Long story – short – my phone broke. The deductible, with insurance, was $50 and a new GPS-enabled phone was $30. Lesson learned – I’ll never get phone insurance again.
Anyways, I was excited to get a GPS-enabled phone. Notice I said, ‘enabled’. In true Verizon Wireless fashion, that means you have to pay for anything and everything. It winds up the GPS package, called VZ Navigator is $9.99 per month for a subscription. I’m a GIS nut so I had to try it out.
It appears (and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong), this allows me to do a couple things:
- Look at where I am on a map online that only I have access to as long as I give permission to myself. (huh?) Check out a screenshot below… I figured out that I was at home!
- Look at where I am at on a map on my phone.
- Send another phone my location via text message (text message charges apply) but only if they are with Verizon as well.
- Download directions from my phone (not from the VZ Navigator website). It’s so much easier on that teeny, weeny screen.
- Look for stuff nearby with the map on the phone (so Verizon can get some advertising revenue for this paid service I suppose).
So… if I died in a fiery car crash out in a corn field somewhere by myself, 9-1-1 could find me. Or perhaps if I’m somehow targeted by the government, they could find me. But my kids? Nope. They can’t find me because I can’t publish my location anywhere automatically outside of Verizon’s VZ Navigator service.
Verizon… anyone at Verizon… if you’re reading this… why don’t you simply open this up for public consumption?! If I want my location public, I should be able to post it in public. Even better, I should be able to develop an application that uses it. Grow up! By closing the technology, I’m not going to magically try to talk all my friends into going with Verizon so we can send map locations to each other. C’mon!
Another disappointment of many from my service provider. When will I learn?
Thank goodness for the AC/DC ringtone, otherwise I would be totally disappointed.
GPS is a waste, unless it is in your car. I have it on my phone and have never even tried to use it. But I’m a woman and always know where I am. LOL
As far as Verizon, I could have told you, they don’t care a diddly about you or the plan you purchase. Their customer service is one of the most horrific when it comes to cellular service.
I’m not going to push my personal cellular service but I will say this, AC/DC rocks!
$30? My daughter’s phone is on the fritz, we have Verizon, and the cheapest phone I can get before January when her contract renews is about $140…..a phone she has dubbed “ghetto”. I can’t believe how expensive phones are unless it’s time to renew your contract. Their phones don’t even last 2 years anymore, either.
So, tell me, how’d you get the phone for $30?
My ‘free upgrade’ was going to be in December. I just went online, selected my phone number, and selected upgrade phone and I was provided a list. Yes, I had to extend my contract – enslaving myself to these guys for another couple years.
I’ve already left AT&T and all my friends who have Sprint hate it… so I’m left with no alternative.
Cheers!
Doug