On Jan 5, 2:59*am, Jon <J...@Cebridge.net> wrote:
> Pegleg wrote:
> > On Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:07:00 -0600, "tscottme" <blahb...@blah.net>
> > wrote:
>
> >> What is supposed to be the improvement between the dataplans or what doyou
> >> find at the Vzw web page about the dataplans?
>
> > Definitely go to web site and make a comparison, reading the fine print
> > very carefully!
>
> Differences from what I can remember:
>
> 1. *Better Roaming
> 2. *Instead of $5 for mobile web, its $2/MB UNLESS...
> 3. *Use VCast VPak for UNLIMITED data usage (true unlimited, not
> 5GB/month cap, thats for Blackberry Data Plans only)

There is another difference that the representatives do NOT tell you
about... (and I only found out accidentally while reviewing my bill
and noticing odd, recurring data charges).

Here's some background info: Under the America's Choice plan, using
the Get It Now application to simply VIEW this listings (not purchase,
mind you, view), the usage was being charged as a data call, which
would subtract from your available monthly minute allotment Now,
because of this, Verizon was inundated with upset customers who
wondered what the 'data calls' were for and why their minutes were
going up in smoke. So, to appease the customers, the America's Choice
plan was discontinued and the Nationwide plan came along, wherein such
VIEWING of the Get It Now content listings was no longer deducted from
the minutes, but is now charged per megabyte. (Now, a sane person
would think that just VIEWING the listings of applications that a
customer may purchase would be free, but that's a different topic.) By
the way, they don't tell you about this change ... it just happens.
Adding insult to injury, they round-up to the nearest MEGABYTE.
Viewing a Get It Now listing is a few kilobytes at the most, and they
charge $1.99 per megabyte. So, I could pay $1.99 for 0.01 KB. Just
imagine if the Internet was billed that way....

This is a perfect bait-and-switch. The bait is the unlimited txt/pix
to and from all other carriers, and the switch is this insane data
charging.

Now, if they were to INFORM the customer of this change, that would be
a start. What would really fix this would be to give the customers a
choice: for those who barely use their monthly minutes, let us take
the hit in minutes for viewing Get It Now. On the otherhand, those who
max-out their monthy usage, should choose the per-megabyte option.

I'm going to light-up the forums with this... perhaps see what John C.
Dvorak over at PC Magazine thinks.