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I CANNOT BELIEVE How Much of a Rip-off Shared Data Plans Are!

O

opeepingtomo

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 29, 2007
201
39
Not sure where to put this thread, but since it was iPhone related I just threw it up here. I really have been wanting to upgrade my phone without throwing out $600 plus all at once to pay retail (so I do not lose my unlimited data plan).

I started debating just finally sucking it up and getting on the share everything plan, and after looking at the prices it is such a rip off. It is really unbelievable.

I mean seriously $150 a month for 4GB shared data on Verizon (2 smartphones). I'm sure this doesn't even include the extra monthly fees and for sure doesn't include phone insurance if you want that. After that you would be paying probably 180 a month for two smartphones with 4GB data shared, and 170 if you decided to step down to 2GB shared data.

I pay less than this now total for two smartphones with unlimited data. If they were really going to do this, they should have at least made the lower ended tiers of the shared data cheaper then what unlimited was before the switch. This would have actually given me an incentive to want to move to the share everything plan even though I would lose my unlimited.

Charge me $95 a month for 2GB shared data or $105 for 4GB, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts and I may have done it. But 140 freaking dollars before fees taxes and insurance is a freaking ripoff. If you want people to use less data then you shouldn't charge MORE for them to do so.

So stupid.

<end of rant>
 
I paid the same price before and had 1400 minutes and 4.5 GBs total over 3 phones. Now I have unlimited minutes and 6GBs over 3 phones shared. Not bad
 
saleemyas3 said:
I paid the same price before and had 1400 minutes and 4.5 GBs total over 3 phones. Now I have unlimited minutes and 6GBs over 3 phones shared. Not bad
Click to expand...

Unlimited minutes are not worth anything cause of apps like google voice. Unlimited data is worth it's price in gold:D
 
ROLLTIDE1 said:
Unlimited minutes are not worth anything cause of apps like google voice. Unlimited data is worth it's price in gold:D
Click to expand...

or simple things like unlimited mobile to mobile. I have 450 minutes and never use more than 30.

Also, The plans are definitely a rip off to individuals. If you have 3+ then it saves you money.
 
What?

I have an unlimited plan (I don't need it but I don't want to lose it). Switching to a shared plan would be better. 3 iPhones and one regular phone on ATT costs me $230 w/ 2gb Data each and one unlimited plan... The same on verizon costs me $230 but with unlimited talk and 6gb of data which is plenty (I actually talk on the phone so that matters to me).
 
saleemyas3 said:
I paid the same price before and had 1400 minutes and 4.5 GBs total over 3 phones. Now I have unlimited minutes and 6GBs over 3 phones shared. Not bad
Click to expand...


Maybe it's just worse for me since i could care less about unlimited minutes.
Really though, 30 dollars to add an additional phone while sharing the same data. That is the most stupid thing I've ever heard in my life. On previous plan you pay 10 additional dollars to add to your plan and then 30 a month for UNLIMITED data. At least make these deals worthy of a legitimate consideration so that I might possibly want to switch when I look them over. I forgot how horrid they were until I looked again just now.
 
opeepingtomo said:
Maybe it's just worse for me since i could care less about unlimited minutes.
Really though, 30 dollars to add an additional phone while sharing the same data. That is the most stupid thing I've ever heard in my life. On previous plan you pay 10 additional dollars to add to your plan and then 30 a month for UNLIMITED data. At least make these deals worthy of a legitimate consideration so that I might possibly want to switch when I look them over. I forgot how horrid they were until I looked again just now.
Click to expand...

While I understand where you're coming from, times have changed and the data used by phones is much higher. Yes, back 4-5 years ago (even 2-3 years) you could add phones to a shared plan and it was fine. But, with smartphones using more data for apps, streaming, video, etc...everything will cost more.

It's the way of life. You can't get better technology that requires more data and expect the price to stay the same.
 
Just a question, I get a discount on my verizon access. The discount is applied only to minutes i pay for.

So for example if my main plan is 59.99 a month and then 9.99 for my extra phone, my discount will apply to the 59.99 and the 9.99 only.

It doesn't apply to the 30/month for each data plan or the charge for our text message plan.

So my question is, if I go with the 4GB plan for 150 a month, how much of this 150 would my discount apply to?
 
Last edited:
It is. But that's me who has been spoiled by the unlimited plan.

Unlimited (for reasonable rate) or Nothing for me.
 
False. Shared plans are a better deal in terms of voice, texts, and data if you're doing a plan of 2 or more people.

People need to stop trying to hold onto their precious "unlimited" plans. Throttling on an unlimited plan means you're not getting unlimited.
 
All of my family has Verizon
Most of my friends have Verizon

and those who dont we dont call each other.

Data being unlimited was ideal for me... So i kept it.
 
ROLLTIDE1 said:
Unlimited minutes are not worth anything cause of apps like google voice. Unlimited data is worth it's price in gold:D
Click to expand...

To you they are not worth anything. I don't want to use an app for phone calls. Minutes are more precious to my wife and I than is data. We switched to a 4gb share plan, saved a few bucks and get more of what we actually need. We're 7 days from the end of our cycle and have burned up 750 mb's of data between us, and that's with me having an ip5 and it's LTE goodness and showing much less control than I normally would. After a couple of months I'll likely reduce us to 2gb's if the trend continues. So just because a rate plan may be a ripoff to one person does not mean it's a ripoff for all. The VZW share everything plan is a breath of fresh air for us.
 
My family plan is a much better value for me currently. Even if I gave up my unlimited plan I would keep the family plan. We have 1400 minutes per month (over 12k in rollover), unlimited mobile to mobile and unlimited texts. With 2 iPhones and 3 regular phones the mobile shared plans are not cost effective for us.
 
I think the ROI for Mobile Share plans is when you have more than 2-3 devices.

I have 9 iDevices on a 10GB plan and am saving over $100 per month. As more places are adding wi-fi, I see my data usage dropping.

Last month, after converting to the unlimited plan, I only used about 1.25GB over a 18 day period.

I will not look into smaller plans because a.) they don't save me as much due to the per device charge being higher and b.) I'd like to have the cushion for when I may be traveling or in a location with minimal wi-fi coverage.

Every scenario differs due to different discount rates and device counts, but in my case, I saw a huge benefit to the Mobile Share plan on AT&T.
 
HeyGreggie said:
All of my family has Verizon
Most of my friends have Verizon

and those who dont we dont call each other.

Data being unlimited was ideal for me... So i kept it.
Click to expand...

This was what makes it not that great of a deal *for me* (depending on how much of the plan my discount will apply to it).

I get unlimited calls to verizon phones, i get to choose 10 other numbers for unlimited calls, i get unlimited data, and have the option for $10 each for 1000 texts each or 30/month for unlimited texts for the whole family plan.

So basically i essentially pay the same or less now for the same thing I would get on the shared plan, but with unlimited data. Yes I am only on a 700 minute/month plan, but with unlimited mobile to mobile and unlimited to 10 numbers of my choice which can be changed each month if I want, the unlimited minutes really arent that big of a selling point to me for the shared plans. If i can get the 4gb shared plan and come out less than what I am paying now, I would probably be game for it, but it really is going to depend on how much of the 150 a month charge my discount will apply to.
 
opeepingtomo said:
Just a question, I get a discount on my verizon access. The discount is applied only to minutes i pay for.

So for example if my main plan is 59.99 a month and then 9.99 for my extra phone, my discount will apply to the 59.99 and the 9.99 only.

It doesn't apply to the 30/month for each data plan or the charge for our text message plan.

So my question is, if I go with the 4GB plan for 150 a month, how much of this 150 would my discount apply to?
Click to expand...

Discount only applies to the main data plan. The phone lines aren't.
 
ROLLTIDE1 said:
Unlimited minutes are not worth anything cause of apps like google voice. Unlimited data is worth it's price in gold:D
Click to expand...

no they arent worth anything because of free mobile to mobile, free nights and weekends, and rollover minutes if you are on att.


Its just stupid verizon doesnt have a plan for customers who dont need unlimited talk.


FYI people who want the family plan that verizon used to have, just get a friend with verizons old family plans to add a line $10, pay for the phone, and then transfer billing responsibility to your name for that line.. then you have the family plan wahoo. and can add on as many lines as you want.. pick your minutes/ data for each phone.
 
opeepingtomo said:
Maybe it's just worse for me since i could care less about unlimited minutes.
Really though, 30 dollars to add an additional phone while sharing the same data. That is the most stupid thing I've ever heard in my life. On previous plan you pay 10 additional dollars to add to your plan and then 30 a month for UNLIMITED data. At least make these deals worthy of a legitimate consideration so that I might possibly want to switch when I look them over. I forgot how horrid they were until I looked again just now.
Click to expand...

believe it or not there are people who don't care about unlimited data but want the minutes. like my wife's parent's.
 
Cheap for 2 or more people ... haha ... not for me = 1 person. 2GB for $100? YIKES! Unlimited, ftw, regardless.
 
That's why I bought my iPhone full retail. $65 a month for unlimited data and 250 texts.
 
bidwalj said:
Discount only applies to the main data plan. The phone lines aren't.
Click to expand...

So how many $$$ would my discount apply to if we have 2 smartphones on the 4GB (150/month) plan... $80??? (40/each x 2)?

The only way these plans wont seem like a rip to me is if my discount would now apply to a larger chunk of my bill which would result in an overall lower monthly total. If I am going to lose something on one end (unlimited data) i expect to gain something that matters to me on the other end (lower monthly bill, like i said unlimited minutes doesnt matter to me as it may to some).
 
Last edited:
I think Verizon really screwed their Unlimited users by taking away the subsidy.

That being said, however, there is NO way I'd give up my unlimited for a ~$450 phone subsidy. If you're a heavy data user those shared plans are going to become a nightmare.

Checking your usage daily.. stressing about overages... paying for overages.. etc, etc.

Bite the bullet.. pay full price for the phone.. and live stress free.

(Props to AT&T to subsidizing us unlimited folks, though. Finally a decent move by a company that's known for screwing people.)
 
It's pretty much the way cell phone providers are going to make money. Remember when cell phones first came out (some of you probably don't).......Everyone paid for minutes and even long distance calls! THEN, everyone starting to text. Cell phone companies started to charge per text message. Now we are in the data age and cell phone companies are banking that you and I and everyone else are going to be using are devices primarily for internet and data usage. This is why they are throwing the unlimited text and voice for FREE.

The only thing we have going for us is competition. EVENTUALLY, when the dust settles, prices will drop as ATT, Sprint, Verizon and all the others begin to battle for subscribers. BUT, for now only a few have good LTE or 4G coverage and because of that, they have jacked their prices.
 
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