The End of Unlimited Data Plans?

[modette]

I am not even a month into mine, my wife also got one (buy one get one deal)...so yeah if it means in a year I can get out if it, then GREAT. I'm not going to pay per mbps or whatever it might be...I will just go back to having a phone for the phone function. *shrug* Which I can use the droid for.

 

[Mojo]

Look.. Verizon and AT&T are not stupid. Existing customers with existing unlimited data plans will be able to keep their plans. That is how it always is when cell companies make big changes like this. The only way I see us being effected by this type of change is if we go making changes to our plans and equipment. Don't make any changes and your good. By the time VZW will have rolled out LTE, and Unlimited data will come back, and you will even see it on mobile broadband cards as well.

 

[cpinto]

Bring it on.

Just gives me a way out of my contract without paying an etf.

Gee, I guess you commented without actually reading the link eh?

Here's a quote:

"Current subscribers with unlimited data plans on AT&T or Verizon don’t have to worry at the moment. Both companies are several months or a year away from changing their policy to get rid of unlimited data plans. Such a move would also constitute a change substantial enough for subscribers to break their contracts without penalty."

I think what is happening is a move away from ala cart plans. Probably moving to $70 per phone all you eat. Talk, Pix, Data, Text. Much like Sprint is advertising now.

That sure would simplify things.

 

[modette]

Look.. Verizon and AT&T are not stupid. Existing customers with existing unlimited data plans will be able to keep their plans. That is how it always is when cell companies make big changes like this. The only way I see us being effected by this type of change is if we go making changes to our plans and equipment. Don't make any changes and your good. By the time VZW will have rolled out LTE, and Unlimited data will come back, and you will even see it on mobile broadband cards as well.

The thing people are missing is it gives a way out...say they change the plan in a year, and I drop my phone in the toilet it dies...instead of being worried about an early termination I can just say "I want out" you broke the contract and they would HAVE to let me out.

So yeah we be grandfathered in...which also means we are unlikely to get new phones and when we do...very unlikely to stay with PDA style phone...might even mean the wife and I just switch to Boost Mobile or something.

We are probably the few people you would say "so why did you get the Droid". She got it for one FREE app, she can write the phone off for work due to that app and the data plan. I got it because it was buy one get one *shrug* After I got it, I was like well this will work for me to do live reviews of roads and trails (motorcycling) due to the internet...plus the ability to do 'My Tracks'.

But I always love having a way out of a contracts.

 

[SSHGuru]

I got three of these emails today from Comcast..

[FONT=&quot]
[FONT=&quot]Dear Comcast High-Speed Internet Customer,[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot]

We are pleased to announce the pilot launch of the Comcast Usage Meter in your area. This new feature is available to Comcast High-Speed Internet customers and provides an easy way to check total monthly household high-speed Internet data usage at any time. Monthly data usage is the amount of data, such as images, movies, photos, videos, and other files that customers send, receive, download or upload each month. Comcast measures total data usage and does not monitor specific customer activities to determine data usage.

The current data usage allowance for the Comcast High-Speed Internet service is 250GB per month. This means that the vast majority of our customers – around 99% currently – will not come close to using 250GB of data in a month, and do not need to check the usage meter.

To view your current data usage, please visit http://customer.comcast.com and sign in to customerCentral (shown below).

After signing in, click on the "User & Settings" tab and click again on "View details" under "My devices". The usage meter shows the current calendar month's data usage for your account starting on the 1st of the month. Over time, you will be able to see the previous three months' data usage as shown in the sample image below.

The usage meter is only available to Primary user accounts and Unrestricted Secondary user accounts with billing access.

If you would like to learn more about the usage meter and how it works, please visit Comcast.net Terms Of Service - Data Usage Meter for more information. Please visit our customer support forums at http://forums.comcast.net if you would like to ask us more questions or post comments. You can also click here to chat with a customer service representative, or call 1-800-COMCAST for assistance.

Thank you for choosing Comcast! [/FONT]

 

[modette]

Wife and I got a Blu-Ray player with Netflix streaming...so we been doing that a lot. I under where I stand. I guess if there is a problem Comcast will let me know. However I heard there was a limit with Comcast, just so high your not likely to hit it. You can alway spay a little more and get business class, then I think there is no limit.

 

[Vulcan1600]

The thing people are missing is it gives a way out...say they change the plan in a year, and I drop my phone in the toilet it dies...instead of being worried about an early termination I can just say "I want out" you broke the contract and they would HAVE to let me out.

You buy your Droid on 3/1/10 for 2 year promotional pricing. On 3/1/2011 you drop the phone in the toilet, and you don't have insurance. Too bad. You are still under contract until 3/1/2011. You either go back to a dumb phone or you get another phone. You'd be breaking the contract if you say you want out. You're still under the grandfathered plan until your contract expires on 3/1/12.

 

[bastosero]

The thing people are missing is it gives a way out...say they change the plan in a year, and I drop my phone in the toilet it dies...instead of being worried about an early termination I can just say "I want out" you broke the contract and they would HAVE to let me out.

You buy your Droid on 3/1/10 for 2 year promotional pricing. On 3/1/2011 you drop the phone in the toilet, and you don't have insurance. Too bad. You are still under contract until 3/1/2011. You either go back to a dumb phone or you get another phone. You'd be breaking the contract if you say you want out. You're still under the grandfathered plan until your contract expires on 3/1/11.

Unless they got the 1 year promotional pricing...

 

[JCo352]

The thing people are missing is it gives a way out...say they change the plan in a year, and I drop my phone in the toilet it dies...instead of being worried about an early termination I can just say "I want out" you broke the contract and they would HAVE to let me out.

You buy your Droid on 3/1/10 for 2 year promotional pricing. On 3/1/2011 you drop the phone in the toilet, and you don't have insurance. Too bad. You are still under contract until 3/1/2011. You either go back to a dumb phone or you get another phone. You'd be breaking the contract if you say you want out. You're still under the grandfathered plan until your contract expires on 3/1/11.

I think you got your dates wrong, if he got a phone on 3/1/2010 with a 2 yr contract it would be up on 3/1/2012. But none the less if verizon does something to alter the plan you signed then that is a way out. Just like when I signed up with Alltel years ago, and I got a new phone with a 2 yr agreement, when they switch to Verizon, they gave me the option to get out of that agreement early.

 

[modette]

I think you got your dates wrong, if he got a phone on 3/1/2010 with a 2 yr contract it would be up on 3/1/2012. But none the less if verizon does something to alter the plan you signed then that is a way out. Just like when I signed up with Alltel years ago, and I got a new phone with a 2 yr agreement, when they switch to Verizon, they gave me the option to get out of that agreement early.

Bingo, that is right...Verizon is not going to care if the phone works or not, in fact they would not even know because I be calling it in and saying I want out do to YOU breaking my contract with the new data requirements. The article said Verizon customers would be able to break their contracts if a change is made. When they break a contract you get to keep the phone...so whether it was damaged or not really does not matter to them.

So it provides a way out....

 

[iPirate]

This would be a stupid move.

 

[Brokn68]

I would easily be able to survive on the lowest/cheapest plan they will offer. If the minimum plan goes up from $30 a month then maybe I'll think about getting out of the smart phone devices.

 

[wil318466]

Things like this make me so angry I can't stand it. Just another scumbag company trying to squeeze normal hardworking people for every last buck. It really kind of makes me sick. And this is coming from someone who can afford it. It aggravates me to no end. Is my *97* dollar phone bill, AFTER a 22% discount, not enough? Really? Really?

But part of me wants to say that it may be too late for this to happen. People will lose their minds. I just don't see them getting away from all the backlash. I know for a fact I would call them and say "I have my cable, internet, home phone, and cell phone through your company. If you dare change my bill, I'll cancel every single service." I guarantee I'll get a response out of them then.

The only problem there is I'd have to goto Comcast. Ugh.

Sigh. these things really do make me too angry. I started thinking that if they did do this, we should set up a day where we can all turn on Pandora at the same time to boycott.

-Wil

 

[Vulcan1600]

The thing people are missing is it gives a way out...say they change the plan in a year, and I drop my phone in the toilet it dies...instead of being worried about an early termination I can just say "I want out" you broke the contract and they would HAVE to let me out.

You buy your Droid on 3/1/10 for 2 year promotional pricing. On 3/1/2011 you drop the phone in the toilet, and you don't have insurance. Too bad. You are still under contract until 3/1/2011. You either go back to a dumb phone or you get another phone. You'd be breaking the contract if you say you want out. You're still under the grandfathered plan until your contract expires on 3/1/11.

I think you got your dates wrong, if he got a phone on 3/1/2010 with a 2 yr contract it would be up on 3/1/2012. But none the less if verizon does something to alter the plan you signed then that is a way out. Just like when I signed up with Alltel years ago, and I got a new phone with a 2 yr agreement, when they switch to Verizon, they gave me the option to get out of that agreement early.

Yes, I meant 3/1/2012....

 

[Vulcan1600]

The thing people are missing is it gives a way out...say they change the plan in a year, and I drop my phone in the toilet it dies...instead of being worried about an early termination I can just say "I want out" you broke the contract and they would HAVE to let me out.

You buy your Droid on 3/1/10 for 2 year promotional pricing. On 3/1/2011 you drop the phone in the toilet, and you don't have insurance. Too bad. You are still under contract until 3/1/2011. You either go back to a dumb phone or you get another phone. You'd be breaking the contract if you say you want out. You're still under the grandfathered plan until your contract expires on 3/1/11.

Unless they got the 1 year promotional pricing...

If they got 1 year promotional pricing and their contract was for the one year, then they'd be out of contract, so they would not be in contract, therefore no get out of jail free card.