Verizon review: forcing internet service on media phones 95

If i go to buy a television at lets say, BESTMART, and the cool flat screen television I want is $900.00 discounted to $450.00 that's a good deal, right?
Lets say I buy that television for only watching DVDs at my remote home in the woods and when I get to the check out I am told, "Hey, this television gets cable! You can get cable on this television! Lucky you, your television is cable capable!" Lucky me. But guess what? I don't WANT cable, I don't NEED cable, I can't access cable from my remote cabin in the woods. I am told, "Awe, that's too bad becauses. . .this television is cable capable! You can access the cable television on this discounted television. And, guess what? Because we offer this cool flat screen television to you, we are going to charge you $9.99 a month for the cable you can get through this television! We know you won't use it, or even want it, heck you can even call and have it blocked so NOBODY can get the cable on this t.v. but guess what? Your still going to get charged $9.99 a month. You don't like having to pay $9.99 a month for cable if you're not going to use it or want it? Then here you go, you can buy this big clunky black and white television. You can still play your DVD's on it, it works fine for your needs and you won't have to pay the $9.99 a month cable fee." BestMart is offering you a choice. Get the snazzy, cool, better picture television but pay an extra monthly fee for something you don't want/need. Or, get a crappy, run of the mill lesser quality television and don't pay the monthy fee. People would be outraged at this. Yet, the people seem to be taking it from Verizon Wireless. Complaining, yes. Doing anything, no.

We actually had an EnV3 purchased just before Verizon's new "forced data policy" that did not have the data fee. Unfortunately we had 2 phones that needed to be replaced and could not replace them with comparable models without incurring the data fees even though we had the data service blocked on all of our phones. We took our 5 lines to Sprint.

I have a better analogy. I need a laptop, but I don't want to connect to the internet. Should I not be allowed to buy an internet-capable laptop because I don't want to use the internet?

I agree with the complainant. A customer shouldn't have to pay for a data plan just to get the other nice features of a phone. I also agree with the complainant about being told there's no sense having a smart phone if you don't use it to its full capabilities. I also have a CD burner on my laptop. Should I not be allowed to buy a laptop with the other features I like, if I'm not going to use the CD burner?

I had the exact same thing happen to me. I cannot AFFORD to have a data plan, don't have the time to use one even if I could. So I had to settle for the env3 when I really wanted a different phone. I wanted the other features. I don't like the calendar on the env3 either.

As far as Verizon "not being out to screw everyone and trick people and force people into data plans, " perception is everything and Verizon is perceived to be doing this.

As to the complainant "whining, " it's not whining! This is a complaint board and the person is complaining.

As to being told to "suck it up, " so...is that the advice you give people who are being scammed by companies refusing to stop charging their credit cards for product subscriptions they've canceled? Suck it up? Please!

This Verizon practice is questionable at best.

i think if you dont want to pay it GET A DIFFERENT PHONE. its that easy stop whining about the charge. as an employee we have to pay it to but only if you get a phpne that requires it. as far as getting a nice employee to remove it accidently. we could be fired for that. i personaly in not so many words would have told you to suck it up.

Maybe you should drop the conspiracy theories put down the tin foil hat and realize Verizon isn't out to screw everyone and trick people and force people into data plans.

The nature of my complaint is based on the fact that Verizon Wireless is now making people pay for a data package on a majority of their phones. I don’t feel that it is right for a cell phone company to dictate how a person uses a phone, or dictate what phone a person can get based on them being able to afford to pay for a data package.
My problems began in December when I was looking to upgrade my phone. I went into a Verizon store and was looking at the Blackberry Curve. I really wanted a Blackberry based on the fact that I needed an extensive calendar on my cell phone for scheduling numerous events (surgeries- husband has some health concerns, appointments- I have a young baby, school stuff, etc.) However, after finding out that Verizon Wireless required a $29.99 data package on their Blackberries, I found a different phone. The phone I chose was the LG enV3. It is a nice phone, but I still settled. It definitely does not have the nice calendar that I would have had if I had a Blackberry. Now after having my phone since December 27th 2009, I have found out that my phone now requires a data package. I currently am not forced to pay for the data package because I am “grandfather in.” However, if I make any changes to my account, that will change and I will be forced to pay for a data plan. In addition, if my phone breaks and I replace it with the same phone, I will be forced to pay for the data plan. I think that this is a very unfair practice. I now use my phone in fear. I do not want to have to pay for a service that I don’t want or won’t use. A consumer should be able to make their own choices about what phone they choose, what plan they choose, and what extras they choose. A cell phone company should not have the right to force a person to pay for a data plan by pairing a data plan with any decent phone. All the phones that don’t require data plans are base model phones. On these base model phones, a person doesn’t get a descent camera or the ability to have the QWERTY keyboard for texting (they have only one phone with a full keyboard for texting). And when I asked the Verizon employees why we have to have a data plan when we don’t want it, they answered by saying: if you have a smart phone that is not connected to a data plan, that the phone is not being used to its capabilities and thus there is no sense in having a smart phone (this was what I was told when I wanted a blackberry). So, are you telling me that I can’t own a Porshe because I won’t drive it at 100 MPH? This practice of forcing people into something they don’t want is unfair. I have read numerous blogs and chats where people have complained about the same thing that I am describing here. Some of the people were even tricked into a phone and now they are being stuck paying the data charges every month. This practice should not be allowed and consumer rights should be protected.

Love all the misinformed people here.

1.Reps are not told to lie to people to sell any features on a phone
2.The 9.99 was brought in due to the fact the majority of people were using data and ended up paying more than 9.99 for using data so Verizon figured well hey we will make a plan put it on phones so everyone can enjoy it, don't want it that's fine you have other phones that don't need it.
3.25 mb will not go fast you DON'T need 30 dollar package you don't need to pay 5 dollars extra for Mobile email if you have the 9.99 data package

Perhaps you may not like what Verizon is doing, but look at it from their point of view they're trying to help people save money for a feature majority of people use and even those who claim they never use it for the most part do (i for example had no intention, but hey im on a BB Curve now and love using internet)

Yes it is a complete rip off, I used almost 30 MB of Data in 20 days checking my email, it's only $0.05/MB over 25, which isn't bad, but still. I took the phone back for a refund and went right back to my old Alltel plan. Verizon offered a 69.99/month connect plan which featured unlimited text messaging, unlimited data, and 450 minutes, but when I went to get a new phone they had yanked that plan out of their system. Wonder why, but just think this is also the "Genius" company that was offered first dibs on the iPhone and thought it would be a flop. I have noticed now though that I have no unlimited text messaging, that I get duplicate messages quite often, when I had unlimited I didn't get that.

Verizon offers free blocks for data services yet they are forcing everyone to pay $9.99/month for 5 MB of data services as a "service" which their customers "requested." The real problem here is the lack of choice so that the 50% of their customers who don't want to pay $1.99/MB can elect this $9.99/5 MB/Month service and the other 50% of their customers who don't want or need data / Internet services on their cell phones can "opt out". In my case I have the Verizon WiFi device and a Droid phone with the $29.99/25MB/Month so I don't need to pay $9.99/5MB/Month for my other 3 phones on my Family Share Plan.

This is an ongoing problem. I found a blogger who is writing about his expereience with this issue - to the point of contacting the BBB. Visit the following link:

http://gaffi-rantomness.blogspot.com/search/label/Verizon

I went to the store in Mansfield, OH 3 times trying to get my son an ENV 3 and everytime I went they said they were out. Finally I went the Saturday before this new charge was added and they told me that if I order it online that day I would not get charged the DATA fee since I had ordered it prior to the date the data charges were being added. Needless to say when I got the phone and tried to program it I had to call Verizon to get it set up. They informed me that I had to have the $10 fee and there was nothing I could do about it, it didn't matter when I ordered it but I could return this phone and get a different one. I took the phone back to the store and was told that I would be charged a $35 restocking fee to exchange the phone. I was a little upset and had a few words to say. Another associate overheard and told me that they had received an e-mail explaining what I was told the first time, since I ordered the phone before a certain date I would not be charged the fee. They programmed the phone for me and told me I would be charged the first month but it would be credited. Now I got a new bill and I have been charged for two months. I called verizon and was told the same thing again, if I want this phone, I have to pay the data fee or I could have it blocked and my son couldn't receive picture messages (ok, then why am I paying for it with the text messaging...). This company is a rip-off.

All you have to do to remove those data packages of 9.99 is call customer service and get a rep willing to try so tell them to add (payu mb evdo) feature its the pay as you go feature and if you throw that on a line the 9.99 will hope right off

lets just say, I don't know what to say when people ask why vzw charges it (employees are required to take a training on it, and still can't explain why it is needed), cause honestly if I got a phone like the env3 for my mother so she could text easier, I know she wouldn't go on or need the internet... honestly the internet sucks on those device, email capabilities aren't that bad, but you NEED the 30 package

i have worked in the wireless phone industires, and i can tell you the whole thing is a sham. It is possible to get a data phone w/o internet. As a former sales rep. i can tell you that i was threaten with "corrective action" if i didn't lie to the customer. I can give you stories, upon stories of things i've seen, and exp.It ultimately comes down to making money for the company. he company doesn't care about the consumer, or the employee.