Verizon data plans/hotspot

2oldman wrote:
Due to my streaming youtube videos, I went over my Verizon data allowance this month to the tune of $30 (2 gigs at $15 each). I was notified of only ONE overcharge, and warned another was close. I stopped using the phone immediately, for 2 days. I chatted with them today, suggesting it might be polite of them to notify customers correctly about overage charges. They claim I was, I say I wasn't. The charges stick.

I then inquired about getting more data. The plans available to me are 'go unlimited' and 'beyond unlimited', which sound good, but the hotspot feature is either non-existent or throttled at 15g. The salesman who tried to sell me the 'go' plan neglected to mention that. He also said I could go back to my 24 gig plan. Also not true - according to the website.

So, if you're a hotspot user, beware.

You can set up your phone so that you get text alerts when you hit 50, 75, or 90% of your data. You can also check your data usage on a phone if you put the MyVerizon app. When you get close to the limit, simply go on the app and increase it. Much cheaper than overages.

Once you get past 5 GB, you might as well go to unlimited. Then you can change it back down any time you want, or back up. You are never stuck forever with a plan.

You should get set up on the Verizon website with a log in so you don't have to talk to people about this, and can simply do it yourself.

I really don't see why people have a hotspot anyway. It's just as easy to get an old cheap smartphone and use it as a dedicated hotspot. Or if you don't mind switching the hotspot off and on, you can just use one of your regular phones.

The best way to steer clear of headaches with Verizon is to buy a good refurbished smartphone outright--either from Verizon, or another reputable site such as Swappa.com. That way you are never stuck in a contract, or paying by the month for a phone.

I have a Pixel phone that is awesome--it doesn't have any of the bloated software that Samsung puts on their phones. I bought it used off Swappa.com.

So far as throttling, my experience is that when you are on unlimited data, and over some limit (I think 22 GB but am not sure) you will be throttled IF you are in a high-traffic area. This happened me once--super speed going down I-40, on rural towers, with grandkids streaming video. But then I got off at an exit right by a college campus and the speed went to a crawl. I was well over 22 GB usage at the time.