Carrier Verizon lost 95,000 phone customers in the first 3 months of 2014

[EbookReader]

tablet net addition: 634,000
phone net addition: -95,000

total net addition: 539,000

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story...just-539k-retail-postpaid-net-adds/2014-04-24

"Excluding tablets, Verizon lost 95k handsets; in contrast, AT&T added more handsets in 1Q14 than all of 2013 combined," Chaplain noted in a research note. He said AT&T's aggressive response to T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) "has impacted VZ's sub trends. This puts Verizon in a tough spot: with the price gap that has opened up between AT&T and Verizon and with AT&T's improved network performance relative to Verizon, Verizon is faced with either losing share or cutting price, at least until AWS deployment drives improved network performance for a large portion of the sub base."

Earlier this week, AT&T surprised the market by reporting 625,000 postpaid subscriber net additions in the first quarter, more than analysts had expected and the carrier's best first-quarter postpaid performance in five years.

In February, AT&T Mobility (NYSE: T) cut its Mobile Share shared data plan prices, allowing it to offer unlimited voice, texting and 10 GB of data for $160 per month for four lines of service. In response, Verizon earlier this month moved to match that pricing.

Better late than never. Now Verizon is aggressively advertising that $160 for 4 lines of unlimited talk, text and 10GB of shared data with a lot of TV ads.

It did that because of competition from AT&T.

 

[maflynn]

That's only good news for us VZW customers, as they'll be looking to keep us, i.e., lowering the price.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

I think VZW (and AT&T's) biggest total **** up is that they just don't let you get decent individual plans. I'm one dude. Don't force me into a "family share" or "MORE everything" plan. I don't need unlimited minutes, either. Give me 300 minutes and 10GB data and I'll pay $80/mo for it and bring my own device (no subsidy). That's less than what TMo offers for the same price, so I don't think it's unfair.

 

[I7guy]

Net addition 539K....wow.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Net addition 539K....wow.

That's thanks to tablets, though. As in, a bunch of people who were already customers added a tablet to their account. The loss of 95k phones is a lot more significant.

 

[I7guy]

That's thanks to tablets, though. As in, a bunch of people who were already customers added a tablet to their account. The loss of 95k phones is a lot more significant.

Did verizon lose phones or accounts? Did they add new lines for tablets or tablets on existing plans. Did the bottom line go up or down? While customer retention is a priority reporting just numbers does not provide any insight into trends. The financials will be more telling.

 

[EbookReader]

Did verizon lose phones or accounts? Did they add new lines for tablets or tablets on existing plans. Did the bottom line go up or down? While customer retention is a priority reporting just numbers does not provide any insight into trends. The financials will be more telling.

when was the last time Verizon actually lost phone customers during a quarter?

it's big news that competition is having some effect on Verizon.

1) they lost phone customers for the first time in ages
2) they lower prices (which is good for customers) in order to compete more effectively against rivals, particularly AT&T

If you are a Verizon customer, you should HOPE that Verizon lose more phone customers because that will force Verizon to compete harder (lower price).

If you are a Verizon shareholder, then it's the opposite. You want Verizon to pull out more profits from customers.

 

[iMerik]

For the first time in a while, I'm quite happy with AT&T. Their Mobile Share Value Plan + corporate discount finally hit the sweet spot of data and price for my family. We now pay less for more data, and I think I have T-Mobile to thank.

 

[Dweez]

After 12 years with Verizon I moved our 4 lines to T-Mobile and am saving $100 / month and have unlimited everything. Sure I had to purchase new handsets but I will break even in 18 months.

It seemed that Verizon didn't care that they were going to lose a long time customer simply due to their rate plans & silly limits. I asked multiple times for them to "help me out with pricing" and got nothing tangible.

And FWIW, our T-Mobile service is great.

 

[iPadPublisher]

Very happy with Verizon service right now (and since I switched from AT&T about two years ago), but pricing is killing me.

We've been a three line account since we dumped AT&T. I added iPad to acct. few months ago, that was easy enough. But we just added an iPhone 5c for when our kids are out of the house. It'll get virtually no use, and tap >3-5% of our data plan, yet the $40/month smartphone fee which I get nothing (but access) for. Terrible.

Then, we added another for my brother's kid, which will get more use, so another $40/month. So Verizon is up $80/month on me now, I get no additional data for it, and I'm starting to feel priced out.

 

[CoolBradG]

In a way I'm happy to see they're losing business. As someone else said, hopefully this will bring down pricing or make them offer more competitive rates.

I still laugh at them everytime they try to switch my family off unlimited data for their share everything plans which offer less for more money.

 

[I7guy]

when was the last time Verizon actually lost phone customers during a quarter?

It's not anything I ever followed in the past. I'm not a shareholder. I only care about how many bars...or dots and what latitude/longitude these bars and dots occur.

it's big news that competition is having some effect on Verizon.

1) they lost phone customers for the first time in ages
2) they lower prices (which is good for customers) in order to compete more effectively against rivals, particularly AT&T

Competition is always good.

If you are a Verizon customer, you should HOPE that Verizon lose more phone customers because that will force Verizon to compete harder (lower price).

If you are a Verizon shareholder, then it's the opposite. You want Verizon to pull out more profits from customers.

As a customer I would like to see pay more get more. Bring back (somewhat) unlimited plans for a reasonable price and keep the subsidy model. (Of course the FCC would have to allow them some management of their LTE spectrum) Believe me people would flock to pay $99 for an iphone 6.

----------

In a way I'm happy to see they're losing business. As someone else said, hopefully this will bring down pricing or make them offer more competitive rates.

I still laugh at them everytime they try to switch my family off unlimited data for their share everything plans which offer less for more money.

You might be laughing all the way to a limited data plan. You know there will come a point they will make it so that you will want to dump your unlimited plan.

 

[keitarou]

tablet net addition: 634,000
phone net addition: -95,000

total net addition: 539,000

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story...just-539k-retail-postpaid-net-adds/2014-04-24








Better late than never. Now Verizon is aggressively advertising that $160 for 4 lines of unlimited talk, text and 10GB of shared data with a lot of TV ads.

It did that because of competition from AT&T.

Where is the thread about AT&T gaining customers even with T-Mobile pressure?

 

[ashleymc2008]

In the past few weeks I've been from verizon to tmobile to AT&T back to verizon.

Tmobile: couldn't really get any service in buildings
AT&T: needed an individual account and they were going to charge me over $100 for only 4gb of data
Verizon: I have an individual plan paying $75 a month, plus I get a discount.

In my opinion, it mostly depends on how much you are willing to spend on service. If you go with AT&T and Verizon you are going to get mostly good service everywhere but you are coming out of a lot of money. If you go to tmobile or sprint, you get what you pay for

 

[zorinlynx]

I think VZW (and AT&T's) biggest total **** up is that they just don't let you get decent individual plans. I'm one dude. Don't force me into a "family share" or "MORE everything" plan. I don't need unlimited minutes, either. Give me 300 minutes and 10GB data and I'll pay $80/mo for it and bring my own device (no subsidy). That's less than what TMo offers for the same price, so I don't think it's unfair.

Actually, with AT&T's recent price reductions, their "Share everything" plans come out around the same that the individual plans used to be.

For one smartphone line @ 4GB, it's about $100 now. It used to be $97 before with 450 minutes and 1500 texts, so only $3 more a month, and you get unlimited texts and talk.

So it's not so bad anymore. I think AT&T realized their share everything prices were too high and cut them.

 

[metzy25]

Screw verizon, they'll be losing our whole family after the sale rep lied to us about edge.

 

[DcGamer05]

Very happy with Verizon service right now (and since I switched from AT&T about two years ago), but pricing is killing me.

We've been a three line account since we dumped AT&T. I added iPad to acct. few months ago, that was easy enough. But we just added an iPhone 5c for when our kids are out of the house. It'll get virtually no use, and tap >3-5% of our data plan, yet the $40/month smartphone fee which I get nothing (but access) for. Terrible.

Then, we added another for my brother's kid, which will get more use, so another $40/month. So Verizon is up $80/month on me now, I get no additional data for it, and I'm starting to feel priced out.

I love verizon as well. I'm paying 10 less than sprints terrible "unlimited" nonsense. And it works everywhere. I find I use less data on Verizon because I don't have to constantly reload a half loaded page.

As far as pricing try to get on the free promo data 1gb free for a year. If you have a few lines the extra gb could be a nice cushion. They are also doing the same deal as AT&T 4 lines 10gb data 160 a month. Good luck

 

[T5BRICK]

Screw verizon, they'll be losing our whole family after the sale rep lied to us about edge.

Explain?

 

[CEmajr]

Good news. This should humble Verizon and their arrogance enough to the point where they actually try to become more competitive with their rate plans now.

 

[zone23]

I just left Verizon for T-Mobile once I saw that T-Mobile was blowing away Verizon data speeds in my area. So not only is T-Mobile faster I'm saving money and get more data on my hardware. Thats -4 devices for Verizon. These companies think they can't be hurt well think again Verizon.

 

[metzy25]

Explain?

The rep explained to me with edge I could upgrade after 30 days without any fee. He never mentioned anything about needing half the device paid off before upgrading. And I asked him multiple times if he explained it right to me and he said he did. If it was explained right to me I would have never signed up for it.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Actually, with AT&T's recent price reductions, their "Share everything" plans come out around the same that the individual plans used to be.

For one smartphone line @ 4GB, it's about $100 now. It used to be $97 before with 450 minutes and 1500 texts, so only $3 more a month, and you get unlimited texts and talk.

So it's not so bad anymore. I think AT&T realized their share everything prices were too high and cut them.

4gb @ $100 is just stupid. That's pathetic. $100/mo gets you 20 gigs in other countries, if not unlimited. We're getting strangled by prices and this is only BARELY helping.

 

[poorcody]

Verizon -> AT&T

I have an AT&T phone and a Verizon iPad which I travel a lot with around the Northeast US. What I find interesting, is Verizon used to have better coverage than AT&T in general in my experience. However, in the last year or so, I haven't been anywhere now that AT&T doesn't cover equally well. It almost seems like AT&T's LTE rollout has also somehow allowed for better coverage (different frequencies, better signal handling maybe?) Or maybe they've just added more towers. Anyway I don't really find Verizon any better now, in fact there are some places where I can get AT&T and not Verizon.

So I switched my Verizon iPad to my AT&T Family Share. Saves me $10/mo to boot.

I will also add, having been with Verizon for about 10 years (with phone before AT&T), and AT&T now around the same, I find AT&T to have much better customer service.

 

[dickdaney]

Verizons individual plans are just too high. I was paying $88/mo AFTER a 20% discount through my company. Switched to AIO and I'm paying $45/mo. I won't pay more that $60 total for one line anytime soon

 

[co.ag.2005]

4gb @ $100 is just stupid. That's pathetic. $100/mo gets you 20 gigs in other countries, if not unlimited. We're getting strangled by prices and this is only BARELY helping.

what "other countries" are these that have the footprint of the USA and the speeds/coverage of AT&T/Verizon?

I agree, seems too high, but I'm tired of seeing people comparing cell plans of Great Britain (for example) to the whole USA