Why should I stay with Verizon?

[sunsmileyjess]

I am a long time loyal Verizon customer and my line has been out of contract for a couple of years now, my husband and my son both have a year left on their lines.  I went to my local store last weekend looking at possibly upgrading my phone from an iPhone 4 to a 5s and I was informed that I would have to sign a new 2 year contract PLUS pay an extra $20 a month for my line access.  Here is my dilemma: Currently we are on the 3gb data share everything plan for $45, plus if I decided to stay with Verizon I would be paying $40 a month for my line, then an additional $80 for my husband and son's.  Total would be $165 before taxes.  Now I went to AT&T after visiting my local Verizon.  They can buy back the phones from all 3 of us plus pay the early termination fee for my husband and son (up to $650 total) plus I get a free phone after purchasing 1 and my son said he will buy his phone outright as well so none of us will be in contract with them.  Here's the reason why I am considering switching after confirming with friends and family who are already on AT&T and got great reviews for services and coverages.  They offer a 5GB plan for $50/month that's 2 GB more for just $5 extra!!  AND.....their line access fees for smartphones are just $25 each...That is a total of just $125 a month before taxes compared to Verizon at $165.  I have to admit I am really torn as I have not had any issues with Verizon but have heard the same from AT&T customers that they are happy with them as well and I am hesitant to any changes but I just wish that Verizon would get on board and lower their prices as I am leaning towards switching tomorrow when all 3 of us are able to go to AT&T at the same time.

[kaebfly]

You have to do what's best for you. Only you know what better fits your needs. You could opt to do device payment plan on your line and not sign a new contract. Not sure why they didn't tell you that was an option instead of the 2 year contract. Going to AT&T you would have to do DPP unless they have some other promotion going on.

[vzw_customer_support]

Sunsmileyjess, first and foremost, I want to thank you for taking the time to reach out in regards to this issue. I think it is important to do the research in understanding what will be the best fit for you as kaebfly stated. I am here to assure you that you are with the right wireless provider as your loyalty to our company has truly been appreciated over the years and it is the goal to keep this partnership going for a lifetime. I’d love the opportunity to provide you some concrete numbers in regards to you upgrading and what your plan will look like upon doing so.
I’ve sent you a private message here in the forum. Please check your inbox at https://community.verizonwireless.com/inbox to discuss further details about your concern.

NatashaA_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[Weth]

You are not Including the cost of the 2 phones you need to buy with ATT over 2 years to be able to have a fair comparison.  Of course Verizon will be more if you include the cost of 3 phones and for ATT you don't include that expense at all.  If you exclude the cost of the phone, Verizon is $90 per month. 

THe 2 companies are very close in costs, you just aren't including all your costs with the ATT number.  Also read the fine print on the free phone.   The offset doesn't kick in right away, and while you pay monthly for the phone over 24 months, you get credits over 30 months, so right there your monthly costs are different than what you wrote. 

[fooled]

I'm actually there too.  I've been with Verizon for 15 years.  It's just me and my husband.  You can't upgrade to a new free phone, or even a discounted phone anymore.  Prices have skyrocketed.

Customer service in their stores is terrible.  They are very rude.  A lot of people I know have switched.  My phones can be renewed now if I'd like, and our contract is up in 2 months.  I have been doing research regarding pros and cons for other cell phone carriers.

[kaebfly]

I assume you're saying you can't upgrade to a new phone under contract because you have unlimited data. If unlimited data is important to you then something to consider with other carriers that still offer it is that they can throttle your usage where Verizon can not. It's not a big deal to everyone but it's something worth knowing. If you don't use a lot of data then one of the newer plans might be a better fit. But ultimately, if you do the math and find that another carrier is the better deal for you (and their services meet your expectations and needs) then that may be your best option.

[fooled]

No, we currently have the 3gb of monthly data.  And yes, we are going to do what's best

[kaebfly]

Oh ok. If you switch you will have to buy new devices at full retail from your new carrier unless your current devices are already paid off and can be activated on the new carrier. So make sure to include the monthly price of your new devices (unless you pay in full up front) when making your decision. Unless the new carrier you switch to still offers 2 year contracts with subsidized phone pricing.

[vzw_customer_support · Accepted solution]

Fooled,

We would not want to see you go in two months, we want to be helping with your upgrades then. We would love for you to stay a part of our VZW Family for much longer and are here to help turn things around for you. Allow us a chance to help review your options for upgrading into a new device. With our Device Payment Program, you no longer have to wait two years for a new phone and the great news is that our Verizon Plans provides a monthly discount to your line access fee to help keep your cost low each month.

Click on the link to learn more about the Device Payment Plan and keep us posted. http://vz.to/1Lx801U

YareliM_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[#10]

I wouldn't stay with Verizon if I were you. My recent experience has been very negative...