Rogue First Verizon Feature Phone to Require Data Plan

That wont work. The excuse is; "customers are using Data and do not want to pay for it". Meaning smartphone users with no Data plan using the Data feature.

However, lets take what you said and expand on it. How about if you don't get Data the Data feature is blocked on your phone. If this gets in the way of MMS so be it. Include MMS as part of the Data plan. Also, as you mentioned, no Rebate. Then of course the reverse as you mentioned also applies.

Or, the Idea I had from the start was, How about giving them a Option? Mandatory Data "OR" Mandatory Unlimited text? I can see a lot of people understanding the need for 1 of the 2 as apposed to Just Data. I can see a lot of people accepting the Unlimited Text and I can see this whole "We don't have a choice" thing going away.

You could also put them both together. SO the end result could be;

OldPhone & asLeepLessman said:
Mandatory Data OR Mandatory Unlimited Text on all Smartphones, however, without the feature/s you do not get the mail-in rebate and the feature is blocked? If you add the feature/s and accept the feature then it stays for the life of the contract. If you opt to not accept the feature/s, you do not get the rebate and the feature is blocked, and then it is up to you?

Basically, if you want the phone at the discounted price you will have to get Data OR Unlimited Text. If you opt not to take the rebate, you can pay full price for the handset and not only not get the feature but have the feature blocked until you so decide to get it.