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Verizon Makes Customers Wait Longer for Upgrades

iVoid said:
Sadly I get poor reception with AT&T at my home and work, so Verizon is my best bet.

Although 4G LTE may make that a moot point.

This makes me want to go away from Verizon when I get my next iPhone.

Nice marketing job, Verizon! :p

This is a curious way to respond to T-Mobile's no subsidizing plans. Stick it to your customers more.

Probably they hope this prevents people from jumping ship 4 months earlier. Short term profits over long term customers... not a good combination.
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See, that's just the point. Under the old policy you couldn't leave 4 months early without an ETF. But they could entice you to re-up before your contract was up by waving a nice new phone in front of you. Now they've taken the incentive away. Then, once I can leave without ETF they're on equal footing with their competitors. Stupid move. Stupid, stupid move.
 
Yet another class move by VZW.
The US carrier market seems so ripe for a revolution. Not saying T-Mo is said revolution. But the industry is a hot mess.
 
PagePlus is the answer for Verizon Wireless customers. Only downer is no 4G, but aside from that, it is the same service at half the cost.
 
jroadley said:
Rubbish!
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This makes me miss the U.K. even more. Sure, the phones may be more expensive (for smartphones), but most companies (such as O2) don't require contracts and are "pay-as-you-go" for all phones. Just swap SIM cards. Same goes for most of the free world. This contract, ETF, ridiculous fees and overages non-sense needs to go.
 
Gee, it's like they *want* people to move to T-mobile. As you wish, Verizon.
 
So glad I sayed with at&t. They have been great ever since I started using them in 99
 
bedifferent said:
This makes me miss the U.K. even more. Sure, the phones may be more expensive (for smartphones), but most companies (such as O2) don't require contracts and are "pay-as-you-go" for all phones. Just swap SIM cards. Same goes for most of the free world. This contract, ETF, ridiculous fees and overages non-sense needs to go.
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I'm not sure which part of the UK you are thinking about, but here in London you'll need to sign up for a 18-24 month contract to get a subsidy on your handset up front.

Also even PAYG phones tend to be locked to a network and you would have to pay hundreds to get an unlocked smartphone without a contract. Don't think that the UK networks are in any way less greedy than the US ones.
 
tsduke said:
So if I have 7/2014 renewal date currently I will see it change to 11/2014? How can they do this in middle of contract.
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I'm wondering the same thing, since I to have a 7/2014 renewal date. I think once thats up I will be giving T-Mobile a try.
 
wvmb said:
..including me, as I have a Verizon contract. When did this switch happen that allows companies to act like they are doing us a favor by allowing us to give them our money?? Seriously, they have language in their contracts that allows them to change the term mid stream, but we are stuck with whatever they decide to dish out. They know our only recourse is a class action lawsuit, and I think we all know the legal and ethical problems associated with that solution. Unfortunately the only thing that would work is to say enough is enough and just let our cell phone accounts die. I've already done that for cable and a couple of other things, but do you think that in this entire country we could get enough people together to make a company like this even notice? We are sheep.
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wireless customers aren't allowed to have a class action lawsuit against wireless companies--there was a court decision about this. so, any problems we have with wireless companies must be brought up to the FCC.
 
wvmb said:
..including me, as I have a Verizon contract. When did this switch happen that allows companies to act like they are doing us a favor by allowing us to give them our money?? Seriously, they have language in their contracts that allows them to change the term mid stream, but we are stuck with whatever they decide to dish out. They know our only recourse is a class action lawsuit, and I think we all know the legal and ethical problems associated with that solution. Unfortunately the only thing that would work is to say enough is enough and just let our cell phone accounts die. I've already done that for cable and a couple of other things, but do you think that in this entire country we could get enough people together to make a company like this even notice? We are sheep.
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Vote with your wallet! I have boycotted Verizon back in 2003, and even though they have hands down the best coverage nationwide, I just can't switch to them. I'd rather go back to landline.
 
lazyrighteye said:
Yet another class move by VZW.
The US carrier market seems so ripe for a revolution. Not saying T-Mo is said revolution. But the industry is a hot mess.
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The US consumer has gotten so conditioned to the idea of subsidized pricing of equipment that any attempt to go in a different direction will result in massive sticker shock.

We expect our cell phones to be between $0 - $200 here in the US. The minute someone sees $600 - $800 for a phone, they'll run directly to AT&T or Verizon and sign a contract to avoid that hit out of pocket, even if the plans are cheaper.
 
Is this a breach of contract?

At this point, I am waiting for ANYTHING that Verizon does to be a breach of contract, just so I can get out of mine. I have wanted to leave Verizon for the last 8 months, and ironically, my contract runs out Feb. 2014. Lately, every move they make just makes me want to leave even more.
 
Number 41 said:
The US consumer has gotten so conditioned to the idea of subsidized pricing of equipment that any attempt to go in a different direction will result in massive sticker shock.

We expect our cell phones to be between $0 - $200 here in the US. The minute someone sees $600 - $800 for a phone, they'll run directly to AT&T or Verizon and sign a contract to avoid that hit out of pocket, even if the plans are cheaper.
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Very true, however pay-as-you-go/SIM card swapping with GSM carriers, cheaper plans, no contracts and ETF's make up for the upfront costs long term. In the past I've sold my iPhone's on eBay unlocked for $350-400, and bought a full priced new model off contract. Well worth it as the difference equates to a contract/subsidized phone.
 
Uhhhhh

The early upgrade is there to keep people locked in, if they upgrade early they never reach the end of their contract.

So now if I have to wait till the contract is up... might as well switch.

Verizon, your service is not THAT good.
 
Unfortunately I have to eat the ***** and love it that Verizon dishes out to me. The rural area I live in only gets reception from Verizon, and then it is only if I stand in one window of my house with my face pressed against the glass. And there are only like 3 spots outside I can stand in order to get signal out there. I've already tried all the other carriers and had 0 reception and had to go back to Verizon. I wish Tmo would get signal out here :(
 
Where is the ethical/Legal recourse?

so my wife and I both purchased iphone 5s so we have may 2014 upgrade dates and September 2014 Contract End Dates. since that is the documented information, aren't they legally bound to uphold that? :confused:
Wouldn't they have to only enforce it on new contracts?

Just not sure how you can change the terms mid cycle...
 
Stupid Verizon.... Once the contract is up, the customer is free to choose ANY carrier. The whole point of the 20-month upgrade is that leaving the carrier before the contract was up carried an "Early Termination Fee". So you let the customer upgrade at 20 months to entice them to lock into another two years before they had the option to move to another carrier.

Today it looks like this for a customer after 20 months into the contract:
A) Upgrade my phone with Verizon to the latest model at a subsidized price

B) Pay an early termination fee and upgrade with another carrier at subsidized price


Now a customer at 20 months has these options:
A) Upgrade my phone at full price with Verizon

B) Wait another 4 months to upgrade at subsidized price with Verizon

C) Pay an early termination fee and upgrade my phone with another carrier at a subsidized price today


At 24 months the options are now:
A) Upgrade my phone at a subsidized price with Verizon

B) Upgrade my phone with another carrier at a subsidized price

Hmmm.... somehow I don't think this move does anything to encourage carrier lock-in with Verizon. Verizon just made the other carriers so much more attractive to their existing customers.
 
If you want to see change stop giving these cooperate assh*les your $$$. Why do you think Tmobile is competitive? Because they want your business.
 
Wife's contract expires in Dec. $80 /month for 900 minutes & unlimited LTE.

It's no longer worth it.

We'll be investigating our options closer to that date. T-Mobile looks very attractive.
 
Everyone should just get into the habit of paying full price. Never agree to another contract then see how these carriers act.
 
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