Beginning to dislike Verizon

[disney1990]

Well, we have been with Verizon since we first got cell phones -- maybe 15 years ago. My DH is retired Verizon. Right now, I don't know what we are going to do. We are on an expired Family plan with 4 phones on it and unlimited texting on 3 of those phones. We have no data plans on any of our telephones. I have a LG Chocolate which takes pictures and shoots video. DH just has a cell phone that takes pictures. Our DD is away at college, so we end up texting quite a bit. Because of that DH, really wants a phone with a full keyboard (Samsung Alias) and I really wanted a Chocolate Touch. However, I refuse to sign up for a data plan just to have those phones. We won't be using the data plan; we don't read emails on our telephones nor do we have a need to go online. Adding data plans for 3 phones for 2 years is an additional cost of $720 that i don't really need to spend -- just to have those telephones.

I just don't know what we are going to do.

 

[elgerber]

I have 2 phones coming up for renewal in a few months, and I am NOT happy about this either. Luckily my dd got her ENV3 right before they started this. I would have to hold out for about 15 months before I can get out of my contract. But my boss, who I spend tons of time with on my cell phone also has Verizon, so all our minutes are free. If I switched to someone else, I'd have to at least triple the amount of minutes on my plan, so I don't think that would do me much good either. Very annoying!

 

[tnkr_bell]

I'm right there with you...our plan runs out in May and we are elligible for new phones, but I'm not very impressed with the options. I actually went into the store hoping to find something that I liked and the guy said there really wasn't much available without requiring the data plan. He even said he'd hate to loose us as a customer like 3 or 4 times, which tells me he thought I'd be better off with someone else. We're now looking into US Cellular.

 

[starwood]

We currently have data blocked on all of our phones because Verizon kept charging us $1.99 in data charges every month - even though we never used it. I had a big fight with them about it. They claimed I "mistakenly" went to get it now and downloaded a free mobile IM app at 7 am. I told them my phone isn't even on at 7 am. Next March all of our phones will be up for renewal and we are running to AT&T for iphones.

 

[rosanafamily]

For those of you on Facebook. Join this group ( link below) , there are over 1000 dissatisfied verizon customers due to the new data policy. There is a lot of info on who to contact about this new requirement.


www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=257808747739

 

[rosanafamily]

If you are thinking of giving into this charge, the 25 MB that you get for 9.99 doesn't take long to use up. My sons friend used that much in 2 days. Adults might be able to be careful but I would be reluctant to get that on my kids phones. You will be dealing with overages (verizon's plan maybe?) or upgrading to the unlimited data for 30 a month! Crazy!! For a family plan with max lines this is 50-150 more a month!!!

 

[Swimalie]

Which telephone did you get? And are you happy with it. For the time being, we have decided to not upgrade our telephones even though we can.


.

I'm not really sure. It's a Motorola and it was $30 at through the kiosk at Costco. And no, I'm not totally happy with it. In fact, I'm probably going to turn it in and get the one they were offering for free that was a LG. The Motorola phone won't keep the time on the outside of the phone and I use the phone as my watch. Also, I picked it up today and it said "VCast Music" Um.. I hadn't accessed that so I'm not sure how it got on there. I had better not have any downloads (no one else had access to my phone).

 

[DebMcDonald]

I just experienced this with verizon several weeks ago when i wanted to drop the internet that we currently have on two envy touch's and one rival, my husband and I don't use the internet and I also sort of think it sucks on the envy touch and my DD was getting her's taken away, and I was livid with Verizon and they had an I don't care attitude. So I was forced to keep the internet or incur $10 per month per phones for service that we don't need and will not use. Unfortunately we are locked in until June of 2011, so we're in for the relatively long hall, but after that I will probably jump ship. If I am paying for the internet or data plan I might as well have the iphone and pay for something that I really want.

 

[sherry7]

This thread got me curious since DH is overdue for an upgrade on his cell phone. I went online and clicked the "upgrade your phone" option, and found at least a dozen phones that do NOT require the extra $10 data plan (all of those phones were free after rebate). There might have been more than that, but I quit looking after finding that many.

Keep in mind that the website usually has a few extra phones that aren't available in the retail Verizon stores, so maybe that's why I'm finding such a large selection compared to those of you who visited the retail Verizon stores.

 

[disney1990]

This thread got me curious since DH is overdue for an upgrade on his cell phone. I went online and clicked the "upgrade your phone" option, and found at least a dozen phones that do NOT require the extra $10 data plan (all of those phones were free after rebate). There might have been more than that, but I quit looking after finding that many.

Keep in mind that the website usually has a few extra phones that aren't available in the retail Verizon stores, so maybe that's why I'm finding such a large selection compared to those of you who visited the retail Verizon stores.

The phones on the website listed as "simple phones" generally don't have good ratings. They have low 1.3 cameras and no video, which my existing phone does. Also, there are no touch phones.

 

[DVCBELLE]

This is a major factor in why I will switch companies soon.

I had never researched my local phone company but they offered free internet on your cell if you have home internet with them - I signed up for that and basically have that phone with no voice plan right now. I pay $140 a month for 2 lines (one is a blackberry that I have to pay $40 a month for the service on) - I will be switching to my local phone company and we will have the same minutes and I get 5 people to call unlimited and both phones will be blackberries for $75 a month!!!

 

[sherry7]

The phones on the website listed as "simple phones" generally don't have good ratings. They have low 1.3 cameras and no video, which my existing phone does. Also, there are no touch phones.

Check the "3G Multimedia Phone" category as well as the "Simple Feature Phone" category. There are options in both that don't require the data plan.

I guess it's all depending on what you're looking for in a phone. I'm hooked on my Motorola Droid, but my hubby prefers an easier phone.

 

[rosanafamily]

Check the "3G Multimedia Phone" category as well as the "Simple Feature Phone" category. There are options in both that don't require the data plan.

I guess it's all depending on what you're looking for in a phone. I'm hooked on my Motorola Droid, but my hubby prefers an easier phone.

Every 3G multimedia phone requires a data plan.

 

[sherry7]

Every 3G multimedia phone requires a data plan.

Hmmm, maybe it differs by person/account? I found 2 different 3G multimedia phones that didn't require one.

 

[WendyLovesPeter]

I have thought of ditching verizon also, but... many of my family and friends have Verizon, and I feel like if I change, we won't be as free to call each other because we have to watch when we call to not use up the plan minutes

 

[rosanafamily]

I have thought of ditching verizon also, but... many of my family and friends have Verizon, and I f

 

[java]

Oh yes I hear you! I took dd to get a new phone(she's 12 and has had her phone for 3 years? ) Takes great care of it. Time for an upgrade. Well they had 2 phones without that data plan! They looked like caveman phones! Why not just make a cute phone that is just a phone. I heard a saleswoman trying to talk a woman into one with a data plan. She was an older woman- who was saying I just use it to talk on with my grandchildren.
"Oh but think in a years time you may want internet capability"
She replied
"Or I could be dead"
She bought the cheap phone.

 

[rosanafamily]

I have thought of ditching verizon also, but... many of my family and friends have Verizon, and I feel like if I change, we won't be as free to call each other because we have to watch when we call to not use up the plan minutes

Sprint has a plan that costs the same as verizon's 700 minute family plan but has 1400 minutes AND their free nights starts at 7pm as opposed to Verizon's 9 pm. With all those extra minutes and 2 more hours of free calling time you might not lose the freedom to call your family and friends.
Just a thought!

 

[rosanafamily]

I have thought of ditching verizon also, but... many of my family and friends have Verizon, and I feel like if I change, we won't be as free to call each other because we have to watch when we call to not use up the plan minutes

Sprint has a plan that costs the same as verizon's 700 minute family plan but has 1400 minutes AND their free nights starts at 7pm as opposed to Verizon's 9 pm. With all those extra minutes and 2 more hours of free calling time you might not lose the freedom to call your family and friends.
Just a thought!

 

[pleakley]

I was just looking at the website - the Motorola Rivals, which are the phones my kids have, are 3G phones but it says that the data plan is optional. I guess I will have to upgrade to one of those instead of the env3 - bummer!