WOW! Verizon Wireless Must Know That They Make a LOT of Money from TEXTING

[Chicago526]

Now that WOULD be neat!

I fly with United, they offer it to their frequent flyers. Other airlines may have something similar, you should check it out with your prefered carrier, I'm sure they'd have it on their website someplace.

 

[Callie]

I have 2 cells phones. Ones a pre-paid with T-Mobile. 10 cents to send 5 to read...but you dont have to get charged to read. Instead of clicking read, hit edit and send. Then you can read them free of charge. My other cell is centienal (sp?) 10 cents to send free to get. I pay 5 bucks a month and can send up to 300

 

[BethR]

es.

Of course I believe the real deal is that they are increasing the per message charge hoping to get more people to just sign up for the $10/month plans.

And THAT, Ladies and Gentlemen, may be the answer! Just like every time your two years are up, they never have the same plan available that you currently have. So you end up paying MORE to get the same minutes that you are used to using.

Last time our plan was $59.99 (Family Share - 1000 minutes.) Now THIS time, it's $69.99 for 700 minutes or $89.88 for 1400. So which one do we choose? Of course we tend to nearly use our 1000 minutes every month. So we have to get the 1400 minute plan. For $30 more a month.

It's upsetting. Now here's another way that they "get" you. I don't HAVE to renew my plan. If I stay with the same thing, no price increase. Now of course that means no new phones - which are made to self destruct in 2 years. So I can hobble around with my old phone, or get a new phone AND new plan.

Fun, fun, fun....

 

[runwad]

And THAT, Ladies and Gentlemen, may be the answer! Just like every time your two years are up, they never have the same plan available that you currently have. So you end up paying MORE to get the same minutes that you are used to using.

Last time our plan was $59.99 (Family Share - 1000 minutes.) Now THIS time, it's $69.99 for 700 minutes or $89.88 for 1400. So which one do we choose? Of course we tend to nearly use our 1000 minutes every month. So we have to get the 1400 minute plan. For $30 more a month.

It's upsetting. Now here's another way that they "get" you. I don't HAVE to renew my plan. If I stay with the same thing, no price increase. Now of course that means no new phones - which are made to self destruct in 2 years. So I can hobble around with my old phone, or get a new phone AND new plan.




Fun, fun, fun....

Well there is away around that, you keep your plan buy a used phone either from someone who upgrades to a new phone or go on ebay and pick one up. We've had the same plan since 1990 keep the phones as long as we can, and they've at least lasted 5 - 7 years I just bought used phones for us last year and now I have a friend who just switched from Verizon to Sprint so she gave me her almost brand new phone and I've got a back up for the ones I have. Of course we don't really talk much on our phones DH has 100 free anytime minutes and free weekends for 19.99 and that works great for us.

 

[T. Lynn]

I wish Verizon would have a FREE incoming plan like Nextel. That's the only thing holding me back right now from switching. No matter who calls me and from where, it's free and doesn't use up my minutes.

I have 500 outgoing minutes a month and 200 bonus minutes. I want to switch to Verizon so bad because of Nextel's shady coverage but with my plan, I can't seem to convince myself to take the plunge.

 

[grlzmom]

Verizon also offers a $5.00 a month plan. But you only get 250 text messages per month. No matter who they are too.

We are grandfathered into Verizons 5.00 a month for unlimited texting. When we moved and switched numbers they tried to take it away from me. When we threatened to cancel the lines they gave it back. I told my parents about it and they were able to call Verizon and get them to give them the unlimited texting for 5 per month also (this was in October 06).

 

[SarahKate]

VERY happy Tracfone user here. We've had ours for a few months. Right now our minutes are averaging about 8 cents a minute (got a great deal at the time) and text messages are .3 units (so basically, that's about 2.5 cents) to view and send text messages.

We ditched Cingular and have been very happy with our phones so far.

We never used text messages til now - usually DH and I just need to say something quick so we text when possible and just spend .3 minute instead of a full minute.

You can also set up your own templates like "Be home in 10 minutes" or something like that, which can save a lot of time.

 

[katerkat]

Our phones have "T9" for texting - for example, to type call, on a normal phone you have to type 2-2-2, pause, 2, 5-5-5, pause, 5-5-5; on my phone, just hit 2-2-5-5 and it figures out the most common word from that set of numbers (and I hit "next" to find a different word with the same numbers.) I text all the time - we have a $5, 100 text thing and DH and I both come close to the limit each month.

I'm annoyed at Sprint right now, though - they randomly added a feature to DH's phone this month. So I get to call and have the $4 charge removed from the bill. Nice.

 

[princesspwrhr]

And THAT, Ladies and Gentlemen, may be the answer! Just like every time your two years are up, they never have the same plan available that you currently have. So you end up paying MORE to get the same minutes that you are used to using.

Last time our plan was $59.99 (Family Share - 1000 minutes.) Now THIS time, it's $69.99 for 700 minutes or $89.88 for 1400. So which one do we choose? Of course we tend to nearly use our 1000 minutes every month. So we have to get the 1400 minute plan. For $30 more a month.

....

We have Verizon and just did our 'new every 2' We got brand new phones, new 2 year contract so the phones were practically free (could have gotten free but didn't like the model) AND we kept our current plan 500 shared anytime minutes for $50, 100 txt for $2.99 (per phone). Of course after the $9.99 second line, the $2.99 for 100 txt on the second phone, the ins we keep forgetting to cancel on each phone, taxes and surcharges -on each phone #- our bill ends up around $87.

We do txt each other a lot. We use a lot of the preprogrammed txts that are in our phone also. The ones that say 'running late' etc- it makes it very quick to do.

 

[BethR]

We have Verizon and just did our 'new every 2' We got brand new phones, new 2 year contract so the phones were practically free (could have gotten free but didn't like the model) AND we kept our current plan

WOW! How did you do that??? We are getting new phones next week and I would love to just keep the same plan that we have.

I remember that my DH had a $9.99 plan from Verizon and got new phones a couple of times. He just moved into our Family Share plan 2 years ago. I wonder how we did that???

 

[princesspwrhr]

Honestly we just asked if we could keep our current plan.

 

[BethR]

Well, I will make sure that we ask that question!

 

[DisnyMama]

We began with Verizon Wireless last Aug. and my 1st bill was outrageous and then my 2nd bill was the same and when I called them they broke it down for me and told me that I had sent texts at times like 2:00 am and 300 am and there was no way because I was asleep. They told me I could block all text messaging and so I did. No problems since and I could care less about texting-in fact, I hate to be on the phone period! I have the darn thing as a necessity only.

 

[Cindy B]

We turned off texting as soon as we (the adults and my son) got new cell phones in December.

I go to college and I see the younger students texting all the time during class. It's really annoying and distracting!

 

[ZuZugal]

I never used the text feature until recently (I have Verizon). I was out of town and used it to send and receive a few messages. Two hours later that evening a Verizon rep called me on my cell and said "we noticed you are now sending and receiving text messages and would like to offer you the plan ($10/month) so you don't rack up too many charges from text messages.

Wow Seemed a little bit like "big brother" to me that they knew I was texting. I didn't even know that they watched accounts so closely.

 

[Straitlover]

VERY happy Tracfone user here. We've had ours for a few months. Right now our minutes are averaging about 8 cents a minute (got a great deal at the time) and text messages are .3 units (so basically, that's about 2.5 cents) to view and send text messages.

The TracFone I have (Nokia 2600) has free incoming texts. I would only have time deducted if I send, which I don't do. I'm glad incoming is free, because I'm not going to pay for anyone to send me a message! My phone is only for emergencies and no one has my number, and I wouldn't want my time burned up by unsolicited texts should they ever go ahead w/ publishing cell numbers in a directory.

 

[JerJan]

They told me I could block all text messaging and so I did. No problems since and I could care less about texting-in fact, I hate to be on the phone period! I have the darn thing as a necessity only.

If I had my way I'd just throw the D--- phone out the window....I hate it!! I use it only for emergencies. Our (DH & myself) text messaging is blocked but we have the family plan and DD has the $10.00 a month unlimited texting feature on her phone.

 

[BethR]

See, I love my phone and our plan. We can talk to anyone on Verizon for anytime. And I can call anyone long distance after 9pm or on weekends.Having parents and and daughters who are not in town, the cell phone is a Godsend.

I rarely use our house phone anymore.