Tiered Data Pricing grandfathering for new customer waiting on phone?

[dalemccl]

I read through some of the threads about the rumor that Verizon is going to tiered pricing for data plans, possibly as soon as July 29. I didn't see anything that would address my situation, which is:

I signed up today at a Verizon corporate store for a Droid X and chose my plan details/options. I am a new Verizon Wireless customer and new to smartphones (currently have an AT&T dumbphone). I paid for the DX and the CSR entered my name and other info into the electronic tablet they carry around, and gave he me my new phone number (I'm not porting my old number).

When I mentioned the rumor about the change to tiered data pricing, he said if it does change before I receive and activate my phone (in early August) I would be grandfathered because I signed up today and Verizon would honor the agreement we made. However, I didn't sign a contract or agreement today, I just paid for the phone. I got no paperwork showing what my plan is or what it will cost. He said the agreement signing and paperwork will happen when I get the phone and take it to the store to be activated. (However, he did say he entered my plan choices into the system today.)

Should I be worried that if the data pricing does change before I activate my phone and sign the agreement, that I won't be grandfathered because I don't have a signed agreement yet? (I know that no one knows for sure what V's rules will be for grandfathering, or if the tiered pricing rumor is true, but I would welcome opinions.)

Thanks.

 

[jwthrush]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. I talked with a Verizon employee yesterday, he stated that they were keeping the Unlimited option, but were introducing other tiers for those that don't consume as much data. I wouldn't take that as gospel, but with Verizon making bank on data profit last quarter, I'm not sure why they would change it.

 

[deekum1627]

yea i ask a few verizon reps as well and they had no clue what i was talking about. so idk if they didnt get the word yet or they couldnt tell me but well fine out soon i guess

 

[BLK MAJK]

I talked to my buddy who is a manager of one of the local stores and when I asked him when VZW was going to tiered data is response was

"Not for a long time, if ever. We do not have a need."

I'm not sure what to think about that...

 

[Old Man]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. I talked with a Verizon employee yesterday, he stated that they were keeping the Unlimited option, but were introducing other tiers for those that don't consume as much data. I wouldn't take that as gospel, but with Verizon making bank on data profit last quarter, I'm not sure why they would change it.

On another forum someone who had been to a developer meeting with Verizon said the tiered pricing issue had come up and they were also told that there would still be an 'unlimited' tier. Of course that does not mean that it might not have a smaller soft cap than the current 5GB or might not cost more than the current $29.99 per month. Then again, it could also drop in price or remove the soft cap. It seems to all be conjecture at this point.

My question on this is really more what might happen if you go over on a lower capacity tier? Will they charge per MB over your limit, bump you to the next tier, give you the option of these or what? There are probably a lot of people that will have higher usage the first month and ever now and then so it will be interesting to see if it might be better in those situations to get a lower priced, lower capacity tier and pay overages when they happen or to just go ahead and get a higher capacity or unlimited tier. It would be nice for Verizon to offer such information some time before they implement the tiered plans.

 

[jwthrush]

I would assume if you are a lower tier playing that is in the MB range, you would probably be charged per MB you go over. And assuming you're on the unlimited plan with whatever GB cap it is, you'll be charged per GB. Then again, I'm not Verizon. So who knows, but that's my best guess. They will probably charge you overages.

It is possible however that if you're monitoring your data usage and you notice you've exceeded your cap, that you can call Verizon and you'll get a nice CSR who will change your data plan mid month and back log the charges to that plan instead of your smaller tiered plan.

 

[ckochinsky125]

I think they would be smart to keep the unlimited and also add say 1 or 2 other tiers. I know in my family alone if there was a choice where you could get a tier for say $10 on a smart phone my parents would love to get one just wouldnt use it that much so the 29.99 a month is pointless when they want the phone for the size and email with minimal other data usage. They could make alot of money doing it that way IMO especially with how at&t is going to screw people with overages it could land alot more people on verizon

 

[10splaya22]

I think they would be smart to keep the unlimited and also add say 1 or 2 other tiers. I know in my family alone if there was a choice where you could get a tier for say $10 on a smart phone my parents would love to get one just wouldnt use it that much so the 29.99 a month is pointless when they want the phone for the size and email with minimal other data usage. They could make alot of money doing it that way IMO especially with how at&t is going to screw people with overages it could land alot more people on verizon

That makes a lot of sense but they already have a basic data package on the "multimedia" dumb phones which costs $10.

 

[dookie1]

per my district rep, it is expected that 3g will remain as is...a choice between unlimited and trivial. this is not to say that prices won't change. and LTE, when it comes online, will almost certainly be tiered.

 

[Old Man]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/verizon-wireless-no-big-rush-to-tiered-data-plans-for-now/37147.

Verizon earnings ride mobile data, FiOS penetration

These reports make it look like some of the earlier rumors regarding tiered data plans for Verizon and the July 29 date for them may turn out to be just rumors, at least in regards to 3G and matching AT&T's tiered data plans and pricing. At least we don't have too long to wait to see if the 7/29 date comes to pass.

Having some lower cost, lower capacity options for those who are not heavy data users or that primarily use Wi-Fi would be nice.

 

[ckochinsky125]

That makes a lot of sense but they already have a basic data package on the "multimedia" dumb phones which costs $10.

Yeah but not an option for smart phones so many more people would buy a smart phone if there was the option for$ 9.99 a month data plan

 

[butthead007]

Verizon has not announced plans to introduce tiered data. Again, blogs report it as a rumor and it suddenly becomes truth. If it comes, it will more than likely be when LTE hits.

 

[EdHall]

I just got off the phone (7/23/10 6:00pm CST) with Verizon corporate, and they stated that all smart phone 3G Hot Spots, now have a 2G per month with .05 per M, and after 7/15/10. There is no 5G per month anymore. The standard 3G for NON theathered is still unlimited.

Is it true, heck I don't know, I can just state what I was told.

Bummer for me, as this 5G was a feature I was going to use on my train commutes.

The rep felt real bad, and told me about pda.net etc, when he shouldn't have.

I think there is also a wifi ap out there.

 

[kastleberg]

Its been my experience that verizon reps no nothing about the inner workings or plans of verizon until it is already public knowledge. Just my .02.

 

[sic0048]

I just got off the phone (7/23/10 6:00pm CST) with Verizon corporate, and they stated that all smart phone 3G Hot Spots, now have a 2G per month with .05 per M, and after 7/15/10. There is no 5G per month anymore. The standard 3G for NON theathered is still unlimited.

Is it true, heck I don't know, I can just state what I was told.

Bummer for me, as this 5G was a feature I was going to use on my train commutes.

The rep felt real bad, and told me about pda.net etc, when he shouldn't have.

I think there is also a wifi ap out there.

I'm a newbee, so I could be wrong. But wasn't tethering always at 2gb cap? The 5gb limit is for 3g data service for wireless data cards. The cell phone wireless data plan has always been unlimited. Of course there are a lot of people that assume the 5gb wireless data card cap also applied to the cell service data plan, but the Verizon Wireless execs debunked that thought during the DroidX live annoucement.

I think the rep is telling the truth, but there isn't any new news there. That is how the plans have been.