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VZW Customers Getting Grandfathered?

So many people keep saying that Verizon CANNOT switch your current unlimited plan to a tiered plan due to the contract.

When you're contract ends, what's stopping them from charging the tiered pricing? You are no longer under contract, nothing to break.

Can't they easily say since your contract for unlimited data has expired, if you want to continue using data you must now switch to tiered?
 
If I have a 3G device on VZW now and upgrade to a new 4G device after 07/07, will my unlimited data grandfathered in?
 
rushmore said:
It seems VZW are doing everything they can to actually weaken their position and make it less attractive for people to move to VZW. If I were an At&t exec, I could not ask for better tunnel vision moves by the competition. The cherry on top for At&t is the $5 higher 2gb price. $25 was too high and now VZW are increasing 25% (pure stupid)?! Not to mention a weak phone line-up.

VZW would have been FAR better suited to have established a throttle plan for anybody breaching 5GB a month, rather than a price elastic threatening $30 for 2GB. I would be feeling very good right now, as an exec for VZW competition.
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In all honesty I think that this assessment is close but not completely on target!

Personally, and this is only my opinion, I think VZW is making this change to keep their network from getting overwhelmed just like AT&T's network did thanks of a large influx of iPhone users.

Lets assume for a moment that about 100,000 current AT&T users are planning to make the jump when the iPhone 5 hits VZW. In a perfect world this number of new users would be evenly distributed across their network and would not have a significant impact. This, however, isn't a perfect world. It's likely that large numbers of these new users will be located in the nations larger metro areas: NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc. Since iPhone users tend to use lots of data this would likely create a negative impact on the data network in these areas.

By establishing a tiered plan, they accomplish several things. First they keep these new users from gobbling up all of their limited data resources since now each GB will cost these new users money to use. Second they establish a model that would allow them to accumulate more cash flow in those areas where data usage is highest. This could be used to bolster data capabilities in these areas. And third, they could use this as a way to attempt to control the amount of growth in their data network.

The rumor that existing unlimited data users would be grandfathered into an unlimited data plan tends to support my theory. After all if they were truly mercenary then they'd force us all into tiered plans from day one.

In the past, VZW's exec's have said that they are not looking to just have the largest wireless network. Assuming that there is some truth to this corporate rhetoric, this would also tend to support my theory. After all if they wanted the largest network it would be counter-intuitive to implement a tiered data plan which would handcuff their new users and limit their abilities to use their new smartphones to it's fullest potential.
 
I am thinking about switching to Verizon because of coverage issues with At&t. If I do so before the 7th of July can I get unlimited data? Also the one thing I like about At&t is that you can put your sim into any phone and use it. I know VZW does not have a sim but if latter I purchase a CDMA phone off somewhere like Ebay can I just call them and have them swap the IMEI to make it work or will I be stuck in the contract phone until it is no longer in contract?
 
Martimus said:
After all if they were truly mercenary then they'd force us all into tiered plans from day one.
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They did not do that because they could not do that. If you are under contract, they can not unilaterally modify the terms of your contract. That is basic contract law.
 
55pilot said:
They did not do that because they could not do that. If you are under contract, they can not unilaterally modify the terms of your contract. That is basic contract law.
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Except data isn't truly a contracted service... it's treated by the wireless carriers as a feature that gets added onto an existing service.
 
Martimus said:
In all honesty I think that this assessment is close but not completely on target!

Personally, and this is only my opinion, I think VZW is making this change to keep their network from getting overwhelmed just like AT&T's network did thanks of a large influx of iPhone users.

Lets assume for a moment that about 100,000 current AT&T users are planning to make the jump when the iPhone 5 hits VZW. In a perfect world this number of new users would be evenly distributed across their network and would not have a significant impact. This, however, isn't a perfect world. It's likely that large numbers of these new users will be located in the nations larger metro areas: NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc. Since iPhone users tend to use lots of data this would likely create a negative impact on the data network in these areas.

By establishing a tiered plan, they accomplish several things. First they keep these new users from gobbling up all of their limited data resources since now each GB will cost these new users money to use. Second they establish a model that would allow them to accumulate more cash flow in those areas where data usage is highest. This could be used to bolster data capabilities in these areas. And third, they could use this as a way to attempt to control the amount of growth in their data network.

The rumor that existing unlimited data users would be grandfathered into an unlimited data plan tends to support my theory. After all if they were truly mercenary then they'd force us all into tiered plans from day one.

In the past, VZW's exec's have said that they are not looking to just have the largest wireless network. Assuming that there is some truth to this corporate rhetoric, this would also tend to support my theory. After all if they wanted the largest network it would be counter-intuitive to implement a tiered data plan which would handcuff their new users and limit their abilities to use their new smartphones to it's fullest potential.
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The one constant factor though is VZW can easily throttle high data users and manage the network that way, rather than tiered. Seems they are counting on folks getting LTE, Netflix, Hulu, cloud, etc and then go over & charge $10 or more extra, a few times (at least) per year. Would look very good on a financial plan.
 
Martimus said:
Except data isn't truly a contracted service... it's treated by the wireless carriers as a feature that gets added onto an existing service.
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When the contract calls for you to maintain a data plan (typical when buying a subsidized smart phone), it implicitly becomes part of the contract.
 
55pilot said:
When the contract calls for you to maintain a data plan (typical when buying a subsidized smart phone), it implicitly becomes part of the contract.
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Unless I'm mistaken the contract does not call for a data plan... the individual phone selected, on the other hand, does. Many low end feature phones can be operated on the same contracts without an accompanying data plan. It's the higher end feature phones and smartphones that require the data plan.
 
55pilot said:
When the contract calls for you to maintain a data plan (typical when buying a subsidized smart phone), it implicitly becomes part of the contract.
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Hello,

I do want to clarify that data packages are device-driven, and are not a part of the service agreement. Service agreements are driven by discounts on equipment as well as promotions.

Data devices do require a data plan. However, if you have a line that was activated with a data device on a 2-year service agreement, then change the device that does not require a data plan, the data plan can be removed. This is due to the fact that the data package is a feature. You are still within the service agreement if you change the device from a data device to a feature phone, but you would not have to keep the data plan.

I hope this information is helpful. Have a great day!

Christina B
VZW Support
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
 
Hey guys, I just spoke with my brother who took his webinar training w/Verizon on the tiered data plan changes. He knew I was looking for wording about existing customers going from 3G to 4G. He confirmed with me that in his webinar, that it did specifically say that existing 3G customers that purchase a 4G phone AFTER July 7th, would still be grandfathered in on the unlimited data packages.

So no need to rush out on the 6th (like I was going to do) to purchase either the Thunderbolt, Revolution, or Charge. We can now wait on the Bionic.

I did ask him to send me a screenshot for proof to everyone on the boards, but he told me no because he's chicken S#%t and scared to do that kind of thing. So, we'll have to take my brother's street creds on this one.

He also wanted to tell me a data fact pointed out in his training: that said 96% of 3G customers use less than 2GB of data...and that 91% of 4G customers are using less than 2GB of data.
 
VZW_CS said:
Data devices do require a data plan. However, if you have a line that was activated with a data device on a 2-year service agreement, then change the device that does not require a data plan, the data plan can be removed.
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That means the following is allowed:

One buys a top of the line Android phone as a 3rd line. They pay and extra $10 for the line and $30 for data. The next day they switch the phone on the line to an old dumb phone and now they basically have to pay $10 a month for the phone.
 
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