Shared Data Package

[metz65]

I don't like this shared data anymore than anyone else, but let's be realistic about something.

Nobody is being forced to give up unlimited data. Having to pay full price for a phone is not forcing us off our unlimited plan. If we choose to buy a subsidized phone we lose it (choose being the key word) Verizon can not make you buy anything, nor can they make you use their service. It's a choice and it's a choice that is yours to make.

Yea it sucks, but the hard cold fact of life is you are not entitled to, nor is it a God given right or a constitutional amendment that you are by law guaranteed the ability to buy a discounted or even own a cell phone.

If the current or any future administration passes a law requiring us to own a smartphone then we can talk about how we are being forced into it.

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX using Tapatalk 2

 

[NickA]

How long have you worked as a shill for Verizon?

I give up dude. You obviously are bitter about something. Sometimes I feel like I work for Verizon, Best Buy, Motorola, Samsung, etc. There are some people that you just can't explain anything to. And accusing me of working for Verizon is not going to get you any credibility. Give it up.

So, for your hypothetical example, you save money. For my REALITY, it costs me money.

Wait, what? It's not hypothetical. I'm literally saving $60.00 if I switch. What part of that aren't you getting. A lot of people will pay less in their bill each month.

And again, if it costs you more then don't switch. Why do you have an issue with that? Just keep the current plan you are on.

Look, VZW is a business and businesses like to make a profit. Prices go up, that's the way it is. In this case, some are saving money and will switch to the new plan. Others are better off on their current plan.

 

[crimsonking#AC]

If you think the "Current Plan" will be around much longer you are insane.
It wasn't even a year ago they told us that unlimited was grandfathered in for us forever, as long as we stayed current with Verizon.

And yes I am bitter, and unless your head is in the sand, I am not the only one.

Prices go up? Actually, as a product line matures, COST goes DOWN. No way do they Double.

 

[Snowcrash45]

I can't wait until all the other carriers go the same route. The forums are going to be even more entertaining with people using old as hell phones just to keep their unlimited data and "sticking it to the man" lol. Maybe there will be an occupy Verizon movement! Lol.

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[NickA]

I can't wait until all the other carriers go the same route. The forums are going to be even more entertaining with people using old as hell phones just to keep their unlimited data and "sticking it to the man" lol. Maybe there will be an occupy Verizon movement! Lol.

And now a days, "old as hell phones" means the one I got 6 months ago!

 

[LegalAmerican]

I don't understand the arguing going on. If it works for you, switch! If it doesn't, Don't!

I tend to agree more with the argument that Verizon is using this as a way to ultimately screw the consumer. The reason I say this, is because SHARING 1Gig of Data, for $30 is a ripoff in comparison to me having 4Gigs of my own for $30 thanks to the Double Data promotion. I would love this whole idea if 1Gig was like $10-15 and 3 Gig was $30 or so. Then I would be all for it since I don't have unlimited anyway.

However, stop arguing about it because you are free (relatively) to make the decision that's best for you. Of course.......in 6-12 months that may no longer be the case, but for now it is.

 

[NickA]

I don't understand the arguing going on. If it works for you, switch! If it doesn't, Don't!

I agree, which is why in just about every one of my many posts about this, I put that statement in there.

...The reason I say this, is because SHARING 1Gig of Data, for $30 is a ripoff in comparison to me having 4Gigs of my own for $30 thanks to the Double Data promotion. I would love this whole idea if 1Gig was like $10-15 and 3 Gig was $30 or so. Then I would be all for it since I don't have unlimited anyway.

I love you 1 GB for $10-15 idea. I have several accounts and lines just because of what I do for a living, but on my personal family plan, we use under 1 GB just about every month. And with 3 lines that 75+ dollars. So I don't mind paying less and sharing the data, and getting unlimited voice and text. I'm still not giving up my unlimited though, but I like your idea.

 

[cdf3]

As hard as it is to believe, I will come out better with the new plan.
I hate the fact that I will be giving up my Unlimited Data Plan if I switch.
Something about being "Grandfathered In" under the Unlimited Data Plan feels special.
I fee like I'm one of the lucky ones.
Despite having Unlimited Data, I'm coming to realize that there is no way possible to use Unlimited Data every month.
I average anywhere from 2-4 GB a month worth of Data, and my Wife averages less than 100 MB per month.
With her average use of 100 MB, we're really not getting our money's worth.
With our usage, we're paying $60 per month and only consuming no more than 4 GB.
If I were to add WiFi tethering a while back, that would have been another $60.
If I were to have gotten WiFi tethering along the Unlimited Data we currently have under our plan, we would be spending around $240 per month.
Under the new system, I can get the 10 GB plan and spend right at $180, and we could also tether our devices to our Android Tablet and iPad.
I'm tethering now, thanks to FoxFi, but under the new plan I won't have to look over my shoulder hoping I don't get caught by Big Red.
10 GB doesn't sound all that great compared to Unlimted, but based on our usage, 10 GB is a lot.
On the flip side, I wouldn't have to watch our talk time minutes anymore.
I can see that the new plans will work out great for some, and not so much for others.
Especially those that have data hungry users in their family. Everyone fighting for data and not wanting to cut back.
I think it'll be ideal for my situation.

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[Snowcrash45]

And now a days, "old as hell phones" means the one I got 6 months ago!

True for some. I see myself on my max for the entire 2 years I love it so much. Same with my last phone. I tried keeping up with 3d graphics cards technology and it was too expensive. I learn to not have upgrade envy now

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[tech_head]

Well for me it's a non-starter.
I got data when it was $30 and I had to take it because I had a Blackberry.
I then moved to Android and they were pushing unlimited and telling us/me to use the data, the pipe is there and plenty of capacity. They even forced data plans when you bought a smart phone even if you wanted a "data block" that they could and can do. I don't see anywhere that's it's possible to completely opt out of a data plan and go solely Wifi. Now that would save me and others some cash. Oh, but that ruins the smartphone experience. Right.

I have a killer deal and I will just buy the phones at full retail.
I have 3 smartphones and 1 dumb on my plan.
I have the 1400 minute plan and unlimited texting.
I pay $110 for the plan plus $30 for the additional phones and $90 for unlimited data.
This is without my corp discount and Verizon trying to retain me by giving me some additional discounts that will go away if I change my plan.

Going to the new setup (I won't be doing that):
$100 for 10GB data (We use 10-12 sometimes across all three lines).
$40 per phone x3
$30 for the dumb phone
So that is $250 marginally more than I'm paying right now but significantly more when you factor in some additional credits. This also means that now instead of watching minutes I'm watching data usage. I'll pass because I'd much rather watch minutes because I never use more than 50% of the 1400 anyway.

 

[Midwestuser1]

If you think the "Current Plan" will be around much longer you are insane.
It wasn't even a year ago they told us that unlimited was grandfathered in for us forever, as long as we stayed current with Verizon.

And yes I am bitter, and unless your head is in the sand, I am not the only one.

Prices go up? Actually, as a product line matures, COST goes DOWN. No way do they Double.

Don't forget that data usage has grown significantly over the past 2 years therefore the cell companies have to expand their "Access" which does cost more money. The reality is any business will do what it has to cover it's cost. If they don't they'll end up in financial trouble and then customers will be in a far worse position once that company goes under. There are two larger carriers right now that are in fairly large financial holes. Anyone is free to go and try one of the other carriers that might be less expensive to see what your experience is like. Others that are less expensive are for a reason as there are cost that they've cut that do affect the customers experience.

 

[spun2u]

If you say unlimited text is 30 and not 20, that's 10 extra per line, or 20 bucks. So I'm saving even more on the new plan, not less. You see what I'm saying? I'll break it down again:

CURRENT
=========
Smartphone 1:
$70.00 for 700 minutes
$30.00 - Data
$30.00 - Unlimited Text
----------
$130.00

Smartphone 2:
$10.00 - Add a line fee
$30.00 - Data
$30.00 - Unlimited Text
---------
$70.00

Total: $200.00

NEW PLAN
=========
Smartphone 1:
$40.00 - Unlimited voice and text

Smartphone 2:
$40.00 - Unlimited voice and text

Shared Data:
$70.00 - 4GB

Mobile Hotspot:
Free

Total: $150.00


That's saving 50 bucks a month. I currently don't even use close to 4GB a month on my lines. I could save even more by going to a 2GB plan.

It's not an illusion, so smoke and mirrors. These are factual numbers. I'm not sure I understand where you aren't seeing the savings in this scenario.

Your getting ripped off now with unlimited text for $30 per line. We have unlimited text for all lines for $20.

I have the family share 1400 with 5 lines (3 smartphones, 2 dumb phones) and pay around $250 a month.

This looks tempting since I have my son wanting to get a smart phone. With the new plan it would workout that I'd pay an extra $10 a month to add a smartphone on his line.

The issue is that dad doesn't want give up his unlimited. lol.

All 3 of the smartphones on my account are unlimited. It makes me sick to see that my wife and daughter only use 100-200 mb each of their unlimited. So I'm currently over paying for their data.

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[MA2GA28]

Here's my take on this:

1 - We are all getting screwed. As someone said, the unit cost (1 gig) for data is going up from $15 to $30 on this shared plan. It's the trick some food manufacturers use (ice cream and peanut butter, specifically come to mind) where they charge you the same amount (or more in some cases) but reduce the amount of product you get for the price. You think you aren't spending more, but you are.

2 - If you use the wifi tether as a 'plus' with these new plans, you need to re-think your reasoning. The wifi tether is a HOG of data, as you're more likely to do more on a larger device than on your phone. If you think you're saving money by just getting the 1 GB plan and getting Wifi tether as a bonus, you are in for a rude awakening once that data overage hits.

3 - On paper, yes, some people's bills will be smaller. But, again, if you choose the wrong data plan, you will be sorry.

4 - Don't say 'no one is forcing you to change your plan' because that is exactly what Verizon is doing. If they weren't, then they wouldn't be getting rid of the unlimited plan, would they? No one will pay retail for a phone in order to keep unlimited, as the cost of the new phone doesn't justify it in relation to the going rate of the data. Also, if too many people keep their unlimited plans, don't doubt Verizon won't get rid of them altogether eventually.

5 - Sharing data is not good. If you use your phone for business, and have family on the plan as well, you're asking for trouble. Say you're close to your limit and your son decides to stream a movie and your daughter updates a few apps, just before you are planning to send a large file to a couple people at work. Hello extra $50 charge.

 

[babygirl0419]

Here's my take on this:

1 - We are all getting screwed. As someone said, the unit cost (1 gig) for data is going up from $15 to $30 on this shared plan. It's the trick some food manufacturers use (ice cream and peanut butter, specifically come to mind) where they charge you the same amount (or more in some cases) but reduce the amount of product you get for the price. You think you aren't spending more, but you are.

2 - If you use the wifi tether as a 'plus' with these new plans, you need to re-think your reasoning. The wifi tether is a HOG of data, as you're more likely to do more on a larger device than on your phone. If you think you're saving money by just getting the 1 GB plan and getting Wifi tether as a bonus, you are in for a rude awakening once that data overage hits.

3 - On paper, yes, some people's bills will be smaller. But, again, if you choose the wrong data plan, you will be sorry.

4 - Don't say 'no one is forcing you to change your plan' because that is exactly what Verizon is doing. If they weren't, then they wouldn't be getting rid of the unlimited plan, would they? No one will pay retail for a phone in order to keep unlimited, as the cost of the new phone doesn't justify it in relation to the going rate of the data. Also, if too many people keep their unlimited plans, don't doubt Verizon won't get rid of them altogether eventually.

5 - Sharing data is not good. If you use your phone for business, and have family on the plan as well, you're asking for trouble. Say you're close to your limit and your son decides to stream a movie and your daughter updates a few apps, just before you are planning to send a large file to a couple people at work. Hello extra $50 charge.

Yea I agree. I called the verizon store here in town and she told me I would come out cheaper leaving things as they are. I told her I wanted to upgrade my 3rd line and get a smartphone and she said I would still come out cheaper. Seems like this family shared data really isn't for everybody.

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[Eclipse2K]

Here's my take on this:

1 - We are all getting screwed. As someone said, the unit cost (1 gig) for data is going up from $15 to $30 on this shared plan. It's the trick some food manufacturers use (ice cream and peanut butter, specifically come to mind) where they charge you the same amount (or more in some cases) but reduce the amount of product you get for the price. You think you aren't spending more, but you are.

2 - If you use the wifi tether as a 'plus' with these new plans, you need to re-think your reasoning. The wifi tether is a HOG of data, as you're more likely to do more on a larger device than on your phone. If you think you're saving money by just getting the 1 GB plan and getting Wifi tether as a bonus, you are in for a rude awakening once that data overage hits.

3 - On paper, yes, some people's bills will be smaller. But, again, if you choose the wrong data plan, you will be sorry.

4 - Don't say 'no one is forcing you to change your plan' because that is exactly what Verizon is doing. If they weren't, then they wouldn't be getting rid of the unlimited plan, would they? No one will pay retail for a phone in order to keep unlimited, as the cost of the new phone doesn't justify it in relation to the going rate of the data. Also, if too many people keep their unlimited plans, don't doubt Verizon won't get rid of them altogether eventually.

5 - Sharing data is not good. If you use your phone for business, and have family on the plan as well, you're asking for trouble. Say you're close to your limit and your son decides to stream a movie and your daughter updates a few apps, just before you are planning to send a large file to a couple people at work. Hello extra $50 charge.

I'll gladly pay full retail for a device if it means I keep unlimited data. I would never pay the going rate for 1 GB each month and have to worry about going over. The moment Verizon decides to force me off of unlimited data is the moment I drop down to a dumb phone. Mobile data is nice, but in no way will I pay that much for a gig of data. I thought the 2GB/4GB prices were ridiculous. This is getting out of hand already.

 

[Zman1001]

I decided to have some fun at Verizon's expense. I have unlimited data on my phone, but only use about 1 GB due to using wireless at home and work. Thankfully, I just upgraded to Razr Maxx and my wife had just upgraded her dumb phone, so I will not need to worry about changing plans for 2 years.

We also have the 700 family share plan, and use no more than 500 minutes any month. When they announced the family data plan a few months ago, I figured it would benefit me a little, but they surprised me by only offering unlimited talk and text with it, in order to keep the prices up.

SO, I have turned wireless off. I will now run all of my data through 4G/3G rather than wireless. And to top it off, I also decided to stream the U.S. Open through the App yesterday, and my usage went from 700mb with 6 days left in my cycle, to 2.1GB today before starting to stream the app again.

I have always overpaid for my wireless service, because I wanted the service. I thankfully will continue to have the same service (with unlimited for almost 2 more years), but I will now make it cost Verizon Wireless more for me being a customer by using more of their data.....I will try hard each month to push as much data through my phone each and every month.

 

[Midwestuser1]

I decided to have some fun at Verizon's expense. I have unlimited data on my phone, but only use about 1 GB due to using wireless at home and work. Thankfully, I just upgraded to Razr Maxx and my wife had just upgraded her dumb phone, so I will not need to worry about changing plans for 2 years.

We also have the 700 family share plan, and use no more than 500 minutes any month. When they announced the family data plan a few months ago, I figured it would benefit me a little, but they surprised me by only offering unlimited talk and text with it, in order to keep the prices up.

SO, I have turned wireless off. I will now run all of my data through 4G/3G rather than wireless. And to top it off, I also decided to stream the U.S. Open through the App yesterday, and my usage went from 700mb with 6 days left in my cycle, to 2.1GB today before starting to stream the app again.

I have always overpaid for my wireless service, because I wanted the service. I thankfully will continue to have the same service (with unlimited for almost 2 more years), but I will now make it cost Verizon Wireless more for me being a customer by using more of their data.....I will try hard each month to push as much data through my phone each and every month.

So what do you plan to accomplish with this change you've made?

 

[NickA]

SO, I have turned wireless off. I will now run all of my data through 4G/3G rather than wireless. And to top it off, I also decided to stream the U.S. Open through the App yesterday, and my usage went from 700mb with 6 days left in my cycle, to 2.1GB today before starting to stream the app again.

You really stuck it to them didn't you?? I'm sure because of your carefully thought out plan, they will have to throttle data for everyone and come up with even more new data plans just to recover from all the data you are using. Not to mention the money they are losing because of it.

Bottom line is all you are doing is using more battery on your phone to stream over the radio instead of wi-fi. You are still paying the same amount of money each month regardless.

While you are at it, why not make prank phone calls to use up all of your 700 minutes? Same premise right??

 

[Midwestuser1]

The reality is carriers HAVE to go away from unlimited data plans. With the amount of devices on the networks now and the usage getting heavier & heavier (people streaming the radio, dowloading movies/music) the users who use the most data SHOULD pay more than a moderate to low user. So for those who use a lot understand that the carriers cannot afford to offer unlimited data any longer. If they didn't adjust then the network would just run slower and slower for everyone. When the Carriers (who by the way are the ones who invest billions of dollars to give us these capabilities) have to adapt you can bet the users have to adapt as well. If you don't like losing your unlimited data feel free to start up your own carrier and offer that to your customers

 

[metz65]

Lmao some of this stuff is so 3'rd grade.

I don't care what kind of phone you use, that's not how I judge someone's worth or intelligence. Sent using tapatalk 2.