VZW Upgrade policies are a rip off!
cassiell7
Newbie

I used to work for VZW up until about 5 years ago. Customers used to be able to upgrade after 20 months with the NE2 credit. And if there was an extreme issues, we could change the upgrade date in the system if needed just to make the customer happy. We were concerned about NPS scores and providing the best customer experience. We knew that AT&T was not going to be second best forever coverage wise and we wanted to stand out based on our excellent customer service. I believed in that mission and tried my best to provide excellent customer service.

Not anymore! The policies they're coming up with now are the complete opposite of doing what's right for the customer. Now we have to fulfill the entire 2 years of the contract before we can upgrade unless we pay full price for the phone. That doesn't go over well when my phone stops working 20 months into the contract and the techs can't fix it! Smartphones aren't exactly quality you know! They're made as cheaply as possible and rarely last a full 2 years. Get insurance you say? It's $6 PER MONTH and it doesn't allow you to upgrade. If I had insurance, I would have to pay $50 for a phone to get me through to my 2 year agreement when I could pay even more money for a new phone...which is less than 2 months away. What about the Edge program? It's still full price for the phone, it's just putting it into monthly payments! I bought a tablet (not from VZW) for $450. Why would the cell phone I want be $800 with the Edge program? It doesn't make any sense and it's just a way to gouge the customer. Just because AT&T  and T-Mobile do the same thing, doesn't mean that all wireless companies should charge ridiculous prices. And forget about changing the upgrade date even though I'm going to be eligible soon. They only thing they want to do is sell me an outdated device that is used for $250. Oh, goody. No brand new device for the 10 year customer, former employee, who has only weeks to go before yet another contract is up....No. I get an overpriced used device that I don't want or I get raked over the coals with the Edge program. Lucky me. But you new customers, you can have whatever you want!

VZW is making the customer wait longer to upgrade even though phone quality is not improving. They've basically done away with NE2. And finally, they're starting to push people toward the new Edge program, which is a complete scam! Do your research and you'll see that you'll pay through the nose for the "privilege"of upgrading. This is bad customer service and they are just hoping that we'll be so happy we can upgrade every 6 months on the Edge program that we won't notice that the program is designed to be a money maker for VZW! If I was a serial phone hopper, then maybe I wouldn't care. But that's not everyone and it's definitely not me. Revenue margins are getting thinner, so they're just looking for a new revenue stream. Doing what's right by the customer comes in at a distant second at best. Loyalty is no longer rewarded, but is practically punished. What a pitty.

Now I could say I'm leaving and going to AT&T, but their policies are the same. When one changes their policies, they all hop on board with the same programs, even if they're lousy. As for the rest of the wireless companies, you have to be concerned with coverage and I'd hate to have to worry about that. Even the prepaids that use VZW don't let you use their full spectrum of services. 4G is a good example. You want the best 4G coverage, you have to stick with VZW like them or not. Same thing with mobile-to-mobile. I sold my whole family VZW phones years ago so we can all talk for free.  I may have a choice in wireless providers, but it doesn't feel like much of a choice. I should just go to a plain, cheap prepaid phone and use my tablet for everything else. Unless they make a policy against that too...

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Re: VZW Upgrade policies are a rip off!
ttipgem
Master - Level 1

Oh the horrors! They are making you fulfill the WHOLE contract into which you voluntarily entered.  Shocking! Terrible.  Responsible adults shouldn't have to honor their contractual obligations.  Awful.

Note you you never have to "wait longer to upgrade".  You can upgrade to a new phone ANY time you wish.  Just purchase the device at full retail.  Simple.

Re: VZW Upgrade policies are a rip off!
SydneyK
Master - Level 3

I cannot argue any of your points. Verizon has superior coverage in many areas and it doesn't have to do anything special at this point to get or keep customers. And with the most customers, the free mobile-to-mobile calls add value, too. You'll have to decide if it's worth it to you. Oh, by the way, you also have to pay $30 for the pleasure of upgrading.

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Re: VZW Upgrade policies are a rip off!
cassiell7
Newbie

I am fulfilling the WHOLE contract. The contract is with the SERVICE not the PHONE itself. I just want to get a new phone without paying a ridiculous price because my phone is having issues. Heck, I'm even willing to sign on for TWO MORE YEARS and fulfill that contract too! If it's so simple to pay for a device at full retail, by all means, you can buy me the $800 phone that will cost me $200 in just a few weeks. Which, by the way, I would have been allowed to do a couple of years ago....before they changed their policies. VZW set a precedent of being able to upgrade at 20 months and then took it away, only to replace it with policies designed to make us pay higher prices.

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Re: VZW Upgrade policies are a rip off!
Not applicable

cassiell7 wrote:

I am fulfilling the WHOLE contract. The contract is with the SERVICE not the PHONE itself. I just want to get a new phone without paying a ridiculous price because my phone is having issues. Heck, I'm even willing to sign on for TWO MORE YEARS and fulfill that contract too!

Just the fact you want o upgrade BEFORE you two years are up proves otherwise. How does Verizon know that before this 2 year contract you claim you willing to sign is up you'll want yet another upgrade and the promise you'll sign another 2 year deal which you want to upgrade before 2 years yet again.

Who are you going to go to? At&t makes you wait 2 years before upgrading. T-Mobile doesn't even offer discount upgrades anymore. By the way that is the future. In 5 years probably 3 years no one will be offering subsidies.

Re: VZW Upgrade policies are a rip off!
21stNow
Master - Level 1

ttipgem wrote:

Oh the horrors! They are making you fulfill the WHOLE contract into which you voluntarily entered.  Shocking! Terrible.  Responsible adults shouldn't have to honor their contractual obligations.  Awful.

Note you you never have to "wait longer to upgrade".  You can upgrade to a new phone ANY time you wish.  Just purchase the device at full retail.  Simple.

You took the words right out of my fingertips.

Re: VZW Upgrade policies are a rip off!
21stNow
Master - Level 1

cassiell7 wrote:

I am fulfilling the WHOLE contract. The contract is with the SERVICE not the PHONE itself. I just want to get a new phone without paying a ridiculous price because my phone is having issues. Heck, I'm even willing to sign on for TWO MORE YEARS and fulfill that contract too! If it's so simple to pay for a device at full retail, by all means, you can buy me the $800 phone that will cost me $200 in just a few weeks. Which, by the way, I would have been allowed to do a couple of years ago....before they changed their policies. VZW set a precedent of being able to upgrade at 20 months and then took it away, only to replace it with policies designed to make us pay higher prices.

I can't reconcile how a former employee would propose that signing another two year contract as a solution to this "problem".  You would be the first to know that people would just sign a new two-year contract every other month when new phones come out and be obligated to Verizon Wireless for the next 64 years if this were allowed.

Most phones don't cost $800 (iPhone 5S 64GB being an exception). If you can afford a new phone, buy a new phone.  If you can't afford a new phone, consider other alternatives such as borrowing a working phone from a friend or family member or buying a used phone until you are upgrade eligible.  It really isn't hard for some people to live within their means.

Re: VZW Upgrade policies are a rip off!
Big_D_Docking_Dude
Enthusiast - Level 3

You have no clue how happy that response made me, lol.

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