Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Thinking of signing up with Verizon's Family Share Plan with four
lines. Based on our past usage of airtime, it is unlikely that we will
exceed 500 minutes per month. I am trying to get an accurate amount
that we will be paying in taxes and fees, based on the $59.99 share
plan with two additional lines (+ $20), with no additional services and
no additional minutes. I realze that Montgomery County, MD, imposes a
$2 per line cell phone tax, that Verizon adds a 2.18% ($1.75) Federal
Usage Service Fund and a 5 cent ($0.20) per line regulatory surcharge.
What other charges do Montgomery County residents pay on a similar
plan? I have visited two Verizon retailers and called Customer
Service, and now have three different estimates for the total of taxes
and fees ($4, $6, $8 per line). Does anyone have any accurate
information? Thanks for your help.

Lena

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

In article <1121376167.085573.109570@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
Lena <lenagainster@gmail.com> wrote:

> Does anyone have any accurate information? Thanks for your help.

No accurate info cause I don't have that plan. But other than the
charges you mentioned there will be MD 911 surcharge and Montg. County
911 surcharge. That is .25 and .75. Then there is Federal Tax and
Maryland State Tax.

--
Charles

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

is the 911 surcharge PER LINE? If so, add another $4. Md tax at 5%,
another $4. Fed tax (3%?) another $2.40. I'm up to $20.40 for four
lines, or $5.10 each. Any more?

Thanks.

Lena

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

In article <1121380778.534855.35650@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, Lena
<lenagainster@gmail.com> wrote:

> is the 911 surcharge PER LINE? If so, add another $4. Md tax at 5%,
> another $4. Fed tax (3%?) another $2.40. I'm up to $20.40 for four
> lines, or $5.10 each. Any more?

I don't know if it is per line as I only have one line. I do wonder
about you getting only 500 minutes for a four phone share. Either you
might not need four phones (are you sure you need that many?) or you
might find that usage will go up with that many phones.

--
Charles

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Charles wrote:
>I do wonder
> about you getting only 500 minutes for a four phone share. Either you
> might not need four phones (are you sure you need that many?) or you
> might find that usage will go up with that many phones.

There are four people who each want a phone. Yes, I need four phones.
We all used prepay before and I meticulously monitored airtime usage.
We didn't come close to using 500 minutes per month, and a good
percentage of the calls were to each other. With V's mobile to mobile
free calling, it is unlikely we will ever approach 500 minutes, even if
we use the phones more liberally than before.

Our prepay, using the old AT&T TDMA system, through a reseller called
Beyond Wireless, was costing us about 11.5 cents per minute with no
additional taxes or fees or service charges whatsoever. We were
spending a lot less than on this Family Share program, no matter what
the taxes come out to. But the service has gotten spotty and my
daughter is having problems retrieving her voicemail, a critical issue
when called from work. So we must bite the bullet and spring for what
we hope is much superior service that will justify doubling our costs.

Lena

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

In article <1121388745.207771.49880@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, Lena
<lenagainster@gmail.com> wrote:

> But the service has gotten spotty and my
> daughter is having problems retrieving her voicemail, a critical issue
> when called from work. So we must bite the bullet and spring for what
> we hope is much superior service that will justify doubling our costs.

You should get better service on Verizon. I gave up AT&T TDMA about two
years ago because of coverage problems. What part of Montgomery County
are you in? One very nice thing about Verizon coverage is that it works
on the underground parts of the Metro system.

--
Charles

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Lena wrote:
> Thinking of signing up with Verizon's Family Share Plan with four
> lines. Based on our past usage of airtime, it is unlikely that we
> will exceed 500 minutes per month. I am trying to get an accurate
> amount that we will be paying in taxes and fees, based on the $59.99
> share plan with two additional lines (+ $20), with no additional
> services and no additional minutes. I realze that Montgomery County,
> MD, imposes a $2 per line cell phone tax, that Verizon adds a 2.18%
> ($1.75) Federal Usage Service Fund and a 5 cent ($0.20) per line
> regulatory surcharge. What other charges do Montgomery County
> residents pay on a similar plan? I have visited two Verizon
> retailers and called Customer Service, and now have three different
> estimates for the total of taxes and fees ($4, $6, $8 per line).
> Does anyone have any accurate information? Thanks for your help.
>
> Lena

There is a $1.00 charge per account (not per line) for 911 (.25 maryland and
..75 Montgomery County).

On the $59.99 plan, the federal usage service fund is $1.02 on the first
line, and .18 on the second (and I assume subsequent lines. I only have 2)
so I think it is actually a bit below 2.18% and is only charged on the base
service, not on any add-on's (I have a data plan, an SMS package, insurance
on one phone, and road-side assistance on both, and these do not appear to
impact these charges).

Each line will be charged a Federal tax and state sales tax. The percentage
does not appear consistent across my two lines, so i am not sure what parts
of the bill are taxable and which are not, or what the actual tax percentage
is for these. For the primary line (which has the data plan, so your's
should be less) the combined taxes were $4.28 last month, and the secondary
line the taxes were $0.82

Hope this helps.

Alan

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Thanks, Alan. It's somewhat of a relief to read that some of the taxes
are only applied to the primary line and not all four.

Charles, I live in the Four Corners area of Silver Spring. None of the
four will use the Metro, but one works in Tyson's Corner, lives in
Olney. We were also concerned that the phone would work in western MD,
specifically in Little Orleans. The coverage map on the website was
not detailed enough to indicate that coverage is there, as there
appears a big white spot (no coverage) south of Hancock, in parts of
West Virginia and MD. But a Verizon rep at Circuit City was able to
access a more detailed map indicating that coverage exists where we
need it. I believe they are partnered with US Cellular in that area.

Thanks for your help. I may sign up tomorrow.

Lena

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

In the midwest, take the total of the plans and add 18%-20%. That will get
you close. dr
--
dr.news Better Price? (not better than you deserve, just more than you are
used to)
If I can help: dr.news@better-price.biz.delete-the-obvious or thru this
notes forum.
home of the better priced phone and service:
http://free.better-price.biz

"Lena" <lenagainster@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1121376167.085573.109570@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Thinking of signing up with Verizon's Family Share Plan with four
> lines. Based on our past usage of airtime, it is unlikely that we will
> exceed 500 minutes per month. I am trying to get an accurate amount
> that we will be paying in taxes and fees, based on the $59.99 share
> plan with two additional lines (+ $20), with no additional services and
> no additional minutes. I realze that Montgomery County, MD, imposes a
> $2 per line cell phone tax, that Verizon adds a 2.18% ($1.75) Federal
> Usage Service Fund and a 5 cent ($0.20) per line regulatory surcharge.
> What other charges do Montgomery County residents pay on a similar
> plan? I have visited two Verizon retailers and called Customer
> Service, and now have three different estimates for the total of taxes
> and fees ($4, $6, $8 per line). Does anyone have any accurate
> information? Thanks for your help.
>
> Lena
>
>