SPOT Fee Increase - Aarghh
Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 9:13 pm
I'm sorry if this has already been posted. I did a search first.
SPOT emailed me back in June, but I didn't really pay attention to it until it hit my MaserCard bill yesterday. The SPOT annual fee went from $150/yr to $400/yr, plus a $30 "network access fee." So, basically, a 186% fee increase all at once.
I hike solo in the Sierras 3-4 times per year, for 3-4 nights each trip. At $150/yr, it was worth it to give my wife some peace of mind. I'd ping her when I got up, a couple of times during the day, when I got to my next destination, and before I went to bed - 4-5 times per day. It was reassuring to her to know that I wasn't dead, or gravely injured somewhere by myself.
I called SPOT Customer Service this morning, and got no help at all. I'm already on the Basic plan, so the only way to go is up.
Now that SPOT has gotten more expensive, I am considering alternatives. Since I only go out a couple of times per year for basically extended weekends, is a SatPhone cost competitive? Is there a Sat device where I can just text? What are other people using?
SPOT emailed me back in June, but I didn't really pay attention to it until it hit my MaserCard bill yesterday. The SPOT annual fee went from $150/yr to $400/yr, plus a $30 "network access fee." So, basically, a 186% fee increase all at once.
I hike solo in the Sierras 3-4 times per year, for 3-4 nights each trip. At $150/yr, it was worth it to give my wife some peace of mind. I'd ping her when I got up, a couple of times during the day, when I got to my next destination, and before I went to bed - 4-5 times per day. It was reassuring to her to know that I wasn't dead, or gravely injured somewhere by myself.
I called SPOT Customer Service this morning, and got no help at all. I'm already on the Basic plan, so the only way to go is up.
Now that SPOT has gotten more expensive, I am considering alternatives. Since I only go out a couple of times per year for basically extended weekends, is a SatPhone cost competitive? Is there a Sat device where I can just text? What are other people using?