Getting rid of verizon

[tomtom2234]

Is there anyway to get out of this contract with verizon without paying an ETF? I've already put up with getting a refurbished phone when I have had the originial one less than a month, and now they are trying to send me another replacement phone. I'm tired of the random shutdowns at night causing me to wake up late because I rely on my phone for an alarm clock. I'm tired of being in the middle of a phone call or some other use of my phone and it shuts off. Im tired of the gps taking 5-10 minutes to get a signal. I'm just tired of this phone and Verizon.

[mdram4x4]

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affont wrote:

Mine went willie long after 14 days. That's the most frustrating aspect. It is as if they shortened their warranty with knowledge. The other carriers have 30 day return policies. I wondered why at the time of sign up... I now wonder if they were working off of experience and wanted to lower their liability after the Droid X issues...  That would be most unethical and very disappointing. I hope that I am wrong. 

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if anything its due to having people return phones as deffective when its just a bad app

so many people have no clue and often the cause of thier own problem

[vereyezuhn]

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mdram4x4 wrote:

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affont wrote:

Mine went willie long after 14 days. That's the most frustrating aspect. It is as if they shortened their warranty with knowledge. The other carriers have 30 day return policies. I wondered why at the time of sign up... I now wonder if they were working off of experience and wanted to lower their liability after the Droid X issues...  That would be most unethical and very disappointing. I hope that I am wrong. 

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if anything its due to having people return phones as deffective when its just a bad app

so many people have no clue and often the cause of thier own problem

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I completely agree. If your phone stopped working long after you received it, it's NOT a software issue, otherwise it would have been like that from the start. It is most definitely an app, whether you want to believe that or not.

[GreenRobot]

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vereyezuhn wrote:

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mdram4x4 wrote:

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affont wrote:

Mine went willie long after 14 days. That's the most frustrating aspect. It is as if they shortened their warranty with knowledge. The other carriers have 30 day return policies. I wondered why at the time of sign up... I now wonder if they were working off of experience and wanted to lower their liability after the Droid X issues...  That would be most unethical and very disappointing. I hope that I am wrong. 

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if anything its due to having people return phones as deffective when its just a bad app

so many people have no clue and often the cause of thier own problem

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I completely agree. If your phone stopped working long after you received it, it's NOT a software issue, otherwise it would have been like that from the start. It is most definitely an app, whether you want to believe that or not.

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Same apps plus some on the Charge, DX, and D1 that I had on my Thunderbolt and no reboots, freezes, lost messages, and less connection issues. So I'm going to say it's an HTC issue. 

[jimnycricket65]

I wish I can simply leave Verizon but I am married to it with 8 accounts.

[vereyezuhn · Accepted solution]

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GreenRobot wrote:

Same apps plus some on the Charge, DX, and D1 that I had on my Thunderbolt and no reboots, freezes, lost messages, and less connection issues. So I'm going to say it's an HTC issue. 

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If that were true, the issues would be happening from the moment you activate it/turn it on in the store. Now, as I've said many times before.... Certain apps are made for certain phones. And if you get an app that's made for certain phones OTHER than yours, it will NOT work properly (and YES, apps CAN mess with your settings/phone - why do you think it shows you what the apps access on your phone??? So you know what it affects) Apps are in fact (yes, it's a FACT) the major cause of smartphone problems (that, and plain user error) Take a look at your apps on your current phone under Settings. You'll see that they access a LOT more than they should (some games even have access to your SMS) and that is exactly how they mess with your phone. The makers of these apps have atleast some control of your phone and can put anything on it with Android.

You can argue with this up, down, left, and right (which you already do) but the fact of the matter is, those of us who accept this and are willing to troubleshoot and remove certain apps will spend far less money and time trying to fix our phones, while you spend countless hours on the phone with Verizon getting replacement after replacement (which I know you have) when it's really a simple fix at home.

[GreenRobot]

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vereyezuhn wrote:

You can argue with this up, down, left, and right (which you already do) but the fact of the matter is, those of us who accept this and are willing to troubleshoot and remove certain apps will spend far less money and time trying to fix our phones, while you spend countless hours on the phone with Verizon getting replacement after replacement (which I know you have) when it's really a simple fix at home.

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So you're saying when I got the second replacement and used a brand new gmail account so I did not transfer over any settings or apps then only downloaded Adobe air, reader, and flash then a few Google inc. apps and had problems with it with in 24 hours ( of activating, not necessarily downloading an app ) that I should accept that and remove those in order to keep my time and money that I choose to spend on a device that should run them? I understand that apps have permissions and can change things my point is that the HTC Thunderbolt is to weak or poorly designed to handle them. My two phones before and the one after my Tbolt can handle them just fine so it's not a user problem it was the device. Sure maybe it just doesn't work for ME and you are just fine with removing an apps to keep from having to talk to VZW support but thats not what I wanted. The thing about getting replacement after replacement that was VZWs answer to my problems not mine if the tech support at VZW told me that a new device would not make any difference and to hold off till another update rolled out or gave me some way to revert buck to the original software then I would probably still have a Thunderbolt. I am not unreasonable and I'm sure the rest of the Thunderbolt owning community members that have the same issues don't think they are either. Most of us came from smartphones and know what to expect and were disappointed that our new device couldn't deliver. I don't know how often you drop by the Charge forum but that one is dead compared to the Tbolt and just goes to show that not all phones have the new phone issues like the Tbolt still has enough said. 

[AZSALUKI]

the charge forum looks similar to me? battery issues, emailing issues, can't open mms, etc, etc. sure, there are fewer threads started, but it's also only been out a month and since the tbolt outsold the iphone in march, i am guessing there are about 3 times as many tbolts in circulation, as there are charges (although i can never seem to find these types of figures). i'm not saying that the tbolt doesn't have more issues......but you can't really judge that by forum activity. if that were the case then you could say the kin is absolutely flawless. however, i suspect there's nobody in the kin forums because nobody owns a kin....lol. or take the sony experia for example. by your logic, the experia must be the perfect android......but i suspect it's just because nobody owns an experia. heck, i believe the iphone forum created more threads than any android device within a month of it's realease, but i don't believe it's because the iphone is awful. the droidX forum is by far the most active of any forum. does that make it the wrost device that verizon carries?

[Ann154]

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AZSALUKI wrote:

heck, i believe the iphone forum created more threads than any android device within a month of it's realease, but i don't believe it's because the iphone is awful. the droidX forum is by far the most active of any forum. does that make it the wrost device that verizon carries?

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Whew! My phone keyboard's back key just had workout! I think there might have been more threads/posts in the iPhone forum than the Droid X before the iPhone was released. That forum just exploded in the time of the announcement and the release.

[vereyezuhn]

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GreenRobot wrote:

So you're saying when I got the second replacement and used a brand new gmail account so I did not transfer over any settings or apps then only downloaded Adobe air, reader, and flash then a few Google inc. apps and had problems with it with in 24 hours ( of activating, not necessarily downloading an app ) that I should accept that and remove those in order to keep my time and money that I choose to spend on a device that should run them? I understand that apps have permissions and can change things my point is that the HTC Thunderbolt is to weak or poorly designed to handle them. My two phones before and the one after my Tbolt can handle them just fine so it's not a user problem it was the device. Sure maybe it just doesn't work for ME and you are just fine with removing an apps to keep from having to talk to VZW support but thats not what I wanted. The thing about getting replacement after replacement that was VZWs answer to my problems not mine if the tech support at VZW told me that a new device would not make any difference and to hold off till another update rolled out or gave me some way to revert buck to the original software then I would probably still have a Thunderbolt. I am not unreasonable and I'm sure the rest of the Thunderbolt owning community members that have the same issues don't think they are either. Most of us came from smartphones and know what to expect and were disappointed that our new device couldn't deliver. I don't know how often you drop by the Charge forum but that one is dead compared to the Tbolt and just goes to show that not all phones have the new phone issues like the Tbolt still has enough said. 

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I don't know if you read my whole post or just the part you isolated, but I did cover this in my post, and it proves my point... Your issues on a few of your TBolts started RIGHT when receiving them - which leads me to believe the PHONE is the issue.... This is not the case for many people. Many say they had their TBolt well past the 2 week period, and it JUST started having issues... That leads me to believe it's an app issue, NOT a phone issue. I remember you saying your first TBolt was the least of your problems and you regret getting so many replacements.. I'm guessing that one took some time to show problems? App.

It literally just does not make sense to me, and I cannot fathom any other reason as to why a phone would suddenly, after working for so long, just go haywire and stop working as it should. Literally makes NO sense. Other than it's something the user did to it (whether it be an app, website viewed, etc) Things don't just go bad on their own with no reason (thus making my point of having problems when first receiving the phone tracing back to a bad phone initially) If your brakes go bad on your car after only a year, it's probably because you wait till the last second and slam on them. If your computer crashes after having it for a year or two, it's most likely the stuff you put on it/things you view on it.  Same thing goes for your phones. If you received a phone that had issues to start with, I'm in no way saying that is caused by an app. How could it be? There must be something wrong with the way that one phone was made.... Now, if you get one that started acting up after months of having it, yeah I'm more inclined to say it's something the user did to it. If you literally take a phone and don't use it at all for months, with only charging the battery to keep it alive, it will not go bad for years and years. Because you didn't do anything to it.

[GreenRobot]

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vereyezuhn wrote:

I don't know if you read my whole post or just the part you isolated, but I did cover this in my post, and it proves my point... Your issues on a few of your TBolts started RIGHT when receiving them - which leads me to believe the PHONE is the issue.... This is not the case for many people. Many say they had their TBolt well past the 2 week period, and it JUST started having issues... That leads me to believe it's an app issue, NOT a phone issue. I remember you saying your first TBolt was the least of your problems and you regret getting so many replacements.. I'm guessing that one took some time to show problems? App.

It literally just does not make sense to me, and I cannot fathom any other reason as to why a phone would suddenly, after working for so long, just go haywire and stop working as it should. Literally makes NO sense. Other than it's something the user did to it (whether it be an app, website viewed, etc) Things don't just go bad on their own with no reason (thus making my point of having problems when first receiving the phone tracing back to a bad phone initially) If your brakes go bad on your car after only a year, it's probably because you wait till the last second and slam on them. If your computer crashes after having it for a year or two, it's most likely the stuff you put on it/things you view on it.  Same thing goes for your phones. If you received a phone that had issues to start with, I'm in no way saying that is caused by an app. How could it be? There must be something wrong with the way that one phone was made.... Now, if you get one that started acting up after months of having it, yeah I'm more inclined to say it's something the user did to it. If you literally take a phone and don't use it at all for months, with only charging the battery to keep it alive, it will not go bad for years and years. Because you didn't do anything to it.

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Yes I read the whole post sorry I didn't quote the whole thing. Ok my original Thunderbolt had connection issues from the start but since I'm use to wierd stuff on smart phones I didn't really think anything of it. I would just pull the battery, restart it, or try again later. I would also call tech support and I would get answers like "it's our new 4g" , " try a master reset ", and the usual VZW support answers to stuff they know nothing about. Either way I kept the phone and started talking to HTC directly and they had me emailing them when things would happen and gave me ways to work around it so in the beginning I felt since I got the phone early and it was new I dealt with the issues and hoped my feed back to the manufacture would help in the process of getting it patched up. I was having problems like the message bubble stating I had a text but no text was unread, no data connection, not downloading mms, ect and I started emailing HTC on the 11th day I had it. HTC and VZW both stating the whole time that there is an update being worked on and most of the issues are being addressed with it. Then before the update I had all my texts delete themselves twice and both times I called VZW and VZW forwarded me to HTC and they stated that my hardware was the issue and I would need to have it replaced. Thats where the replacements start I would say my problems at that point were manageable up to that point. I got the update around the time I was waiting for the replacement to show up but was convinced my original TB was bad due to what I was told about my text issue.  Then I got a replacement that the lower trim was falling off right out of the box but I activated it and gave it a try. That night the update installed and the next afternoon while trying to use the hotspot it had a massive brain fart and rebooted twice in 6 hours before I made to a store to show them my new issues. Replacement #2, VZW and HTC reps speculated that settings or apps stored in my gmail account might be getting transferred to the new device so I started a new gmail to settle that. Only downloading minimal apps with in a 24 hour period ( oh and the update ) the TB rebooted while making a call ( something my original never did ) and rebooted a few times a day there after also still having connection issues and the text message bubble staying on. TB #3 arrives and even thought the screen isn't right and light comes out around the bottom of it a again activate it. This time I told myself to just deal with it and lower my standards in hopes that it will be better but then the reboots started and the connection issues. So I got a new SIM card as per VZW support and that seemed to help for a day with data but still reboots. Note the whole time my girlfriend with a freakin Iphone 3g is telling me " why do you want me to get a Droid " because she is signing for phone after phone showing up at the house and knows if I'm the phone talking to someone it's tech support.  The last straw was when I made a call to VZW support and the tech said "sorry your screen isn't right and sorry your TB reboots but at this point thats normal and the only thing I can do is replace it again". My response to that was a new Thunderbolt wont have cosmetic issues and if a deny the update then I will be back to acceptable till you guys release another update. Her response is " there is no way I can send out a new TB but I can send you a new Charge " . I was blown away that I could get a more expensive device and they replaced my extended battery and case but wouldn't just send me a TB that hadn't been taken apart. vereyzuhn dont think I dont believe what you're saying is true I just don't accept what you're saying is acceptable since I'm on my forth Android powered device second 4g and the only device that encouraged me to email the manufacture, call VZW almost daily, and sign up for this forum was the Thunderbolt. Maybe it is just a none compatible app but if that is the case then why doesn't VZW take some time to find out what app or apps cause these problems or why these apps effect the TB this way. Its been almost three months since release and the last update I think we all can agree was a flop and thats why I gave up on my TB. My time spent dealing with it became an issue I wanted to enjoy my device not fight with it. Debating on here about whats going on with it and what could be it's problems never fixed it for me so peace out Thunderbolt. I will still pop in here to read a chat but now it's for fun and not due to frustration. Thanks for chatting

[mthorn31]

There is a way to get out w/o having to pay the ETF, a rep told me about this on the phone & I don't think many people know about this option.

This option maybe be hard to pull off but it is in their terms & conditions as a way to get out w/o paying a fee...

All you have to do is find someone willing to buy-out your contract (number & all unfortunately, thats the kicker, you don't get to keep your old number), once they buy the contract they call into VZ & they sign over the rights to your number, billing, etc to the new owner of the contract.  Simple as that.

[Ann154]

I think I paid around $320 plus activation fee for my Tbolt at a corporate store. Granted I did get it on the one year contract before they went bye-bye.

@mdram4x4
Too many threats of lawsuits. None that I know of that became reality

[Ann154]

And for those of us that were around before the Tbolt was released, there hundreds of threads started just on the phone wondering when it was to be released as well as other subjects. I happened to notice when the Thunderbolt forum was first created, the Administrators/Moderators moved approximately 750 posts (I think it was the post count) to the new forum from all the other sections of the community.

[GreenRobot]

Not as much hype for the Charge and it is newer I get that. I was mostly comparing the amount of hate posts for the Thunderbolt. It gets everything from people that just can't take it anymore to people that want to sue VZW and a lot of them are posting for the first time. When I first came on here was when I was talking to HTC a lot about my Tbolt problems and when I found this forum is when I decided to share what I was getting from them. Not till my Thunderbolt issues started getting out of control did I start getting on the I hate this thing band wagon. I'll admit I don't tour the DX or Iphone forums so I would know. I'm also comparing new 4g to new 4g android and theyre the last two devices I've had so I don't really wieght in on something I can't contest to. 

[Karuk]

4g working for me again. Both web browser and apps are functioning as they should . Only took 12 days.

[AZSALUKI]

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GreenRobot wrote:

Not as much hype for the Charge and it is newer I get that. I was mostly comparing the amount of hate posts for the Thunderbolt. It gets everything from people that just can't take it anymore to people that want to sue VZW and a lot of them are posting for the first time. When I first came on here was when I was talking to HTC a lot about my Tbolt problems and when I found this forum is when I decided to share what I was getting from them. Not till my Thunderbolt issues started getting out of control did I start getting on the I hate this thing band wagon. I'll admit I don't tour the DX or Iphone forums so I would know. I'm also comparing new 4g to new 4g android and theyre the last two devices I've had so I don't really wieght in on something I can't contest to. 

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you'll find (unfortunately) that more people come to these forums to complain about problems, as opposed to people that are here trying to help or find solutions. the tbolt has it's issues. i just don't think it's any more so that other devices. the incredible (original) forum is littered with "i'm starting a class action suit" and "this is the worst phone i've ever owned" type of threads. the X is too. however, i'm pretty sure that those 2 devices are regarded as 2 of the best androids ever produced. the iphone is a good example in my opinion. android fans may not care for it, but i don't think anyone would really say it's a bad phone as far as operation goes. it runs as well as any device (in my opinion), but if you knew nothing about it and just went to the forum, you would be scared away from buying one. it would appear as though every iphone is broken or flawed. i think this is just due to the volume of sales. the more paople that own a device, the larger (and more active) the forum will be. and most people that post to the forum have issues with their phone. the hundreds of thousands of owners out there that got a tbolt and it worked just fine, have no reason to even seek out the forum. i'd be curious to see what the acceptable level of problems is though, when they test these things. is it 1%....1/2%...etc?? if they allow the launch of a device that will sell 500,000 units in the first month or so and decide that 1.5% is an acceptable level for bad devices, instead of .5% then you've got 5000 more bad units out there. i'd just be curious to see what they accept because we KNOW that when they test these things, they come across these problems and decide what is acceptable.

[vereyezuhn]

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AZSALUKI wrote:

you'll find (unfortunately) that more people come to these forums to complain about problems, as opposed to people that are here trying to help or find solutions. the tbolt has it's issues. i just don't think it's any more so that other devices. the incredible (original) forum is littered with "i'm starting a class action suit" and "this is the worst phone i've ever owned" type of threads. the X is too. however, i'm pretty sure that those 2 devices are regarded as 2 of the best androids ever produced. the iphone is a good example in my opinion. android fans may not care for it, but i don't think anyone would really say it's a bad phone as far as operation goes. it runs as well as any device (in my opinion), but if you knew nothing about it and just went to the forum, you would be scared away from buying one. it would appear as though every iphone is broken or flawed. i think this is just due to the volume of sales. the more paople that own a device, the larger (and more active) the forum will be. and most people that post to the forum have issues with their phone. the hundreds of thousands of owners out there that got a tbolt and it worked just fine, have no reason to even seek out the forum. i'd be curious to see what the acceptable level of problems is though, when they test these things. is it 1%....1/2%...etc?? if they allow the launch of a device that will sell 500,000 units in the first month or so and decide that 1.5% is an acceptable level for bad devices, instead of .5% then you've got 5000 more bad units out there. i'd just be curious to see what they accept because we KNOW that when they test these things, they come across these problems and decide what is acceptable.

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Exactly. A lot of the negative posts (especially on the iPhone 4 forum) are from a lack of research on the buyer's part. I remember when the iPhone 4 first came out on Verizon, people were posting about not having their saved voicemails anymore, and everyone kept telling them that it was in plain sight on Verizon's iPhone 4 page that you need to take special precautions to save your voicemails when switching to the iPhone 4.... Yet people claimed it wasn't accessible enough and got mad that their voicemails were missing.... Same thing goes for all those negative posts about people getting another line added to their account to get an iPhone or TB without knowing it (mainly on the Upgrade forum) and they've been paying for a 2nd line for months and didn't bother to do their research or ASK how the Verizon rep got them the phone at a subsidized price. I agree, though, that for every negative post on here about each phone, there are hundreds of thousands of users who don't have any issues with theirs. You only see the negative ones on here (like you said, because more people come here to complain than to help)