We should bomb their Facebook. Worked for HTC....
https://www.facebook.com/verizon?ref=ts
agreed! only when something is made public and they fear backlash will they take anyone/anything serious. The following is my rant and will be sent to VZW customer relations...feel free to poach/borrow/massage to your liking.
Verizon Wireless can't be serious when they think that current and, most importantly, LOYAL customers will accept this "Upgrade" fee without question. Sprint, AT&T and Verizon have all had my service, over the years, starting in 1995. In all that time, I've called customer support ZERO times for help with my phone and only used a corporate store three times. How can Verizon possibly expect me to pay for something I VERY rarely use? Instead, Verizon should be charging ONLY those customers that use their services. It is truly insulting to see Verizon's "reasons" for this upgrade and the treatment of their long-time customers.
Every experience in a Corporate VZW store has ended in aggravation, disappointment, and regret that I wasted my time there. I've experienced wait times over 40 minutes for VERY simple support, I've experienced employees who have been unable to correctly install screen protectors, and I've experienced customer service change my plan and reduce my services that I was paying for! In fact, I've never experienced WORSE support and LESS knowledgeable staff than VZW employees whenever I have walked into a Verizon Wireless Corporate store.
Let's breakdown the given "reasons" per the VZW website:
1. "This is a one-time charge to cover increasing costs associated with upgrading to new equipment"
There is NO way that it costs VZW $30.00 to upgrade a phone by entering the MEID information into a computer system. This takes less than 5 minutes to accomplish. Does VZW pay their employees $600/hour ($30/5 Minutes)? Did VZW all of a sudden realize that after ALL these years that they are losing money on those that come into their stores and PURCHASE a NEW phone and sign a NEW TWO YEAR contract?!
2. "Devices are more sophisticated than ever before and we provide many services which include Wireless Workshops, online educational tools and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices"
This, in simple terms, means that VZW can't afford to pay their employee salaries who work in the Corporate stores who provide that "guidance and advice". These individuals know FAR less than many of those that walk into the store. I've personally witnessed it EVERY time I've walked into the store. Their inability to differentiate between two Android devices is embarrassing. Additionally, just because Verizon provides wireless workshops and online "educational tools" (laughable) doesn't mean I want or need them and certainly do NOT want to pay for them. Why should I pay for a service that someone else needs? Why should my hard earned cash benefit someone else? Let THOSE, and only those that need help pay for these services.
3. "Additional services we provide are backing up your contacts, email, and voice-mail setup, demos, as well as ensuring apps, music, pictures, and videos remain accessible from your new handset"
As an Android user, Google backups up my contacts and email. Additionally, Google restores my apps, automatically, on a new device once my Google account is associated with it. My music, is ALSO synced by Google and/or stored on my (removable) SD-Card that is used in my next phone. My Pictures and Videos ALSO reside on my SD-Card. Verizon is not providing me ANY of these services, nor do I want them to. This is simply stealing from the consumer and leveraging Google services to do just that!
4. "While the upgrade fee is not unique to us, our fee is over 15% lower than our two largest competitors"
VZW service also costs MORE than those other competitors for the same level of service/plans. VZW can not quote a "savings" on the upgrade fee without also acknowledging that each and every month their users are paying MORE than the competitors.
5. "Most devices can be traded in with our "green friendly" trade-in program ... to offset the fee completely."
This is a classic "robbing Peter to pay Paul" scenario. This provides NO help to consumers, it simply shifts the cost/fee. It is very insulting to see VZW try these tactics!
You are taking ONCE LOYAL customers, including myself (with multiple accounts/lines) and jeopardizing their contracts/upgrades and provide NO incentive for them to upgrade. This will only hinder someone's desire to upgrade. VZW should be working towards ways to ENCOURAGE new users AND existing users to upgrade their phones, not give them reasons to hold onto the ones they have. This flies in the face of respect towards your existing customers and logic in marketing and user retention.
If VZW dares charge me $30 for the next phone, and i have to (again!) wait a long time in line to get the phone, only to have the sales person delete my unlimited data plan, only to have a different employee do a horrible job of putting on a screen protector, only to have ...well you get the idea - I'm going to email and call until that $30 is refunded. I will happily take my service elsewhere, regardless of their "upgrade" costs, as this is an issue of principal, not dollars for me, as well as many others. You better believe I will be expecting GOOD service if VZW starts charging me for said service.
