Anyway to prevent anytime minutes from being eaten

[Elbeano]

I switched over on my parents plan to the data plan - which proved to be not worth the $120 jump in our bill. So we've switched it back to our normal plan.

The reps down at Alltel have told me that the BB will eat up our anytime minutes in attempts to connect to the internet network. At the moment I've disabled data services and browser push, but is that enough to prevent this from happening?

[Motorcycle Mama]

BlacBerry devices use DATA not minutes. And you cannot have BlackBerry device activated on Alltel without a Data Plan. Even if you cancel the data plan, the nightly audits will automatically add it back.

You can turn data off on the device by going to Options > Mobile Network > Data Services and selecting OFF.

[Elbeano]

Originally Posted by Motorcycle Mama

You can turn data off on the device by going to Options > Mobile Network > Data Services and selecting OFF.

Done and done - that alone will prevent my plans minutes from being used up then?

[R.O.C.]

To have the blackberry on the account without the smart choice plan, you would need to have the blackberry feature on the account. Not sure why they didn't add it or why they didn't tell you that you needed it.

[vdelvec]

No, because you already HAVE a data plan on your bill now because ALLTEL won't allow you to activate a BlackBerry without one. So there is no need to do this because BlackBerry's will NOT eat anytime minutes. The BlackBerry is just like any other phone out there; as in it ONLY uses minutes when you make a call.

Data and Voice minutes are two totally different things. If you have the BlackBerry you have VOICE & DATA so there is no need to disable anything.

[Elbeano]

Originally Posted by vdelvec

No, because you already HAVE a data plan on your bill now because ALLTEL won't allow you to activate a BlackBerry without one. So there is no need to do this because BlackBerry's will NOT eat anytime minutes. The BlackBerry is just like any other phone out there; as in it ONLY uses minutes when you make a call.

Data and Voice minutes are two totally different things. If you have the BlackBerry you have VOICE & DATA so there is no need to disable anything.

We don't have that plan though, we have the 'Greater Freedom' plan - ie NO DATA hence my concern

[kch50428]

Originally Posted by Elbeano

We don't have that plan though, we have the 'Greater Freedom' plan - ie NO DATA hence my concern

If you bought that blackberry at a 1 or 2 year contract price, it locked you into a SmartChoice plan for one or two years. The rep that changed your plan screwed up. They should not have changed your plan. A nightly audit will catch it, and put the plan back.

[Elbeano]

I didn't purchase the blackberry from Alltel - I got it from my cousin and Alltel activated it, switching our plan to the data plan. We want to go back to our old plan...

[kch50428]

That makes a difference... but really - isn't the whole point of a Blackberry its data features? No data on a Blackberry is like leaving a Ferrari in first gear.

You should be able to have your old plan back. Matter of fact, you shouldn't have had to change it in the first place - the rep should/could have added the BIS data feature to the plan.

[R.O.C.]

Originally Posted by vdelvec

The BlackBerry is just like any other phone out there; as in it ONLY uses minutes when you make a call.

Data and Voice minutes are two totally different things. If you have the BlackBerry you have VOICE & DATA so there is no need to disable anything.

Actually, when someone doesn't have either a data plan/feature on their account, accessing the web will take away from their airtime.

But with a BlackBerry, you need to have either a Smart Choice Plan, or if you bought the BlackBerry off contract, then you would need the standalone BlackBerry feature...

[Elbeano]

the browser is sub par and not really worth the spike in our bill - all I really needed was a full keyboard and something with access to document viewing - the blackberry filled that role well enough. I'm holding out for our local Alltel to switch over to Verizon before we change plans (which is apparently sometime in October)

So all I need is a temporary fix to this issue and no one can seem to give me a straight forward answer - neither Alltel or Verizon reps can even agree on what exactly will happen with my phone after we switch.

[digitard]

Eventually Alltel will most likely disable your phone, or add the Blackberry phone automatically. Just an FYI.

They audit the system, and when a BB ESN is detected and doesn't have a BB feature code (either from SmartChoice, or stand alone) they will either suspend your phone and force you to add the feature, or change the ESN to a non-BB phone or they will straight up add the feature on your account and you'll have to deal with it.

Just an FYI.

[tsguy52]

Originally Posted by Motorcycle Mama

BlacBerry devices use DATA not minutes. And you cannot have BlackBerry device activated on Alltel without a Data Plan. Even if you cancel the data plan, the nightly audits will automatically add it back.

You can turn data off on the device by going to Options > Mobile Network > Data Services and selecting OFF.

If there is not data feature on your line, then it will use minutes.

Data is billed in MOU (minutes of use) with Alltel rather than Megabytes like Verizon Wireless.

So a Blackberry without data feature will use minutes. Trust me - I know for a fact.



To the OP:

You can technically activate a Blackberry with Alltel if the rep is shady enough to let you do it. The phone will be taken off eventually or the data features automatically added for you. This is not a smart move and you're better off just adding the BB feature for $45 on the line.

[R.O.C.]

Originally Posted by Elbeano

the browser is sub par and not really worth the spike in our bill - all I really needed was a full keyboard and something with access to document viewing - the blackberry filled that role well enough. I'm holding out for our local Alltel to switch over to Verizon before we change plans (which is apparently sometime in October)

So all I need is a temporary fix to this issue and no one can seem to give me a straight forward answer - neither Alltel or Verizon reps can even agree on what exactly will happen with my phone after we switch.

Ok... To repeat what I said earlier and to what tsguy said, if you add the blackberry to your current plan (which won't change since you're not buying the phone on contract), the rep should tell you that the blackberry feature MUST on the account. Now, the rep may be new, or shady or may just not know what he/she is doing, but if the feature isn't added, then when ever your phone accesses data (which is quite frequently with BlackBerrys), it will be taken out of your minutes of use. But really the BlackBerry shouldn't be added without the data/blackberry feature, so it is possible that if the account gets audited, then the service may be interrupted....