[Update] Verizon's New Family Data Plans Begin: It's Called the Share Everything Plan

[syndicate0017]

I think most of you simply don't get it.

Verizon makes the rules.

The only thing Verizon must do - is to honor existing contracts.
If you had unlimited data on a two year contract, then once the contract has expired Verizon has no obligation to honor the old contract - no obligation at all.

Verizon could declare that everyone with umlimited-Data now only have 2GB/month effective immediately.

I think the only reason Verizon honors old contracts is that they want customers to stay sleepy.
Most people are busy and don't want to change anything.
Once there is a change forced upon them, they will tend to comparison shop - and Verizon might lose customers.
So Verizon tends to let expired contracts keep going at the same price/term.
But, Verizon does not have to do this.

BTW, my family (2 iphones @2GB/each, one Rezound@4GB, and 1 flip phone) does not have unlimited data, and if we moved to the new plan there would be very little difference in cost. We'd all have 2GB each, unlimited calling versus shared 700 minutes, and continue to have unlimited texting. It would be nice to not ever worry about talking too much. So, I do not see this affecting me much.

Bottom line - Verizon is curtailing/ending unlimited data.
Get used to it or go find another cell phone company to do business with.

Howard

I don't think you understand why people are upset. These plans cost some of us MORE money than we pay now. Its not about the end of unlimited data, that was bound to happen. But if I were to get this plan and share 6 GB with my family (2 per smartphone) I'd pay more than I do now.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[summit21]

I like this. I currently pay $130 plus taxes and fees for me and my wife, both paying $30 for data and $10 for texts (1000/month shared), on top of $50 for phone plan. Now we will be at $130, no worries about overages on text/voice. We are both ardent users of WiFi though when available, rarely going over 500MB of data total for both phones in a month. I just don't understand the joy of watching a movie on my 4 inch screen, and eating the battery up in the process.

 

[tjk629]

I looked over this plan a little more closely. If you're doing the data only route it isn't that bad. Like if you only get a tablet or a USB stick. Cause like for example, you could have a $40 4GB plan for a tablet. Which I don't think is all that bad. BUT for phones it's atrocious. For my 4 line plan with just 1GB between us, we'd be paying MORE then our 1400, unlimited txt, 9.99/month unlimited data plan right now. What really kills it is that $40/smartphone price. That alone right there is $160.

 

[monkey_man]

I think most of you simply don't get it.

1. Verizon makes the rules.

2. The only thing Verizon must do - is to honor existing contracts.
If you had unlimited data on a two year contract, then once the contract has expired Verizon has no obligation to honor the old contract - no obligation at all.

Verizon could declare that everyone with umlimited-Data now only have 2GB/month effective immediately.

I think the only reason Verizon honors old contracts is that they want customers to stay sleepy.
Most people are busy and don't want to change anything.
Once there is a change forced upon them, they will tend to comparison shop - and Verizon might lose customers.
So Verizon tends to let expired contracts keep going at the same price/term.
But, Verizon does not have to do this.

BTW, my family (2 iphones @2GB/each, one Rezound@4GB, and 1 flip phone) does not have unlimited data, and if we moved to the new plan there would be very little difference in cost. We'd all have 2GB each, unlimited calling versus shared 700 minutes, and continue to have unlimited texting. It would be nice to not ever worry about talking too much. So, I do not see this affecting me much.

Bottom line - Verizon is curtailing/ending unlimited data.
3. Get used to it or go find another cell phone company to do business with.

Howard

1. WRONG! Costumers make the rules as we are talking about money transactions of which businesses depend on it's survivability and something that will impact to the wellness of the Nation overall economic growth too.. Those companies that based its policy in Stalin-like model always failed.

2. Based on your overall tone, then Verizon do not need to honor old contracts ever or they will sound like bunch of flip flopper of which they are doing just that by creating a new simple structural plan. I take it that you are new to Verizon as you don't have unlimited data on your plan. They were as a company always honored us eventhough our contract expired with the same pricing even when current plan for new costumers is more than what I currently have (Costumers Loyalty + Old business ideology of Good Faith). All of this tactic is called DIVIDE AND CONQUER something that Corporations used well as a tool.. We must pay the penalty of what we are facing through right now as we are being selfish toward each other.

3. Very Interesting approach.

I don't think you understand why people are upset. These plans cost some of us MORE money than we pay now. Its not about the end of unlimited data, that was bound to happen. But if I were to get this plan and share 6 GB with my family (2 per smartphone) I'd pay more than I do now.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

+1

 

[doomgazer]

I really think the way to go from here on out is getting a $400 GSM GNex and going prepaid. For $70, I can just about get everything (unlimited voice, messaging, 5gb of unthrottled speed). This way leaving would he a breeze if they try to screw me.

I actually did this. I ported my number over to Straight Talk's "BYOD" sim card service. My GNex uses an ATT sim, so I have the same coverage footprint as ATT in my area (slightly worse than VZW, but I've had service every place I need it). From what I understand, when on an ATT sim and using the ATT network on straight talk you're better off keeping data usage under 2GB/mo, whereas if you use a TMobile sim on ST (they offer both network choices), you can pretty much go full bore if you can deal with the slightly worse coverage.

For what it cost me to buy a Gnex, sell my LTE Gnex on ebay and pay my Verizon ETF, over what would have been the remaining 18mos of my contract, I'm actually still saving about $400.

 

[Quicksilver7714]

Question...I am currently on my parents plan for the moment (I pay them the cost of my phone) My dad doesn't want to upgrade his phone, and therefore does not need to use an upgrade...Is it possible to use his upgrade for my phone?

You would have to upgrade his line to the phone you want and then do an ESN switch and cancel his data plan after activating the phone. You can not do an alternate upgrade, taking his upgrade for your line.


*****Important***** Please Read*****


You will not be forced in to a Family Shared plan. It is by choice. If you upgrade and do not want the family shared plan you will lose Unlimited data but will be placed into a tiered plan instead.

Both Tiered data and Shared data plans will exist side by side.

*****************************************
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[kevsgroove]

Putting pencil to paper, or fingers to keyboard as it were; for my daughter and I here's what I see:

Current
$100.00 NT&T 1400 minutes, unlimited text
$ 20.00 2 access fees 2 $10/phone
$ 20.00 2 smartphone unlimited data plans (@ $30/plan less the $20 discount per plan)
$140.00 total (plus tax, fees, and insurance)

New
$ 80.00 2 smartphones access fees
$ 80.00 6 gb data plan
$160.00 total (plus tax, fees, and insurance)

Don't think this works to my advantage. I picked the 6gb plan because my daughter is out of school and I just paid the last bill where we used just over 6gb for the month. Usually we're around 3.5 gb. Think I may just get the Maxx now instead of waiting on the Maxx HD/Vanquish, and get her a used iPhone 4s (from family member) when the 5 comes out. He's meticulous in his care of electronics and it will be in excellent condition and should last her a few years.

Good luck everyone.

 

[xxwabbit]

1. WRONG! Costumers make the rules as we are talking about money transactions of which businesses depend on it's survivability and something that will impact to the wellness of the Nation overall economic growth too.. Those companies that based its policy in Stalin-like model always failed.

High gas prices is a good example of how it is affecting the nation/world. My wife and used to travel a lot, but now we are limited due to our incomes not being able to compensate. So too bad for all those businesses we used to patronize. Much like the Internet and the businesses that interact with it.

 

[suzukimethod]

I know what the presser says, and i may be naively optimistic, but in a tight market, i genuinely doubt that VZW would roll out a mandatory* plan change that forces a majority of its existing customers to pay more for less (or even the same). The exception here are unlimited data customers who use a ton of data...and we know that these users are a very small percentage of customers, but use a very large % of the overall bandwidth...and i can see where vzw doesnt care if they lose these customers, since their numbers are low, but they cost a lot... clog bandwidth, etc.)

This might be a push from VZW to get heavy data users to either pay more for what they use, or drive them away so they are another carriers problem.

Basically, I dont see VZW essentially giving a larger chunk of it's marketshare (read: all but the heaviest of data users) a shove to see if they will stay or go. Of course, i've been wrong before, and will certainly be again.

 

[xxwabbit]

Oops. My bad on the quote. Hopefully everyone sees my mistake.

 

[soulpatch]

Worst part for me is that my upgrade is July 8 and they will not let me preorder the SGIII that wont ship till the 9th so as to lock in unlimited data....


That said depending on how the corporate discount works out I may just benefit from this. I pay roughly 160 a month now for 2 smartphones and mobile hotspot. That is with my discount applied to my one line and the hotspot. I also have the $10 a month data special too saving me more money.

That said if the corporate discount applies to my line and data then I woudl be about even for 10GB of data. If it applies to the entire shindig then I come out slightly ahead. I will still be trying to call VZW and *****ing about giving me the preorder since it wont ship till after I am eligible...

 

[kodiak799]

I haven't added the numbers formally, but it looks like winners vs. losers (in terms of overall $$$, not talking data plans) are outnumbered here at least 2 to 1. That's a massive fail for VZW. They're going to lose more money than they gain. Remember, if VZW grabs $20 extra from some customers, they need 10 of those to offset 1 family plan leaving. They aren't going to grab a bunch of extra $$$, and what I'm seeing in this plan they stand to lose a not insignificant number of customers.

Really surprsiing. VZW has hurt some customers on the edges with past actions, but they've really not done anything that didn't create net value for customers in order to grow the base and grow revenues. It's always been a volume model in the cell business. This is a drastic and dramatic shift to a margin model.

 

[tjk629]

Putting pencil to paper, or fingers to keyboard as it were; for my daughter and I here's what I see:

Current
$100.00 NT&T 1400 minutes, unlimited text
$ 20.00 2 access fees 2 $10/phone
$ 20.00 2 smartphone unlimited data plans (@ $30/plan less the $20 discount per plan)
$140.00 total (plus tax, fees, and insurance)

New
$ 80.00 2 smartphones access fees
$ 80.00 6 gb data plan
$160.00 total (plus tax, fees, and insurance)

Don't think this works to my advantage. I picked the 6gb plan because my daughter is out of school and I just paid the last bill where we used just over 6gb for the month. Usually we're around 3.5 gb. Think I may just get the Maxx now instead of waiting on the Maxx HD/Vanquish, and get her a used iPhone 4s (from family member) when the 5 comes out. He's meticulous in his care of electronics and it will be in excellent condition and should last her a few years.

Good luck everyone.

I know! I don't think anyone with the plan you, and I have (the 9.99/line unlimited data). Would be benefiting from this.

 

[Dolphin]

I hate the new shared data plan seem to be coming out before the next Motorola phone. I was so hoping to get the new droid fighter/razz hd or whatever they end up call it but looks like I will be getting me a razz max today so I can keep my unlimited data plan for 2 more years.

 

[ScarletBuckeye]

You would have to upgrade his line to the phone you want and then do an ESN switch and cancel his data plan after activating the phone. You can not do an alternate upgrade, taking his upgrade for your line.

Is that new? Everything I'm reading on the Verizon forums and places say since I'm on the same account he could just transfer upgrade..

and when I logged into his account, there was a button there that said transfer upgrade..didn't press it yet, cause I have to make sure It's ok with him lol