Postal Service Discounts for retirees.

[jhlankford]

I was offered a discounted rate, which was nearly the same in the end. That offer also came with a 1 year contract. I have served my contract. I offered to remain a customer, take the discounted rate, but without a contract. Verizon said no. Thanks anyway.

[phonie1234]

I am also a retired from usps who gives employer discount.  I believe it is verizon who is disallowing our discounts not usps.  There is no cost to usps for this discount.  Verizon offered it to gain one of the largest empoyers business.  Since Verizon does not want the retired employees buisness I will go elsewhere.  I have heard that for thoses still under contract that they will have to stay and pay the additional costs.  I do not feel that a contract signed with the discount should still be held up since the discount is being taken away.  I am hoping a very large class action will be taken against Verizon. They offered to ADJUST my plan to bring it  DOWN to what I was paying.  Why would I sign another contract for less service with a company that obviously does not want my buisness?  I will look for a company that does not require a contract.  They will surely treat me right since I will able to leave at anytime.  I have to wonder why they do not want the very large number of usps retirments buisness?  If thier botttom line increased with discounts to the employed why not the retired?  Why run us out?  I am sure some yahoo had a brilliant idea that made him a million in bonuses. To bad it is going to backfire.  Verizon has lost my trust and loyalty.

[jhlankford]

AMEN!

[pherson]

Ill try to explain this again.

USPS calls VZW, asks them to be their wireless provider. Verizon gives tiered discounts...tgis amount of lines this discount, this amount that discount, and so forth. Granted, these are the linez that usually go to higher ups in the USPS. along with the discount, they allow employees to, not be on the same price plan, but to get a discount off of the priceplan. But to add in retirees who are not employees, they have to have more lines for the higher ups or they dont qualify.

In reality, given the financial crunch the usps is in, they arent just handing out phones willy nilly to employees.  As a result, retirees are no longer eligible for a discount.  An arguement could be made against both companies. But in the end, blame should be to usps not vzw. Why should they give a free discount and not make money?

[jhlankford]

Your fictional explanation of what this post is talking about is totally incorrect.

[Ann154]

jhlankford wrote:

Your fictional explanation of what this post is talking about is totally incorrect.

How would you know it is fictional and incorrect?

Maybe it is a completely rational explanation of how these employee discount contracts work and are structured.

[azmtn_girl]

Hey jh, I tried to reason with Verizon and they refuse, there is too much money to be made by the record numbers of people leaving the workforce. If Verizon was smart they would create strategies to help customers that retains them as customers but there is no need for creativity when snatching the discount away from the thousands of retirees gives Verizon a 20% revenue boost that will equate sweetly on Wall Street.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/business/verizon-profit-up-40-as-wireless-revenue-gains.html?src=b...

Myself I have moved on I do not want to be associated with a company such as this. I pay less now for another service than I did having  Verizon's  "discount". Obviously someone at Verizon just thought of this as I know many retirees who have had the discount going on a decade or more and this for them as well is the first time Verizon requested verification. The news of this is slowly making its way through the PO.  There are many who have come on here that are not a USPS retiree and have no idea what they are talking about, ignore them. I had a few postings before I left Verizon the following is one....

For those who think the whinning of a retiree who is losing their discount is unjust. Speaking for myself when I retired I left the workroom floor for good, but I did not leave the company. I will be forever associated with them until the day I die because I will receive my retirement from them.

This subject for myself and possibly other retirees who are here to voice their opinion is a matter of principle.  I see it as purely a revenue issue for Verizon. It began when Verizon wooed and smoooozed big employers seeing an opportunity to in one fell swoop attract thousands of customers all at once. A 20% discount was an easy marketing tool and strategy that could be easily absorbed compared to the millions to be made with the potentiality of thousands of new customers. The organization I retired from had over a quarter million employees.

I think Verizon was mesmerized by the shear number of customers to come on board by these contracts and reverification was obviously not a Verizon company policy or standard so they just did not monitor "the discount" because for everyone here this is the first time any of us have had to reverify our employment. Consequently now I would imagine Verizon has thousands of customers who are receiving the discount still after terminating employment with the original employer which qualified them to get the discount. Did Verizon not think of that?

When I received my notice to reverify I promptly called to find out where to send my annuity statement to reverify and was quickly informed Oh No you are retired.  Never before requested had lead us to believe after many many years because of our employment and/or association that YES it meant for retirees too. In my organization the retirees before me never said oh when you retire you will loose your Verizon discount. I would also venture to say that most of the retirees on this board have had opportunities over the years to switch to a different carrier but did not and have stayed as happy satisfied loyal customers. Back in the day when I went to Verizon, it was the best cell service out there. That is no longer the case and with loyalty not being appreciated by Verizon, I have other options.

Fast forward to today's toilet economy, everyday companies laying off people, downsizing, closings whatever the reason, have thousands of people stampeding towards the retirement door. Verizon sees with tunnel vision the potential without having to leave their desk of the money to be made off the thousand who have and will retire. A 20% revenue jump times thousands of retirees should look pretty good on the books.

The principle is a system that Verizon created to get our business that they let the ball drop on only now decides to pull the plug on thousands of loyal customers who are retired stinks. This is a knee jerk impulsive attempt to make millions but they forgot or never considered what effect it would have on their retired customers now that the cell market offers much more. Why not target the customers who are no longer actually working for or are affiliated with the company who holds the contract with Verizon.

So to those who think retirees are being cry babies, just remember we are older Americans. We have spent our life in the work field and there are many businesses and companies who appreciate and offer all sorts of things to seniors and retired folk and that is where we will take our business.  Verizon obviously is not one of them and doesn't have to be, but this issue speaks volumes. If Verizon was smart they would do what they could to keep our business and attract new retirees because as our economy gets flushed there will be more and more retirees and we will go where there is incentive to go, plain and simple.

For those who do not understand a retirees viewpoint, try to imagine or remember that you came to Verizon for a reason. When you get what will feel like an autocratic slap in the face and you look all around for a reason to stay but there is none and your loyalty is not considered and unwanted what would you do.

[earnestbunbury]

I still don't understand the mindset of people who take the time to come on here and tell us how it's perfectly fine for Verizon to not give us the discounts we've gotten since joining them and being loyal customers.  I mean, why bother.  Verizon tells them, "Now that you're a retiree, you no longer get the employee discount as when you were working."  "Fine.", says you. "That sounds perfectly reasonable- why would a company that's in the business to make money want to throw away an opportunity to mess me over, even though I've ben a loyal customer for years.  I will accept you offer of not giving me a discount and pay the full price as if I'd never have known about this discount."

The question is, why are you coming on here and posting over and over telling us how we DON'T deserve the discount and that Verizon has every right to abolish the discount?  Are you that bored?  We all know what capitalism is, we don't need you to tell us.  I'll remind you, though that capitalism is ALSO a whole bunch of people saying "We'll leave Verizon and go elsewhere because we'd like the discount".

Then, Verizon says, "Oh my god, we're losing a boatload of people and getting articles in AARP and word of mouth, all bad, about how we tried that messing over loyal customers thing.  Maybe we should switch it back."

I guess what I'm saying is- if you want to be part of the effort to get Verizon to continue giving the discounts they gave employers with HUGE numbers of customers, then give helpful advice on how we can do that.  If you're HAPPY not getting your discount, then off you go; have a nice life and stop clogging up our message boards with how wrong we are.  There are an enormous number of serious problems in the world, go and spend your time trying to do something useful and let us cranky people on a fixed income try to fix our own problems. 

Speaking of which- any new ideas?  Verizon won't just give us our discounts back unless we leave as a group, or write letter to AARP and Clark Howard and our congressmen.  I'm SLOWLY getting signatures together and trying to get the word out to other carriers.  Something along the lines of, "Retired and a Verizon customer?  Switch to us and we'll continue to give discounts to retirees that Verizon stopped."

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[pherson]

Its no secret that usps is bleeding money. To cut costs im sure they had to cut non essentials, which could be employees cell phones. Once beloe a certain number, thst changes their contract with vzw. So sincr they arent maintaining enough lines thry lodt ability for people to lose the discount. Which would you prefer....drop in pension or losing discount?

[jhlankford]

Look, somehow you have this "discount" concept for USPS employees wrong. No one that has accepted the USPS discount has ever had their cell phone bill paid for OR subsidized by the USPS. No one. It is merely a marketing ploy used by Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile and others, to gain market share. That's all it is! Please stop and reconsider your viewpoint on this. I had a working relationship with the (USPS) folks who had their fingers in this marketing agreement with Verizon, and this is just the way it is. No conspiracy theory here.