AT&T vs Verizon Data Plan for iPad 2 - Activation Fees?

Where did you hear this from? A reputable source?

Since this will be the first iPad with a built in 3G Verizon connection, and it won't go on sale until March 11th, I don't know how you would expect anyone here to know this. The only people I can think of who might know would be Verizon. Would you like me to call them or go by one of their stores for you or can you do it and post back here with whatever you find out?

I seriously doubt there will be any activation fee for the iPad 2 data plan, there is none on the AT&T WiFi+3G and Verizon pretty much matches AT&T.

But users of the Verizon iPad1 w/the special MiFi have reported that they had to repay an activation fee if they interrupted their plan.

Was the MiFi offered as a non-contract, month-to-month plan. The only persons I've heard of who had to do this were ones who purchased a subsidized model, temporarily cancelled the plan then restarted. And the bundle was basically a subsidized plan.

Makes it a very easy decision to decide which one to get if there is such an activation fee. Assuming you have good reception from AT&T where the iPad will be used.

But the bottom line is neither you nor I know what their plan will be, only Verizon does, hence the suggestion to contact Verizon.

Keep in mind that there's more than one kind of interruption. Service can be suspended or it can be cancelled. If it were cancelled, there would most likely be another activation fee. If it were suspended, I don't believe there would be.

I was just on the Verizon Wireless page, and they clearly state that there is a $35 activation fee. I cannot say if they would require this to be paid every time you activated service for the same iPad, but I would guess that this would be YES, they would.

For what it's worth i went to vzw.com/ipad2 and clicked the link "Check out Our Data Plans" and there is no mention of activation fees.

This leads me to believe that the activation fee is for the MiFi unit because it has a phone number assigned to it.

jeff91605 wrote:
For what it's worth i went to vzw.com/ipad2 and clicked the link "Check out Our Data Plans" and there is no mention of activation fees.

This leads me to believe that the activation fee is for the MiFi unit because it has a phone number assigned to it.
jeff91605 wrote:
For what it's worth i went to vzw.com/ipad2 and clicked the link "Check out Our Data Plans" and there is no mention of activation fees.

This leads me to believe that the activation fee is for the MiFi unit because it has a phone number assigned to it.

I think the Verizon website is misleading. There is no mention of activation fees, but according to almost every reputable source the fee exists.

I wrote to Verizon customer service earlier in the week to find out from the source. I asked:

"IF I purchase the Verizon 3G iPad2:
1. Will I be able to activate/deactivate Verizon service as needed?
2. Is there an activation fee? If so, how much?
3. Is the activation fee charged each time service is activated and/or
deactivated? If not, when exactly is the fee charged?"


They answered:

"You may disconnect the device at anytime. However, if the disconnect is after the 14-day Worry Free Guarantee return/exchange timeframe, then you are liable for an early termination fee. The early termination fee is prorated based on how much of the contract has been completed.

Yes, there is an activation fee for all new lines of service. In your case, the activation fee would be $35. This applies each time that a line activation is requested."

That reads to me as a $35 fee every time you activate service, be it every other month, every three months or whatever.

It may not be a problem for some, but this is a dealbreaker for me. I am getting the AT&T iPad2. It is unfortunate that one iPad cannot handle both services, as that would promote competition.

FYI - I have been looking into this issue all day. There are now several reports claiming Verizon will NOT have activation fees. Very frustrating trying to find the truth. Even Verizon reps are seemingly giving people different answers.

Guess time will tell what the truth is. I am sure that all this confusion will hurt initial sales of the Verizon models.

Either way, pretty pathetic for a communication company to be such a poor communicator.

I'm no fan of Verizon by any means but I suspect we're just trying to get info out of them before they're ready. They probably just haven't decided on the final iPad2 data policies and therefore the low level customer service folks are just regurgitating whatever info they already have... that info (repeated on this page and other places) seems to apply to only the existing contract-based, Mifi-based data plans, hence the $35 activation fee and contract.

My guess is that they'll match the AT&T no-contract data plans with no activation fee. If they don't, it'll be market suicide.

I called Verizon customer service today, twice because I as shocked. Both times they told me that there was an initial $35 activation fee & $35 each time there was an interruption in service. I am still not sure i believe it.

I called Verizon store this morning to ask if there was activation fee on iPad 2. Verizon rep said "yes" if I get a iPad 2 with MiFi bundle. I asked her iPad 2 comes with Verizon 3G so why would I need MiFi, then she goes "Are you sure?". I don't think people at Verizon know what's going on. I will hold off until this get clarified. If not, I am going with AT&T.

I just saw this at the end of this Macworld article:

Updated at 2:46 p.m. on Thursday March 10 with confirmation that Verizon will not be charging activation fees for iPad 3G plans.

http://www.macworld.com/article/158361/2011/03/compareipad_dataplans.html

updated 3:15pm.

OK, I think I finally got this qeustion answered by Verizon after talking with five different Verizon Reps.

On Verizon website today they posted "No Activation" on iPad 2.

On Verizon FAQ, it says "At launch, Verizon Wireless will offer prepaid month-to-month service options payable with credit or debit card. These options do not require an activation fee".

I am thinking what is "At launch" mean? So I called Verizon and one of the Reps told me that they will not charge 3G activitation fee at this point as a promotion but they MAY charge activation fee later.

This means if I get an Verizon iPad2 3G and get a data plan now, I don't get charged for activation but if I stop the data plan next month and get the data plan again in July, I may get charged for reactivation.

I talked with Verizon customer service today.

Here's the skinny:

If you sign up through the device (not using a human in a store or on the phone) there's NO activation fee which applies to reactivation after cancelling.

If you use a human at anytime, it's $35.

I have a feeling Verizon has not thought this through thoroughly.