Open letter to Verizon Wireless
blah77
Newbie

Dear Verizon Wireless,

As a customer of you company for the past decade I would just like to say that at this point, I have had it up to here (above my eyebrows and an inch below my non-receding hairline) with your phone lineup. Allow me to elaborate on the particulars.

I have been eligible to upgrade for the past few months but was determined to hold off due to the impending release of the HTC One and Galaxy S4 this year. I have already had some rather unfortunate experiences with two of your lemon devices so this time around, I was content to wait it out to ensure that I will get a quality device as opposed to a lemon that you guys wanted to push. To be more precise, the phone I have now is the HTC Thunderbolt (a phone I would have learned more about if the battery could last beyond 3-4 hours of STANDBY on 4G mode) and the one before that was the Blackberry Storm (a product that was literally a bug-filled "Alpha" at release if we were to refer to software development stages). In any case, it is now April and while the Galaxy S4 is going to be available soon (more on this later), there is no concrete news to be found regarding your version of the HTC One. That phone was announced in the middle of February and you guys still don't know whether you will get it after two whole months? Just who is running your device approval department, Gomer Pyle?

Getting back to the Galaxy S4. In theory the availability of this device on your network should assuage my disappointment regarding the HTC One except for one little caveat. Your Global Services department still doesn't know if the APN issue will be resolved on your Galaxy S line of devices. The last time I checked with them (3 days ago), the representative actually told me that he's not hopeful at this point. In essence, what we will continue to have here is a "global capable phone" that is still limited to making calls and SMS while using a foreign SIM. Is that like a "full featured" gaming console without wireless network or any other online connectivity? Laughable absurdity if not downright advertisement fraud. You see, unlike 62% of my fellow Americans I actually have a passport and travels quite a bit. In fact, I am overseas for at least 4-6 weeks every year. The ability to have one phone holding all of my contacts, emails and calender reminders is sort of important to say the least.  Of course I could just use a third party work around but then there is that whole voiding the warranty snag. Guess what idea your CSR proposed as a solution? Pay for insurance. Excuse me? I have to pay an extra monthly charge just to acquire a function that every *true* global phone should have to begin with? Logically speaking, that makes about as much sense as complaining about the lack of fine dining options at McDonald's. Now I know Verizon and Samsung are blaming each other for this screw-up but unequivocally speaking, we the consumer (at least I) do not care about who to blame. We (at least I) just want to problem resolved. Even our Congress would be rather proud of the back-and-forth rhetoric being exchanged between Verizon and Samsung on this issue. Given their approval rating, well, you get the picture.

Look, I know you guys enjoy claiming that the uninspired, lackluster and somewhat embarrassing phone lineup of the past was due to a "strict approval process" to ensure that these devices can meet Verizon's standards. I know that line by heart because I used to work for Verizon many years ago. However I now work in financial analysis and as a result, I have also acquired the ability to see right through a BS excuse and that line simply reeks of it. Where was this "high standard" when an endless stream of electronic waste disposal worthy Pantech and LG devices were being trotted out while the HTC One, Lumia 920 and the Xperia Z are noticeably absent? Frankly speaking, your phone lineup reminds me of shady used car lot. A couple of low mileage, Carfax verified gems drowned out by a bunch of water damaged, high mileage 1998 Ford Escort or 2002 Chevy Cavalier clunkers that the dealer is desperate to get rid of. A sad state for a major carrier to be in to say the least.

Bottom line, AT&T is looking more attractive by the day as they have both of those phones that I'm interested in and is willing to unlock after 60 days for overseas use. With that said, don't think for one minute that this is an idle threat due to your overconfidence in the fact that "superior" network coverage will prevent customers from switching. That is a myth which varies greatly based on geographical location and in the Bay Area where I live, AT&T's network and 4G coverages are rated as highly as Verizon's (ut oh). Even though I will end up paying 10-15 dollars more a month due to losing my grandfathered SMS package which AT&T charges $20 a month for, that in itself is not a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination. I spend more than that on my weekly dry cleaning trip. Finally, come May 18th if there are still no updates regarding a Verizon HTC One and the Galaxy S4 APN problem, I will be at the AT&T store porting out my number at 9am in the morning. Good riddance.

/end rant

Labels (1)
0 Likes
Re: Open letter to Verizon Wireless
Not applicable

If you're going to write a letter to Verizon, you might want to send it to Verizon instead of posting it on a customer peer-to-peer forum.

0 Likes
Re: Open letter to Verizon Wireless
Asmodian
Enthusiast - Level 3

Ok. This makes me very worried.  I just pre-ordered an S4 but I was planning to use it in Europe this summer for work.  I had a lot of trouble during the pre-order because when I answered Yes to the Global option it wouldn't let me complete the order.  The rep said it would still work globally but I would have to call support before I left.   This makes me think that while it might "work" for voice it would have this same problem with data.  Why does Verizon hate me? Smiley Sad

0 Likes
Re: Open letter to Verizon Wireless
japetty
Specialist - Level 1

If it is like the S3 you will only be able to use it for voice.  If you want it for data you may have to get something when you get overseas.  There are other options but they can't be discussed here and they involve voiding your warranty.  ymmv with the S4 as no one has any experience with it yet.  You might want to call Samsung about it.

0 Likes
Re: Open letter to Verizon Wireless
Not applicable

Kind of sad as I'm sure he put a lot of time and effort into his letter since it is not reaching the intended audience. Even sadder still that even if it did they really don't care. Oooh one person wrote a letter threatening to leave better change entire policy! Leaving in fact is a more effective way of getting one's point across than a letter. Fact is Verizon keeps GAINING customers, at&t LOST customers, Sprint LOST customers. T-mobile gained customers but not as much as Verizon. Verizon has much lower churn than than the other 3. Amazing that if Verizon service is so bad they continue to lead in customers gains and lowest churn. Anyone care to explain that?

0 Likes
Re: Open letter to Verizon Wireless
charlieandcarter

I read your letter and I think of the old proverb - Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me - Why have you put up with such poor service for so long?  We also are unhappy with Verizon and have had their cell phones twice in the past and got rid of them. We now have AT&T. They are a better service, they treat their customers better, and are less expensive. So quit your wining and either stay with the company you are unhappy with or change companies.

0 Likes
Re: Open letter to Verizon Wireless
charlieandcarter

I happened to notice your note here. Even though I talk to people all the time who are unhappy with Verizon's service, I can only explain in my case why I signed on with Verizon, another new gain as you put it. I had no choice, that's why. We moved out here to the country. There's not much choice for internet service out here. There's Exede, a satelite service who wanted to drill a hole thru our new carpet and floor and said we had to cut down six trees which were blocking their satellite signal. It costs a lot of money to cut down six trees and we don't have it right now. Then I found out about Verizon who offered a box to hook on to the computer, easy, and no cutting of trees or holes in the floor. Oh my gosh! Don't tell me we have to go back to Verizon! We've had Verizon service in the past a couple of times and dropped it. Well, it was a choice of worse Verizon, or worser Exede, or worsest no internet at all. No good choices. So we took the worse choice Verizon. And as we predicted, the service is lousy. The signal goes out sometimes four times a day and the computer is slow and sometimes it goes out in the morning and we don't get it back til late at night. The fees are riduculously high and overpriced. Verizon should pay us a monthly fee to put up with them. So we are looking for another internet service provider. We realize there's no one else out here right now, but as technology gets better, someone will come our way and we will be ready with open arms to welcome them. And we will remember how we have been treated by Verizon and over charged. Plus we're stuck with a two year contract. So that explains why Verizon may be getting more customers. They are expanding more rapidly. But don't confuse more customer gains with willing or happy customers.

0 Likes