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Verizon Ending Unlimited Data for Grandfathered Users

trophynuts said:
it would be interesting to see a poll of how many users actually watch netflix movies on their phone.
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You never done this?

It's real nice to have when you're on a bus, train, waiting at the station or you want to show some clips to a friend.

In regards to the topic, once unlimited data goes away, there will be little to no reason for me to stay if I can get a nice(r) phone on another carrier. It's really odd that a device would drive my carrier of choice, but it might lead to that.

I know the cellphone carriers do not want to be "pipes" such as utility companies, but what do you guys think about metered data plans? Treat the data services similar to electric/gas/water utilities. It might deter people from going 50GB+ a month on their cellphone data service.
 
digdug1 said:
I'd say their getting backlash already lol.
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Well there are threads like this one in a few places where people are talking about want to switch carriers just here on AF...I can only imagine the same thing is going on in every other Android, iOS, WM, BB forum out there that deal with VZW phones...not to mention all the media coverage on the CFO statements yesterday...oh how I would love to be able to get a complete transcript of what he said...
 
Yeahha said:
He provided info about what is to come. Details are not available. They don't want to give out specifics before they are finalized. And most everything is speculation. He specifically said this will affect 3G unlimited users upgrading to 4G that is about it. Could it affect more people? Sure it could..can anyone say for sure? No, not even the CFO can at this point so there is no real reason to get worried currently.

If people want to insist to worry about something...there will be a natural disaster in the US before this comes to pass...could affect any of us...seems like that is better to worry about than if we will need to decide what carrier we use for phone service in the next two years....
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My two cents..(for what it is worth)

1. if you think that the details are not available or finalized I have some land for sale for you. I am sure that this deal is done and they are testing the waters before they drop the bomb. There is no benefit from them being honest and stating the limits or changes as it would negatively imapact new and existing business. (customer would leave upon contract renewal and not sign up in the first place for service).

2. If the lack of worry thing is exactly what Verizon wants you to do. Being an informed consumer so that at least we know the rules as they change is diligence as a consumer.

I really hope that you are right, but my guess is if the CFO is floating stuff out there like this, it is not usually a win for the Verizon customer.

Oh, and yes, the sky is falling! :p
 
HTTR said:
My two cents..(for what it is worth)

1. if you think that the details are not available or finalized I have some land for sale for you. I am sure that this deal is done and they are testing the waters before they drop the bomb. There is no benefit from them being honest and stating the limits or changes as it would negatively imapact new and existing business. (customer would leave upon contract renewal and not sign up in the first place for service).

2. If the lack of worry thing is exactly what Verizon wants you to do. Being an informed consumer so that at least we know the rules as they change is diligence as a consumer.

I really hope that you are right, but my guess is if the CFO is floating stuff out there like this, it is not usually a win for the Verizon customer.

Oh, and yes, the sky is falling! :p
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:D Your 2
 
Correct me if im wrong folks, but i believe that only applies to people switching to LTE phones. I mean, assuming everyone on this forum is uses a Gnex, that sucks for eveybody who is grandfathered =/

just a thought for anyone who has a family plan and with people with 3G phones.
 
While I appreciate the gesture of Verizon saying they will give their customers plenty of warning, the contract nature of wireless service means for a lot of people the warning will do no good, they will sit there as their update timer counts down, only to have the changes go into effect right before they could upgrade, and lock in unlimited for two more years. Those will be the most unhappy, and Verizon will lose customers.
 
AntimonyER said:
While I appreciate the gesture of Verizon saying they will give their customers plenty of warning, the contract nature of wireless service means for a lot of people the warning will do no good, they will sit there as their update timer counts down, only to have the changes go into effect right before they could upgrade, and lock in unlimited for two more years. Those will be the most unhappy, and Verizon will lose customers.
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It will also work to VZW's advantage because there will be some people who are eligible for an early upgrade for a contract renewal right before this happens and will pull the trigger to get locked in for another 2 years. I would think this will come about the same time there are a few major phones released if not the same day right before.
 
darkcyber said:
That is great! Most people will not fall into that category however.

I do understand where the cell phone companies are coming from, with the newer fastest technology, customers can easily consume tons more data. But on the flip side, I feel the plans they have in place are NOT realistic at all. If you stream music some, watch a movie here and there on Netflix (or whatever service), then you can easily gobble up 2 gb's in no time. I feel we are seeing nothing more than cooperate greed than anything. But that is just my opinion :D
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I think you may be overestimating the amount of data the average person uses. Streaming music at ~3MB per song is a lot of songs. As far as movies, you can just download them to your phone over wifi when you know you're going on trip. With some pretty minor adjustments, 2GB should be enough for most people.

Does anybody know how long the "Double your Data" deal will last? I'm guessing it will disappear once the implement they're new tiered data plans.
 
So how come my cable company, who I have had my home Internet service through forever, can offer unlimited data to everyone but no cell company can? I agree, we should start a petition to get congress involved here.
 
If I understand it correctly, if we do not buy a new phone we keep our current grandfathered data plan forever. New phones cost $600-$800 off contract. That's $33 for an $800 phone and $25 for a $600 phone over 24 months. If you save that every month you can just purchase your next phone off contract and keep your unlimited data forever. Of course if you add $30 to your bill, your data plan would be $60 and that would buy you 10GB of data. They are going to get us any way we go.
 
FWIW, if they come out with a family share play of 12-15GB for $100 for 5 phones I would jump on that in an instant and leave my unlimited data plan. That would allow me to add all members of my family on a smartphone for less than it would cost at $30/member x's 5. I have never crossed 3GB of data ever. I watch Netflix a few times per month, my 15 year old son is well a teenage son and a data hog who has never crossed 3 GB and my wife is very limited user barely breaking 1GB in her busiest months. Most months my son and I use >2GB per month and she's at about 750MB. I have a 9 year old that over the next few years will want a smartphone and a 7 year old that will want one a couple of years after that. I think we need to wait and see what Verizon will offer us in shared data. It could be a savings. I know that $150 in data per month is coming over the next 5 years for my family. If they can cut $50 off of that and let us share, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.
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Cincybearcatfan said:
If I understand it correctly, if we do not buy a new phone we keep our current grandfathered data plan forever. New phones cost $600-$800 off contract. That's $33 for an $800 phone and $25 for a $600 phone over 24 months. If you save that every month you can just purchase your next phone off contract and keep your unlimited data forever. Of course if you add $30 to your bill, your data plan would be $60 and that would buy you 10GB of data. They are going to get us any way we go.
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actually word on the street is that even grandfathered unlimited data is going away. That is what the big fuss is about.

Rumor has it that you will only get to keep the current grandfathered unlimited data for the duration of your current contract.
 
Here's the real scoop. Sometime in October/November the iPhone 5 will be out and YES it will most definately be 4G. This is more about iPhone useres than Android users. If it had been about us, it would have been done long ago. iPhone users are notorious data hogs. While Android is a piece of the pie, I think Big Red is banking on iPhone users more than us.
 
I emailed a Verizon employee who has helped me at a local store before. She invites my questions. She told me that Verizon has no plans to stop unlimited data. I doubt she would lie since it would give her commission to have me come in and upgrade now. I need solid proof to show her. She says to avoid the sites with rumors, duhh.
 
gloriousnumber1 said:
I emailed a Verizon employee who has helped me at a local store before. She invites my questions. She told me that Verizon has no plans to stop unlimited data. I doubt she would lie since it would give her commission to have me come in and upgrade now. I need solid proof to show her. She says to avoid the sites with rumors, duhh.
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You can take anything you read here with a grain of salt. But I doubt Verizon is keeping local store reps informed of their plans for future data management, I am not saying she lied to you on purpose just saying that I don't think she would be informed and passed on what she knows to be true currently ;)
 
bamaredwingsfan said:
I would say it's only fair that Verizon offer all the grandfathered customers the 2 for 1 deal on data if this happens
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That would be a nice gesture, although not sure how they will pull it off since it will be an entirely new system (share plans vs. individual plans).

I wonder if data will become incorporated into the plan itself, like the text messaging is, as opposed to being a feature add on. This would actually save me a little more money, as I get discount on the voice/text plan, and my data, but not my wife's through work.
 
gloriousnumber1 said:
I emailed a Verizon employee who has helped me at a local store before. She invites my questions. She told me that Verizon has no plans to stop unlimited data. I doubt she would lie since it would give her commission to have me come in and upgrade now. I need solid proof to show her. She says to avoid the sites with rumors, duhh.
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VZW employees are told nothing to avoid the telephone game (pun intended) until right before changes happen. So no offense but I don't think your friend is 100% informed YET.
 
New plan.....it really does save you money..as long as you don't text, use the internet or make calls. Stay classy Verizon...
------------------------------
*Cell service.....first 3 calls free, then $1.00 a minute and $3 connection fee per call.
*First 3 texts free--$4.00 each after that
*Data..free one time connection to the internet..$5 per connection after that.
*Must provide your own phone then take it to a Verizon store so they can load all the needed bloat on the device.
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It is called the "up yours family bundle"***...has a nice ring to it..

***6 year contract required
 
i got MLB At Bat Lite and have crossed 3gb for the first time this month (I'm up to 5gb)

I use pandora daily, sometimes on wifi, have watched a little baseball and netflix, but nothing too crazy, the thing i do most by far is browsing
 
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