Verizon Data Issues - Like Feedback

[JudyJB]

The jetpacks or other mobile hotspots that I know of have no data storage capacity, so you cannot download and then view later from them.

I think part of the problem is that the new 4 LTE networks may be using a lot of data. (One Verizon person admitted that.) That is my guess as of this point. I also think my new Jetpack and/or the SIM card is defective. I got the jetpack as a replacement for my old jetpack on June 20. It was slow, so went to store and they replaced the SIM card on July 20, which is when most of my problems started. I used the old jetpack for over two years with using 4-5 hours a day of internet surfing and only used 12-14 Gig of data. The roughly $170 per month with one phone and one jetpack was OK because I was using it to teach online. My shock came when I was hardly using it and racked up the 21 gig so fast. That was using it maybe only an hour a day, at the very most. And the only videos I download are very short, very basic ones by my students, but I have been teaching two classes for four semesters a year for the past two years using only 10-14 gigs per month.

The thing that made me mad was the spiel I kept getting from Verizon about my teaching and downloading videos causing my problems, blah, blah! I kept trying to tell them I had been doing exactly the same things for two years. Then when I used .8 Gig online for 5 minutes ordering a bike from Amazon, I really got mad and finally someone listened, but I am still not sure it solved my problem. If the new jetpack does not work and substantially reduce my usage, I may try to get my old one fixed and use it instead.

I did not know about the reused numbers, but I have never had any such messages. I know mine is OK, but you should demand a new number, Kristie. It could even be a fax machine with your number programmed into it that will call you forever!! Since you have two phones, you probably can't get the fee for the second phone deleted, but that is probably part of your cost.

Another issue I have with my new iPhone 5e is the automatic backups. No more iCloud, either. I shut all iCloud and backups off, but whenever I use it as a hotspot, it syncs and tried to back things up. I am afraid to do ANYTHING online because of the jetpack problems. I went into McDonalds the other day and used the time to upload photos (small ones) to my blog and upload pending computer upgrades. They had pretty fast speeds, although I don't want to have to go to one very often. Rather be enjoying my recliner in my motorhome.

Will pick up new Jetpack on Wednesday, so stay tuned.

[grammynmaggie]

I got the recycled phone number Information.....
From the Verizon rep at the store Friday.... I really
want to make time and go again this week... look my phone,
Jetpack and my laptop in hand.... and hopefully get some answers

[JudyJB]

Small Update: I got my new jetpack and SIM card and installed them yesterday. However, I have been afraid to use it much because I have so few Gigs to last me the next two weeks. I will be doing more testing and more logging after 9/7 when my new month starts.

In the meantime, I have been almost entirely using my iPhone 5e as a mobile hotspot by tethering it to my laptop. It uses VERY little bandwidth--maybe only .2 Gig for two hours of use. The only problem is that it is slow. I had to grade one student's speech. I had watched it live last week but could not see the video, so I went online last night to view the video that the college system records of all the students' presentations. I was using my cell phone and it was loading very, very slowly, so I got impatient and turned on my new jetpack. Whoosh--a LOT faster! Stuff loaded maybe 2-3 times faster.

However, I turned it off and went back to my slow phone as soon as I could. As soon as I get through the next two weeks, I am going to start a better log of what I do and for how long, and then compare the gigs used using each of the devices.

[avalen]

thanks for the update Judy

[MelissaD]

I went into Verizon Wednesday to lower my bill and not only lowered my bill but got more data and a tablet in the process. Had them set it up in the store to only run on WIFI unless I wanted it to go out on it's phone number. Wednesday night it went through 2 GB. Thursday afternoon we called to ask what the heck and they said we had it set up correctly and that we had not used any data on Thursday. Friday it had burned through another 3 GB (5GB today in 3 days) and went into the local Verizon store where we camp. They put me back on phone with tech support and a story that ticked me off. Verizon is suppose to monitor the tablet over the weekend and call me on Monday. An average month for us is 2-3 GB and a peak of 7GB while we travel and hot spot the phones for the laptop and a Netflix movie on the TV now and then.

Been a Verizon customer since the late 90's not very happy at the moment. I've had a cell phone since the days of the bag phones for traveling. This is ridiculous.

[Cudedog]

Melissa: Just curious - what was the "story that ticked you off". As I mentioned in a previous post, I bailed from Verizon a couple of years ago because of gouging ($150 for about 50 text messages was the final straw - my current carrier does not charge anything for texts).

I, personally, will never again have an electronic device "contract" of any kind (although I know that you full-timers are probably stuck with this - but it is changing).

I just did several quick Google searches using these search terms:

1. verizon gouging data customers

2. verizon overcharging data customers

3. verizon overcharging for data

4. verizon unfair pricing practices

And my favorite:

5. class action verizon data charges

Lots of good information here. Bottom line: there are a whole lot of unhappy Verizon customers out there.

Everyone: Try your own Google search, think up your own search terms - but (suggestion) don't do it using your data plan.

Anne

[MelissaD]

Melissa: Just curious - what was the "story that ticked you off".

The salesman in the store Wednesday setup the tablet to run on WIFI only and I watched him do it before I left the store. I wanted to verify I knew correctly how to put it on and off the Verizon network. It's Android based so no big deal, just like my phone. I personally put it on the home WIFI and monitored it to ensure it was running on WIFI. I told the Tech it only ran on the WIFI and I verified it was on the WIFI, the Tech asked if I remembered to entered the password and unsure it sync'd up. Didn't I just say it was running on the WIFI? When I talked to the tech on Saturday he said none of that mattered it only mattered what I did with him. I asked him is he saw the service call from Thursday for the same issue and he said yes, but that did not matter. Excuse me? Tech was like, how do I know the others did it correctly? I can only account for what I do. Dude, It's your own people if they screwed up "own it and fix it". The Tech on Thursday verified we had it set up correctly. Seriously what's the cost of 5 GB of data vs upsetting a 15+ year customer. It's not like they didn't make any money off me. Even with my employer 25% discount I know they are still making plenty of money.

The guy in the store Saturday kept wanting me to add a Jetpack and kept claiming that if I used the Hotspots in my phones and tablet I'd burn them up. It's been working fine for 2 years now. He kept claiming that they were a feature but no one actually expected you to use it. That's why they made the Jetpacks. What nonsense.

It upsets me when people treat me like I'm stupid.

[Bethers]

Verizon lost me because of customer service first and believing I was overcharged data second.

[rvgrammy1953]

I almost am afraid to chime in here....we've had our cell service (flip phone..no texting, no brower, no GPS...all are blocked at our request) thru Verizon for over 14 yrs and our USB data stick for about 5 or 6 years...and have had no problems with either except for the year we were doing our "Wild West Adventure" and that was because I was doing a blog for family and friends during that time...easy fix...just upgrade the data to 10 G and solved that issue.....nothing has changed since then....but maybe that's because we still have the same equipment which is still working just fine....people know to call us, not text....or send us an e-mail...or message on FB, etc....I only play the silly games online and Ernie does his stuff, when we have free WiFi.....Customer service has always been good when we needed it and just last week they caught a fraud hacker on our phone and took care of it within 24 hours...

So we are very happy with them.... Now, don't get me going abut Sprint...never again...with them...

[JudyJB]

On one of last couple of Verizon support calls, I asked guy why we needed a jetpack if we could tether to our iPhones.

Answer was that you could not use phone while tethered so jetpack was more convenient. That turned out to be flat wrong as I have received and made calls while tethered!!!

I am really getting tired of their well rehearsed lines. I suspect they are getting these wrong answers during training.

I was also very happy with Verizon until I got this new jetpack. Phone is much slower but at least it uses hardly any gigs.

[chalet05]

Answer was that you could not use phone while tethered so jetpack was more convenient. That turned out to be flat wrong as I have received and made calls while tethered!!!

You are correct, Judy, but if you are talking on the phone, you can't access the Internet - at least that's what LeRoy and I found. I have no trouble with the speed of my phone hotspot, but with your work that may be a different story.

[Bethers]

What Anita said. As far as I know, AT&T has the only true service of tethering and using the phone simultaneously.

[judi]

I have AT&T cell phone service, and when I went to ALaska I purchased an AT&T hotspot for wi-fi. I also purchased an international plan for use in Canada. The domestic wi-fi worked very well, but the international never worked, not even once. After 7 calls to AT&T, and getting 7 different answers, I finally cancelled the international part. But I got a bill for it, of course. It's maddening!

[grammynmaggie]

My DD & S I L [*]Have iPhones And they can talk and be on the Internet
At the same time .. They harass me Because I have a droid... And cannot do that
Maybe the phone makes the difference for that part

[chalet05]

My DD & S I L [*]Have iPhones And they can talk and be on the Internet
At the same time .. They harass me Because I have a droid... And cannot do that
Maybe the phone makes the difference for that part

I think it is more likely the provider as LeRoy and I both have iPhones..