America's Choice II vs. Nationwide

S

Shadi Badi

New member
Ok I tried asking this question in existing threads but no one answered me. Is it because I am a girl? Trying again in a new thread. Someone please respond. Thank you.

I have the Americas Choice and last week I traded in a ne2 Palm Centro for the voyager and did not change my plan. I checked my account online and verizon did not remove the data plan that I had added for the Centro. When I called verizon, they said I will have to upgrade my plan to nationwide or get another phone to keep americas choice. The only newer phone they will give me is the Env2. How are some getting to keep the Dare/voyager and the americas choice? I like the voyager phone but do not want to lose the americas choice plan. I gave the Env to my hubby.

Verizon couldn't remove the data plan. I have used the web and the email through the services on the voyager and they all worked. I am thinking I should keep this phone and just pay the data plan (email and web) that I had added for the smart phone (centro). I checked my account online and it shows unlimited data usage available even though I have the voyager now. I pay 23.99 for the data plan (its the 29.99 plan with discount pricing) but americas choice does not have charges for data. Should I keep the voyager and pay the extra for data plan? This was their doing by selling it to me this way. The verizon rep on the phone said the store should never have sold me the phone without changing my plan to nationwide. I love the voyager and don't want the tiny outside screen on the Env2.

But the web on the voyager is the 2.0 verizon type and not what was on the centro right? Does this matter when my account shows a data plan? I get a 17% discount on my phone plan and 20% on features like data. I guess I just don't know enough about all the plans or web access types and if I want to keep the voyager, I am hesitant to go into the verizon store. Can they change my plan without my agreement to it? I have two lines and a separate wireless broadband usb modem that I pay 59.99 for since I live in BFE with nothing but dial-up.

Any help/input/thoughts would be great.
 
Thanks Ellen. But what are the benefits to changing my plan from ACII to nationwide? My plan now has more minutes and costs less but I am also stuck with the data plan at 23.99 since they cannot remove it until I get another phone or change my plan. Is the web stuff and email that I am doing now on the voyager the same as it would be with the Vpak? If so then that at least would be cheaper than 23.99. Would you change from ACII and pay the extra for the plan?

Thanks for your help.
 
So at lunch I went to the Verizon store and after discussing the situation with the rep, she said "I would leave your plan the way it is since you are not being charged data charges. But the web and email should not be working with the voyager." I showed her that it is and she checked my account and verified that I am not being charged for data usage. She could not understand why the phone was working under the ACII plan. The cheapest family plan is 69.99 and then I would have to pay $15 for vcast to get the web. Even paying the 23.99 for the smartphone data plan it is still cheaper to keep the ACII since I use hardly any share minutes and my plan gives 500 any time minutes.
 
Wow! Similar situation for me. I have the (cheaper) America's Choice plan.

Went to Verizon store to upgrade both phones to the Motorola Droid. Was told that in order to get the Droid, I had to switch to Nationwide, which costs more for less.

Walked out and went to Best Buy (same mall), who happily upgraded me and gave me Droids and everything works with America's Choice. Best Buy even gave me the New every 2 discount.

Called Verizon and asked them about it, and the rep said that to get the phones at Verizon, they must change the plan to Nationwide.

Thank goodness for Best Buy!!!!
 
Well, you're now on the nationwide plan and was blind-sided by Best Buy. In order to have the DROID...AT ALL...you must be on the Nationwide Plan.

The nationwide plan and America's Choice II work exactly the same. America's Choice I (one) is the only unique one (back when roaming used to be around for contract).

Nationwide (NW) and America's Choice II (AM2) both work the same, except in the way they use data. Monthly pricing is EXACTLY the same (39.99 is 450 minutes on either plan, or any other amount of minutes, and they both include free nights and weekends and mobile to mobile).

They do bill data differently. When accessing mobile web with AM2, you will be billed by the minute. So if you're on the internet (or get it now) for 3 minutes, 3 minutes are deducted from your allotted minutes. This is very harmful to the person who may take longer reading a web page or the person who is always on the internet. In addition to being charged per minute, you had to add at least a $5 (for feature phones, data devices were different) in order to access internet at all. Another important point is that Verizon Wireless used to take minutes (1 minute of downloading=1 minute deducted) for sending/receiving picture/video messages. You just hoped they downloaded fast to save minutes. They no longer charge data, minutes (other than if you pay for a texting plan).

Using NW with data, you'll notice the big difference is that you no longer pay $5 for access to data per month. INSTEAD, you'll pay $1.99 per megabyte (which is about 100 pages worth of internet).

You can argue the point, you will lose when you receive your first bill that says you're on nationwide...because you ARE if you have the Droid. Best Buy has nothing to do with it!

Another cool benefit of NW is the fact that you now get more coverage (hence the name "Nationwide"). You almost doubled your available data coverage.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/splash/Megabyte.jsp
 
Actually, AM2 and NW family share plans have different price&minute plans. Which is why I did not want to switch. NW family share was both more minutes and more money, and I didn't need anymore minutes, and didn't want to spend more money for what I won't use.

Also, I'm on the new data plan. I have used tons of data since I got my droid, and its all with the new unlimited plan. (not the old minutes-for-data that AM2 offered, nor the charge per mb plan.)

And, no need to wait till the end of the month for a bill, its all online. So I have the 3G data coverage of the new plan, the unlimited data for $30/mo of the new plan and the old minutes price and old number of minutes for AM2 familyshare! I am a very happy verizon customer! Moto Droid is awesome!
 
Oh, you're talking about the 450 family share minute plan...they actually changed that BEFORE the nationwide plan was ever out.

You were just on an older America's Choice Plan before it was grandfathered.

The Droid requires the Nationwide with a data plan of $30.
 
No, I am on America's Choice II, and have more than 450 minutes.

Verizon may "require" Nationwide for droid, but thats only if you get the phone through their stores or online. You can get around that "requirement" and get the moto Droid from Best Buy. The will also add on the data plan for you and you can keep your old, cheaper minute plan.

I wonder if other indirect sellers will also allow you to keep your old plan?
 
You can't get around it.

Just called local Best Buy and another one that isn't local. They said NO.

I also called Verizon to find out...they also said no.

How many minutes did you have with AM II? And what was the price of the plan alone.

Here are the pricing for America's Choice II

If you had more than 450 minutes, you were paying the same rates as with the Nationwide.
 
Well I did get around it, with my Best Buy. If they broke the rules, or are otherwise an outlier, I can't say. My contracts are all legit on the Verizon website.

My plan is $70 for 1000 minutes, which isn't offered on the Verizon website. (Its price&minutes are between other price & minute packages available on NW.)
 
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