month by month data plan question

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joelmyer

joelmyer

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Joined
Mar 5, 2005
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Georgia
I finally broke down and bought an air card.  Actually a Verizon USB doober.  Paid for it so I didn't have to pay $60/month when I wasn't using it.

The guy wasn't too knowledgeable about the month by month bit.  So how do I turn service off when I am home?  I poked around on "My Verizon" and read about suspension of service.  Neither option there seemed to fit.

Joel

 
I don't know for a fact as I haven't gotten the phone yet, but when I was shopping in a Verizon store the salesperson said that I would need to call Verizon to start or stop service. We were discussing using the phone as a data modem, however, not the air card.
 
You can't just turn it off, Joel. You may own the device, but you are renting a virtual phone line (a wireless phone number) from Verizon and still owe them $60/month for the privilege.  The good news is that you can put it "on vacation" for several months so you don't have to pay for the phone number every month. Just call Verizon Customer Service and tell them you want to put that phone number "on vacation". I think there may be a modest suspect/reconnect fee.
 
The $60 per month is not for the modem, it is for the service. You have to sign a 2 year contract to use the service. I don't think you can turn it off. You have to buy the modem to use the service. I don't think it was explained to you very well.
 
RV Roamer said:
You can't just turn it off, Joel. You may own the device, but you are renting a virtual phone line (a wireless phone number) from Verizon and still owe them $60/month for the privilege.   The good news is that you can put it "on vacation" for several months so you don't have to pay for the phone number every month. Just call Verizon Customer Service and tell them you want to put that phone number "on vacation". I think there may be a modest suspect/reconnect fee.
Click to expand...

Since it is a month by month plan, worse case I can terminate then pay the $35 startup fee when I want it again.  We'll see.

It is good to have.  Campground wireless ranged from good to poor to non-existent on an hourly basis.

Joel
 
You can have your Verizon Wireless Broadband service suspended for three months twice a year. In fact, my service is presently suspended while we are in Tucson, since our RV Park has free WiFi service. In addition, I get a better signal using the park's WiFi than using Verizon's Wireless service.

There is a reconnect charge which think was $15.00--don't remember for sure.

Richard
 
RLSharp said:
You can have your Verizon Wireless Broadband service suspended for three months twice a year. In fact, my service is presently suspended while we are in Tucson, since our RV Park has free WiFi service. In addition, I get a better signal using the park's WiFi than using Verizon's Wireless service.

There is a reconnect charge which think was $15.00--don't remember for sure.

Richard
Click to expand...

so....
Plan A - play the suspend for three months twice a year - pay for service not needed about two months a year (we do Florida for two months and then a two month trip)

Plan B - terminate, reactivate when needed

Plan C - Cancel the whole deal within 30 days and get smarter about the day by day bit I think somebody mentioned

Maybe I'll get smarter before decision time.

Joel
 
The $175 early termination charge may be different in this case since Joel owns the hardware outright and did not accept a promotional discount from Verizon to purchase it. And Verizon now prorates the termination charge as well.
 
When I signed up in August I had to buy the modem for $300 with a $50 rebate and I have a $175 early termination fee. I don't know how he did it differently than me.
 
Dunno why you were charged so much, Tom, but if you go to the Verizon Wireless web site they offer the USB727 modem for $50 with a 2 year contract and then give you a $50 credit, so the modem ends up free.  If you didn't want the contract the modem would cost much more from Verizon, but you can buy them elsewhere for much less and just get the service from Verizon.

I'm told Verizon now has a month-to-month plan, which is perhaps what Joel got. The terms maybe different than what you have.
 
I also got the Verizon air card free at Costco.
 
The USB modem is the one I got. Maybe they only charged me $100. It has been so long ago I forgot. The memory is the second thing to go at my age ;D I walked into a Verizon store and signed up. Maybe I should have checked the web first.


 
Joel if you specifically have the new month-by-month data plan, you should be able to terminate at any time without a termination fee and then get a new account later. Of course, there would likely be a connection fee each time you get a new account, but I hear that is $35?

If they will let you "put it on vacation" like they do the one & two year contracts, you keep the account and phone number and only pay the $15 reconnect fee. The drawback is that they may limit the amount of time you can be "on vacation". RIchard says it is three months, but I had heard six (but maybe the 6 was 2 x 3???).
 
RV Roamer said:
Joel if you specifically have the new month-by-month data plan, you should be able to terminate at any time without a termination fee and then get a new account later. Of course, there would likely be a connection fee each time you get a new account, but I hear that is $35?

If they will let you "put it on vacation" like they do the one & two year contracts, you keep the account and phone number and only pay the $15 reconnect fee. The drawback is that they may limit the amount of time you can be "on vacation". RIchard says it is three months, but I had heard six (but maybe the 6 was 2 x 3???).
Click to expand...

Question:  Are there phones that will support broad band access?

My Verizon says I'm eligible for new every two in June.  Eligible for an upgrade early Feb.  The guy here told us we could upgrade today.

I think I'll go back in before 30 days and say "cancel everything" and see what I can negotiate.  Worse case I think I've paid $70 ($35 activation, $35 restocking).

In my dreams I would have service that I could turn on & off at will, and maybe I do have that with a $35 activation fee.  That's cheaper than a month of unneeded service.

Joel
 
Most recent model phones support EVDO broadband data, if they do data at all. My 1.5 year old LG "Chocolate" 8550 does EVDO Rev 0 and the newer ones do Rev A.  With the phone, you can turn broadband on/off at will with no fees. Net cost is $2/day.
 
RV Roamer said:
Most recent model phones support EVDO broadband data, if they do data at all. My 1.5 year old LG "Chocolate" 8550 does EVDO Rev 0 and the newer ones do Rev A.  With the phone, you can turn broadband on/off at will with no fees. Net cost is $2/day.
Click to expand...

I love it when you talk dirty like that! 

More questions:

How can I find which current Verizon phones are EVDO Rev A capable?

What is Verizon speak for the ability to turn broadband on/off at will with no fees?

Joel
 
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