Verizon Upgrade Policy Change

Just thought you guys may be interested in the latest development in Verizon's move to make everyone angry. Apparently they plan on ditching annual upgrades and no longer giving the additional NE2 discount for those eligible on contracts started after Jan 16th. They better ramp up their OS update testing otherwise a lot of people aren't going to be happy with keeping a phone for 2 years with slow updates.

http://www.androidcentral.com/verizon-changing-its-upgrade-policy-youll-have-wait-20-months-new-phone

[Edited to comply with Terms of Service - removed proprietary image]

Accepted answers

Brettreds2k

I could live with that, I would just need to make sure I buy either the Iphone or the Facinate this go around lol

All comments

Ann154

YIKES! Say it ain't so! I love having NE2, although I should have guessed this was coming since my NE2 discount dropped from by half after my last phone upgrade a year ago.

CR6

This only affects NEW customers who sign up after January 16th. Those of us that are already on the NE2 plan aren't affected.

brianm72

Seeing as buying a Verizon phone through Verizon is a terrible idea in the first place (I bought two Fascinates for $49.99 each at Best Buy when Verizon wanted $149.99 (with my $50 credit) for the 1st and $199.99 for the 2nd), this shouldn't really affect anything. Since I just renewed my contract in December I'm assuming that means I'll still have the upgrade option once more.

Couple that with Sprint's drastic improvements over the last few years and I may think twice before renewing again next time.

brianm72

It says "customers will no longer be enrolled in NE2 at time of activation/upgrage". Upgrade means existing customer.

PJNC284

yeah, if you upgrade prior to Jan 16th, you'll still have the annual upgrade or NE2 when you go to upgrade again but after that you'll be subject to the Verizon's new terms.

ARossetter

And they are getting rid of the annual thing also.

For those that didn't know, you could pay new activation price + $35 for a brand new phone between months 13-20 of your contract. This is also going away, and it is the very reason I am still with Verizon (read: LTE phones will be out when my month 13 hits, so I was planning on upgrading then).

Moderators, someone PLEASE comment on this to clarify if CUSTOMERS ON CONTRACT BEFORE JAN 16TH CAN STILL DO THEIR ANNUAL UPGRADE, or if that program is going away entirely.

Also, for what it's worth, you do have great coverage, but with the ETF, Tiered data packages, and now this, you may have just gone too far.

ARossetter

PJNC284 wrote:
Just thought you guys may be interested in the latest development in Verizon's move to make everyone angry. Apparently they plan on ditching annual upgrades and no longer giving the additional NE2 discount for those eligible on contracts started after Jan 16th. They better ramp up their OS update testing otherwise a lot of people aren't going to be happy with keeping a phone for 2 years with slow updates.

http://www.androidcentral.com/verizon-changing-its-upgrade-policy-youll-have-wait-20-months-new-phone

[Edited to comply with Terms of Service - removed proprietary image]

[Edited to comply with Terms of Service]

Let me go ahead and post the text from that image, which is not a ToS violation:

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2011 Upgrade Policy:

Overview

Verizon Wireless is simplifying the equipment upgrade policy for customers. Beginning January 16th, 2011, customers will be eligible for promotional pricing as well as special offers that we make available. Changes include retirement of the following programs:

- Annual Upgrade: Customers on 2-yr contracts will no longer be able to upgrade in months 13-20 of their 24 month contract as a standard policy.

- New Every Two (NE2): Customers will no longer be enrolled in NE2 at the time of activation/upgrade after January 16th.

Remember, both of these programs are for customers on 2-year contracts only. So customers on 1-year contracts are not impacted by these changes.

This training will help you understand the changes and provide you helpful information when explaining them to our customers.

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Please feel free to edit your original post if you want to copy/paste the above, PJ.

bigfrank69

I always have the new every two and get a phone after one year and get discount, it might not be free but still discount. Just paid $150 for the fascinate after one year. I been doing this for past 6 years and getting partial discount, I can never wait the 20-22 month for full discount have to have new product when they come out.

Brettreds2k

So just to make sure I am clear, and if someone who is in the know can answer, not someone just taking a guess or assuming... So Last April when I hit the 12 month mark on my 2 year contract, I upgraded to the Motorola Droid at the Upgrade price (Paid $29.99 for it at Best Buy) So the program that allowed us to upgrade at the 1 year mark at the discount price, Are they doing away with that for exsisting customers who are eligible this year but after the Jan 16th date they are giving? I upgraded to the Droid in April of 2010 so I was planning on upgrading again this April, so now will I have to wait until the total end of my contract or are they allowing is one more upgrade if we are exisiting customers?

I would think with the Iphone just weeks away, they would do what AT&T did when the Iphone 4 launced which allowed all thier customers who were allowed a upgrade in 2010 were able to upgrade at any time in that year. Why would Verizon want to keep the new Iphone 4 out of the hands of existing customers and now make it where we have to wait a whole extra year??

I guess my main question is can we still do the annual upgrade if we are eligible in April like I am or since its after the Jan 16h date, do I loose that choice now?

PJNC284

It looks like you'll be able to use your annual upgrade this year but that'll be the last one you get.

Brettreds2k

I could live with that, I would just need to make sure I buy either the Iphone or the Facinate this go around lol

PJNC284

hold it til this summer and you probably won't want the fascinate or iphone. :smileywink:

coming soon to a verizon near you

http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/Mobile-Phones/DROID-BIONIC-US-EN

unknown

I'm a bit confused. I'm currently under contract....still within my first year of the contract. I know I will have 1 more NE2 available when it comes time that I can use it. However, the "annual upgrade" part is what is confusing me. I obviously will not hit the 13th month mark until after January 16. Does that mean I will now lose the ability to do the annual upgrade ability when I hit my 13th month or will I be able to do it one last time when it comes up?

Ann154

@shimamizu
If you have one last annual upgrade coming to you, you will not see it through your MyVerizon account until your contract has reached the one year completed point.

As for how to upgrade under the annual upgrade, I would suggest using the search box for the community. The instructions have been posted several times and I never had a plan high enough to use an annual (early) upgrade.

lilwhitepaws

CR6 wrote:

This only affects NEW customers who sign up after January 16th. Those of us that are already on the NE2 plan aren't affected.

No, this does affects everyone who signed up for the NE2 program. This was confirmed by a VZ manager, but as a courtesy (how big of them) they will allow everyone one more upgrade as long as your eligible before January!

lilwhitepaws

This is the best way I can explain this. Below you will see 4 phones, I started out with only two lines and added the other two at a later date but they all qualified for the NE2 program. I upgraded both Droid Incredible's at the same time. They had a BOGO free special and because two of my lines were available for upgrade we qualified for the special. So we have 1 line upgraded so far, (the other line didn't count as an upgrade towards the NE2 program because of the BOGO special)

My other 2 phones, the ENV3 (which was upgraded to a much better phone but he broke it) and the Droid Bionic were both upgraded on the NE2 program already. So we now have 3 out of my 4 phones that have been upgraded using the NE2 program.

As you can see in the picture below one of the Incredible's is available on August 22nd and can be purchased with a discounted price on the NE2 program. The other Incredible is also due for an upgrade on August 22nd...but it is only available at Full price, just like the Bionic and Env3. This is because VZ has done away with the NE2 program but they allowed each of us one more upgrade before ending the program.

I called to inquire as to why one Droid Incredible was eligible on Aug. 22nd for a free upgrade but the other one was not and I was told that there is no more NE2, not for new customers or existing customers, except for the "courtesy upgrade" as they like to call it that their allowing.

So, here it is...I hope this helps....lol oh and just for the record the only alteration made to this photo was the removal of our numbers.

verizonmoderator1

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