wolfson@uunet.uu.net> (06/11/90)
I just got a notice from Ameritech. They are now giving me 40 "Free" minutes of airtime on my VIP Plan. The VIP Plan is $29.95/month + 34 cents/min prime and 20 cents/min non-prime. The new Security Plan is 14.95/month + 38 cents/min prime and 18 cents/min non-prime. Well if you compare the two plans, and use the value of 38/cents per minute, 40 minutes of air time is costs $15.20, add that to the base rate and you get $30.15, so in reality a savings for the first 40 minute of 20 cents. Even a moderate amount of non-prime usage brings the cost of the security plan below that of the VIP plan. Of course if you go beyond that you get 4 cents per minute savings with the VIP plan during prime time but lose 2 cents per minute in non-prime time. So unless your a real heavy duty user of Prime-Time (in which case some of the other bulk minute plans are probably better, go with the security plan (you know the one that used to be no monthly charge). If you are 80% or greater non-prime time you start saving money with the security plan. If your usage pattern varies the following table will give you savings based on 100 minutes of air time. Prime/Non-Prime Minutes 100/0 80/20 50/50 20/80 0/100 Security 38.00 34.00 28.00 22.00 18.00 VIP 34.00 31.20 27.00 22.80 20.00 ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- Cheaper Plan VIP VIP VIP Sec Sec Savings 4.00 2.80 1.00 0.80 $2.00 Steve Wolfson Motorola Cellular uunet!motcid!wolfson [Moderator's Note: I'm glad you were able to figure out the truth in that brochure. I got a copy also, and read it several times without being able to decide what the gimmick was. Did you notice they are also giving about two hours 'free air time' if you take the package which otherwise costs almost a thousand dollars per month? PT]