All other search providers removed: required to use bing

[rewster]

Yesterday, all of the search providers that used to be available through the browser disappeared and bing is the only option. I hate bing. I no longer am able to search using Google, Dictionary.com, or Wikipedia from the "Go to..." page on my browser. This is a very poor decision by either RIM or VZW to take choice away from their users.  Here is a screenshot of what I'm talking about:

http://w3.uwyo.edu/~akniss/Bing.jpg

This is what it used to look like:

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll88/teamhavocaz/blackberry/Capture15_1_17.jpg

I am not the only one having this issue. There are threads about this issue here:

http://forums.crackberry.com/f145/bing-only-available-search-engine-386198/

and here:

http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/BlackBerry-Storm-BlackBerry-9500/My-search-providers-disappea...

It appears that neither RIM or VZW are willing to admit doing this, but a large number of users are affected, and SOMEONE is pushing this change to Blackberry users without notification and without giving the option to refuse this change. If this has happened to you, please cal Verizon and inform them. I really want my choices for search back. Not only because I hate bing, but because taking choices away from customers is just a really **bleep** thing to do.

[SFObrien]

I have read this is occurring with the BBM latest upgrade.  I upgraded to it but my search choices are still there (for now).

While I don't agree with pushing things onto our phones such as this issue,bling,tones,fried bacon app, whatever there is a quick fix.

Set your home page to whatever site you want (Google for me) and bookmark the other search engines. 

[montyl]

SFObrien,

This has absolutely nothing to do with the BBM .55 upgrade.  I have been running that for a couple of days, but last night VZW pushed new Service Books to my phone after midnight, without asking or telling me they were going to do so, nor did I request them.  And just so you know 24 hours earlier I logged onto the vzw.blackberry email site and sent a complete set of Service Books to my phone, that did not make the bing change.  So VZW is doing this piece meal, little bit at a time.

Lately I have noticed VZW pushing things to me all without the ability for me to remove or uninstall them if I dont want them.  I bought my phone, it is mine I pay them for the service, but that does not give them the right to dictate to me what software THEY want me to have.

Now if RIM had made this part of all of their OS's then that is a whole different ballgame.  But they didnt.  And yes I can set Google as my home page, but why do I have to do a work around when 24 hours ago I had my phone set-up how I wanted it.  But trust me bing is a vastly ineffective search engine, try using it, (if you havent).

But all that aside I am not trying to start a battle amongst us users.  But I am throwing in my support that VZW needs to give us our choices back, not dictate.  I think that if they had added bing to the list of 4 there wouldnt be this big of a ruckus, mostly people would be happy, as we would still have choice.

[SFObrien]

---

montyl wrote:

SFObrien,

This has absolutely nothing to do with the BBM .55 upgrade.  I have been running that for a couple of days, but last night VZW pushed new Service Books to my phone after midnight, without asking or telling me they were going to do so, nor did I request them.  And just so you know 24 hours earlier I logged onto the vzw.blackberry email site and sent a complete set of Service Books to my phone, that did not make the bing change.  So VZW is doing this piece meal, little bit at a time.

Lately I have noticed VZW pushing things to me all without the ability for me to remove or uninstall them if I dont want them.  I bought my phone, it is mine I pay them for the service, but that does not give them the right to dictate to me what software THEY want me to have.

Now if RIM had made this part of all of their OS's then that is a whole different ballgame.  But they didnt.  And yes I can set Google as my home page, but why do I have to do a work around when 24 hours ago I had my phone set-up how I wanted it.  But trust me bing is a vastly ineffective search engine, try using it, (if you havent).

But all that aside I am not trying to start a battle amongst us users.  But I am throwing in my support that VZW needs to give us our choices back, not dictate.  I think that if they had added bing to the list of 4 there wouldnt be this big of a ruckus, mostly people would be happy, as we would still have choice.

---

I agree with you 100%.  I was only saying that I had read where the new BBM caused this but no verification since mine didn't erase the other search engines and advising how to work around it .

I do agree the pushed junk should not be allowed and stated above that I do not agree with it.  In my opinion VZW dropped the ball with this search engine deal............PUT THEM BACK PLEASE.

[LCromwell]

MS just lost a huge law suit about its packaging windows OS  with IE. Too me its like buying a pair of shoes but being told you cannot supply the laces. The people need to be free to choose their own laces. Same thing here. I do not want another search engine being forced on me. I prefer Googles search engine. I even installed BING and removed it a few days later because I didn't like it. I think Verizon is looking at a huge class action here if they continue to force people to use BING. Wrong on so many levels.

[Coachbulldog]

---

LCromwell wrote:

MS just lost a huge law suit about its packaging windows OS  with IE. Too me its like buying a pair of shoes but being told you cannot supply the laces. The people need to be free to choose their own laces. Same thing here. I do not want another search engine being forced on me. I prefer Googles search engine. I even installed BING and removed it a few days later because I didn't like it. I think Verizon is looking at a huge class action here if they continue to force people to use BING. Wrong on so many levels.

---

I understand your point and I agree that corporate America forcing their products on consumers is wrong on several levels. I also don't like it that someone, Verizon, Microsoft, and/or RIM is taking away the ability for me to choose my default search engine from the Go To page. But no one, not Microsoft , not Verizon, and not RIM is telling anyone they have to use bing. If you want to use Google Search you can either download the "Quick Search with Google" app from the BlackBerry App World or set Google as your default homepage when you load your browser. 

Using your example, only one pair of laces come with a new pair of shoes. The shoe company isn't forcing you to wear those laces, they are only the default ones. If you want to use other laces, go to the store and buy different ones.

[woyala]

been running .55 bbm and no issues, I still have the google, wikipedia, etc options.  I also don't think it has to do with bbm.

[AzCellUser]

So I called VZW customer service last night.  Okay sir I need you to complete a battery pull for me.  I tell them okay I can do that but it will not resolve this issue.  Well sir unless you try it you will not know.  So 4 minutes later, well the battery pull did not work, I still have only BING listed.  We have not heard of this problem before sir so we will transfer you to tech support.  Tech support played it off as they knew nothing about this issue either.  So 15 minutes later and 2 service books resent, I still have BING and no solution to my problem.  VZW why don't you find the issue correct it and stop pushing things to our phones unless we accept them.  If it is a malware or something then tell your consumers "Houston we have a problem" so at least we know you care.

[HMM]

Verizon TS first told me it's Blackberry thing, not a Verizon one.  Then tried to tell me I could reinstall it from a backup.  Also tried to tell me it might havbe been an option I selected.

When I said I wanted to complain, he then told me it was Blackberry, not Verizon, that pushed it.

A supervisor then also told me it me the change came from Blackberry, not Verizon.

[AzCellUser]

Round 2 with VZW.  Customer service and Tech support claim no knowledge of this happening.  Worked on it for 20 minutes with no resolution.  Tech support connected me with RIM.  RIM read a statement to me that states "VZW has partnered with Microsoft and has pushed BING to the 9550, 9530 and I believe the 9630.  You can no longer use the other previous default search engines unless you go directly to their search page.  This is a Verizon push and has nothing to do with RIM, I apologize for this inconvenience."  So unless you download the Google app you will have to manually type in www.google.com and then search from there.  Did I mention VZW is getting stupider as the days progress.  At least partner with someone that has a decent search engine.  Also why don't you inform your customer service and tech support staff so they can tell you right off the bat instead of wasting 30 minutes with them and still getting zero resolution.  **bleep**! 

[Hayley]

Verizon is absolutely no help with Blackberry issues. Poor non technical person like myself has to firgure out how to fix all these problems on my own through community help like this. So frustrated, and I hate bing as well, not able to be removed searched everywhere for a way to take it off.

[Kemotaha]

This should definitely be reverted.  It should be able choice.  Verizon made a statement about a year ago that they were going to be more open with their phones.  I guess that wasn't true.  

[svstrain]

Please Verizon - changed the pushed content back to include Google

[jcs23576]

Well,

I think I will call them today and let them know what they can do with my wife's BB and service (it involves a place where the sun dont shine).

While I am at it, I should remind that I am a BES Admin with 130 phones in our organization, coming up on a contract negtiation soon.  If I can get put through to a retention mamager, remind them that this can be considered anticompetive practive and ask them how they would like an antitrust lawyer breathing down there backs.

[LCromwell]

---

jcs23576 wrote:

Well,

I think I will call them today and let them know what they can do with my wife's BB and service (it involves a place where the sun dont shine).

While I am at it, I should remind that I am a BES Admin with 130 phones in our organization, coming up on a contract negtiation soon.  If I can get put through to a retention mamager, remind them that this can be considered anticompetive practive and ask them how they would like an antitrust lawyer breathing down there backs.

---

I see MS getting another Antitrust suit just like the one they just had and lost over IE. Now MS has to provide a pop up to everyone offering the links to other web browsers. When will they ever learn? Verizon are you paying attention?????

[KingFridayXII]

I just emailed HQExec.Relations@VerizonWireless.com this below. I would encourage everyone else to do the same....

Hi,

I recently switched from Verizon, and have generally been pleased with the service, support and my new BlackBerry Storm2 device. Earlier today I notice that my preexisting search engine choices had all been removed from the BlackBerry browser and that Bing was my only choice. After calling support and Googling this issue (which turned up this article), it appears that Verizon Wireless has intentionally crippled my device and not only made Bing the default search engine, but removed ALL the other search engines including Google and Wikipedia. Yes, I realize that I can enter www.google.com and search directly from the Google website, but that is an entirely unacceptable workaround for what should not be an in the first place. This is a mobile device with a limited on-screen keyboard, and being able to access something as basic as the ubiquitous Google search engine in as few keystrokes as possible is absolutely crucial. Although I have been generally happy with Verizon in the few weeks I have been with your company, this is a deal breaker. What is more worrisome is that it may be indicative of a general trend. What if next week Verizon Wireless decides that they no longer like Google Maps and limit me to paying for VZ Navigator? What if the week after that Verizon decides I shouldn't be able to use Pandora and forces me to use Slacker? This is an unacceptable business practice, and as your own attorneys can tell you, by selling a device with a certain set of features and later removing those features you are also exposing Verizon Wireless to a great deal of product liability. I will be terminating my service and returning my BlackBerry before the end of my trial period if this is not corrected before then.

[woyala]

I've done a battery pull and register my host routing table and still dont see it in my Tour.

Anyways.... on your phone browser type http://m.google.com/search and get the app

[Tyrrell]

This is **bleep**. I noticed the Bing icon on my phone. I cannot remove it. I cannot uninstall it in the applications list or in the App World.

I click I DO NOT AGREE and it still persists on my phone. If I do not agree to the terms, should it not immediately be removed?

[TheWitness]

Returned my Storm 2 today.  My next move is to cancel mine and my families contracts.  You know I liked those AT&T commercials.  But after this, I will likely be on AT&T service, along with the rest of my family.

There are some jackhole, holier than thow **bleep** at Verizon wearing those blue suits that think they own us (the customer).  Well, that is not the case.  I voted today with my wallet.  Those blue suits should be wearing orange suits instead, if you know what I mean.  They have violated a trust with the customer (yet again).

TheWitness

[MrsV2005]

This is ridiculous!

CHANGE IT BACK VERIZON!!! I know you're reading these messages!

[Sborden]

Well it looks like its time for us to file the Antitrust lawsuit against VZ, you can take your BING and Stuff it.

In the process of filing a complaint with the FCC's website right now!

Antitrust website for complaints:

http://www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.htm

FCC website for complaints:

http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm?sid=d1e408&id=d1e463