Verizon’s New “Share Everything” Plans

[Corrine]

Verizon’s new “Share Everything” concept clearly builds major profits into Verizon’s future:

• Customers are forced to pay for unlimited voice and texting services, even as those services lose popularity, costing Verizon little to nothing;
  
• Data customers are encouraged to add additional devices to their account, but as more data gets used, ongoing upgrades to your data plan at an increment of $10/GB or more will be required;
  
• Customers considering a new Apple iPhone or other smartphone will be forced to forfeit any existing unlimited data plan to upgrade, which guarantees future profits from customers consuming increasing amounts of data.

For Verizon’s most premium customers, the new plans may deliver temporary savings, as long as data usage is tempered:

• Customers paying for expensive texting plans will save the cost of those add-ons;
  
• Talk time is now unlimited on most plans, putting an end to overages;
  
• Verizon’s Mobile Hotspot feature will now be turned on for all customers on the Share Everything plan (to encourage additional data usage no doubt), which will eliminate at least $20 a month for the feature under existing plans;
  
• Customers who own multiple wireless devices configured to work with Verizon, but only use them occasionally, will likely save sharing a single data plan instead of paying for one plan for each device.
  

More at  Verizon’s New “Share Everything” Plans Will Bring Many Higher Cell Bills | Stop the Cap! 
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Freedomlist.com (March 1, 2000 - 2013)



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[Corrine]

Quote:

If you don’t believe Verizon Wireless’ newest family-share plans work for you, you are not alone. More than a few Verizon Wireless customers are in open revolt on the company’s interactive forum, and some are preparing to leave a wireless company they have stayed with for up to 15 years. In a word, the consensus from these vocal customers is: “enough.”

See some of the comments at  Verizon Wireless’ New ‘Wallet-Biter’ Plans Cause Revolt on Customer Forum | Stop the Cap! 
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Freedomlist.com (March 1, 2000 - 2013)



Take a walk through my Security Garden

[Corrine]

Quote:

Forbes Magazine has been pondering Verizon’s radical shift to eliminate buckets of voice minutes and text messages, while increasing prices on wireless data just when mobile broadband is expected to become the new profit center for wireless phone companies. It appears Verizon is well on the way to milking the data cash cow. Tero Kuittinen notes Verizon Wireless has been on a rate increase binge, primarily by eliminating cheaper plans in favor of those with bigger buckets for voice and text services customers simply don’t need. What used to cost $50 a month two years ago for a respectable minute plan jumped to $70 for a smartphone with data, and now will increase another $20 to $90 a month, and give customers a smaller data allowance. Verizon Wireless argues customers will get more bang for their buck, and for heavy voice, mobile hotspot and texting users, they may be right. But for the average customer who watches their voice minutes and keeps texting to a reasonable level, prices are going nowhere but up, whether you want unlimited voice and texting or not.

The rest of the article also includes a 2 minute video from WDTN’s morning news show which gave Verizon a scathing review:  Verizon Wireless Declares War on Average Data and Text Users | Stop the Cap! 
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Freedomlist.com (March 1, 2000 - 2013)



Take a walk through my Security Garden

[v_v]

When I first saw the headlines this morning in today's newspaper I knew immediately that this would hit the fan and splatter. It did not take long, did it?!! But it remains to be seen as to whether the outpouring will be sustained and broad and deep enough, to halt the "profit centers" known as Verizon (and AT&T) from milking their 'cash cows.'

I still do not have a cell phone, but the more power that is put in the duopoly's (or triumvirate's [including Sprint]) hands, the worse it will be for all uses of the internet.

v_v
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Justice, Equity, and Meaningful, Productive, and Fulfilling Lives to All Earthlings

[Boz]

It makes no sense to me. It looks like the cheapest plan for an individual smartphone under the new pricing system will be $90/mo with only 1GB of data allowed, which won't be enough to satisfy a lot of smartphone users.

I think they will keep a voice only plan for non smartphones with 700 voice minutes for $39.99/mo, which might be close to $50/mo with taxes and fees. Texting and any WAP browsing would cost extra.

No wonder prepaid is looking so much better to so many people.
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[Dude111]

I reckon they will start losing customers with this attitude!

[Corrine]

Quote:

Verizon Wireless has been trying to quell the increasing criticism from consumers by reminding them they will not be forced to move to the new plans from an existing account. “We’re allowing the existing customer base to have a choice; we’re not forcing anyone to more to new plans,” said Steve Mesnick, head of marketing for Verizon Wireless. “I take exception to [suggestions] of people leaving Verizon,” he said. While Mesnick is correct Verizon will not force customers to choose new plans on June 28, the company will require existing grandfathered data customers to abandon unlimited data when they renew their Verizon contract or upgrade to a new discounted device. Verizon claims it interviewed 50,000 customers before implementing the new plans and believe they will be embraced by the majority of Verizon customers. Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Brenda Raney followed a different approach, pretending consumer complaints don’t exist: “We are very pleased with the response to our announcement as customers begin to understand how the new Share Everything Plans will save them money or provide them with more value for the same money they are paying today.”

The latest & more from Stop The Cap:  Verizon’s New Plans: Netflix-Like Bungling, Says One Industry Analyst | Stop the Cap! 
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Freedomlist.com (March 1, 2000 - 2013)



Take a walk through my Security Garden

[plodr]

Apparently they did not learn a thing from the Netflix fiasco!
First you tell current customers the good news, "you are grandfathered". Then you tell them the new plan "if you want unlimited calls, text and 1GB of data per month, you might want to consider changing your plan".

I'm so glad I'm grandfathered with my two dumb phones at $5/month. We have more than enough minutes built up to last us for days of long distance calling.

[curious john]

If you can live without endless video, Sprints pay as you go divisions: Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile are probably best deal right now.

I pay $25 a month for landline service. Plus $10 a month for dialup.

Verizon and ATT just flat out insane if you use data. Virgin on Sprint network offers data only at flat $35 a month, no extra charges but throttled speed after 2gb. Boost offers Android plan at $55 a month, unlimited voice, unlimited text, and unlimited data though again speed is throttled after 2gb transfer. Boost however goes down $5 every 6 month if you pay on time regularly and dont miss a month until it reaches $40. I think $40 a month for unlimited voice plus a fast 2gb data is a good deal.

Where I am, Sprint network isnt the greatest signal strength but it does work and I am in process of getting a booster/repeater so I have reliable connection for voice calls in house. Right now depends whole lot on location of phone in the house which is really annoying. But when I get it positioned just right in window and tether to computer, its pretty good connection.

Yea too bad there is not enough bandwidth to do video but otherwise makes websites and photos pop right up when all the planets are lined up. And occasional large file downloads. I was able to download copy of latest 120mb Puppy Linux in half hour instead of 12 hour on dialup. About speed I get if I drag laptop to library.

So although its not a replacement for DSL or Cable, it sure is a step up from dialup. I get it all working really reliable and I will drop landline and dialup isp. And in 18 months I'll have pretty good deal for $40 a month. If I didnt need to make occasional voice calls, I'd of just went with Virgin Mobile data plan. But I think they kinda frown on using data plan to do voip. And not sure it would work well using it that way either. Mobile connection is different than a wired connection in way data is transfered. Sort of does it in bunches.