I also love companies that innovate, keep their word and delight their customers. This decision is none of those things.

Yes 11 months ago was 2011. Also IMO this change is capitalism working, they are moving to make the consumer pay for what they use, it is that simple, I would be even happier if they changed to a metered service completely.

Until now, being "grandfathered in" to a plan has never had a dependency on phone subsidies. That looks like a redefinition of the term to me.

VZW has always said existing customers who are "grandfathered in" will not keep the discount forever. The email they sent to indirect retailers last year included: "EXISTING CUSTOMERS- That current have the unlimited data WILL BE ABLE TO UPGRADE AND KEEP the unlimited data feature (No known end date on this as of this moment)". Source

This makes me believe that before June of last year they were planning on moving towards this change.

*sigh*... so much for levity and entertainment value. Either your sarcasm detector failed to go off or I was unclear. Being unable to find a strikethrough feature, I have edited the original post lest I mislead anyone else.

My point was not the tone of the replies but the fact that there has been so much passion and discussion on the subject on this and other forums.

Yes there is plenty of people worried about this. I want to try to keep this thread and others about this away from panic. We do not have many details about the switch at this point, depending on what they decide to do many people could benefit if they do it right...just as many people could suffer if they do it wrong.

That was not my understanding when I signed up a year ago, and like many, I feel like Verizon has pulled out the rug from under a large number of its customers.

In this case, "It is up to you" == "Take it or leave it". And I think that Verizon will be surprised at the number of "leave-its" that will ensue.

People are resistant to change. If you are unhappy with the options available when your contract is over (or before if you are willing to pay the ETF) then I would encourage you and anyone else in your shoes to take your business elsewhere. Based on the coverage we had on the change to tiered plans last year I am sorry you were misled. I knew the unlimited ride on VZW wouldn't last forever.

This isn't related to just you, Wizard Prang but I found this article AT&T and Verizon Considering Complex New Data Plans - Forbes I would not be in support of this type of tiers and will not be very happy if this is what they decide to try to implement.

 

[cmybliss]

Yes 11 months ago was 2011. Also IMO this change is capitalism working, they are moving to make the consumer pay for what they use, it is that simple, I would be even happier if they changed to a metered service completely.



VZW has always said existing customers who are "grandfathered in" will not keep the discount forever. The email they sent to indirect retailers last year included: "EXISTING CUSTOMERS- That current have the unlimited data WILL BE ABLE TO UPGRADE AND KEEP the unlimited data feature (No known end date on this as of this moment)". Source

This makes me believe that before June of last year they were planning on moving towards this change.



Yes there is plenty of people worried about this. I want to try to keep this thread and others about this away from panic. We do not have many details about the switch at this point, depending on what they decide to do many people could benefit if they do it right...just as many people could suffer if they do it wrong.



People are resistant to change. If you are unhappy with the options available when your contract is over (or before if you are willing to pay the ETF) then I would encourage you and anyone else in your shoes to take your business elsewhere. Based on the coverage we had on the change to tiered plans last year I am sorry you were misled. I knew the unlimited ride on VZW wouldn't last forever.

This isn't related to just you, Wizard Prang but I found this article AT&T and Verizon Considering Complex New Data Plans - Forbes I would not be in support of this type of tiers and will not be very happy if this is what they decide to try to implement.

If they implemented those types of plans for corporate accounts, that would be o.k. I can see companies wanting to keep a tighter leash on the data being consumed by employees on their dime. On the other hand, if they try this with individual accounts, they could be facing a mass exodus by consumer to carriers with "traditional" pricing. I for one, don't want to have to police every data line on my account to make sure no one is racking up ginormous charges. I don't care how good their coverage is, I would jump ship as soon as my current contract was up. I have enough to worry about w/o adding "data cop" to my job description.

 

[Wizard Prang]

Yes 11 months ago was 2011.

...but your statement sounded so much more dramatic than mine.

Also IMO this change is capitalism working, they are moving to make the consumer pay for what they use, it is that simple, I would be even happier if they changed to a metered service completely.

Agreed. Which begs the question: why did they offer unlimited in the first place? To attract customers from the other guys - and that too is a principle of Capitalism: beating out the competition by offering a better deal. Of course when you are later perceived as going back on the deal...

This makes me believe that before June of last year they were planning on moving towards this change.

Agreed. I suppose that all CellCos probably have the same love-hate relationship with all-you-can-eat plans that the music publishers have with iTunes. Can't stand them, but worried about the consequences of walking away.

Yes there is plenty of people worried about this. I want to try to keep this thread and others about this away from panic

No panic here. I'm not worried, but I am annoyed at what feels like a breach of trust (even though technically it isn't).

Funnily enough, if shared data plans were about last year we would have more than one smartphone in our family. But the urgency with which they are trying to winkle people out of the unlimited plans makes it look to me like they really don't like the monster they created ("Watch out, Igor! It's loose!").

I knew the unlimited ride on VZW wouldn't last forever.

Me too. I just didn't realize that it would end so soon, or that staying on the ride for another go-round could be so expensive.

...I found this article AT&T and Verizon Considering Complex New Data Plans - Forbes I would not be in support of this type of tiers and will not be very happy if this is what they decide to try to implement.

Heartily agreed. it needs to be simpler, not more complex. I would be in favor of a pool of minutes or a fixed cost per GB of data. And that cost needs to be low enough that, like music downloads or phone apps, people don't worry about the cost of one more Gigabyte. However, given how much we are currently being charged for text messages and how fabulously profitable they are, this is hardly likely to happen.

And if complexity is too much to deal with, there is always pay-as-you-go...

One of the rules I try to live by -- Hanlon's Razor -- states "Never attribute to malice that which could be adequately explained by stupidity", and that is what I see happening here. This change is perfectly legal and in some ways, perhaps it is inevitable. It is also a poorly-thought-out, mishandled release of a change that is bound to upset a lot of previously loyal customers.

I am still hoping that when all is said and done, Verizon yells "APRIL FOOL!" and changes their mind. Time will tell; at this point we just don't know. And that's the worst of it.

 

[Yeahha]

Agreed, corporate accounts would be fine I am sure but the individual accounts would be difficult and I would take a hard look at jumping ship come the time my contract is over too.

@Wizard: I think the push to get new folks on unlimited last year was just for profit. They likely knew that they wouldn't be letting people renew the unlimited after that contract was up but if they could get those folks locked in a 2 year contract it is 2 years of money for them, and the new customers may stay afterwards as well. Also the unlimited plan had been around for quite a while, the carriers underestimated how much mobile data would take off in such little time...

 

[eipee73]

What tends to be overlooked in the T-MO/VZW/ATT debate is the fact that ATT is significantly better for those users that leave the country. Worldwide partnerships + GSM bands + pure quantity and diversity of world capable devices is a very high upside to AT&T.

Frankly, if I'm forced to moved to tiered data I would be better off to pay about the same price for the same service with an extra GB of data with AT&T. They're not 4G LTE in Pittsburgh right now, but they are "4G" which leads me to believe that it's coming, especially to compete with VZW in this market.

And in regards to whoever said Verizon customer service is fantastic: I'd love to know what number you're calling, because I tend to spend significant lengths of time on the phone with them and multiple phone calls to resolve things any time I have issues. Customer service was one of the reasons I have thought about switching in the past.

In the end we all have a decision to make, and seeing as how I don't find myself going more than 50 miles outside the area often I can't see why I would stay with Verizon.

 

[MrB206]

This isn't related to just you, Wizard Prang but I found this article AT&T and Verizon Considering Complex New Data Plans - Forbes I would not be in support of this type of tiers and will not be very happy if this is what they decide to try to implement.

Evidently, the K.I.S.S. method of business was never explained to them.

What's ironic is CORPORATE customers make more for these carriers than the consumer, because they get paid each month with little complaint... even for the huge bills (there was a guy that had a $2k/month AT&T bill with my last job.. and we had 1000 people using AT&T); the average consumer watches their bills and has no hesitation to call to contest charges. By making data rules more complex, they're just opening themselves up to more complaints and dropped customers.

KEEP
IT
SIMPLE
STUPID(S)

Combine a throttling mechanism for bandwidth hogs (I'm talking to YOU iPhone-using tweens, teens and twenty-somethings) and data cap and that's more than enough to control your networks and appease customers.

Part of me wonders if all these stories and press releases are just to shake up the consumers and see what we will and won't put up with... because it's working.. we're talking/complaining about it.

 

[Yeahha]

It isn't a surprise to me if VZW is actually considering those types of plans. They can easily get corporations on board by showing them how much they will save. Also the block c provisions on VXW's part of the LTE spectrum specify they can not throttle based on the consumer's data use but they can still throttle if that is what the customer signed up for. [Tin foil hat time] Now what does surprise me is both VZW and AT&T are looking at similar plans...sounds like some of the ol ma bell bridges haven't been fully burnt to me...[/paranoia]

 

[dweezle]

Ever since Verizon released the V710 with bluetooth, that they crippled, I've resented their policy of bait and switch. I know that they are in business to make money. But, it's their attitude towards getting every possible dime out of my pocket that pisses me off. I wish they would tell me up front what they are giving me for my $$ and then stick to it. They have coverage where I need it and no one else does, so they've got me, if I want to use a phone when I'm on the road. (which is much of the time).