Dumb move by verizon

[tirith]

Those standards are for the device Verizon sends you in return for your defective phone. There are no signs that VZW intends to void warranties for a few scratches or dings.

Partially leaked internal documents can cause confusion.

READ: Charges for phones believed to be abused...

Smartphones $299 - what if the phone isn't even worth $299 full retail?

(i abuse the hell out of my phones... i'll admit it)

 

[anon(2632)]

I would never pay full retail for a phone, and yeah I can see how getting rid of 1yr contracts could piss some people off, but there are always ways of getting a new phone before you're elgible to upgrade.

I have signed 2 year contracts every time i am eligible. I am still in an old alltel unlimited plan with my data line... and will keep signing 2 year contracts on it as long i can because my unlimited is truly unlimited and i will never get rid of that unless they rip it away with me kicking and screaming (or i get another option available to me for internet service).

That said. I have never kept a phone for the entire contract. If i want a new phone, i just sell my current phone to someone (mostly someone i know) for at least half of what the phone i want to buy costs. I actually get more for the phone than what i paid because whoever buys the phone is under contract and would have to pay full price to upgrade. I take very good care of my phones and i am on here or CB when i had blackberries, doing tweeks and fixes to my phones. They know they are getting an excellent phone and if they have problems with it, they know i can help them fix it better than VZW.

That keeps me with new tech as much as i want (sometimes only a couple/six months into contract) and my friends get a great phone without having to pay full price.

 

[PJnc284]

I believe that restriction ends after six months. I need to double check tho

Yeah, the restrictions for those 3rd party online retailers is 180 days (~6months)

 

[gvillager]

I'll just simply negotiate a 1 year contract with customer service or executive relations when it's time for me to upgrade. Stupid policies are meant to be broken.

 

[Johnly]

I don't dont do 2 year.....on a one year now. Guess I am carrier shopping late summer

 

[FutureTBoltOwner]

I'm not sure why people here are acting like VzW is forcing anything on them? If you don't want a 2-year contract, don't get it. Simple.

It's not the fact that verizon is forcing anything on me thats upset me, it's the fact that they are taking away our options. The informed consumer can always make the best decision for themselves when they have plenty of options to choose from, in this case there were three and now theres two ... two of which I would rather not choose from because IMO full retail is always way too expensive, and 2 year contracts are way too long, so that would leave me with the 1 year option, which is perfect in terms of length and negotiable on the price, but usually at a point I'm willing to pay, of course this option will soon be gone (I've done 2 years before and if you have a problem with your phone and verizon does little to help your basically screwed for the rest of the contract, and depending on when something happens that can be a long wait for you) The thing that also aggravates me is I have the feeling verizon is doing this because the 1 years are an inconvenience to them and instead of dealing with them they would just rather just do away with them to make their lives easier without giving a damn about johnny consumer

 

[tirith]

You can always purchase a phone from a third party site, ebay, a friend, and switch the ESN/MEID right on verizon's website... usually the cheapest option.

 

[vzwuser76]

No one HAS to buy into a two year contract - you could pay the actual retail price for the phone and not be tied to ANY contract.

What would be nice to see (and I'm not holding my breath) is a reduced monthly service price for people who buy the phone out right AND sign a 1-2 year contract.

I don't quite follow your reasoning here. Uisng the Tbolt as an example, say they drop the price of the plan $20 a month. If you signed up for a subsidized 2 year contract you'd pay $250 and say your regular billis $100. That would be a total cost (not figuring tax) of $2650 over 2 years.

Using your idea now you'd pay $600 for the phone with a total cost of $2520. You may save $130 over 2 years (assuming the variables like discount, plan price, etc.) but you are still tied to the device for 2 years.

What I think they should do is offer a discount on the plan if you buy full retail PERIOD. They don't have to eat/ recover the cost of the device, so they should offer a discount that would make their profit close/ equal to what it is when they are subsidizing the phone. By paying full retail and not getting a discount you are taking away Verizon's overhead on the device and still paying the same for the service. Win-win for Verizon.

They claim they are doing this to simplify things for the consumer. What'd be simple is at least 2 options. Don't want to upgrade sooner than 20 months? Get a 2 year contract like they have now. Want ot upgrade more often? Pay full retail, get a discount on your plan, and have the ability to upgrade anytime you want. See there, only 2 options, simple. And I think the people who want to upgrade regularly could get behind this rather than what the current plan will be.

 

[Super_Mario]

READ: Charges for phones believed to be abused...

Smartphones $299 - what if the phone isn't even worth $299 full retail?

(i abuse the hell out of my phones... i'll admit it)

Then you would be the reason that policy went into effect. Too many people were cracking screens or sending in phones that have water damage or physical damage.

I'll just simply negotiate a 1 year contract with customer service or executive relations when it's time for me to upgrade. Stupid policies are meant to be broken.

I feel like I just experienced deja vu.

 

[Eclipse2K]

Then you would be the reason that policy went into effect. Too many people were cracking screens or sending in phones that have water damage or physical damage.



I feel like I just experienced deja vu.

I feel the same. If you abuse your device than it's you're problem that it's broken. I take care of my phones to the point where there is never a scratch on them. If I call for a replacement, my device is malfunctioning internally rather than some people that call in because their "phone is freezing" rather than the truth "I have a scratch, please replace it". Oh well, it's just like the multi-fru program - the cheaters ruin it for the honest people.

 

[Super_Mario]

I feel the same. If you abuse your device than it's you're problem that it's broken. I take care of my phones to the point where there is never a scratch on them. If I call for a replacement, my device is malfunctioning internally rather than some people that call in because their "phone is freezing" rather than the truth "I have a scratch, please replace it". Oh well, it's just like the multi-fru program - the cheaters ruin it for the honest people.

Well honest people won't have to worry about it at least.

 

[anon(220176)]

Accident do happen, no matter what you do. What happen if you got into a car accident... you are OK but your phone was crushed/scratched/thrown out of the road/etc?

At the very least, if the phone is broken, give us the chance to buy it at higher price than the discounted one but NOT RETAIL. Verizon may lose a LITTLE bit of money, but they will gain far more customer satisfaction.

I.e. Thunderbolt phone broken and contract not ended? I can buy it at, say $199 plus $100 or $200 fees, but NOT $599 (...or whatever is the non-activation price).

 

[Eclipse2K]

Accident do happen, no matter what you do. What happen if you got into a car accident... you are OK but your phone was crushed/scratched/thrown out of the road/etc?

At the very least, if the phone is broken, give us the chance to buy it at higher price than the discounted one but NOT RETAIL. Verizon may lose a LITTLE bit of money, but they will gain far more customer satisfaction.

I.e. Thunderbolt phone broken and contract not ended? I can buy it at, say $199 plus $100 or $200 fees, but NOT $599 (...or whatever is the non-activation price).

I understand your idea as car accidents do happen. Sadly, I don't see them helping us here. I'm not sure but the car insurance company may help settle the cost but I doubt it. I've never been in an accident before and I hope I never am. I carry insurance on my phone just in case of any form of accident though.

 

[Super_Mario]

Accident do happen, no matter what you do. What happen if you got into a car accident... you are OK but your phone was crushed/scratched/thrown out of the road/etc?

At the very least, if the phone is broken, give us the chance to buy it at higher price than the discounted one but NOT RETAIL. Verizon may lose a LITTLE bit of money, but they will gain far more customer satisfaction.

I.e. Thunderbolt phone broken and contract not ended? I can buy it at, say $199 plus $100 or $200 fees, but NOT $599 (...or whatever is the non-activation price).

That's what insurance is for...even now they do not cover physical damage.

 

[Balthazar B]

No one HAS to buy into a two year contract - you could pay the actual retail price for the phone and not be tied to ANY contract.

What would be nice to see (and I'm not holding my breath) is a reduced monthly service price for people who buy the phone out right AND sign a 1-2 year contract.

Good thought, but the only fly in that ointment is that VzW is the sole supplier of devices that run on their network, and exercise total price control. If the US (better, North America) had a standard frequency/protocol arrangement as most of the rest of the world has, you could purchase any device you wanted from the manufacturer (to be precise, the manufacturer's distributors) and go with any carrier you wished. Both the manufacturers and carriers would be competing for your business, and competition would drive lower prices and better service.

 

[gvillager]

I feel like I just experienced deja vu.

You stalking me? Haha, jk. I encourage everyone who wants to upgrade every year to call customer service or executive relations to negotiate a 1 year contract. If you talk to enough people one of them will eventually cave, it always happens. The key is to remain respectful but firm in your negotiations.

 

[androidburn]

Verizon Wireless is moving to two year contracts only because they don't want people to have the choice of suffering with another carrier's obviously "inferior" network.

 

[Super_Mario]

You stalking me? Haha, jk.

It would seem like it...but no. We just lurk around the same places...

 

[gvillager]

It would seem like it...but no. We just lurk around the same places...

I know, which is why I said I was just kidding.

 

[Jude526]

well there is always going to with Cricket if that's what you want. No contracts and their pricing is better. But I have never used them and don't know the quality.
It takes a few bad people to ruin it for honest people with issues. It is just too bad Verizon is doing this.