3 On Your Side: Verizon Wireless Plan Changes
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - If you're a Verizon Wireless customer, listen up. We've got some good news and some bad news. The good news, beginning today you can buy one plan and use it on all your devices. The bad news? As Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan tells us, if you want an unlimited plan you may be out of luck.
When Sally Medina's daughter Leticia upgraded her phone in January, Verizon accidentally switched her data plan from unlimited to one that only allows two gigabytes a month. Sally says, "They told her it was going to be unlimited so she didn't question it."
It wasn't until Leticia got a text, telling her that she had used up half the data allowed for the month that she realized their error. According to Sally, "I don't know what the expense would be if she goes over, which of course I don't want to absorb."
Verizon eventually corrected the mistake and for now the Medina's have their old unlimited plan back, but that won't last forever. That's because beginning Thursday Verizon is phasing out unlimited data on all new plans and in most cases even when you upgrade.
As long as you don't make any changes to your account or phone, you're safe for now. But if you upgrade, you can only keep the unlimited data if you pay the full retail price of the phone. CNET's Jessica Dolcourt says it's the wave of the future, as more carriers are trying to get customers switched from unlimited to tiered data plans. According to Jessica, "Selling data consumption is incredibly lucrative."
On the flip side, as part of Verizon's new "Share Everything" plan individuals and families are now be able to buy one wireless data plan that they can use on all of their Smartphone's, tablets, and netbooks. It covers up to 10 devices.
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