Sprint Signs LTE roaming deals with smaller carriers .

[Hannah.Taylor]

That's correct. When you are grandfathered on a plan, as long as you do not make any changes to the account that affect the plan (ie: a subsidized upgrade, or up/downgrade of the plan itself) they can not take it away from you. However there does come a point when they are allowed to dump the plan in its entirety (x number of years after the plan was last offered), and when that happens they drop everyone at once - giving them the option of going with a then-current plan or walking out the door.

There was a loophole that people were using to get subsidized upgrades and keep the unlimited data, but that was effectively closed as of last month. Now the only way to keep it is to pay full boat on a new phone or buy used (and hope it's not stolen) and simply do an ESN swap - because that does not affect the plan, only the phone using it.

And I can tell you, when they decide to pull fully the plug on the unlimited, it will be because of people like you. People like you are the reason Sprint originally lost their SRP with NexTech.. Less than 20 customers in Kansas were consuming literally 90% of all the native roaming bandwidth.

Actually, Verizon can never phase that plan out all together. Talked to the Verizon rep here in Denver that I usually deal with, and he said it's in the contract they can't take that plan away and something to do with a legal issue that prevents the from dropping it. Subscribers will either have to upgrade or downgrade or cancel service to lose the plan, otherwise they can retain it.

and because of people like me??? Unlimited means...UNLIMITED. I shouldnt have to feel guilty about using data that I PAY FOR every month! It's not 500mb plan, not 1GB plan, it's UNLIMITED. The whole point of the plan was avoid paying aggregious overage charges. It's not my fault Verizon was too stupid to realize they would lose their asses financially by offering unlimited text, talk and data to the public. That's their problem, it has nothing to do with me or how much data I use...I have the NFL premium app, so I watch SNF/MNF/Thurs Night football in the truck because I stay in my truck during the week. head home on weekends. I browse facebook, download the shows I can't normally watch, I do a ton of photo editing and uploading among other things. I use my plan, according to my plan! Wow...because of people like me. wtf?

 

[Marcus Diaz]

And I can tell you, when they decide to pull fully the plug on the unlimited...

I can tell you without talking to anyone at Verizon that I'm guessing they will never just completely drop the unlimited service. They still have many thousands of customers still using it. And they know if they drop that plan completely, they'll lose a majority of those customers. I used to be unlimited until I wanted a GS5. Couldn't afford to pay outright for them, so ended up upgrading. But it's no big deal these days anyways since there's WiFi everywhere. And most programs us chasers have for chasing don't munch data at a huge rate.

 

[John Wetter]

Completely agree with Skip on this. I moved to Verizon last fall due to Sprint's inability to execute their Network Vision plan. They lost the Dakotas and Montana due to divestation with other mergers... Then they lost Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado as native coverage... How do you do that as a chaser? I also got a letter pointing their finger at me for going over for one month... May. I looked at my usage and I never went over roaming except May and got the letter. I also got my data cut off during a chase. Had to call them and agree to pay the overage fees for roaming data. So, Sorry Matt, what you mentioned isn't true as exactly what you said they don't do happened to me. I called later in the month and argued the charges and got some off.

The above experience and their self-destructing of the Minneapolis area network for about 6 months during their 4G LTE roll-out just sealed the deal for me with moving to Verizon.

 

[Matt Tottle]

Actually, Verizon can never phase that plan out all together. Talked to the Verizon rep here in Denver that I usually deal with, and he said it's in the contract they can't take that plan away and something to do with a legal issue that prevents the from dropping it. Subscribers will either have to upgrade or downgrade or cancel service to lose the plan, otherwise they can retain it.

and because of people like me??? Unlimited means...UNLIMITED. I shouldnt have to feel guilty about using data that I PAY FOR every month! It's not 500mb plan, not 1GB plan, it's UNLIMITED. The whole point of the plan was avoid paying aggregious overage charges. It's not my fault Verizon was too stupid to realize they would lose their asses financially by offering unlimited text, talk and data to the public. That's their problem, it has nothing to do with me or how much data I use...I have the NFL premium app, so I watch SNF/MNF/Thurs Night football in the truck because I stay in my truck during the week. head home on weekends. I browse facebook, download the shows I can't normally watch, I do a ton of photo editing and uploading among other things. I use my plan, according to my plan! Wow...because of people like me. wtf?

You are absolutely wrong. They CAN terminate any grandfathered plan at any time, regardless of people still being on it. It has been done several times before by all of the companies. They just send out a letter naming a specific date for the plan to sunset, offering whatever they're going to offer, and on that date, everyone who has not changed their plan is terminated. They can't kick random people off the plan for no reason if they're still keeping other people on the plan. THAT is what that verizon rep (most of which don't know their ass from the grand canyon anyway) told you.

And yes.. People like YOU. You are abusing the service. Your plan includes unlimited data ON THE PHONE. It DOES NOT include unlimited data while tethered, and it DOES NOT allow you to use it as an unlimited hotspot - if you want to tether you have to pay extra and that is (and has always been) a separate metered bucket of data.

Data Services: Prohibited Uses
Customers who do not have dedicated Mobile Broadband devices cannot tether other devices to laptops or personal computers for use as wireless modems unless they subscribe to Mobile Broadband Connect.

So yes. PEOPLE LIKE YOU, who ABUSE their unlimited plan and violate the terms of service by using their phone as a modem and sucking down 60-70 subscriber's worth of data every month downloading torrents, are going to be the cause of the plan getting cancelled.

 

[Matt Tottle]

I can tell you without talking to anyone at Verizon that I'm guessing they will never just completely drop the unlimited service. They still have many thousands of customers still using it. And they know if they drop that plan completely, they'll lose a majority of those customers. I used to be unlimited until I wanted a GS5. Couldn't afford to pay outright for them, so ended up upgrading. But it's no big deal these days anyways since there's WiFi everywhere. And most programs us chasers have for chasing don't munch data at a huge rate.

Tell that to the thousands of customers who got kicked off T-Mobile's grandfathered plans last year. And I seriously doubt Verizon would care about losing those any of those customers, because those customers - Hannah being a poster child - are costing the company a lot of money anyway through their blatant abuse of the system.

 

[Matt Tottle]

Completely agree with Skip on this. I moved to Verizon last fall due to Sprint's inability to execute their Network Vision plan. They lost the Dakotas and Montana due to divestation with other mergers... Then they lost Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado as native coverage... How do you do that as a chaser? I also got a letter pointing their finger at me for going over for one month... May. I looked at my usage and I never went over roaming except May and got the letter. I also got my data cut off during a chase. Had to call them and agree to pay the overage fees for roaming data. So, Sorry Matt, what you mentioned isn't true as exactly what you said they don't do happened to me. I called later in the month and argued the charges and got some off.

The above experience and their self-destructing of the Minneapolis area network for about 6 months during their 4G LTE roll-out just sealed the deal for me with moving to Verizon.

Like I said it's news to me. I have been 99% roaming since last June, and I have gone over 300MB several times, and over 1GB at least once. I got the nastygram this past May. I've never had my data cut off or been told I had to pay for overage.

 

[Brandon Sullivan]

Just a quick note from the administrators... Recall the first three rules in our FAQ.

1. Don't be a jerk.

2. Be excellent to each other.

3. Don't be disruptive, post inappropriate content, or participate in any flame war.


Not highlighting anyone. We, as a team felt it was best to insert this reminder.

Thanks

 

[Patrick Marsh]

Duplicate post as Brandon.

Safari was messing up and didn't show me the posts on page two!

 

[David Reimer]

I used Sprint back in 2009-2011 before their agreement with Pioneer was discontinued. Per GB overage at Sprint I would end up paying $50 versus a $10 fee at Verizon. I won't bother getting started on the ridiculous 300 MB roaming limit Sprint has in place. You'll end up using roaming on Sprint if you get off any major interstate in Oklahoma or Kansas. They're a company I have no intention of doing business with again.

 

[Rob H]

So one of these days we'll all end up going back to Baron, right?

 

[TJKLECKNER]

USCC also has a 300 MB roaming limit (when you leave the "local market"). I made my switch to one of those "evil" Verizon Unlimited boxes.