Verizon Wireless re-announces Visual Voice Mail, not free anymore
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Today, big Red published a new press release about the Visual Voice Mail. The big news is that it is not free as reported previously but confirms earlier rumors: it will cost $2.99 a line per month plus airtime or megabyte charges and messaging fees. The LG Voyager really is the first phone to offer it, after a free software update at any VZW store, but other devices will support it “in the coming months”. Using VVM, customers can store 40 messages for up to 40 days.
source: Verizon Wireless
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105 Comments
1. (unregistered) posted on 20 Oct 2010, 01:42 0 0
I'm kind of sick of VZW charging for the little things that most carriers make free... and I work FOR a premium retailer of VZW!
6. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 10:41 0 0
I suppose you could go sell for a lesser company like at&t who ranks lower in customer loyalty and satisfaction. VZW is a company that is here to make money not give features for free. I hate to break the news to you all but you are in the wrong profession if you believe capitalism is wrong!
8. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 10:43 0 0
go vote for obama maybe he will give you tax break from our profits since we make so much money off of our customers
17. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 12:24 0 0
There are only 2 phones on the market that even DO this, how can you say everyone else lets you do it for free?
35. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 17:09 0 0
Who gives a crap about Visual Voice mail??? It's all hype it's basically useless. Youmail is so much better than any kind of visual voice mail. Before you guys start whining do some research. I am careless about that. I like Verizon but I still believe they are a little on the greedy side. Cell phone service should not cost this much in the new millennium. Go to Europe and you will see what I am talking about. And before you start accusing me as some far left liberal democrat I am actually very conservative republican who is open minded and not driven by any brainwashing.
48. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 19:10 0 0
IT'S NOT FREE WITH AT&T OR SPRINT EITHER! Free with mandatory $30/month data package is NOT FREE. VZW is making this an option on an already competitive network pricing. If you don't want it, don't buy it! When you can take the $30 data pack off your iPhone and still use the visual voicemail, then you can tell me it's FREE.
72. (unregistered) posted on 12 Aug 2008, 09:43 0 0
OK, so if you subscribe to a premium data pack with Verizon, shouldn't this be included?
74. (unregistered) posted on 12 Aug 2008, 17:50 0 0
A lesser company like AT&T. How can a company with more customers than Verizon be of lesser value?
83. phone_queen1977 posted on 13 Aug 2008, 12:59 0 0
Your so very right! I find it very funny that people just go with what's cheap or easy! Verizon has never said its the cheapest carrier,but only the best! I'm a person of facts and I read. If more people would just read about a company an what it has to offer them Capitalism wouldn't be a issue. The other companies would just go out of businness. And just one last thing...Nothing in this life is free! I could make a very long list but i'd rather pay and know it works the get over charged told i'm getting a service free just to have it suck! You say you work for a Premium VzW retailer then your trainning must have sucked or you would know this!
87. phone_queen1977 posted on 13 Aug 2008, 13:37 0 0
As of right now it's a new service! So no it wont be, but I would think as history shows with VZW if its something our customer wants then they may bundle it in down the road.
94. (unregistered) posted on 18 Nov 2008, 22:16 0 0
Verizon will nickel and dime you to death and offer poor service
100. critofur posted on 28 Jun 2010, 17:33 0 0
"If you don't want it don't buy it" - it sucks that something so obvious is not a standard feature with cell phone service in this day and age. Who isn't tired of greedy companies trying to squeeze every last nickel and dime out of us with fees, charges, etc. For instance, some phone companies charge a fee for touch tone dialing? Who the #@$^ has a pulse dial phone these days? Tone is just the basic standard. Who are these people that come out and say "if you don't like capitolism then move out of the country" in response to people who just want companies to earn their business by offering them more for less, rather than being presented with fewer choices and being charged more as the big guys put the small guys out of business???
2. anonymous2 (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 10:23 0 0
I too work for a premium retailer of Verizon and the things they do are ridiculous. They nickle and dime everything to the tune of 12.1 billion in profit. The service is not as good as they percieve and the phone selection is not the greatest. And the prices they charge for phones to agents is absurd.
5. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 10:33 0 0
if you think that then you must be the worst salesperson around, if you don't believe in what you sell, why the hell are you selling it? truck driver school too expensive????
11. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 11:40 0 0
Of all the carriers I've been with, VZW has been the most reliable for me. I've hardly had any issues with coverage, connection speed, and overall quality of the service (and customer service for VZW is stellar compared to the others I've dealt with!). Albeit the phone selection might not please everyone in the market, they do have some solid devices. I'd rather pay slightly more for a service that works great for me than pay less for something that doesn't. You don't pay the price of a Mercedes-Benz to get the quality of a Kia.
55. LessthanZach posted on 12 Aug 2008, 00:12 0 0
Number 29- #11's response seemed logical and did not sound like a preach, more like a statement of preference. Number 2- You must think everyone is stupid. You just complain because you don't get paid verizon wireless corporate rates. I too was a manager for Celcom, an indirect agent who sold all the carriers at the time. The two most sold companies were verizon and att. And though vzw can be more expensive in phones, our monthly service in terms of minutes to price paid is identical, and our per mb data usage charges are about half of what att charges. We were rated number one in reception by JD powers and consumer reports, not to mention got number one spot in customer care several times (usually tmobile gets it).
89. (unregistered) posted on 13 Aug 2008, 21:41 0 0
Actually, that makes him a good salesman. You should find a new profession if you can only sell products that you personally believe in.
96. (unregistered) posted on 18 Nov 2008, 22:21 0 0
What's wrong with Kia ? It will take you any place a Mercedes will.
97. (unregistered) posted on 18 Nov 2008, 22:23 0 0
55 What customer care??? You gotta be kidding
3. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 10:29 0 0
maybe you should take into consideration that it takes sometimes upward of millions of dollars to license the technology, test it and make it compatible with a carriers devices.. of course everyone wants everything for free because we're a generation of spoiled brats that thinks no company should make a profit and we should have every peice of technology we want, whenever we want, for free
4. joe in miami (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 10:32 0 0
Hey, it could be worse. You could be working for Sprint!
36. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 17:12 0 0
Companies should profit without a doubt but when they start raping their consumers or customers that's where the problem arises and this is not coming from a liberal either. I think it's time for some minor changes to happen in US.
52. CHUP12682 (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 23:44 0 0
I don't know how old you are #3, but being a generation of spoiled brats and the need for companies to curb their profit margins is definitely not related in any bit. In fact it is our generation of spoiled brats that fuel the need for corporations to want to make more profit! It infuriates me to hear such stupidity... AND I'M A CONSERVATIVE ON THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM! And yes, by proxy, I am also calling you (#3) STUPID! I believe that private corporations have a duty to support this country as Ronald Reagan did. I'm not speaking for the man, but by merely looking at his economic policies, any conservative of that era would be disgusted with the rampant profit hoarding that corporations exhibit today! Last year, CEOs on Wallstreet reported the highest amount of bonuses given in a single year, and a small minority of them actually re-invested it into the economy. If your previous argument was to praise corporations for their civic contributions to the economy by turning their profits into economic stimulation, then our current recession shows you how myopic you are. SHAME ON YOU FOR NOT EXPECTING MORE FROM VERIZON. And if you truly believe in capitalism, then you should certainly believe that the power should rest with the consumer to find a suitable market price for any given service. It is true that we have the right to find another carrier, but we also have the right to expect the highest quality service at the most agreed possible price. So my message to EVERYONE is that nobody should take heart to what any of these people are saying when they justify the status quo...
57. LessthanZach posted on 12 Aug 2008, 00:23 0 0
Wow.... okay so all the companies make their service CHEAP and DON'T REQUIRE CONTRACTS and give away FREE PHONES AND ACCESSORIES, right? We just won't make any money to support the network you all bitch about. And we will pay our reps like walmart employees-minimum wage with no spiffs. That's supposed to help things. Me being a consumer, I want cheap stuff too. But when I go to Khols to buy work shirts I don't tell them "If you give me the shirts for free and waive the annual fee, I will apply for your credit card....". Every one comes to verizon and acts as if we are in god damn Tijuana!!! SO YOU GET VVM FOR FREE WITH IPHONE HUH? NO!!! It's 30 bucks a month and you are forced to have it. We offer the VVM as an option, a cheap option. When another company offers it for less or for free I am sure we will as well.
101. critofur posted on 28 Jun 2010, 17:43 0 0
I want more for my money as technology improves, which in turn reduces costs. And, as volume increases also reducing costs per unit, I want my price reduced also. I'm not saying I want them to make NO profit, but I AM saying I want free visual voicemail rather than obscenely high executive bonuses. I say more of us should vote with our wallets as much as we can, and not just be lemming consumers. I threw away my TV, I don't have cable, I cut my land line phone service to $14, I only pay $15 for my Verizon Wireless because I'm on my friend's Family Plan, and I stopped buying DVDs (BluRay rediculously expensive), I stopped buying video games (WTF, number of sales doubles, triples, quadruples, but the price goes UP? That's BACKWARDS as goods become MASS MARKET items prices should fall like a dropped rock!.
7. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 10:42 0 0
I dont believe alot of people will get this service because of the monthly service charge. If they where charging money to pay for the license they would just charge you to download the app and then make it free. I dont have any beef with VZW but they are for sure the most expensive
77. (unregistered) posted on 13 Aug 2008, 10:43 0 0
i don't believe that alot of people will take this feature because it's pointless to 98% of cell phone users. It's a gimmick
102. critofur posted on 28 Jun 2010, 17:47 0 0
I really don't agree with that - I'm tired of having to listen through/skip messages to get to the one I want to hear. Tired of not knowing who left what messages when without having to listen through all of them first. Tired of having messages automatically deleted (if I could forward the VM to my email, that'd be great). I want to be able to quickly and easily look at a list of my voicemails and see who it's from, when they left it, how long it is, and if it's marked "urgent". I can't believe these are not standard features on EVERY cell phone by now??? Absurd!
9. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 10:59 0 0
there are no megabyte charges for when you use the application, just when you initially download it.
10. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 10:59 0 0
i dont know why people complain...its 3 bucks!!! if thats too much then you should definitely look for different methods of income. If you dont think you should pay at all then dont get it. its that simple...i would love a 2009 dodge challenger, but guess what, all of the specs and features that i want in that car are going to cost me extra. consumers now a days are way to spoiled. they think that just because they pay their bill they should get everything offered for free.
12. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 11:42 0 0
What's worse is when some people come into my store and say things like, "My upgrade date is here, I'm entitled to my free phone."
58. LessthanZach posted on 12 Aug 2008, 00:36 0 0
lol, I know. They are like "my free upgrade". Okay, here is the samsung U340!. "Oh no, I want the LG DARE.. it's FREE right????" No, I'm sorry, you get the phone for 99.99 with your upgrade... "I don't get a discount???" Yes, the phone retails for $409.99, you get a BIG discount. "But it said I get a free upgrade" What said that? I'm not aware of any material that says that you can have any phone you want for free. You are saving over 300 dollars... "NO!! F*@$ VERIZON! I'm going to ATT!!!" Um, okay, but they won't give you any phone you want for free either.....let alone a 100 dollar loyalty credit. Welcome to america....
70. (unregistered) posted on 12 Aug 2008, 09:21 0 0
lol i enjoy when they come in and they just purchased an upgrade 3 months ago and say i want that phone for the advertised price... I explain how verizon eats a certain cost and they dont care they want a new phone now!! They cus and act like they are five and you have to ask them to leave. Idiots....
84. phone_queen1977 posted on 13 Aug 2008, 13:13 0 0
GO to AT&T !Your coverage will suck and every time somethings wrong with your phone sure they will give you another one! But wait lets add another year to your contract! New VZW customers are paying 199.99 after rebate for the Dare. You paying 99.99 is a good savings! And Theres alot more then just Sch-U340 you could have for free! You could get right now A BB Curve for $49.99 with your 100.00 credit. READ READ READ!
86. phone_queen1977 posted on 13 Aug 2008, 13:27 0 0
Yep, I love that line! I've even had a man came in and think every line had the same $100.00 credit! But do think the best customers are the ones who come in and start off with saying" I've been a Verizon Customer for 10 years, or I was with verizon before they were called that"! I always know those will be the customer's to make the most trouble in the store when it comes to pricing!
103. critofur posted on 28 Jun 2010, 17:51 0 0
$410 for a phone? That's what's ridiculous, not somebody wanting to be given a free phone after a year to entice them to stay with the same company. I'm not saying that they should get what they want, but it's not so unreasonable to expect people to want that, phones used to be a lot simpler and cell phone companies did used to give free phones to customers to keep them from switching to another carrier. I understand that phones have a lot more features and are more expensive these days, but, come on, more than $450 seems rediculous - unless it's gold plated or gem studded (not that I'd want those, but somebody does).
13. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 11:53 0 0
^^Depending on the phone, they give you the cheap ones, or old discontinued ones for free. You don't get the nice phones, I hate when people come in asking me that, can I get the Dare free? NO! You have a certain number amount of free phones.
78. (unregistered) posted on 13 Aug 2008, 10:47 0 0
I love when people came back 3 months after getting their FREE sam340 and complain about what a peice of shit it is. My response is always "how much did you pay for that phone?" when they respond "nothing" i then ask them if they've ever heard the saying "you get what you pay for" they don't like that...but they deserve it
14. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 11:54 0 0
My first thoughts of VVM for VZW is that it's very good and works well. For me I get half off this for having a dealer line.
15. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 12:10 0 0
i work for verizon, the reason we charge for vvm and att doesnt is because ours actually does more. you can forward the vm from your phone to another phone or a fax. the iphone doesnt do mms (pic messaging), with verizon's vvm lets say your wife or husband sends you a voicemail of your kids first words or something like that, you can send that vm as a mms to your phone and save the sound as a ringtone. there are a few other things that verizon's vvm does that att's doesnt do, but i dont have my comparison sheet in front of me right now
37. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 17:16 0 0
it's still pretty lame... the whole concept is useless and not worth a penny in my opinion when you can get similar or even more for free with any network even including verizon. It's called youmail.
85. phone_queen1977 posted on 13 Aug 2008, 13:20 0 0
Wow did you you learn how that at College? I to work for Verizon what with all you cheap people out there willing to have a service for free thats no good. I mean if your happy with your limited features sure why not! But most red blooded Americans work hard for what they have! So if their going to have something even if paying a little bit why not so you can relax and know its going to work! The only lame thing going on here is the on educated under read who want everything free so they can bitch about it not working later!
104. critofur posted on 28 Jun 2010, 17:56 0 0
What company provides free cell phone service? None that I know of? If I'm paying $50 a month for cell phone service and I want visual voice mail (which seems so basic I can't believe it doesn't come standard with EVERY cell phone) then I don't understand where you get off complaining to me about me not wanting to pay EVEN MORE than I'm already paying for something that just plain makes sense to have as a standard phone feature in this day and age when we have things like COMPUTERS and phones that have powerful computers + full qwerty keyboards even!?!
16. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 12:21 0 0
i love verizons service...but i hate how they charge for every little thing...i would love to have this but im not going to pay even more for it, my bill i high enough already just with everything else, guess ill just be sticking with the good ol reliable free voice mail and MMS
19. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 12:30 0 0
technically, good ol reliable voicemail is not free. it uses your airtime minutes.
20. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 12:32 0 0
its just not an additional charge. the charge is included in the monthly fee/plan since your paying for the minutes
21. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 12:32 0 0
I agree 100% I'm the average consumer, living with the average family. I have a wife, and two kids (with a third on the way). Prices for everything are soaring and while Verizon's service is the best there is, their prices certainly reflect it. I'm defiantly paying for my reliability, with some added surcharges along the way. I work in an average office in a moderate position. My salary is average. My life, in itself, is average. I'm the epitome of the "average consumer". My bills are high already, and while I'm having to pay $4.16 a gallon for gas, I don't think anyone in my situation, or a similar one is going to be forking over any MORE money to Verizon. I use their wireless, TV, Internet, and home phone services as well. The majority of my paycheck goes to them. It would be nice if they could let us have some nice features, without having to charge us every which way. I understand they're running a business, but I guarantee that they would be more acclaimed for having VVM if they didn't charge for it. This will be another feature that everyone will forget about, because no one can really afford the amenity.
59. LessthanZach posted on 12 Aug 2008, 00:43 0 0
I honestly do not think that them giving it away for free will make anyone leave att and come to vzw, that's why they charge for it. I am in your boat in terms of my income and I am married an buried with debt. But no one else even offers this service for free, atts is 30 bucks with the iphone and I am not aware of any other phone that offers this service. You should get youmail. it's free and works well (i use it). Go to youmail.com
71. (unregistered) posted on 12 Aug 2008, 09:25 0 0
The one thing that i think is silly is the extra charge for detailed billing.. that use to be free... ps make sure when you upgrade your sales rep doesnt select streamlined billing or you lose detailed and have to pay for it
79. (unregistered) posted on 13 Aug 2008, 10:53 0 0
I love how verizon gets vilified for it's prices, yet family share prices across the big three are almost identical I phone plans that include everything (except text) are mandatory, Verizons plans for Dare, Voyager,Glyde are optional and if taken give more features than the I-phones VVM is a gimmick that 99% of you don't need, you just want a reason to bitch about Verizon
105. critofur posted on 28 Jun 2010, 17:59 0 0
Are you serious? I don't see the bills because I'm on my friend's family plan. But this is beyond rediculous?!? Really? You have to PAY for detailed billing???!?? Wow.
18. RyanKing (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 12:28 0 0
I dont think its about the $2.99, I think its about the principle behind it. If VZW were to continue to offer VVM for free it could create a marketing strategy against ATT. But then again I personally really just dont care about VVM.
28. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 14:41 0 0
than why are u commenting on this subject if you dont care,
49. RyanKing (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 20:15 0 0
I don't care about VVM; I care about the principle of charge behind it. ;)
22. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 13:12 0 0
I want a big mac value meal. i want it super sized but dont want to pay extra and throw in a free ice cream cone, after all ive been going to Mcdonalds since forever those jerks nickel and dime me for everything. you people make me sick
27. (unregistered) posted on 11 Aug 2008, 14:39 0 0
Good then plug in the toaster and take it for a swim
