Complaint about Verizon "Free Tablet" promotion

[#1]

sdowney2002 wrote:

Yes, but when the sales clerk tell you there are no additional charges, and the paper you sign shows a $0.00 balance (the $10/month fee is buried in the fine print), you have to assume they’re telling the truth.

No it's not buried. Go the the More Everything page. It's not very hard to see where tablets are $10 a month.Sometime people hear what they want to hear and not what was actually told. Use some common sense you REALLY though Verizon would give you a 100% free tablet with no cost EVER? Does that even sound logical. That didn't make you think "Hey that doesn't sound right I better investigates this more."

People are always saying "the salesperson conned me"

Ok first here's some advice for ANY salesperson you encounter ANYWHERE. They are NOT your friend. If their paycheck replies on selling you as much stuff as they can then they are looking out for THEIR interests not yours. if you go into a store with the attitude "This person is trying to get me to buy a lot of stuff" then you'll take time to actually think about what you're going to do.

Second. Why buy on the spot? Just because a salesperson pitches something why do you feel obligated to say yes right then? Can you not say "I'll think about it" and then go home do some research and come back when you're more informed?

[DDmiTV]

Thinking the free tablet is free is like thinking that $5 cell phone only costs five dollars.  Yes, it only costs you that much out the door, but Verizon's cost for that phone was probably around $100-150 (your cost, if you bought it at full retail, would, of course, be higher).  The reason they sell it to you for five bucks is because you're making a commitment to use their service for two years, and that's how they recoup the cost of the phone plus their profit.

This is nothing new.  When Dish Network first came out, the equipment cost over $300 because no service commitment was required.  Not many people wanted to spend that kind of money up front, so Dish started offering "free" systems with DVR's (and free installation), as long as the customer agreed to subscribe for two years.  If they choose to terminate their subscription before that time, they basically have to purchase the system for a percentage of what it would have cost at full-price, hence the "early termination fee".  Why would you have to pay that fee for a system you've used for, say, 12 months?  Because the customer assumes the risk of depreciation.  Same thing with VZW's $70 restocking fee.  Once a tablet has been returned, it cannot be resold as new, so Verizon takes a hit on the resale value, and that hit is passed along to the consumer.  Again, I'm not excusing the sales rep's failure to disclose this, but for future reference, that's how it works.

Think of it this way....service contracts are kind of a rent-to-own program, and if you've ever rented-to-own anything, you know that the price you pay long-term is usually much higher than the price you would have paid with cash up front.  In the case of the $5 phone or the free tablet, realize that it's not truly "yours" until Verizon recoups their investment.  If you want a nominal tablet and don't care about the 4G, my advice is to save up $100 or so and purchase one at a retail store.  Then you'll have no obligations, and it's all yours from Day 1.

[Nautica444]

There's more to it. First you get the tablet $10/mo fee ok, whatever. There's also tax which for me turned out to be $7, so I'm paying $17/mo for the tablet! Then, you get an expensive 1 time activation fee... For what?! Then you get taxes upon taxes. I swear my monthly charge has taxes included in the sum and underneath there are more taxes of at least $20! What the f is going on here?

[DDmiTV]

Verizon has no control over taxes.  Your state and federal government representatives are the folks you should speak to about that.

Does your phone come with a WiFi hotspot?  If so, you might want to consider just paying cash up front for a tablet at Walmart, and linking the WiFi to the 4G from your phone.  Then you won't be saddled with the additional line charge and associated taxes.  Basic tablets run around $100, and you might get a better deal than that if you can catch one on sale.

Renting to own is more expensive, but that's because you're paying for convenience.

[#5]

I don't pay $7 in taxes on my phone I find it hard to believe a tablet would have $7 in taxes.

[cre8flow]

I won't be persistent.i was lied to by a Verizon worker.i will be going to comcast very shortly

[cre8flow]

I will be deactivating.both accounts and eating it.i will never go back to verizon...they are flat out liars if not con artists

[cre8flow]

It's a joke.its unbelievable that they would ruin a relationship with a customer using.deceptioni can't believe they.do business like that.flat out deception.i will be telling as many as I can about

[Tidbits]

Welcome to subsidies...

All carriers with contracts do it.

Yes the item is free. However with subsidies they recoup the cost somewhere else.

[cre8flow]

Who cares if they all do it.my relationship is going to be terminated with verizon.most likely forever.wont ever trust them again