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Today I went in to get an upgrade on my handset and I decided to get a LG Chocolate Touch. When I went in I asked TWICE...whether or not I can keep the same plan and just upgrade and both times the sales person said yes.
Well. I went home with the new handset and found out that the internet access is not "compatible" with my old plan and that now I was going to have to pay $30 per month instead of $25 (with tax, that will be almost $35 since there is a 14 percent federal tax on the service). If that wasn't bad enough, my web access on the handset was going to go up $4 per month also (plus tax). So it l would end up paying an additional $20 per month for a FREE handset. (Last time I checked $20 per month adds up to $240 per year or $480 for a 2-year contract. Not exactly free.
I just want my service and a new handset. Is that so freaking much to ask? I have been with Verizon since 2003 and I am now looking for a new cell phone provider. Verizon has lost a good customer because of these stupid nickel and time extortion tactics.
Did the "free" handset upgrade cause your contract to renew though? I know anytime we got a new phone with Verizon for free using my upgrade, it always renewed the contract automatically for another 2 years.
I finally said no to any more contracts. I wish I could refer you to what my son and I are using, but it probably isn't enough for what you need! I don't really use my phone - just have it for emergencies, so I only pay $4.99 a month.
20yrsinBranson, I feel your pain. Although I don't have a handset issue (since I don't have one), I also have the LG Chocolate touch and am sick of Verizon just the same! I chose the $9.99/mo data plan (since I'm on a family plan and can't afford anything higher), and using the internet/web on that phone can be a pain sometimes. I hate to imaging getting use of the web on that phone for $30/mo worth...hang in there!
Verizon like to change for the most minute things...it's sickening! I got charged for calling my house phone with my cell phone during peak time, although they are BOTH Verizon and paid the same customer (my mother). Talk about a rip-off! It sucks that Verizon tried to pass the handset off as "free" even though it would have cost you almost $500 dring the 2 yrs you're under contract. What a scam!
I wish you well in finding a new cell phone service provider! I will be doing the same as soon as I graduate college, although I may have to go w/ a phone w/o the internet and other special features. Whatever bring less stress, I guess.
I used Verizon for well over a decade since it was "Airtouch Cellular" and switched over to Verizon long ago. I finally just let my contract die out and switched to Net10 prepaid.
Net10 uses either Verizon or AT&T towers depending on your area. In my area they use Verizon towers so my signal is just as strong as it was with my old "official" Verizon service. After doing some self-analyzing, I discovered that personally, I did not really need to use the internet on my phone. Most everything I "need" to do on my phone can be done via talking and texting. I got the Samsung R355C phone from them (Best Buy) for $89 - it has a full keyboard and larger screen on it, is solidly built, has a low res 1.3MP camera that even though it's low res actually takes decent pics that aren't washed out, etc. Battery life is good, etc etc etc. Minutes are 10-cents per, and texts are .25 (1/4) minutes per text in and out, but if you buy minutes via their web site you can get packages that drop the rate to around 6-cents a minute, making it very competitive with contract prices (or less), with no contract. Right now I'm averaging spending about $25 a month or less, to get what cost me around $70 a month through Verizon, by doing this.
The one bad thing about Net10 and Tracfone are that their web access really stinks on their phones and is pretty much useless. In a pinch you can check mobile email but "surfing" is far too slow and takes too many minutes. So do some habit-searching and if you can live with just talk/text, this might be a viable (and much cheaper) route for you to take but still be able to get a decent phone with good signal coverage.
An alternative might be something like Virgin Mobile. They have new plans that start at $25 a month that include 300 minutes, and unlimited text and web use, and some of their phones allow for the use of the Opera mini browser so you can really surf on them (they do offer one Blackberry model as well). Their coverage and signal strength is not nearly as extensive as the Net10/Tracfone service though, so test one out before you commit. Best Buy and Radio Shack sell them and give you I think 30 days to bring them back if they don't work out for you, etc.
I've been using Consumer Cellular https://www.consumercellular.com/ for about 5 years and am very satisified with the phone service and also with their customer service, which is an important factor.
No Contracts! But it's not prepaid either. Rather one can change his plan as often as is needed. They even send you alerts if it looks like you'll be going over the currently selected plan!
Last edited by Macrina; 08-18-2010 at 02:13 PM..
Reason: noticed typo....:eek:
Verizon screwed me too. Someone hacked into my wifes account, changed the address, so she called to make sure everything was OK and verizon tol her everything was fine. It must have been a mistake why her address changed states..? A month later she got a cell bill for 600 some dollars because someone ordered a new smart phone and tried adding a line on her account. So much for Verizon fraud unit. We went to AT&T the next day and havent had any problems...
A lot more people would be unhappy with Verizon if they stopped buying into their, admittedly pervasive, marketing. Granted, their service is quite good and the further away from metro areas one gets on a regular basis, the more one probably needs to have Verizon. However, for all those millions of people who stay in or around their metropolitan and suburban areas the majority of the time and only leave those confines for a week or two for their yearly vacations, they're quite likely wasting their money paying Verizon's (imo) expensive rates. Oh well, I guess each consumer knows what's best for them...
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I will be doing the same as soon as I graduate college, although I may have to go w/ a phone w/o the internet and other special features. Whatever bring less stress, I guess.
