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Switched to Verizon for yearly upgrade, time to find something new

freeman_midtown

A couple of years ago I switched to Verizon Wireless because you made me believe you are the best, you care for my natural desire to upgrade to new iPhone comes out and it was so... Until now when I randomly find out that you don't offer upgrades every 12 month anymore, your data plans are super expensive for the modern world and your customer support has no idea about the services, devices and is unable to assist. What happened to you guys? You only care now for customers who use same device for 5 years and use internet once a month to update their facebook status? Am I an inconvenient user? Well, I have choice and I am able to pay the price for yearly upgrades. And today I feel like I have to stop being loyal because you stopped too. I hope you improve and address the needs of all your customers, not only the ones that fall under your 80% majority. It's not always about the money, it's about your image too.

Comments

Snn5

Where's all this coming from? Expense is a relative opinion. I pay a $45 flat fee a month for unl talk text and 2 GB data. New every 1 and new every 2 went away years ago. Do the math between a contract phone and the cost of a no contract Device Payment Plan phone. DPP is cheaper. In fact, using the same phone out of contract is even more cheap. You aren't looking at the numbers. Why do you think a contract phone is cheaper just because you only put $0-200 down upfront and then paid a higher line access fee every month for 2 years effectively paying off the phone in full, PLUS an upgrade fee. What makes more sense: Pay $20 a month line access and the monthly phone cost or pay $40 upgrade fee AND $40 a month for access?

freeman_midtown

Not sure what you are talking about. I haven't had a contract phone for years. I'm talking about Verizon edge that got cancelled but all the other carriers have it. Even Apple itself has it now. The idea is that the phone is leased for a monthly fee no money down for 12 months, after which you can upgrade to the latest iPhone (provided you return the previous iPhone). I'm very good at math, thank you.

Snn5

To be fair, you didn't mention contract or Edge/DPP.

Device Payment FAQs | Verizon Wireless

Device Payment Plan is what Edge was. Edge allowed you to pay up to 50-60-75% and trade in a phone after a year. Edge was slowly altered over the course of its life and changed percentage goals (50-60-75) but now you can pay the phone off in full at anytime and trade in or sell your phone and start new.

Verizon_Support

freeman_midtown,
We would never like to lose a valued loyal customer such as yourself, thank you for the opportunity to help. I can certainly understand the desire to upgrade to the latest greatest devices on a yearly basis. With the Device Payment Plan this is certainly a possibility. In addition to the payment plan instead of an up-front cost, on some plans such as the Verizon Plan there is monthly discount which can help to curb total costs. Please click here to learn more about the Device Payment Plan: http://vz.to/1J1ZB7x Depending on the amount of data you happen to use on a monthly basis, we do offer a variety of plans which can be viewed here: http://vz.to/1L87smx We are always here to help and if you have any further concerns please feel free to reach out: http://vz.to/1g1mHjf

ChrisM_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!!

Damian6669

I agree fully. I'm on the what used to be edge plan and I or we all got screwed over it seems. I understand that the service price is lower somewhat but still my iPhone is 849.99 at start and their really isn't any way that I myself can pay that off or would want to when I could've just traded my perfect condition phone in and start again no problem. With att and apple no matter what in 12 months you get to upgrade and trade that phone in no matter if 75% is paid its just a guaranteed upgrade. Verizon is the only company that's making us pay the phones off to upgrade

Ann154

The other carriers have similar terms and conditions for their device payment options.

Snn5

You should really look into the info on this page. AT&T NEXT is a little more complicated than you describe. True, you can opt for 24/18/12 months or a 30% down payment, but in the end, to get to the trade-in percentage goal at 12 months on a $825.99 phone you're paying $41.30 a month, plus line fees, plus tax, plus data service. $495.60 + original full-price tax $82.60 = $578.20. That's a lot of money for a phone you aren't going to keep. That's a lot of money for a phone for 1 year's use. And you complain about being a low income customer???

AT&T Next - Get A New Smartphone Every Year from AT&T Wireless

Example: A smartphone with a regular price of $825.99 will be (1) $27.54 per month for 30 months on AT&T Next 24; (2) $34.42 per month for 24 months on AT&T Next 18; (3) $41.30 per month for 20 months on AT&T Next 12; and (4) $247.80 down and $20.65 a month for 28 months on AT&T Next with down payment.

freeman_midtown

I am not even sure what it has to do with being rich - not rich.

All I want as a customer is being able to get a new iPhone every year. I don't mind paying for that some extra money compared to those who prefer to keep their phone for 2 years, but at the same time I don't want to pay the full price for the device I'm only using for a year and then deal with selling it or any other arrangements.

There's a reason why other 3 carriers offer that service! And I think the only reason Verizon doesn't anymore - cos they don't wanna deal with customer needs, they want to make it simple for themselves. That's probably the reason, why there was always a problem with Edge. For 3 years that I had it - I upgraded 2 times, and each time Verizon would charge me as if I didn't return the phone and I had to spend hours on the phone explaining that I returned the phone and got a tracking code and they would reply - oh yeah it's stuck in the warehouse and hasn't been processed yet and we will credit you next billing cycle.

Bad organization and total lack of any attempt to accommodate customer need, plus desire to make easy money - that's the conclusion I came to. Spend hours with customer service on FB and chat - all I get it oh we are sorry and offer some ridiculous workarounds for my issue. And it's fine! As I said - if they don't want me as a customer because I don't fit in their majority profile it's cool! There are other 3 carriers that are eager to give me what I need and pay my termination fees. I was just hoping, that bringing that up will help the other more patient customers. Next Friday I am switching to the new carrier.

Weth

First, I am all for freedom of choice. If you don't like the plans offered, or you can get cheaper for the same service somewhere else, switch. I know that is what I would do.

Second, you are paying for the phone one way or another less residual value at the end of 1 year. Selling your Verizon phone after 1 year is at least a break even prospect in most cases. It is more work on your part, but certainly doesn't make it a bad deal. Very often if you time things right, you can get a better deal selling it yourself.

Looking only at the phone costs (copied from another post I used this in)

Verizon

1 year ago iPhone 6 with 64 GB - $750
Monthly payments = $31.25
Total paid in 12 months $375 - Remaining $375
Current sell price on swappa.com $570 - adjust down $150 since new iPhone is release - $420
Difference - cash in pocket after paying off remaining $375 to Verizon - $45
Net paid for 12 months $375-$45 = $330 or $27.50/month
12 month phone cost $330

Apple's New Plan
12 month phone cost $36.50 x 12 = $438

AT&T 12 month plan
$750/20 payments = $37.50
Payments after 12 months $450

So Verizon - phone cost $330, Apple's plan $438, and AT&T most expensive at $450 to use for a year.

freeman_midtown

I understand all of that.

But let me add a couple of things:

ATT offers the same lease plan in addition to the 12 month upgrade option. You can even lease your phone for 30 months. If you don't wanna do the upgrade you can just pay off the balance and sell the old phone all the same but also they have an option of turning in your old device and get a new one just as I like. Moreover, they give you discount on services. Take a look at this

iPhone 6s 64gb

Verizon 24 month lease with 6gb data: $112 * 12 = $1344 + $375 device balance leftover

ATT Next 12 with 5gb data: $112 * 12 = $1344 + $300 device balance leftover

Now obviously they created difference in data plans so that people couldn't compare directly - but let's leave that alone for now.

That math means after I'm selling my ATT phone I could actually get extra $75 if I followed your scheme!

But provided I turn in my old ATT phone and get a new one and you are selling yours and getting a new one - you only win $45 minus all the hassle of listing and shipping your phone and paying 3% paypal fee (that's about $10).

Not that appealing to me - $35 plus all the trouble. But I can see people doing that.

Apple's new plan is a different story. They include $10/month worth of apple care in it. So really the cost would be $26.50 (we can argue about Apple imposing apple care on you later).

I wasn't even getting into discussing the other 2 carriers - Verizon wouldn't look that attractive at all compared to them.

And again - I am happy there is competition and number portability. I simply look for what's easier and affordable to me. And at this point it's not Verizon.

Touche

Damian6669

Well said freeman. I couldn't get my point across I tried. I love Verizon but it's all money with them now. Nothing about customers. While every other company is changing for new customers Verizon is pushing them away. Not saying I want free phones but they could've kept the edge 50% program and everyone wins. And yeah I've looked into selling the phone on swappa and gazelle and you lose in the end. Too many fees plus I pay shipping and fees just to sell it you would still have to add money. Not to mention the new iPhone if u wanted it you would sell your phone and it has to be ready for activation when you send it. If you have no phone to put your number to then you can't sell it. And you will have to wait for your new phone to come in stock while yours belongs to someone else and they are using it and you don't have one yet. Trade in get phone same day, sell and wait to get new phone. Hmmmmm

Weth

Good discussion. Refreshing.

Yes, the hassle factor of selling it yourself is a definite factor for some/many. I agree with that. It is hard to put a dollar amount on that though. $35 to one person is worth and to another it is not. For some having full control on the reimbursement vs. just handing it over is a factor.

The other item I am not seeing in your calculation is with the AT&T 12 month plan the total cost of the phone is divided into 20 payments, not 24 payments. Am I missing that in your calculations?

With Apple, the plan is only really $26.50 if you were getting Apple Care plus in all 3 scenarios. Since it is forced on you, I thought it fair to include it in the actual cost and not carve it out. It is great pointing it out though. For some that is a bonus, for others an unwanted cost.

Choosing the other carriers comes down more to pure cost decisions. With Verizon and AT&T you are usually not choosing cost as your primary reason but rather widespread domestic coverage. Verizon and AT&T know this and charge premium because of it. That is why cost comparisons with the other cell providers is not truly apples to apples.

There is a widespread choice these days between the major carriers and the MVNO carriers, prepaid and postpaid. The more people switch to what works for them, the more you will see downward price pressures.

StephNJ

I just found this out today. I was told it was because my device is a part of a "bundle". If I wanted to get a new phone for free, I was told I would have to switch to a single bill. It's a convenience that Verizon offers, that does not make any sense what so ever - except to Verizon's bottom line.

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