Verizon does post in these forums all the time. There is nothing for them to say about a phone that is not on their network.
I'm leaving Verizon as soon as my contract has ended, which will be December 15. As I was one of the customers who bought a Galaxy Nexus, I am terribly dissatisfied with the handling of this device. Verizon insisted on installing some of its own software on a pure Google device which is supposed to be free of this sort of thing. Verizon refused to allow Google Wallet on the device, while every other carrier was OK with it. Verizon managed to substantially delay the launch of this device, leaving those of us wanting a Galaxy Nexus hanging for nearly 2 months while every other carrier had it. Verizon took forever to push important updates while again every other carrier got the updates much quicker. Finally, as my natural upgrade path is to a Nexus 5 (I like the original OS without bloatware and manufacturer custom launchers), this appears to be the *ONLY*!!!! carrier which is not getting this device, or if it is eventually going to get it, won't get it for quite some time after everyone else has it. I don't expect that even if they do get it that updates will be pushed quickly. So as of December 16 (allowing an extra day to ensure that I don't overlap my contract period and incur the RIDICULOUS termination fee), I'll be activating the Nexus 5 which I have already ordered on Straight Talk, a very inexpensive reseller of AT&T. I can buy an unlocked unsubsidized Nexus 5 and the lower rates will bring me to break-even in just a relatively few months. NO CONTRACT. Lower rates.
Oh, and let me gripe about two other things -- Regarding the unlimited data, I've been grandfathered on this since an unlimited data plan first became available. The advantage to staying with Verizon has been this. I've learned that any subsidized phone upgrade will force a termination of the unlimited data. And (2) Regarding the termination fee, it starts at something like $325 or $350 and is only reduced by $10/mo of contract fulfillment. As of now, with less than a month of the contract remaining, I would still owe somewhere over $100 in termination fees were I to leave, after having more than paid off the subsidy on the phone through the high service rates. The term fee should be fully pro-rated, meaning 1/24 of it goes away each month. It is ludicrous to still owe $120 for terminating just days from the end of the contract. This is why I mean to wait until a full day AFTER the contract end date to guarantee no accidental $120 charge for less than a day of contract possibly remaining. Do understand that I consider the way the termination fee is amortized to be egregious and is definitely a factor in my leaving. I've paid this termination fee before, when I divorced and my ex-wife left for MetroPCS rather than just transferring her portion of the account to a separate account which would have spared me the termination fee. We were somewhat close to the end of contract on her device and I paid an **excessive** fee for a very short time. The remaining months' total charges would have still been a bit more than the term fees, so that was the cheaper option, but it still was excessive for the time remaining. I was tempted to leave after my contract was up just because of that -- but stayed around because of my unlimited data plan which I again repeat will be terminated if I upgrade with Verizon anyway.
So.... adios!!!!
To expand on my point regarding the termination fees, there is no good argument for why the termination fee for the last month of service should actually end up being *MORE* than the regular monthly fees!! I'd owe $120 in termination fees vs. only like $90 for keeping service. The rationale for a termination fee is to recover the remaining cost of the subsidies from the departing customer -- but how in the last month could the remaining cost of the subsidies be MORE than I'm paying in fees??? The termination fees become more punative as you approach the latter portion of a contract rather than being merely to compensate the carrier for injury of early termination. To me this is an unethical, lopsided part of the agreement which is heavily tilted in favor of the carrier and not at all in the customer's best interest.
it may be lopsided, but nobody forced you to sign it. all of the carriers have a very similar method of computing the etf. simply wait until the contract is over if you're that close to the end. pay the $90 and have the service for that last month. let's just say it was only $80 to terminate in the last month. would you really pay the $80 AND the month of service on a new carrier, just to get the phone a month earlier? as opposed to just $90 and waiting one month to switch?
You seem to have entirely missed the point and instead focused on a point that I did not make -- this wasn't about getting a phone a month earlier. Nor did I indicate that I am willing to incur some fee for that purpose. My issue regarding the termination fee was mostly related to the ex-wife situation and the unreasonable amortization of the termination fees. I happened to use the "last month" as an illustration of how absurd this actually is, in light of a hypothetical termination right at that point. I have to wonder whether you bothered to actually read my posts or if you instead just reacted to the term fee complaint with no context at all.
Your retorts are basically pointless and self-defeating. "Nobody forced you to sign it", and "all of the carriers have similar methods" -- Yeah. So with your second point, the logical alternative to "nobody forced you to sign it" was to go with no service at all. Essentially, "take the adverse contract or do without, since everybody else is going to screw you too". I think this leaves plenty of right to complain. Until recently, this was the state of things. Now, a few viable contract free options have emerged. I'm opting for one of those so I won't have to sign an adverse contract again.
"Everybody does it this way" and "you didn't HAVE to sign the contract" certainly doesn't justify the lack of a proportional amortization. Again, my point -- in light of the supposed purpose of the termination fee, there IS no justification for such a large chunk of it to remain during the latter half of the contract. And this silly method was a "compromise" when carriers weren't amortizing at all and were made to reduce it. They were OK with charging a full termination fee even late in the contract. I don't see this $10/mo reduction as going far enough. My point remains valid, that it is punative, not compensatory for the injured party. Punative measures have no place in a contract such as this.
Qaelith wrote:
Your retorts are basically pointless and self-defeating. "Nobody forced you to sign it", and "all of the carriers have similar methods" -- Yeah. So with your second point, the logical alternative to "nobody forced you to sign it" was to go with no service at all. Essentially, "take the adverse contract or do without, since everybody else is going to screw you too". I think this leaves plenty of right to complain. Until recently, this was the state of things. Now, a few viable contract free options have emerged. I'm opting for one of those so I won't have to sign an adverse contract again.
actually, you can get service without signing a contract. while you may find the terms unfair, you can still use their service without signing a contract. and these "few viable contract free options" are not new. you could always get service without a contract.
I'll be leaving. Already bought the Nexus 5 and am waiting for my contract to expire (December as well, yay GNex).
Verizon is a quality network, so long as you're willing to pay a premium, jump through hoops, and be the last to get software updates. The latter being a main reason for buying a Nexus device.
No response from the "Customer support team"? Really?
To everyone that said Nexus 5 doesn't support VZW frequencies : http://www.thenexus5.com/nexus-5-is-compatible-with-verizon-so-why-wont-big-red-sell-it/
kNe0 wrote:
No response from the "Customer support team"? Really?
To everyone that said Nexus 5 doesn't support VZW frequencies : http://www.thenexus5.com/nexus-5-is-compatible-with-verizon-so-why-wont-big-red-sell-it/
We're not happy here, please do your jobs and respond!
There is a perfectly logical reason why none of the VZW reps have responded to this discussion. It wasn't marked as a question. The reps here only see and respond to unanswered questions.
I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.
I'm leaving Verizon - I'm tired of their death grip-like control of our devices and limiting our choices of devices to the ones they see fit. I also think it's unfair how they allow the iPhone direct OS updates from Apple but because of their crappy relationship with Google, they wont allow Android enthusiasts to have any Android device that gets direct updates from Google as in REAL Nexus devices, the Nexus 5 & 7 or even any Google Play Edition devices.
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
