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Verizon = Highway Robery! $40/mo Smartphone Access Fee! WTF?

M

MacVault

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 10, 2002
1,144
59
Planet Earth
So I've been trying to decide between Verizon vs. AT&T. That is until just now when I went to build an order on the Verizon site and the cheapest 2GB option is $60/mo, but here's the kicker - ON TOP OF THAT I HAVE TO PAY A $40/MO SMARTPHONE ACCESS FEE TO USE MY $60/MO PLAN! I then chatted with Verizon customer srv and they confirmed this. No basic, non-shared plans available.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!PURE EXTORTION!
HOW DO THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS, AND HOW DO THEY COMPETE WITH AT&T?
 
It seems the Verizon pricing really only has an advantage if you have 2 devices or more.

I have a non-phone device and I have corporate discount for Verizon so my monthly fee is something like $60/month for the iPhone for 3GB data on top of what the non-phone device was using.
 
most ppl, such as myself have a corporate discount.

From my previous employer- I get 15% off both data and voice.

With my current employer, I get 19% off voice only.

Needless to say I still have my previous employer FAN discount. My bill comes is no more than 79$ a month (450mins day mins, 5000 night/anytime, 1000 text messages, and unlimited data).

Im going to eliminate the text message options soon, once I get around to setting up a google voice account.
 
umm..ever owned a smartphone before



they arent cheap...

100 bucks a month is about standard from any provider for a smartphone witha data plan and some minutes and text and stuff..
 
MacVault said:
So I've been trying to decide between Verizon vs. AT&T. That is until just now when I went to build an order on the Verizon site and the cheapest 2GB option is $60/mo, but here's the kicker - ON TOP OF THAT I HAVE TO PAY A $40/MO SMARTPHONE ACCESS FEE TO USE MY $60/MO PLAN! I then chatted with Verizon customer srv and they confirmed this.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!PURE EXTORTION!
HOW DO THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS, AND HOW DO THEY COMPETE WITH AT&T?
Click to expand...

AT&T now does the same thing with their plans too ($40/month for smartphone access). They're all extorting the customer.
 
MacVault said:
So I've been trying to decide between Verizon vs. AT&T. That is until just now when I went to build an order on the Verizon site and the cheapest 2GB option is $60/mo, but here's the kicker - ON TOP OF THAT I HAVE TO PAY A $40/MO SMARTPHONE ACCESS FEE TO USE MY $60/MO PLAN! I then chatted with Verizon customer srv and they confirmed this. No basic, non-shared plans available.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!PURE EXTORTION!
HOW DO THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS, AND HOW DO THEY COMPETE WITH AT&T?
Click to expand...

welcome to last month... they rolled out the share everything plans a while ago. Many many many many threads/discussions on this topic on the forums.

Skinny is, if you're an individual, it's not going to be really worth it.
 
They compete with AT&T because AT&T's prices are not much better. In fact, if you go the mobile share route like the Verizon plan you're likely to pay about the same give or take a few bucks.

The only major difference right now is that AT&T is not forcing customers into mobile share plans just yet, so you can potentially custom tailor a plan that's a little cheaper. But frankly, it's not going to be that much cheaper.
 
DeaconGraves said:
They compete with AT&T because AT&T's prices are not much better. In fact, if you go the mobile share route like the Verizon plan you're likely to pay about the same give or take a few bucks.

The only major difference right now is that AT&T is not forcing customers into mobile share plans just yet, so you can potentially custom tailor a plan that's a little cheaper. But frankly, it's not going to be that much cheaper.
Click to expand...

So they're in COLLUSION against us, the customers!
When is someone going to take legal action?!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Hah. Wow; a bit behind the times, huh?

This has been discussed/compared to death since the announcement of both VZW's & AT&T's shared plans. This is nothing new.

If you don't like it, don't get it. Simple as that.

BTW, you should use more CAPS, exclamation points, and angry faces. I'm not sure you're communicating effectively enough.
 
MacVault said:
So I've been trying to decide between Verizon vs. AT&T. That is until just now when I went to build an order on the Verizon site and the cheapest 2GB option is $60/mo, but here's the kicker - ON TOP OF THAT I HAVE TO PAY A $40/MO SMARTPHONE ACCESS FEE TO USE MY $60/MO PLAN! I then chatted with Verizon customer srv and they confirmed this. No basic, non-shared plans available.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!PURE EXTORTION!
HOW DO THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS, AND HOW DO THEY COMPETE WITH AT&T?
Click to expand...

call them to see if you can get the $40 talk plan and add 2gb data for $30 (or 5gb for $50). they can still code those plans, but you gotta call and see. keep calling to get a diff rep.

edit: oh and that's why some of us pay full price and keep our unlimited data. after taxes (with my discount) my bill is $72/month for 450min. 1000 texts, and unlimited data (which i use quite a bit)
 
DeaconGraves said:
Why don't you start?
Click to expand...

If I had the money to take this legal I probably wouldn't be concerned about their pricing.

But hey, if EFF, etc is taking on AT&T over facetime, why don't they take it all they way and get to the real issue... and not make it just about facetime but instead about data only plans, tethering, etc.
 
DeaconGraves said:
The only major difference right now is that AT&T is not forcing customers into mobile share plans just yet, so you can potentially custom tailor a plan that's a little cheaper. But frankly, it's not going to be that much cheaper.
Click to expand...
You're right, it's a $13/month difference between AT&T's cheapest non-Share plan (assuming you want txt messages) vs. Verizon's cheapest Share plan.

If you don't want texting at all, AT&T's non-Share plan can save $33/month, which is a good deal cheaper.
 
aristobrat said:
You're right, it's a $13/month difference between AT&T's cheapest non-Share plan (assuming you want txt messages) vs. Verizon's cheapest Share plan.

If you don't want texting at all, AT&T's non-Share plan can save $33/month, which is a good deal cheaper.
Click to expand...

Exactly - this is what I'm talking about. $33/mo cheaper.
And yes, I don't want txt from carrier. I've had mine blocked for 2 years now and instead use Google Voice for free.
 
MacVault said:
Exactly - this is what I'm talking about. $33/mo cheaper.
Click to expand...

do you have verizon now, if so you should be able to get the 450min voice plan and $30 2gb data plan. they just don't advertise them. when i pre-ordered the 5, i go the option to change to these.
 
phillypharm said:
do you have verizon now, if so you should be able to get the 450min voice plan and $30 2gb data plan. they just don't advertise them. when i pre-ordered the 5, i go the option to change to these.
Click to expand...

I don't currently have Verizon. Would these 'non-advertised' plans be available only to existing customers?
 
MacVault said:
I don't currently have Verizon. Would these 'non-advertised' plans be available only to existing customers?
Click to expand...

Possibly. When I ordered my phone, I was giving the option of non-share plans and shared plans but I have an existing mifi device. It was cheaper to go with the share plan so I went with that.

If you go on their website to order and its not an option then its not an option.
 
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