Verizon is Ruining the Value of Edge Effective May 31st

[FoxKat]

Something else to remember about the Edge plan is the discount you get for data.

THAT ^ is so often overlooked. It amounts to a monthly savings of a minimum of $15/month, or over the 24 months, $360, and as much as $25/month/line. PLUS there's a $100 up-front credit so you're talking $460 altogether.

"Join Verizon and get $100 bill credit with each new Verizon Edge smartphone activation."

Take a look at the image below. Everyone always talks about "pay on time or pay up front", and how it's so much better to pay for the phone outright. I am completely diametrically opposed to that.

In a family of 4 with the Edge program on all 4 phones, and 10GB of shared data, it's a full $100 per month less ($2,400 in 24 months), PLUS the $100 each for the 4 phones up front, or a grand total of $2,800 in savings over 2 years! Even for a single user with 1GB, it's $15 per month less.

How can you ignore those savings???

Oh, and EVEN I almost forgot... NO ACTIVATION FEES for EDGE CONTRACTS, another $35 per phone.

Oh, and there's MORE... Bring in an old phone, and get yet ANOTHER $100 gift certificate per device traded in on the spot. I traded in a Droid 2 and a Droid Pro on two new phones...they were worth maybe $30 together... $200 in my pocket (actually applied to my bill).

SMH

 

[jackiescivic]

But remember, that $100 is ONLY for brand new phone numbers to Verizon, not existing lines.
sst45jeff is right, the point of Edge is to make it easier for people to purchase phones off contract without shelling out the full amount up front. This will no longer be like a lease, as you no longer have to give the phone back. This is beneficial for those people who want to Edge Up but don't have a phone in 'good working condition'. Currently, if you send in the phone with damage, you can incur a fee up to $299

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[jackiescivic]

It would not surprise me if Verizon is slowly going to end 2 year contracts, as AT&T is getting rid of them for National Retail locations effective June 1st.

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[FoxKat]

But remember, that $100 is ONLY for brand new phone numbers to Verizon, not existing lines.
sst45jeff is right, the point of Edge is to make it easier for people to purchase phones off contract without shelling out the full amount up front. This will no longer be like a lease, as you no longer have to give the phone back. This is beneficial for those people who want to Edge Up but don't have a phone in 'good working condition'. Currently, if you send in the phone with damage, you can incur a fee up to $299

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Yeah, Jackie...I know... LOL. You're letting the wind out of my sails, and I was on SUCH a run!! LOL!

But seriousl, I just don't know how people can ignore all those discounts. Does it work for everyone? Well, NO. It doesn't work that way for people like me who are grandfathered on the Nationwide Calling Plan with Friends and Family and Unlimited Data, but it's sure still getting a brand new flagship phone into my hands with less out of pocket up front than any other way.

 

[kodiak799]

It only saves you if you're going to keep your phone 2+ years. Otherwise, you pay $200 for a new phone on contract for 24 months. On Edge, it's $25/mo, less $15 discount...= $240 over 24 months. The break-even is like 26-27 months.

 

[FoxKat]

I don't disagree with you on JUST the price of the phone, but you have to factor in the other savings. It's like me in the mortgage business. People tell me, "Aww, saving .5% on the mortgage isn't worth it to refinance.", but they fail to consider the tax savings that getting to push all the interest back to the front of the loan will afford them in deductions, and that the can deduct the closing costs, and then take the savings monthly, pay it towards the principal, and they break even in a matter of just months rather than like 8-10 years if they don't factor all that in.

The pricing plan chart above doesn't lie. It's real savings that you can't get from Verizon if you're not on the EDGE program.

Just saying...

 

[kodiak799]

The pricing plan chart above doesn't lie. It's real savings that you can't get from Verizon if you're not on the EDGE program.

Only if you keep your phone longer than 27 months. The cost of ownership over 24 months is $240 ($25 phone cost - $15 Edge discount) vs. $200...which is roughly a -9% annual return.

 

[FoxKat]

Only if you keep your phone longer than 27 months. The cost of ownership over 24 months is $240 ($25 phone cost - $15 Edge discount) vs. $200...which is roughly a -9% annual return.

I'm honestly confused (no insult intended). What is the $200 you're speaking of. I'm trying to understand your explanation but I'm lost after the part where you're paying $25/month less $15/ month Edge discount or net $10/month X 24 months = $240. That makes good sense but I fail to see the significance of the $200 figure to bring me back to a negative return. Are you saying you can get the phone new off contract for $200 (obviously not but that's how I'm reading it).

 

[Mike.757]

All of the carriers will phase out subsidized phones. Then most people (not harm intended but we are not like most people) will keep their phones till they won't turn on anymore. They won't upgrade plans and the market will become stagnant. In an effort to shake things up, the carriers will begin to subsidize phones again and round 2 will begin.

 

[jackiescivic]

I highly doubt subsidies will come back. People will get used to full priced phones. I mean really, we've always paid it, we just were not aware of it because they got it from inside our rate plans.

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[RETG]

I have been considering heading back to Verizon and a Droid for two reasons. One; AT&T coverage is not all it is cracked up to be, at least here in the Western states, and the LG G3 I have is not all it is cracked up to be either (especially since Lollipop was installed). So, I have been doing some two-year price comparisons of a single line plan with only 1GB of data required. (Yes, I don't surf the web much on my phone.) But I do want unlimited text and talk.

All prices noted, reflect a 21 percent discount on certain items, including a price drop for purchase or for signing a two-year contract. So, my prices might be lower than prices other people may receive. Also, prices DO NOT include taxes, fees and other items added to all the plant by all the companies.

Edge plan:
Phone $18.74, Monthly Service $45.00; total for 2-years $1529.76
$18.74 x 24 = $449.76
$45.00 x 24 = 1080.00
TOTAL 2-years $1529.76

2-Year contract:
Upfront phone cost $49.99, Monthly Service $60.00; total for 2-years $1489.99
$49.99
$60.00 x 24 = 1440
TOTAL 2-years $1489.99

Outright phone purchase:
Upfront phone cost $449.99, Monthly Service $45.00, total for 2-years $1649.76
$449.99
$45.00 x 24 = 1080.00
TOTAL 2-years $1529.99

The 2-year contract is actually less, over the 2-year period, and if a person purchases a phone and goes month-to-month, my understanding is Verizon can pass on any price increases in service (need to check on that, but no contract means no protection). However, the monthly amount is higher. However, having been with Verizon before, it is one big hassle to drop that monthly charge down after the two-year contract if you don't want a new phone. It can be done, but from an experience that sent me to AT&T it was not worth the hassle, in my opinion. (Naturally after going to AT&T, and calling Verizon to say cancel my account, they suddenly came up with a way to drop it down to a month-to-month account, thus cutting the price. But the half dozen times I called them before switching to AT&T, it was like talking to a void in space; nothing there!

 

[jackiescivic]

Don't forget your $40 activation fee for a 2yr contract. That $40 equals you to the price on Edge. Also, it is much easier to get the month-to-month credit now than it was previously. As a 3rd party retailer, I can now give someone that discount in my system instead of calling in

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[jackiescivic]

The biggest savings will be on the larger data plans (currently 6gb+) because of the $25 credit off the original $40 smartphone line access fee.

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[RETG]

Don't forget your $40 activation fee for a 2yr contract. That $40 equals you to the price on Edge. Also, it is much easier to get the month-to-month credit now than it was previously. As a 3rd party retailer, I can now give someone that discount in my system instead of calling in

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

When I access Verizon's site and price out the plans there is no Activation fee shown for any of the three scenarios. Possibly that is due to the fact, I have to access Verizon site via my ex-employers retiree website.
There is probably more savings if I was to go to a larger data plan. But 1GB is twice as much as I have used in years; actually looked at the 500mb plan.

 

[FoxKat]

I have been considering heading back to Verizon and a Droid for two reasons. One; AT&T coverage is not all it is cracked up to be, at least here in the Western states, and the LG G3 I have is not all it is cracked up to be either (especially since Lollipop was installed). So, I have been doing some two-year price comparisons of a single line plan with only 1GB of data required. (Yes, I don't surf the web much on my phone.) But I do want unlimited text and talk.

All prices noted, reflect a 21 percent discount on certain items, including a price drop for purchase or for signing a two-year contract. So, my prices might be lower than prices other people may receive. Also, prices DO NOT include taxes, fees and other items added to all the plant by all the companies.

Edge plan:
Phone $18.74, Monthly Service $45.00; total for 2-years $1529.76
$18.74 x 24 = $449.76
$45.00 x 24 = 1080.00
TOTAL 2-years $1529.76

2-Year contract:
Upfront phone cost $49.99, Monthly Service $60.00; total for 2-years $1489.99
$49.99
$60.00 x 24 = 1440
TOTAL 2-years $1489.99

Outright phone purchase:
Upfront phone cost $449.99, Monthly Service $45.00, total for 2-years $1649.76
$449.99
$45.00 x 24 = 1080.00
TOTAL 2-years $1529.99

The 2-year contract is actually less, over the 2-year period, and if a person purchases a phone and goes month-to-month, my understanding is Verizon can pass on any price increases in service (need to check on that, but no contract means no protection). However, the monthly amount is higher. However, having been with Verizon before, it is one big hassle to drop that monthly charge down after the two-year contract if you don't want a new phone. It can be done, but from an experience that sent me to AT&T it was not worth the hassle, in my opinion. (Naturally after going to AT&T, and calling Verizon to say cancel my account, they suddenly came up with a way to drop it down to a month-to-month account, thus cutting the price. But the half dozen times I called them before switching to AT&T, it was like talking to a void in space; nothing there!

Would others l scroll up and ook at the original post of the one I quoted here from their phones and tell me if the Blue text doesn't look like it's 3D and sitting maybe an 1/8" BEHIND the rest of the text? In fact on my Turbo all three colors appear at different depths. Green looks like it's flat on the screen and Red looks like it's floating in front!

[emoji15]