The last day to get an unlimited data plan on Verizon is this Wednesday, July 6th. This comes after AT&T got rid of their unlimited plans last year. The new tiered plans start at $29.99 for 2GB, the same price they charge now for unlimited data usage.
It’s official, unlimited data is going the way of the Dodo.
Smartphones all require a data plan so if you will ever want one you probably want to add the unlimited data plan to your line now. The highly anticipated Dual-Core 4G LTE Motorola Droid Bionic and Samsung Function/Galaxy S2 Android devices are expected to be released very soon, but by then it will be too late to add the unlimited data plan. If you have the unlimited data option though you will be grandfathered with it, so you will be able to switch phones and sign new contracts while retaining the unlimited data option…
I remember back in 2002 when Sprint launched their 3G service with tiered data plans. Previously they just had a 2G unlimited mobile web option. Not too many people signed up for the 3G “Vision” service because they were apprehensive about a tiered structure for a service that didn’t really exist before. Sprint quickly brought the price of 3G service down to just $10 for unlimited data and they made unlimited data free for all additional lines. Included back then (in the pre-SMS days) was also free PCS messaging and picture messaging (I actually had the tiny VGA camera that plugged into the A500, Sprint’s 3G launch phone). With options like first-incoming minute free, and 6pm nights those were some of the best plans ever released.
Sprint has regretted those generous free and clear plans for many years now. They treat free and clear customers, by definition their oldest and most loyal customers, as the scum of the earth. They aren’t allowed to have any smartphones. Does Sprint not realize just how much money they throw away by not just offering a $20 per line option to allow smartphones on the older plans? Instead they would rather force everyone onto their much more expensive everything plans. (They buckled and do allow SERO customers to have a $10 smartphone add-on or $20 4G add-on, but they still don’t let free and clear or fair and flexible customers do the same) In an ideal world that may work, but looking at their financial numbers you can see those people are just bailing to other phone companies or to more and more competitive prepaid plans. Sprint boasts about even less profitable prepaid growth as they bleed out more valuable post-paid customers.
I was a Sprint customer since 2001 when I went away to yeshiva in Los Angeles, 10 years with the same company! I went through the bad times of the worst customer service in the industry and constant billing mistakes. My reward for all that loyalty? Last month Sprint decided they had enough of my plan and gave me 30 days notice that my plan (in middle of a contract, don’t you love how they can break the contract when they feel like it without any penalty) would be terminated. Others on the DansDeals Forums have reported that the same thing is happening to them. An obnoxious contact in their legal department will call you one day, treat you like garbage, and then unceremoniously throw you off your plan.
Everything is with divine providence though. Verizon was all too happy to welcome me into their arms with a 22% negotiated discount. I’ll finally be able to get a new phone as Sprint hasn’t let me get a more advanced phone than the Palm Centro back in 2007. (They did manage to stave off my new phone addiction while having a Centro from 2007-2011, as from 2001-2007 I went from a Motorola Talkabout>Samsung a500>Samsung i330>Samsung i500>Samsung i550>Treo 700p>Treo 755p>Palm Centro) Verizon had no problems letting me use a cheap Palm Centro for a month or 2 until they release the Droid Bionic or the Samsung Function. I’m not under any contract now as I brought my own phone to the table and when those phones are released I can sign a 2 year deal and get the new customer pricing. Plus I can add unlimited data now so that I’ll be grandfathered and have the ability to fully use my next phone without worrying about exceeding the data usage. At least Sprint decided to cut me off at an opportune time! And yes, Verizon customer service and coverage really is that much better than Sprint. As they say, you get what you pay for!
Enough rambling for now…have a happy 4th everyone!
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85 Comments On "Thoughts On Old Sprint Plans And Verizon Unlimited Data…"
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what is ur new plan? and what’s the total cost after ur discount?
The corporate plan I got is 4,000 shared anytime minutes, unlimited SMS on all lines, and free mobile to mobile, 10 free numbers of your choice, and free nights/weekends. With Google Voice+10 free numbers that’s basically unlimited minutes…
Primary line is $215.99-22%=$168.47
Secondary: $15.99 x 7 = $111.93
So for 8 phones without data it’s $280.40+ per month.
Data is $23.40 per line after 22% off.
Definitely more per line than what we paid Sprint, but the service has been great so far.
I currently have the Sprint everything 450 plan. Does this mean I’m going to receive a call from them soon that my plan will be terminated? And if so, should I sign up with Verizon now, while I could still get unlimited data?
@Dovid:
Sprint loves their Everything customers, for now.
Just wait until they come out with their XYZ plan (4G LTE?) when they will stop letting you get their new phones…dumb, dumb, company!
My sister was also a loyal Sprint customer for years until her old phone finally died. They did nothing for her, as far as getting her a new phone or a better plan…all of which made it a no-brainer to switch to Verizon!!! No wonder Sprint is going down the tubes…
Im on a free & clear from 99 does that mean….
I heard that if you upgrade to a 4g phone, then you will require a new 4g data plan. So you wouldn’t be grandfathered in under a old 3g data plan.
@James:
I have in writing from my VZW corporate rep that with the unlimited data plan on my Palm Centro I will keep the data plan even if I upgrade to a 4G phone like the Bionic or Function.
dan why did they cancel you?? did they provide reason? also im on a free&clear , will they do same 2 me?
I’ve always enjoyed Verizon’s customer service, although I dislike the way they limit their phones (not allowing ringtones and the like to be transferred from phone to phone, or using recordings as ringtones).
AT&T has horrible customer service, in my experience, and when I called them up and asked how they could guarantee I wouldn’t have to deal with the same incompetence and apathy if I used AT&T again, the manger’s response was, “I can’t guarantee that!”
Um, honest, but not very reassuring?
@rea:
They said they have and will be cancelling lots of free and clear plans and refused to give any more explanation.
@Shmuel:
VZW customer service has been night and day compared to Sprint.
VZW reps are actually able to and empowered to fix problems and quickly.
Dan, if I switch to Verizon now with a used BlackBerry so that I can sign a 2-yr contract for the Bionic soon, will my unlimited BB data plan carry over to an unlimited regular data plan? Or will I be forced to get a new tiered plan?
The reason I ask is that I know that BB data plan is billed as such as opposed to a generic data plan which is just listed an unlimited data plan.
@Shmuel:
Verizon is not like Sprint in this regard, there is no “codes” by Verizon that can give you free add-ons, I have dealt with them and the past and they are the worst! They will just claim that the rep was mistaken and they cannot honor it. You will miss sprint….
i am so confused. i just got a htc 4g evo with sprint with with the everything data plan. are you saying that this is a tiered plan?
Dan did u do anything to prompt the termination? did you contact executives? will this happen to me too, im on a f&c?
Verizon is starting to tack on a $30 tethering fee. On Sprint with PDANET I do not pay anything for unlimited 4g
http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/02/verizon-data-charges-leak-continues-30-tethering-for-4g-custom/
I too had free and clear. they told me I had to upgrade and my service was no longer available. I did upgrade. Is there a way to get out of it now?
Dan, How did you get 22% off?
@Dan:
What Google Voice has to do with it? Do you just use it through your browser? Then you don’t really need any minutes. Also, it will not be free next year.
Chaim Ber makes a good point. I’ve had Verizon for years and Sprint for years. Each company has some things that make you want to scream in agony and things that make you want to dance. Sprint is incredibly stupid and Verizon is very stubborn. Neither is a great recipe for success.
One important rule with both companies – don’t just speak to any customer service rep. Certain demographics are better than others and that’s a fact. Choose wisely.
I have a zero 450 plan and out of contract. After taxes it’s 50 dollars. Shall I stay with sprint or jump elsewhere. The phone is important but the monthy costs add up.
well dan enjoy verizon.
I recently switched from verizon to sprint and i can’t be happier. i went from 4 verizon phones (only 2 smartphones) to 5 sprint smartphones (2 epic 4g and 3 bb bolds)and i am paying 45$ less a month.
@al613:
He’ll make one of the 10 unlimited numbers, his google voice number, then, anytime he’s short on minutes he’ll place the call thru the the google voice number (which is one of the 10 free numbers) and thereby have unlimited calls to US and Canada.
@thekrin:
as Dan said “And yes, Verizon customer service and coverage really is that much better than Sprint. As they say, you get what you pay for!”
why not use boost or metro pcs? i laugh at you guys.
I was planning on waiting for September and the iPhone 5 to switch to Verizon (I currently have an AT&T iPhone with no contract)
What’s the best thing to do? can I get a pre-pay plan with unlimited data I’ll be able to transfer to an iPhone?
@Yosef:
I’m not sure, sorry.
@chaim ber:
Not looking for free add-ons.
@chochom:
Don’t worry, this has nothing to do with you.
@rea:
Didn’t do anything to prompt it.
I contacted some people but didn’t push very hard as I kind’ve took it as a sign. Honestly it’s a relief being done with Sprint and their dumb policies after all these years.
@notworthit:
There are ways to tether with Verizon for free as well.
@loop:
Negotiating.
@al613:
When you call your own GV number you can place calls to anywhere in North America for free.
@thekrin:
Until Sprint decides that they’re tired of your plan in a few years from now and stops letting you have phones you want…
The value proposition here really came into play as I needed at least 8 lines.
With Sprint that would mean 2 separate plans but with Verizon we got it all on 1 shared plan.
@um:
Metro PCS doesn’t exist in Cleveland.
With a regular Sprint plan you can roam into Verizon towers when there’s no Sprint coverage-there are entire swaths of area where this coverage is crucial.
With prepaid plans like Boost or Virgin you can only use Sprint towers, you cannot roam onto Verizon, so you’ll have huge coverage holes. And no 4G service.
@Joey:
Sign up for a plan on Verizon now, bring you own cheap phone like a Pal. Centro or Pixi that can be had on ebay for $25 or so, and then get the iPhone 5 when it’s released.
And pray that it will have 4G/LTE!
@Cholentfresser:
Thank you for the explanation, but i still don’t get it. It’s either a Google or Verizon #. So, if you call from Verizon # you use your minutes, if you call from Google # you need to answer the phone somewhere, right? So, if you answer the phone from verizon it will count against your minutes. Also, Dan said 10 numbers, not 10 unlimited numbers. They cannot be unlimited and have 4k minutes at the same time.
@al613:
You can designate 10 numbers to have unlimited minutes. You make 1 of those numbers your GV number. You call your GV number to make outgoing calls and it won’t count against your minutes.
Easy as pie.
i have sprint SERO 500 and pay $38 a month. yes it sucks that I have to pay more if i want a smartphone or 4g, and yes i know that one day they will give me the boot and i will have to get a new plan. but i also understand that me paying $38 a month doesn’t make me “loyal”, it just makes me a smart consumer who will one day end up having to pay regular prices like the rest of the world. but heck i’ll humbly enjoy it while it lasts.
@jason:
Without a doubt, enjoy it while it lasts!
But don’t be surprised when you can’t find any plans out there with unlimited data by the time Sprint kicks everyone off of their SERO plans.
You can’t get anything for free from verizon zero there customer service are trained to twist you’re words and give nothing out.
Dan, How did you get the 22% discount- Verizon is known for not giving in? Was it sheer negotiation tactics that you cant divulge or did you ask them to make you an offer or youd go to ATT?
will they cancel my f&c plan? i couldnt find it in the forums where ppl got cancelled.
I still don’t get this post. Everyone seems to be beating up on sprint and crowning verizon because of its superior network and customer service. why does everyone feel this way when both att and verizon are 20-40% more expensive for comparable plans. Yes they are cutting out some plans but verizon and att NEVER had those plans to begin with. And regarding customer service: They all suck.
Dan, I think your making a big mistake… Get pageplus for $28-29 a month (with taxes and fees -callingmart.com) and then you will have verizon service plus they wont charge you to place ANY verizon android phone on their network or palm pre plus… They give you 100 mb plus you can use a phone with wifi, and if you need more you can add more and itl still come out cheaper! Plus you aint stuck in a contract! I used to be on sero like you, and this option is THE best!!!
@Dan
Thanks, I’ll go ahead and sign a contract.
Do you know if verizon let’s you suspend a contract so you only end up paying $10 a month?
Numbers can’t include directory assistance, 900 numbers, your own wireless or Voice Mail access numbers, or access gateways to/from other providers’ voice or data systems.
not worried?
Dan,
What do you think is the cheapest deal Verizon will give you for a single plan with unlimited data?
@yossi:
If you only need 100MB a month and don’t care about 4G, then pageplus is great.
For the rest of us it doesn’t work.
@um:
Not particularly, it has worked thus far.
@Shimi:
http://www.vzw.com
I don’t think most people would need unlimited. Unless you are streaming video or something like that, the tiered limit is more then enough
Will amazon wireless have similar big discounts on the bionic and galaxy when that are released our will I have to wait a few weeks?
I was aloyal Verizon customer for 17 years (on corporate plan). I got totally fed up with Verizon’s lousy customer service, and their charges climbing literally monthly. My bill for 3 BlackBerrys & 2 regular phones was over $ 435.00 per month. Last year, we switched to Sprint, got 5 BlackBerrys, unlimited data on on all, unlimited SMS on all, free mobile to mobile, insurance on all 5 phones, and 4000 minutes to land lines. The price including taxes was $270.00 per month. BTW, the Spint Customer Service was far superior to Verizon’s. The hitch? You had to be ‘Corporate Customer’. This deal is only available thru their corporate sales department, and is limited to customer referrals. We even have an agent who we regularly speak with, who ‘knows’ us on a first name basis. They have been a pleasure to deal with. We were also able to temporarily activate a global plan when traveling to Europe & Israel this year.
When I had occasion to speak to Verizon after the switch (regarding an I-pad issue), they tried to get me back as customer, but could not touch the price. The agent even tried getting me a ‘one time discount’ to enroll, but I told him it would have to wIt until my Sprint contract was up. He said he will reach out to us a month before expiration of the Sprint two year term.
“Sprint for now”
@Easy: The key here is ” corporate plan”, they are much more accommodating with their corp plans, it is like you are dealing with some other company, not the regular stubborn greedy Verizon..
Not too hard to setup, you may just need a EIN…
I currently have a sprint plan and pay 8.76$ include tax. Have it for 30 months aready
Dan, I totally agree with you, ihad sprint for years..besides having crappy customer service, I always had dropped calls…i finally moved us over to verizon and never looked back. Some people say verizon is very expensive, i compared it to AT and T, it was maybe 5 dollars more a month..but verizon customer service is dynamite…and they fully understand the concept of ….it cost more money to recruit a new customer than to keep an exsisting customer happy. I also get a 19 percent discount, because i work for a hospital..theres a lot of discounts for all sorts of organizations..so people look into it!
have a safe 4th!
BTW: i do have unlimited data, but ive been buying phones on craigslist, just so im not tied to verizon..im waiting for a new phone..thinking of galaxy S2…its suppose to have best screen! ciao,shalom
Does anyone have a good way of explaining how much 100 MB would be – Would that mean you can browse internet pretty much unlimited as long as you don’t watch videos?
i dont know how-goes back 4 yrs…i have 2 phones ultd. web and sms and 2000 mins with sprint-i pay 40.00 after txs
@Dan:
Hey Dan. Is there any way I can get a copy of what you have in writing, just in case I run into a problem? I am also waiting for the bionic, but only have a 3g phone currently.
Also does the unlimited data work for lines added to an account after the cutoff date?
Thanks
@Fishy:
how is that ?
HI Dan,
Did you call the regular sales phone line, or did you call another line?
Tx.
What exactly is required to switch a family plan to a corporate plan? Are the prices actually cheaper or only with a negotiated discount?
@mike: You can use the Opera Mini browser which compresses the data by up to 90%, so 100Mb will take you a lot further. Also lots of websites are automatically optimized for mobile devices (ie: smaller or no images) to take up less data.
You do have to be careful though that no programs are running in the background which are sucking up your data.
Att prepaid now offers for $50 month unlimited calling , text and unlimited date for non smart phones
dan to be honest what you got from sprint all these years was a crazy bargain and didnt make sense we all new the day was coming.
i understand your upset but i think a little hakaras hatov to sprint for the thousands of dollars u saved (or made) wld apply not to rant and rave on your site andmake people switch to a more expensive plan
sprint free mobile to mobile everything is still the cheapest way to go
Thanks Dan! Glad I saw this. I just hooked up my “Old Bold” just in case till I decide where I’m headed in the wireless world.
dan just called the buisness plans number and asked about getting a 22 pecent discount on 8 phones and was told they only give an 8% unless affiliated with a large corp is ther any promo code you used or any other info thanks
You hit this topic spot on. I have a Nextel phone account started on 2000 with free inbound calling. To switch to Sprint they insisted I drop my free inbound calling which could cost me an extra $100.00 per month if I got a smart phone. Sprint really does treat their loyal customers like dog poop.
Frustrating.
I’m a sprint customer with a family ‘everything messaging plan’ and free (unlimited) data thrown in as an add on. We got a really good rate, too. (Just under $100). But they won’t let us keep the plan if we upgrade our phones.
@Jack:
A few years ago it was hard to imagine using the kind of data people are using now, but as phones get more advanced I think people will keep using more and more data. And those on unlimited plans will be very happy.
@Azhoopsfan:
I’m sure they will as soon as they get them.
@mike:
No, 100MB is definitely not “unlimited internet without video.” It’s enough for very moderate internet usage without video.
@Daniel T:
What I was told in writing may not help you. Better off writing to Verizon and get it for yourself that if you add the $29.99 unlimited plan that you can keep it in your situation.
It definitely won’t work for new lines added after 07/06 or existing lines without data at that point.
@Shmuli:
I went into a VZW store, spoke to the business rep, and they had the regional business rep take good care of me.
@H:
Great deal if you don’t need a smartphone. But after using a smartphone for the past 8 years I can’t go back at this point!
@kafui tov:
J’Accuse! But maybe you should first know the facts?
I’m not making anyone switch, I’m just saying what they did to me.
For the record my monthly bill was not cheap, it was $375 with tax. So I was giving Sprint $4,500 in revenue for 10 years, a total of $45,000!!!!! And no, the plan did not have unlimited minutes, it was negotiated with Sprint corporate reps just like I did this time with Verizon.
And they, being the moronic company that they are, doesn’t seem to understand the concept of running a service with high fixed costs and kicking off customers providing incremental revenue…
I don’t owe them any “hakaras hatov” for throwing me off a plan that Sprint created for me and resigned numerous times, in middle of being under a contract no less!
@mike:
My regional VZW rep was able to help me out with that. The store also said it may be just 8%, but in the end we got 22%.
@Ken:
And they plan on shutting down the Nextel network completely eventually and will force you onto some horrible plan they offer when that time comes.
100MB definitely is not enough for me. For very casual browsing I suppose it would be enough though.
Is there a reason why those phones are better than the HTC Thunderbolt?
Dan what will having it in writing help you if verizon decides not to honor it???
You are not in contract anyway and they could tell you that you are free to go but we can’t give you unlimited data on new phone etc?
Will you have anyway to force them to honor it or you just trust them?
I hate sprint I love the price I pay so I will sick with them
went to my sales rep they said they have to sent the info to corporate head quaters and they say what percent it for sure atleast 8% is that what you did
Does anyone know if it was legal for sprint to kick Dan off? Is the contract legaly binding on sprints side?
@Dan:
Finally got it. I thought you have 10 phones with numbers 🙂
@&:
The newer phones have dual-core processors and other vastly improved specs.
@H:
I trust them…perhaps I’m being naive, but I think they’ll honor it without my having to force the issue.
@shmendrick:
Yup, as would I have had they not thrown me off.
@mike:
The rep in the store set me up with my regional director who helped me out.
@al613:
Lol…nope, you designate 10 numbers and when you call those numbers you aren’t charged for those calls.
It definitely works with Google Voice, I’ve tested and confirmed that. Better than Sprint’s Any Mobile, Any Time, as this is any phone, any time!
i have an issue similar to joey’s (comment 26) that i’ve been waiting for the iphone 5 to come out to switch to verizon. you recommended to joey to sign up by tomorrow with his own phone so as not to have to sign a contract and then when the iphone 5 comes out, to sign up for 2 years. pardon my ignorance but why do i not want to sign up for 2 years now? also, what f i won’t have any verizon phone with me before tomorrow- can i have my new account activated to a phone somewhere else or i need to do it davka right there in the store? thanks.
Verizon confirmed Tuesday it will end its unlimited data pricing plan options for smartphone customers on July 7, continuing a broad shift to tiered-use plans amongst cellular carriers.
Instead of the existing $30 monthly fee Verizon currently charges for an unlimited data package, the company’s new structure mimics that of others in the industry. Verizon will charge $30 for 2 GB of monthly data, $50 for 5 GB, and $80 for 10 GB, according to mobile industry publication Fierce Wireless.
“The corporate plan I got is 4,000 shared anytime minutes, unlimited SMS on all lines, and free mobile to mobile, 10 free numbers of your choice, and free nights/weekends. With Google Voice+10 free numbers that’s basically unlimited minutes…
Primary line is $215.99-22%=$168.47
Secondary: $15.99 x 7 = $111.93
So for 8 phones without data it’s $280.40+ per month.
Data is $23.40 per line after 22% off.”
With Sprint youd’ve paid $260, with an aditional $10 per phone with data. You’d get 3800 min a month, 6pm nights and weekends, mobile to mobile with to any carrier. Sprint is upgrading their network to run on 800mhz, which should improve reception.
Dan:
I called up verizon and they say that there is no way to sign up with no contract now and then sign up for a 2 year contract when the bionic come out. How did you do it?
@Anonymous:
Not that I would even consider Sprint after this debacle, but where do you see that plan?
@jay:
I had a corp rep that did it for me. Not really a big deal though, I would’ve signed a 2 year deal now and re-upped when the DB or SG2 is released.
I am an original SERO customer. I have an HTC TouchPro2 smartphone ($200), 500 prime minutes, unlimited nights and weekends, unlimited messages, unlimited photos, and unlimited data at $30/month. Sprint roams on Verizon. Sprint has been happy to renew my contract on the original terms every two years. For our beach house, where no Sprint service is available, Sprint gave us, at no cost, a Sprint Airave “mini cell tower”, which, when connected to our broadband home network, acts as a cell tower in the house for our Sprint phones–in an area with no Sprint service. I couldn’t be happier.
@Dan: how did you open a corporate account with verizon allowing you to have more then 5 lines on one plan?
@Ted R:
That’s great! SERO was indeed an excellent plan. I just won’t be shocked when the day comes that Sprint decided to force SERO customers to switch their plans.
@meir:
http://b2b.vzw.com/productsservices/businesscallingplans/nationwideshareplan.html
Hey Dan, I hate to disagree with u about sprint I’ve had the free and clear plan for 6yrs already and I’ve even gotten them to send me out a new phone twice already, each time %100 free without insurance on my plan, anyway overall I must say there have been mistakes on the billing but normally they get fixed!
Dan can u help to transfer memos etc. From palm is to android
Dan what do you think even if they dont offer unlimited wont they offer a reasonable amount of data which will work for us?
dan- I have a non-smart phone with verizon, unlimited data, plan on witching to the blackberry soon…. think id be able to get unlimted data while switching to a smart phone?
abe- everyone HAS had AMAZING service, the point is sprint is closing down all these plans!
Dan, THANK YOU!!!!!!! Thank goodness for your site and this post! I mentioned that I reactivated my BB to make sure I was grandfathered in. Now VZW is charging $80 for 10GB, WOW! You saved me loads of cash and disappointment.
@Anonymous: Hey, it’s August now, are you @thekrin: Hi, what type of plan do you have? Is this a business plan?
dan which plan did u have with sprint before they cancelled u? how much were u paying
also did u hear about when the i phone 5 is coming to sprint? lastly sprint is raising their ETF to $ 350!!!! instead of $200.. is their a way i can leave my contract? becuase i never signed for the contract to be for 350 i signed for 200!
currently looking for a family plan around 2000 minutes no mwessaging no data whers the best place to go