VZN false advertising on new data plans?

[EvilBob]

Haivng just tried to work through their website to order replacement phones and upgrade our plan, I'm a bit miffed at what looks to be false advertising from Verizon about their FamilyShare plans.

With the recent change in their pricing/data caps, one message that was part of the promotion was that the data plans that were coming in would apply to family plans, enabling you to share data like you already share minutes.

From the current Verizon wireless data plan shopping page:
"Family SharePlans®
Bring the power home. Share your pool of minutes, texts, data and more on up to five handsets."

Sounds like a shared data plan to me.

So I tried to go sign up. We're pretty simple - two lines, and I wanted to up both to Droid 3s. No problem. Then I went to select the plan. It even gave me a choice - did I want shared plans or individual plans. I selected shared plans. Great!

Next screen had me selecting the various plans. One talk plan overing both phones. Great! Then, wait, text... separate choices per phone? Odd, their advertising says shared... Ok, well, select the choices that are $5/mo per line. That's manageable, although I expected it to be a single choice that would share across all lines in the order.

Next part of the page - data plans. No problemo - having reviewed information in advance, I knew what I wanted - the 5 GB plan, shared to both lines. Should be enough for the two of us, and allow some give and take between us if one phone or the other starts hogging data in a month.

But no... the verizon website is forcing a selection of two plans - one per line. WTH? I didn't want separate plans, I wanted the shared plan that their website referred to. I don't want to spend an extra $50 per month just for a data plan for the second line!

So WTF? Anyone else get caught by this false and misleading advertising? Or am I being thoroughly naieve for believing in their marketing?

If this is for real, I'm kicking myself. I should have gotten the data plans at the start of the month, before they killed unlimited download. That would only have been $60/mo, rather than $100/mo for 5GB per phone.

 

[YoungGun21]

I haven't seen or heard of this before your post, but judging on what you copied from their site, it sounds like you were thinking correctly. There must be some way to do it, but maybe you can't do it online.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I check out their site frequently, and ran through the family plan offerings this morning, and you're right, there's no pooling of data plans, only voice minutes.

I did notice that it allowed me to keep my unlimited data plan with the family plan though, if they keep all those options, I'll be adding 2 iPhone 5's on a family plan on release... it'll only be $20/month or so over what I pay for current individual plan & 2 Virgin Mobile plans I currently have for the kids. (those numbers are significantly less due to my corp discount, and it factors in using Google Voice for texting on all of the lines)...

 

[EvilBob]

I wish it was just a discrepancy between the website and telephone ordering. Unfortunately, the staffers on web chat and at the toll-free number were both oblivious, pushing me to order a separate data per phone.

The phone rep even put me on hold for a few minutes while she "checked with her manager," and the web chat rep had no comment when I linked and copied the line on their plan page talking about a shared data pool.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I wish it was just a discrepancy between the website and telephone ordering. Unfortunately, the staffers on web chat and at the toll-free number were both oblivious, pushing me to order a separate data per phone.

The phone rep even put me on hold for a few minutes while she "checked with her manager," and the web chat rep had no comment when I linked and copied the line on their plan page talking about a shared data pool.

There have been rumblings about a shared data pool, but they haven't implemented it yet...

 

[gsaldivar]

I don't think Verizon has a such thing as shared data.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I should prob go ahead and activate 2 lines now before they force me into a pooled data plan and get the phones when they're released.

 

[RockinZ28]

My thinking would be that you are still required to have a data plan for each smartphone. Now with say two phones with 2gb plans, you'd be able to use 1gb on one and 3gb on the other without going over.

No idea if that's how it works, but if you could share a 2gb plan among 5 phones, Verizon would be losing money. Unacceptable.

 

[YoungGun21]

My thinking would be that you are still required to have a data plan for each smartphone. Now with say two phones with 2gb plans, you'd be able to use 1gb on one and 3gb on the other without going over.

No idea if that's how it works, but if you could share a 2gb plan among 5 phones, Verizon would be losing money. Unacceptable.

They aren't really losing money per se. They are missing out on an opportunity, yes, but it isn't like they ACTUALLY lose money on the deal. They are only making the $50 or whatever vs $250. I would argue that it probably costs no more for either way for them; so it is just profits that do not get captured, rather than an actual loss.

 

[boomhower]

No carrier offers shared data. I've been screaming for it for a long time. Being able to share data across a couple phones and tablets would sell a lot more hardware. Not everyone uses enough to justify spending $30 a month to connect an iPad but let them share the data with there phone and I bet you see a lot more get sold.

 

[Jinny]

this is what it says when you get to choose what type of plan:


Shopping Assistant




What type of plan would you like for this phone?


Family SharePlan®
Bring the power home. Share your pool of minutes and texts on up to five phones.


...it no longer mentions sharing data.

 

[lupi]

No carrier offers shared data. I've been screaming for it for a long time. Being able to share data across a couple phones and tablets would sell a lot more hardware. Not everyone uses enough to justify spending $30 a month to connect an iPad but let them share the data with there phone and I bet you see a lot more get sold.

you mean other than tmobile prior to the borg takeover.

 

[robbydek2]

this is what it says when you get to choose what type of plan:


Shopping Assistant




What type of plan would you like for this phone?


Family SharePlan®
Bring the power home. Share your pool of minutes and texts on up to five phones.


...it no longer mentions sharing data.

Mistakes happen all the time, my guess is that the changes got published before they were suppose to as rumors of shared data before the end of August are increasing as well as the likelihood of an iPhone on Sprint and/or T-mobile.
The rumors are saying as earlier as the middle of August, here's hoping it really does happen!

Besides, Verizon's website looks like it could be adding shared data based on the most recent revisions to their website. (There are data and messaging options for each line, but only a messaging option for families.)

 

[robbydek2]

you mean other than tmobile prior to the borg takeover.

T-mobile doesn't offer shared data, unless I read the terms incorrectly, each line is given the said quantity of data and they advertise it in a way that looks like it's shared, but do the math, there's no savings!

 

[robbydek2]

I should prob go ahead and activate 2 lines now before they force me into a pooled data plan and get the phones when they're released.

I doubt they will force you into a pooled data plan because it gives them a greater opportunity to make money on overages. Shared data will be mostly for the low-end/new users.

 

[robbydek2]

Haivng just tried to work through their website to order replacement phones and upgrade our plan, I'm a bit miffed at what looks to be false advertising from Verizon about their FamilyShare plans.

With the recent change in their pricing/data caps, one message that was part of the promotion was that the data plans that were coming in would apply to family plans, enabling you to share data like you already share minutes.

From the current Verizon wireless data plan shopping page:
"Family SharePlans®
Bring the power home. Share your pool of minutes, texts, data and more on up to five handsets."

Sounds like a shared data plan to me.

So I tried to go sign up. We're pretty simple - two lines, and I wanted to up both to Droid 3s. No problem. Then I went to select the plan. It even gave me a choice - did I want shared plans or individual plans. I selected shared plans. Great!

Next screen had me selecting the various plans. One talk plan overing both phones. Great! Then, wait, text... separate choices per phone? Odd, their advertising says shared... Ok, well, select the choices that are $5/mo per line. That's manageable, although I expected it to be a single choice that would share across all lines in the order.

Next part of the page - data plans. No problemo - having reviewed information in advance, I knew what I wanted - the 5 GB plan, shared to both lines. Should be enough for the two of us, and allow some give and take between us if one phone or the other starts hogging data in a month.

But no... the verizon website is forcing a selection of two plans - one per line. WTH? I didn't want separate plans, I wanted the shared plan that their website referred to. I don't want to spend an extra $50 per month just for a data plan for the second line!

So WTF? Anyone else get caught by this false and misleading advertising? Or am I being thoroughly naieve for believing in their marketing?

If this is for real, I'm kicking myself. I should have gotten the data plans at the start of the month, before they killed unlimited download. That would only have been $60/mo, rather than $100/mo for 5GB per phone.

I'm getting the page, too, but without any data header/options.

 

[dguy6789]

I was under the impression that Verizon was planning on implementing shared data family plans soon but hadn't yet. It's possible the website was showing options that did not exist yet.

 

[Pghpooh]

Having just been led astray by a hyper salesman at the vz store and spending a few hours on the phone terminating contracts and returning equipment I found that the best source of info from vz wireless is calling *611 via your cell phone or calling the 800 number. The help I got was fantastic! The reps had all the answers to help me and took the time to explain everything to me. There were changes made in the TOS in early to mid July that have not been posted and changes in eq. return policies that have not been posted that enabled me to return tablets and terminate service.
Web sites will give enough info to make you buy and not enough info to help you make a good purchase!!

 

[postmortemIA]

I was under the impression that Verizon was planning on implementing shared data family plans soon but hadn't yet. It's possible the website was showing options that did not exist yet.

why would they? their main profit comes for overcharging for texts and data.

 

[exdeath]

Shared data? If they did that it would lay down the precedent for free tethering sharing that same data.

Cold day in hell before a cell provider gives up the ability to double dip and/or add monthly fees to your bill for absolutely nothing and at no cost to them.

Remember this is the company that disabled native hardware features in phones like the ability to share phone cam pictures and ring tones over bluetooth phone to phone because they wanted to force you to email or download through their network at $.25 a pop.

I can't wait until the day cell providers go the way of AOL and can only charge you a flat rate for what they actually provide you, eg: bandwidth, and aren't able to nickel and dime you every time you check the clock on your phone or something that has absolutely nothing to do with the service they are providing you. Cell phone companies know they day is coming when they will simply be flat rate wireless ISPs and they are milking it hard for all it's worth while they still can. There is legal precedent for cable companies who can no longer charge "per TV" or "per computer" when using a splitter/router, likewise the tether Nazis and such will one day fall as well.

 

[robbydek2]

Shared data? If they did that it would lay down the precedent for free tethering sharing that same data.

Cold day in hell before a cell provider gives up the ability to double dip and/or add monthly fees to your bill for absolutely nothing and at no cost to them.

Remember this is the company that disabled native hardware features in phones like the ability to share phone cam pictures and ring tones over bluetooth phone to phone because they wanted to force you to email or download through their network at $.25 a pop.

I can't wait until the day cell providers go the way of AOL and can only charge you a flat rate for what they actually provide you, eg: bandwidth, and aren't able to nickel and dime you every time you check the clock on your phone or something that has absolutely nothing to do with the service they are providing you. Cell phone companies know they day is coming when they will simply be flat rate wireless ISPs and they are milking it hard for all it's worth while they still can. There is legal precedent for cable companies who can no longer charge "per TV" or "per computer" when using a splitter/router, likewise the tether Nazis and such will one day fall as well.

http://smartphoneboss.com/2011/07/29/exclusive-verizon-launching-family-data-plans-middle-of-august/

Rumor has it that you are going to have pay for sharing with hotspots and data cards. I hope your right about free tethering, but somehow I think you'll have to add on the hot spot/data card plan to get it. Even though tethering should be included with the data if the data isn't unlimited.

 

[AstroManLuca]

I thought phone companies couldn't actually tell if you were using unauthorized tethering. They just look for people using a lot of data and try to scare them into reducing how much they use. Seems like a pretty douchey move but they're mobile providers, they can do whatever they want and not lose customers, as illustrated by the fact that Verzion decided to drop data caps by more than half while keeping the price exactly the same.

I too am looking forward to data-only plans, where "minutes" and "messages" are treated as data just the same as surfing the web or checking your email. But the carriers will fight that as hard as possible because they're huge money makers. Nothing like up-selling people on unlimited talk plans when most people don't use more than a few hundred minutes a month, especially with all the free calling you get (nights, weekends, other cell phones, etc).

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I thought phone companies couldn't actually tell if you were using unauthorized tethering. They just look for people using a lot of data and try to scare them into reducing how much they use. Seems like a pretty douchey move but they're mobile providers, they can do whatever they want and not lose customers, as illustrated by the fact that Verzion decided to drop data caps by more than half while keeping the price exactly the same.

I too am looking forward to data-only plans, where "minutes" and "messages" are treated as data just the same as surfing the web or checking your email. But the carriers will fight that as hard as possible because they're huge money makers. Nothing like up-selling people on unlimited talk plans when most people don't use more than a few hundred minutes a month, especially with all the free calling you get (nights, weekends, other cell phones, etc).

I'm pretty sure some guy found proof they could easily tell if you were tethering. VERY easily tell.

 

[alent1234]

I thought phone companies couldn't actually tell if you were using unauthorized tethering. They just look for people using a lot of data and try to scare them into reducing how much they use. Seems like a pretty douchey move but they're mobile providers, they can do whatever they want and not lose customers, as illustrated by the fact that Verzion decided to drop data caps by more than half while keeping the price exactly the same.

I too am looking forward to data-only plans, where "minutes" and "messages" are treated as data just the same as surfing the web or checking your email. But the carriers will fight that as hard as possible because they're huge money makers. Nothing like up-selling people on unlimited talk plans when most people don't use more than a few hundred minutes a month, especially with all the free calling you get (nights, weekends, other cell phones, etc).

real time packet analysis is not high tech these days

 

[EvilBob]

Well, it looks like their Marketing Dept moves relatively fast...

Last Sunday, the Family Plan page read:
Family SharePlans®
Bring the power home. Share your pool of minutes, texts, data and more on up to five handsets.


Now:
Family SharePlans®
Bring the power home. Share your pool of minutes & text on up to five handsets. And add data to each line to meet each user's needs.

/sigh