Added unlimited HOTSPOT for $30

[topinate]

I called and after much confusion, I was able to add mobile Hotspot unlimited for $30. *611 I repeated the word unlimited several times and even asked the rep to confirm many times over as well.

 

[FrankXS]

It's good to hear you report no unwelcomed surprises. Thanks.

-Frank

 

[robrecht]

Yes, they are very confused about this today. I had a long chat with someone at Verizon today and they kept getting tripped up by the new tiered plans even 'though I mentioned several times that I have an unlimited plan that I definitely do not want to change. She still told me that adding MBBC would be $20 per month for 2 GB. This can be 'pro-rated' if you add the feature and then cancel it. For example, if you add the feature for 5 days and use 1.5 GB, it would only cost $3. 23, but if you go over 2 GB, you will be charged $20 per GB after that. So whereas previously, you could get 5 GB MBBC for $25 (or prorated by day for much less), it will now cost you $80 for 5 GB MBBC!!! She was rather tentative about this so she agreed to discuss this with her supervisor and her supervisor's manager and get back to me to verify or correct.

Now we just need to combine tbese two explanations so that it is prorated on the downside with no limits to how many times it can be added and cancelled but unlimited on the upside. Yeah, that's the ticket!

Thanks, Robrecht

 

[FrankXS]

Yes, they are very confused about this today. I had a long chat with someone at Verizon today and they kept getting tripped up by the new tiered plans even 'though I mentioned several times that I have an unlimited plan that I definitely do not want to change. She still told me that adding MBBC would be $20 per month for 2 GB. This can be 'pro-rated' if you add the feature and then cancel it. For example, if you add the feature for 5 days and use 1.5 GB, it would only cost $3. 23, but if you go over 2 GB, you will be charged $20 per GB after that. So whereas previously, you could get 5 GB MBBC for $25 (or prorated by day for much less), it will now cost you $80 for 5 GB MBBC!!! She was rather tentative about this so she agreed to discuss this with her supervisor and her supervisor's manager and get back to me to verify or correct.

Now we just need to combine tbese two explanations so that it is prorated on the downside with no limits to how many times it can be added and cancelled but unlimited on the upside. Yeah, that's the ticket!

Thanks, Robrecht

Sounds like she was describing the 3G style MHS plans. Also, I'm not so sure she's got the pro-rating right either. Using 1.5GB out of 2GB in three days doesn't sound like a $3 pro-rate to me. I thought it was pro-rated on units used of your 3 day allocation of 2GB (i.e. 1.5 GB in three days). Maybe not.

Also, the $80/mo Hotspot she's speaking of sounds like the new Tiered MHS limited plans. Althouh, I thought $80 was supposed to get you 10GB.

I think you're right, she's confused.

-Frank

 

[robrecht]

Sounds like she was describing the 3G style MHS plans. Also, I'm not so sure she's got the pro-rating right either. Using 1.5GB out of 2GB in three days doesn't sound like a $3 pro-rate to me. I thought it was pro-rated on units used of your 3 day allocation of 2GB (i.e. 1.5 GB in three days). Maybe not.

Also, the $80/mo Hotspot she's speaking of sounds like the new Tiered MHS limited plans. Althouh, I thought $80 was supposed to get you 10GB.

I think you're right, she's confused.

-Frank

Yep, definitely confused, but there was a logic to the numbers she came up with. $20 divided by 31 days times 5 days equals $3.23 for the prorated charge. (This is also how the prorating used to work, by the day not by the bits & bytes.) For the overage, she calculated $20 for the first two GB, and $20 per GB times 3 GBs overage to get $80 for 5 GB.

One could also suspect a logical strategy for this $20 per GB overage as an incentive to move people to tiered plans if they are using a lot of MBBC/MHS data. I do recall that one of the early leaks about tiered data plans only had a $10/GB overage fee on the more expensive data plans with MBBC/MHS, but $20/GB overage on tiered data plans that did not include MBBC/MHS.

Thanks, Robrecht

 

[potatolover1102]

Well my hotspot is still free and my monthly discount went up after the data changes!!!! I had 25% percent off the plan and 20% off data and features and now it is 25% for both!!

 

[FrankXS]

(This is also how the prorating used to work, by the day not by the bits & bytes.)

Yes, but this would only work on the unlimited plans. Not the limited plans. There are no "units" to pro-rate on the unlimited plans so they prolly have to do it by the day.

-Frank

 

[Noble_Logistics]

I called and after much confusion, I was able to add mobile Hotspot unlimited for $30. *611 I repeated the word unlimited several times and even asked the rep to confirm many times over as well.

After reading this post and not being able to use the "Free" Hot Spot this morning I also called *611, got tech support for my Netbook (which wasn't connecting either) and asked about the $30 unlimited data plan. She told me that "unlimited data" wasn't available, but at my insistence she double checked and I am now signed up for the "$30 Unlimited" HS. Suddenly my HS and ICM are working again

 

[robrecht]

Yes, but this would only work on the unlimited plans. Not the limited plans. There are no "units" to pro-rate on the unlimited plans so they prolly have to do it by the day.

-Frank

Well, we are indeed talking about adding a 'feature' to an unlimited plan and this is also how it used to work when Verizon defined unlimited as 5 GB. In the final analysis, do you really think Verizon is going to divide up your data usage between tethered (Wifi or USB) and nontethered?

Thanks, Robrecht

 

[FrankXS]

Well, we are indeed talking about adding a 'feature' to an unlimited plan and this is also how it used to work when Verizon defined unlimited as 5 GB. In the final analysis, do you really think Verizon is going to divide up your data usage between tethered (Wifi or USB) and nontethered?

Thanks, Robrecht

But, 5GB "soft limit" or not, they still categorized it as unlimited. Wifi is irrelevent 'cuz there is no VZW data connection involved. And, on the Tiered plans they are putting the "phone" and "tethered" (MHS and MBBC) into the same bucket. On the Tiered plans, if you purchase MHS/MBBS, there is no need to assertain the difference between phone and tethered. Same bucket. Just "Bill-it, Danno"! Although, they can and do assertain the difference. But it looks like it will not figure into the billing, at this time.

-Frank

 

[robrecht]

But, 5GB "soft limit" or not, they still categorized it as unlimited. Wifi is irrelevent 'cuz there is no VZW data connection involved. And, on the Tiered plans they are putting the "phone" and "tethered" (MHS and MBBC) into the same bucket. On the Tiered plans, if you purchase MHS/MBBS, there is no need to assertain the difference between phone and tethered. Same bucket. Just "Bill-it, Danno"! Although, they can and do assertain the difference. But it looks like it will not figure into the billing, at this time.

-Frank

WiFi tethering = MHS

5 GB = 5 GB, even if you do call it unlimited

I still think you're overthinking this. ;-)

Thanks, Robrecht

 

[FrankXS]

WiFi tethering = MHS

5 GB = 5 GB, even if you do call it unlimited

I still think you're overthinking this. ;-)

Thanks, Robrecht

Oh, I thought you said just Wifi, period. I had the same comment about you Let's meet back here in a few days

-Frank

 

[topinate]

After reading this post and not being able to use the "Free" Hot Spot this morning I also called *611, got tech support for my Netbook (which wasn't connecting either) and asked about the $30 unlimited data plan. She told me that "unlimited data" wasn't available, but at my insistence she double checked and I am now signed up for the "$30 Unlimited" HS. Suddenly my HS and ICM are working again

Great to hear. My rep told me not to *228, but rather to do a reboot of the phone once I was done with the initial phone call. I restarted and it worked as well. However, they were adamant about signing me up to a new tiered plan. They even pretended not to know what I was talking about. (or so I thought/think)

If not for this forum, I may have signed onto a new plan Thanks to all those who are constantly posting and help those of us who are too wet behind the ears to know any better.

Thanks all.

 

[robrecht]

Oh, I thought you said just Wifi, period. I had the same comment about you Let's meet back here in a few days

-Frank

OK, I'll buy the first round (Yeungling OK?). BTW, I don't remember you saying I was overthinking anything, but that never needs to be said!

Thanks, Robrecht

 

[l0wr1d3r]

Is the 5 GB soft limit actually a thing? Thought it was a myth, and blew over it like five times over last month...

 

[FrankXS]

Is the 5 GB soft limit actually a thing? Thought it was a myth, and blew over it like five times over last month...

It's not a "cut-off" "thing". It's a threat by VZW that after breaking the 5GB barrier they are within their rights to "throttle" you (slow your Internet connection). To my knowledge they have never done this. But they could. To my knowledge there are no "overage" fees specified for "over 5GB".

-Frank

 

[robrecht]

I think they were trying to make it a thing a few years ago and even 'though they tried to get rid of much of their 'unlimited' language it was just too easy to challenge in court because of their past language. Earlier this year they started laying the groundwork for potentially throttling the top 5% of data users for the rest of the billing cycle and the following billing cycle. Haven't heard of them actually doing this yet. But it would be cleaner legally, because they would not be imposing an actual limit on an unlimited plan which are being phased out for tiered plans. If they start imposing the throttling, I suspect they will use it as a tool to get people to sign up for higher tiered plans.

Thanks, Robrecht

 

[robrecht]

Is the 5 GB soft limit actually a thing? Thought it was a myth, and blew over it like five times over last month...

It's not a "cut-off" "thing". It's a threat by VZW that after breaking the 5GB barrier they are within their rights to "throttle" you (slow your Internet connection). To my knowledge they have never done this. But they could. To my knowledge there are no "overage" fees specified for "over 5GB".

-Frank

With the new tiered plans, for example, the $50 5GB Data plan, there is a $10/GB overage fee. The same overage fee applies to all the 2GB+ tiered data plans. But there is no overage fee for us (FORTRAN) grandfathers.

Thanks, Robrecht

 

[l0wr1d3r]

That makes sense, thinking the unlimited grandfathers have dodged a pretty large bullet for the time being... getting unlimited hotspot, even with double-dipped data, is more cost-effective than cable data in some areas.

 

[ClassaN0va]

I rooted my Thunderbolt. I should be cool having an extra $30 in my pocket