How I got sucked into the Smart Phone Hype

My husband and I said we wouldn't buy into the smartphone hype.  We refused to pay the extra money for a data package.  Then around Christmas time I, for some reason, decided to check out what it would cost.  Verizon Wireless's website was misleading.  I spent two hours on the website trying to make up my mind.  I called and talked to a representative when I had questions and I did a live chat with someone from verizon.  It showed my new monthly total only a little bit more than what I had been paying without the data plans.  (We already were paying for $10 a month per phone for a very limited data package on our older phones).    It turns out when they totalled everything together they weren't including the cost for my normal talk minutes.  Even though they did include the text message package, line access, and additional line charges.

After we received the phones, I was hooked.  It was going to be a surprise for my husband for Christmas but I wanted to start playing with mine as soon as I got it so I gave him his a few days before Christmas.  After we had the phone for a few days, I was on the verizon wireless website again and realized what hadn't been included in my original monthly total.  So by getting smart phones our bill ended up increasing about $45 a month.  I know I should have contacted Verizon Wireless and complained.  But it was Christmas time, I didn't want to have to fight the crowds at the stores.  And in the end, I really liked the phones and decided I didn't want to give them up.  I wonder how many other people are mislead though, if I had been so thorough and still didn't understand what my monthly total was going to be.

Now I'm super happy with my phone.  I love being able to look things up right away.  It's great to have some games on my phone for the girls when we are stuck out somewhere and they are getting restless.  I like being able to check my email while I'm out.  To me, it has been worth the extra $45 a month.