my coworker told me this yesterday and then i saw a thread about it on slickdeals, so i imagine it's true

any of you have an unlimited data plan through verizon? my wife and i both currently have dumbphones through verizon, but i've strongly considered upgrading to a smartphone in november when my contract is up...verizon has contacted me several time (in addition to multiple mailers) about upgrading early (standard practice, i know), but i had ignored them because i figured i'd check out all the other carriers when i was free from the contract

it's my understanding that with this change, everyone but sprint has gotten rid of unlimited data and so i'm trying to decide if it's worth it to get a smartphone with unlimited data now, before verizon takes away the option

i currently have a legacy alltel plan and pay $75-80 after taxes and fees for 2 lines, 1200 anytime minutes, 10 "my circle" numbers with free nights/weekends (and so we use all of 200 minutes), and unlimited text/pic/video...our phones are supposed to be subject to the $10 mandatory basic "data" fee, but we got them before it was mandatory, so i assume we'll both get screwed even if we sign up without smartphones in a couple of months

suggestions?

6/22/2011 11:50:24 AM

well AT&T stopped selling their unlimited data plan last year but they still grandfather in customers who've been on it for years. i didnt have any issues getting it switched over when i upgraded devices a few months ago. They did however give me problems with my 200 text plan (since the minimum they offer now is 1000 i think) but I just called and bitched and they added it back on. i'd suggest doing the same.

6/22/2011 12:06:42 PM

suggest calling about what? i suppose i'm asking if verizon's unlimited plan is worth getting in on now before they do away with it...as opposed to going with sprint or something

6/22/2011 12:21:41 PM

I was waiting for the droid bionic, but I doubt it comes out before the tiered pricing. I don't know if I should wait for it or get an iphone while I can still get unlimited data.

6/22/2011 12:32:49 PM

i have unlimited data through verizon. only internet i use at my house. PDANet ftw. i tether off my phone and deemarie tethers off hers. can be a pain if 3G goes out, which has only happened to me once at my house.

6/22/2011 12:40:32 PM

how many of you on unlimited plans are actually over the limits? i know i was worried with at&t but i ended up saving money.

6/22/2011 12:41:48 PM

I am considering doing this myself. I currently am on an agent plan and only pay $12/month for my cellphone which is the LG Voyager I also missed that stupid multimedia phone $10 charge. I will get the unlimited data package at half price, so I am seriously thinking about dropping for an iPhone or something similar to get the unlimited data package locked down.

6/22/2011 12:43:46 PM

April May June Avg
Total Data Used(MB) 2622.08 3331.92 6193.03 4049.01

that's our usage

[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 12:50 PM. Reason : what's the limit like 6 gigs?]

6/22/2011 12:50:11 PM

6/22/2011 1:00:11 PM

Quote :

"how many of you on unlimited plans are actually over the limits? i know i was worried with at&t but i ended up saving money."

Considering the lowest tier (2GB) is the same price as the current unlimited one, you're not really saving anything. And for those that tether legally, they'll probably have to switch to one of the tiered plans since it's bundled and not a separate hotspot add-on for the lte phones. Can definitely see a lot of people rooting or using alternatives like PDAnet even more now.

6/22/2011 1:01:36 PM

i didn't realize verizon was going to do their tiers like that, at&t saved me money

i'm tmobile now though, so still unlimited

6/22/2011 1:08:35 PM

so, is the $30 unlimited plan from verizon the cheapest option in town, now (for new activations)? i'm not sure if sprint will continue to offer unlimited with the thought that folks will flock to them or if they'll jump on board with everyone else and do away with an unlimited option altogether

i'm happy with verizon in theory...i just hate how the value went to shit after they took over alltel

6/22/2011 1:09:07 PM

yeah, the Sprint CEO has apparently said they're also considering tiered plans so I wouldn't expect them to stay unlimited forever especially if they have an influx of new customers. I've considered sprint but Verizon hands-down has the best coverage and Sprint isn't very roaming friendly, not to mention they're still unsure of how they're going to further their 4G deployment.

6/22/2011 1:20:11 PM

ugh...i might need to stop in on a verizon store soon and see what my options are...i get a 15% (or 20%, i can't remember) discount on my monthly plan through work, with another 5% or 10% off on new purchases (including phones, i think), but i really wasn't planning on allowing myself to be raped for data so soon

"patience, grasshopper" usually works out well as someone comes in to beat out the rest when they start sodomizing the consumer, but i don't want to be squealing like a stuck pig when my first bill arrives because i decided to wait

and then, is it better to go through a verizon store or look for a "deal" from one of their authorized retailers?

[Edited on June 22, 2011 at 1:25 PM. Reason : .]

6/22/2011 1:24:21 PM

Quote :

"and then, is it better to go through a verizon store or look for a "deal" from one of their authorized retailers?"

It depends. Are you talking about a physical authorized retailer or the 3rd party retailers like Amazon, wirefly, etc? The latter are usually a good bit cheaper but less flexible and you're more limited in the types of changes you can make to your line/account.

6/22/2011 2:08:36 PM

they usually can't cut you much of a deal on the plan, just devices. they can give you devices for cheaper because they are putting the residuals they will make toward the device, thats why they usually have a cancellation penalty in addition to the carrier earlier termination fee. i've never not been able to change a plan because i went through amazon or wirefly.

6/22/2011 2:15:30 PM

any, i suppose...i've always worked directly with the carrier in one of their "real" stores (not a kiosk and not a 3rd party retailer)

i probably need the flexibility because i get discounts

6/22/2011 2:15:36 PM

I currently have a 3g unlimited plan. If i upgrade to a 4g phone at some point, would I still be grandfathered in with my unlimited data, or would I be screwed at picking a new plan.

6/23/2011 8:02:30 AM

From the looks of it, Verizon still won't be making any distinction between plans for 3G and 4G so I think you're good as long as you're currently on an unlimited plan.

6/23/2011 8:33:42 AM

bump

11/26/2012 1:38:59 AM

?

11/26/2012 6:17:28 AM

?

11/26/2012 8:55:25 AM

...so my mom has an unlimited plan still. She only uses about 300 MB/month, though. Is there any reason to keep it? Updating to the new plan will be cheaper, and even with the old plan, there is a data cap on tethering (2 GB?) and only the primary account holder gets unlimited phone data (can't share it).

11/26/2012 9:00:15 AM

You're gonna wanna hold onto that unlimitied plan. The new holographic video format that will be rolling out in 2013 is gonna eat up bandwidth.

11/26/2012 10:12:21 AM

^^simple answer, no.

but it's my understanding that if you just upgrade the plan at your standard upgrade timeframe (22 months) you can choose any new plan and still be grandfathered into unlimited. just don't drop data and try to re-add it, and don't upgrade early it could drop unlimited that way too. or if you wait til the holiday season, it's possible Verizon might do the 4GB (double data) discount this year again... dunno.

11/26/2012 10:19:07 AM

i'm still on unlimited data with a month-to-month contract...i don't plan on changing any time soon...if i want to upgrade my phone i'll probably do it myself to keep the plan

11/26/2012 11:11:22 AM

It's just a metter of time before VZW decides not to honor the grandfathered customers and does away with unlimitied for everyone regardless.

11/26/2012 11:45:29 AM

Quote :

"but it's my understanding that if you just upgrade the plan at your standard upgrade timeframe (22 months) you can choose any new plan and still be grandfathered into unlimited."

i was under the impression that you lose any grandfathered benefits if you sign a new contract and purchase a subsidized phone (whether $free or $300, doesn't matter)

i suppose you could sign a new contract and NOT get a new phone...but that'd be straight up retarded

11/26/2012 2:29:31 PM

It was my understanding that any change to your account causes you to lose unlimited data. If you go in to sign a new contract, then I'm pretty sure they make you select a new plan.

[Edited on November 26, 2012 at 2:33 PM. Reason : .]

11/26/2012 2:32:48 PM

yeah, the only way to maintain unlimited data is to either a) pay full retail or b) use another line that has an upgrade and transfer the phone.

11/26/2012 3:26:32 PM

Let me shed some light into this thread.

Background:
- Had a phone with a $30 unlimited data plan per month.
- Had a USB modem with a $60 grandfathered unlimited data plan per month.

We ended up switching to the shared data plan.
- The $30 unlimited data went bye-bye. Now $X per month depending on the amount of data wanted. However, we also added two other smartphones to the plan, and $X < $90 it would have cost under the old plan with three smartphones.
- The $60 USB modem was able to transfer over under its own plan.

On the devices:
- You cannot upgrade to newer devices or phones (4G in particular). You should be able to keep your existing plan and perform an ESN / MEID swap for a phone / device that qualified under the old plans.
- Old plans do not permit tethering with paying an additional cost per month (Technically possible, difficult to detect if you know what you are doing, but violates agreement with Verizon). The shared data plan does.



Over time, I found the 4G tethering with the shared data plan worked out just fine. Ended up ditching the USB modem and saving $60/month. Surprisingly, the 3G on the phone does a better job holding a signal than the 3G modem did, and has slightly better ping times. YMMV on this.

Quote :

"It's just a metter of time before VZW decides not to honor the grandfathered customers and does away with unlimitied for everyone regardless."

They already sent out a note stating Alltel equipment will no longer work beginning 2013. I don't think they will change the old plans, only make it more and more difficult with moves like this.

12/7/2012 6:56:24 AM

yeh... how much would I be paying for 20GB/month? No thanks.

12/7/2012 9:50:31 AM

^ exactly

^^ i don't know that anyone ever said that the new plan couldn't be financially beneficial...and under your old setup (1 smartphone and 1 modem), you'd be paying more for less under the new verizon plan

it really doesn't matter to me, anymore...once our contracts are up in...may?...i'm going republic or straight talk

fuck verizon

12/7/2012 12:29:06 PM

there's some wrong shit itt.

I've got the unlimited data plan. I've got a 4G phone. I just never change my plan and I'm good.

HOLLA.

12/7/2012 6:48:50 PM

girlfriend got the 5 last night and they said bye bye unlimited 29.99 hello 30 dollar 2 gigs. WTF.

12/8/2012 5:39:21 AM

My work phone is currently with AT&T and I'm up for a new phone (Samsung Galaxy S III). I live in a rural area so I thought Verizon would work better. Each option is free to me.

If I stay with AT&T I keep unlimited
If I switch they will get me the 4GB plan

Last month I only used 390 MB but I fear I may use more in the future. I just hate to give up the unlimited.

Anybody ever hit their limits? What happens after that?

2/11/2013 2:57:57 PM

if you're using less than 500MB/month now, you will have to work very hard to hit 4GB, ESPECIALLY if you're not tethering

everyone's situation is different, of course, but the vast majority of my data comes through wifi and simple things like telling market apps to update ONLY on wifi will cut down quite a bit

i've only once come close to 2GB, when using my phone as a wifi hotspot for a group of us sharing a beach house...past that, i'm usually under 500MB myself (and rarely over 1GB)

[Edited on February 11, 2013 at 3:09 PM. Reason : .]

2/11/2013 3:06:48 PM

i get 2GB per month, i go over 1.8 every month (i have a limit set to cut off at 1.9)

with att, if you go over just one 1mb, you get fined $10

[Edited on February 11, 2013 at 3:56 PM. Reason : Ø]

2/11/2013 3:55:47 PM

Thanks, I think I am going to make the switch to Verizon. 4GB should be enough.

2/11/2013 4:50:35 PM

Ha, I average >11GB/month.

2/11/2013 7:46:00 PM

When I tether, I go ahead and torrent too.

Unlimited tethering for 30 bucks its cheap.

I rarely tether though. I rarely hit 1GB either.

2/11/2013 8:01:23 PM

still got unlimited. need to get a new phone though so i can use this 4g (on droid x2 currently). I'm debating, depending on the speed tests, cancelling the home inet from cablevision and just tethering. i'll be damned if i give up this unlimited data plan though which means paying for a new phone full price

2/11/2013 11:30:09 PM

Quote :

"If I stay with AT&T I keep unlimited. [snip] I just hate to give up the unlimited. Anybody ever hit their limits? What happens after that?"

Unlimited with AT&T isn't worth any amount of hassle at all to keep. It's useless, and shouldn't be allowed to be called unlimited. The first time you go over 5GB, they will flag your account as a high volume user and send you a warning text. After that, if you go over 3GB (5GB if you have an LTE phone) they will throttle your speeds down to ~30Kbps for the remainder of the month.

I mean, I still have my AT&T unlimited, but only because it costs the same as their standard 3GB plan, and I get 5GB with it, but don't let the word 'unlimited' trick you into staying with them if you think you can find a better deal somewhere else. Basically you should treat it like it's a 3 (or 5) GB plan and shop around accordingly

2/11/2013 11:49:53 PM

i paid full retail to get the iPhone 5 so i could stay on an unlimited data plan with VZW. the peace of mind is worth it alone. LTE is faster and more reliable than most wifi networks i'm on anyway

2/12/2013 7:51:31 AM

Quote :

"Ha, I average >11GB/month."

i feel like i've asked you this before, but what are you doing that gets you >11GB each month?

i assume tethering, at least...and with that, torrents? streaming HD content? i assume that most people that go over more than 2GB in a month either don't have wifi where they live and/or work (so you're on cellular data for most of the day), or use their phones as their primary source of internet access (be it tethering or mobile hotspotting)

don't get me wrong...at least you're USING your unlimited

i just assume that the average user who uses their phone primarily for email, facebook, occasional youtube/netflix/hulu, and pandora/slacker/whatever keeps it under 2GB pretty easily

2/12/2013 9:03:32 AM

So, just trying to clarify here regarding grandfathered unlimited data plans:

I split a contract with my parents and sister still because it is super cheap for all of us. I am the only one with a smart phone and I pay the $20/month or whatever it is for unlimited data. We've had this plan for years now. The rest of them have no data. I am still using my Droid X2 (Had a Droid X until the screen got wonky and they replaced it for free with a DX2 right when that came out).

If I picked up something like a (possibly used) Samsung Galaxy SIII on my own, I can get that activated on my line without affecting our plan at all? My DX2 still works ok, but it would be nice to get something a little newer a few months down the line - i just don't want to screw my entire family's plan up.

[Edited on July 31, 2013 at 8:09 PM. Reason : ]

7/31/2013 7:47:38 PM

My family plan has gotten several new phones (one just a couple months ago) and never lost the unlimited data plan. It should be fine, but I would re-iterate that you do not want to change plans. Verizon calls me every few months trying to get me to switch -- ain't going to happen.

7/31/2013 8:40:49 PM

I was told if I upgrade at discounted price, I have to abandon my unlimited plan and go to one of their shared plans...

7/31/2013 9:14:14 PM

^^

thanks, I would definitely make it very clear I do not want any changes to the plan and just want to activate my own separate device.

^ it sounds like that is the key from the few things I've read online. If you are letting Verizon subsidize your phone, you forfeit the grandfathered plan. However, if you provide your own phone not bought through them (and especially not at a discounted price), theoretically they can activate it and you aren't forced to move away from that plan.

I'm hoping I have interpreted that right from what I've read online. so many anecdotal stories though :/

7/31/2013 9:29:08 PM

you should be fine as long as no changes are made to your plan...be clear about that

you can just be honest and tell them that you know you're on a grandfathered plan and you want to make sure that doesn't change because you're not buying a phone from them or extending/changing your contract...i've changed smartphones twice (both times bringing in phones i got off CL) since i've been grandfathered and i still have unlimited

realize, though, that you likely won't have unlimited past the end of this year...it's a pretty strong rumor from a number of reliable sources (by internet standards, anyway) that unlimited will be gone by or very close to Q1 2014

7/31/2013 9:37:32 PM