You Will Be Forced Off Unlimited If You Try To Buy A Phone Full Price At A Corporate Verizon Store

[cr6]

The fact of the matter is, it isn't costing the carrier anymore for me to use my 50+gigs then it's costing them to provide you with your 2gig. It's all about the carrier's gouging the consumer and profiting hugely on people's data usage. Just as it didn't cost the carriers a dime for you to send a text, yet it's one of the carrier's biggest money makers, charging people for an individual text message. Comparing the cost of a vehicle (or anything else) 5-10 years ago to the cost of data is ridiculous. 4G data streams exactly the same whether you're streaming 2 gig or 200 gig. As a matter of fact, 4G LTE is MUCH more efficient at delivering data, than those still on 3G, so in reality, we should be getting a discount from the carrier's. Here's s great article that breaks it down for those folks that have no clue about the matter but insist on chastising others for their data usage. http://readwrite.com/2014/05/09/4g-3g-smartphone-data-price-difference#awesm=~oDMhyreYFLvoXW

I have no shame in saying my device is glued to me 16+ hours a day. 10 hrs a day at work streaming music or podcasts, same on the weekends at the pool , riding my bike or fishing, camping, it's always streaming something. That doesn't mean my face is glued to the screen while I'm sitting on my couch, (Not that it should matter one way or the other) that's the beauty of technology and unlimited data. As far as me "staring" at it goes, maybe 2 or 3 (sometimes 4 on the wknd) of those 16+ hours I'm actually looking at my device responding to emails, texts, forum posts, YouTube, etc during those hours. I'm willing to bet many of those same folks that regularly chastise others usage, are either upset because they got rid of their unlimited plans, or simply don't effectively know how to utilize technology to better enhance their lives. That's the beauty of smartphone technology. No longer are we bound to our dial-up connections and desktop pc's.
Literally having the world at your fingertips at any given time it's a beautiful thing. And not having to worry about going over your data plan, simply because you got stuck with a small package, or you didn't want to spend the money to keep your UDP is ashame. This issue has been discussed for the past 4+ years with people claiming the sky is falling...."Verizon is getting rid of unlimited...for reals this time!, so you better jump ship while you can and take the carrier's latest offer (scam) of the month". Too many people are caught up with spending the least amount of money that they can and expecting the best flagship available, so for $149 or even $99 bucks (or for free if they wait 2 months) and then sign their next 2 year contract. Because let's face it, a shiny new device for little to no money is much more important for the average American consumer, than planning ahead and buying that new device outright in order to keep your unlimited. The carriers nickel & dime us to death, all while trying to make us feel bad for using more than 10 gig a month.
Today's technology (powerful smartphones coupled with amazing Verizon coverage and an unlimited data plan) gives you SO much more freedom to leave the confines of our desktop computers, and our homes for that matter.
I understand we all have different financial obligations, but the fact of they matter is, the majority of us "tech enthusiasts" all have jobs, we can all afford carrier plans, cable/sat packages, nice vehicles etc. We've all known for years that Verizon & the other carriers enjoy getting the public riled up by telling people to get on this plan or that because unlimited is going away and we shouldn't use so much. Meanwhile the carrier's rake in record profits each and every year. So no, I have absolutely no shame with using my unlimited plan the way I want.

To get this thread back on track, the issue with the original OP was ONE person's experience. It wasn't Verizon officially or unofficially telling us our unlimited is going away. Sure it may one day, but I'll deal with that when the time comes.

And that's my nickels worth on the matter, respectively speaking of course.


S5 tap'n

 

[UltraDroid]

Well said, CR6.

Sent from my Note 3, using magic and TapaTalk version 2.4.15 ...

 

[Miklb58]

You are correct. Once the contract expires, either party is free to terminate or modify the terms... That they haven't in all this time, is a bonus... but it should not be a perpetual entitlement...

If a candy store gives you a free chocolate every afternoon as you walk home from school, and it does so for years... but one day the management decides to stop giving out free samples for whatever reason... Going in and demanding that they continue to give you free stuff, because they have for the past few years isn't very... realistic. Be thankful that you got 3 years of free candy.

I think that those who have the unlimited data plans do and should feel entitled.
When these plans were intoduced, we were all told that VZW would never change our plans, and that we could keep them as long as we didn't change the plan. When they started this, buying a new phone on contract didn't constitute a plan change.....then they changed that part, and called getting a new subsidized phone "a change".
So for those who did sign up for UD, and being told that they could keep it until they change their plan, really are entitled.
Additionally, I don't see the relevance of your free candy analogy. No one received free unlimited data plans. Those that have them, pay for them.

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[Sajo]

I'm not sure that whether there is or is not an entitlement is what this thread is all about. We have veered way off track. The OP asked a question: "If I buy a phone at full price in a Verizon store, will they force me to change my data plan?". That's what this thread is about, not whether there should or should not be Unlimited Data. We heard from a Verizon sales rep that said this is not supposed to happen. But some stores are trying to enforce this change. That's what we originally started talking about.

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[cr6]

Very well said @sajokaz . And I think we all know from pest experiences that different stores play by different rules.

S5 tap'n

 

[Miklb58]

I'm not sure that whether there is or is not an entitlement is what this thread is all about. We have veered way off track. The OP asked a question: "If I buy a phone at full price in a Verizon store, will they force me to change my data plan?". That's what this thread is about, not whether there should or should not be Unlimited Data. We heard from a Verizon sales rep that said this is not supposed to happen. But some stores are trying to enforce this change. That's what we originally started talking about.

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Thank you, and while I agree with you in part, I believe that the OP's point is that he had an agreement with vzw that should allow him to keep his unlimited plan, which (in context) is his entitlement.
Another poster is saying that the OP should not be expecting to keep it, and is giving all sorts of reasons why it is an unreasoable expectation, and I am just adding my $.02 worth of an opinion.
It seemed valid to me anyway...

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[SquireSCA]

If they were continuing to offer UD plans, I would say use it all you want. But they don't. And once your contract expired, they had zero obligation to continue letting you keep it. That they did, is fine, but they have the right to pull the plug whenever they want...

Nobody is entitled to have anyone provide them with anything.

As for data not costing them anything, that is false. A few people using a couple GB on 3G, versus everyone using massive amounts on 4g...

 

[cr6]

I absolutely agree that they (Vzw) have every right to discontinue UDPs, BUT....The fact remains that they DO still let folks keep their grandfathered UDPs by requiring you purchase your device outright. The fact that they don't offer it anymore, has no bearing on those that have actually abided by Verizon's own rules for keeping their UDP plans. So for all intents and purposes, those of us that have abided by these rules ARE entitled to use our unlimited data as we see fit.

S5 tap'n

 

[SquireSCA]

I absolutely agree that they (Vzw) have every right to discontinue UDPs, BUT....The fact remains that they DO still let folks keep their grandfathered UDPs by requiring you purchase your device outright. The fact that they don't offer it anymore, has no bearing on those that have actually abided by Verizon's own rules for keeping their UDP plans. So for all intents and purposes, those of us that have abided by these rules ARE entitled to use our unlimited data as we see fit.

S5 tap'n

And they can change that at any time.

 

[Sajo]

I agree, they can and will eventually. The whole point of this thread is trying to find out if they have changed the policy now. That's it.

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[Miklb58]

I don't have UD, but used to. When I first signed up for it, I bought a Backberry and was told that as long as I didn't change my plan (and I was told that I can upgrade in 2 years which did not constitute a plan change) that I would not lose my UD.
3 years later, I upgraded to a RazrMaxx, and kept my UDP, even after the UDP's were discontinued. Later, they (vzw) found or created the loophole that allowed them to wiggle out of the agreement, and called upgrading to a new subsidized phone "changing the plan" and I lost it when upgrading again. I use less than 1 Gb per month so I don't really care.
If "no one is entitled to have anyone provide them with anything", then are you saying that under my current (month to month, no contract) plan which I pay $80 for 10Gb of data, I am not entitled to use the data even if they stop offering this plan? I don't think so, and neither should the OP, who was told he could keep the plan that he pays for every month (it's not givin to him) until he changed his plan.
In context, the word entitled when used as a verb means
"give (someone) a legal right or a just claim to receive or do something."
I signed up for an $80/10Gb plan, have an agreement, and I am entitled to use and keep my 10Gb plan for S80 until I change it, even after they stop offering that plan.
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[94lt1]

Also..I'd like to point out that vzw doesn't put nearly as much as you think they do into building up their "infrastructure".. Look at their profit margins compare that to their build out rate. Now compare the quality of said build out to even small crappy companies in Europe..Verizon has the capital to do big things..but they don't. In most cases when my company deals with them, we crunch the numbers and find they aren't happy unless they're making a 3 to 1 profit..so the bandwidth thing...yeah its a problem because they claim it is ..in monitoring traffic on our side...only in large sporting events in large cities , has there ever been a need to run mobile network extenders...they could build up their infrastructure to where it would handle the strain..they just don't...hell they even turn their new arrays away from Joe q user and point it towards the interstate areas at the dumbest of times...then you call and say..hello..why did my signal crap out...they say...oh...I have no idea ..clickity clack on the key board..doing nothing...

Yes..they have the right to end ud anytime.. But they're aren't suffering in anyway shape or form ...if they were..they'd have shut it down ..that's said..soon...they're getting weird with their contracts..so the near future is any bodies guess

 

[cr6]

I agree @94lt1, they could probably do more, but I do think the "infrastructure" issue is related to location more than anything. In our area, they've been adding to their existing towers like crazy. This tower for example

was less than half this size just one year ago. I know of three locations in my small town that have doubled just like this. (and that's just the ones I've seen from driving around)
This is a screen shot taken a few minutes ago, of my speeds at home.

I've never had even half these speeds (at home at least) the six years I've lived here. Towns from here to SLC have improved just like this as well.
I'm thinking the tower upgrade crew in your area are slacking. LOL!

S5 tap'n

 

[liftedplane]

How is it one option fits all? They have all sorts of tiers and price points...

The only reason to have Unlimited today, is if you are tethering and using massive amounts of data on other devices... How much data can you really use on your phone?

I average 15gb a month NO TETHERING, this is from playing games, listening to music and watching youtube. If sprint and T-Mobile can offer unlimited data so can VZW, period, Big red just wants to profit, plain an simple... as others have stated 4G is far more efficient than 3G and to think their network can't handle the "strain" is absolute garbage.

so no, the only reason is NOT to simply tether, not everyone uses their phone in the same way. maybe if verizon offered the free music streaming option that T-Mobile offers or did something where only half the data of video streaming affected you then more people would upgrade.

honestly they shove all these music streaming video watching data hogging apps down our throats then ask us to pay an arm an a leg in data to use them and slap the hell out of us if we go over our "alloted" data. Sounds like a racket to me.

Well sure, but there is no carrier that is going to offer an Unlimited data plan, shared no less for your entire family, for a cheap price. LOL

We wish!

So don't offer unlimited for 30 offer it for 90 or 100 for unlimited data on a family plan.... this would not hurt them at all, in fact it might cause people {me) to upgrade.... as it is if they pull my UD from me I'm jumping ship, and I've been with verizon myself since 05 my mother had been with them since they were airtouch back in the 1990's.

I rarely tether, I also rarely have wifi near me... no need to tether, my phone is my computer I can quite literally do everything but my label design on my phone.... no reason to tether unless my wifi goes out. I pay 34.99 a month for comcast, and when the plan price increases I call comcast, ask for a discount and get one.... same with dish network.

As others have stated it's all about the almighty dollar and how much they can pull (read gouge) their customers an still retain a profitable business model. clearly their doing something right, or perhaps it's the fact that plain Joe Nobody is a sheep and the general population doesn't understand what's truly going on an just takes what these companies do at face value because that's the way we've been trained for the past 50 years. or perhaps I'm just jaded and completely off topic.

 

[Sajo]

Five pages into this and we have one possible answer. back to the original question. Has anyone, any member of this forum, bought a new phone from Verizon and paid full price, or bought a phone somewhere on-line and activated it on your existing number? If so, did that purchase / activation change your existing plan in any way?