Shopping for a new phone for my wife to go on our Verizon Family Plan. We're about to upgrade our plan and we'll get a nice signing bonus to go against upgrading her 5 year-old VX-8300. That's been a great phone but it's getting shaky in the hinge and in the signal.
Looking at the current selection of phones at the Verizon Wireless online store there is one that is the far-and-away clear stand out; the Samsung "Omnia". It says on the website that it's $199 and given the richness of features on this phone it's a bargain. Windows mobile 6.x, Wifi, touch screen, music player, on and on and then top it off with a 5 MP camera. Oh yeah, and its a Samsung phone too. If you want it, the phone is also "Mobile Broadband Connect capable1" on the Verizon 3G network.
The Omnia is so swell that none of the other phones being offered by Verizon even come close.
Until you get to the catch.
It doesn't say so right out front on the Verizon website but there is a big catch. Almost $1,500 worth of catch. Every mention of the 3G network capability, like the quote above, pretty clearly implies that the data network is an optional feature. Nothing -- and as of this writing on March 22, 2009, I mean nothing -- on the many VZW web pages about the Omnia indicates that a "Verizon Mobile Broadband" data plan is required before you select this phone.
After you select it the sky turns a little darker when Verizon stops the show and asks you to select a data plan to go with that phone. Your choice $40 a month for 50 MB of traffic (or less than two Pandora streamed songs per day; are you kidding Verizon?) or $60 per month for 5 GB. The $60 plan isn't bad as such things go, if you have a need for it and you can use it.
For us, neither of those is true. For starters, our little town has great Wifi coverage so that we have Wifi almost everywhere we go. And we live in hilly country in upstate New York where the 3G data network coverage is spotty at best. If we did buy a data plan we'd only be able to use it a couple of days for a just a few hours every month.
So I poked around the interweb to see if there's an opt-out for the data plan and even asked the online chat "helper" salesperson about. Some folks say that they've been told that they can opt-out or "block" the data plan after they get the phone but there are no indications that any Verizon customer has been successful at that.
The sales-chat-lady asked me to wait a minute while she checked -- which sort of got my hopes up -- but he/she came back with the bad news; "the Omnia requires a data plan." (Emphasis is mine, but I'm sure that's the way she meant it.)
Well, this is bumming me out. The Omnia is so much better than anything else, but we just can't use the data plan. So I do what any online consumer in the Age of Twitter would do: I tweeted about it. Not only did I Twitter to those who follow my tweets and to the general public, but I looked for and found an official voice of Verizon Wireless in the Tweeterverse; "VZWNews".
I really didn't expect to get a response but, lo and behold!, VZWNews replied to my tweet. And this is what he/she said:
"VZWnews @XXP The Omnia does require a data plan because it helps offset the subsidies of the initial price."
Those of you who have followed my tweets and posts that have to do with Verizon will know that I am a fan of Verizon Wireless. Big time. So when I get a sort of a crack back from them like this, well we're all surprised, aren't we? What's he saying, that I'm a dumbass for asking such an obvious question? Or that I must be a numbskull because he's sure that I'm going to fall for or swallow or otherwise be whelmed by this logic?
I replied and pointed out to him that $60 (because the $40 plan is nuts) per month multiplied by the required 24 month contract is $1,440. Add the $99 discounted price for the phone that you get with a new 24 month contract and that comes up to a hefty $1,639.00.
The Omnia is really, really cool -- and probably really, really good too -- but not almost $1,700 worth.
By the way VZWNews, that would, of course, be on top of our Family Plan contract that's going to be around $3,360. Not enough in there to cover the Omnia?
This does not compute VZWNews. Actually, it kind of off-pisses; if you get my drift.
So; how about if I pay the stated retail for the phone -- the $199? If I do that can I have it without the $1,440 penalty?
Come to my town VZWNews and I'll be happy to show you around the hills where, in a few spots, you can't even "hear me now" much less get 3G data coverage. So, you want to charge me $1,440 for non-existant service? WTF Verizon? Are you trying to wear out my fanitude?
1 That's a quote from the VZW website.
I guess you are misinformed there is a $30 data and email plan that gives you 5gb data each month.
Unless you need corporate exchange email then the data plan goes up to $60. But like I said there is a $30 data plan. In fact I work for a company that gives me 22% off of the $30 charge.
I understand that you want a smart phone without paying for data. I also understand the advertising may not say the data plan is required. But you can not buy the phone from Verizon unless you choose a data plan. It just wont allow the transaction to go through.
Also how can you put any type of trust that VZWNews is affiliated with Verizon Wireless? I ask you this because it is not affiliated with Verizon Wireless at all. I ask them at one point. They post the news and updates. You were extremely lucky that they took the time out to at least give you an answer.
I would suggest that you go straight to the source and ask them next time. Or if you are a customer dial 611 and talk to them. I am not here to take a side but you should have ask the VZWNews if they were official and they are NOT.
Thanks for your comment Ryan.
Where is the $30/month data plan? I've been looking for it since you mentioned it on Twitter but all that I can find is the email/mobile-web package but that doesn't include 3G "Wireless Broadband".
If you have a link to information about such a plan, please send it.
Re: VZWNews being "official"; it's quite easy and logical to make the assumption that VZWNews is a representitive of VZW. (A) The content of posts by that user on Twitter is exclusively corporate press releases, (B) the Twitter profile for that user links to the VZW website, (C) searching Google for VZWNews finds that there is a MySpace page for it and on that page it also links directly to the VZW homepage As That User's Personal Homepage, (D) "VZWNews" is quoted extensively across the web as a legitimate source for VZW announcements including VZW corporate information, (E) in no public place (as of this date) does VZWNews disclaim the clearly implied connection to VZW.
On top of that, the VZWNews person responded to my query about phone packages as an expert and in no way disclaimed authority to speak for VZW.
If there truly is no affiliation with Verizon Wireless then VZW should require that this person to stop giving the appearance of speaking for VZW.
I understand that it may seem like VZWNews is affiliated with Verizon Wireless. Remember anyone can be anyone they want to be on the internet, take everything with a grain of salt. Either way I enjoy getting the news from that account.
Second I see that you are still seeking out why the Omnia needs a data plan. It is a smartphone all of the newer smartphones require a data plan. No matter how much you push the subject it will not change the fact. So you have to either get data or just choose a new phone/carrier. I have no other information than this to share with you thanks.
So what if it is "only" $30 now? I want the onmia for its wifi, camera, phone, and pda features. I don't need a data plan. Not only did the in shore sales rep tell me I would have to keep the data plan thru the 2 year contract but I would not be able to ever use the phone without a data plan. I will stick to pulling around my phone and pda separately until they get their act together. I get it that people stupidly ran up bills but why not just allow a data blocker? I use to have it for text messaging. They just want the $$$. Eventually they will have to change. Remember when the internet was by the minute:) I will wait because At&t (cingular really) sucks worse.
Seriously, what the hell?
Verizon, I DONT WANT A DATA PLAN SO WHY AM I BEING FORCED TO BUY ONE IF I NEED TO UPGRADE MY DECREPTI 4yr OLD PHONE?!?!
I also really want the Omnia. I would love to ditch my phone, pda, and camera for it just so I could get around carrying just one device instead of three. But even at $30.00, that's $720.00 over the course of two years. And I have access to WIFI just about everywhere I go, so I REALLY don't need the data plan. I guess I'll just buy one off e-bay; there's a bunch of them there for about $165.00; probably people pissed off about the data plan and dumping it. At least I'll be able to eliminate my old WM2003SE PDA and 3.1MP camera and just carry my free, no-data-plan flip phone along with my fantastic Omnia...