Confused about losing the unlimited plan

[akhenax]

In a nutshell, the main problem with the Edge plan is that you're paying for your phone twice. Once in the additional monthly payments you make. And once by paying the same monthly price for your plan that people with subsidized phones pay.

If Verizon were to take away the monthly subsidy, then it might make sense to make additional payments for your phone (like T-Mobile does).

There is no way not to pay the same monthly fee as everyone else on Verizon even if you do buy your phone outright. That's why it was always better to get a subsidized phone on Verizon. Now that unlimited data is no longer an option, people are trying to find ways to afford a new phone, and stay on Verizon.

See: Moto X

Still, you pay the same monthly fee. It's like you are paying extra just to stay on Verizon.

 

[droidprincess]

I did the Edge plan to get my Note 3 and am just as happy as I was before w/unlimited data. IMO the people that are whining about losing unlimited data are the same ones that hog all the data in the first place. Verizon made the move to limit data so that the network is not bogged down by data suckers. If you have a Wifi network at home then what is the need for unlimited data?

sent from my Hot Galaxy Note 3 ;-)

 

[doniago]

^This is an interesting point. My office recently set-up a wi-fi network that I can hook my phone into...but I'm kind of at their mercy, and in my current location I have a very weak phone signal to fall back on.

My unlimited contract expires at the end of June...I love my RAZR MAXX and staying on it wouldn't be the worst thing ever (especially now that I have an N7), but a new phone would be nice...but looking at the Verizon site these days gives me a headache. Sigh.

 

[bigmatt503]

Not all of the unlimited contracts end In June...
Remember the glitch back in October? The one that was allowing people that had unlimited plans to upgrade AND KEEP Their plan.
Technically those few people that took advantage of that glitch will end in October 2015 (approximately). Am I missing something here?

Sent from my ROOTED HTC droid DNA using cyanogenMod 10.2

 

[doniago]

Like I said, -my- unlimited contract expires at the end of June. 2 years. It wasn't intended to be a general comment.

 

[FoxKat]

BEwARE the edge program. Let's do the math.

EDGE = LOOSE UNLIMITED DATA.

Ok, fine, go the dummy line route, get the phone on edge, swap the new phone to your unlimited line and put a basic phone on the dummy line. Let's see how cost effective that is....

EDGE PLAN - $600 phone

600 / 24 months = $25 per month + $2 carrying charge = $27 per month

Tax (figure 9% for an example) $54 + 1st month payment $25 = $81 due before you leave the store.

Total price paid at the end of 24 months for Device + Tax + Carry charge = $702 - You own the phone outright.

IF You use a dummy line, that'll cost an EXTRA $240 (24 months at $10 per month on the older Nationwide plan). So $702 + $240 = $942

NOW - THE WHAT IF I WANT TO TRADE IN SCENARIO:

I won't go into time the phone is kept, just basing this on needing half of the bill paid off.

$600 / 2 = $300 + $54 in tax + $12 if trading in at the 6 month mark = $366


Now, if you "Edge Up" you must Give That Phone Back, and start all over. Replace it with another $600 phone in 6 months and you've paid $732 and start over again with NOequity in a device at all.

Device Replacement Plan Purchase:

$600 Phone + Tax (9% for example) $54 + $24 carry charge (12 Months) = $678 and I OWN the phone outright. Keep it, sell it, trade it...whatever I want to do with it.

12 payments of $50 + $2 carrying charge = $52 per month

Tax $54 + 1st Month $52 = $106 due before I leave the store.

I just don't see how the EDGE program benefits anyone.

First, let's give you one important distinction between me and the examples above. In my case, there was an existing dummy phone that was already costing me $10 per month. All I did was do the Edge on that phone, then move it to my line. So for me, there is no added $10 per month, or $120 per year. But in my case, there was also a phone trade in and an activation fee waiver. Let's forget the tax in each example...it's a wash either way.

So, let's go over the math above in my scenario...and let's not forget two very important parts. First if you trade in a working phone on an upgrade (they MAY also do this for new activations but I don't know and so I am assuming no) - no matter how old it is (I traded a Droid Pro), they give you $100. That phone wasn't worth $10. So I figure I did OK there. Then there was the activation fee waiver - another $35. So before I've even signed the agreement I'm up $135.

Then, the cost... for my Droid MAXX, it's $20.83 per month (see my bill below)



This takes into consideration the $100 up front for the trade, otherwise it would have been $25 as in the examples above). I pay this $20.83 per month for 12 months, at which time I can turn the phone in and pay nothing, then start all over again with a brand new phone. After that first 12 months, I've paid $249.96...but wait...I got the activation fee waiver (remember?), so in all actuality I only paid $214.96 for the 12 months, or $17.92 per month!

$20.83 * 12 = $249.96 - $35 = 214.96 / 12 = $17.92 per month net (and that doesn't even take into consideration time value of money or opportunity of interest cost on the difference between that and the $635 I'd have to pay up front). And I still have Unlimited Data on my phone number, and no new contract on that number...so I can walk at 12 months, give the phone back and go elsewhere if I choose.

If I bought that phone outright for $600 out of pocket (plus $35 activation), how much could I expect to get for it if I sold it one year later (given a new series of models of phones would be out then)? Well, could I expect $485? Let's say I could (yeah, right...). If so, then I am back at square one again - same place I'd be if I turned the phone in on my Edge plan. In this example the purchase outright would "appear" to be a better deal at $150 net total.

Now the major distinction here is that in the first example, I walked out of the Verizon Phone Center store without even taking my wallet out of my pocket. I paid absolutely NOTHING and was handed a brand new Droid MAXX. In fact, there was also the trade in and waiver of the activation fee - another $135 in credits to me, so really, I walked out some $135 in the black - PLUS a BRAND NEW PHONE. The other guy who paid $600 up front also paid $35 for an activation, so he's in the hole $635 before he leaves the place. He may be up by $64.96 after 12 months ($635 - $485 = $150 versus my $214.96, or a difference of $64.96...$5.41 per month for the 12 months), but I only had to meet those monthly payments and got to keep my $635 in my pocket while leaving with the same phone and the same unlimited data.

I agree that the $10 per month for adding a line is an additional cost, and since that wouldn't be an upgrade, there (probably) isn't either the $100 credit *(can anyone confirm or deny this?)... I understand they ARE waiving the $35 activation fee for new Edge palns, but in that case, the cost for the phone is $420.00 and you give it back with no equity. That isn't a great deal if you don't need the second line or don't already have a dummy line (think phone for the kids, for instance).

 

[kodiak799]

Why would VZW give you $100 for turning in a phone you don't own? That program might make sense, for you, on the initial outlay with the $100 credit. Otherwise I think 12 months is about break-even (if you just have to spend upwards of $300 every year on a marginally better phone) - you get basically 50% from VZW, which is around what you could get selling it yourself (less the hassle).

So except for the initial deal with the $100 trade-in, I don't really see the value in giving up unlimited. It's basically just paying retail on installments. It's a convenience factor more than anything.

 

[TatDroid]

There is no way not to pay the same monthly fee as everyone else on Verizon even if you do buy your phone outright. That's why it was always better to get a subsidized phone on Verizon.

This is why I ultimately decided to switch 2 of our lines over to the "Max" plan (6GB for $30/month). In the last 2 years neither of those lines had used more than 3GB, so I decided to get subsidized phones and go back on a 2 year contract. 6GB will be plenty, couldn't justify paying retail price for new phones on those lines.

 

[kodiak799]

Anyway, as has kind of been mentioned, rumors pop-up about every 3 months (going on 3+ years) that VZW will be ending unlimited data shortly. The June cut-off is pure speculation based on some backdoor extrapolation of the last eligible upgrades (which I thought was LAST July, actually).

As far as I know, VZW has rarely, if ever, NOT honored grandfathered contracts. There have been numerous promotions and incentives/disincentives to entice/push people off unlimited, which seems to be the direction they have chosen rather than just take it away. They are managing their risk (network capacity) by enticing people off unlimited, and I suspect the number of remaining users with unlimited is already small enough not to be of much concern.

I mean, c'mon, they even let people SELL[transfer] their unlimited plans!!! PLUS they have essentially a "data hog" clause in their TOS which they could use to boot-off the really heavy users, and that's a hammer they haven't used despite all the crying and ruckus about "ending unlimited". I don't expect unlimited to go anywhere for at least 2+ years until VoLTE is rolled-out nationwide. Even then, you will probably be able to keep your unlimited data in the event they don't offer VoLTE for those grandfathered unlimited plans.

Worst case scenario: you buy a new phone retail and a month later VZW ends unlimited. You could still get probably 80%+ of what you paid for the phone on EBAY/Swappa. Alternatively, you could then just sign a new contract, take the subsidized upgrade, and flip it new-in-the-box for $50-$100 below retail. So your risk isn't $600+, it's probably less than $100 in the worst-case.

 

[kodiak799]

This is why I ultimately decided to switch 2 of our lines over to the "Max" plan (6GB for $30/month). In the last 2 years neither of those lines had used more than 3GB, so I decided to get subsidized phones and go back on a 2 year contract. 6GB will be plenty, couldn't justify paying retail price for new phones on those lines.

Very true.

When VZW ended the eligible subsidy, they basically raised the price on unlimited users $10+ per month. For people who don't use much data, like me and you, we are actually overpaying. So in reality there's not a huge incentive for VZW to kill unlimited when the remaining unlimiteds are small and probably 80% of them are very average data users overpaying for "piece of mind".

Now if they continue to entice people like you off unlimited, to the point where there are only a few hundred thousand unlimiteds left (a.k.a. "the data hogs")...THEN they might cut bait. However, in reality 200k "data hogs" would have to average over 100gigs/mo to make an appreciable dent in capacity, and that's ignoring how quickly bandwidth is expanding.

And 200k "data hogs" is probably an EXTREMELY generous number, in terms of how many people routinely go over 20gigs/mo.

 

[FoxKat]

Why would VZW give you $100 for turning in a phone you don't own? That program might make sense, for you, on the initial outlay with the $100 credit. Otherwise I think 12 months is about break-even (if you just have to spend upwards of $300 every year on a marginally better phone) - you get basically 50% from VZW, which is around what you could get selling it yourself (less the hassle).

So except for the initial deal with the $100 trade-in, I don't really see the value in giving up unlimited. It's basically just paying retail on installments. It's a convenience factor more than anything.

No, I think you misunderstood. The trade in was an old phone just sitting around. As for giving up unlimited I was not suggesting that. I still have unlimited. The only way to keep it in the examples above are to activate a new basic line and do the Edge plan or upgrade an existing basic line and move it over (what I did).

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[kodiak799]

No, I think you misunderstood. The trade in was an old phone just sitting around. As for giving up unlimited I was not suggesting that. I still have unlimited. The only way to keep it in the examples above are to activate a new basic line and do the Edge plan or upgrade an existing basic line and move it over (what I did).

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

OK, I think I understand.

Been debating canceling voice and using my unlimited for a tablet, and then getting one of the new plans for phone (1gigs could be sufficient for me). Not sure if I can cancel voice or not, though.

Then I can turn in my OG Droid for $100 - wait, it makes a handy alarm clock....but I have a few old flip phones laying around

 

[FoxKat]

OK, I think I understand.

Been debating canceling voice and using my unlimited for a tablet, and then getting one of the new plans for phone (1gigs could be sufficient for me). Not sure if I can cancel voice or not, though.

Then I can turn in my OG Droid for $100 - wait, it makes a handy alarm clock....but I have a few old flip phones laying around

No, I don't think you can drop voice in your example. And for the trade it must be a smart phone. Sorry!



Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[[email protected]]

I second the Max Plan

Well, I haven't used a Verizon upgrade the last couple of times, because I didn't want to lose the good 'ol Unlimited Data plan.


But recently, I found out about the 6GB Max Plan. Since I only use about 2.5 GB / month, I decided that the 6GB will be fine for me for a long time, so I took advantage of the upgrade and stepped away from the unlimited plan.

~Bob

 

[tommyg562000]

Well, I haven't used a Verizon upgrade the last couple of times, because I didn't want to lose the good 'ol Unlimited Data plan.


But recently, I found out about the 6GB Max Plan. Since I only use about 2.5 GB / month, I decided that the 6GB will be fine for me for a long time, so I took advantage of the upgrade and stepped away from the unlimited plan.

~Bob

I was thinking of jumping to the Max plan since I don't use much more that 2 GB's a month. Did you just have to mention it to the rep and they gave it to you or did you have to talk them into it?