Droid Bionic Not Released Before Tiered Data Plans!

[Oxn]

Verizon is reserving the right to do this also, in their current contract.

I bought a Charge last month, upgrading my 6-year-old flip phone. The data contract that Verizon had me sign basically said that if my data usage was in the top 5% in any given month, Verizon had the right to throttle my data performance.

quick question.

How much was added total once you added the $29.99 plan?

I know verizon is notorious for tax and hidden fees.

So that 29.99 comes out to what?

 

[darkrisen]

Why am I the only person that sees the announcement as a ploy to boost summer sales? If VZW actually forced these types of tiers on there customers they would loose quite a bit in my opinion. Maybe its just me but after seeing how many people have done the knee jerk reaction and bought charges etc the past few days it just seems to make since to me that this was a ploy to boost sales.

 

[Asterdroid]

Why am I the only person that sees the announcement as a ploy to boost summer sales? If VZW actually forced these types of tiers on there customers they would loose quite a bit in my opinion. Maybe its just me but after seeing how many people have done the knee jerk reaction and bought charges etc the past few days it just seems to make since to me that this was a ploy to boost sales.

You aren't the only person.

EVERYTHING they do is a ploy to boost sales.

 

[mc21]

You aren't the only person.

EVERYTHING they do is a ploy to boost sales.

doubt it.... did att's tier data plans affect their sales? i dont know but just guessing probably not. the average person wont care.

 

[fundragon]

How much was added total once you added the $29.99 plan?

There's a 25 cent difference in fees between this month's bill, and one a few months ago (December) that's the closest I can get for an apples-to-apples comparison.

It's hard to tell whether the fees have increased as a result of adding the data plan, because
a) some of the taxes are based on usage charges or the total amount of the bill, and
b) my last few bills have roaming charges (I have an old voice plan grandfathered from SureWest Wireless... it's cheaper when I stay home), and the taxes/fees are actually higher than this month... the last bill without roaming charges was in December, so tax rates may have changed... and
c) I found out last month that employees of my company can get a 20% discount on their Verizon bill . Apparently, judging by this month's bill, the discount doesn't apply to my grandfathered SureWest voice plan... but unlimited data is costing me $23.99.

Side-by-side comparison to last month's bill shows that fees have gone down by 5 cents (for the "CA State High Cost Fund (B)"). But last month included a few days after I bought the new phone, so not sure how that might have affected it.

Side-by-side comparison to December's bill shows that fees have gone up by 25 cents (all in the "Fed Universal Service Charge").

 

[fargles]

I am going to have to agree with some of the above posts about this just being a ploy to encourage sales. Think about another Motorola Droid smartphone that was released not so long ago, with nearly the same specs. The Droid X2! When I was looking at specs of the Bionic I was amazed that Moto would do that, the basically made the X2 a bionic except with 3G and no FFC. I am thinking its just a rumor that won't happen. Its all about the sales:-$
and if you upgrade your phone you will be grandfathered in to whatever price your contract was before, I have the 10 dollar unlimited data for a nonsmart phone now, and was told I can keep that as long as I don't change my plan, but going to be changing it anyways to get me a smartyphone lol

 

[shipwrestler125]

Once you go 4G you probably will be spending mroe than 1-2gig a month

I really doubt existing unlimited owners will be able to upgrade in the future and still be grandfathered in.

However if you buy it off contract, you probably can. i think thats what they mean.

They already said you will be grandfathered in when you upgrade again check out droi-life or phandroid.com

 

[fargles]

so I was on the VZ website and was looking at the mobile broadband section and the tiered data was exactly as listed in the beginning, is anyone sure that the change was not for mobile broadband not the mobile data?

 

[joec32033]

Probably superfluous but I got hard evidence from a CSR I have been dealing with about the tiered pricing and the bionic...

The tentative date for change is 7/7/2011, however, the good new is that this is just for new customers or customers that are switching from a feature phone to a smartphone... If you upgrade and are an extisting customer, then you should not have to change to a tiered plan as long as you currently have an unlimited one, even with an upgrade. This is all I have for now, but will be following up.

 

[fargles]

Full Details On New Verizon Data Plans Leaked - The Consumerist
sigh:/

 

[testt]

There has been a lot of confusion on upgrading from 3g to 4g. The data packages are the same, so 3g and 4g will cost the same. The data plans for 3g and 4g are not the same. If you upgrade from unlimited 3g to 4g after 7/7/11, you will not have unlimited. If you read closely, Verizon no where states data plans are the same and are interchangeable between 3g and 4g. The only way to lock into unlimited 4g is to upgrade to either of the 4g phones before 7/7/11.

 

[Asterdroid]

There has been a lot of confusion on upgrading from 3g to 4g. The data packages are the same, so 3g and 4g will cost the same. The data plans for 3g and 4g are not the same. If you upgrade from unlimited 3g to 4g after 7/7/11, you will not have unlimited. If you read closely, Verizon no where states data plans are the same and are interchangeable between 3g and 4g. The only way to lock into unlimited 4g is to upgrade to either of the 4g phones before 7/7/11.

Where did you hear this? That contradicts everything I've seen.

 

[bworley50]

There has been a lot of confusion on upgrading from 3g to 4g. The data packages are the same, so 3g and 4g will cost the same. The data plans for 3g and 4g are not the same. If you upgrade from unlimited 3g to 4g after 7/7/11, you will not have unlimited. If you read closely, Verizon no where states data plans are the same and are interchangeable between 3g and 4g. The only way to lock into unlimited 4g is to upgrade to either of the 4g phones before 7/7/11.

Bull****

 

[testt]

Where did you hear this? That contradicts everything I've seen.

Read the leaked data pricing screen shots and you'll notice Verizon makes a strong distinction between data packages and data plans. Verizon states customers can only keep their current pricing (data package) when renewing or upgrading. Verizon then states data plans (3g and 4g) are not backed after 7/7/11, telling us plans for 3g and 4g will be different. So with two separate plans (3g and 4g), Verizon never states they can keep their current plan when upgrading.

If someone could read over it again to check this, it would be great. But so far, there is nothing to show data plans can be kept when upgrading.

 

[Asterdroid]

Read the leaked data pricing screen shots and you'll notice Verizon makes a strong distinction between data packages and data plans. Verizon states customers can only keep their current pricing (data package) when renewing or upgrading. Verizon then states data plans (3g and 4g) are not backed after 7/7/11, telling us plans for 3g and 4g will be different. So with two separate plans (3g and 4g), Verizon never states they can keep their current plan when upgrading.

If someone could read over it again to check this, it would be great. But so far, there is nothing to show data plans can be kept when upgrading.

That contradicts everything we've been hearing from Verizon employees, though.

 

[testt]

That contradicts everything we've been hearing from Verizon employees, though.

I wouldn't blame them, the thing is confusing as hell. I thought the same thing until I notice how Verizon states data packages and data plans differently and as two completely separate things. Only stating pricing for data packages can remain the same, but nothing about data plans.

 

[Asterdroid]

I wouldn't blame them, the thing is confusing as hell. I thought the same thing until I notice how Verizon states data packages and data plans differently and as two completely separate things. Only stating pricing for data packages can remain the same, but nothing about data plans.

Ugh, well nothing personal, but here's hoping you're wrong.

 

[testt]

Ugh, well nothing personal, but here's hoping you're wrong.

I am too, but I can't see from any business point as to why Verizon wouldn't. 4g is advertised as the latest and greatest, and it makes no sense to allow unlimited 3g to unlimited 4g when they are enforcing tiered prices. It's more profitable to Verizon and they have a real reason to back it up.

3g plans and 4g plans are not exchangeable. Unlimited from a 3g plan can not be transferred to a 4g plan, only stating you may keep your current plan after 7/7/11. Hence renew current plan or upgrade phone.

I'm sorry, but I think a lot of people are gonna be quite mad after 7/7/11.

 

[bworley50]

I wouldn't blame them, the thing is confusing as hell. I thought the same thing until I notice how Verizon states data packages and data plans differently and as two completely separate things. Only stating pricing for data packages can remain the same, but nothing about data plans.

No they don't. You're reading too much into it. Put down the bong.

 

[Cvballa3g0]

If its true, i now have a reason to get the GSII