This is a noobie question, and may have been asked. I just purchased an 8703e. I called verizon to have it activated, where it was revealed (never heard this before) that I have to add on a data plan (minimum $25 / mo) because it's a blackberry. Apparently normal PDA phones don't have this requirement, but blackberries do. I go to college and I have access to wifi at all times, which was a big reason I wanted this phone. Am I SOL, or was the rep pulling my chain? Is this exclusive to verizon? Because this sucks

Well welcome to the best place to get info on your new BB. Well I hate to tell you it is true you do need to get a data plan for BB's. They work different than the pda's like with your email account being pushed to you. The other thing I hate to tell you is that your BB doesn't have a wireless funtion like some pda phones have so you won't be able to got to some wireless hot spot and connect like you thought you were going to do.

So I take it when you were looking for a phone you didn't do any research about this phone or BB in general. It is not just verizon it is all providers of BB.

Looks like you have the option to sell or live with what you get. BB is much better than the windows based phones any day.

Thank you for the speedy reply. Generally I do a lot of research into buying electronic before I purchase them, but this time it was a impulse because the price as so low. I was able to get the 8703e for approximately $170 brand new . So it looks like I will be selling, as that $25/mo is too much to ask when I've got other bills as a college student.

I appreciate the reply.

I understand that was a good deal on the 8703. Check out Craigslist.org in your area there are some good deals on cell phones once in awhile. You can also sell on there for no cost to you. You also might be able to list your 8703 in these forums under the for sale section someone will buy it. I love mine I am looking to get the 8103 when it comes out in November it is like the Pearl.

Look at an audiovox pda they are not bad and they have wireless

if you just bought it carry it back. Hell Ill buy it from you let me know.

My wife is using my old 7250 on Verizon BIS with a pay as you go plan at $.015 per KB. Works great. She just uses it for email, no internet, receives only headers and downloads the body of only those emails she wants to read. Monthly charge is around $6 - $10 month.

Really? How'd you work out that deal?
I know Verizon currently does not offer any type of pay-as-you-go type plans for BlackBerry devices. I didn't think they ever did.

Summer of 2005 there was a problem with the POS and Billing systems that would allow you to activate a BB with a Pay as you go plan....they fixed the problem...

-emb

well I am purchasing this device from him so He can go another route.

Took a bit of searching but here's the text. I found it in the footnotes to the business plans, but my plan is not business, it's in a family share plan. I'm still searching.

"IMPORTANT! Data access is always available on PDA/smartphone devices. If you do not subscribe to either a data plan or data feature, data usage will be billed at $0.015 per KB ($15.36 per MB), which does not include Wireless Sync. Wireless Sync may be purchased separately for a $5 monthly access fee. A Data Plan or Data Feature is always required to use a BlackBerry device."

Surprising. Started my pay as you go plan in 3/07. Maybe I just got lucky. Spoke with a VZW rep and said I wasn't interested in a plan and PAYG was their suggestion.

I am also on a vzw pay as you go plan. I called CS a few times and received multiple answers regarding the possibility of it continuing when i upgrade BB's. Apparently it does still exist but not many reps have heard of it. I Signed up originally in 10/2005.

When I got by BB in 07 they told me no pay as you go. Since to many people were getting huge bills and complaining they would not offer that service plan.

Told you mleeth someone would buy that phone from you. BB are hot!

I've never had a personal or work blackberry on Verizon. But we did have work lines on Nextel (before the Sprint days) and you were required to have a data plan with a BB. In fact, NXTL would periodically "audit" your line, and if a BB was detected they would siliently add the $45/mo BB data plan, then start billing you for it without your knowledge.

No all carriers are like VZW or NTXL though. AT&T and T-Mo don't require a dataplan, though it seems sort of silly to limit yourself to just phone/sms/and pay-as-you-go web browsing when you have a BlackBerry. but some people like the organizer, which is OK.

If VZW is doing this, that is plain draconian (but within their right).

Good luck.
Aaron
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(edit)
(the prices of BBs are heavily subsidized by the carrier, and between that, and the agreements with RIM, many carriers expect the extra monthly revenue the data plans generate, which makes sense when you consider the whole tangled mess.)