New Verizon plans will include UNLIMITED TEXT/PIX/FLIX TO ANY NETWORK

[bobolito]

Wow! that's what I'm talking about! Let's put more pressure on AT&T! This move may accelerate Verizon's recovery of the #1 spot and AT&T will have to do something about it. Nice move!

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

Yes. I just read on Hofo that a Verizon employee (I assume he is) said that according to the marketing material they received, the plans do not include VCAST.

Hopefully down the road, Verizon will include an option for FS VCAST sort of like Sprint has. At least I think Sprint has something like this (at least the last time I checked they did).

I'm sure it will happen sooner or later- but don't expect anything drastic!

[RMJKS05]

On the surface, this is exactly what I've been waiting for. With 2 teenage daughters each on the unlimited IN / 5000 txtmsg plan, it always gets pretty intense as we near our bill date, wondering if one or both are gonna go over, at least with one of 'em, who apparently spends more time texting than studying & has NO friends who are VZW.

Anyway , can someone clarify a bit?

From what I've been reading this morning, on this forum and others loyal, existing customers will NOT be able to add this to their current plan? I'd have to sign a new contract and extend my plan? Would we be eligible for new phones all around if we did?

Thanks in advance!

Ron

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by RMJKS05

On the surface, this is exactly what I've been waiting for. With 2 teenage daughters each on the unlimited IN / 5000 txtmsg plan, it always gets pretty intense as we near our bill date, wondering if one or both are gonna go over, at least with one of 'em, who apparently spends more time texting than studying & has NO friends who are VZW.

Anyway , can someone clarify a bit?

From what I've been reading this morning, on this forum and others loyal, existing customers will NOT be able to add this to their current plan? I'd have to sign a new contract and extend my plan? Would we be eligible for new phones all around if we did?

Thanks in advance!

Ron

Ron, you are right. These new plans will have to have a new contract since this is not an add-on feature.

Since my family and I have a contract that expires a year from August, then from what I have been told, if we sign up for these plans before then, we will not have to extend our contract since a year is typically added on when switching plans if you already have less than a year left.

So say for example that your contract expires on December 30 of this year. If you sign up for these plans before your contract expires, I would think that it would now not expire until December 30, 2008.

I would either stop in your local store to verify this or call customer service up and ask them.

[RMJKS05]

Thanks for clearing it up a bit.

So, we expire in Jul08, if we sign up for this new service, as long as it's before Jul07, we'd be looking at a new expiration of Jul09?

I'm definitely gonna go to the nearest VZW store on Monday.

I'm also gonna shoot a letter off to VZW, expressing my disgust that that they're not offering this to existing customers, without making us extend!

[Quint101]

I went to WalMart this morning and they had brochures out about the Select Plans. In the brochure, there was no mention of VCAST being included in these plans.

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by RMJKS05

Thanks for clearing it up a bit.

So, we expire in Jul08, if we sign up for this new service, as long as it's before Jul07, we'd be looking at a new expiration of Jul09?

I'm definitely gonna go to the nearest VZW store on Monday.

I'm also gonna shoot a letter off to VZW, expressing my disgust that that they're not offering this to existing customers, without making us extend!

Well since your contract expires in July of 2008, it should still expire in July of 2008 as long as you sign up before your original sign up date (7/5/07 for example). I would go to your local store and verify this before you sign up.

[RMJKS05]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

Well since your contract expires in July of 2008, it should still expire in July of 2008 as long as you sign up before your original sign up date (7/5/07 for example). I would go to your local store and verify this before you sign up.

Well, I was thought I was following along pretty good.

Wouldn't that be the same as adding it to my current plan then?

Oh, you can bet I'm see it all in black and white when I go to the store on Monday.

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by RMJKS05

Well, I was thought I was following along pretty good.

Wouldn't that be the same as adding it to my current plan then?

Oh, you can bet I'm see it all in black and white when I go to the store on Monday.

It sounds like it. Like you said, you won't know until you actually sign up for this service.

[RMJKS05]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

It sounds like it. Like you said, you won't know until you actually sign up for this service.

...Thanks for your replies & thanks for this thread.

So, I just got offa the phone with VZW. After some reluctance on the part of the rep to talk to me about something that isn't official yet, I did get a little more information.

You are absolutely right, not that I doubted you.

Since I expire in Jul08, if I sign up for the new plan prior to the one year mark of current contract, we will keep the original contract termination date.

No new phones, NE2 date would also remain as it was.

The price he quoted is also on par with what a few other posters said, which was $20/line -or- $30/family plan.

For the plan we would convert to - (because minutewise & everything else we're good to go) - America's Choice Family Plan, 5 Lines, 1400 Shared Minutes, Unlimited Nights / Weekends, Unlimited Messaging (In or Out) On All Lines, My 15% Employee Discount, $138.99 + taxes/fees -or- $154.99 + taxes/fees with no discount applied.

I wonder if the local VZW store has ever had someone on line at the store waiting for them to open first thing in the morning?

Thanks again for your insight.

Ron

[Fire14]

I haven't been here for a week & when I saw today's paper with this offer (V-Cast is Not included but IM is)

I was floored & it actually is making me think about switching to the evil red empire.
I didn't check it out online yet to see how many minutes it includes on the family plan, but if they went with the standard 700 $69.99 plan & included this unlimited plan with it, it would be perfect for me.
With my 15% discount (More then the 12% with Cingular, yeah i know what's 3%) it would make my plan the same or cheaper then what I have now on my blue plan.

Hopefully your right bobolito & AT&T decides to do something similar very soon, I can see Verizon's add's up in the 2nd Qtr & Cingulars Churn up with the amount of people complaining about Cingular's data/SMS plans as it is.

[lildrummerboy]

don't forget though that the feature is now built into the plan so the discount comes off of the total plan. In the past you could not get your employee discount off of text messaging just your voice plan. What's special about the select plans is that the text messaging is built into the plan so your discount comes right off of the top. For instance if you signed up for 1400 minute plan with unlimited text messaging and a 15% discount you would only be paying about $103 a month. Pretty good deal considering there are no charges for roaming, or text/pix/flix messaging.

[mary1124]

I signed up for this plan yesterday (it will be effective with my new bill on 04-22-07). I believe I will be saving some money...based on the previous posts. I was paying an extra $35.00 per month for 2 text messaging plans & I have a 3 line family share plan. So now I will be able to text & send pics when its not convenient for regular chats & my family members will be able to take advantage of unlimited pix, text, flix to anyone!! I did go from 1500 minutes to 1400 minutes, but I usually never go over about 1200 minutes, so we should be ok.

[mary1124]

Originally Posted by mary1124

I signed up for this plan yesterday (it will be effective with my new bill on 04-22-07). I believe I will be saving some money...based on the previous posts. I was paying an extra $35.00 per month for 2 text messaging plans & I have a 3 line family share plan. So now I will be able to text & send pics when its not convenient for regular chats & my family members will be able to take advantage of unlimited pix, text, flix to anyone!! I did go from 1500 minutes to 1400 minutes, but I usually never go over about 1200 minutes, so we should be ok.

Oh, and yes, I did have to extend my existing contract for a year. So now its up in 2008. I can live with that.

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by mary1124

Oh, and yes, I did have to extend my existing contract for a year. So now its up in 2008. I can live with that.

That's not bad that they only made you extend your contract for 1 year, but as you said for unlimited SMS for all 3 lines it's worth it & you saved money.
The only time it wouldn't be worth it, is if you weren't happy with them.

[RMJKS05]

For anyone else thinking about making the switch. A word of caution - of sorts. Make sure you're clear when it will take effect. I switched about 2/3 into my billing period, and had it take effect immediately, which woudn't have really been a problem, except they prorated the messages already sent/received. So, even though, one of the lovely offspring wouldn't have gone over 5000 before the end of the billing period, when they turned the old plan off, @ a proration of 167 msg/day, times the prorated number of days before the switch, she was over. the CSR didn't even suggest waiting until the new billing period. Jerk!

I was so hot to make the switch, first thing in the a.m. the first day they started offering it, I didn't even take into consideration that they would pro-rate previous msg usage, so I didn't think to ask. Jerk!

Luckily I contacted a sympathetic CSR @ VZW, who kindly credited our account the amount equal to the overage..

[Andy]

My family may switch to these plans too, but only if we can get a one year extension. We will never do two years again unless we really have to. Our contact ends July.

[dolphin_crazed]

I guess the rate plan contract rules have changed since my last rate change. When I changed to a share plan after adding my mom, my contract reset for 2 years. It ended up not effecting my upgrade, but the same thing happened when I lowered my minutes on my share plan at another time.