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Verizon Ending Unlimited Data for Grandfathered Users

Any idea if they plan to make the change before the GS3 comes out? I pre-ordered one from best buy to get the $50 gift card and now I am hoping Verizon does not change their grandfathered policy until after I am on the new contract. Do you think they would announce the change a month out or could it be a next day type of announcement?
 
cmybliss said:
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.
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If there is a "mass exodus" of individual account holders (which I don't personally see happening) but if this were to happen, the exodus would come from the 5% group Verizon sees as "data hogs". Those who use over 5GB per month. Verizon might see this as a plus, all their "data hogs" going to another carrier, say, Sprint? This would kill Sprint. Sure, Sprint gains 5000+ new customers, but they are all customers that use 5GB or more of data per month. Sprints network would be overwelmed!

This is just another step in the stairway to a "pay to play" system, and most businesses operate this way. Your electic company.... you pay for what you use. Gas for your car.... you only pay for what you use. Most restaurants... you pay only for what you order. (now there are some "all you can eat" eateries, but these are the exception rather than the rule, and many of these, if you look at the fine print, have a "right to deny service" clause) Look at your local grocery, you only pay for what you want to take home.

So, Here's hoping we all have the best of luck with our choices,
 
Davoo said:
Any idea if they plan to make the change before the GS3 comes out? I pre-ordered one from best buy to get the $50 gift card and now I am hoping Verizon does not change their grandfathered policy until after I am on the new contract. Do you think they would announce the change a month out or could it be a next day type of announcement?
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You already renewed your contract with your subsidized purchase. Activating your phone isn't going to rid you of your unlimited data.

They gave everyone a good notice of when they were going to stop selling unlimited data plans, so I don't see any reason they wouldn't do the same for grandfathering the plan.
 
My husband just spoke with a Verizon CSR. He was told emphatically that they were NOT phasing out the unlimited data for the grandfathered plans, and added that they were unsure about how the rumor got started. She also added that they have internal memos going 'round stating that they are working on an ad campaign discounting the "end of unlimited data rumors".

How true is this? I don't know. I wasn't part of the conversation.

Breath a little easier, my friends, at least for a little while.
 
So I have a real-world question about how this will work, in case anyone has seen any info on this:

So we have five lines on our account.

Mine - GNexus, unlimited data, upgrade about 1 1/2 years away
Wife's - Razr Maxx, unlimited data, upgrade about 1 year away
Son1 - Envy3 - no data, upgrade available
Son2 - Envy3 - no data, upgrade available
Mom - old flip phone, no data, upgrade just used to get Razr Maxx for wife's line after her DX2 was stolen

So...if I get Son1 a smartphone in the Fall, he would go on the new Tiered (shared, I presume) data plan, but since we have only modified his line, not my wife's or my line we should keep our unlimited data according to Verizon statements below. So how does that work - does he go on shared data just sharing with himself (like the current 2GB plans) or ?

Can someone clarify this for me w/any confidence, what happens if I get my sons smartphones later in the year after shared data plans have rolled out. Seems like we'd have them on tiered and us on unlimited, unless and until my wife or I got a subsidized phone on our lines. Right?

Thanks!

Verizon said:
Verizon’s e-mailed statement, in full:

– Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans. If a 3G or 4G smartphone customer is on an unlimited plan now and they do not want to change their plan, they will not have to do so.
– When we introduce our new shared data plans, Unlimited Data will no longer be available to customers when purchasing handsets at discounted pricing.
– Customers who purchase phones at full retail price and are on an unlimited smartphone data plan will be able to keep that plan.
– The same pricing and policies will be applied to all 3G and 4GLTE smartphones.

In short, the death of grandfathered unlimited data plans will come when all the people with unlimited data give up their devices for new ones. And that could take years.
Click to expand...
 
Redflea said:
Can someone clarify this for me w/any confidence, what happens if I get my sons smartphones later in the year after shared data plans have rolled out. Seems like we'd have them on tiered and us on unlimited, unless and until my wife or I got a subsidized phone on our lines. Right?
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Until the details of the shared data plans are released, I don't think anyone can clarify this with any confidence. But I suspect VZW won't allow your "one account" to adopt a shared data plan that doesn't extend to all the devices on that account. So the practical upshot, I think, is that you'll have to decide between a) maintaining your unlimited data on 'Mine' and 'Wife's', and b) signing up for shared, limited/tiered data. If you go with 'a)', then you might have to establish a separated account for Son1 or 2, if VZW stops offering things like 2GB-allowance data plans.

But I'm just guessing like the rest of us.
 
pwalt said:
My husband just spoke with a Verizon CSR. He was told emphatically that they were NOT phasing out the unlimited data for the grandfathered plans, and added that they were unsure about how the rumor got started. She also added that they have internal memos going 'round stating that they are working on an ad campaign discounting the "end of unlimited data rumors".

How true is this? I don't know. I wasn't part of the conversation.

Breath a little easier, my friends, at least for a little while.
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Based on "and added that they were unsure about how the rumor got started.", I would give it a credibility of 0. I'm thinking that the CSR's are in damage control mode - and will tell you what they think you want to hear, and get you off the phone.
 
StevenZ said:
Until the details of the shared data plans are released, I don't think anyone can clarify this with any confidence. But I suspect VZW won't allow your "one account" to adopt a shared data plan that doesn't extend to all the devices on that account. So the practical upshot, I think, is that you'll have to decide between a) maintaining your unlimited data on 'Mine' and 'Wife's', and b) signing up for shared, limited/tiered data. If you go with 'a)', then you might have to establish a separated account for Son1 or 2, if VZW stops offering things like 2GB-allowance data plans.

But I'm just guessing like the rest of us.
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Thanks...yeah, what you say makes sense...

I was trying to parse the first two bullets in Verizon's statement to make it mean that it worked on a per-line basis...however, I think you can easily (more easily than not, unfortunately) interpret the bullets to support your statement...

E.g., first bullet says you can keep your unlimited plan if you want to, second bullet says but, if you want to get a discounted phone you will have to give up that unlimited data...doesn't refer to individual lines, just "customers" which can easily be construed to mean this works at the account level, not the individual line level - upgrade one line, all lines are affected.

– Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans. If a 3G or 4G smartphone customer is on an unlimited plan now and they do not want to change their plan, they will not have to do so.
– When we introduce our new shared data plans, Unlimited Data will no longer be available to customers when purchasing handsets at discounted pricing.

<sad>

But who knows, really...frustrating.
 
Redflea said:
So I have a real-world question about how this will work, in case anyone has seen any info on this:

So we have five lines on our account.

Mine - GNexus, unlimited data, upgrade about 1 1/2 years away
Wife's - Razr Maxx, unlimited data, upgrade about 1 year away
Son1 - Envy3 - no data, upgrade available
Son2 - Envy3 - no data, upgrade available
Mom - old flip phone, no data, upgrade just used to get Razr Maxx for wife's line after her DX2 was stolen

So...if I get Son1 a smartphone in the Fall, he would go on the new Tiered (shared, I presume) data plan, but since we have only modified his line, not my wife's or my line we should keep our unlimited data according to Verizon statements below. So how does that work - does he go on shared data just sharing with himself (like the current 2GB plans) or ?

Can someone clarify this for me w/any confidence, what happens if I get my sons smartphones later in the year after shared data plans have rolled out. Seems like we'd have them on tiered and us on unlimited, unless and until my wife or I got a subsidized phone on our lines. Right?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Yeah, each line is a separate contract. While I am not sure how the new phone will work on shared data, you and your wife won't lose unlimited until you upgrade at subsidized. That is certain based on Verizon press release.
 
AntimonyER said:
Yeah, each line is a separate contract. While I am not sure how the new phone will work on shared data, you and your wife won't lose unlimited until you upgrade at subsidized. That is certain based on Verizon press release.
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You post that right after I convince myself that it won't work that way... ;-)

That's definitely how I want to read it, but the lack of any inclusion in Verizon's statement about individual lines troubles me. They just refer to "customers."

And regarding the part about each line being a separate contract. Is that a literal fact of law that the data plan on each line is a separate contract (as opposed to the length of service required, which clearly is a contractual commitment), or is that just how Verizon currently chooses to interpret the data side of things? Why couldn't they simply decide to say: "From now on, if you purchase a discounted phone on any line on your account, any other line not currently in a two-year contract has to go to shared data."? I.e., taking any line in a 'month-to-month' status and changing it's data plan.

Given the fact that they don't currently require a data plan on a line unless you have a phone activated on that line, even if they have given the smartphone to you at a discount, seems to separate the data plan from the line commitment. Two years is required, a data plan during that time is not.
 
I am thinking they would make you switch whatever line you are upgrading to "shared data" if that is one line you would likely be able to keep the same price for 2GB or whatever, then if you upgrade a second line later the shared data would be actual shared data. I think this is a way for them to move data plans away from "individual" and "Family" and more to an allotment for the plan like minutes currently are.

This is just my guess but I don't think they will make you change the contract of a different phone if you are only upgrading one line for fear of you being able to get out of the second contract without having to pay an ETF.
 
pwalt said:
My husband just spoke with a Verizon CSR. He was told emphatically that they were NOT phasing out the unlimited data for the grandfathered plans, and added that they were unsure about how the rumor got started. She also added that they have internal memos going 'round stating that they are working on an ad campaign discounting the &quot;end of unlimited data rumors&quot;.

How true is this? I don't know. I wasn't part of the conversation.

Breath a little easier, my friends, at least for a little while.
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The "rumor" got started by the CFO telling a room full of people and nationwide media that they were going to kill unlimited data for people how upgrade using the subsidy. That is about as far as you can get without actually showing you the policy.
 
Yeahha said:
This is just my guess but I don't think they will make you change the contract of a different phone if you are only upgrading one line
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When my son upgraded to a Droid 4 a few months ago the in-store rep kept trying to "update" my calling plan. He couldn't really explain to me what he was trying to do but assured me it was just a "name change" of the family plan and nothing would change. He tried to update it like three times before giving up. I asked him multiple times what he was doing and what was changing and he kept telling me it was a change on their end.
In effect, he was trying to change my plan (primary line) when my son was upgrading his line only.
I wondered then if this wasn't the big plan, change the name of the plan so all lines have to be "updated" (no contract change, just a name change), then the "updated" plans have to have family data.
I really couldn't get a straight answer from him and nothing ended up happening anyway but I was sure then and am more sure now that they are up to something...
 
Clementine_3 said:
When my son upgraded to a Droid 4 a few months ago the in-store rep kept trying to "update" my calling plan. He couldn't really explain to me what he was trying to do but assured me it was just a "name change" of the family plan and nothing would change. He tried to update it like three times before giving up. I asked him multiple times what he was doing and what was changing and he kept telling me it was a change on their end.
In effect, he was trying to change my plan (primary line) when my son was upgrading his line only.
I wondered then if this wasn't the big plan, change the name of the plan so all lines have to be "updated" (no contract change, just a name change), then the "updated" plans have to have family data.
I really couldn't get a straight answer from him and nothing ended up happening anyway but I was sure then and am more sure now that they are up to something...
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I don't doubt the in store sales reps won't try something sneaky or underhanded to get something like that. If they do something like that they could say "Well they agreed to the switch" to get you on tiered data or whatever, plus there is maybe a bonus for the sales rep to get you to switch...again just guessing.
 
Yup. I actually wasn't too worried about it because the guy was having too many problems from the get-go trying to get the system to do what he thought it should. No way was I going to let anything actually happen, nope. The manager would have been there for days undoing whatever had been done, had it been done.
I don't trust them as far as I can throw them. I do worry about the unsuspecting customers though, they will get screwed and not even know it 'til it's too late.
 
While it would be nice for VZW to explicitly say "grandfathering of unlimited data ends on June 28th with the introduction of our shared data family plans," I'm guessing this is VZW's indirect way of expressing as much.
 
I was hoping that Verizon was going to be smart about the pricing structures with these new plans but wow was I wrong!

Ok, so I did the math. $40 per smartphone, $30 per dumb phone. For my family there are two smartphones and two dumb phones. That would be $140 total just for the phones! We're not even talking about data pricing yet! The screwing doesn't stop there!

So here is the pricing. $50 for 1 GB. $60 for 2 GBs. $70 for 4 GBs. $80 for 6 GBs. $90 for 8 GBs. $100 for 10 GBs. Yep... ultimate screwage!

So let's take the $140 total from above and add a useful amount of data. So that means another $80 on top of the $140 for at least 6 GBs. That's $220! And we're not even talking about insurance on the phones and that's about $12 per phone per month! Now let's add all of the fees, unfees, taxes, and below the line costs!

We're talking almost $260 here! That's a damn car payment right there! SCREW YOU VERIZON! SCREW YOU WITH A RUSTY PITCHFORK!
 
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