Verizon Wireless Discriminates Against you and will refuse to sell certain phones to you if you don't want a data plan. Wallingford , Connecticut

As much as I hate to say it because I have also had my run-ins with Verizon Wireless. They are correct and every company not just verizon has these policies. They have plenty of phone that can be used as an MP3 player, that you can take notes on and do everything that you mentioned. There is no point at all in getting a smart phone (windows, blackberry, iphone, droid) unless you plan on using it with email, or surfing the web. So yes they will charge $30 a month if you want that phone. AT&T, TMobile, and Sprint have the same policies.

Verizon now tells me that they will charge me $30.00 a month for a data plan even if I am not going to use it.   Also I cannot get a smartphone without a data plan.   I could buy an unlocked phone from non verizon retail store for $200.00 but verizon won't accept that brand, they say it won't work with their system.   I just want a windows phone plug it into my pc to move my files to and from it.  It will strain my eyes to browse on the internet for too long and besides I already pay for internet at home why do I need it on my phone as well, just  windows mobile PDA features that's all that Im asking for so they say they will not help me!!!

They are flat out denying me a phone not offering me any other device at a slightly higher price but I have heard that higher priced phones without data for other companies used to be $500 or $600 dollars.    Maybe instead of buying one for $100 I could buy one for $200 with no data, but the company does not offer that option.  The talk is that all smart phone users are going to need data so they must pay a $30.00 Data charge.  What if a smartphone user does not need data, why do they need to pay the extra amount.  I should be telling them that I don't need data not the other way around.  Don't I have that right as an American? 

than the plain ones.

I don't see any Ripoff by them recovering their costs.

Can you purchase the phone at a premium and avoid the data plan?

Do other providers have similar restrictions, or just Verizon?

I, also, have no use for a data plan and consequently do use a pretty plain phone.

No, I don't work for Verizon, but have their service and find it satisfactory.

They are NOT telling you what you can or can't do with your phone...just the requirements for receiving one at no or reduced cost.