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Please PLEASE void my contract!!!

Not sure why the article has so many 'no' votes to recommend. Clearly, this is horrible for consumers everywhere, but the article itself should be recommended to get the word out. Don't shoot the messenger and all.

The worst part about this is Verizon's nonchalant attitude at the end. They have a near monopoly, and since mobile phones with data capabilities are virtually a necessity for consumers in 2012, they face almost perfectly inelastic demand. The comment at the end of the article is akin to a public utility charging everyone extra for electricity for the heck of it: actual costs never enter the picture. The only difference is that regulations protect consumers from abhorrent business practices from utilities. Not so with the major carriers in the US.

I will be switching to Sprint when my contract is up. I encourage others to do the same. We need to send a very clear message to these companies that 2 GB of data / month is not enough to utilize the full capabilities of modern smart phones.

People Need to Know ! NOW, What if YOU DO NOT Get 4-G In Your Area ? Isn't That Paying for something You CAN'T Have ?

Yet another reason why I'll never get a smart phone.

Corporate Greed will limit the development of technology as there will be no need to upgrade to much less pass 4G (if some company is even looking into it). It is quickly becoming more expensive to operate these devices than the benefits. I am sure ISP are watching this closely and will eventually enforce FAP and limit home usage as well. Companies like Netflix and Slingbox will be affected, and Flixter and that crappy UltraViolet Digital Copy (which makes no sense of streaming something I physically own)will shut down YEA!!! Then i can finally get my hard digital copy without all the hassle. Other countries are destined to surpass America in streaming technology and usage.

I have a sly hope that Apple doesn't discontinue the iPod Touch. I may return to a dumb phone. My bad.

JonthanFricks, on 16 May 2012 - 01:46 PM, said:

Verizon does not charge additional fees for the use of 4G LTE capable phones. The $30 data plan includes access to 3G and 4G (for capable phones). However, before upgrading, it wouldn't hurt to check if Verizon 4G LTE is available in your area. You may do so by going here: http://network4g.ver...#!/coverage/map,

This post has been edited by hdv1: 16 May 2012 - 03:34 PM

fjpoblam, on 16 May 2012 - 03:16 PM, said:

Sorry, do you mean the iPhone? In any case, I don't believe Apple will be discontinuing either the iPhone or iPod Touch anytime soon. Apple's Q2 2012 figures indicate 7.7 million iPod Touch were sold. iPhone sales grew by 88% compared to last year for a whopping total of 35.1 million iPhone sold.

ML2376, on 16 May 2012 - 02:06 PM, said:

Using a phone for anything more than making and receiving phone calls is shameless conspicuous consumption. The difficulty is finding a phone that does just that--make and receive phone calls with one of the major cellphone providers, i.e., AT&T, Verizon, etc. One is reduced to choosing a provider such as Jitterbug. The "biggies" are missing out on a growing part of the cellphone business.

Drop Verizon, pick up Sprint!!!!! Verizon will fail if they do this

We, the customers, that make Billions for these jack legs have NO rights. Something is really wrong in this Country..it's called "Big Businesses".

We, the customers, no longer have any rights. Big Businesses get richer and we get screwed!

Its all you can eat when there isn't anything to eat.

Its the same crap with dial-up v broadband, Unlimited internet because based on Hourly usage, then when broadband came along that changed to unlimited and broadband was unlimited, because there wasn't anything to really download.

then jerks made it easy for people with no knowledge of the internet to start downloading warez and moviez and muzic. Thanks napster

now everyone is getting greedy and were getting nickle and dimed for everything that uses the net.

Then it looks like the best thing to do when you want a new phone, don't use the carrier upgrade option.

Go online, walk into the store, go one ebay or whatever and just pay cash for the device you want.

The benefits of paying cash outweight the contract pricing in the long run. For one, if you pay cash you can activate a device on your account anytime you want and maybe you wont have to make any changes.

Since my last device with VZW was the 4S and I switched to a 4G device, VZW does have a slightly different plan for 4G phones. However due to some past issues with my account, no changes were made and I am hoping this new change doesn't affect any future changes.

Bec I use to pay my bill automatically, VZW charged me for nearly 6 months of data usage. Why? I was waiting to receive a replacement device for one I damaged. While I waited, I swapped to a flip phone that doesn't require a data plan. When I received my new device, VZW didn't add the unlimited paln I had back to the account. The only reason why i coaught them is because I received a text message saying, I was using so mcuh data I sould consider getting a data plan. I was suppose to already have one. Based oN VZW's policies, ALL smartphones MUSt have a data plan. And since I had an unlimited plan prior to device replacement, it was suppose to be added back. No only did they not reinstate my original plan, they didnt add it back at all. Tho I did get credited, I felt it simply wasn't enough. I now have my unlimited plan for as far as I know...FOREVER and I also get 10% off my bill for as long as I have an account with them.

These greedy carriers. The only way to slow their greed is to simply stop buying subsidized devices. Obviously that isnt going to happen. But if most people only buy a device once every 2 years anyways...how can you not be able to save $500 in 24 months? That's let than $21 per month. That shoudl be very easy to save as many waste that much or more on bad habits.

Stop being spoiled by contract pricing. Pay cash. That way you can buy a adevice anytime you want, you can switch carriers anytime you want, your device can be unlocked or purchased unlock so u can use it with another carrier (exclsing Sprint/VZW). American need to wise up, or carriers will simply dictate what they want to you.

WilliamGruber, on 16 May 2012 - 07:20 PM, said:

I wish that was ture, but likely other carriers will soon follow.

TsarNikky, on 16 May 2012 - 06:15 PM, said:

Older devices can usually always be found on eBay. Including older flip phones. But here is the next problem, VZW has already stated they plan to not activate phones in the future that use anything less than 3G. Which means they liekly are driving to drop EVDO which is their slowest service usually avail in small towns.

I'm on a corporate data plan at $45/month. That is supposed to be unlimited and if it no longer is, I will decide not to bother connecting to work email on my home phone any longer.

FYI: Paying All Cash for phone (Handst) Can Sometimes result in the renewal of a 1 year contract: To illustrate this I will use to scenarios in the first scenario your idea works and avoids the renewal of a contract. In the second I will explain how you end-up renewing a contract for 1 year even thou you paid all cash for your new phone.

1. Let's say you have a 3G capable phone (Handset) and you buy a new "like" 3G capable phone in this instance Yes you will avoided the renal of any contact for your new phone uses the exact same voice and data user plan you have existing on that, one phone or line. In order for this to work the new phone must be like for like.

2. Let's say you have a 3G phone (Handset) and you Pay All Cash for a New 4G Phone when you go to Activate your New 4G phone online/walk into a store, you will be informed/should be told the only way to activate this new phone on this line will be to switch your "Old" current plan over to a "New Plan" current offering even if it has the same pricing and features of Voice and Data minutes. So you end-up with a New 1 Year contact with its associated early termination fee (ETF) charge.


This is done by the Big 3, to leverage the fact that customers will always want the newest, latest and greatest.

Note: I said when you walk into a store you should be told this, but this does not always happen: The representatives at the store All work commission even if they are paid impart hourly, At least 60% of representative income is drives for hitting sales quota. They make a small commission for changing your plan. Some will tell you they had to "update your Plan" others will just tell you your new phone (Handset) is now activated.

QUADICON, on 17 May 2012 - 08:23 AM, said:

Apparently, Verizon is not content being only the second "most hated" phone company. I seem to remember last year a company called Bank of America also thought their customers were dispensable.