I’m not normally much of a consumer advocate type blogger but I feel compelled to post my feelings from time to time. When I feel strongly enough about an issue I’ll speak my peace and move on.
The first time I heard about Verizon Wireless’ new “Share Everything” plan, I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing. No – not because I was impressed with how revolutionary the new plans were. But rather, because not only are the commercials basically putting lipstick on a pig but also that Verizon is FORCING customers to adopt their new plans.
I won’t spend a lot of time explaining the plan differences – I think DigitalTrends’ article on the subject does a fine job of that.
What I will spend some time on is the fact that Verizon Wireless is trying to trick us with their misleading advertising on these plans and, as a cost-conscious, at least somewhat savvy consumer I’m actually pretty offended. Here’s why.
Verizon Share Everything – It’s All About Verizon’s Bottom Line (Not You)
Have you seen the commercial on television or heard it on the radio yet? Verizon is trying to make their “Share Everything” plan out to be all about the customer. Simplified plans, easy to understand features and (implied) cost savings. It’s crap for the majority of consumers and Verizon is set to eventually force everyone into a new plan when their existing contracts expire. Here’s one of their splashy ads they’ve been running that makes the plan sound so “revolutionary”:
Verizon is concerned about what its seeing in its smartphone customer base. We all know everyone and their brother has a smartphone these days and those phones use up a lot more data than their dumbphone counterparts. Verizon’s intent with their “Share Everything” plans are to profit from that data use, not to do us any favors.
Smart Phone Data Use By Provider USA Source: Mobidia
According to a February Mobidia white paper on smartphone data use, Verizon’s cellular network data usage is second only to Sprint. That means that more people on their network use their phones outside of a (typically free) WIFI hot spot. To discourage this behavior, Verzion is going to start charging an arm and a leg for data and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Or is there?
Verizon Will Lose Customers and They Know It
How do I know they know it? They called me today asking if I’d like to re-up my contract for another year for a $19 credit on my next bill. Wow, $19 whole bucks, huh? I’ve never once gotten an unsolicited call from Verizon Wireless trying to sell me something until now and I’ve been a customer for nearly two years. They know their new plans are going to scare away a lot of their data-hungry smartphone customers and they’re scrambling try to lock as many of us into contracts as they possibly can.
Well, I for one can see through their tricks and I will not sign a new contract and buy into their BS. Their Share Everything plans are simply a sneaky way for them to make more money off our data use (kinda reminds me of airline bag fees). The fact that they’re making the new plans out to be perfect for consumers is an insult to any educated consumer that doesn’t just swallow everything companies try to force down our throats.
Share Everything plans are a big turd, no matter how much Verizon tries to polish them up and I, for one, will not be hanging around to see how much it ends up costing me.
There Are Currently 3 Comments on this Post
Tactics similar to this have become so rampant but should never be considered a normal occurrence. As consumers, we have the right to know if the purchase we are making is worth it or not at all. Thanks for sharing your experience, shame on them for coming up with this deceiving ad campaign.
False advertising is everywhere so be wary of offers that are not exactly as beneficial as they claim to be, this is another ploy to make us spend more than we really should. Thanks for pointing this out.
Their Share Everything plans are simply a sneaky way for them to make more money off our data use…