verizon bumped me to $45

[Guest ikediggety]

so i just found out today that i've been bumped up to the $45 verizon data plan. i'm POSITIVE that when i bought the omnia and signed up at the store, i signed up for the $30 plan. ie, no navigator, no push email.

they never asked me if i wanted to upgrade. they never told me i was going to be charged more.

yes, i am running cc20.

any other US verizon users with similar experiences? can they tell if we're running cc20?

to say i'm a little hot under the collar would be severely understating it at this point. i feel strongly that i at least should have been informed my billing was going to change.

[Guest Eschelon]

so i just found out today that i've been bumped up to the $45 verizon data plan. i'm POSITIVE that when i bought the omnia and signed up at the store, i signed up for the $30 plan. ie, no navigator, no push email.

they never asked me if i wanted to upgrade. they never told me i was going to be charged more.

yes, i am running cc20.

any other US verizon users with similar experiences? can they tell if we're running cc20?

to say i'm a little hot under the collar would be severely understating it at this point. i feel strongly that i at least should have been informed my billing was going to change.

I know that the tethering plan costs $15/mo extra. Have you tried (whether intentionally or accidentally) using your phone as a tether? You're best bet is probably to call big red themselves and ask why you're being charged more. They'll be able to give you a more accurate answer than anyone on this forum will :D

Also, I would NOT recommend telling them that you are running CC20 when you call.

[Guest aceofrazgriz]

I've always been on the $45/mo Unlim Data plan with em for over 2yrs. The only $30 plan i've ever seen was insanely low usuage it made it pointless, but i couldn't even find anything on that now, and with a new plan its $50/mo unlim. Maybe they simply got rid of that plan, but even then it shouldn't have been changed without notifying you. Also, using programs as we do to tether, will not alert VZW or anything. Their tethering plan works like their phone data, it dials out a specific number (#777 for data on the phone.) In the case of using something like ICS and PDAnet (used few years ago) it only dials out normally on the #777 line so they cannot tell, and theres no chance of being charged.

Edited June 10, 2009 by aceofrazgriz

[Guest brandogg]

Every Smartphone/PDA after the 6800 gets the $30/mo unlimited plan, I believe. It's been this way for at least a year, so, you've been getting ripped off, unless you're using a somewhat old phone. Anyway, to the OP, call them and tell them what's up, most likely they'll adjust your bill.

[Guest B.Stowe]

First off:

VZW has 2 different current data plans. One that supports full exchange server support ($45) and one that doesn't ($30). Both are unlimited for data usage. Now when you swap esn's on your phone the system will automatically default to the higher of the two. So if you happened to switch to an older phone then back to the omnia it will throw that on by default. Your best bet is to call a rep to add it back on, plus they'll get paid commission on it. But if you didn't do anything like that then yeah, call CS and they'll adjust it.

/VZW Rep

[Guest Rob V]

VZW has 2 different current data plans. One that supports full exchange server support ($45) and one that doesn't ($30). Both are unlimited for data usage.

I'm still confused: I've been on the $45 plan for several years, and recently learned about the $30 plan. The lower-cost plan does not appear anywhere on the website (big surprise...), so I called VZW CS and the rep was eventually able to switch me to the $30 plan.

My email all lives on a hosted Exchange provider and I've been using ActiveSync for real-time 'push' email with no problem on both data plans. The rep assured me that the only difference in the plans was cost, and that seems to be true. He also said that the $30 plan was a "promotional price", and at first thought it had been discontinued until he spoke with a supervisor and figured out how to apply it to my account. The only thing that would make sense to me is if the $45 plan actually included an Exchange mailbox hosted by Verizon for that extra $15 (vs. standard POP/IMAP), but I don't think this is the case?

Since connecting to Exchange via Activesync simply layers RPC calls over regular HTTP, how would the network even know whether I was talking to Exchange or to a website? In fact, the server name specified in ActiveSync is the exact same one I'd use to connect to Exchange via the Outlook Web Access (OWA) browser interface.

Am I missing something here, other than the fact that I've been paying 50% more than I needed to for several years now?

[Guest aceofrazgriz]

Son of a bitch... i'm calling tomorrow about this... But also, i've NEVER heard of a $30/mo unlim data plan (started data plan few years ago upon getting brand new, at the time, Moto Q)... now i'm kinda pissed if this is true.

[Guest Foster318]

I'm still confused: I've been on the $45 plan for several years, and recently learned about the $30 plan. The lower-cost plan does not appear anywhere on the website (big surprise...), so I called VZW CS and the rep was eventually able to switch me to the $30 plan.

My email all lives on a hosted Exchange provider and I've been using ActiveSync for real-time 'push' email with no problem on both data plans. The rep assured me that the only difference in the plans was cost, and that seems to be true. He also said that the $30 plan was a "promotional price", and at first thought it had been discontinued until he spoke with a supervisor and figured out how to apply it to my account. The only thing that would make sense to me is if the $45 plan actually included an Exchange mailbox hosted by Verizon for that extra $15 (vs. standard POP/IMAP), but I don't think this is the case?

Since connecting to Exchange via Activesync simply layers RPC calls over regular HTTP, how would the network even know whether I was talking to Exchange or to a website? In fact, the server name specified in ActiveSync is the exact same one I'd use to connect to Exchange via the Outlook Web Access (OWA) browser interface.

Am I missing something here, other than the fact that I've been paying 50% more than I needed to for several years now?

I think you've been bamboozled. I've only have the data plan since Feb 09, but I've never paid more then $30 a month for it. The $45 like everyone has said is for Exchange service and maybe tethering can't remember. The $30 if for unlimited data.

[Guest tedkord]

Son of a bitch... i'm calling tomorrow about this... But also, i've NEVER heard of a $30/mo unlim data plan (started data plan few years ago upon getting brand new, at the time, Moto Q)... now i'm kinda pissed if this is true.

It's called "e-mail and web for smartphone". $29.99/month

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/f...;featureId=3066

[Guest B.Stowe]

To my understanding (only have been working for Big Red since October on 08') the $30 data plan was introduced around the same time it was to be mandatory on smart phones give or take a few months. The $45 from what I've been told from higher ups it for corporate server support. On a BB it will NOT work on an enterprise server without it, trust me I've had some irate customers call in regards to it. On WinMo the $45 was the only one that would work with Wireless Sync however VZW is shying away from using it anymore. Tethering on the other hand is not included in either plan. It's $30/month on the $30 data plan or $15/month on the $45 data plan.

[Guest AngusATAT]

Heh, if VZW did that to me, I'd just sic my wife on 'em. She's scary when she gets mean. :D

[Guest i910SlimJim]

On a side note to your billing issue... You may have been put on the $45 plan due to going over or coming very close to 5gb of internet use on your phone. They'll upgrade you to unlimited because your considered a larger network risk going over 5gb at the current time. From what I was told when they switch to 4G this won't be a big problem. But currently larger usage can block network signal and traffic for other users since we're limited to about 400 channels of use.

Just remember - just because it says unlimited doesn't mean they won't charge you for going over 5gb. The average user isn't going to use 5gb from normal smartphone use unless they are tethering or downloading large files on their phone.

Edited June 11, 2009 by i910SlimJim

[Guest ikediggety]

On a side note to your billing issue... You may have been put on the $45 plan due to going over or coming very close to 5gb of internet use on your phone. They'll upgrade you to unlimited because your considered a larger network risk going over 5gb at the current time. From what I was told when they switch to 4G this won't be a big problem. But currently larger usage can block network signal and traffic for other users since we're limited to about 400 channels of use.

Just remember - just because it says unlimited doesn't mean they won't charge you for going over 5gb. The average user isn't going to use 5gb from normal smartphone use unless they are tethering or downloading large files on their phone.

never tethered, never used push email. the only thing that i can think they would have bumped me for is flashing cc20 and using GPS. doesn't navigator cost $15/month supposedly? i can pretty much guarantee i haven't dl-ed 5 gigs in the whole time i've had the phone. i use the web a fair amount, and i've downloaded a few mp3s, but not whole albums or movies or anything.

[Guest cuzzinz]

same thing happened to me... I remember 100% telling them that... This was when i first got the omnia... I think its just shady CS reps... honestly. That or like other people have said maybe you tethered it. I never actually installed the tethering application or used it in a way they would detect. LOL who knows maybe it was plugged into usb and you were changing settings in the advanced networking or connection settings...

I noticed when advanced networking was on for some reason my battery dies really fast when plugged into usb and the phone gets really hot

[Guest aceofrazgriz]

Just called and got mine changed, prolly the nicest customer rep i've ever talked to. Thanks for the info.

[Guest B.Stowe]

On a side note to your billing issue... You may have been put on the $45 plan due to going over or coming very close to 5gb of internet use on your phone. They'll upgrade you to unlimited because your considered a larger network risk going over 5gb at the current time. From what I was told when they switch to 4G this won't be a big problem. But currently larger usage can block network signal and traffic for other users since we're limited to about 400 channels of use.

Just remember - just because it says unlimited doesn't mean they won't charge you for going over 5gb. The average user isn't going to use 5gb from normal smartphone use unless they are tethering or downloading large files on their phone.

Nope, doesn't work that way. The company wouldn't up your data to the 45 if you use over 5 gigs, as I've said before thats not the distinction from a billing perspective. Thats not to say they may not turn your service off after 5, but I've never seen or heard of it ever actually happening to any customer for VZW ever and I know several customers who do tether via wmwifi router. They couldn't change the monthly based around that fact but they could turn your service off and change you an ETF. CDMA inherently can support more connections and higher network strain then GSM so it's not as much of an issue for them over AT&T and T-Mobile therefore their are much more lax about it.

[Guest banderdragon]

so i just found out today that i've been bumped up to the $45 verizon data plan. i'm POSITIVE that when i bought the omnia and signed up at the store, i signed up for the $30 plan. ie, no navigator, no push email.

they never asked me if i wanted to upgrade. they never told me i was going to be charged more.

yes, i am running cc20.

any other US verizon users with similar experiences? can they tell if we're running cc20?

to say i'm a little hot under the collar would be severely understating it at this point. i feel strongly that i at least should have been informed my billing was going to change.

When i first started using the phone i set up official tethering by accident. i just went in to the store and they fixed it

[Guest tedkord]

By the way, I can no longer find any mention of the 5GB/month limit in the terms and conditions. I know it was there before, but it may no longer be an issue. I had an argument with a VZW CS rep a year or so ago about calling it "unlimited", then putting a hard limit in the small print. His claim at the time was that it was unlimited time (any time of day, and day of the year for as long as you want), not unlimited data. I politely told him that VZW were crooks and liars, and teminated the conversation. I also did NOT get a smartphone then, but stuck with a basic cell. Only after the 5gb wording disappeared did I upgrade to the Omnia, and get the $29.99 data plan.

And with the Slingbox and Hulu, I've come awful close to 5gb in a month, but not actually over. Yet.

[Guest tedkord]

I've always been on the $45/mo Unlim Data plan with em for over 2yrs. The only $30 plan i've ever seen was insanely low usuage it made it pointless, but i couldn't even find anything on that now, and with a new plan its $50/mo unlim. Maybe they simply got rid of that plan, but even then it shouldn't have been changed without notifying you. Also, using programs as we do to tether, will not alert VZW or anything. Their tethering plan works like their phone data, it dials out a specific number (#777 for data on the phone.) In the case of using something like ICS and PDAnet (used few years ago) it only dials out normally on the #777 line so they cannot tell, and theres no chance of being charged.

Well, if you're tethering to a laptop, and their servers detect that the operating system they're sending to is XP or Vista, then yes they can tell. I tried the tethering over WIFI, but to a Cowon Q5W which uses CE5.0, so I don't think that'll raise any eyebrows.

[Guest thetwiztidfreak]

there is a difference between the 30.00 plan and the 45.00 plan and that is that with the 45.00 plan you can get access to corporate email accounts since they require more configuration to set up and more security checks to go through. that is the ONLy difference between the two. both do have a 5gb limit before they will start charging you for overages. and theathering is 15 bux if your on the 45.00 plan and 30 for the 30.00 plan. Unless you use the little hack on here for free :D

edit: missed the post that said exact same thing lol

Edited June 12, 2009 by thetwiztidfreak

[Guest flyinc]

Ok. So I have been messing with this for awhile. I had the 6900 before with the $45 plan because I use Exchange push. I decided there was no way for them to know what traffic was going to my phone based on how the Exchange email works. I lowered it down to $30 to see what happens. I have been on the $30 since, and that is over a year now. Did the same on the Omnia. So you should all call and tell them you don't need the Exchange push and lower your price down $15 per month.

[Guest Doc007]

Ok. So I have been messing with this for awhile. I had the 6900 before with the $45 plan because I use Exchange push. I decided there was no way for them to know what traffic was going to my phone based on how the Exchange email works. I lowered it down to $30 to see what happens. I have been on the $30 since, and that is over a year now. Did the same on the Omnia. So you should all call and tell them you don't need the Exchange push and lower your price down $15 per month.

so you are still getting exchange push while only paying $30 a month? how?

[Guest sturts]

I don't think any of them had the OLD data plan.. I've had the unlimited data plan for 5+ years on 3 different phones with the $45 unlim plan but I noticed the other day that they had added the $15/mo tethering fee... I called and the rep told me they no longer allow unlimited tethering... They had been calling me for months and sending me stuff offering to give me more minutes to switch to the 5Gb cap plan.. but I refused.. Then all of a sudden they were just like "sorry." So I went to the cheaper plan and now I'm going to just run wmwifi. I'm not a huge fan of their changes.