Verizon unlimited EV-DO not so unlimited: can you even use RSS?
We’ve heard rumors of Verizon shutting down unlimited Broadband Access accounts for some time, but now that it’s happened to ConsumerAffairs, I think we’re about to hear a whole bunch more. Without much warning, ConsumerAffairs received a letter telling them of the impending service shut-down and then the tubes, er, lights went out.
Verizon’s response is that "unlimited" is not misleading because all of the terms are outlined in the service agreement. I’m sure they are in there, but how about changing the marketing-speak of an "unlimited" data plan; clearly if you limit the service in the terms of the agreement, isn’t it a "limited" data plan? Verizon claims to target users that eat up 10 GB of bandwidth per month although ConsumerAffairs used Verizon’s own VZAccess software to determine actual usage of under 10 GB during the prior year! Watch out for the no-no’s per the service agreement: no streaming media, web-cams, nor any VoIP or "automatic data feeds" (which you radical RSS users should just stop doing…r-i-iight…) Hey, whaddya want for just $59.95 a month on top of a qualifying voice plan….actual freedom to use the web the way you see fit?!? Fuh-gedda-bout-it!
-kct
Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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Pathetic. It’s pretty obvious that not a single customer would read a 20-page fine-print agreement (ever rented a car? Sign here, here, here. Initial here, here, here… did you read what you agreed to?).
Then again, this could potentially be used to your advantage, if you want to get out of your contract before it’s up — assuming the 20-page contract doesn’t specify that they can cancel your account and charge an early termination fee even for that.
Wow, that’s lame. I hope Sprint doesn’t pull that crap on me.
I *really* wanted EV-DO … but stories like this shied me away.(My first post on my newest blog is on this very topic) With my usage patterns I’d be cancel bait inside 2 weeks with Verizon I’m sure. Big thumbs down on the way Verizon is managing the marketing of this product. If it’s not unlimited then just say what it is…
I went with T-Mobile, and yeah, EDGE performance is decidedly just ok, but I stream and download away without fear, so hey, that’s gotta count for something, huh? :)
I smell a lawsuit which will probably be heard about 10 years from now, when the fight will be over an entirely new technology.
What I find very strange about this is that while it’s no surprise that Verizon has stated it’s going to a tiered pricing structure based on bandwidth consumed they haven’t done so yet. This makes the move to cancel the account as mentioned in this article quite silly. Most likely had they waited they had a shot to switch it to a tiered rate plan, now they have none.
Unlimited means without limits if this goes to court I hope the judge doesn’t get an aneurysm from laughing so hard.
Unlimited means without limits if this goes to court I hope the judge doesn’t get an aneurysm from laughing so hard.
Unlimited means without limits if this goes to court I hope the judge doesn’t get an aneurysm from laughing so hard.
Unlimited means without limits if this goes to court I hope the judge doesn’t get an aneurysm from laughing so hard.
Unlimited means without limits if this goes to court I hope the judge doesn’t get an aneurysm from laughing so hard.