If you just got your email from Millenicom - yes, it's true. All of their customer accounts are being acquired by Verizon directly. There are no further details to share regarding what that will mean for their customers in terms of plans offered, but customers should be contacted by Verizon directly with their options.
We're tracking the details on the RV Mobile Internet Resource Center.
and I just confirmed with a chat with a online CSR..
ME: Were you just purchased by Verizon?
Samuel: Not that I am aware of. We are simply unable to continue providing service on the Verizon network. They will be providing service to you directly. 16:47:11me: so can you point me to more info on this? sorry to hear this. 16:47:45Samuel: Verizon will be contacting you with more information regarding plans and pricing and such. 16:48:16me: when is this effective, can you tell me? 16:48:46Samuel: To the best of my knowledge it will be pretty much immediately. 16:49:28me: thank you very much, but no official info anywhere? 16:49:45Samuel: That is correct.
Technomadia said
06:02 PM Oct 16, 2014
Correct.. Millenicom was NOT purchased by Verizon. Just their accounts have been acquired by Verizon.
bjoyce said
06:03 PM Oct 16, 2014
I guess there is no reason for me to do a speedtest comparison between Verizon and Millenicom now. I have been waiting to be somewhere with decent speeds. (Note to everyone, Verizon service and speeds in Elkhart, Indiana, Lexington, Kentucky, Waynesville, North Carolina and Cleveland, Georgia are not that good. Especially Cleveland, which is still better than Helen up the road where you are lucky to get 3G.)
Max Signal said
07:08 PM Oct 16, 2014
Technomadia wrote:
Correct.. Millenicom was NOT purchased by Verizon. Just their accounts have been acquired by Verizon.
Well the haters out there will be happy . All Millenicom tried to do was provide a good service at a reasonable price . They eventually just got squeezed out . Plain and simple.
Thank You Millenicom for 6 great years of Service !
NWescapee said
07:44 PM Oct 16, 2014
Hmm, wonder when we'll get the official email from Verizon telling us our accounts have been taken over and what our options are?
Haven't seen anything yet, so I guess we're postponing the trip to the Verizon store that we were going to make tomorrow until we know a little more.
Barbaraok said
07:47 PM Oct 16, 2014
Dave has to take the car in for service in the morning, so maybe by tomorrow afternoon we will be at the Verizon store because we were going to upgrade next week anyway.
Barb
Technomadia said
08:00 PM Oct 16, 2014
NWescapee wrote:
Hmm, wonder when we'll get the official email from Verizon telling us our accounts have been taken over and what our options are?
Haven't seen anything yet, so I guess we're postponing the trip to the Verizon store that we were going to make tomorrow until we know a little more.
According to Millenicom, Verizon will be contacting everyone individually with the offerings. No one knows what the offerings will be.
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
08:43 PM Oct 16, 2014
I wonder if you contacted Verizon with your Millenicom account numbers if they would be able to access them?
We'll wait until either we know our options or the 30th of the month. Then we'll just pick up the monthly special with V, or go with the better option.
rvingft said
05:40 AM Oct 17, 2014
BUMMER ... it's been nice while it lasted.
And just after Technomadia printed their Internet Handbook.
Just goes to show how quickly details in the technology arena change.
rvingft said
06:21 AM Oct 17, 2014
So ... is there any OTHER decent option than back to BIG V ?
bjoyce said
06:55 AM Oct 17, 2014
We have an AT&T mobile hotspot in addition to Verizon and it works well, $50 for 5GB or $80 for 10GB, with $10/GB overage charges. In fact we have been finding AT&T has worked everywhere on our trip from Washington state to Georgia, so far, while Verizon has had issues in a few locations. This is the opposite of our experience a few years ago when I had an AT&T phone and Diane had a Verizon one. Unfortunately, AT&T is no less a blood sucking leech than Verizon.
Technomadia said
10:31 AM Oct 17, 2014
AT&T is indeed now a viable option as a primary choice for RVers. And we find them a great compliment to our Verizon based plans too.
Unfortunately, don't know of any other MVNO choice on AT&T or Verizon that is a viable option for high bandwidth consumers.
However, both carriers currently have 'double data deals' that bring the cost down to reasonable this month for above 15GB/month needs.
-- Edited by Technomadia on Friday 17th of October 2014 10:32:20 AM
Terry and Jo said
10:46 PM Oct 17, 2014
Let's keep it on the topic of the plans and such, not on arguing about where one thinks are low population areas. This thread was starting to get argumentative, so I deleted comments.
Don't make me close the thread.
Terry
The Junkman said
05:07 AM Oct 18, 2014
I've deleted my credit card info online with millenicom. I'm not sure how or what verizon is planing for the first of the month, and do not want to be charged.
Hoping they honor the Millenicom deal.. but since I have no contract, and was month to month, I doubt that will happen. A verizon discount would be cool.
Will swap my mifi over to verizon after the dust settles.
too bad .. Millenicom system has been up and running good and fast, for like 5 days now.. thats the longest stretch for me so far..
Neil and Connie said
07:34 AM Oct 18, 2014
Cherie, please post more when you know it. We were going to switch over from our current Advanced Plan with Millenicom to a Pantech based LTE one in the next couple of months anyway but your concise, carefully researched explanations for the various options are always appreciated. As a former sysadmin myself…I (as well as a lot of other people here) could do all the research ourselves but there's no reason for all of us to reinvent the wheel ya know.
We have found that 20 GB a month isn't quite enough for us if we have no wifi in the campgrounds for the entire month. That normally happens for 1-2 months out of each travel season; but were hoping to up our allocation to 30 assuming the cost wasn't too much. Hopefully we'll get some info from Verizon and be able to make a decision this month while the 2 for 1 deals are still in effect.
Thanks again for all you do for us here.
Technomadia said
11:17 PM Oct 18, 2014
Neil and Connie wrote:
Cherie, please post more when you know it. We were going to switch over from our current Advanced Plan with Millenicom to a Pantech based LTE one in the next couple of months anyway but your concise, carefully researched explanations for the various options are always appreciated. As a former sysadmin myself…I (as well as a lot of other people here) could do all the research ourselves but there's no reason for all of us to reinvent the wheel ya know.
*Blush* thank you. Be sure to keep an eye on our brand new RV Mobile Internet Resource Center (www.rvmobileinternet.com). I only cross post the big stuff to forums and such, as not to become a spammer :).
You can join our RSS feed, free newsletter all the way up to joining our new premium membership group where we do a lot more of those carefully research explanations. We have one explaining in detail the double data deals for October, and a brand new one on acquiring a grandfathered unlimited plan.
- Cherie
The Junkman said
06:50 AM Oct 19, 2014
Not responding to anyone.. just posting my thoughts..
Hard to guess what Verizon will do here..
Pretty sure Verizon just got tired of dealing with Millenicom, and just shut them down. Verizon really has no reason to support their customers, except to try and flip them to make them verizon customers.
Hard call..
If they offer a "deal" to Millenicom people.. Verizon customer base will get mad if it's better than the current offering..
If they don't.. Verizon is still the cheapest and best solution ( my opinion ) in the game..??And most will buy there anyways..And that may have been the reason they lowered the rates, THEN pulled the millenicom contract.
I'd guess and say they will tell you, you can use the equipment.. but go to our website and pick you plan.
As a Millenicom customer myself.. I hope I am wrong, and they offer us a smokin deal.. But on the flip side, as a 30 year verizon customer.. if that deal is better than I can get myself.. I think I would not be happy. Would you?
As CEO of Verizon, What would you do?
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
09:30 AM Oct 19, 2014
We pulled our CC info so that the charge couldn't be renewed Nov 1. We're just going to let it die and recycle the 291. Sometime this week we'll hit the V store and change our plan, probably going with the Edge plan, with the latest and greatest device, 30g and rollover our phones since their new last April anyway. Unless they give us a great deal, then we'll get new phones as well. And I pla on using all 29.999G's everymonth, even if I have to steam C-span all day
-- Edited by Alie and Jims Carrilite on Sunday 19th of October 2014 09:34:04 AM
Technomadia said
11:12 AM Oct 19, 2014
For anyone following the Millenicom news of Verizon acquiring their accounts - here's an update with what we've learned.
I still have heard nothing from Millenicom and can not log in to my account either :(
Neil and Connie said
10:02 AM Oct 24, 2014
Me neither. Going today to Verizon store to get a new plan as we are way out in the sticks next week far away from Verizon our ATT store. Cedar Key is a great place but a hotbed of civilization it ain't.
The Junkman said
07:26 PM Oct 24, 2014
Yep.
Best get it done..
Anyone figure out how to cancel Millenicom direct billing?
Glenn West said
08:27 PM Oct 24, 2014
We taking a wait and see approach. If no service 1st we will handle it then. We can live a day without service.
Technomadia said
09:29 PM Oct 24, 2014
The Junkman wrote:
Yep.
Best get it done..
Anyone figure out how to cancel Millenicom direct billing?
Your account should already be marked 'canceled' if you log into their customer portal. They've pro-actively taken care of that, to the best of our knowledge. Millenicom has confirmed with us that they will absolutely NOT be billing any Verizon based customers come November. And that they did not pass along credit card information to Verizon either.
The Junkman said
04:07 AM Oct 25, 2014
nice.. thank you!
cherylbrv said
08:41 AM Oct 26, 2014
This is the update we received from the 3G store, where the Pantach was purchased (edited: originally said Millenicom) on Friday, Oct. 24th. Unfortunately, nothing we didn't already know.... I like the plug for rvmobileinternet at the end!!
You're receiving this email because you signed up for Millenicom service through 3Gstore. We understand that there is a great deal of confusion and uncertainty regarding the recent acquisition by Verizon of Millenicom accounts (some customers still have not received any contact at all from Millenicom alerting them to the change!), and we want to make sure that you have as much information as possible so you can make a decision about what to do next.
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Information is limited at this point, but the most important fact is that as of last week, Verizon is taking over all of the Millenicom accounts - Millenicom is no longer acting as a service provider. This was a surprise (and disappointment) to everyone - 3Gstore included! Millenicom sent two brief emails last week (which do not seem to have been received by all customers) explaining that Verizon would be taking over as service provider and would be contacting customers individually in the near future to discuss available plans, but no further official details from Millenicom have surfaced.
As of today, Verizon has not contacted any customers to discuss the transition or the available plans (as far as we know). We do NOT know what plans will be offered to former Millenicom customers - there has been speculation that Verizon will offer a grandfathered plan that is the same price and data allowance that was available through Millenicom, but this is not confirmed. Many customers have asked if their service is going to get cut off at some point - we don't know for sure, but since all Millenicom customers paid for service monthly on the first of the month and are thus paid up through October 31, it is reasonable to assume that service should continue at least through the end of the month. Hopefully by then Verizon will have contacted you to discuss transitioning your account, but if Verizon hasn't contacted you by then, we do NOT know whether they will keep the service on until that happens or if it will be suspended at that time.
YOUR OPTIONS AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
If you are hoping to continue service with Verizon, you'll need to wait for them to contact you and then get set up with an account and data plan. We STRONGLY recommend waiting for Verizon to contact YOU so you can take advantage of whatever special deal they may offer - if you attempt to call Verizon yourself now to ask about your Millenicom options, the reps will not know how to help you and will only be able to advise you on plans Verizon currently offers all customers. Hopefully they will be offering something different/better for former Millenicom customers, so it would be best to wait. Verizon should be contacting Millenicom customers soon since all customers are only paid up through October 31.
While we do not yet know what plans they'll be offering to former Millenicom customers, we do know that you will be able to use your existing equipment (you do NOT need to buy a new modem/hotspot/etc). You WILL need a new SIM card, though! You can obtain a new SIM card from a Verizon corporate store or have Verizon mail one to you when you get your account set up. If you know that you plan to continue with Verizon but live far from a Verizon store or don't want to wait for Verizon to send a SIM after they contact you to get your service transitioned, 3Gstore is offering SIM cards for $10 with FREE USPS shipping to help make things easier. If you'd like to order a SIM card so that you'll have one ready for Verizon to activate as soon as they contact you to get set up, you can order via the below links:
Again, Verizon will offer to send you a SIM card for free when you sign up - purchasing one from 3Gstore ahead of time just makes things a bit more convenient, since you'll be able to give them the SIM ID to activate immediately upon setting up your account. Purchasing a SIM from 3Gstore is not a requirement to continue service with Verizon.
If you do NOT wish to continue service, you don't need to do anything - Millenicom should no longer be billing anyone since they are no longer the service provider, and Verizon does not have your payment information, so eventually Verizon will simply cancel your service. At that point you can give your hardware to someone else, sell it, activate it on a new Verizon account in the future - whatever you want. While it's unlikely that Millenicom could or would charge you for any future months of service, to be on the safe side we recommend contacting Millenicom (http://millenicom.com/contact/) to request cancellation and keep a record of your contact attempt in the event that you have to dispute a future charge with your credit card company.
For more information, Q&As, and updates on the Verizon takeover of Millenicom accounts, see http://3Gstore.com/millenicomnews
The RV Mobile Internet site also published a helpful article with some options and advice for Millenicom customers: http://www.rvmobileinternet.com/millenicom-update-still-waiting-for-options/
-- Edited by cherylbrv on Sunday 26th of October 2014 10:08:15 AM
Lynn and Ed said
08:59 AM Oct 26, 2014
cherylbrv wrote:
...3Gstore is offering SIM cards for $10 with FREE USPS shipping to help make things easier. If you'd like to order a SIM card so that you'll have one ready for Verizon to activate as soon as they contact you to get set up ....
For those who choose not to wait for Verizon to contact them--when we attached our Pantech device to an existing Verizon Wireless account, Verizon Wireless provided us with a free SIM card, provided free overnight shipping for the card and they will refund the $35 activation charge, if the Pantech device is still connected to our account in 30-days. YMMV
The Junkman said
09:32 AM Oct 26, 2014
cherylbrv wrote:
This is the update we received from Millenicom on Friday, Oct. 24th. Unfortunately, nothing we didn't already know.... I like the plug for rvmobileinternet at the end!!
You're receiving this email because you signed up for Millenicom service through 3Gstore. We understand that there is a great deal of confusion and uncertainty regarding the recent acquisition by Verizon of Millenicom accounts (some customers still have not received any contact at all from Millenicom alerting them to the change!), and we want to make sure that you have as much information as possible so you can make a decision about what to do next.
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Information is limited at this point, but the most important fact is that as of last week, Verizon is taking over all of the Millenicom accounts - Millenicom is no longer acting as a service provider. This was a surprise (and disappointment) to everyone - 3Gstore included! Millenicom sent two brief emails last week (which do not seem to have been received by all customers) explaining that Verizon would be taking over as service provider and would be contacting customers individually in the near future to discuss available plans, but no further official details from Millenicom have surfaced.
As of today, Verizon has not contacted any customers to discuss the transition or the available plans (as far as we know). We do NOT know what plans will be offered to former Millenicom customers - there has been speculation that Verizon will offer a grandfathered plan that is the same price and data allowance that was available through Millenicom, but this is not confirmed. Many customers have asked if their service is going to get cut off at some point - we don't know for sure, but since all Millenicom customers paid for service monthly on the first of the month and are thus paid up through October 31, it is reasonable to assume that service should continue at least through the end of the month. Hopefully by then Verizon will have contacted you to discuss transitioning your account, but if Verizon hasn't contacted you by then, we do NOT know whether they will keep the service on until that happens or if it will be suspended at that time.
YOUR OPTIONS AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
If you are hoping to continue service with Verizon, you'll need to wait for them to contact you and then get set up with an account and data plan. We STRONGLY recommend waiting for Verizon to contact YOU so you can take advantage of whatever special deal they may offer - if you attempt to call Verizon yourself now to ask about your Millenicom options, the reps will not know how to help you and will only be able to advise you on plans Verizon currently offers all customers. Hopefully they will be offering something different/better for former Millenicom customers, so it would be best to wait. Verizon should be contacting Millenicom customers soon since all customers are only paid up through October 31.
While we do not yet know what plans they'll be offering to former Millenicom customers, we do know that you will be able to use your existing equipment (you do NOT need to buy a new modem/hotspot/etc). You WILL need a new SIM card, though! You can obtain a new SIM card from a Verizon corporate store or have Verizon mail one to you when you get your account set up. If you know that you plan to continue with Verizon but live far from a Verizon store or don't want to wait for Verizon to send a SIM after they contact you to get your service transitioned, 3Gstore is offering SIM cards for $10 with FREE USPS shipping to help make things easier. If you'd like to order a SIM card so that you'll have one ready for Verizon to activate as soon as they contact you to get set up, you can order via the below links:
Again, Verizon will offer to send you a SIM card for free when you sign up - purchasing one from 3Gstore ahead of time just makes things a bit more convenient, since you'll be able to give them the SIM ID to activate immediately upon setting up your account. Purchasing a SIM from 3Gstore is not a requirement to continue service with Verizon.
If you do NOT wish to continue service, you don't need to do anything - Millenicom should no longer be billing anyone since they are no longer the service provider, and Verizon does not have your payment information, so eventually Verizon will simply cancel your service. At that point you can give your hardware to someone else, sell it, activate it on a new Verizon account in the future - whatever you want. While it's unlikely that Millenicom could or would charge you for any future months of service, to be on the safe side we recommend contacting Millenicom (http://millenicom.com/contact/) to request cancellation and keep a record of your contact attempt in the event that you have to dispute a future charge with your credit card company.
For more information, Q&As, and updates on the Verizon takeover of Millenicom accounts, see http://3Gstore.com/millenicomnews
The RV Mobile Internet site also published a helpful article with some options and advice for Millenicom customers: http://www.rvmobileinternet.com/millenicom-update-still-waiting-for-options/
Is this from Millenicom or the 3gstore.com?
Looks like the 3gstore to me? Not Millenicom..
As I said.. It would be crazy of verizon to offer anything better the current customer base does not get..
But we'll see..
-- Edited by The Junkman on Sunday 26th of October 2014 09:38:13 AM
-- Edited by The Junkman on Sunday 26th of October 2014 09:40:38 AM
cherylbrv said
10:07 AM Oct 26, 2014
I stand corrected and have edited the post. It is from 3G store. Sorry for any confusion.
Technomadia said
11:04 AM Oct 26, 2014
I have been really impressed with how 3GStore.com has handled this for their customers. Their offering of a SIM card to have on hand 'just in case' opens up options for folks not near a Verizon Store.
kb0zke said
06:58 PM Oct 26, 2014
We checked out ATT and Wal-Mart as well as Verizon. We ended up going with Verizon's double deal, so we now have a new device and 30 GB/month, but at a cost of $150/month compared to the 20 GB/month for $90 from Millenicom. On the other hand, we are now 4G rather than 3G, so I guess we could could the additional cost as going toward the speed increase.
The Junkman said
08:09 PM Oct 26, 2014
I saved money and and got more data.. But I have phones with them too.. Awesome deal..
BiggarView said
08:19 AM Oct 27, 2014
I don't see how current Millenicom customers can lose by being taken up by the Verizon "mothership". For us future FTers, now that they have opened Pandora's Box for data, I can't see how they can close it again, though they may try for a while.
Or so it would seem. Let the data war begin!
Brian
-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 27th of October 2014 08:20:24 AM
bjoyce said
08:20 AM Oct 27, 2014
Text messages are now coming into the Millenicom devices to call Verizon and discuss options. I just got one on my hotspot and it told me I have until 11/8/2014, so we have an extra week. If you have been running a USB modem in a router, you won't see these messages. To see them you need to plug the USB modem into a computer with Verizon software to get it. The message has a CB number, which is probably important for them to figure out why you called, but who knows?
Cindy T said
11:01 AM Oct 27, 2014
I did get the message on my Jetpack, as Bill Joyce mentioned. I've been on the phone, holding with Verizon for over an hour now & am going to have to hang up & get back to work. Just wondering if any Millenicom customers have gotten through to Verizon & what Verizon is offering to us?
bjoyce said
11:08 AM Oct 27, 2014
One on the Escapees forum says it ends up the same price, $89.99 for 20GB. They price it as $99.99 with a $10 discount. I suspect some taxes and fees will increase the amount, since Millenicom was from Oregon.
Technomadia said
01:00 PM Oct 27, 2014
We just got through grilling a Verizon rep on all of the options and prices.
Here's our article tracking the Verizon offer to Millenicom customers:
One on the Escapees forum says it ends up the same price, $89.99 for 20GB. They price it as $99.99 with a $10 discount. I suspect some taxes and fees will increase the amount, since Millenicom was from Oregon.
In my case...That would be more than the double data deal..
I was $140 for phones and 3 gb... am now $210 w/ 30gb.. a $70 difference.
I got the message on the mifi.. no need to plug in to anything to see it, just go to messages...
Will call for the heck of it in a minute.
cheryls-other-half said
01:13 PM Oct 27, 2014
---------edit/cleanup---------update at END---!!! (per cheryl request, moved to a new message)
Am I the only one whose milenicom simm is dead?
I normally use my pantech 290 usb modem on my WFR-go, but I tried to plug it into my laptop today.
Got a disturbing mesage.
Bad SIMM card.
tried on 2 different systems, same message from VAM (vz account mgr.)
i was not smart enough to write down my phone # the last time I used VAM
ok called regullar vz tech support (800-922-0204), and they tried to look up # of simm to try and find my phone #.
they deterined it wazs a biz simm and transferered me to biz ccounts.
lo and behold, it turns out that the rep told me unless i could identify the company the simm was assigned under, he couldnt give me a new simm
guess what? he told me this simm was issued to a government account..
so apparently I havent had service for all of october (I usually check on he 2nd of the month)
so I verified this by calling Milenicom (still a skeleton staff)
they coldnt tell me either.but did verify simm #and they verified that it did sound right about the govt acccount
again...
has anyone else found their simm invalid, and what did they do about it??
-- Edited by cheryls-other-half on Tuesday 28th of October 2014 07:22:37 AM
-- Edited by cheryls-other-half on Tuesday 28th of October 2014 07:35:14 AM
The Junkman said
01:28 PM Oct 27, 2014
Seems like all I need to do is add my Millenicom mifi to my Verizon Everything plan.. will cost me $230 .. unlimited talk and text on 2 smart phones , and 30gb shared ,, and the mifi..On verizon..
Good enough..
It's funny.. mifi says 4glte now.. lol
Glenn West said
01:47 PM Oct 27, 2014
We got the deal with Verzion today. 99.99 for 20 gig with a $10 discount making it 89.99 and taxes and such will be added too. So basically same as Millenicom. Glad we waited.
The Junkman said
02:24 PM Oct 27, 2014
I'm gonna ride the mifi on millenicom till they shut it off..lol
Glenn West said
02:37 PM Oct 27, 2014
That will be 11/09/2014 according to Verizon
cheryls-other-half said
07:37 AM Oct 28, 2014
update from yesterday trying to reach VERIZON at 800-233-8924 # we were given...
--note after trying the Pantech US B modem on 2 different laptops, both with a SIMM error., It worked on my server (desktop).. go figure!
I quickly wrote down the # that the Verizon Account Manager program gave me.
OK. at 7:30 AM I tried the 800# (800-233-8974) Got a recording, that business hrs 8am-5pm... OK, I get that.
7:58 AM same recording
8:00:
Put on hold, 5 minutes, get rep.
REP: What 's you phone #?
ME: Gave her my #.
Rep: That's a federal Account, I have no information on that.
ME: Does the word Milenicom mean anything to you? I have been getting data service on my jetpack, and need to convert it to a verizon account.
Rep: I have never heard of that before, can you spell it?
ME: spells out.
Rep: hold please, I'll try and find out info on them.
ME... 5 minutes of Freecell.
Rep: That's a federal account, I found someone there who can help you.
Me: Have they ever heard of Milenicom?
(Rep2): yes.
ME: Thanks rep1, appeciate your help
Rep2: What;s you phone #?
me: Give #
Rep2: Yes, that's a federal account, what agency are you with?
Me:: Milenicom. I was a happy jetpack user with them until Verizon took over the accounts in the middle of the month.
Rep2: Oh, let me look up what Milenicom users have to do.
Me:: 7.5 minutes of Freecell/Spider.
Rep2: We were instructed to take your name, phone #, and that someone on the Federal support team will call you with information within 24 hrs.
Me:: oh....(S**T)... (not said really...) Gives info
Rep2: Thank you.
Me:: Is there anyone there now that can give me the info?
Rep2: No, but let me give you a DIRECT number to the Federal Accounts Support TEAM: 800-295-1614
Me:: Oh,ok, another # for support.
thanks again.,
CLICK.
ARGUH.
Comments? Complaints? Yes, I know it's "the TELEPHONE company" (almost as bad as COMCAST)... but REALLY??!!
-- Edited by cheryls-other-half on Tuesday 28th of October 2014 07:38:45 AM
The Junkman said
07:44 AM Oct 28, 2014
Are you goverment? or is the scam Millenicom was pulling on Verizon? Using federal goverment contract pricing to supply the public? That would make alot of sense why verizon shut them down..
-- Edited by The Junkman on Tuesday 28th of October 2014 07:45:57 AM
BiggarView said
07:53 AM Oct 28, 2014
Taking in reseller's customer accounts under their (Verizon's) own name so they can claim subscriber growth to the shareholders would be a more valid reason. Millenicom scamming VZ is a bit of a stretch.
-- Edited by biggaRView on Tuesday 28th of October 2014 07:55:39 AM
Lucky Mike said
07:57 AM Oct 28, 2014
to those that just need light duty internet subbed out with WiFi......straighttalk(Walmart) has just put out a 4glte unit that contracts thru Tracfone(AT&T & Verizon) it breaks down to 10.00 per gig
they also have a GO unit that is under Sprint that the Gigs do not expire for a year.
its not for everyone but.....I use it because WiFi is prevalent almost everywhere as needed also using an external antenna increases it leaving the pay as you go gigs available when it is not.
I have operated this way for years and never really had issues........of course if your in the lower mid west or southwest it could be a problem.....
using tracfone increases your signal chances greatly......I keep a tracfone cell onboard for that reason...they use multiple providers to increase chances of service!!
If you just got your email from Millenicom - yes, it's true. All of their customer accounts are being acquired by Verizon directly. There are no further details to share regarding what that will mean for their customers in terms of plans offered, but customers should be contacted by Verizon directly with their options.
We're tracking the details on the RV Mobile Internet Resource Center.
Here's our news article on it: Millenicom Customer Accounts Acquired by Verizon
- Cherie
and I just confirmed with a chat with a online CSR..
ME: Were you just purchased by Verizon?
Samuel: Not that I am aware of. We are simply unable to continue providing service on the Verizon network. They will be providing service to you directly.
16:47:11 me: so can you point me to more info on this? sorry to hear this.
16:47:45 Samuel: Verizon will be contacting you with more information regarding plans and pricing and such.
16:48:16 me: when is this effective, can you tell me?
16:48:46 Samuel: To the best of my knowledge it will be pretty much immediately.
16:49:28 me: thank you very much, but no official info anywhere?
16:49:45 Samuel: That is correct.
Well the haters out there will be happy . All Millenicom tried to do was provide a good service at a reasonable price . They eventually just got squeezed out . Plain and simple.
Thank You Millenicom for 6 great years of Service !
Haven't seen anything yet, so I guess we're postponing the trip to the Verizon store that we were going to make tomorrow until we know a little more.
Barb
According to Millenicom, Verizon will be contacting everyone individually with the offerings. No one knows what the offerings will be.
We'll wait until either we know our options or the 30th of the month. Then we'll just pick up the monthly special with V, or go with the better option.
BUMMER ... it's been nice while it lasted.
And just after Technomadia printed their Internet Handbook.
Just goes to show how quickly details in the technology arena change.
AT&T is indeed now a viable option as a primary choice for RVers. And we find them a great compliment to our Verizon based plans too.
Unfortunately, don't know of any other MVNO choice on AT&T or Verizon that is a viable option for high bandwidth consumers.
However, both carriers currently have 'double data deals' that bring the cost down to reasonable this month for above 15GB/month needs.
More Info: www.rvmobileinternet.com/our-recommendation-hold-off-on-any-big-cellular-plan-decisions/
-- Edited by Technomadia on Friday 17th of October 2014 10:32:20 AM
Let's keep it on the topic of the plans and such, not on arguing about where one thinks are low population areas. This thread was starting to get argumentative, so I deleted comments.
Don't make me close the thread.
Terry
Hoping they honor the Millenicom deal.. but since I have no contract, and was month to month, I doubt that will happen. A verizon discount would be cool.
Will swap my mifi over to verizon after the dust settles.
too bad .. Millenicom system has been up and running good and fast, for like 5 days now.. thats the longest stretch for me so far..
Cherie, please post more when you know it. We were going to switch over from our current Advanced Plan with Millenicom to a Pantech based LTE one in the next couple of months anyway but your concise, carefully researched explanations for the various options are always appreciated. As a former sysadmin myself…I (as well as a lot of other people here) could do all the research ourselves but there's no reason for all of us to reinvent the wheel ya know.
We have found that 20 GB a month isn't quite enough for us if we have no wifi in the campgrounds for the entire month. That normally happens for 1-2 months out of each travel season; but were hoping to up our allocation to 30 assuming the cost wasn't too much. Hopefully we'll get some info from Verizon and be able to make a decision this month while the 2 for 1 deals are still in effect.
Thanks again for all you do for us here.
*Blush* thank you. Be sure to keep an eye on our brand new RV Mobile Internet Resource Center (www.rvmobileinternet.com). I only cross post the big stuff to forums and such, as not to become a spammer :).
You can join our RSS feed, free newsletter all the way up to joining our new premium membership group where we do a lot more of those carefully research explanations. We have one explaining in detail the double data deals for October, and a brand new one on acquiring a grandfathered unlimited plan.
- Cherie
Hard to guess what Verizon will do here..
Pretty sure Verizon just got tired of dealing with Millenicom, and just shut them down. Verizon really has no reason to support their customers, except to try and flip them to make them verizon customers.
Hard call..
If they offer a "deal" to Millenicom people.. Verizon customer base will get mad if it's better than the current offering..
If they don't.. Verizon is still the cheapest and best solution ( my opinion ) in the game..??And most will buy there anyways..And that may have been the reason they lowered the rates, THEN pulled the millenicom contract.
I'd guess and say they will tell you, you can use the equipment.. but go to our website and pick you plan.
As a Millenicom customer myself.. I hope I am wrong, and they offer us a smokin deal.. But on the flip side, as a 30 year verizon customer.. if that deal is better than I can get myself.. I think I would not be happy. Would you?
As CEO of Verizon, What would you do?
We pulled our CC info so that the charge couldn't be renewed Nov 1. We're just going to let it die and recycle the 291.
Sometime this week we'll hit the V store and change our plan, probably going with the Edge plan, with the latest and greatest device, 30g and rollover our phones since their new last April anyway. Unless they give us a great deal, then we'll get new phones as well. And I pla on using all 29.999G's everymonth, even if I have to steam C-span all day
-- Edited by Alie and Jims Carrilite on Sunday 19th of October 2014 09:34:04 AM
www.rvmobileinternet.com/millenicom-update-still-waiting-for-options/
There is a huge thread on this over on escapees.. Just a fyi..
Not that I want to refer someone there, I don't. but they do have a good thread going..
-- Edited by The Junkman on Tuesday 21st of October 2014 06:57:52 AM
www.rvmobileinternet.com/alternative-options-to-millenicom/
Me neither. Going today to Verizon store to get a new plan as we are way out in the sticks next week far away from Verizon our ATT store. Cedar Key is a great place but a hotbed of civilization it ain't.
Best get it done..
Anyone figure out how to cancel Millenicom direct billing?
Your account should already be marked 'canceled' if you log into their customer portal. They've pro-actively taken care of that, to the best of our knowledge. Millenicom has confirmed with us that they will absolutely NOT be billing any Verizon based customers come November. And that they did not pass along credit card information to Verizon either.
This is the update we received from the 3G store, where the Pantach was purchased (edited: originally said Millenicom) on Friday, Oct. 24th. Unfortunately, nothing we didn't already know.... I like the plug for rvmobileinternet at the end!!
You're receiving this email because you signed up for Millenicom service
through 3Gstore. We understand that there is a great deal of confusion and
uncertainty regarding the recent acquisition by Verizon of Millenicom
accounts (some customers still have not received any contact at all from
Millenicom alerting them to the change!), and we want to make sure that you
have as much information as possible so you can make a decision about what
to do next.
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Information is limited at this point, but the most
important fact is that as of last week, Verizon is taking over all of the
Millenicom accounts - Millenicom is no longer acting as a service provider.
This was a surprise (and disappointment) to everyone - 3Gstore included!
Millenicom sent two brief emails last week (which do not seem to have been
received by all customers) explaining that Verizon would be taking over as
service provider and would be contacting customers individually in the near
future to discuss available plans, but no further official details from
Millenicom have surfaced.
As of today, Verizon has not contacted any customers to discuss the
transition or the available plans (as far as we know). We do NOT know what
plans will be offered to former Millenicom customers - there has been
speculation that Verizon will offer a grandfathered plan that is the same
price and data allowance that was available through Millenicom, but this is
not confirmed. Many customers have asked if their service is going to get
cut off at some point - we don't know for sure, but since all Millenicom
customers paid for service monthly on the first of the month and are thus
paid up through October 31, it is reasonable to assume that service should
continue at least through the end of the month. Hopefully by then Verizon
will have contacted you to discuss transitioning your account, but if
Verizon hasn't contacted you by then, we do NOT know whether they will keep
the service on until that happens or if it will be suspended at that time.
YOUR OPTIONS AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
If you are hoping to continue service with Verizon, you'll need to wait for
them to contact you and then get set up with an account and data plan. We
STRONGLY recommend waiting for Verizon to contact YOU so you can take
advantage of whatever special deal they may offer - if you attempt to call
Verizon yourself now to ask about your Millenicom options, the reps will not
know how to help you and will only be able to advise you on plans Verizon
currently offers all customers. Hopefully they will be offering something
different/better for former Millenicom customers, so it would be best to
wait. Verizon should be contacting Millenicom customers soon since all
customers are only paid up through October 31.
While we do not yet know what plans they'll be offering to former Millenicom
customers, we do know that you will be able to use your existing equipment
(you do NOT need to buy a new modem/hotspot/etc). You WILL need a new SIM
card, though! You can obtain a new SIM card from a Verizon corporate store
or have Verizon mail one to you when you get your account set up. If you
know that you plan to continue with Verizon but live far from a Verizon
store or don't want to wait for Verizon to send a SIM after they contact you
to get your service transitioned, 3Gstore is offering SIM cards for $10 with
FREE USPS shipping to help make things easier. If you'd like to order a SIM
card so that you'll have one ready for Verizon to activate as soon as they
contact you to get set up, you can order via the below links:
2FF standard-size SIM (for UML290, embedded routers, etc):
http://3Gstore.com/1/3911
3FF micro-size SIM (for 4620L, UML295, 5510L, etc):
http://3Gstore.com/1/5063
Again, Verizon will offer to send you a SIM card for free when you sign up -
purchasing one from 3Gstore ahead of time just makes things a bit more
convenient, since you'll be able to give them the SIM ID to activate
immediately upon setting up your account. Purchasing a SIM from 3Gstore is
not a requirement to continue service with Verizon.
If you do NOT wish to continue service, you don't need to do anything -
Millenicom should no longer be billing anyone since they are no longer the
service provider, and Verizon does not have your payment information, so
eventually Verizon will simply cancel your service. At that point you can
give your hardware to someone else, sell it, activate it on a new Verizon
account in the future - whatever you want. While it's unlikely that
Millenicom could or would charge you for any future months of service, to be
on the safe side we recommend contacting Millenicom
(http://millenicom.com/contact/) to request cancellation and keep a record
of your contact attempt in the event that you have to dispute a future
charge with your credit card company.
For more information, Q&As, and updates on the Verizon takeover of
Millenicom accounts, see http://3Gstore.com/millenicomnews
The RV Mobile Internet site also published a helpful article with some
options and advice for Millenicom customers:
http://www.rvmobileinternet.com/millenicom-update-still-waiting-for-options/
-- Edited by cherylbrv on Sunday 26th of October 2014 10:08:15 AM
For those who choose not to wait for Verizon to contact them--when we attached our Pantech device to an existing Verizon Wireless account, Verizon Wireless provided us with a free SIM card, provided free overnight shipping for the card and they will refund the $35 activation charge, if the Pantech device is still connected to our account in 30-days. YMMV
Is this from Millenicom or the 3gstore.com?
Looks like the 3gstore to me? Not Millenicom..
As I said.. It would be crazy of verizon to offer anything better the current customer base does not get..
But we'll see..
-- Edited by The Junkman on Sunday 26th of October 2014 09:38:13 AM
-- Edited by The Junkman on Sunday 26th of October 2014 09:40:38 AM
I don't see how current Millenicom customers can lose by being taken up by the Verizon "mothership". For us future FTers, now that they have opened Pandora's Box for data, I can't see how they can close it again, though they may try for a while.
Or so it would seem. Let the data war begin!
Brian
-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 27th of October 2014 08:20:24 AM
I did get the message on my Jetpack, as Bill Joyce mentioned. I've been on the phone, holding with Verizon for over an hour now & am going to have to hang up & get back to work. Just wondering if any Millenicom customers have gotten through to Verizon & what Verizon is offering to us?
Here's our article tracking the Verizon offer to Millenicom customers:
www.rvmobileinternet.com/verizon-starting-to-make-contact-with-millenicom-customers/
In my case...That would be more than the double data deal..
I was $140 for phones and 3 gb... am now $210 w/ 30gb.. a $70 difference.
I got the message on the mifi.. no need to plug in to anything to see it, just go to messages...
Will call for the heck of it in a minute.
---------edit/cleanup---------update at END---!!! (per cheryl request, moved to a new message)
Am I the only one whose milenicom simm is dead?
I normally use my pantech 290 usb modem on my WFR-go, but I tried to plug it into my laptop today.
Got a disturbing mesage.
Bad SIMM card.
tried on 2 different systems, same message from VAM (vz account mgr.)
i was not smart enough to write down my phone # the last time I used VAM
ok called regullar vz tech support (800-922-0204), and they tried to look up # of simm to try and find my phone #.
they deterined it wazs a biz simm and transferered me to biz ccounts.
lo and behold, it turns out that the rep told me unless i could identify the company the simm was assigned under, he couldnt give me a new simm
guess what? he told me this simm was issued to a government account..
so apparently I havent had service for all of october (I usually check on he 2nd of the month)
so I verified this by calling Milenicom (still a skeleton staff)
they coldnt tell me either.but did verify simm #and they verified that it did sound right about the govt acccount
again...
has anyone else found their simm invalid, and what did they do about it??
-- Edited by cheryls-other-half on Tuesday 28th of October 2014 07:22:37 AM
-- Edited by cheryls-other-half on Tuesday 28th of October 2014 07:35:14 AM
Good enough..
It's funny.. mifi says 4glte now.. lol
update from yesterday trying to reach VERIZON at 800-233-8924 # we were given...
--note after trying the Pantech US B modem on 2 different laptops, both with a SIMM error., It worked on my server (desktop).. go figure!
I quickly wrote down the # that the Verizon Account Manager program gave me.
-----------------------UPDATE !!!---------------------------------
Update Tue 8/28/14
OK. at 7:30 AM I tried the 800# (800-233-8974) Got a recording, that business hrs 8am-5pm... OK, I get that.
7:58 AM same recording
8:00:
Put on hold, 5 minutes, get rep.
REP: What 's you phone #?
ME: Gave her my #.
Rep: That's a federal Account, I have no information on that.
ME: Does the word Milenicom mean anything to you? I have been getting data service on my jetpack, and need to convert it to a verizon account.
Rep: I have never heard of that before, can you spell it?
ME: spells out.
Rep: hold please, I'll try and find out info on them.
ME... 5 minutes of Freecell.
Rep: That's a federal account, I found someone there who can help you.
Me: Have they ever heard of Milenicom?
(Rep2): yes.
ME: Thanks rep1, appeciate your help
Rep2: What;s you phone #?
me: Give #
Rep2: Yes, that's a federal account, what agency are you with?
Me:: Milenicom. I was a happy jetpack user with them until Verizon took over the accounts in the middle of the month.
Rep2: Oh, let me look up what Milenicom users have to do.
Me:: 7.5 minutes of Freecell/Spider.
Rep2: We were instructed to take your name, phone #, and that someone on the Federal support team will call you with information within 24 hrs.
Me:: oh....(S**T)... (not said really...) Gives info
Rep2: Thank you.
Me:: Is there anyone there now that can give me the info?
Rep2: No, but let me give you a DIRECT number to the Federal Accounts Support TEAM: 800-295-1614
Me:: Oh,ok, another # for support.
thanks again.,
CLICK.
ARGUH.
Comments? Complaints? Yes, I know it's "the TELEPHONE company" (almost as bad as COMCAST)... but REALLY??!!
-- Edited by cheryls-other-half on Tuesday 28th of October 2014 07:38:45 AM
Are you goverment? or is the scam Millenicom was pulling on Verizon? Using federal goverment contract pricing to supply the public? That would make alot of sense why verizon shut them down..
-- Edited by The Junkman on Tuesday 28th of October 2014 07:45:57 AM
Taking in reseller's customer accounts under their (Verizon's) own name so they can claim subscriber growth to the shareholders would be a more valid reason. Millenicom scamming VZ is a bit of a stretch.
-- Edited by biggaRView on Tuesday 28th of October 2014 07:55:39 AM
they also have a GO unit that is under Sprint that the Gigs do not expire for a year.
its not for everyone but.....I use it because WiFi is prevalent almost everywhere as needed also using an external antenna increases it leaving the pay as you go gigs available when it is not.
I have operated this way for years and never really had issues........of course if your in the lower mid west or southwest it could be a problem.....
using tracfone increases your signal chances greatly......I keep a tracfone cell onboard for that reason...they use multiple providers to increase chances of service!!