Verizon Makes Customers Wait Longer for Upgrades

[Rocco83]

Can you get one of those signal boosters that works off your internet connection? Though if you are rural enough, Verizon may be your best internet connection option.

Had one for awhile and it wasn't really worthwhile. Verizon internet out here is a joke. Most providers are though. We have Embarq, which is horrendous, and the top speed available in my area - 7MB.

This is the same with me. I hat Tmo a few years ago but the service sucked. I live right in the edge of their 3G service area and if they would expand, I would be off Verizon in a second, they disgust me.

I feel your pain. I can't even get 4G LTE in my area. I live in 3G purgatory. Being that I can't get LTE out here I will probably switch to Tmo regardless when my contract comes up.

Coverage is bad enough out here I keep a landline for emergencies. Can't trust my cell coverage out here if I need to dial 911, and I can't exactly drive a few miles down the road to my amish neighbors to use the phone.

 

[tjl3]

Verizon is counting on the 60% plus members it currently already has on family plans. Verizon knows this. Family plans are only real reason to have expensive Verizon or AT&T.

Lets see. Most peeps also have discounts plus family plans.

So 4-5 lines with Verizon. The bill is around $200-250 a month. About $50-55 dollars per line.

People aren't going to drop Verizon if they have 4-5 lines and get 20-25% discounts. It's very hard to cancel 4-5 lines cause most lines are staggered in their contracts.

Just indirect way of Verizon to raise costs by making people wait 4 more months to use subsidy upgrade.

I guarantee you people with family plans 4-5 lines (which are the vast majority if Verizon and even AT&T customer base). People won't leave.

Single lines will leave cause they are already paying $90-100 a month. But 4-5 lines won't be tempted to leave over this.

----------

Ok complainers. Who are on single lines vs family plans? I want to know.

I am on family plan with both AT&T and Verizon with 22-24% discounts.

Honestly, you get what you pay for. T-Mobile can promise all they want that they are going to become industry leaders, but until then, Verizon is leaps and bounds ahead of them in terms of coverage and service in many areas. People who can afford Verizon's premium will continue buying their service.

As a Verizon customer, this doesn't affect me at all. I don't have plans on upgrading any earlier than at the end of my 2 year contract. And for people grandfathered into their unlimited plan, it doesn't affect them 1 bit since they aren't on contract.

Tons of comments here saying "F U Verizon... do you want us to move to T-Mobile?"

My question is... why aren't you already on T-Mobile?

T-Mobile has always been cheaper than Verizon... but their coverage isn't that great.

Cheaper isn't always better.

Verizon may be bastards... but they have great coverage and a huge selection of phones.

This is exactly the point. People are reacting like Verizon just made a price hike on their service...

 

[Shrink]

No, no, not what I meant, sorry for the confusion.

The customer termination clause comes in when a company changes their contract on you in the middle of the contract. You get a certain amount of days (15 or 30 days?) to cancel your contract because you don't agree with the new terms.

An example I can think of is when phone companies started charging 25 cents per text vs 15 cents many, many years ago. They allowed customers to end their contract if they wanted to.

However, I'm no legal expert, so when this can be used... I am not sure.

Got it!

Actually, I, too, was uclear. What I'm asking is if it the change really does constitute a change in the Contract. If the 4 month early upgrade is a policy, but not specifically stipulated in the Contract, then changing the rules does not constitute a violation of the Contract, just a change in policy.

Like you, I'm just wondering. I have no expertise at all in contract law!!

 

[DisMyMac]

Why in the "land of the free" are the telecoms allowed to charge the outrages prices they do, in ways which are actually illegal in the rest of the world?

There was a nexus between politics and organized crime that came to a head in Dallas 1963. Hoover's FBI and other agencies decided that democracy can't work, and only a complete takeover of government by the media and corporate interests had any hope of preserving freedom while protecting their own racket known as the Cold War. 9-11 changed the focus slightly, but not much...

That's basically why Verizon can screw people.

 

[Steve.P.JobsFan]

I'm 95% sure this gives us grounds to cancel our contracts without ETFs.


I'm going to go dig through my contract papers, and I'll update ya'll.

 

[Shrink]

There was a nexus between politics and organized crime that came to a head in Dallas 1963. Hoover's FBI and other agencies decided that democracy can't work, and only a complete takeover of government by the media and corporate interests had any hope of preserving freedom while protecting their own racket known as the Cold War. 9-11 changed the focus slightly, but not much...

That's basically why Verizon can screw people.

Interesting connection...a little out there...but...ah...interesting!

 

[Steve.P.JobsFan]

Bingo.

"Verizon can change prices or any other term of your service. Your upgrade date is classified under "other terms."

Verizon also doesn't define what "materially adverse" is - we do.


Meaning, if you can explain waiting another 6 months for an upgrade is adverse for you -- no ETF to cancel!

 

[Michael Scrip]

I would rather be in a carrier that is changing the game (which I am right now, but no iPhone for me ) than a carrier that puts the middle finger into everyone of its customers.

It's not a middle finger, per se.

The contract was always 24 months... with the "option" to upgrade early and thus sign up for another 24 month contract.

Or you could have skipped the early upgrade... finished your 24 months... and then switch to one of the other carriers.

But Verizon has 100 million wireless customers because people are NOT switching.

I looked into T-Mobile... and I could save a few bucks each month by switching to them.

But then I looked at their voice coverage, LTE coverage, and all that jazz. It's not worth it to me, personally.

 

[cmwade77]

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.

This is why T-Mobile's strategy is brillant, there is the down payment that ranges from $0 to about $200, then a monthly payment after that until the phone is paid off. Someone can quickly see that they are saving a lot of money over plans from other companies.

 

[darthraige]

Sooooooooo Verizon doesn't want my money?

 

[Shrink]

Bingo.

Image


"Verizon can change prices or any other term of your service. Your upgrade date is classified under "other terms."

Verizon also doesn't define what "materially adverse" is - we do.


Meaning, if you can explain waiting another 6 months for an upgrade is adverse for you -- no ETF to cancel!

Nice find!

Good luck proving "adverse" consequences of the change.

And just between you and me...I'm not sure that having to wait a few months extra for a new phone constitutes "adverse", just impatient.

We're not talking delaying that emergency cancer surgery...we're talking a phone!

BTW: It's 4 months longer wait for upgrade date...

 

[aneftp]

It's not a middle finger, per se.

The contract was always 24 months... with the "option" to upgrade early and thus sign up for another 24 month contract.

Or you could have skipped the early upgrade... finished your 24 months... and then switch to one of the other carriers.

But Verizon has 100 million wireless customers because people are NOT switching.

I looked into T-Mobile... and I could save a few bucks each month by switching to them.

But then I looked at their voice coverage, LTE coverage, and all that jazz. It's not worth it to me, personally.

Verizon doesn't have 100 million customers. They have 100 million "subscribers". It's a subtle but very important difference. Cause Verizon changed their reporting for stock holders late last year.

They now report average revenue per account rather than average per line. Why? Cause lines 2-5 were killing Verizon's average revenue per line. The public is stupid. Investors are not.

Like I said. 60% of Verizon or AT&T customers are on family plans. Cause their average cost per line ($50-55) is the same as prepaid carriers.

 

[ericvmazzone]

..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.

Actually check your contract. It's common for them to put in a clause limiting your legal recourse to arbitration only, no individual lawsuits, no class action lawsuits, only arbitration through THEIR system that WILL rule for themselves of course.

 

[DblHelix]

How is this any different than what you would expect? I mean it is a 2 year contract is it not?

 

[drewyboy]

..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.

No WE aren't. Maybe you are, and maybe other, but not me. Unlike the majority of people who just moan then keep bending over... I put my money were my mouth is. Yes, I'm just one person and yes I evangelize my methods and reasoning to anyone who will hear in hopes they'll stop bending over and join me, but at least I know that I'm not playing their game. I ditched ATT for Straight Talk, then to TMo (would keep but not very good signal), to Net10 (who uses ATT's network). Let me explain
ATT: just way too expensive, wouldn't reduce price even when I kept my iPhone 4 and didn't want to upgrade
StraightTalk: $50 for unlimited everything but had some issues with my unlocked iPhone 4 (mostly thought grass was greener on the other side (TMo)
TMo: $30 (100 min, 5GB 4G), but reception was pretty spotty where I live
Net10:$50, but can get refills online for $40. Unlimited call's, texts (like it matters) and 1.5GB 4G (I only use .5GB on average).

So there, you get to chose if YOU are a sheep. Help others see and not be "it's how the system works".

 

[Dionte]

That new tmobile plan is looking more attractive by the minute.

 

[LuxoJunior]

T-Mobile's not looking too shabby now are they?

 

[hoits2000]

I agree with Verizon on this one. The contract period is 2 years, not 20 months. The subsidized phone business model is silly to begin with. There is no free lunch.

You are missing the whole point of the upgrade at 20 month idea, it's not like they were doing us any favors. They did it because they wanted to get you locked into another contract, before your actual expiration date of the current contract. Because at the end of 24 months, you can take your money and go somewhere else, but at the end of 20 months you could upgrade or pay a cancellation fee if you want to leave. I think this is just a case of Verizon being greedy. They will see a mass exodus of customers at the end of those 24 month period

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Everyone should just get into the habit of paying full price. Never agree to another contract then see how these carriers act.

What difference does that make? The rate isn't less on AT&T or VZW if you pay full boat. You basically give them your subsidy back for nothing in exchange. Plus once you are in a contract they can't change the terms w/o letting you walk w/o penalty until your term expires.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Please Verizon users, if you're thinking of switching, switch.

There isn't a more important time than now to let your voices be heard regarding the directions carriers are going.

 

[HenryDJP]

This is great for Verizon customers. Now after their 24 month agreement they can upgrade to T-Mobile.
Verizon, aren't you seeing where the industry could be headed after T-Mobile's new venture? Guess you don't care. You'll be out of business soon enough....hopefully.

 

[Giuly]

So:
You sign up for a contract, 20 month later you can upgrade. The next time around, you will be upgrading 24 month after that, which is 20 month after the first 24 month term.

Hmm, don't buy an iPhone in January? If you've signed up in June/July for an iPhone, you're waiting for the next update anyways instead of getting the S model - which will be about 24 month later.

 

[currentinterest]

The next step will be to offer 12 month contracts and charge $399 for the base phone. This way, the carriers subsidize less, the customer can get a new phone every 12 months, and many will continue with their phone after 12 months resulting in the carrier collecting even more money with customers paying for the subsidized phone after it is no longer subsidized.

 

[rdlink]

Who really cares about another 4 months?
If you don't like it, then pay the termination fee and leave!! you will still save more than the duration of your contract left and go somewhere else! damn. people are SO spoiled.

Oh, I, myself am not bitching. I just said it was stupid on their part. That 4 months early upgrade should more than pay for itself for the number of fish it hooks that might get away at contract's end.

I just think it's not a smart move, personally, between the people they won't get to renew before their contracts are up, and the number of people they've just flat out pissed off.

 

[bidwalj]

People are saying its 4 months, but you are missing the point. You now have to payback the subsidy for another 4 months, meaning the phone just got a bit more expensive or Verizon is paying less of the subsidy. This move basically makes the whole deal even more expensive.

I like their service but this is getting ridiculous. They are raising prices without the average joe knowing this is happening. I personally like tmobiles model the best. The phone plan and the cost of the phone need to be 2 separate items.