VZW Petition to Ditch Contracts Nears 100k; Verizon Offers Expensive Payment Plans

[nickb34]

That's fine if you want to throw away an extra $40 to keep a few hundred extra in your bank account. Not the smartest financial decision one could make.

You must pay rent where you live, and also pay cash for everything you've ever owned. For many of us, paying a few extra bucks to keep a better balance in our account is worth it. In addition, if I want to get a new phone for myself, I'm sure my wife's going to want one.

 

[MissionImprobable]

There are other ways to do this, and they have been around forever.

Honestly, what they need to do is revisit how much these phones are off contract. It is insane how much these devices are. If Google has shown us anything with the NEXUS 4, it is that, you can sell a high end device at a reasonable price. For example, a GS3 off contract is $699. The NEXUS 4 $299/$349. What justifies the $400 increase of the GS3 or any phone for that matter? At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, I would say that the high prices of off contract phones here, is to persuade people to buy contracts.

Before we move into ditching contracts and creating monthly payments on phones. We need to address this pricing.

Sony & Google--through Nexus providers--are pretty much the only companies that offer any type of fair pricing for new phones off contract. Not sure what the ridiculous pricing is all about. VZ blames the company and the company blames VZ.

 

[kodiak799]

You must pay rent where you live, and also pay cash for everything you've ever owned.

With the exception of my car, home and education, yes, I've paid cash for everything I've owned. To each their own, if cash was that tight I wouldn't be throwing $40 away to finance a phone.

 

[SwiftLegend]

So lemme get this straight, people are complaining about the cost of Verizon service so in response, Verizon offers a more expensive alternative?

 

[xtor]

I got a note 2 today added a 5th line to get it, ( still on unlimited), the salesman told me i could buy a tablet off contact for 30- a month, i didn't ask much about it, just wanted to get my hand on my note2, now my wife has her hands on it

razr on 215 leak

 

[iveman89]

reminds me of my cable company.

moved into my apartments had to rent cable box, router, modem, HD channels, had base internet, starz, cinemax, hbo all for $85. Things were good. Then got a bill 6 months out. Cable started charging me $100 called renegotiated got rid of cinemax bumped MB and started paying 95. Then another 6 months went by got a bill for $120, called cancelled starz hbo renegotiated for a deal package and paid $100 contract. 3 more months charged $130 called returned modem and router bought my own, ended paying $115 in new deal. 3 months later 140 called and lower Mb usage no more contracts with existing customers 125 is my new monthly bill. $10 credit for existing customers which might go away.

I might cancel my internet next. I never really understood how a company has to raise the price $60 for no reason, but I guess that's American greed. I think it might just be best to have the option of contracts. As someone stated it will come down to price plans, just out of curiosity what cost more? Buying a phone subsidized or full retail? I would also like to assume you sell the old phone.

 

[skennelly]

That work-around already existed - called month-to-month and buying phones retail.

The irony is these people abusing unlimited data is partly why VZW ended it, and because they obviously can't pay for home broadband VZW had to come-up with a plan to make a new phone affordable for them.

I'm really curious how someone can abuse unlimited data. If I were to pay to eat at an "all you can eat" buffet, I'd leave after I have eaten all I can. Does that mean I'm abusing the buffet owner?

 

[milski65]

I don't understand why if I pay full price for phone I won't see any reduction in my monthly bill.

Sent from my XT875 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Hugh Jass]

I don't understand why if I pay full price for phone I won't see any reduction in my monthly bill.

Sent from my XT875 using Tapatalk 2

Precisely my point. It's equivalent to Exxon doubling prices on gas over a year period, they're already raking in billions upon billions and somehow the production cost hasn't changed at all, but if people are stupid enough to buy it...

 

[milski65]

Precisely my point. It's equivalent to Exxon doubling prices on gas over a year period, they're already raking in billions upon billions and somehow the production cost hasn't changed at all, but if people are stupid enough to buy it...

I'm not expecting 100% of the total additional cost off for buying retail. At that point they just continue with subsidies. But if I pay an additional 400 that they save, how about giving me 300 back over a year or so off my monthly bill?

Sent from my XT875 using Tapatalk 2

 

[cybertec69]

There are other ways to do this, and they have been around forever.

Honestly, what they need to do is revisit how much these phones are off contract. It is insane how much these devices are. If Google has shown us anything with the NEXUS 4, it is that, you can sell a high end device at a reasonable price. For example, a GS3 off contract is $699. The NEXUS 4 $299/$349. What justifies the $400 increase of the GS3 or any phone for that matter? At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, I would say that the high prices of off contract phones here, is to persuade people to buy contracts.

Before we move into ditching contracts and creating monthly payments on phones. We need to address this pricing.

Where did you see a GS3 for $699, I haven't. Heck, you can get a nice used GS3 for $300 and change. Anyone that goes out and buys a brand new just released smartphone retail, should be shot, sorry. For that kind of money you can get a top of the line tablet, or a nice laptop.

 

[cybertec69]

Precisely my point. It's equivalent to Exxon doubling prices on gas over a year period, they're already raking in billions upon billions and somehow the production cost hasn't changed at all, but if people are stupid enough to buy it...

Exxon did not double prices, it is called inflation, inflation means your dollar is worth less than it used to, the price of gas is the same, it is just that your dollar has depreciated substantially. To make it easy for you to understand, that 20 dollar bill in your pocket is not really a 20 dollar bill, it might physically look like a 20 dollar bill, but in reality it is closer to 10-12 bucks. And as long as our fantastic crooked government keeps printing free monopoly money "that is funneled back to those crooked bankers, who robed us in the first place", your dollar will do nothing but depreciate even more. That is why everything seems so expensive, from groceries, to electronics, to clothing, to gas.

[video=youtube;mII9NZ8MMVM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mII9NZ8MMVM[/video]

 

[BLeClair12]

I would gladly pay retail for a phone (even with the finance charge) for the opportunity to stay off contract IF, and only IF it meant a reduction in my bill as well. Until they offer that, not a chance. At this point, unlimited data means nothing to me. My parents are on my plan with me. We're going to switch to either the 4gb or 6gb share everything plan in the coming weeks when my mom gets an iPhone. She'll use 100 megs a month at best, my dad averages between 300-500 megs. I have unlimited data right now and it's odd if I even hit 1 gig. I can live without it.

 

[huskur]

Where did you see a GS3 for $699, I haven't. Heck, you can get a nice used GS3 for $300 and change. Anyone that goes out and buys a brand new just released smartphone retail, should be shot, sorry. For that kind of money you can get a top of the line tablet, or a nice laptop.

Shot? LOL Here is my theory and what I do---- Recently purchased the Note 2 for for $749 outright. Then I sold my GS3 with accessories on ebay for $500. $749 - $500= $249! That is less than a subsidized price all together. Now lets say I want the GS4. Buy it outright and then sell the Note 2 to recoup my $$$$!! Easy peasy as my kids would say :biggrin:

 

[Hugh Jass]

Exxon did not double prices, it is called inflation, inflation means your dollar is worth less than it used to, the price of gas is the same, it is just that your dollar has depreciated substantially. To make it easy for you to understand, that 20 dollar bill in your pocket is not really a 20 dollar bill, it might physically look like a 20 dollar bill, but in reality it is closer to 10-12 bucks. And as long as our fantastic crooked government keeps printing free monopoly money "that is funneled back to those crooked bankers, who robed us in the first place", your dollar will do nothing but depreciate even more. That is why everything seems so expensive, from groceries, to electronics, to clothing, to gas.

[video=youtube;mII9NZ8MMVM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mII9NZ8MMVM[/video]

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