[gotblackberry]

As many of you know today is a big day for Verizon Wireless as many different changes across many different aspects of the business have been changed, discontinued, or modified. It ranges from pricing plan changes to discontinuing of certain programs. It is important that cellular companies stay on top of the ever changing cellular market so that they can differentiate themselves from the competititon and continue to remain competitive. Building and expanding networks, providing customer support both in store and over the phone, giving concessions, all costs companies money. As the economy and financial atmosphere change in this country and around the world corporations to be able to stay in business while still providing a good customer experience.

The changes that took affect today are as followed:


Price plans: Single Lines.

• Verizon is simplifying their price plans. Going from 40 variations down to 14.
• Plans have been re-named from Nationwide Basic and Nationwide Select to Nationwide Talk and Nationwide Talk & Text respectively. The Verizon Wireless Connect & Premium plans have been retired & grandfathered.
• New Unlimited Talk plans start at $69.99 to call anyone, on any network, at anytime.
• New Unlimited Talk & Text plans are $89.99 for Unlimited Calls, Txt and pix/flix to anyone on any network at anytime.
• The voice tiers for single lines will now be 450, 900 and unliimited. The 1350 plan will be discontinued/grandfathered.
• Friends and family will still remain for the 900 minute price plan.
• Unlimited plans are still not eligible for ELEU/CLEU (Corporate/Employee discounts).
• Nationwide Email, Nationwide Email & Messaging and Nationwide GlobalEmail plans have been discontinued.
  
• Lowering from a $99.99 unlimited plan to the $69.99 unlimited plan, will drop your NE2 amount from $100 to $50 or from $50 to $30 depending on when your last upgrade was. I'm not sure if this is working as intended, I will ask when I get to work next.
• Customers can move up and down within inactive pricing..

Price plans: Family Share Plans (FSP)

• The Nationwide FSP Basic and Select have also been renamed to Nationwide Talk and Nationwide Talk & Text.
• There are no changes to the 700 and 1400 tier calling plans. The pricing structure remains the same.
• The 2100 minute tier plan has been discontinued and is now 2000 minutes.
• Friends and Family will remain for the 1400 and 2000 tier (as well as 2100 grandfathered plans).
• New Unlimited FSP Talk has been reduced from $199.98 to $119.99, a savings of $80 with additional add-a-lines being $49.

Price plans: Prepaid

• Prepaid have been changed to only be $5 more than postpay plans.
• 450 Minutes Prepaid Nationwide Talk monthly starting at $44.99 going to unlimited at $74.99
• 450 Minutes Prepaid Nationwide Talk & Text Monthly starting at $64.99 and going up to unlimited for $94.99
• Prepaid daily plans have not changed.

Data plans:

• The $19.99 75MB data plan has been discontinued.
• Verizon Wireless now has a $9.99 data plan for 25MB and it includes mobile email for free. The overage rate has been reduced to $.20/mb.
• Verizon Wireless introduced a $29.99 unlimited data plan + mobile email.
• Customers who are currently on old $9.99 plans will need to go online to update their plans today. Also customers who still have the VCAST VPAK ($15) will continue to be grandfathered.

3G Multimedia Phones:

• Verizon Wireless has now broken their phones up into three different categories: Simple Feature Phones, 3G Multimedia Phones and 3G Smartphones.
• 3G Multimedia Phones, like 3G Smartphones now required a data plan. This applies to any EVDO phone launched on or after 1/18/2010 and the following existing phones.
  
  • LG Chocolate Touch
  • LG Env3
  • LG EnV Touch
  • LG VX8360
    
  • Motorola Entice
    
  • Nokia Twist
    
  • Samsung Alias 2 (Does not require Nationwide Pricing)
  • Samsung Rogue
• 3G Smartphones include any phone with WebOS, Android OS, Blackberry OS, Windows Mobile all still require a $29.99 data plan for personal and $44.99 for corporate (BES)
• If you're currently on VPAK or $1.99/mb pay as you go (PAYUGO) mb plan and you switch ESN's to a like phone on the same mdn for warranty exchanges or an insurance replacement you can keep the PAYGO or VPAK feature. If you change ESNs to a different phone, or even a like phone for any other reason you must choose from the current data plan offerings.
• If you're currently on a data plan on one of the 3G multimedia phones that did not used to require it, you now may not remove it.

Early Termination Fees (ETF):

• As a result of the new phone categories launching 01/18/2010, the following devices will no longer have a $350 ETF for new and existing customers and will be removed from the advanced device list website for the $350 ETF effective 01/18/2010.
  
  • Samsung Rogue
  • LG Env Touch
  • Motorola Krave
  • LG Dare
  • LG Voyager
  • LG Versa
  • Samsung Glyde
  • Casio Exilim

[Kepeli]

Great post! I will have to peruse the VZW website to see what, if any, changes I need to make/prepare for.

[jlsparks]

Great breakdown of the changes. Thanks!

NOTE: @ 0124 EST 1/18/10 vzw.com is down. I assume they're moving the new info onto their production webservers....

[gotblackberry]

Yeah they said the website will probably be down until 4:00AM EST.

[chuckh0308]

Well darn, I was hoping that by the time we got official word there would be some cuts in the costs of the limited minute plans too. Oh well, at least I know it's only going to cost me $10 more when I do need to go back to an unlimited plan...

[faf224]

Family plan with four phones on the 1400 minute plan and we get JACK CRAP

[faf224]

Oh no wait we do get something, $9.95 x 2 added to our bill for 2 phones that are never used for the web.

Thanks Verizon.

[Nozzles Brewin]

Excellent breakdown, thank you for posting this

[tsguy52]

Oh no wait we do get something, $9.95 x 2 added to our bill for 2 phones that are never used for the web.

Thanks Verizon.

Did you even read the posts??

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jetman1287]

Sneaky.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Wireless Vet]

Oh no wait we do get something, $9.95 x 2 added to our bill for 2 phones that are never used for the web.

Thanks Verizon.

The 9.99 does not apply unless you upgrade to one of those phones.

[berryfit]

So if I have a ENV touch on my plan I have to pay an addition 9.95 as the post said any existing phone in the 3G category. Is that correct?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[berryfit]

I received clarification about any current 3G phone pricing for data.

Called and they said any phone on the listed in the OP ,that is currently on your plan does not change. You do not have to pay $9.95 for data.

BUT, if you say, break or lose the phone, and its replaced with one of these phones, or the one you had, you'll have to pay $9.95 a month for data.

That sorta bites if you ask me. I have two KIDS that own a LG ENV Touch and a Samsung Glyde. They do not use data, they are blocked from data...and lets face it, they're kids. There's a possibility they will break their phone at some point ,or lose it. I can understand a droid, or blackberry, but not a touch or glyde.

Im really going to have to consider this carefully. I love verizon ,but this could actually start costing more than the $210 a month I pay now for my family plan...

[kilofox#CB]

I certainly understand some people for feeling they are or will be getting shafted with the new data pricing.

However for myself. For practically the same price, I am getting unlimited voice minutes instead of 900 with my Storm 2.

I am happy for myself, but certainly understand other people's misgivings.

[Wireless Vet]

. I have two KIDS that own a LG ENV Touch and a Samsung Glyde. They do not use data, they are blocked from data...and lets face it, they're kids. There's a possibility they will break their phone at some point ,or lose it. I can understand a droid, or blackberry, but not a touch or glyde.

Im really going to have to consider this carefully. I love verizon ,but this could actually start costing more than the $210 a month I pay now for my family plan...

I have sympathy for those who basic phones, but not for parents who buy the caliber of phones that you bought for your kids. Those two phones are made for specific users. I think it's a joke that you bought them and then blocked all of their capabilities.

[IDsweetcheeks]

I'm trying to figure out where all the pi$$ing and moaning is coming from??
I just got done with the training and I dont see what the big deal is... I think they are great. Now I can afford to put my family on unlimited text and my blackberry and save even more than I was saving before when I was able to downgrade to 700min when my folks finally migrated to verizon last year. woot!

[dawnierae]

I have sympathy for those who basic phones, but not for parents who buy the caliber of phones that you bought for your kids. Those two phones are made for specific users. I think it's a joke that you bought them and then blocked all of their capabilities.

+1
Sorry, but as the parent of a teenager, I think having a cell phone - while certainly a matter of convenience for ME - should be considered a luxury for a teenager, particularly if they aren't footing the bill. As such, I consider having one of these "cool phones" unnecessary, and as far as I'm concerned, if they don't want a "basic" dumb phone, they can pay for the cool phone themselves, and all that comes with it - including additional charges assessed by the carrier. Welcome to the real world, kids...stuff is expensive. Get used to it.

[p08757]

Great information. Thanks!

[berryfit]

+1
Sorry, but as the parent of a teenager, I think having a cell phone - while certainly a matter of convenience for ME - should be considered a luxury for a teenager, particularly if they aren't footing the bill. As such, I consider having one of these "cool phones" unnecessary, and as far as I'm concerned, if they don't want a "basic" dumb phone, they can pay for the cool phone themselves, and all that comes with it - including additional charges assessed by the carrier. Welcome to the real world, kids...stuff is expensive. Get used to it.

There are other features to these phones as well. And they did pay for them themselves. Lets see, the Samsung Glyde was $29.99 and the Env Touch was 49.99 for his upgrade.

Im not out giving these kids data becasue I am a responsible parent and before flaming me for MY choices, and for not liking the fact that verizon changed its data phone types really isnt for you to question..is it.

I had a straight forward comment about the changes. You don't like my choices, which arent bad choices, then comment on someone elses post morons! lol...

[berryfit]

If a phone is replaced for fru or Insurence (on above list) they will not be required to add data cause they are grandfathered in. If you purchase a device on the list then your agreeing to the charges and features for that phone.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Actually, the rep told me if the device is replaced with a 3G device on the list, even if it is replacing a phone on the account before teh change ,it will have to have a data package added...spoke to them this morning.

As long as you have the SAME phone you purchased BEFORE the 18th, there will be no mandatory data package added. But ANY change to the phone will automatically be charged the data price of $9.95.

[TrendyProfessional1]

I currently have 3000 min with 5 lines.......
I asked the rep did they do away with the 4000min plan
his statement to me was this. The new pricing planse are for new customers.
Existing customers will be able to move up and down within the old pricing
structure.
But as an existing customer if u go under the new pricing u get the 30day worry free with that. After the 30 days u will not be allowed to go back.
So for right now I will be staying put...................

My reasoning is this under the old structure with the amount of lines I have I am better off with 9.99 per additional line. So right now the old pricing works for me especially with the 10 friends. So existing customers no need to worry unless u decide to go under the new pricing

[TrendyProfessional1]

Actually, the rep told me if the device is replaced with a 3G device on the list, even if it is replacing a phone on the account before teh change ,it will have to have a data package added...spoke to them this morning.

As long as you have the SAME phone you purchased BEFORE the 18th, there will be no mandatory data package added. But ANY change to the phone will automatically be charged the data price of $9.95.

Now thats good to know.........................

[tech_head]

I see the forcing of a data plan as a cash grab, plain and simple.
There is nothing to prevent them from blocking data if you don't want to surf the f'n web on your phone.

Some people just like the look and feel of a particular phone.
I don't want to pay for data on my daughters phone when I get her a new phone.
She won't use the web, she texts.

Funny how just about every phone with a keyboard is now a 3G phone.
An extra $9 for nothing.

Sorry, but they do suck.

[dawnierae]

There are other features to these phones as well. And they did pay for them themselves. Lets see, the Samsung Glyde was $29.99 and the Env Touch was 49.99 for his upgrade.

Im not out giving these kids data becasue I am a responsible parent and before flaming me for MY choices, and for not liking the fact that verizon changed its data phone types really isnt for you to question..is it.

I had a straight forward comment about the changes. You don't like my choices, which arent bad choices, then comment on someone elses post morons! lol...

And if you don't like someone posting comments about your choices, then don't post them on a public forum...moron.

[gotblackberry]

So if I have a ENV touch on my plan I have to pay an addition 9.95 as the post said any existing phone in the 3G category. Is that correct?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I received clarification about any current 3G phone pricing for data.

Called and they said any phone on the listed in the OP ,that is currently on your plan does not change. You do not have to pay $9.95 for data.

BUT, if you say, break or lose the phone, and its replaced with one of these phones, or the one you had, you'll have to pay $9.95 a month for data.

That sorta bites if you ask me. I have two KIDS that own a LG ENV Touch and a Samsung Glyde. They do not use data, they are blocked from data...and lets face it, they're kids. There's a possibility they will break their phone at some point ,or lose it. I can understand a droid, or blackberry, but not a touch or glyde.

Im really going to have to consider this carefully. I love verizon ,but this could actually start costing more than the $210 a month I pay now for my family plan...

You're not forced to add the data plan unless you change to one of these phones. If you currently have a 3G multimedia device and it breaks and you replace it with insurance/warranty you do not have to add a data plan. If, however, you upgrade your line and give your env3 to one of the other lines you would have to add a data plan.