Not sure if anyone really cares or not but I just knocked $105 off my AT&T Family plan bill with their new Mobile Share Value Plans.
I'm not a sales agent for AT&T, I'm just letting my fellow XDA users know.
https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html#fbid=K-dU-76XrWB
This is a real deal if you have a large family plan like i do with 5 lines and all smartphones. I was able to lower my bill to $192 a month from $306 the previous month with one phone call. And even better we are getting 10gigs a month now vs the 6gigs i was on.
I know I'm going to take some heat for spamming the board but if one person saves some money I'll be happy
ok flame away
Not sure if its worth giving up an unlimited data plan for this plan.
Ya, I saw those plans, heck, it's even worth it for just 2 lines and 10Gig, $100+$15+$15=$130. I am paying 70 for my single line and only 2gig of data. I know, everyone will tell me to go to a prepay, but I HAVE to have the microcell so I am stuck.
lemonz23 said:
Not sure if its worth giving up an unlimited data plan for this plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah .. unfortunately we lost are unlimited plans back in 2009 when we all got iPhone's
clsA said:
yeah .. unfortunately we lost are unlimited plans back in 2009 when we all got iPhone's
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unl plans are caped at 3 GB... Then u get the slowest speed...
10 GB = $100 + 15 per device
15 GB = $130 + 15 per device
Completely worth it. Now if you do an upgrade after moving to the plan instead of paying 15 for that line you will pay 40... they are trying to cope somehow how T-Mobile works.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
I went ahead and jumped on this. I had to give up 1 unlimited (LTE) data plan, which was throttled after 5GBs anyway. I think it's worth it to save $90/month.
We went to the value plan. Only two lines, so no massive savings. Went to from 6 to 10 GB for $10 cheaper
I was under the impression that once you switched to one of these plans, you no longer would get subsidized phone upgrades. Correct? In other words, the next time you want to upgrade you basically are on the AT&T Next setup (full unsubsidized price of phone broken out over x payments)
chp said:
I was under the impression that once you switched to one of these plans, you no longer would get subsidized phone upgrades. Correct? In other words, the next time you want to upgrade you basically are on the AT&T Next setup (full unsubsidized price of phone broken out over x payments)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct. Also, if you have currently been in contract for 6 months, they will allow a switch to AT&T Next. I feel it will not be long before they completely go to this method, especially with T-Mobile and others doing much the same.
Ive held on to my 2 line unlimited everything plan for years, paying about $185 before taxes and fees. I think it makes sense to go for this new plan, which drops the price down to $150 while sharing 10gigs. i've only ever gone over 3gigs in a month two times.
codejunkie83 said:
This is correct. Also, if you have currently been in contract for 6 months, they will allow a switch to AT&T Next. I feel it will not be long before they completely go to this method, especially with T-Mobile and others doing much the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, so if that is the case, it seems like you will only save money if you do not intend to take advantage of subsidized upgrades in the future (assuming still available).
chp said:
Okay, so if that is the case, it seems like you will only save money if you do not intend to take advantage of subsidized upgrades in the future (assuming still available).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From a purely monetary standpoint, yes - however, when you compare the data that you receive (10 GB vs 4/6GB), you are still saving money if you use that much data. But without taking advantage of the subsidized upgrades, you would most likely even out.
chp said:
I was under the impression that once you switched to one of these plans, you no longer would get subsidized phone upgrades. Correct? In other words, the next time you want to upgrade you basically are on the AT&T Next setup (full unsubsidized price of phone broken out over x payments)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you remember where you heard this? It's the first I've heard about this aspect to the new plans, which means I may regret making the switch.
joshfalk said:
Do you remember where you heard this? It's the first I've heard about this aspect to the new plans, which means I may regret making the switch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My understanding from the AT&T rep (and my bill) is that each smartphone in the value plans are now $40 per month with a $25 monthly credit, so net $15.
If I upgrade using a Next plan, the $25 credit remains. (Next = a 0% interest loan to purchase the phone over 20 months.)
If I upgrade using a 2-year subsidy, the $25 credit is removed. (Making for a really expensive upgrade-- 24 * $25 + $200 up front = $800 for an iPhone 5S that I could purchase outright for $650.) Not that I'd purchase a 5S, but just an example of how an already overpriced phone just got even more expensive.
Basically, they really do not want people buying subsidized phones, and that's fine with me. I'd rather purchase the phone I want on my own timing and pay for it outright.
Up until the value plans it made sense to do 2-year upgrades because AT&T was already padding their rate plans with the subsidy cost, whether you upgraded or BYOP you paid for it.
Now, it makes more sense to just BYOP.
Yes you have to stay on the next plan, ability to get a new phone yearly or 18 months, to keep the $15/month. I also saved 50% on my phone bill.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
ronf1011 said:
Yes you have to stay on the next plan, ability to get a new phone yearly or 18 months, to keep the $15/month. I also saved 50% on my phone bill.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is good news, I was worried that when i upgraded with NEXT it would go from $15 to $40. I guess I should have read into it a little more, but yeah, my family is saving close to $100 since we switched to the value plan.
Love this plan. Switched to it immediately.
The Next program is basically a phone leasing program. So if you pay $30/month for Next18, that $540 is gone when you trade in for the new one. It would be cheaper buying the phone out right then sell it when you wanted to get a new one.
HTCm7One said:
The Next program is basically a phone leasing program. So if you pay $30/month for Next18, that $540 is gone when you trade in for the new one. It would be cheaper buying the phone out right then sell it when you wanted to get a new one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 and you are still dealing with the bloat. Going unlocked from here on out. These value plans are nice. Thanks @t-mobile! ? and AT&T for falling in line..
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Upgrades?
I changed to the shared plan two months ago, losing my useless unlimited plan. I moved 5 phones. Two of them were eligible for upgrades at the time, but I was holding them for when I really wanted them. I need one now. I went to the ATT website and checked upgrade-ability. The two phones seem like they have subsidized plans available to them. I can also do the Next plan for any of my phones for the same price. So I can pay zero interest for 20 months, have no plan commitment, and pay in full for my daughter's new iphone over 20 months, or I can pay $199 for the phone, a one-time $36 upgrade fee, and commit for another two years of my shared plan. There is no change to the basic rate.
Related
Notice Of Administrative Charge Increase
Effective 1/1/2012, the monthly Verizon Wireless Administrative Charge for voice and email plans will increase from $0.83 to $0.99 per line for all eligible customers. The charge for Mobile Broadband customers will remain at $.06. For information regarding this charge, call 1-888-684-1888. Please consult your Customer Agreement for information about rate changes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will this make us eligible to terminate our contract without an ETF and go month to month? I would definitely be interested in re-signing a new contract for another phone.
They did this back in 2008 to the same fee and it was possible to cancel. Actually getting to Verizon to do it is a different story.
http://consumerist.com/2008/04/esca...-based-on-administrative-charge-increase.html
Well my question more specifically is...can I basically end my 2 year contractual commitment and go month to month due to this change? Or do I have to cancel completely and move to another carrier?
I have no desire to break my contract but I wouldn't mind getting them to offer me some freebies to not do it.
On the other hand, if I got out of the contract and something happened to my phone I could get a new one at a reasonable price so it could be my insurance. Hmmm...
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
feralicious said:
I have no desire to break my contract but I wouldn't mind getting them to offer me some freebies to not do it.
On the other hand, if I got out of the contract and something happened to my phone I could get a new one at a reasonable price so it could be my insurance. Hmmm...
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I'm interested in. I'm wondering if it will basically let me get a new phone at a subsidized price anytime I want since I'm off contract. Essentially an upgrade available immediately for me.
You would probably lose your unlimited data and get on the 2/4Gb plan.... by having to start a new month to month contract.
Cares said:
That's exactly what I'm interested in. I'm wondering if it will basically let me get a new phone at a subsidized price anytime I want since I'm off contract. Essentially an upgrade available immediately for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Month-to-month customers rarely get discounted devices. Generally you will have to pay full price for a new phone. It wouldn't be worth it. And I agree that you would lose your unlimited data that way. On the other hand, if you break your contract, you could possibly come back in a week or so and sign up for a new one to get a discounted phone.
WasabiWa83 said:
Month-to-month customers rarely get discounted devices. Generally you will have to pay full price for a new phone. It wouldn't be worth it. And I agree that you would lose your unlimited data that way. On the other hand, if you break your contract, you could possibly come back in a week or so and sign up for a new one to get a discounted phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I meant. Stay month-to-month until a new phone comes out and resign a 2 year for a fully subsidized line.
If you break contract you are at the will of Verzion. If they decide they want to raise your price, reduce your data, etc, they can do it. The only thing keeping you in the plan you have now is the fact they have to honor their end of the deal too.
I will try this tonight. I have a line that I keep suspended, so this would be a great out for me.
H3Dude said:
You would probably lose your unlimited data and get on the 2/4Gb plan.... by having to start a new month to month contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And there it is who would want to be on a more expensive data plan.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
WasabiWa83 said:
Month-to-month customers rarely get discounted devices. Generally you will have to pay full price for a new phone. It wouldn't be worth it. And I agree that you would lose your unlimited data that way. On the other hand, if you break your contract, you could possibly come back in a week or so and sign up for a new one to get a discounted phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which is only a slight discount from buying it outright in the beginning.
VZW charges $299 for these devices with a $350 ETF that drops $10 a month. Same $649 either way - you're just paying for your freedom in advance.
Superguy said:
Which is only a slight discount from buying it outright in the beginning.
VZW charges $299 for these devices with a $350 ETF that drops $10 a month. Same $649 either way - you're just paying for your freedom in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But we're talking about getting to break the contract without the ETF and we already have a phone. So I paid 1 penny for my phone and am on a 2 year contract. If I got out of contract and went month to month without the ETF and lose my phone then it will only cost me $150 to get a new phone with a new contract at Amazon or Wirefly. I don't know why people pay more and buy at Verizon.
The issue would be what they would charge you for a plan month to month - or if they even offer that option, they might just say see ya - and if you keep unlimited data if you already have it.
Regardless of who you buy your phone from, in the end we'll all be dealing with Verizon in the end. The .01 Rezound was a deal for new customers only/new lines only I believe. I'm not going to buy from wirefly or any of those retailers. I don't think Costco reduces the price of the phone too much when it first comes out. I do know they generally offer nice bundles for pretty much the same price though. With my company I do get more $ off my devices ranging from $50 - $100. Not sure if other places can apply that discount or not. Imo I don't see what the big deal is from such a minuscule bump in price. When we signed up with Verizon we all knew we were going to pay the highest rates already to begin with. Slight price increase with the 4-5 years I've been with them, I frankly could care less. You pay what you get for imo. If you people want to terminate and sign back up to get a subsidized phone you can try. I'm pretty sure they have some policy or regulation in place that will prevent such scenario. Well! Good luck to those that decide to go down this path.
feralicious said:
But we're talking about getting to break the contract without the ETF and we already have a phone. So I paid 1 penny for my phone and am on a 2 year contract. If I got out of contract and went month to month without the ETF and lose my phone then it will only cost me $150 to get a new phone with a new contract at Amazon or Wirefly. I don't know why people pay more and buy at Verizon.
The issue would be what they would charge you for a plan month to month - or if they even offer that option, they might just say see ya - and if you keep unlimited data if you already have it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
since you haven't had your rezound for 6 months, amazon would charge you their ETF. When they don't get their monthly commision for your line, they will come after you.
nrfitchett4 said:
since you haven't had your rezound for 6 months, amazon would charge you their ETF. When they don't get their monthly commision for your line, they will come after you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true. I work at Best Buy mobile. We get payed by Verizon as long as they sign there contract and don't return and cancel with in 14 days. I assume this is the same at Verizon.
zetsumeikuro said:
Regardless of who you buy your phone from, in the end we'll all be dealing with Verizon in the end. The .01 Rezound was a deal for new customers only/new lines only I believe. I'm not going to buy from wirefly or any of those retailers. I don't think Costco reduces the price of the phone too much when it first comes out. I do know they generally offer nice bundles for pretty much the same price though. With my company I do get more $ off my devices ranging from $50 - $100. Not sure if other places can apply that discount or not. Imo I don't see what the big deal is from such a minuscule bump in price. When we signed up with Verizon we all knew we were going to pay the highest rates already to begin with. Slight price increase with the 4-5 years I've been with them, I frankly could care less. You pay what you get for imo. If you people want to terminate and sign back up to get a subsidized phone you can try. I'm pretty sure they have some policy or regulation in place that will prevent such scenario. Well! Good luck to those that decide to go down this path.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure the 1 penny deal was for any new contract, existing customers or new, but that's neither here nor there. I only brought up the price I paid cuz the poster I was responding to was adding up costs.
As to the additional costs, I could care less about pennies more per month, but if it creates a way to lose the 2 year commitment that would be cool since that would allow me to replace the phone for only $149 if something should happen to it. Most likely I won't do anything about it, I'll wait and see if anyone else reports back successfully. I've already had so much good luck getting this phone I may be pushing things. I got refunded $199.98 from Amazon when it went on sale, ordered it with the mhs to get the Amazon $100 gift card for which I found no fine print stating I had to keep it for any length of time, then found the unlimited data plan trick so bumped up my mhs to unlimited to get that. I really needed a new phone too so I made out like a bandit! Oh, and moms got me a 64gb card for xmas (she actually thought it was a boring gift, lol). Now I just have to get brave enough to root.
nrfitchett4 said:
since you haven't had your rezound for 6 months, amazon would charge you their ETF. When they don't get their monthly commision for your line, they will come after you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought about that, but if Verizon is the one breaking the terms perhaps there's an out and they would be held responsible. However, I suppose they would just subsidize that pennies per month cost to keep the contract valid if it came to that.
I just thought of this.
I'm on a 4 person family plan all with unlimited data. The 3 other people are willing to give up unlimited but I'm not. I'm willing to pay full price for my phone but I figured out a way to get it for cheaper.
Open a 5th line for $9.99 per month. Use this line's upgrade every 20 months. Swap the upgraded phone with a spare feature phone.
$9.99 x 20 (cost to maintain 5th line) = $200
$250 (subsidized phone after taxes)
= $450
Paying $450 vs $650 for full retail would be a $200 savings. Better than nothing right?
Yes but you would have to have data on that line also for a bit, then dump the data and keep a dumbphone activated
couchmonkey said:
Yes but you would have to have data on that line also for a bit, then dump the data and keep a dumbphone activated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can just keep data for 1 day and dump it...and that's where the $9.99 x20 comes in. Keeping it activated for 20 months.
The problem is, as soon as you upgraded that line, forcing a new contract, they could, conceivably, seeing as you would be out of contract on the rest of your lines, force you out of unlimited.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
Cares said:
I can just keep data for 1 day and dump it...and that's where the $9.99 x20 comes in. Keeping it activated for 20 months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the past I was able to activated the phone without adding data on my second line/dumbphone line. question so do they charge partial month for 1 day of data?
Damasterjj said:
In the past I was able to activated the phone without adding data on my second line/dumbphone line. question so do they charge partial month for 1 day of data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good question, I kept data on that line for a month just to be sure I wouldn't have any issues.
Also, if you are going to go this route, better off waiting for big deals like amazon's 1 penny deal.
nrfitchett4 said:
good question, I kept data on that line for a month just to be sure I wouldn't have any issues.
Also, if you are going to go this route, better off waiting for big deals like amazon's 1 penny deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will charge you for that half of day so like a dollar
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
If you buy off of Amazon it has to remain on the upgraded line for 181 days or they charge you $250. FYI
Sent from my Rezound
Droc1983 said:
If you buy off of Amazon it has to remain on the upgraded line for 181 days or they charge you $250. FYI
Sent from my Rezound
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
umm, no they don't. Bought several phones off of amazon, as long as the line stays active, they don't know what you are doing on it. They get a commision based of selling you the line.
I've bought 5 phones on amazon and swapped them between lines and put a dumb phone on one of the lines a month after I got it. No fees.
That's my plan and it'll work don't let people BS you and say it won't. People trollen around because their not unlimited.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
I'm a bit confused. I thought that after 06/28/2012, if you upgrade a phone thats on a family plan, with a new one at a subsidized price they force you and all lines in the shared plan to move to the new shared data plans.
That would technically screw the other people with unlimited data on the family share plan. Verizon might be able to get away with this because you have to sign a new contract for the upgrade. This contract would override any previous ones.
I could be completely wrong but I thought the reason you could keep unlimited data if you paid full price for a new phone is you don't sign a new 2 year service contract. Basically if you pay full price for a phone Verizon could care less if you even activate it. Not that a sane person would do this but you could go into a store, pay full retail for a phone and smash it with a hammer right there on the sales counter.
Am I completely missing something?
Another thing I can't figure out are people not in a family share plan. If someone only has 1 line with unlimited data, how can they force you into the new plans if you upgrade your phone at the subsidized price? You can't share data without having another phone.
I believe that after the 28th any line change, other than a device change for warranty or full retail purchase will require a new contract, therefore removing unlimited on all lines.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA
merlin66676 said:
I believe that after the 28th any line change, other than a device change for warranty or full retail purchase will require a new contract, therefore removing unlimited on all lines.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They can't do that though without letting you out of your contracts. Each line has its own contract.
Interesting topic here. I was thinking of something similar the other day. Definitely keeping up with this thread!
Cares said:
I just thought of this.
I'm on a 4 person family plan all with unlimited data. The 3 other people are willing to give up unlimited but I'm not. I'm willing to pay full price for my phone but I figured out a way to get it for cheaper.
Open a 5th line for $9.99 per month. Use this line's upgrade every 20 months. Swap the upgraded phone with a spare feature phone.
$9.99 x 20 (cost to maintain 5th line) = $200
$250 (subsidized phone after taxes)
= $450
Paying $450 vs $650 for full retail would be a $200 savings. Better than nothing right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget about the taxes and other charges on the line. I have around an additional $8-$9 in taxes and other fees on that line.
My plan was that since my sister has the 2 GB data plan that if I ever had an upgrade in the future, I could give her mine and then buy the phone with her line, then just put my SIM in it. I still keep my unlimited and get the subsidized Price
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA
You don't have to keep data activated at all. They don't require it, yet. I did this with an upgrade to the Tbolt for the reasons you said. Heck, if you buy the phone 250 then pay the 350 ETF you still come out ahead of paying full comp.(albeit not by much.) The actual line charge ends up being about ~14 a month. so really 280 instead of 200. But that being said, its still cheaper than the full retail way. I had the money to buy the Tbolt outright, but I still did it that way because it was cheaper.
1454 said:
You don't have to keep data activated at all. They don't require it, yet. I did this with an upgrade to the Tbolt for the reasons you said. Heck, if you buy the phone 250 then pay the 350 ETF you still come out ahead of paying full comp.(albeit not by much.) The actual line charge ends up being about ~14 a month. so really 280 instead of 200. But that being said, its still cheaper than the full retail way. I had the money to buy the Tbolt outright, but I still did it that way because it was cheaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean you do not have to keep data activated at all? Are you saying there's a way around paying for data for a smartphone?
z0mghii said:
What do you mean you do not have to keep data activated at all? Are you saying there's a way around paying for data for a smartphone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, just on the new line. She never activated data on my "new" line when I bought the thunderbolt. She just activated the sim to my current number and I put it in. Which now, if I did it again, I wouldn't even have to get a new sim. She, the VZW rep, just activated an old Krzr I had on the last line and it is still there without ever having data activated on that line. I was saying that I was never charged extra for not having data on that "new" line even though I used it to buy a "smartphone".
z0mghii said:
What do you mean you do not have to keep data activated at all? Are you saying there's a way around paying for data for a smartphone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He means putting a dumb phone on that line that doesn't use data. Then you just pay the line fee of 10 bucks a month.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
http://www.phonedog.com/2013/04/23/...s-that-it-can-be-used-to-keep-unlimited-data/
So technically you still pay full price for the phone. plus maybe there are some hidden fees
I could see using this option if the development group dies off and I still want to keep unlimited data. Besides, I haven't had 700$ cash for a new phone since the day I said "I do."
Damasterjj said:
So technically you still pay full price for the phone. plus maybe there are some hidden fees
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$2/mo "finance charge", plus, since you are no longer paying back a phone subsidy, they really should discount your monthly rate.
#BlameAnt
demmo86rt said:
$2/mo "finance charge", plus, since you are no longer paying back a phone subsidy, they really should discount your monthly rate.
#BlameAnt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks, I knew there was some kind of hidden charge
so you pay
full price + $2 X 24 months = extra $48
I'd rather pay full and save $48
Im debating between that or buying from amazon...ive been doing surveys online n have about $320 saved up in amazon credit, Woo!!
Damasterjj said:
thanks, I knew there was some kind of hidden charge
so you pay
full price + $2 X 24 months = extra $48
I'd rather pay full and save $48
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You get 12 months to pay it off so its only 24$. I also never said it was perfect but at least if you are broke, you have options
mavpts said:
You get 12 months to pay it off so its only 24$. I also never said it was perfect but at least if you are broke, you have options
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok, thanks for posting anyways
If you are on an old family share plan and don't have 5 lines, you can still add a line for $9.99 a month. Get a smartphone, activate it FIRST on the NEW number when it arrives. After that, go only and switch it to basic phone. They will remove the data charges. You may get billed for 1 month of data prorated, and then credited the following month. Then take the brand new phone and activate on the unlimited line. So if you wanted the s4 you would 250 + tax, then get a $50 rebate. Then you just pay $9.99 a month for two years. After taxes it's like $15 so 15 x 24 is $360. You get a $650 phone for $560 and the cost is spread out over two years..........and IF you already have a basic phone on the family share, then when that contract is up, you can cancel and have the number ported the newest line activated (the one to get the new phone) and pay less than $360.
I have two phones on the 1400 min unlimited data plan from back in the day. Upgrades are due to me in August. Do I have to pay full price for my upgrades to keep my unlimited data or do I get the upgrade price as long as I sign up for another 2 years? Just confused about all this.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
xXezmacXx said:
I have two phones on the 1400 min unlimited data plan from back in the day. Upgrades are due to me in August. Do I have to pay full price for my upgrades to keep my unlimited data or do I get the upgrade price as long as I sign up for another 2 years? Just confused about all this.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would have to pay full price to keep your data plan.
- "Is it dark in there?"
drynyks said:
You would have to pay full price to keep your data plan.
- "Is it dark in there?"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ive must of been under a rock. we did vzw change all this? and also does that mean i could just buy a new phone now since my upgrades are useless?
xXezmacXx said:
ive must of been under a rock. we did vzw change all this? and also does that mean i could just buy a new phone now since my upgrades are useless?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must of been under a landslide or something... This happened about last year when VZW axed the unlimited plans. If you upgrade with carrier subsidy you will say bye-bye to your unlimited data. Tl;dr if you want to keep unlimited you're going to pay full retail for your devices.
zetsumeikuro said:
You must of been under a landslide or something... This happened about last year when VZW axed the unlimited plans. If you upgrade with carrier subsidy you will say bye-bye to your unlimited data. Tl;dr if you want to keep unlimited you're going to pay full retail for your devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what do i do, which is better in long run? full price or change plan?
xXezmacXx said:
what do i do, which is better in long run? full price or change plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How much data do you use. That is the question.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
xXezmacXx said:
what do i do, which is better in long run? full price or change plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cannot do tiered data... It will go FAST especially on LTE.
xXezmacXx said:
what do i do, which is better in long run? full price or change plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compare your current costs and data usage vs their new tiered shared data plans...
Keep in mind that the new plans have unlimited calling and text and now you get nailed on the data. You need to pick out the data size you want then add $40 extra for each smart phone on the plan..
Yeah I average 11gb or so, so I'll be holding onto mine as long as possible...or I might go to tmo..
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
demmo86rt said:
$2/mo "finance charge", plus, since you are no longer paying back a phone subsidy, they really should discount your monthly rate.
#BlameAnt
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Totally agree with that!
I talked to a Verizon CSR yesterday, about adding another smartphone to my plan (my wife currently has a dumb phone). I was concerned about getting pushed into a shared data plan, but the CSR said I can keep my unlimited data on my line, and just add tiered data to my wife's line. Doesn't matter if I use an upgrade on her line, as long as I don't on mine.
I think Big Red took a lot of flak about trying to kill unlimited data customers, and is backing off (slightly) on trying to terminate unlimited, altogether. They'll make it slightly more restrictive, but they're not aggressively trying to do away with it.
So heres my case, after the 12 months would they take my phone back even tho its rooted and bootloader unlocked? just wondering because im gonna upgrade to the m9!!
HRodMusic said:
So heres my case, after the 12 months would they take my phone back even tho its rooted and bootloader unlocked? just wondering because im gonna upgrade to the m9!!
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yes they will take it back. the reps dont know enough to check for root and unlocked bootloader. all they will check for is if it has "normal" wear and tear as per your at&t next agreement.
freebee269 said:
yes they will take it back. the reps dont know enough to check for root and unlocked bootloader. all they will check for is if it has "normal" wear and tear as per your at&t next agreement.
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chill, ill just make sure i go back to a stock rom. =)
freebee269 said:
yes they will take it back. the reps dont know enough to check for root and unlocked bootloader. all they will check for is if it has "normal" wear and tear as per your at&t next agreement.
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this rep nows well enough :good::good:
just unroot and relock the bootloader lol
Is next worth it? These Damn salesmen keep trying to get my dad to switch and he wants to do it.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
The way Next was explained to me by a customer service rep was this: You get a phone on Next and you pay monthly on it, on the unsubsidized price. As long as you're paying on the phone monthly, you get a discount off of your bill. When you stop paying for the phone, the discount is removed. But you never really own the phone.
So you're stuck constantly renting a phone from AT&T to keep your bill lower. They now have you even more firmly by the balls.
This was how it was explained to me, but not all reps know what they're talking about. So if anybody knows more or differently, feel free to correct me.
Anyway, I used a cross-upgrade to get mine.
rahtrip said:
Is next worth it? These Damn salesmen keep trying to get my dad to switch and he wants to do it.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
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You end up paying more in the long run IF you switch at the halfway point....but if you run the full payment plan then you obviously end up paying the same amount for the phone. That being said, the 2 year contract is ultimately cheaper by several hundred dollars. But of course you have to wait 2 years to get subsidized pricing, and if you're a gadget-addict such as myself then NEXT might be a good deal because you can get a new phone without having to worry about your two year wait period.
Ultimately they make way more money off of you....otherwise they wouldn't offer it
TheEmpyre said:
You end up paying more in the long run IF you switch at the halfway point....but if you run the full payment plan then you obviously end up paying the same amount for the phone. That being said, the 2 year contract is ultimately cheaper by several hundred dollars. But of course you have to wait 2 years to get subsidized pricing, and if you're a gadget-addict such as myself then NEXT might be a good deal because you can get a new phone without having to worry about your two year wait period.
Ultimately they make way more money off of you....otherwise they wouldn't offer it
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Actually, Next is cheaper than a 2 year contract. With Next you pay the full price of $640 plus tax. With a 2 yr contract you pay $800 plus tax... The phone is $200 up front plus you lose the $25/month Next discount and end up paying $600 extra over the term of the contract...so $800 total.
It's win-win for gadget addicts like me. I don't have to worry about losing resale value of I get a scratch or ding...no need to sell it to break even. I can just bring it back and get the new hotness each year.
working for at&t sales for 3 years i find it so awesome looking for phones that are rooted and unlocked. granted when i do see it i let it slide because heck im gonna do the same when i trade mine in lol.
but if they come in complaining about all the stupid issues their having and i find it rooted then i cant help them because theyve got a tmobile phone with an att type rom with tmobile apns and i just sit there and go...if ur gonna root...go learn to read dude.
/gets off soap box
bbunsen said:
Actually, Next is cheaper than a 2 year contract. With Next you pay the full price of $640 plus tax. With a 2 yr contract you pay $800 plus tax... The phone is $200 up front plus you lose the $25/month Next discount and end up paying $600 extra over the term of the contract...so $800 total.
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Not all plans will receive a $25 subsidy. That's only if you pay for one of the more expensive mobile share plans. All plans below, I think 8 GB, only receive a $15 discount. Doing a cursory search of different sites that have done mathematical analysis on NEXT all conclude the two year subsidy is cheaper. Why would AT&T do it if they weren't going to make money hand over fist?
Sent from my HTC One_M8
TheEmpyre said:
Not all plans will receive a $25 subsidy. That's only if you pay for one of the more expensive mobile share plans. All plans below, I think 8 GB, only receive a $15 discount. Doing a cursory search of different sites that have done mathematical analysis on NEXT all conclude the two year subsidy is cheaper. Why would AT&T do it if they weren't going to make money hand over fist?
Sent from my HTC One_M8
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Ok. Well, I did the math myself and Next is cheaper for my lines on the 10GB plan.
Regardless of plan, you pay $40/mo with a contract plus $200 up front for the phone right now. That is $1160 for one line over 2 years. With a $15 subsidy one would pay $1240 over 2 years and with a $25 subsidy it is $1000 over 2 years.
So, after 12 months on Next, one will have spent either $684 or $564 for the line depending on the plan vs $680 with a contract...but with Next you can upgrade to a new just released phone and likely keep paying the same amount monthly.
If you don't want to upgrade early and don't get the 10GB or greater plan, it might not be as good for you...unless you keep your phone longer than 2 years. If you do, Next is better.
I've been buying new phones every year (or sooner) and selling my used ones to help finance the new one. I've been doing so since the Palm Treo 650 days...about 10 years now I guess. [Wow, I'm old.] I know how much money I've lost doing that over the years...even when hopping carriers to do so when ETFs were cheaper. Since I obviously plan on spending extra money to get the latest technology more frequently, this option helps spread out the costs and minimizes risk of not being able to sell a phone for the price I need to keep the ball rolling.
Again, it may not be for everyone.
bbunsen said:
Ok. Well, I did the math myself and Next is cheaper for my lines on the 10GB plan.
Regardless of plan, you pay $40/mo with a contract plus $200 up front for the phone right now. That is $1160 for one line over 2 years. With a $15 subsidy one would pay $1240 over 2 years and with a $25 subsidy it is $1000 over 2 years.
So, after 12 months on Next, one will have spent either $684 or $564 for the line depending on the plan vs $680 with a contract...but with Next you can upgrade to a new just released phone and likely keep paying the same amount monthly.
If you don't want to upgrade early and don't get the 10GB or greater plan, it might not be as good for you...unless you keep your phone longer than 2 years. If you do, Next is better.
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I'm really not trying to start a pointless bickering match here, but for the sake of someone trying to make an informed decision here is my math:
Individual 2 GB Plan: $40 per month for the plan + $25 smartphone charge (includes $15 Subsidy off of the $40 fee) + $25 per month for a premium smartphone. Multipled over 12 months = $1,080
2 Year contract: $65 per month for a smartphone plan, 2 GB data + one time $200 fee, multiply the plan cost over 12 months = $980
The cost of the 2 year contract is cheaper in this case by $100, for an individual, for 2 GB of data.
TheEmpyre said:
I'm really not trying to start a pointless bickering match here, but for the sake of someone trying to make an informed decision here is my math:
Individual 2 GB Plan: $40 per month for the plan + $25 smartphone charge (includes $15 Subsidy off of the $40 fee) + $25 per month for a premium smartphone. Multipled over 12 months = $1,080
2 Year contract: $65 per month for a smartphone plan, 2 GB data + one time $200 fee, multiply the plan cost over 12 months = $980
The cost of the 2 year contract is cheaper in this case by $100, for an individual, for 2 GB of data.
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I don't want to keep going back and forth here either.
Your math is correct if a 2GB $65 on-contract plan exists, but I don't think it does. They advertise 2GB plans for $65 but that doesn't include a subsidized phone. 1GB on contract for $65 is a possibility and would be slightly cheaper over time if you can live with 1GB per month.
Everyone has different needs and requirements. I am just happy that the US is starting to transform their policies to separate phones and service like many other countries where the cost for mobile data is much more affordable. I've lived places where they dish out data on the cheap and it was glorious. BYOD pricing is getting reasonable and isn't just for MVNOs anymore which is nice.
Bottom line is that AT&T wouldn't invest money in creating and implementing the Next plan if they weren't going to see more profits from it. More profits means the customer pays more or more customers pay more. They aren't doing this as a convenience to their customers - it's about making more money.
Right. Businesses don't make changes to decrease their bottom line unless it is to attract more customers. I believe this is an attempt at gaining more customers and more market share while trying to remain competitive in this changing space. At the same time, I imagine it doesn't hurt them financially.
bbunsen said:
Right. Businesses don't make changes to decrease their bottom line unless it is to attract more customers. I believe this is an attempt at gaining more customers and more market share while trying to remain competitive in this changing space. At the same time, I imagine it doesn't hurt them financially.
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AT&T makes record profits every quarter, I bet they're willing to take a hit for a quarter or two to stop customers from fleeing to T-Mobile.
Me having 5 lines and the 10 GB mobile share it is significantly cheaper for me to do the Next with that $25 discount. When I first converted I didn't had the discount without the Next, but when my contract was up for me to upgrade it was cheaper to do Next than the 2 year contract.
I'll probably pay it off before the year and sell it myself and do another Next when my next phone i want comes out.
edit: ATT doesn't necessarily need to make a killing switching to these plans. If they keep their profits the same, but keep people under contract ( 2 year/or owing money on the Next) longer it makes sense. Carriers fear losing customers more than anything.
TheEmpyre said:
2 Year contract: $65 per month for a smartphone plan, 2 GB data + one time $200 fee, multiply the plan cost over 12 months = $980
The cost of the 2 year contract is cheaper in this case by $100, for an individual, for 2 GB of data.
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2 year contract price for 2 year is $80, $40 for the 2GB and then $40 for smartphone charge.
So AT&T Next with an iPhone 5S on the 20 month plan is $32.50 a month.
Next: ($25+$32.50)20 = $1150
2year: ($40x24)+$236 =$1196
That $236 is including the upgrade or activation fee, which is waived on Next as well.
Edit: I guess this is assuming you do the full ride for each the Next agreement and the 2 year contract. Although with Next you have the CHOICE to turn it in sooner and upgrade sooner, you don't HAVE to, which many people are misinformed about.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
HRodMusic said:
So heres my case, after the 12 months would they take my phone back even tho its rooted and bootloader unlocked? just wondering because im gonna upgrade to the m9!!
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Click to collapse
If you're going to be upgrading to a new phone release(which is every year) then "Next" is a great option for you.
Reason why is you going to be stuck in a contract with AT&T for two years. And when the M9 or whatever device you might see next year come out you won't be able to upgrade for the new/upgrade 2 year price tag, you would have to pay full retail($600-$800). Most likely you are going to stop using the older device once the new come out so why not just sign up for Next and keep upgrading every year. If you wanna spend $1,000+ a year for phone service + $600+ every time a new phone comes out then thats up to you.
You can also pay off your phone before a year. you don't have to keep paying $35 a month for the device.
Longcat14 said:
AT&T makes record profits every quarter, I bet they're willing to take a hit for a quarter or two to stop customers from fleeing to T-Mobile.
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I doubt T-Mobile is a threat to AT&T or Verizon. they're service is still useless unless you live in one of those "Markets".
Yes some are bone heads but some aren't. Here's my recent experience.
I have 4 phones on my account with a 10 gig shared data plan. My daughter wanted to move from Sprint to Verizon so my wife and I went to a Verizon store to help her through the transaction. One of the first things I do when I talk to one of the CS reps is state my position and what I want from this conversation with him/her. I like to see what they know or don't know. My rep, John, saw that I wasn't an average clueless customer and he immediately shifted into a smarter mode. Kudos for that.
So, my daughter decides on a Moto X. He runs the numbers and quickly figures out that it's much cheaper for her to join our family plan. No problem, we'll do that. She now pays us monthly for 1/5 of the total bill.
Then he pulls this one: "I'd like for you to look at the Edge plan for that Moto X." Ok, I'm not dumb, I've read all about the Edge plan. Yes it's no contract and yes you can switch to a new phone after a year but you pay for the phone as you go. I've looked at the numbers and it never makes sense to get Edge unless you just can't wait to upgrade phones. But boy do you pay for it.
Right now my opinion of John is changing. He's trying to pull a fast one. So I object saying, "I'm not interested in Edge." He comes back with, "What if I can prove it saves you money?" "OK, wise guy," I'm thinking, "do you take me for an idiot? Show me how smart you are, bonehead." Instead, I say, "Really? How?"
And he shows me. The way the Edge program works is that the monthly cost of the phone on an Edge plan is retail cost divided into 20 months. In the case of the Moto X it's $400 retail or $20 per month. Turns out if you have a 10 gig, or higher, data plan they discount the Edge program by $25 for EACH phone on the Edge plan. So, in her case the $20 plan minus the $25 discount reduced the plan by $5 compared to a 2 year subsidized contract. "So," I thought, "this guy really knew what he was doing."
Other advantages to Edge: The phone can be upgraded after 60% of the retail price is paid off. That's 12 months. If you want to trade it in sooner than 12 months then pay the difference to get up to 60%. This is a trade-in, you don't keep the phone. However, if you do keep the phone for 20 months it's yours to keep, no trade in necessary.
The break even point is phone that retails for $500. At that point the monthly payment is $25 and the discount is $25.
An HTC One and LG G2 are break even on Edge. A Note 3, S5 and LG G3 are only $5 more on Edge. All in all, it turns out, Edge is a pretty good deal if you have the 10 Gig plan.
In the end, my daughter was happy, I'm happy and it was a great experience. So, not all CS reps are idiots.
Nice too bad I have unlimited and won't be going the edge route
ihavenewnike said:
Nice too bad I have unlimited and won't be going the edge route
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You can say that again
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
samcook2003 said:
You can say that again
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Yeah. Because of how much data I use, they told me they would give me all the deals of a more everything plan plus 20% off my whole bill. Then I said I already have 20% off through a worker who worked there years ago. They said it would add on top of that. So 40% off plus what ever more eveything. But given how much data I use, wouldn't do anything for me.
You lost me at "some aren't"
Nice experience. Not sure why you keep calling him a bone head in your mind. If you knew about the edge and the savings you get (-$25 for 10gb), then the sale would be as easy as in and out. But then again looks like you didn't know of that last part about the savings. Anyways congrats on your new phone purchase.
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Deekayy said:
Nice experience. Not sure why you keep calling him a bone head in your mind. If you knew about the edge and the savings you get (-$25 for 10gb), then the sale would be as easy as in and out. But then again looks like you didn't know of that last part about the savings. Anyways congrats on your new phone purchase.
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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For now. The days of unlimited are coming to an end. Before long the only to keep unlimited data is to never change your phone.
TabGuy said:
For now. The days of unlimited are coming to an end. Before long the only to keep unlimited data is to never change your phone.
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As. Long as wee keep our current unlimited plans and buy our devices outright then I do not see how they can legally boot us off of unlimited.
droidstyle said:
As. Long as wee keep our current unlimited plans and buy our devices outright then I do not see how they can legally boot us off of unlimited.
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First of all, if you read your contract you'll see that they have the right to change the contract at any time. In essence, legally, they can boot you off of unlimited data anytime they want. There's nothing you can do about it, you signed the contract. Right now they won't do that because there are too many unlimited plan customers, including my phone, that it would get bad press.
Another loophole changes in August were people would have someone on their family plan buy a new phone and they switched the SIM card to be able to upgrade their phone without paying full price. That goes away on August 24th.
Right now the only way left to keep unlimited data is to buy a full phone at full price, not a discounted price. However, I expect to see that change in the future. I believe that within the next 12 months Verizon will change their policy with regard to unlimited. They won't kill it but you will lose it if your phone's MEID changes. In effect, the only way to keep unlimited data is to never change to a different phone. Lose your phone, break your phone, or upgrade to a new phone and your unlimited data plan will go away. Verizon has stated LOUD AND CLEAR that they don't like unlimited data plans and that they will eventually end.
droidstyle said:
As. Long as wee keep our current unlimited plans and buy our devices outright then I do not see how they can legally boot us off of unlimited.
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This forum has a link about the future of unlimited data. Basically Verizon will begin throttling people who use more data than they deem profitable.
TabGuy said:
First of all, if you read your contract you'll see that they have the right to change the contract at any time. In essence, legally, they can boot you off of unlimited data anytime they want. There's nothing you can do about it, you signed the contract. Right now they won't do that because there are too many unlimited plan customers, including my phone, that it would get bad press.
Another loophole changes in August were people would have someone on their family plan buy a new phone and they switched the SIM card to be able to upgrade their phone without paying full price. That goes away on August 24th.
Right now the only way left to keep unlimited data is to buy a full phone at full price, not a discounted price. However, I expect to see that change in the future. I believe that within the next 12 months Verizon will change their policy with regard to unlimited. They won't kill it but you will lose it if your phone's MEID changes. In effect, the only way to keep unlimited data is to never change to a different phone. Lose your phone, break your phone, or upgrade to a new phone and your unlimited data plan will go away. Verizon has stated LOUD AND CLEAR that they don't like unlimited data plans and that they will eventually end.
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First of all if you are not on a contract then they can not change anything.
kinstre11 said:
This forum has a link about the future of unlimited data. Basically Verizon will begin throttling people who use more data than they deem profitable.
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Yes I am well aware...see my posts in that thread.
droidstyle said:
First of all if you are not on a contract then they can not change anything.
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If you aren't under contract then they can do anything. They could end your unlimited data tomorrow and you'd have absolutely no recourse.
Edit: You are always under contract, the one you signed when you first joined Verizon. The phone may be paid off but the contact always exists as long as you use their network. You are just under the month-to-month portion of the contract.
TabGuy said:
If you aren't under contract then they can do anything. They could end your unlimited data tomorrow and you'd have absolutely no recourse.
Edit: You are always under contract, the one you signed when you first joined Verizon. The phone may be paid off but the contact always exists as long as you use their network. You are just under the month-to-month portion of the contract.
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No you are not under a contract when month to month. There are no binding terms keeping me locked to any set rules or conditions. However, there is the TOS I agreed to back when I first joined. Aside from that I have been a VZW customer for 15yrs and they have never ended or terminated any service I have had with them. They may discontinue a older plan, but they have never forced me off of any plan I was on. I have no reason to believe they would start doing such things. Just because they did away with the loop hole(add a line/transfer device/put dumb phone on added line) to keep unlimited does not mean they are going to start forcing people off thier unlimited plans. Even if they did, I would simply jump on a shared plan...it is what it is.
Boy did I luck out. Just read this about august 24th. I got a note 3 yesterday! Still unlimited.... and my upgrade I'd in November, seems like people better get their phones now! So what if you buy a used phone and swap sims?? Post Aug 24th...
TabGuy said:
Another loophole changes in August were people would have someone on their family plan buy a new phone and they switched the SIM card to be able to upgrade their phone without paying full price. That goes away on August 24th.
.
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That's not true, the only loop hole they are closing is that if you add a new line to get a smartphone you have to keep the data plan on that phone. You can still use an upgrade on another smartphone line then transfer the SIM, or if you have an upgrade on your unlimited, transfer it to another smartphone do the upgrade then swap the SIM cards(this is what I just did a couple of months ago). So basically I have an unlimited line and my wife has a tiered plan, we both get to use our upgrades, we just have to do the transfer gimmick.
gottahavit said:
That's not true, the only loop hole they are closing is that if you add a new line to get a smartphone you have to keep the data plan on that phone. You can still use an upgrade on another smartphone line then transfer the SIM, or if you have an upgrade on your unlimited, transfer it to another smartphone do the upgrade then swap the SIM cards(this is what I just did a couple of months ago). So basically I have an unlimited line and my wife has a tiered plan, we both get to use our upgrades, we just have to do the transfer gimmick.
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Exactly... +1
droidstyle said:
As. Long as wee keep our current unlimited plans and buy our devices outright then I do not see how they can legally boot us off of unlimited.
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Click to collapse
I worked for Verizon, and have recently left to pursue other opportunities. I posed this very same thought to my account manager. She said that the most likely scenario is that there will be a point when they will absolutely remove unlimited data. They can say we are sorry but that phone cannot be put on a line with unlimited data. You have to also scour the terms and conditions. The company does reserve the right to terminate any plans and change existing plans. This is whether or not you are in contract. I am pretty sure they have a legal team that has already discussed this. I always see threats by people saying they will leave and go to this company or that company; but let's face it, choices for phone companies are very limited. You go to T-Mobile and you have limited areas, same with Sprint. The two companies that are in control are Verizon and AT&T. They have effectively formed a duopoly. It is not by accident that they have nearly the same exact plans. All I am saying is enjoy the data while you have it.
bairste said:
I worked for Verizon, and have recently left to pursue other opportunities. I posed this very same thought to my account manager. She said that the most likely scenario is that there will be a point when they will absolutely remove unlimited data. They can say we are sorry but that phone cannot be put on a line with unlimited data. You have to also scour the terms and conditions. The company does reserve the right to terminate any plans and change existing plans. This is whether or not you are in contract. I am pretty sure they have a legal team that has already discussed this. I always see threats by people saying they will leave and go to this company or that company; but let's face it, choices for phone companies are very limited. You go to T-Mobile and you have limited areas, same with Sprint. The two companies that are in control are Verizon and AT&T. They have effectively formed a duopoly. It is not by accident that they have nearly the same exact plans. All I am saying is enjoy the data while you have it.
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the problem with putting any stock in what your account manager says is the simple fact that one could speak to 10 different account managers and get 10 different answers.
Amen to that, verizon employees must not have group trainings as they All seem to have a different answer for you.
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Most people do not realize the 25 dollar credit per edge line per month on the bill.
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