Verizon Tiered Data Plan. Please Read This Post

[anicholas7]

Today I called Verizon to check up on the tiered pricing plan and when it will start and how it will affect those who buy a 4g phone before the rates go into affect.
This is what I was told.
1)Tiered pricing is scheduled to come out sometime in May.
2)If you buy a 4g phone prior to the tiered pricing plan you will have to choose a new data plan from the tiered pricing they have when it comes out. You will not be able to keep the exact data plan you have now for the same price you are paying today. Apparently they were giving people some time with the Thunderbolt to see how much data they are using and when the tiered pricing comes out you will have a better idea as to what type of pricing plan you want. Obviously if you have unlimited data for $30 and want to keep unlimited you can but it will cost more.
3)No grandfather clause. I read somewhere that you would be grandfathered in but he said no.
4)I asked how can they just change the cost structure of your plan when you have a contract and he said because your 2 year contract is for the phone not the plan as you can change your plan anytime you want within those two years. Kind of makes sense but I call foul anyway.

I asked this because although I did not buy the Thunderbolt I was waiting to see how the Bionic was when it came out and was going to buy that if it proved better then the Thunderbolt. I read how others were waiting like me and hoping the Bionic would come out before the tiered pricing thinking you would be grandfathered in before the tiered pricing came out. Now I am not sure if I even want a 4g phone.

 

[dixonba]

I will just add that I've received wrong info from Verizon before...not saying either way tho....

 

[jayheartxo]

I'm gonna agree with you on crying foul. I'm not entirely sure that they can force you to change your plan at any point in time. I could be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time) but that just sounds way to weird to me.

It'd be like getting a large soda at the movie theater and then half way through the movie an usher comes up to you and tells you that you have to pay another seven dollars for your soda, cause the price went up.

Of course, I suppose at that point you could just walk out of your two year contract without paying the ETF. That might make some people that are looking for an easy out happy.

 

[DroidyMcDroid]

depending on how much more the 4g plans are i may have to go for the incredible 2 instead. my one year contract (oh yeah, we can't get those anymore!) is up this summer, probably after the bionic is released. i was hoping for the bionic but this may change things.

 

[cody_21]

I think I will still get the bionic, I mean it can't be too bad. I dont know exactly how the tiered data plans will work but its eventually going to be the norm pretty soon.

 

[Droid800]

I'm gonna agree with you on crying foul. I'm not entirely sure that they can force you to change your plan at any point in time. I could be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time) but that just sounds way to weird to me.

It'd be like getting a large soda at the movie theater and then half way through the movie an usher comes up to you and tells you that you have to pay another seven dollars for your soda, cause the price went up.

Of course, I suppose at that point you could just walk out of your two year contract without paying the ETF. That might make some people that are looking for an easy out happy.

Any cellular carrier can change your plan anytime during the contract's duration. Its part of the contract you signed.

HOWEVER, if they do change your plan, or force you to choose, you are able to cancel the contract without paying the ETF.

That being said, Verizon won't be doing that. They're not going to piss off a bunch of their customers paying for their top-tier devices.

 

[Hand_O_Death]

Contract is for the plan, not the phone. The phone "Discount" comes when you sign up for the plan and enter the contract saying you will stay with that specific contract for 2 years. IF they changed the contract, you can back out without any fees and keep your phone for the price given. They will not change a plan mid contract unless they do not care about the omney they would loose. I am calling false

 

[jayheartxo]

Any cellular carrier can change your plan anytime during the contract's duration. Its part of the contract you signed.

HOWEVER, if they do change your plan, or force you to choose, you are able to cancel the contract without paying the ETF.

That being said, Verizon won't be doing that. They're not going to piss off a bunch of their customers paying for their top-tier devices.

I love it. You confirmed my wrongness and then went straight into the part where I was sorta right.

I'm a bad person and skim contract things. D:

 

[pool_shark]

I have read so many times people saying they're going to buy the TB just to be grandfathered into the unlimited 4G plan.

I asked where the info originated and no one could answer.

I never thought that would be the case since everyone knows how Verizon likes to nickel and dime, and even Sprint charges $10 more for 4G.

 

[stopswitch]

I call bull

If they do this, people will cancel their contracts in masses and not pay their EFT charge. I know I will, Sprint would be looking good.

 

[Johnly]

Yup, any time they modify services you mist " agree " and if you don't, you can walk on the spot ETF free.

 

[Panthersfan86]

Any cellular carrier can change your plan anytime during the contract's duration. Its part of the contract you signed.

HOWEVER, if they do change your plan, or force you to choose, you are able to cancel the contract without paying the ETF.

That being said, Verizon won't be doing that. They're not going to piss off a bunch of their customers paying for their top-tier devices.

I completely agree with you, there is no way that verizon is going to risk losing so many customers, myself included. I have gotten bad info from verizon before, for example I currently own a fascinate......anyone wanna take a shot at the bad info there?? lol. All the same though as you said before they wouldn't deliberately piss off that many people, for several reasons.
1) with at&t and t-mobile merging verizon has lost its foothold as the biggest carrier.
2) sprint is releasing several new phones that would just give people the excuse to jump ship, and the same goes for at&t.
3) people could and would cancel without having to pay any ETF, and believe it or not verizon makes a lot of money via ETF.

I would almost guarantee they will grandfather people, i could be wrong but those are my thoughts.

p.s. - Also it is my personal belief that 99.9% of the people who work for verizon whether it is in tech support, in customer support, or in a store are lazy ignorant people who probably know less about the product you are asking questions about than you do. there is the one person every now and then who actually knows what they are talking about and cares but those people are few and extremely far between.

 

[DolfanCole]

Contract is for the plan, not the phone. The phone "Discount" comes when you sign up for the plan and enter the contract saying you will stay with that specific contract for 2 years. IF they changed the contract, you can back out without any fees and keep your phone for the price given. They will not change a plan mid contract unless they do not care about the omney they would loose. I am calling false

I agree. I think the contract is for the plan too and not the phone. Case in point ... try changing your plan to a lower cost plan. They won't let you until your contract is up. They'd be more than happy to increase it, but not reduce it.

 

[mpciii]

I agree. I think the contract is for the plan too and not the phone. Case in point ... try changing your plan to a lower cost plan. They won't let you until your contract is up. They'd be more than happy to increase it, but not reduce it.

I've reduced my minutes in the middle of a contract before. No problem at all and it didn't reset my contract date.

 

[DolfanCole]

I've reduced my minutes in the middle of a contract before. No problem at all and it didn't reset my contract date.

Then that's a new one to me. I've always been told that you couldn't do it if the cost was less.

 

[Hand_O_Death]

And the funny thing would be IF they did that, and correct me if I am wrong, but you can cancel the contract when they change it and just go month to month if you want to stay with VZW then. So if you decide to pay whatever they will charge, then you can still get out of the contract and use the phone you got for $250 instead of $600.

 

[Ufd108]

Then that's a new one to me. I've always been told that you couldn't do it if the cost was less.

Absolutely you can change your plan, up or down, at any time. Of course going down in minutes can affect other things, like unlimited texting (a must with a teenage son). But you can make the change. I've not only done it myself but I've even had Verizon customer service reps suggest it to me to save money.

And it does NOT affect your contract date.

 

[DolfanCole]

Absolutely you can change your plan, up or down, at any time. Of course going down in minutes can affect other things, like unlimited texting (a must with a teenage son). But you can make the change. I've not only done it myself but I've even had Verizon customer service reps suggest it to me to save money.

And it does NOT affect your contract date.

Then I stand corrected. That was a bad example. It still doesn't change my feeling that the contract is for the plan and not the phone though.

 

[mpciii]

Then I stand corrected. That was a bad example. It still doesn't change my feeling that the contract is for the plan and not the phone though.

The contract is basically for a term of service. The phone, the plan and the features can change but you are agreeing to a minimum service for that period of time.

 

[TCCDROIDMAN]

p.s. - Also it is my personal belief that 99.9% of the people who work for verizon whether it is in tech support, in customer support, or in a store are lazy ignorant people who probably know less about the product you are asking questions about than you do. there is the one person every now and then who actually knows what they are talking about and cares but those people are few and extremely far between.

Thank you for adding the "there is one person every now and then" LOL I am one of those one people. Then agian I do not work for Verizon Corp. I work a premium retailer.

As far as the "grandfather clause" I have not heard one way or the other what will be done. I do know in the past BOTH plan changes with and without being grandfathered in has been done. (the promotional $15 Data Plan that happened over Christmas). So I guess it can go either way

BB Storm-----ROOTED OG Moto Droid----ROOTED SAMSUNG Fascinate----HTC TBOLT