Thunderbolt annual vs. ne2 upgrade

[jbomb11]

So two days ago i try to upgrade with wirefly they wont let me because i'm not due for an upgrade. So I call verizon cause my upograde says june 2011 but i am eligible now??? I have an annual upgrade available to me no problem I can pick the phone up in store tomorrow.

I am worried I wont get one so I want to order online, but wirefly or amazon will not take me over the internet or phone to upgrade with my annual upgrade?

Why???

Any advice?

 

[jtmeyers]

Sounds like you're in the same situation as I am.

I'm guessing that you are in a 2 year contract that will be up in October 2011. Verizon allows the NE2 upgrade at the 20 month mark, and that date (June 2011) is what Wirefly and Amazon see when they check your account. However, Verizon offers an "early upgrade" after the 12th month, but there is a $20 charge for this. That is why you can get the TB thru Verizon, but not Wirefly or Amazon.

I tried to place my order thru Amazon, but it was a no go as well.

 

[jbomb11]

Thats weak. Any chance they will be waiving this fee tomorrow?

 

[loganthomas51]

An annual upgrade is a special promotion offered by Verizon 12 months and 1 day into your 2 year contract. This is only honored by Verizon corporate stores and online. A standard upgrade or NE2 (for lines with price plan of 49.99 or higher) is an upgrade after 20 months. Verizon is a service provider and just wants you to stay with them as long as possible. They give retailers (Wirefly, Bestbuy, Amazon, Wal-mart) kickbacks for contract extensions or new lines. Thus when you are already in a contract (i.e. annual upgrade could still have 11 months 30 days left) Verizon gives them less. Wirefly and other retailers do not find it profitable to subsidize (lose money on the phone) for the kickback Verizon gives them for the contracts. Verizon must give bigger contracts for New Lines, Primary Lines, etc. because of the larger subsidy from Wirefly. The problem is that consumers do not realize these companies loose money on the phones at the contract prices. We were spoiled with the late 1990s free phone mentality and that the cell companies owed it too us.

 

[KSChris]

Hm.

Please hold for a Verizon Wireless sales representative to assist you with your order. Thank you for your patience.

You are now chatting with 'Paralee'

Paralee: Hello. Thank you for visiting our chat service. May I help you with your order today?

Chris: Hello, I have a question - I am eligible for an early upgrade next Thursday the 24th. I was wondering if there's any way it would be possible to upgrade a week early, in order to get a Thunderbolt tomorrow? Is this possible?

Paralee: . I'd be happy to explain to you in detail the differences in upgrade eligibility information. Verizon extends to any customer the privilege to be able to upgrade 4 months earlier than they usually would which would be at the end of their contract. The date you see in My Verizon should reflect that perk. That date shows four months earlier than the date of the end of your contract. That is the exact date that you can purchase at discounted pricing as opposed to full retail for the phone you'd like.

Chris: I know about that. But when I emailed customer service inquiring about the earliest time I can upgrade, they told me I was eligible for an upgrade.. an annual upgrade, I think they called it?.. on 3/24/2011. That is different from the New Every Two upgrade that is listed on the My Verizon page.

Chris: So I was just wondering if it was possible to bump that up an extra week

Paralee: There is not, I wish there was. That's the best time to upgrade if you prefer to get a discount on the phone you like.

Paralee: You can try an Annual Upgrade through Customer Care, howevcer.
Paralee: *however

 

[jtmeyers]

Thats weak. Any chance they will be waiving this fee tomorrow?

That's a good question. I don't believe that they will, but I'm asking anyway.

 

[rjnst7]

Thats weak. Any chance they will be waiving this fee tomorrow?

I spoke to a customer service rep at Verizon last night and she told me that if I ordered over the phone she would be able to waive the $20 fee. She even offered to call me back tomorrow morning to place the order. She said that any customer service rep would be able to waive the fee if I wanted to wait and call back when I was ready to order.

 

[Ztrangero]

I spoke to a customer service rep at Verizon last night and she told me that if I ordered over the phone she would be able to waive the $20 fee. She even offered to call me back tomorrow morning to place the order. She said that any customer service rep would be able to waive the fee if I wanted to wait and call back when I was ready to order.

it can be waived but not always, and is not that agents dont want to waive it but i can tell u as a cast svc rep that we do look at ur history as a client and that is what determines if u can get it changed or not. For example if u have been a customer for more that 4 or 5 years, no history of credits and good standing with ur payments sure ur date will be moved with no problem. But if not well sorry but not much can be done there than wait or pay full retail.

 

[santi826]

wait hold on i've stumbled across this thread on a google search and i dont mean to thread jack but I thought we couldn't do annual upgrades anymore? i have a droid and my wife has a casio rock and we were both gonna upgrade to either the thunderbolt or iphone and thought we had to wait to our 20 month mark? I think you guys just might of made my day!!

 

[santi826]

can no one provide any insight to my question?

 

[azdmelani]

wait hold on i've stumbled across this thread on a google search and i dont mean to thread jack but I thought we couldn't do annual upgrades anymore? i have a droid and my wife has a casio rock and we were both gonna upgrade to either the thunderbolt or iphone and thought we had to wait to our 20 month mark? I think you guys just might of made my day!!

if you have not renewed your contract since Jan (when the changes were announced) you have one more annual upgrade/Ne2 left. once you use it, it is gone

 

[Ztrangero]

idk if this has been answered or not bcase its a couple of days late... but if not yes the annual upgrade has been discontinued but if u had an eligible annual upgrade u dont lose it u can still use the annual upgrade, obviously it will be ur last one if u do have it and use it.