Megabyte Scam
I was happy with my use of minutes for mobile browsing but was switched to this megabyte charge scam, she told me it was better bc I save $5 a month. I literally went online to check the baseball score on ESPN 4 times in 3 days... no downloads, nothing... cost me 1.99!
If I return my new every 2 and revert back to my KRZR (it has been less than a week) will my contract revert back to expiring in October?
Is there a chance these scumbags let me go back to my old plan?
I assume with the new phone it renewed my contract?
If I return my new every 2 and revert back to my KRZR (it has been less than a week) will my contract revert back to expiring in October?
Is there a chance these scumbags let me go back to my old plan?
I assume with the new phone it renewed my contract?
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no... you can't switch back to AC pricing unfortainatly... The $5 you were saving was on "mobile web"... the new Nationwide pricing includes mobile web, however, instead of using min for mobile web/GIN, etc you are charged for the data.. this is 1.99/MB. Verizon is the last carrier to move to this sort of billing system and is definitly the cheapest.
On a side not... VCAST ($15/month) eliminates the MB charges all together... so if you're using more than 7.5 MB of data i would encourage you to add VCAST
On a side not... VCAST ($15/month) eliminates the MB charges all together... so if you're using more than 7.5 MB of data i would encourage you to add VCAST
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Checking ESPN a few times a week is definitely not going to justify $15/month.
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well.. if you'd decide to read the whole post i said if she used 7.5 MB of data i would suggest VCast... so compare apples to apples would ya.
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By the way sprint charges like $15 for the same amount of usage I think.* And it would actually be if a customer used 7.01 mb or more because it rounds up at the end of the month.
Use #data to check your data usage.
I have not verified this recently.
Use #data to check your data usage.
I have not verified this recently.
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1.99 in 3 days instead of 5.00 a month
and i barely even went online..make for 3 minutes
and i barely even went online..make for 3 minutes
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The thing that you have to keep in perspective is that it charges you $1.99/MB. If you're logging on to check ESPN once a day, I seriously doubt you'll use 1 MB. Even if you use 2 MB, you're still coming out ahead. The thing is that if you log on to Mobile Web at all, then you get charged $1.99. I'm willing to bet that your bill will drop by a few bucks because of this switch.
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That's right. When they do the data calculations, it rounds up to the megabyte. So even if you use 20kb worth of data, you will still get charged to the nearest MB which is $1.99.
If you do end up using more than $5, get VCast. Besides, with VCast you can use ESPN MVP ... which is a sweet app that I use all the time.
If you do end up using more than $5, get VCast. Besides, with VCast you can use ESPN MVP ... which is a sweet app that I use all the time.
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It shows on my home page something like .76 mb usage... then when I click into it it show .12 kb here .24 kb there..
If I log on to ESPN to check the score and leave the env2 open and click refresh instead of loggin in and out does that save megabytes?
If I log on to ESPN to check the score and leave the env2 open and click refresh instead of loggin in and out does that save megabytes?
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I have no idea if that would save download space or not. It's worth a try, I suppose.
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1 MB equals about 100 mobile web pages viewed. I think just hitting refresh would save use less since you aren't going to the home page, then ESPN, then the game you want. That makes the most sense to me.
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it says .76 kb when I go into the usgage... but on the main page it shows 3/4 megabyte
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It rounds to nearest MB, you probably could have used alot more and still been within the 1.99. A MB on average is 100 mobile web pages, which is a great value compared to other providers.
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I'm confused as to why you are so upset by this. Previously you were spending $5/mo for mobile web and now it's included in your plan you just have to pay for MB usage. So you spent $1.99 instead of $5. Looks to me like you saved $3. It also sounds like the agent told you everything about the plan so you knew what you were getting. This is a much better way to bill for the usage, we were the last carrier to convert over to this. You can also receive pic messages in extended network and still access mobile web and get it now. I don't see where the big problem is, you saved money and also have more features available more often.
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He's used very little Mobile Web time, and he's already at .76 MB. If his current trend continues, he'll be way over $5/month and be losing out on the situation.
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Maybe I don't understand megabyte usage ---
Doesn't it charge 240 kilabytes every time I log onto ESPN?
For example I was in a meeting late last night and logged in 3 or 4 times to check the score....cost me about half a megabyte to do that.
Total time usage was prob 90 seconds.
Doesn't it charge 240 kilabytes every time I log onto ESPN?
For example I was in a meeting late last night and logged in 3 or 4 times to check the score....cost me about half a megabyte to do that.
Total time usage was prob 90 seconds.
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VCAST is currently free for one month, so go ahead and get it added on. At the end of this free trial period, dial #PMT and see what your total MB usage was. If it is over 7.5MB, keep the VCAST on, if not, remove it.
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He's still jumping from $5/month to $15/month. Switching to VCast is not a good option.
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Just call in to customer care and ask them about adding VCast. They should give the first month for free.
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Oh boy.. customer care .. we historically haven't gotten along.. Do they still keep you on hold for 45 minutes?
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I was with Verizon for 4 years. I think my longest hold time was 5 minutes. I don't know what you're doing wrong.
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I have a bit recommendation for you ... if you think we are scumbags, and treat us as such when you call for help maybe that's why you don't get along with us. As the old adage says, you catch more flies with honey ...
On the other hand, regardless of how badly CS Reps are abused by customers ... AND WE ARE. We should still do our best to provide a professional, and courteous experience. However, sometimes, the customer WILL not allow it!!
On the other hand, regardless of how badly CS Reps are abused by customers ... AND WE ARE. We should still do our best to provide a professional, and courteous experience. However, sometimes, the customer WILL not allow it!!
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Dude, get the sand out of your vagina. The particular rep that he worked with made a suggestion telling him that it would save him money. It doesn't save him money. In fact, he has to spend more money because of it. I'd be pissed too.
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Previously you were charged minutes of use. On a lower plan that could be as much as $.45/min This saves all minutes for voice and there is no charge for $5 mobile web. So he is saving $5 plus he could potentially go down to a lower plan which would save at least $20. Get vcast and he is still saving $10/month.
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To clarify, customer service doesn't actually control the addition of the free V Cast Vpak. It's automatically added by the system as a promotion, and the system only adds it if you've never had a free trial before.
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Like it or not, he is now on a Nationwide price plan, so what I suggested is the best thing he can do in his situation.
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Thanks for calling us scumbags ... God, why are people so nasty? Besides, if you were doing it before on the Mobile Web, it would have cost you 5.00 per month, sounds to me like you are saving money.
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i agree with you about the scumbag stuff... no need for that here... but i will say that if you read the entire post that she claims to have used 3/4 of a MB in just 3 days... that's on pact for 7.5 MB for the month... so vcast is 15 when she is used to spending 5. It sucks, but it is what it is.
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I think it was a bad idea to get rid of the $5 Mobile Web option to begin with.
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They should still allow the $5/month Mobile Web + airtime option. That's better for some people.
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If you have to spend $15/month for Mobile Web, why not just get an HTML phone for the same monthly charges? It's stupid to charge that much money for something that's meant to be a watered down version of the internet.
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well its no secret that 'airtime' charges are better for some people.. frankly lots of them, especially when you consider unl N & W use.
However, the MB pricing does add value to VCast and gives it a boost in adding it as a feature.
However, the MB pricing does add value to VCast and gives it a boost in adding it as a feature.
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But it's crappy for the customer base. I thought that when they made the change a few months ago. I never really understood VCast to begin with. The whole streaming TV and music thing just seems stupid to me.
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understandable... accept that 'vcast' wouldn't be for you in that case... it wouldn't neccisarly be "silly" for everyone else.
As for the customer base, some gain, some lose... that's why i said "it is what it is"
People on older ACII plans CAN upgrade and not change to MB pricing, but if they wanna go up or down in min then they need to be changed. Sometimes policy is policy and ya just gotta go with it, cuz its still the cheapest data rate out there.
As for the customer base, some gain, some lose... that's why i said "it is what it is"
People on older ACII plans CAN upgrade and not change to MB pricing, but if they wanna go up or down in min then they need to be changed. Sometimes policy is policy and ya just gotta go with it, cuz its still the cheapest data rate out there.
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T-Mobile has a Mobile Web option which is unlimited for $5.99 so no, it's not the cheapest option out there.
I just think that Verizon should have kept the old option for people that benefit from it instead of forcing everyone over to the new one (except for grandfathered plans, of course). Let the market dictate which plan works better.
I just think that Verizon should have kept the old option for people that benefit from it instead of forcing everyone over to the new one (except for grandfathered plans, of course). Let the market dictate which plan works better.
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well market dictation and cost effectivness are pretty much contradictory... and i meant the data rates/MB are the cheapest
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robtheman said:
T-Mobile has a Mobile Web option which is unlimited for $5.99 so no, it's not the cheapest option out there.
I just think that Verizon should have kept the old option for people that benefit from it instead of forcing everyone over to the new one (except for grandfathered plans, of course). Let the market dictate which plan works better.
Since when does the customer (ie market) decide whats best for them? This is Verizon not ATT. Verizon knows whats best....Customer be dammed. Just enjoy your clear reliable calls and shut up....
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Really? i wasn't away you got to decide how you were billed for your data on ATT.. you ***** @@@ M*&^%$ F&&&&&&& I$$#$#%
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60dollarcarcharger said:
Really? i wasn't away you got to decide how you were billed for your data on ATT.. you ***** @@@ M*&^%$ F&&&&&&& I$$#$#%
I DID get to decide... I chose $15 for UNlimited DAta, GPS included....ANd I chose my phone, my GUI, my Nav program, how many minutes I bank each moth and my 550 minute non ontracted $49 shared plan...YEp I chose to have 2000 minutes to use anytime I need them without furthere charges, I chose not to call Customer Service becasue I don't need to for anything anytime......
Id say have a ton of CHOICES......
Now lets hear what VErizon lets YOU chose....
NO wait I know. They allow ou to choose the color of toilet paper you use to wipe their butts (as lon...
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VZW has loyalty plans but you gotta be a loyal customer first.
I'm sure Sprint gives you better plans when you stay with them longer too (or threaten to leave)
I'm sure Sprint gives you better plans when you stay with them longer too (or threaten to leave)
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I allowed myself to be talked into changing from the original America's Choice plan (ACI, not ACII) when I recently upgraded my two phones.
The reason that I never wanted to switch to ACII was that there were (and still are) many areas in the US where ACI could roam but ACII just had NO SIGNAL. That was true when I visited Yellowstone Park a couple of years ago.
I've found that the 100-pages per megabyte at $1.99 per megabyte is almost a joke. There's no way that I hit more than twenty or thirty pages (no images or ads that I can recall) before using up $1.99 last month. In fact, I was only experimenting with Mobile Web two or three times at no more than three or four websites.
The reason that I never wanted to switch to ACII was that there were (and still are) many areas in the US where ACI could roam but ACII just had NO SIGNAL. That was true when I visited Yellowstone Park a couple of years ago.
I've found that the 100-pages per megabyte at $1.99 per megabyte is almost a joke. There's no way that I hit more than twenty or thirty pages (no images or ads that I can recall) before using up $1.99 last month. In fact, I was only experimenting with Mobile Web two or three times at no more than three or four websites.
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If you're browsing the Mobile Web pages that're accessible from the portal, then you should generally get 50-100 pages within one megabyte. If you're actually typing in URL's to external content, then yeah...50-100 just isn't realistic. The claim is still valid, seeing as how there are a lot of people who use Mobile Web entirely by browsing the available portal links.
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Clarification:
When I wrote "There's no way that I hit more than twenty or thirty pages (no images or ads that I can recall) before using up $1.99 last month." I that meant I went over the single megabyte and incurred an additional $1.99.
When I wrote "There's no way that I hit more than twenty or thirty pages (no images or ads that I can recall) before using up $1.99 last month." I that meant I went over the single megabyte and incurred an additional $1.99.
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If you're concerned about the MB usage, then just avoid it altogether.
For sports scores, just send a quick text message to google.
Here's some more info:
http://www.google.com/mobile/sms/index.html# »
For sports scores, just send a quick text message to google.
Here's some more info:
http://www.google.com/mobile/sms/index.html# »
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Considering the fact that the megabytes round UP if you use .01 of a MB or a whole megabyte, you will be billed 1.99 either way. Using mobile web you can view 50-100 pages for the 1.99 charge per month depending on your phone. So....if you were paying 5.00 per month for mobile web just to check a few sports scores only, you just saved yourself 3.01 every month on the new megabyte billing! Congratulations!!
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For the record, this isn't a scam. Really, I fail to see how you could possibly be reacting in this manner. Sure, there are pros and cons to megabyte pricing, but the pros easily outweigh the cons.
Data sessions no longer cut into your minutes, and trust me when I say that it's less expensive to pay megabyte charges than it is to pay overage rates for minutes-of-use for the same amount of usage. Besides, it doesn't even make sense to measure data usage in units of time, especially when you consider just how inaccurate it is. How so? Well, your minutes are always rounded up in full minute increments. As such, you can use several minutes worth of data in a single minute, believe it or not. Not sensible.
You don't need to pay the monthly ...
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Data sessions no longer cut into your minutes, and trust me when I say that it's less expensive to pay megabyte charges than it is to pay overage rates for minutes-of-use for the same amount of usage. Besides, it doesn't even make sense to measure data usage in units of time, especially when you consider just how inaccurate it is. How so? Well, your minutes are always rounded up in full minute increments. As such, you can use several minutes worth of data in a single minute, believe it or not. Not sensible.
You don't need to pay the monthly ...
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kevinski said:
But yeah...it also means that people who get bored and - for some reason - browse ringtones for hours at night are now gonna get slammed with massive overages. Get a data plan.
and thats your reason.
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If he was within his 30 days, why would he not be able to revert to his old plan if he returns everything. Am I not understanding the worry free gurantee?
If I were the OP, I would call and see what you can do.
If I were the OP, I would call and see what you can do.
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Looks like I created a hot topic here
The scam is bc I work all day and only really used the web for nights and weekends when the data was "unlimited"
I filed a complaint with verizon.com the day I started this thread.. was promised resolution in the 24 hour range... think it's been over 2 weeks now with nothing..
Real shocker -
The scam is bc I work all day and only really used the web for nights and weekends when the data was "unlimited"
I filed a complaint with verizon.com the day I started this thread.. was promised resolution in the 24 hour range... think it's been over 2 weeks now with nothing..
Real shocker -
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If you filed a complaint with VERIZON.COM, you may not ever get a resolution. Try VERIZONWIRELESS.COM.
"Real shocker" lol
"Real shocker" lol
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it was verizon wireless..... oh well -- don't have time or patience.. will just pay more and more
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I completely agree that this is a huge scam. I have 5 lines of verizon service and get charged $1.99 per line every month, and the total amount of net used between the 5 lines is always under 1MB. It seems like the second your phone connects you are auto billed for a MB.
$1.99 isnt much, but lets assume that out of the millions of customers that verizon has, 1/3 are getting billed this charge for just connecting, thats what some 20 milllion customers at $2 a shot, means that verizon is raping america for 40 million dollars a month, 480 million a year, for just using what should amount to pennies worth of internet charges.
$1.99 isnt much, but lets assume that out of the millions of customers that verizon has, 1/3 are getting billed this charge for just connecting, thats what some 20 milllion customers at $2 a shot, means that verizon is raping america for 40 million dollars a month, 480 million a year, for just using what should amount to pennies worth of internet charges.
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They round up to the next Megabyte, so even if it's .001 MB to .99 MB, you will be charged $1.99, its that simple
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First of all please were talking about $1.99 not $1999.99 or something. Unless you are a computer engineer how can you really say how much MB you used. If you not happy don't use it. If you revert your NE@ back within 30 days you go back to the contract you had. Just return the phone.
If you change your plan they can have a special department restore your previous plan back if you do it within 30 days. Remember the worry free guarantee.
Finally just because you don't see images does not mean they are there.... Are there images on ESPN.com when you look at home? Just because your cell phone may not show the images due to the browser on the phone this does not mean they are not there.
I just checked www.espn.com and there is about .2...
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If you change your plan they can have a special department restore your previous plan back if you do it within 30 days. Remember the worry free guarantee.
Finally just because you don't see images does not mean they are there.... Are there images on ESPN.com when you look at home? Just because your cell phone may not show the images due to the browser on the phone this does not mean they are not there.
I just checked www.espn.com and there is about .2...
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Not true -- they told me if I don't change plan I won't get 100 credit every 2 years. I would only get 50.00 -- Truly amazing
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As for the NE2 my point is if you upgrade and use the NE2 credit yet you would only be eligibal for the $50 or $100 next time depending on plan. If you return the phone and cancel the Ne2 upgrade you would get the $100 next time since it would be as if it did not happen. They will either fix it in the system or notate in the system to offer another $50 when upgrading.
Yes the new plans only offer $50 if you on a plan lower than like $79.99 so be careful.
First how do you get $480 million? At last check VZW had 70 million users since Altel is not final yet. That would be 70 x $2 is $140 million. Still a high number but only a fraction of those users use mobile web at all.
If people are not happy they could block data and be done wit...
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Yes the new plans only offer $50 if you on a plan lower than like $79.99 so be careful.
First how do you get $480 million? At last check VZW had 70 million users since Altel is not final yet. That would be 70 x $2 is $140 million. Still a high number but only a fraction of those users use mobile web at all.
If people are not happy they could block data and be done wit...
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Completely Correct that it is only $1.99, but once again, spanned over a year with only a third of customers being billed $1.99 for only a few KB of usage, Verizon has made 480 Million dollars, but hey, that only 480 Million dollars right.
As far as "switch back" goes, do you really think that Verizon didnt understand the odds of customers that would "switch back", sure they did, they know that the average consumer doesnt want to call into customer service over $1.99, cmon, we are not talking about sprint customers.
I think that it was an incredible business decision to make that change, it very well may also be the subject of a class action suit similar the way termination fees being prorated was.
I am not disputing that verizon i...
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As far as "switch back" goes, do you really think that Verizon didnt understand the odds of customers that would "switch back", sure they did, they know that the average consumer doesnt want to call into customer service over $1.99, cmon, we are not talking about sprint customers.
I think that it was an incredible business decision to make that change, it very well may also be the subject of a class action suit similar the way termination fees being prorated was.
I am not disputing that verizon i...
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