Verizon Boosts Price of Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plans By $20 (theverge.com)

nicholasjay writes: In November, Verizon Wireless is going to start charging its customers with the grandfathered "unlimited data" plans an extra $20 for the data. This is obviously an attempt to get people off of the old unlimited data plans. Even though a Verizon spokesperson confirmed the change, I'm hoping they won't go through with this plan — but right now I'm weighing all my options.

Comments

I don't like this at all

[nicholasjay]

This is being reported all over. Here's a link from CNN Money.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/0...

Re:I don't like this at all

[tripleevenfall]

Because Verizon got rid of unlimited data plans, and then coaxed people into staying with Verizon by assuring them they'd be grandfathered in on their current plans - only to jack the prices way up later.

It's a breach of trust and it rightly should send people fleeing to other carriers.

Re:I don't like this at all

[ardmhacha]

"It's a breach of trust and it rightly should send people fleeing to other carriers."

Where there would be no unlimited data plan.

Re:I don't like this at all

[Lumpy]

If you trust any corporation then you are a fool.

Corporations care for one thing, next quarter's profits.

Re:I don't like this at all

[rsborg]

T-Mobiles 'unlimited' isn't.

It's near enough. Their highest tier 4G/LTE (yes, annoyingly called unlimited) allows for 21GB of high speed data before dropping down to 128KB/s. Same with AT&T's grandfathered plan. Don't know about Sprint, but I doubt its any higher.

You also get data stash - I have 20GB in my stash and build it every month. Occasionally I dip into it (like when I do a lot of driving around for trips or business).

With TMO, you get 7GB/mo of tethering with that plan - and the data stash can leverage that so you can in one month tether 10's of GB if you need it.

Also music streaming is zero-rated on TMO with most streaming services (Apple music, Google, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora, etc) covered. So you're not going to have to spend GB's on that either.

Maybe you can get unlimited with VZ, but do they allow for tethering as well? Do they zero-rate music streaming?

T-mobile is as good as you can get right now without going for the "unicorn" of truly unlimited.

Re:I don't like this at all

[nabsltd]

The story I read earlier this morning quoted someone or other as saying that customers currently in a contract won't see a change until the contract is up. If they renew, it will be at the new price.

That's wrong, because nobody with an unlimited plan has a contract any more...they are all month-to-month, as their contracts have expired.

If you had an unlimited plan and wanted to do something that forced you into a contract (subsidized phone, etc.), then you were told that you had to sign up for a new plan. For a while now, Verizon doesn't have an phone subsidies, so people with unlimited who stuck it out this long now had no incentive to switch off the plan...they would pay full price for any new device. So, Verizon is raising their rates to try to convince them to switch. It's not very nice, but it is unfortunately legal.

They deserve a break

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

Those bastards!

Grandfathers are usually on fixed incomes.

Sounds like you need the clue by four

[enjar]

"Even though a Verizon spokesperson confirmed the change, I'm hoping they won't go through with this plan"

I hate to break it to you, but they are going through with this plan.

Re:Sounds like you need the clue by four

[enjar]

Verizon has also been shown to not give a damn.
I'd expect all the other telcos to follow suit pretty much immediately.

Re:hmm...

[SlashdotOgre]

This is not a breach of contract (and likewise can't be used to get out of your contract without paying the ETF) because it doesn't go into effect until the contract ends for the folks that are still under contract. Now most folks who have unlimited data are not under contract but there still a number of them that use loop holes that allow you to continue with unlimited data and get subsidize phones but make you sign up for a contract. Generally the loopholes involve transferring the upgrade to a second line, doing the upgrade on that line, and transferring the new phone back.

Verizon = Darth Vader

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

Darth Vader: "I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."

Verizon: "I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."

Kind of hard to tell them apart if you ask me.

Re:Verizon = Darth Vader

[GungaDan]

"Can you fear me now?"

Re:Seriously? Who uses Verizon? They're pure evil!

[chmod a x mojo]

U.S. Cellular roams off of Verizon towers, and vice versa. I switched about 2 years ago from Verizon, where I had the grandfathered unlimited data plan... and had been a Verizon customer for 10+ years, when they wouldn't let me upgrade phones without either losing my unlimited data plan or paying $600+ for a phone.

U.S. Cellular _IS_ a little spottier in some very remote areas of my state, and roams on VZW towers anywhere ~1-2 hours north of my hometown, but otherwise is pretty comparable to VZW coverage... with a ~30+% reduction in my bill every month.