Try to GOUGE us and we WILL fight back . . RISE UP AMERICA

Question

      Nothing like a poke in the eye with a sharp stick to get someones attention, and likewise when we get poked in the behind where our wallet use to be. As if we needed one more financial crisis to complicate our lives, but now THE RED DEMON has put plan pricing up there with rocket science. Actually once you throw out everything you ever knew about your old plan and start 'anew' the plan isn't way hard to calculate. But after spending time with a clueless CS rep, we were both frustrated and I had (unknowingly) burned 41 minutes of my own cell time. YES if you call any of the 800 CS numbers you are using your own minutes. The rep repeatedly assured me I was not, and I later had to demand that a supervisor credit them back to me (we'll see if that happens as promised). From now on I am demanding that promises made to me be documented in my account and a text sent confirming the notes. OK so some college grad was paid big bucks to offer us more options and 'help' us manage our lives, yeah . . that's just what "I" needed. Obviously at this point all I (we) want is an explanation and to compare it to our current costs, and if it adds something useful or necessary, or saves me anything I will consider it. But for an outright increase with less in service, well hello, now that ain't rocket science.  As I have said in other threads, I think there are unseen motives here. Think about it, now that we have seen this plan structure, who doesn't think that their current plan is better ?  OK so with that perspective maybe we're all supposed to praise the lord and worship the red ground they walk on that we have what we have. I, like many others feel my bill is overly high, but have few if any options. Mobile communications in our world today is a necessity not just a luxury. After 12 years I consider my loyalty to verizon an investment in my family if not literally in this company. AMERICA IT'S TIME TO SPEAK UP. The cold hard truth is that we need to be speaking to our legislators and supporting consumer advocacy groups. verizon will never give us a break by lowering our expenses, WE ARE THE CASH COW. This issue also speaks to what kind of nation we want our kids to inherit. Take nothing for granted, except that others would take from us that which we do not defend and fight for.                    

Answer 1

I too would suggest that you stay with your original plan.  When I upgraded my phone I did.  Unfortunately a few months later, my son upgraded to the iPhone4.  We went to the store to pick it up since he couldn't wait to receive it in the mail and the salesman brought up the new Share Everything Plan.  I had seen this on the VZ website and I walked thru their little comparison tool and it was NOT cheaper, so I told him NO we would stick with our current plan.  Unlimited data for my husb and I and 2GB for each of the kids.  He ran it thru his tool and said that we would save a lot of money.  Sure we would be limited on our data but our usage was well within what they normally recommend for 4 phones and it would save us money.  After going back and forth I assume that I must have done something wrong when I put ran the comparison, so stupidly trusted him and we made the switch.  Fast forward a few months and we just received our new bill and amazingly enough the change is now COSTING US an additional $40/yr and we even stepped down in the data that was recommended for 4 phones.  If we had stayed with the recommended usage that difference would have been even more. 
I realize these sales people are probably under a lot of pressure to get customers off these unlimited plans but to LIE to customers to do it is unacceptable.  And to top it off, I can barely use my phone at work.  I can't get a signal half the time, so much for their amazing networks.  They may have a lot of them but that doesn't mean they work worth a crap. 
I too am getting very sick of their attitudes towards their customer base.  First it was the push to put everyone into a smart phone and now with the Share Everything.  I am waiting out my contract and if they haven't made a turn around on this new Share Everything package I am looking elsewhere.  This is ridiculous.