Our New Verizon Data Plan -> Signed, Sealed & Delivered
Talk about a crazy month for mobile data!! Those of you who follow the RV Mobile Internet Resource Center Newsfeed will already know that on 16th Oct Millenicom announced that all their accounts have been “acquired” by Verizon. We got an e-mail from Millenicom a few days after the announcement and looks like e-mails are slowly trickling out to the rest of the their customers as we speak. This announcement is firm and it affects ALL Millenicom customers.
Bottom line is that Millenicom is no more. Your Millenicom account, if you had one, is now “owned” by Verizon and there’s going to be some kind of transition plan/announcement coming out sometime (in the next week? month?). At this point we do NOT know WHAT Verizon is going to do to these accounts or even WHEN they will announce what they will do. Will they continue the same $90 for 20GB pricing deal? Or will they force customers onto one of their (more expensive) existing plans? Nobody knows. Once again RV Mobile Internet did a good update on all this HERE.
So, my point of view is simple. Since Millenicom is out of the picture and we were planning to upgrade our data bucket anyway, I wanted to lock in the special “double data” deals that are happening this month with the direct carriers before they’re gone. At this time there are no better options out there & I no longer saw any reason to wait. So, this afternoon we signed up to the 40GB “More Everything” deal (no contract) that I detailed in my Oct 3rd post. After many years with MVNO’s we are, once again, direct Verizon customers. Honestly don’t know how I feel about that, but the deed is done.
A few “special” things we did for our switch, in case it helps others:
1/ We Bought A Phone On eBay
We decided up-front that we wanted to enter the modern age and buy a {{gasp}} iPhone. But we didn’t want to sign a long-term contract with Verizon and we didn’t want to pay full price for a phone either, so our goal was to “bring our own phone” to the account. This way we don’t get locked in, we get a cool phone we can use anywhere, we can cancel Verizon anytime if a better deal shows up, and we save cash in multiple ways:
- We pay less for the phone -> used phones always cost less and for what we bought (an iPhone 5S) used pricing is ~$200 less than the brand new versions. Since the iPhone 6 just came out there are tons of these older phones on the market right now.
- We pay less to ADD the phone to our plan -> When you “bring your own phone” on the bigger (>10GB) “More Everything” plans you pay only $15/mo to add the phone instead of $40/mo. Over a 2-year contact term this means you save $600 in fees!!!!! That’s the cost of a pricey phone right there!
Now, for those of you who’ve never bought on eBay there are a few things to think about before you go this route. Many phones are “locked” to specific carriers, and some phones may even be “blacklisted” (e.g. stolen or lost phones) which means they cannot be activated. These are scary things for newbies. So, here’s how to get around this:
-
eBay has tons of deals, but do your homework… Make sure the phone ESN is clean -> Never, ever buy a phone that doesn’t specifically say “Clean ESN” in the listing, no matter how good the deal looks. A Clean ESN ensures your phone has not been reported stolen, lost or has an unpaid balance on it. You can also “ask a question” and get the seller to verify this, but you MUST require a clean ESN. Without this you won’t be able to activate your phone! As long as it’s explicitly spelled out in the listing you have the ability to get your money back if it turns out not to be true. Once you get the phone you can double check the ESN is clean HERE or HERE.
- Make sure the phone you buy can be used on the carrier you want -> Different carriers use different technologies (GSM, CDMA, LTE etc.). Also, some phones are “locked” to specific carriers. So if you buy a “Sprint iPhone 5S”, for example you WON’T be able to activate it on Verizon. But interestingly enough, if you buy a “Verizon iPhone 5S” you’ll be able to use it on ANY carrier (except Sprint) ‘coz Verizon iPhone 5S’s are multi-tech and always come “factory unlocked”. How do I figure all this out???? It can be complicated and honestly, the easiest way is simply to buy a phone that lists the carrier you’re planning to go on. So, if you want to use the Verizon network, buy a phone that says “Verizon” in the listing. If you want to use AT&T, buy a phone that says “AT&T” in the listing. This is super simplistic & narrows down the choices, but it’s easier this way and will work for all the newer model phones. It ensures the phone you buy can actually be used on the network that you want to use it on.
-
Only buy from 5-star rated buyers Only buy listings with real pictures & excellent feedback -> The listing should have real pics of the phone (not generic pics from the internet) and positive feedback should be 100% (or very close to it). Check the detailed seller ratings of every listing you look at.
- Be patient & bid at the end -> Don’t be too eager to jump at the first deal out there. Take some time to watch bids, get a feel for pricing & figure out what you can get. Also, be aware that most of the bidding on eBay happens in the last 15 seconds of the listing, so it makes no sense to bid early. Narrow your choices, set your tagets and bid in the last minute. With patience you WILL find a deal.
Using this method we got a 2-week old iPhone 5S 32GB for under $400 ($600 new). This is a factory-unlocked phone and can be used on AT&T, internationally or even Straight Talk (if we ever decide to go back). The phone looks brand spanking new, activated without a problem on Verizon & works like a charm.
2/ We Bought An After-Market Accident Insurance Plan & Case/Protectors
Since we spent the big $$ on a phone we decided it was a worthy investment to buy an after-market insurance for it too. My biggest worry is dropping the phone or spilling something on it so I wanted something that covered those things, specifically. Unfortunately Square Trade, the most popular after-market insurance for phones does not offer accidental damage if you buy a used phone (do not get suckered into buying them for used eBay purchases!) and I had a helluva time finding one that did. Enter Worth Ave Group. These guys will insure for accidents, spills, theft & drops with $50 deductible on any iPhone, used or new. They get very good ratings too. One year cost $54.
For extra protection we also bought a nice case for our phone (this LUVITT case) and some good screen protectors (these TECH Armor ones). We’re very happy with both.
3/ We Re-Used Our Millenicom MiFi
Since the Millenicom MiFi which we had (4620L) was a Verizon-based device it was no problem to “port” it back to Verizon direct. All I had to do was give them the IMEI number (underneath the battery behind the device) and ask them to send me a new SIM. Take out the old Millenicom SIM, install the new Verizon SIM and we’re good to go. The SIM was free & it’s no contract. The MiFi cost $20/mo** to add to the plan.
**Note/ We *could* have avoided this charge. Our phone has hotspot capability, so one way of saving money (and some folks do this) is simply to hotspot your phone and run all your devices off that. However we like the ability to have separate devices and don’t want to be worrying about our internet going off-line if one of us leaves the rig with the phone. It’s just a convenience thing and for $20/mo we’re OK with that.
4/ We Did NOT Sign A Contract
I mentioned this above, but it bears repeating again. Since we “bought our own” devices to the Verizon plan we did NOT have to sign any kind of long-term contract. So, we can change/cancel/switch our Verizon plan anytime we want. The mobile world changes so much (and so fast) that we absolutely wanted to keep this flexibility. This way, if we find a better deal next month or 6 months from now we are free to ditch Verizon again and sign up elsewhere without any penalties.
The entire activation/port process to Verizon took around 30 mins on the phone. It was pretty painless although we did have to go through a few different people (sales, porting service) as well as a credit check. That’s it folks!
What Should YOU Do???? I support the advice given by the RV Mobile Internet team which is that you should set a date for a decision and then act on it. We don’t know if Verizon are going to extend the Millenicom deal, but they might. Those holding the 20GB plan and who want to stick with 20GB might want to wait and see a little longer. For those folks who were looking to upgrade their data buckets anyway it might make sense to just go ahead and do it (and if you go non-contract like us you can always change your mind down the road). The double-data plans will be available through Oct 31st, so any decisions you make should be done before then.
Sooner or later Verizon will find a way to phase out old plans and replace it with a lesser for more money.
Not enough competition out there to help control costs.
Yeah, I believe that will eventually happen too. When is anyone’s guess. BEST case I think Verizon will offer to extend Millenicom customers the same pricing deal they have now ($90 for 20GB). WORST case they will force them onto existing Verizon plans (which will cost more). I can’t imagine they would give them a BETTER deal than what they currently have, but I guess I could be surprised. This is all speculation from me at this point.
Nina
Got a question about phone service in and around Yellowstone. We are finally making our plans to visit there next June (Can’t wait!
I’ve not had any personal experience there, but you can always check coverage directly on the carrier sites (for example Verizon’s check is HERE at bottom of page). Or, you can buy the Coverage? App on iTunes and use that.
Nina
We were at Yellowstone July 2013, and found (for Millenicom Mifi on Verizon network)-
at Colter Bay CG, Grand Teton, we got cell signal with an antenna booster,
– at Baker’s Hole CG (near W.Yellowstone) we had cell signal OK.
– Don’t know about actually in the park though.
Thanks for that Dave’n’Kim!!
We were at Yellowstone in Sept of this year and we had a decent signal even without the booster at Mammoth CG, probably due to its proximity to Gardiner.
Thanks again for a timely blog. I had heard about the temporary Verizon and AT&T offers but not about Millenicom accounts moving to Verizon. I have yet to hear from Millenicom on this, and I just checked their site–they are still selling the 20 GB data plan. That seems a bit deceptive. I guess nothing lasts forever.
Bob
Well, I think this whole thing came as a bit of a shock to Millenicom, so they may not be getting everything off-line as quickly as they should. I think that if you actually tried to buy one of their devices it wouldn’t let you complete the transaction, but I might be wrong. The news is trickling out…slowly.
Nina
Thanks so much Nina for this post. I was wondering what was going on. Guess I’ll be do some homework this week 🙂
Yup, you’ve still got 12 days to figure everything out. I’m hoping Verizon comes out with an announcement for all the Millenicom customers before the end of the month, but I’m not counting on it. It could take a while before they figure out the transition plan.
Nina
I have Verizon. I called them when I heard about the double data plan. I was able to cut my More Everything plan in half, kept the same amount of data AND they threw in a loyalty discount for 12 months! So, any of you out there who already are Verizon customers – I would call in and try to make a deal.
Excellent! Very happy to hear it worked out for you!
Nina
I made the switch to Verizon today. My Millenicom MIFI was in suspended mode pending the start of our Winter snowbird journey. I already had two smart phones on a 4GB Verizon shared data plan. The bottom line is I upgraded the bandwidth to 40GB per month (up from a previous total of 24GB). The monthly cost will be within a few dollars of the previous Millenicom + Verizon total. The only significant additional cost was the $35 one time line activation fee for the MIFI. It appears that the double bandwidth promotion all the carriers are offering for October may signal increasing competition and perhaps lower future prices.
Sounds like a sound decision. I’m definitely hoping this competition will carry on…lower bandwidth pricing would be a huge benefit to us all.
Nina
Oh gosh.. I so love your Verizon Pacman graphic.. perfecto!
Thanks for sharing this out with your readers, and for documenting your process of reacting to it. Mobile internet consumers have a lot to consider this month.
Yeah, I had fun with that graphic…shows you what a nerd I am 🙂
Nina
In whole world. data plan is unlimited for all mobile plans starting from $40USB
North American monsters as Rogers and Verizon still eat our money…
Well I certainly agree that pricing is cheaper elsewhere in the world (it certainly was when we lived in Hong Kong), but those spots don’t have quite the same size of country to cover. It takes quite alot of $$ to install towers all over the US. My hope is that competition & expansion of new tech will help to reduce costs as time goes by.
Nina
V and AT&T sold their towers for billions and lease off them. They needed the money to buy spectrum.
Biggest expense is wireless spectrum not towers. FCC about to do major auction for the spectrum the TV networks just abandoned when they went digital.
Fiber and equipment infrastructure is quite expensive too. Billions and billions.
The wireless industry is in a real catch 22. The more they drop prices and increase data plans, the more traffic they will experience thus clogging the wireless highway. And with lower prices, the less money they have for capital to meet the demands of more data usage.
Should be an interesting next few years.
It could be that V will maintain the Millinecom brand name in order to compete price point wise with entry level smartphone users that normally go to Sprint or T Mobile.
That’s what AT&T did when it bought Leap Wireless last year and is now selling lower priced data plans under Cricket yet uses the same AT&T network.
Could be. That would be a very good outcome for Millenicom customers.
Nina
Thanks a million for the eBay info. I’ve been thinking about going that same route to get a gently used smart phone and had no clue at all about how to cover my a** if/when I decide to bid on one. Your ongoing posts about mobile data life are greatly appreciated!
Glad it was helpful! This was actually our VERY first time buying a used phone in eBay (I’ve bought and sold other stuff, but never phones) so I did ALOT of research before I felt comfortable bidding and buying. The experience ended up great, so I think it’s something we’ll continue to do regularly (whenever we need to upgrade phones) in the future.
Nina
I like your “big red” pacman too! But as far as Verizon now seamlessly “owning” our accounts, I think that’s a bit optimistic. Given Millenicom’s track record, their final insult was simply selling our valuable names and phone numbers to VZW. So those who happen to get called by the 31st—and wise souls like yourselves who made the first move—will have uninterrupted service. Everyone else will receive a rude awakening around November 1 when their jetpacks suddenly stop working. Mark my words!
It’s a possibility and one of the reasons I recommend everyone have a solid plan in place before the end of the month. We honestly don’t know if Verizon will continue the service or just terminate it. They told Millenicom they would do a seamless transition, but who knows…?
Nina
As best we know, Millenicom did not sell our names to Verizon. There is no indication that there was a financial transaction involved.
Now, as to if there will be service come Nov 2… that’s an entirely different, and valid, question.
And just to add onto this, I support what Cherie said. There’s no indication this was a sell-out. In fact all indicators point to the fact that this was Verizon’s decision (to shut down Millenicom) and that Millenicom had very little choice in the matter. I’ve actually been very happy with Millenicom for the past several years and will be sad to lose them.
Nina
Sad to lose the cheap internet, for sure—but that’s all. What are all these “indications” that VZW is solely to blame for this latest in a string of Millenicom fiascos? Because Castle said so?
Well this is some behind-the-scenes stuff, but basically this move came totally unexpectedly on Millenicom’s side. They’ve been forced (in response) to layoff people and pretty much shut down the company. Internal discussions and so forth on this, but I’ve been pretty convinced this was not something they wanted.
Nina
Thank you Nina for your replies (and for not simply deleting that caustic post)!
I had heard that the recent Pantech bankruptcy dried up their only source of Jetpacks, so they were losing thousands a month by not being able to collect the lucrative $165 from every new customer. But them are the breaks; no business wants to lay off anyone. But I still suspect Millenicom dug its own hole, and all Verizon has is a valuable customer list—not the hostile “acquisition” suggested by the two vague emails (neither of which I have yet received). I hope I am wrong and we have a seamless Halloween transition—but I am not holding my breath.
Well no doubt there is more to this transaction than either of us will ever know…nitty gritty details…blame on both sides and such. I too hope for a smooth transition, but I honestly don’t know. I’ll be very interested to see if Verizon gets around to contacting all the M customers before the end of the month.
Nina
I heard that legislation was signed by Pres. Obama to make locking cell phones illegal. You are supposed to be able to go to different carriers with them.
Not quite. The law that was signed made unlocking cellphones LEGAL, but did not REQUIRE all cellphones to be unlocked and usable on all carriers.
http://www.cnet.com/news/president-signs-cell-phone-unlocking-bill-into-law/
Before this law it was sometimes an “iffy” process to get your cellphone unlocked. Now, you can do it with no worries. However not all cellphones CAN be unlocked and used on all carriers. That’s where you can have a “gotcha”.
Nina
And I’ll give you a specific example to illustrate. The Sprint iPhone 5S comes “locked” when you buy it. Even when “unlocked” it can only be used on Sprint or *outside* the USA on GSM networks. This is because Sprint’s version of the iPhone 5S doesn’t support all the same frequencies as the iPhone 5S made for AT&T or T-Mobile or Verizon. So the tech just isn’t there, even if it’s “unlocked”. In other words, you can “unlock” the phone but you still can’t use it on either Verizon or AT&T.
Here’s a detailed table that shows the iPhone 5S info for each carriers and which ones can be used on other carriers:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1637205
Make sense?
Nina
We have a great AT&T plan for our phones that we are satisfied with. We do not want to change. Do you know if we can move our Millenicom Jetpack to Verizon without a phone plan?
Yes, I believe so. Verizon does offer “data only” plans, although they are somewhat more expensive than Millenicom. At this point we do not know if Verizon will extend the Millenicom deal, or ask customers to convert to one of their in-house plans, but there should be some kind of transition happening which will allow you to keep your service going. Also you *should* be able to use your existing Jetpack and just get a new SIM from Verizon to activate it although there is a chance that you’ll have to buy a new device too. At this point we just don’t know for sure.
Bottom line…there WILL be an option to do “data only” with Verizon. We just don’t know what the exact details will be (device options, cost etc.) until Verizon tells us what they’re going to do with the Millenicom accounts.
Nina
You did an excellent job throughout this whole cycle explaining exactly what you were (are) doing and why. Even though I don’t need the data, I enjoyed your clarity.
I also enjoy your blog articles and save most indexed on Evernote for future reference. Thanks!
Happy the article was clear (took a while to write!). Not everyone is interested in these details, but hopefully it helps those few folks who are in the midst of all these data wars & changes.
Nina
As long as my old Droid and FoxFi teathering keep working I’ll stick with it. I’m 2 years out of contract with Verizon with an unlimited data plan grandfathered in. Hope I don’t have to start over any time soon. But I am looking forward to a better signal once I leave the North Rim. Great info for me to keep in mind.
So far the old “grandfathered” unlimited plans are safe. No way to know what Verizon will decide in the future, but for the moment there is NO need for you to do anything different.
Nina
And advice? We have our phone service (2 phones) with AT&T because we’ve been grandfathered into their unlimited data plans. We use our phones to stream movies, tv, etc. Both phones are under contract.
We have a 20G Millenicom account. The Verizon pricing you noted above, 40G for $150, e.g., is not available to Verizon mifi-only customers. We were in a Verizon store on Friday and one plan I remember was 20G for $130/mo (included $20/mo line access fee).
Because my wife and I each run our own businesses and travel full time in a RV we purposely wanted both AT&T and Verizon service so we could always have some kind of phone/email access – though it’s unusual when AT&T has better service than Verizon. But still, there’s the unlimited data thing.
Hard to know what exactly to recommend. If you decide to keep your AT&T phones (which I completely understand) and you want to keep Verizon data too, then you basically have 2 options:
1/ You can wait and see what happens with the Millenicom accounts. Verizon *might* extend the Millenicom deal, or they may force you onto one of their “data only” plans. The Verizon “data only” plans will definitely work for you, but they will cost more. For example current offering is $110* for 16GB ($90 data plus $20 access fee), $205* for 30GB ($185 data plus $20 access fee). You can see the pricing details by selecting an “internet device” as the 1st option in this link:
http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/consumer/shop/shop-data-plans/more-everything.html
2/ You can sign up to one of the “More Everything” deals with a cheap phone (which you’ll never use -> you just buy one and use it to sign onto the plan) and then add the MiFi onto that. If you sign-on this month you’ll be able to grab one of the “double-data” plans which could be alot cheaper for you depending how much data you need. For example using this method you’d only pay $165* for 30GB ($130 for the data, plus $15 for the phone, plus $20 for the MiFi).
*Plus taxes & fees
Those are the options I can see for you. The bigger your data needs, the more option #2 makes sense. Play around on the website link & you’ll see what I mean. You’ll have to decide what makes more sense for you.
Nina
This is all quite fascinating. Since we’re not on the road for awhile I have our Millenicom Mifi ‘suspended’ and was assuming I could just pay a ‘reconnection fee’ ($15?) – but perhaps now, by the time we do hit the road again (next year?) we’ll just have a chunk of useless electronics too uneconomical to reactivate and will have to start all over again to get mobile internet!
Yeah, really no idea what Verizon are going to do with these accounts. Hopefully you’ll be able to reactivate and use your MiFi when you need it, but we just don’t know for sure.
Nina
Nina,
You did such a good job with this topic, really great. I found it very interesting even though we don’t FT and need that data.
I hear rhat Google may provide the competition your seeking. They are testing other spectrums and are touting 200k speeds. They are doing a tests in CA. Should get real interesting.
Thanks again for all that time you put in on this.
New spectrum will definitely open up competition a bit. Initial offerings will probably be local-only to begin with, but perhaps they’ll become nationwide in the future.
Nina
Also, with the iPhone CDMA (Verizon) technology, one will need a MIFI hotspot anyway due to the fact one cannot talk on the phone and be connected to the internet at the same time.
That’s generally true, although the newer phones models have multiple antenna’s to overcome this problem. The iPhone 5S (the one we bought) does not which is definitely a limitation (and another reason keep a separate device for home internet), but iPhone 6 does. Some newer Android models do too.
Nina
I have no need at all your information but I read it closely anway… thats what I do. I just wanted to salute you for doing such a good job presenting the data so others who may not be as cell phone plan astute may be assisted. Good job.
Thanks! Navigating data plans & phone plans is complicated stuff, so hopefully this helps out a few folks.
Nina
I have not received the Millenicom email yet as of this writing. Whether I get or not at this point is immaterial since I accidentally discovered the news when checking 3G Forum. Now from a business perspective, I would imagine that within a day or two, Millenicom customers will receive an email from Verizon of what the options are including usage rates, sim card, billing instructions, etc. I would also hope that Verizon would set up a special 800 number or extension so that one would know they are talking to someone who has full knowledge of the Millenicom purchase. Since the current billing cycle ends on the 31st it would be prudent to have all options laid on the table ASAP by Verizon.
Hopefully that’ll be the case. We’ll see. They still have another 10 days to get that message out.
Nina
So just to clarify, you had no problem getting the iPhone at the $15 BYOD price and your total VZW bill is now $150+15+20 = $185 per month?
Yes, that’s correct. Total is $185 with taxes & fees added, of course (I don’t know that exact number yet…I’ll see it in the next bill). I had no problem getting the $15/mo BYOD price on the phone and no problem getting a new SIM (free) for $20/mo on the old Millenicom MiFi.
Nina
And just to be super clear. The way Verizon does it is they put $40/mo on the bill for the phone portion and then add a $25/mo discount. They do it this way for both EDGE and BYOD. Net ends up at $15/mo & I got confirmation that was what I’d be paying.
Nina
Nina, what a great couple of post you have created to help so many of us. JOB WELL DONE- Thanks!! However, we can’t seem to get to the sme price as you did 🙁 We have talked with two different VZN reps and both stated we would have to pay $40/mo for our BYOP. I questioned about $15/mo on the BYOP, but they kept saying $40/mo and had no clue about $15/mo. What wording did you use in order to get the $25/mo discount to bring the phone rate to $15? Don’t know if it matters that we have a iPhone 4s phone or not, which is on a VZN pre-paid plan currently. Any help would be gretly appreciated. Thank you.
Sadly it seems Verizon are only applying this $15/mo deal to NEW customers. See the long comment from Sue below. She tried to get the same $15/mo deal that I got, but was told she wasn’t eligible because she’s an existing customer (which by the way, I think is hogwash). All I did was open an account and I got the deal, but looks like old-time Verizon customers are not able to get the same benefits.
Nina
Thanks Nina for the additional info. Looks like we will be stuck with the $40/mo, but guess that cuts 5 bucks off. Then with my husband being a military veteran he is eligible for a 15% discount. :). Hopeful going with the 40G plan we will be set for awhile. Enjoy reading all your post; your full of knowledge and its a pleasure your willing to share it. Hope one our paths will cross. Cheers!
It was my understanding that most carriers limit the data that can be used on a tethered device, so the 20, 30 or 40GB limits were not actually valid in those circumstances. We plan to go fulltime in a few months and do all our work online so it is a real concern. Does Verizon explicitly allow it or could they charge overages or even pull the plan at some point claiming misuse? Or is it just not a concern?
Nope. That used to be the case, but it’s not anymore. With the “More Everything” plans you can tether or hotspot as much as you like right up to whatever data limit you’ve bought. Verizon explicitly allows it.
Nina
Great simple to read write up, thanks!!
We have AT&T for my wife (and her Mom is on that plan too), with grandfathered in unlimited data. (We have never used it to share as a hotspot, as to add that feature would ‘change the plan’ and thus she’d lose the unlimited data. Ways around this if we wanted to, but have not needed to as of yet.) For those that are AT&T and grandfathered in, my understanding is that you can upgrade (if it is time for this on your account) your phone without losing your grandfathered unlimited data. We’re looking at the iPhone 5S for her, at a still to be validated $100 cost, plus I think a $20-30 one time fee to swap over to the new phone. And yes, this is an extension of the contract by two years. But that is not problem for us, as with her Mom on the account, we’ll be keeping this AT&T account for the near future. We’re going to go into one of their stores to validate the upgrade costs and not lose the unlimited data, as in the past, that has not been the case. We bought her current iPhone 4S without AT&T assistance, to retain this data plan. So validation is important:)!
I have a Verizon plan, also grandfathered in with unlimited data. We were finally able to get the hotspot plan added for $20 per month without losing the unlimited data. So I retired our Millecon account about 8 months ago. I bought my current Motorola RAZR M from Craigslist, and looking for a newer replacement one now.
Great write up on the Ebay route. Another option is the local Craigslist route. Many of the phones that you see for sale on both Ebay and Craigslist are from people getting free or low costs upgrades by contract extension, and then selling the new phones for a profit.
If someone is going the Craigslist route, I recommend meeting at the store front (Verizon, AT&T, etc.). Go in together before changing funds, and have them validate that the ESN is clean, and the phone is not locked. (Or if that is not possible, insist on the phone ESN and call the carrier to confirm it is clean, or check the links Nina included.)
One other tip on insurance, is for those with homes and home owner insurance – check with them to see if damage to your phone may be covered. And if it is, which deductible it would fall under. Our State Farm on our now ‘vacation home’, covers damage to electronic equipment under a $200 deductible. So this is how we are covered.
As mentioned by other responses, lots of moving pieces in the wireless world are going on. No contract is key (my Verizon account is on a no contract basis) to remaining flexible for the changes ahead. Another moving piece, still shaking out, is AT&T purchasing of Direct TV.
Bookmarking some of the links provided by Nina and staying in tune with all of these changes, is both fun (in a geek sort of way), and could be advantages to you on short window of times options (like the double your data plan one today).
Best to all,
Smitty
All good info Smitty! Thanks for the comment & extra tips.
Nina
I don’t know how you have the patience to do all this research but we all appreciate that you share the knowledge. It made my head hurt just to read the article today :>)
But thank you !
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge on this topic. I know it is very time-consuming to do all the research you did–thank you for your generosity.
I just tried to do this with Verizon and they told me they DO NOT have any access fee other than the $40 level if i bring my own phone. If I buy a new phone under the Edge plan they will give me a $15. Discount off th $40. So it will be 25. We already have our service with Verizon and our iPhones are o longer under contract. We weren’t planning to upgrade them. Can you tell me how you got a $15. Access fee for a smartphone?
I would call again. I got the $15/mo fee as soon as I told them I was bringing my own phone & that price applies to all “More Everything” plans above 10GB/mo.
They even have an article on their website right here:
http://www.verizonwireless.com/news/article/2014/02/more-everything-plans.html
And here’s the paragraph that applies:
“Bring Your Own Device: New customers who want to experience the nation’s largest and most reliable network can add any smartphone they already own to a MORE Everything plan for either $30 or $15 depending on the data allowance they choose. When a customer brings his or her own smartphone, it must be compatible with the Verizon Wireless network.”
So, if they won’t take your word for it, refer them to their own article.
Nina
Thanks Nina. I’ll try again. Maybe since I’m not a “new” customer they are giving me the runaround. Will read your attachments and give it another go.
Could be. As long as you’re out of contract you could theoretically cancel your entire contract, and sign-up again the very next day with a “bring your own device” to get the $15/mo. So, they SHOULD give you the same price, even if you’re an existing customer. They may fight it, but they should give it to you.
NIna
Oh and just to add onto this. Another approach is to try asking for the $25 discount for “bring your own device”. The way Verizon handles the phone fees on their bill is that they charge $40 access, but then they APPLY a -$25 discount to get the NET $15/mo fee. So, maybe if you approach it as a discount you’ll have better luck.
Nina
Note that many of the Verizon reps don’t know the correct information to tell you. Yesterday I called the Verizon Customer Service line and specifically asked about the $40 access fee, and I too was told the lowest was $40. But as Nina has indicated, there is a discount of $25 on the $40 fee. (with data plan >10GB) I guess the reps just don’t get told that. My rep said she checked with her supervisor. I finally got correct info from Nina and later from a VZ company store. Keep fighting them!!!
Good point Don. And thanks for confirming you got the deal too.
Nina
I can see I am mighty late to this party but just want to say THANKS AGAIN! You’ve once again provided invaluable information clearly and in detail right down to the answers to all the commenters. So helpful! Maybe it does pay to be a bit late. Look at all I learned.
Thanks for your help. Round 2 with Verizon today, I’m told, the bring your own phone deal is ONLY for new customers, or the edge program. We are not eligible because:
1. we are current customers for 20 years
2. since our 2 IPhone 4S phones are no longer on a contract, we are not eligible for the edge plan. It is only for folks that are still under current contracts and want to renew early.
3. Because we are eligible for upgrades under the standard upgrade, we are not eligible to buy under the edge plan.
4. We must be non Verizon customers for 30 days before we are considered “new” customers. That will, of course, bypass the end of October deadline.
4. They do not have any “loyalty” plans or loyalty discounts available.
5. So tomorrow I will try a Verizon store, in person. Then, if unsuccessful, will try to call back and get a different rep and then a supervisor. We are really happy with our 4s phones and weren’t interested in upgrading to the larger phones. As a last resort, I may, get the 115gb plan, and just put the ipad on it for now, and use its hotspot for the computer. Then move our cells to strait talk for 30 days, and see if I can get them back on later for the reduced price. Not much to lose with that plan. The worst they can do is continue to charge me the full $40 ea fee. And since there is no contract we can always walk.or downgrade our data back to its current 8gb. We are also looking at the AT & T plan, but since our ipad is verizon, and travels are mostly in the west we would like to stay with Verizon. I want to work through this first with Verizon. I think they are penalizing a longstanding customer with this, and I hope it can get resolved in my favor. Will post again when and if I can get this wrapped up.
Wow! Well thank you very much for reporting back. I personally think that’s incredibly discriminatory to long-standing customers. I’m just amazed that they won’t give you the same deal as new customers!
Do let us know how you get on.
Nina
Sue I have ONE more idea for you. Try calling the Verizon “retention line” and see if they will give the $15/mo price to you there. The retention guys are the last line of defense before you cancel service. They *may* be able to do something the regular reps cannot:
http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/myverizon/customer-retention.html
I’ve heard AT&T customers who’ve successfully gone this route (calling the retention dept to get special deals implemented), but I don’t know about Verizon. Sometimes you have to go thro’ the actual cancellation service to get the deal done.
Let me know if this works for you.
Nina
I find it interesting how the veracity and consistency of the info one gets (from Verizon) depends on what rep you talk to.
I was told last week that I could indeed “bring an already owned device” and get the $25 discount for a total of $15/line. Today, I was told nope, only if you buy something under the Edge plan.
Last week, I was told that I needed to settle on a device and data plan before they would work a deal. Today I was told that, since I could not even physically get an IPhone 6 before the end of the month but wanted to lock in the “doubled” data (assuming they are going to end the promotion), they would open the account, lock in the data part AND allow me to use my old MiFi device – for free of charge since was (way) out of contract! What I was told was that I didn’t even need the phones to open the account. The free use of the MiFi and ability to slow down the phone decision process is appealing to me.
All this was after I explained that we would not be at any fixed address to even receive the phones until mid-December. That seems like a pretty good deal – $130 for 30 gigs, very little extra fees (no real tax or charges on the data part of plans), use of my old MiFi (3G but that’s actually an advantage to me – self throttling data!) AND no big rush to acquire phones.
Of course, we have to keep using our old dumb phones at $30ea in the mean time.
I’d really love to figure out how to beat the “new customer only” requirement to do what you did and buy a used Iphone 5s on CL and still get the discounted price.
Another aside – Costco (who are now again selling Iphones) is offering a deal where you pay no activation fee AND get $100 credit off your bill if you sign up for the Edge plan. Per device! Plus you can get any of the new bigger data plans. Pretty sweet!
Thanks for your work on this, Steve
Wow! Talk about a run around. I too find it amazing that folks can’t get a consistent story out of Verizon. I DID hear from one long-time Verizon customer on a forum that he WAS able to get the $15/mo deal by ADDING a new phone (purchased at full price) to his existing account. He confirmed he got the discount on his new bill.
So, honestly I’m not sure what the real answer is here. Keep pestering Verizon until someone gives you the discount? Their policy is definitely not consistent or even clear.
Sounds like you got a sweet deal on the MiFi though. This is the first time I’ve heard of anyone getting the $130 price for data only…and without the standard $20/mo charge for the MiFi too!
Thanks for reporting back on your experience.
Nina
Great post…great info…and timely…I too am always amazed at how much research you share here and how lucky we all are that you do! As for the insurance…is their a time frame that you have to buy it…I am thinking about it for our new phones…
I don’t *believe* there’s a time-limit to buy the insurance plan, but I would call and ask when you get back. Most insurance plans require you buy them within a certain number of days from when you acquire the device. We did it within the week of getting our phone.
Also, since you’re buying new you *may* get some kind of plan from your provider? I would double-check this before buying an extra after-market insurance.
Nina
Due to my particular situation, I need to make a decision of future mobile internet service by this Friday. I called Verizon and their people have no info about Millenicom. I have never received anything from Millenicom notifying me that my agreement with them was canceled on October 11 (checked my profile). At least their web site is still up. So, after checking first with Verizon and then Best Buy this is what is available that will fit my situation. I want to stay with Verizon because overall they do have the best coverage and now with XLTE maybe the fastest data.
The plan that fits me is a 10 gig deal for $80 plus fees and tax on a 2 year contract. I can get a brand new jetpack from Best Buy for $1.00 that gives me the new upgraded 4G service. Other than the setup fee of $35 that’s it. A person has 72 hours to cancel for no cost and 14 days to cancel except for the $35. Yes the downside is a loss of 10 gig’s paying the same amount, however getting a new jetpack with the XLTE I believe overrides it. Friday morning is my time of decision. Whatever will be. will be. Oh, and they do have a larger gig deal, but this fits me and my monthly usage just perfect.
Note: The reason for Friday is I am flying to our winter abode in SoCal Saturday morning and in CA if I were to get the same deal as mentioned above, in CA one pays sales tax on the full retail price of the device and not the actual dollar I am charged here in MN. About 20 bucks added with CA sales tax.
Sounds like you’ve got a good plan. I do find it odd that some customers still haven’t received any communication from Millenicom. It seems really, really sporadic.
Good info on the 14-day cancellation by the way. That works for us too. If, by some miracle, Verizon comes out and offers a great deal for M customers, we can just go ahead and cancel the plan we just set-up.
Nina
Update…I went to the Verizon Store near where I live and they have the newest Jetpack model MIFI6620L, color screen, global, an extended length battery for $100, less a $50 mail-in rebate, XLTE ready. Signed on to 10 gig’s for $80 and with a 2 year contract. Now I have the flexibility if and when Verizon come calling with their Millenicom takeover plan with that 14 day return policy. On November 1st it will be very interesting to see what happens since Millenicom was a month to month plan.
On another Verizon note, I discovered that active and or retired military are entitled to a 15% discount with proof of service. What I do not know is what qualifies for the 15%, but the store manager scanned my DD214 into my account and told me it may take a couple of billing cycles to show up if the discount would apply.
Thanks for reporting back Jim…and also for the discount info.
Nina
I am confused about a few things on the phones. When I talked to the Verizon people about the jetpack and a smartphone they always said I needed two data plans. One for the jetpack and one for the phone. Has this changes? Can one use the jetpack and phones on the same data plan? At present I have two old nonsmart phones and the Millenicom jetpack that I use for data on the laptop. If I upgrade to smartphones can I use one data plan and use two smartphones and the jetpack on it?
I have several jetpacks that I used when just on Verizon and one for Millenicom. Can I get a new sim card for these. You indicated that you called someone to get this done. What is the phone number for this service?
Yes, you can have both on one plan. It’s called the “More Everything” plan. And yes you should be able to get a new SIM for your jet pack…that’s what we did.
Have a look at this link:
http://www.verizonwireless.com/vzw/landingpages/more-everything/
Nina
WHEW!
Saturday, Oct 25th: I made four (!!!!) calls to Verizon throughout today trying to set up the More Everything Plan with 40Gig of data, with a cell phone already in service with Verizon; one person told me it would cost in excess of $300! Two more had no more idea of what I was talking about. Saturday night I got another rep who fully understood and took care of everything, although I couldn’t get the cell phone charge reduced from $40 to just $15, but I elected to go with what I had at that point.
I’m OK, and saving about $40/month from now on…until things change again!
Thank you for all your good information. Hope to see you at Borrego this winter,
Mirrors my experience! Makes you wonder how big corporations stay in business with the lack of coordination and consistency. Puts big-box stores’ “not my department” customer service style into perspective.
Has any long-term Verizon & out of contract customer, going from a dumb phone to a smart phone but bringing their own device (CL or Ebay) gotten the $25 credit along with the better data plans? Would love to know the secret method.
Steve
Further Info: I made my order about 2 hours ago, and just got an email confirmation, stating that the monthly charges are going to be $280 per month, NOT the $210 per month that I was told.
You can bet I’ll be on the line with their offices Monday morning at 866-338-7390.
And I’ll cancel the order if they don’t correct this!!!!!
What a royal pain in the backside. I’m sorry to say I had the same thing happen to us. My e-mail confirmation did not match what they told me on the phone. It took me two more calls to correct it, but I did finally get the right price. I was hoping our case was an isolated experience, but looks like it’s s common problem.
Hope you get it corrected easily!
Nina
No shocking surprise for me! GOOD LUCK and keep us posted.
Monday, Oct 27th: I just called Verizon Customer Care, and they took care of the problem with no hesitation, changing the monthly fees back to a total of $210/month, vice the erroneous $280/month. Informed me I will be receiving an updated/corrected email confirmation.
I’ll be inspecting that email closely when received.
Thank goodness. Got to watch those guys like hawk. Hopefully you’re all set now.
Nina
Just found a msg on my Wifi when I was preparing to disconnect – said to contact Verizon at 800-233-8974 to avoid losing my Verizon service on (I think it was ) Nov 9th.
Called them and held for over 15 minutes, so maybe they’re either swamped with calls, or perhaps just not yet open.
Thanks for reporting that Bill. I checked my MiFi (with the old M SIM) and I’ve received exactly the same message. So, looks like communication from V is starting. I’ll be very curious to see what they offer.
Nina
Just heard from someone who got through. Verizon is offering the same deal as the old M accounts. Here’s what the poster wrote:
“The person I spoke with set up my new account at $99.00 for 20 gigs with a $10 discount(why the discount, I don’t know but I was not going to fuss with it 🙂 ) making it $89.99 again for the 20 gig!”
For those who want to stick with 20GB, this is great news!
Nina
Another report from another poster:
“Waited for 55 minutes on hold. They are offering Millenicom customers only same deal $89.99/month for 20 gig) if you sign a one-year contract. If no contract, then it’s $99.99/month. Once year contract is over it goes to $99.99”
Good news all around.
I’ve only been able to find ONE guy who was able to add a new phone to an existing account and get the $15/mo price. He was an existing customer, upgraded his plan to one of the double data deals and traded in his old out-of-contract iPhone 4 for a new smartphone. He got a $200 discount for the trade, but paid full price for the new phone (so, no subsidies). He got the $15/mo deal and confirmed that his bill was showing the discount.
So, basically this guy got the deal by adding a new phone that he paid full price on through Verizon. So, maybe the secret is to buy the full-priced phone directly from Verizon?
Sadly I have not heard of any existing customers getting the $15/mo deal for phones bought outside of Verizon (e.g. CL or eBay). I was able to get it as a new customer, but seems long-term customers cannot.
Nina
The plot thickens. Went into a VZ corporate store today to see if I could get an all-in-one, consistent and plausible story. The “Consultant” there gave me his knowledge of how the system works. Some of his information jived with what I had been told previously, some was totally contrary to what I’d been told by other reps and some brand new!
What he agreed on:
* Verizon is offering some pretty good data plans. (maybe not as good as the apparent replacement M plans)
* VZ has an Edge plan for buying new devices that qualifies for a discounted bill.
* The customer pays plenty of taxes and fees.
Where his info differed:
* He insisted that any smart device you bring to the plan qualifies for the $15 or $25 monthly credit (he even mentioned buying a compatible phone on CL or Ebay to put on the plan)!
* He said that taxes and fees apply to the discounted device fee ($25 or $15/month). This runs totally counter to what the VZ rep on the phone told me!
*He said he was absolutely sure that the Data plan was taxed & fee’d at its entire value – for a $130 plan, he estimated $20+ just for the taxes and fees! Other VZ rep said my taxes and fees would absolutely not be much more than I currently pay (about $12/month for 2 dumb phones and a MiFi that is on a Data Only plan).
* He said that as long as one is on a Data plan that they would be eligible for the discounted phone costs. Even after the device is paid off or if you bring your own. Other rep said you only got the discount for as long as you were paying off your phone.
What he said that was new:
* They are running a promotion for dumb/basic/feature phones = $20/month per device. If we wanted to stay with just our old (or acquired newer) dumb phones that would mean $45/ month (2X $20 + $5 access) for 700 minutes. If we weren’t thinking smart phones and wanted to go with a data only package that would be great deal. Unlimited Talk and Text have NO value to us. IF, you bundle the above into a regular Data plan, any phones are automatically unlimited talk & text.
* When I asked if we could sign up for a big Data plan now, continue to use our dumb phones AND use our current MiFi, he replied no problem. When I asked what would happen if we dragged our feet on getting new phones he said he didn’t think billing would ever care that we never got smart phones. The only downside he could see was if they dropped the Edge plan and/or stopped giving the discounted credit we’d lose out by not being signed up.
Soooo … according to his knowledge, we could:
* Get a big data package, say 30 GB for $130.
* Buy some cheap but newer than 10 year old basic phones.
* Pay 2X $20 for those = $40.
* Pay our MiFi fee of $20
* Monthly = $190 + Taxes & Fees
Ironically, if we found used smart phones for a good price, we’d save another $10/month with those on the plan! AND drop the MiFi since the phones would be the WiFi hotspots.
So potentially a net bill of $160 for 30GB, 2 (paid for) smart phones and WiFi through one or both of them.
A pretty sweet deal if it actually happens the end of the week when we commit.
We’ll see …
Steve
Phew!!! Talk about confusing data points from different folks. At least the discount portion was confirmed…and I’ve now heard from 2 guys that have gotten it w/ eBay phones. So darn it…it IS possible (as it should be)!!
The tax portion is interesting. My first bill was incorrect so I’m waiting for a new bill to come out. On my first bill they charged taxes on the full $40 (before discount) for the phone. Taxes/fees on the data potion was miniscule. I may push Verizon to see if they’ll re-issue my first bill so I can get a clearer picture.
Nina
Re: taxes
I’d rather pay taxes and fees on the full phone charge ($40 or $30) and very little on the Data portion than the other way around. Taxes on the discounted device prices but also on the data could be as much as $20 more/month!
“Off Topic” – I was think of you folks today. Visited St Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Lovely lighthouse there that they have just done some a bunch of work on. Staying at a tiny county park just outside the refuge.
Steve
Aaaand I have ONE more trick for those who are working on getting the BYOD discount. One of my readers who managed to get the discount got the proper system codes. These are called SFO or promotional codes. Apparently the stores cannot see them (?), but the corporate guys have them.
The SFO code is 19571 for over 10GB for $25 discount and 19634 for under 10GB for $15 discount
Just in case this helps anyone!!
Nina
My thoughts exactly.
I’ve had sprint since the beginning of time. I got it when I travel around the country and Hawaii for work, back in the ancient days of roaming. So far so good and it seems I have no reason to change. However I love to read posts like yours that are detailed about things Thanks for the in-depth report. Robbie
Sadly Sprint doesn’t offer the coverage we need esp. in the many rural areas we travel, but otherwise they offer some great cellphone deals (much better than either AT&T or Verizon). T-Mobile are in the same bucket -> great deals, but far too poor coverage outside the major cities/arteries. If we spent more time in RV parks (with WiFi) we might feel differently, but as it stands we’re pretty reliant on our plans. Glad Sprint works well for you.
Nina
First off thank you for alerting us. We read this as we went into a state park with no wifi. Days later we have to move to OK and made some decisions past.
We are stubbornly hanging on to our dumb phones so we are still paying $30 each, and we got the 30G data plan. Unfortunately, we were unable to resuse our wifi device, per your point # 3. The VZ rep says it still needs to be unlocked even when I told him to just replaced it with a new sim card. And to think we just bought the device just a few weeks ago. So now we have an extra almost new device that needs to be unlock by a company that no longer exist 🙁
Bottom line we were able to get the double data plan and we added our iPad in the plan for $10/mo.
We appreciate all the groundwork you did for all of us.
…and we never got an email from Millenicom.
Oh I’m so sorry to hear about your MiFi. From what I’ve read on the various forums there are a few people in that same weird situation…mostly folks who JUST bought the MiFi within the last few weeks. I don’t know what is different about those MiFi’s because pretty much everyone else I’ve talked to has been able to just pop in a new SIM and re-use it.
Hopefully Verizon will contact the M customers at some point and you’ll be able to reuse the device at that time despite this. It may take some time before all the M customers are in their system & they can actually do something about it. At this point the regular Verizon reps still don’t know we exist & don’t know what to do with us. So, give it some time & hopefully it will all work out.
Nina
By the way, just a thought. Have your tried taking the SIM out of your iPad and slipping it into the MiFi to see if it works anyway? This could be a good test.
Nina
Well I don’t know how I did it, but I just added two smart phones to my existing MiFi account and changed my plan to the 12(15)GB data plan, (More of Everything) AND I got the $25 discount on the two phones. A few day ago, I contacted a rep at the Verizon Store in Vernon Hills, Il. and she told me that I could add the phones, but at that time the phones had not arrived. (Ebay) Today, my wife went to the VH store and the rep added her phone, and I got an email stating that she got the discount. I then went to the Verizon Store in Yuma and activated my phone. (I’m now in Yuma) I did not ask about the discount, I just let the rep put the phone on the account. I then called the rep in Vernon Hills and she set up the discount, and I got the email. If anyone wants to talk to my rep, her name is Sara, and the number is 847-247-2300 ext 33. She’s really knowledgeable and nice too! Good Luck!
THANK YOU Don!!! You are actually the 2nd person in 2 days that has confirmed they got the discount with a phone bought on eBay added to an existing account. I just had another guy contact me yesterday afternoon to say that he got it too (although it took him 4 hours at the Verizon store!).
So…..it’s possible. Thank you so much for reporting back. Hopefully this helps some of the other commenters.
Nina
I used your advice and replaced a droid phone that was on its last legs with a lightly used Iphone 5S. I was already a Verizon customer under contract for a few more months so I did not wait to long as soon as I gor thew new phone I signed up for the 30G plan and it cost me 80.00 more a month than what I was already paying so I think I got a good deal more data for less money. 🙂
Thanks for the great article on buying the phone.
Excellently! So happy it all worked out for you!
Nina
I realize this is a bit late to the thread, but maybe others are also still working things out.
I thought I had painlessly worked it all out with Verizon today (new customer). And in most ways I did. The 15GB More Everything plan even went down $10 while I procrastinated ($100 = 15GB). I bought an iPhone on eBay (had the seller send me the needed numbers from it just in case it did not catch up with me in time (you know how it is when you are traveling – but it did get here yesterday), and the plan ended up being the $100 for 15GB, then $15 for the phone ($40 and supposedly then a $25 credit), and I opted for the additional $20 for the Jetpack I already own to be usable.
There was also a $35 activation fee for both devices. A new SIM is being mailed to me at no cost (or I could have gone into a store and paid for one). He did mention that he had to slightly hunt for a SIM, presumably because this is not the current mi-fi device (Pantech 46xx IIRC). Not sure if a local store would have had any problem with that. He did also confirm that the Millenicom SIM numbers meant it could not be re-used directly on Verizon.
Phone was activated successfully, and mi-fi SIM has not arrived yet (but Millenicom SIM is still working).
Does this seem like it all went too smoothly?
Well, there was one HUGE downside for me. When I initially called up they said they had to have my social security number in order to run a required credit check. I didn’t then have time to research it, but vaguely thought that was probably true. I detest giving that out, and normally know when I do and don’t have to. I did ask him if it would be used for ANYTHING else and he assured me it would not.
Fast forward to today, and I go to do the various “privacy” opt outs, etc. They seem to assume I know my password (I don’t). Another hour on the phone (I’ve been at this all day) lets me know that, how handy, they use our social security numbers to identify our accounts! Not only that, but until you change your password (which you cannot normally do for 30 days), it is your password.
I was able to find someone who let me change it right away (another hour on the phone), but she cheerfully let me know that no worry, they still keep the social on file and attached to the account “Oh no, don’t worry, we don’t use it at all, only as your account ID.” Well that’s really a lot like using it to my mind.
As far as I can tell (two more hours) the only way to maybe get rid of it is to cancel your account, and then *maybe* in six month it drops away (I’m skeptical). On the other hand, they assured me that they were a large company and would never have a data breach (I guess unlike itty-bitty companies like Target and Home Depot?) Maybe I’m the only curmudgeon who worries about these things, but I hate it when people use my SS number just because they can’t be bothered to assign me an ID number of their choice (I am usually successful in having them do this though – you just have to politely insist in most cases).
Obviously canceling the account now would be a huge pain/expense. I also confirmed that their prepaid accounts (no social necessary) only use the 3G network, which might not seem like a big deal for phone (vs. data) but the 3G coverage network is far inferior and so you’re back to “Sprint like” coverage – not good when traveling. In that case I would just keep on with my prepaid flip phone (non Verizon).
Anyway, perhaps some of this will be of interest to others who have not decided yet. Thanks to you, Wheeling It folks, for your fantastic blog!
This is very odd. I created a brand new account with Verizon when I got the new data plan. They did have to ask for my SSN for the credit check (which I expected), but I have not been asked for it since and it was certainly not used as my password when I signed up online. I’ve called Verizon a few times since and the main thing they ask me for is my phone number. I’ll have to pay more attention when I call back. Thanks for letting us know about your experience.
Nina
I have been asked for my SSN a number of times for credit checks and the like. Doesn’t make me feel any more uncomfortable than using the net for all our banking and money matters. Using it as your account number is a bit odd but isn’t that what Medicare accounts are based on?
As far as a password, I’m sure there is some mix-up and they will not use it as soon as you have a real pass-word.
My guess is that any organisation or company that uses your SSN to check your credit holds onto it so that they can then report your credit-ability back to the very same agencies they used to check it on. Otherwise the system would have to work in a vacuum that only sends info out but never receives any back.
Steve
nov 2. m still working.to the point of m selling or turning over our acct. to vz,i don’t think so ,because we was notified by vz through our hotspot only.no email or phone call.The msg was to act by the 8th of nov. or have no service.we now have our Phone serve with Cricket,no contract.We purchased a Nokia 630 windows phone for $50.00 with a 50.00 rbate .so the phone was free.They use att network and we tested the service and reception in miami and rural miami excellent reception.on the train from chicago to springfield and back also great reception.so far everywhere great reception even in rural illionois.we have unlimited talk and text with a 10g , 4g plan for $60.00 a month they also have 1 or 3 g with unlimited ph serve for $40or $50 a month.We love the Phone our last Phone was a samsung 3 ,we liked it,before that we had an apple 4 which was a very nice phone also.we did not like the fact that they where changing the cord thats why we did not purchase an apple phone.We like the nokia phone a lot pretty easy to operate and surf and so on.the only thing i don’t like about cricket,is that i you purchase a phone from them you are not able to tether or use your phone as a hotspot.If you bring an existing phone that has the ability to tether or works as a hotspot it is possible.I don’t quite understand how any of you are so willing to pay almost $200.00 a mo for Internet and then some of you talk about buying used Phone and saving $200.00 on the Phone and then you pay that kind of money just for Internet,what in the world are you thinking?thats why they charge so much because people are paying without hesitation that kind of money.We refuse to spend that kind of money on just Internet.I rather turn it off all together.this is our 2cents worth.hope you check out cricket we don’t have any ties to them ,but we like their service a lot.this is our 2nd Month with them they have an automatic payment plan,which i was going to sign up for and you be able to save $ 5 more a month but i missed the date and they turned my Phone off.I also missed the message they send me.I called them and paid them. my phone was on instantly with no activation fee.I have all my bills on auto pay from my Bank,so it was easy to miss the date.I don’t wan’t to offend anyone just my Thoughts
Happy traveling.
Thanks for sharing on your experience. Cricket Wireless is a great option for those folks who just want good phone service and don’t need a lot of data.
Regarding paying for Internet, many of us on the road rely on Internet for either work, or play. For us, it’s our primary source of making money and entertainment. Also, we boondock/workamp a lot and don’t really watch TV so money that would normally go to either of those endeavors (camping and TV) is saved and goes partially to internet. In the end the net-net of travel makes it worthwhile…for us!
Every situation is different, so what works for us may not make any sense for others.
Nina.
I can see where you are coming from. Yes, some of us do spend quite a bit of $$ on internet. A few comments:
* Apple cables are no different from any other phone or company. Companies change switch styles regularly. Between our kids and us, we have 2 different manufacturers and 4 different models and, yup, you guessed it – 4 different cables!
* Some us truly “need” internet, be it for work or other lifestyle reasons. Indeed, it the prime reason that many of are able life on the road!
* We are willing (read “have to”) pay for it because it is a commodity just like food, fuel and clothing. In the case of most of our terra firma living friends, they are using some form of fixed internet, be it cable, DSL or sat based. AND … paying for it. We just need a different form, i.e. through a cell provider.
* Lastly, speaking of needing, why do you need 10gb just for smartphone use? Seems like an awful lot with no tethering or hotspot capability. I’m sure it will work fine for you, just curious.
Steve
I got different information and offers from the 3 most common ways to interact with VZ (a Verizon corporate walk-in location, a Verizon affiliate retail store, and online @ verizon.com). I recommend visiting the Verizon corporate location. They seemed to be able to make and improve offers on the spot. The others read from a script.
I used to have a MiFi and a flip phone, but recently upgraded to a smartphone (welcome to the new millennium) . The current plans charge $20/month for a MiFi/Jetpack connection fee, but only charge $10/mo to connect a tablet. They *gave* me a Verizon Ellipsis 7 tablet with my new phone, so I use that as my mobile hotspot when I work on my laptop. The tablet hotspot is 4G, and holds battery charge much longer than the old MiFi did, and for half the price on the monthly connection. I prefer the tablet hotspot over trying to use the smartphone as a hotspot, also because of battery life constraints. Plus the phone warms up too quickly when functioning as a mobile hotspot.
Wow – that sounds great! I am tending to agree about visiting a corporate store for the best info … AND deals by what you experienced!
I do like the idea of a separate device as a hot-spot and am close to justifying a VZ cell capable IPad. When active, it would cost $10/month on my account but at the same time saves $10/month over the MiFi thus paying for itself in less than a year. You can always take those devices off your account whenever you want and just use ’em on WiFi.
Inquiring minds want to know —– More details please on how they “gave” you a tablet!
Steve
I have no earthly idea. It was back in early July in southwestern Ohio. While I’d like to think it was an irresistable response to my charming personality and/or my endearing sense of humor, it likely was just the VZ Deal-‘o-the-Day/Week/Month.
You can buy one from VZ for $50 on a 2-year contract.
Verizon bought out our company as well, but it has been years ago. At first I was not happy, but they do get Great service, which is the whole point of cell/internet anyways imo 😉
~> Thanks for the tip about making sure the phone ESN is clean, when buying on eBay. I have been wanting a new phone and have thought about eBay, but have been nervous about it. Recently, I bought a tablet off of Amazon via a private dealer. They said it was new, but when I received it, it was an obvious refurbished item that they tried to sell at full price :/ So, needless to say it makes me more cautious now buying high priced items online form individuals.
~>Great article! Enjoyed it 🙂
Nina: my timeline; I called Verizon last week (Oct.28th)and made the direct switch with the understanding that I would be getting the 20Gb plan for $99.99/mo. from Verizon, moving forward… where I use to pay the $89.99 from Millenicom… I said “OK” go with it… Well, I checked my Verizon acct on line yesterday (11/3) and noticed that the Jetpack had been added to my existing Verizon acct, however my data package still showed my acct only having 3Gb data limit… I called Verizon (special 1-800#) they gave us originally and they went into my acct and said to me “you are correct” device had been transferred, but, data limit had not been raised on my acct to add in the 20Gb for the Millenicom transfer. They said we will fix that right now AND by the way, before I do that, we have “special” going on until the end of business day on 11/4/2014 where you can get 30GB of data for $90.90 with no contract, etc…. Well; that was a no brainer for me; 20GB for $99.99 (orginal offer for Millenicom customers) or $30Gb special for $90.90… We signed up the latter yesterday…so, my point is. if we still have Millenicom “holdouts” out there that happen to read this post before the end of business day on 11/4/14, they might want to ask for this special and see if it is still running… it can be applied to their Millenicom transfer decision.
Maynard
Wow…that’s an outstanding deal for 30GB. Thanks for reporting back!
Nina
Was that a special deal for old Mcom customers only? Or can the rest of the world sign on? Any special codes you can pass along?
Thanks,
Steve
Just called VZ and they said if I had the “Plan Code” that you got it under, they’d look it up but … they have no knowledge of such a plan!
They (Maria) also said the 10gb/$80, 15gb/$100 & 30gb/$130 plans that were salted to die tomorrow night are now listed as no expiration! Her feeling was that they were the new standard plans in data world until a new device comes out or something else happens.
Like AT&T and VZ winking at each other and reverting to the old rates!
I just contacted Verizon re-our Millenicom jetpack. The deal was 99.99+ taxes for 20gb. $8/gb overages. But since we are seasonal users, they allowed us to convert to the new verizon plan and put the plan immediately into suspension for 3 months. I’ll call back to suspend another 3 months in February (there is a 6 mo limit during any 12 mos period)….but for us summer travelers, it was nice to know we could still freeze our account over the winter months.
Thanks for your helpful article. I came across a seller on eBay by the user name of bidxtrade who is selling used jetpacks that come with an unlimited 4G data plan on Verizon for $120/month without throttling. The description indicates it’s a rental of the data plan, not an assumption of liability. Various models of jetpacks are for sale at various prices. Here are two examples:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271667179127
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281491941996
You have to pay a $120 shipping charge to get the jetpack, but they can be had for cheap, and the price for unlimited data seems pretty reasonable now days. No contract, cancel any time. I’m wanting to try it, but wary. Wondering if anyone out there has had any experience with this kind of deal and this seller? Thanks.
The main thing you need to be aware with a deal like this is that it isn’t sanctioned by Verizon which means it’s an “under-the-table” operation. If Verizon finds out this person is re-selling their plans they could list them as fraudulent and suspend them, which would then leave you without service & having to deal with the fraud agents (I’ve heard of actual cases of this happening). I would personally not enter into one of these deals unless the person doing it was a personal friend of mine and we decided together to share a plan (e.g. a family deal or such).
Nina
Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I figured it sounded too good to be worth a try. I’m a solo, part-time RVer with just a laptop and cellphone. Hardly use the cellphone for data, so I’m leaning toward getting a USB stick for the laptop from Blue Mountain Internet and paying $99.99/month (quarterly rate) for 20G of data.
Good job on your website and informative articles.