A HowardForums user has confirmed weeks of speculation concerning Verizon’s reported plan to force new customers who wish to purchase smart devices such as the XV6900 or the forthcoming Samsung Saga on data plans regardless of the customer’s desire for the plan.
Beginning November 14th, new customers who purchase BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices will be required to add on a $30 or higher smartphone data plan in order to purchase the devices and use 3G data. As a further anti-consumer practice, Verizon will be eliminating the option to block 3G data access from such devices (for those that prefer using Wi-Fi access exclusively in lieu of 3G if the device supports it) as well as disabling pay as you go data and 10MB access plans.
This initiative will also be expanded in 2009 to include feature phones with HTML browsers, with Verizon forcing $15 or higher data plans for those devices. Â It remains to be seen whether these changes will reduce customer confusion which is the intention of the move, or drive savvy consumers away from the carrier for its business practices.
Â
We were forced to go from Alltel to Verizon, we are being forced to renew a contract, which is more than what we are paying now on our old contract, to get phones that work (they did not keep ANY of the old alltel phones for replacement–so they told us), and NOW we are being forced to pay for a data plan that we do not NEED, WANT or will we ever use. If I do not want the data plan I am FORCED to get a phone that I do not want. The phone that I WANT requires a data plan. REALLY?? SERIOUSLY? Who’s idea was this? In a time when we are all watching EVERY penny to make ends meet and we not only have to pay Verizon more but also settle for something we don’t want. We would switch carriers, but where we live they are the only one that gets a decent signal. This is ridiculous.
I am seriously angry. And for those on this forum who think they can decide what I should or should not want or need on my phone: get over yourselves.
I want a phone that has weight (yes) and size (yes again) that I can actually use as a phone and not a doorstop. I actually like phones that feel like phones. That’s number one. Number two: I like the fact that I can use the internet services I ALREADY PAY THROUGH THE NOSE FOR. Why in the hell anyone here would want to pay anyone twice is just plain stupid and they don’t need a ‘smart’phone. They need a good finanical advisor.
It is rediculous that verizon wants to try to convice us (seems easy from reading this, baa, baa wher do I pay???) that we should pay them for something we already have.
Would anyone here be so inclined to defend Dell if they start telling us they are going to offer their own data plans? So, you would be okay with buying a new laptop AND internet service even though you already have wifi in your home? Or maybe you’d be okay with Dell charging you every time you go to starbucks and get online there.
Some of us are leaders and some of us are led.
Which are you?
I am laughing out loud I think no I know all the customer service operators have the same “out line” on what to say to people who call that are angry about the new data plans..Even the simple phones now need data plans all the phones my kids have currently have to upgrade to the exact phone would be $9.99 more a month for the EXACT phone..the Alis,the Enve 2 and the new nokia twist so that would be $50.00 a month more for the already $ 167.00 a month they get from me thats $ 2604 a year for phone service..I dont even spend thats much for gas in a month.
I asked the customer per the same questions as above and got the same answers and stated in above posts .She told me that way you will not have to worry about data charges and you will know what your phone bill will be every month…I said lady in 2 years my phone bill has always been $ 167.00 a month I know what my bill is,,,yes but you wont have to worry about data fees now…Lady we never use the data ..my kids know I will break their fingers…lol…
I told her the pieces of junk phones you are offering the 9 of them that dont require a data plan are out dated and dont have the features I want you are forcing me to get a phone that requires a data plan she said no were not…
Well looks like we age going to change carriers …I am not going to pay $ 50.00 a month extra
One huge issue I see he is an entire market that Verizon currently has which is Chaparone (Family Locator now). Verizon dictates which phones can be used as Chaparone Devices which for th emost part go to kids, and along with that go the other restrictions such as Blocking Data Plans, Blocking Access to V-Cast, etc…. As of today every phone listed as a Chaparone Eligible Device falls into the category of a Smart Phone and will require the Data Plan.
I cannot see having to buy a more expensive phone to be able to get Chaparone, Pay $9.99 per month for Chaparone, then be forced to pay 9.99 per month for their required Internet / Data plan only to block the access to the later on my sons phone.
I have been with Verizon for 14 years for Different reasons, however I am now looking at different carriers for myself, My family as well as the company I work for with some 9,000 verizon wireless devices.
Most of the people in my company that have been vetting this out, are in the smae boat as I with the Chaparone plan and I for one will not be taken advantage of for this.
This is a business scam with Verizon. They see the increase of cell phone users and instead of being loyal to their customers, they want to dig deeper into our pockets. We have 3 lines and will be leaving Verizon over this. We went into our local Verizon store and the “young punk” who walked into our path got an ear full over this. His “trained” comment was that the majority of the people who had Verizon contracts wanted this. That is CRAP. It is impossible to surf the web out our phones and impossible to open half of our e-mails. We had the data plans when we first got the phones and cancelled it the next month because it was nearly impossible to use. I don’t need the internet on my phone. We are paying the price of all the people out there who are racking up their cell phone bills and then not paying. This is a business scam that needs to be stopped.
There has to be something illegal about Verizon forcing customers to pay for a data package they do not want. I purchased the same Alias 2 for my daughter that I have. I do not have the data package, but since the time I purchased my phone and purchased hers, it is now deemed a “smart phone”. Any I have to pay for a package I do not want, nor will use. You can’t tell me they can’t block it or charge as you go. If I had the money I’d hire lawyer and go for a class action suit.
Verizon’s “Big” idea is to boost the volume of data on their networks because that’s where the big bucks will be in the future. By forcing all phones with a slide keypad into the $10 plan it guarantees them:
a) $10 /month for free if you don’t use the data plan, or
b) $10 /month + big $$ data overages for when you didn’t realize you passed your MB limit, or
c) $30 /month unlimited data plan when you’re hooked.
All of this from users who were perfectly happy with their phone and just wanted a keypad to make it easier to text. Thanks for the help VZW.
i too am very angry at having to essentially pay for the internet twice. i NEVER access my email from my phone but would be charged 360/year just to have the ability. i think that the illegal part is going to be the “price fixing” aspect since all carriers age doing the same thing. the first one that breaks the pact will get my business as i like and use the computing capability a lot.
$30 a month extra is ridiculuos. My contract expired in Feb and I’ve been contemplating whether or not to upgrade my phone. A few days ago I was at the mall and decided to go into the VZW store to check out phones. I was shocked to hear that I had to forcefully add a $30 data plan for the phone I wanted. Needles to say, I walked away w/my old, barely working envy2, but no new contract. I decided to go online to see if there were other options, since the salesperson basically offered me a downgrade on a new phone if I wanted to keep my existing plan, but it was the same thing.
Currenlty, I have no data plan, but do have their GPS navigator ($10/month), which I used to love before I upgraded to a newer version, which I hate, and is the only reason why I switched from T-mobile over 2 years ago!! Before, I had reservations about whether or not I wanted to upgrade since I feel that they’re a little pricy and I want a plan with more minutes, which would be a lot cheaper elsewhere. My plan looks like this:
$40 for 450 min, $5 for 250 texts, $10 for GPS Navigator+taxes= about $65 month.
You mean to tell me that if I keep my ultra basic, bare-bones, lowest-of the-low, talk and text plans, keep my navigator, and upgrade to a smartphone, my montly cell phone bill will be around $95???!!! Sure, I’ll get the phone for free…um, excuse me, device, but will pay $360 a year for an internet service that frankly isn’t great, a lot of websites don’t load properly and I really just don’t want it. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather spend $30 on something else.
The sad thing is that many of us here (you know who you are) are still staying with Verizon despite youre knowing how unjust and unfair this is, and despite knowing that there are other OPTIONS out there. People, a bully will keep bullying you as long as you let yourselves. If we take action, they’ll realize that people aren’t as ignorant as they think. As far as me, I’m switching to Sprint, $70 +tax per month for unlimited everything, which is about $80 a month, not a huge difference, but its the principle. I couldnt live with myself, knowing that I gave in to THE MAN.
[…] Verizon are not forced to have a data plan. But all smartphones released beyond the cutoff date (November 14, 2008) are forced to have the $30 data plan, no exceptions. No exceptions, as in, its not possible. Their […]