3G Now, Will Get you Unlimited 4G after 7/7

[FluxTZ]

Im pretty sure you would have to be on a verizon plan. I mean since you have no plan no you wouldnt be grandfathered since you technically were never with verizon. ATleast thats what it seems. If i were you I would just sign a contract now to lock unlimited in and then buy the bionic full retail. Otherwise they may make you get a tiered plan.

This. He would have to a

 

[FluxTZ]

Im pretty sure you would have to be on a verizon plan. I mean since you have no plan no you wouldnt be grandfathered since you technically were never with verizon. ATleast thats what it seems. If i were you I would just sign a contract now to lock unlimited in and then buy the bionic full retail. Otherwise they may make you get a tiered plan.

This. You would have to already be a Verizon customer with your NE2 upgrade available. If that was the case you could simply buy a Droid smartphone on the cheap like the other poster, activate the ESN number and add unlimited data to your plan before 7/7. Then when the Bionic comes out, cash in the NE2 upgrade and you'd be grandfathered in on unlimited data. But this would only work if you were an existing customer and in this case it appears you aren't unfortunately and your initial plan wouldn't work.

 

[rkeller62]

This. You would have to already be a Verizon customer with your NE2 upgrade available. If that was the case you could simply buy a Droid smartphone on the cheap like the other poster, activate the ESN number and add unlimited data to your plan before 7/7. Then when the Bionic comes out, cash in the NE2 upgrade and you'd be grandfathered in on unlimited data. But this would only work if you were an existing customer and in this case it appears you aren't unfortunately and your initial plan wouldn't work.

That doesn't make sense to me. If I walk into a VZW store with a used smartphone I should be able to sign-up as a new customer and get a month to month contract with the features that I want. Since I am month to month I should be able to get the 2 year discounted pricing for a new phone whenever I want by signing a 2 year commitment. What prevents that from taking place??

 

[chiman2]

That doesn't make sense to me. If I walk into a VZW store with a used smartphone I should be able to sign-up as a new customer and get a month to month contract with the features that I want. Since I am month to month I should be able to get the 2 year discounted pricing for a new phone whenever I want by signing a 2 year commitment. What prevents that from taking place??

This. That is what I was planning to do.

 

[FluxTZ]

That doesn't make sense to me. If I walk into a VZW store with a used smartphone I should be able to sign-up as a new customer and get a month to month contract with the features that I want. Since I am month to month I should be able to get the 2 year discounted pricing for a new phone whenever I want by signing a 2 year commitment. What prevents that from taking place??

Can you even sign up as a new customer with only month to month service? I don't know the answer so anyone feel free to chime in. Under your proposed scenario though it sounds like a case of having the cake and eating it too.

I just don't see them allowing someone to hop on board as a new customer on month to month with unlimited 3g on a smartphone they brought to the network and then three weeks later allowing the person to "upgrade" as a "new" customer on a 2 year agreement just to get the subsidized pricing and grandfathered unlimited data..... Just seems bizarre to me to be honest.

 

[ShiZero]

It does seem bizarre but it is quite logical. For Verizon, they don't really give a rat's ass about you until you sign that two year contract, because then the tables turn completely in their favor.

Take for example an existing customer who's been off contract since, say, January and paying month-to-month, but still has his NE2 discount waiting for him to pull the trigger. It's not just because he's off contract that he's not able to go into the store and use that subsidized discount upon signing a new two-year deal. Of course, your mileage may vary in that you never were contracted with them with a data plan on your account, so they could come around with their corporate paw and put an end to your shenanigans, but such is the risk you take for trying to play the system.

After all, how dare you eat the cake and keep it too? Only VZW can do that

 

[rkeller62]

Can you even sign up as a new customer with only month to month service? I don't know the answer so anyone feel free to chime in. Under your proposed scenario though it sounds like a case of having the cake and eating it too.

I just don't see them allowing someone to hop on board as a new customer on month to month with unlimited 3g on a smartphone they brought to the network and then three weeks later allowing the person to "upgrade" as a "new" customer on a 2 year agreement just to get the subsidized pricing and grandfathered unlimited data..... Just seems bizarre to me to be honest.

Why?? If I bought a phone from them as a new customer and paid full retail they better not try and stick me with a 2 year agreement. The only reason that I know if that they lock you into a contract for 2 years is to obtain the subsidized pricing for a phone. No subsidized pricing better equal month to month contract, whether I am a new customer or not. And, since I am on a month to month contract, I should qualify for subsidized pricing for a new phone whenever I want, assuming I am willing to sign a 2 year commitment.

 

[rkeller62]

It does seem bizarre but it is quite logical. For Verizon, they don't really give a rat's ass about you until you sign that two year contract, because then the tables turn completely in their favor.

Take for example an existing customer who's been off contract since, say, January and paying month-to-month, but still has his NE2 discount waiting for him to pull the trigger. It's not just because he's off contract that he's not able to go into the store and use that subsidized discount upon signing a new two-year deal. Of course, your mileage may vary in that you never were contracted with them with a data plan on your account, so they could come around with their corporate paw and put an end to your shenanigans, but such is the risk you take for trying to play the system.

After all, how dare you eat the cake and keep it too? Only VZW can do that

Who is trying to "play the system?" The ONLY time that VZW looks to "lock" you into a contract for a specific amount of time is when they subsidize the purchase of a new phone for you. I am not talking about an NE2 discount (which doesn't even exist anymore), I am talking about the 2-year contract subsidized pricing for a new phone.

 

[shipwrestler125]

That doesn't make sense to me. If I walk into a VZW store with a used smartphone I should be able to sign-up as a new customer and get a month to month contract with the features that I want. Since I am month to month I should be able to get the 2 year discounted pricing for a new phone whenever I want by signing a 2 year commitment. What prevents that from taking place??

Pretty sure you cant sign up month to month. The only way was if you already had a contract and had an upgrade but were waiting to use it. Verizon will get you to sign a 2 year contract if you do not have one now. But go ahead and see how that works but if you were smart you would just sign up now and lock in unlimited otherwise you will be very disappointed when you are stuck with a tiered plan.

 

[trailblazen]

Just got off phone with VZW and he confirmed if i was already on a 3g unlimited (to incude Blackberries) i would be granfathered in no questions and apologized for when i was told the opposite last week and informed to get a new phone to lock in before 7/7. He said i was on day 6 of my 14 for the Charge I picked up so could take it back or give it to my wife for her upgrade and i can wait out for my bionic with no pressure. That really irks me that they tell me one thing forcing my hand then turn around and say oops our bad.

 

[shipwrestler125]

Why?? If I bought a phone from them as a new customer and paid full retail they better not try and stick me with a 2 year agreement. The only reason that I know if that they lock you into a contract for 2 years is to obtain the subsidized pricing for a phone. No subsidized pricing better equal month to month contract, whether I am a new customer or not. And, since I am on a month to month contract, I should qualify for subsidized pricing for a new phone whenever I want, assuming I am willing to sign a 2 year commitment.

here its simple. When you are locked into a contract you have to pay and they are making money off you and if you leave then you pay the hefty ETF. Now if you are month to month you can leave scotch free whenever with no ETF.

 

[Asterdroid]

here its simple. When you are locked into a contract you have to pay and they are making money off you and if you leave then you pay the hefty ETF. Now if you are month to month you can leave scotch free whenever with no ETF.

Scotch free is not a life I could ever live.

 

[Pierpoint]

@ The OP - I'm SO glad to read this. I was worried that I'd have to jump on a T-Bolt just to retain some unl action for the Bionic.

In any case, I pulled out the ol My Verizon app to check my data usage. I was surprised to see I only used about .2gb/mo! I mean, I browse, d/l and use data intensive apps all day everyday, so I guess I'm cool either way.

 

[shipwrestler125]

@ The OP - I'm SO glad to read this. I was worried that I'd have to jump on a T-Bolt just to retain some unl action for the Bionic.

In any case, I pulled out the ol My Verizon app to check my data usage. I was surprised to see I only used about .2gb/mo! I mean, I browse, d/l and use data intensive apps all day everyday, so I guess I'm cool either way.

Its just nice knowing you dont have to worry about it and wont get charged. I think if they changed the price to $25 for 2gb people wouldnt be as upset but to make customers pay the same as what used to be unlimited isnt right.

 

[trailblazen]

I know that in the week I had my Charge I have burned through 100MB and that is just on 3G and changing to Wifi when I get home. Thank god I will get to keep the Unlimited once we roll to 4G this December.

 

[Oxn]

I know that in the week I had my Charge I have burned through 100MB and that is just on 3G and changing to Wifi when I get home. Thank god I will get to keep the Unlimited once we roll to 4G this December.

ummm 1 week 100MB?

4.5 weeks 450MB? on 3G.

Even if you do 3-4 times more with 4G youre still good.

But yea ofcourse unlimited is better than 2GB cap, but still it wont really matter to most of us.

 

[ShiZero]

First three days I had my Charge I used up about 500 megs of bandwidth, most of which were speedtests and light tethering on a 1-bar signal strength. LTE goes through bandwidth like I go through cakes.

 

[Oxn]

First three days I had my Charge I used up about 500 megs of bandwidth, most of which were speedtests and light tethering on a 1-bar signal strength. LTE goes through bandwidth like I go through cakes.

I cant imagine using 2Gigs of data in a month, UNLESS you download big movie files, or tether.

I used 325megs in 2 days on my CHarge.

175 of those megs were for a tv show.

So thats 150meg on heavy usage for me. HOWEVER over half of that time iw as home, and couldve been on Wifi, so lets say 75megs over 2 days on heavy web borwising, Pandora, app downloading.

 

[Asterdroid]

I cant imagine using 2Gigs of data in a month, UNLESS you download big movie files, or tether.

I used 325megs in 2 days on my CHarge.

175 of those megs were for a tv show.

So thats 150meg on heavy usage for me. HOWEVER over half of that time iw as home, and couldve been on Wifi, so lets say 75megs over 2 days on heavy web borwising, Pandora, app downloading.

Now, I realize I am the exception to the rule, but I have an hour and a half commute. I stream Subsonic most days all the way to and from work. That with some light gaming, app downloading and browsing has put me over 10gb in a month a couple times. That's with no movies or tethering.

 

[T_Virus]

Just got off phone with VZW and he confirmed if i was already on a 3g unlimited (to incude Blackberries) i would be granfathered in no questions and apologized for when i was told the opposite last week and informed to get a new phone to lock in before 7/7. He said i was on day 6 of my 14 for the Charge I picked up so could take it back or give it to my wife for her upgrade and i can wait out for my bionic with no pressure. That really irks me that they tell me one thing forcing my hand then turn around and say oops our bad.

I hope this is true for Blackberries as I was going to go to Verizon later on today to get a Droid Charge and ditch the BB Storm 1 9530 due to all the unlimited rumors. Now I don't have to. Thanks...