Verizon Just Doubled Early Termination Fees

[B Bob]

Just read this morning that Verizon made the Consumer Reports top ten list of "bad" suppliers by doubling their early termination fees. The newspaper piece said smart phone early termination fees are not about 350.

Is it just me or does anyone else wonder why we have the crazy system we do in the US for getting cell phones? In Europe you buy your phone for the best price you can. Then you hire a cell phone company at the best price you can. Same in most parts of Asia. I sell big machines to other parts of the World and when visitors come to see me they seem to get phone calls all day long from other parts of the World. When I ask them how much the calls are I am astounded at how little they pay.

On my cell phone I had to put skype for cell phones on it so I did not go broke calling outside the US. And I can tell you skype for cell phones is not always easy to figure out.

Bottom line. Think twice before signing that long contract if you think you might want out early.

[AZgl1500]

I have 4 phones on my cellular plan, and it happens to be with Verizon and I enjoy a government employees discount of 15% off normal fees. So far, so good.

Verizon has the best coverage by far, personal and friends agree with me on that point.

But, I do NOT have a single phone on contract with them. I buy the phones I need elsewhere. eBay, where ever. But never through the ISP. Been there, and done that, never again.

The last mistake I made was to purchase a "wideband" (I say that laughingly, it stank) aircard for my laptop and it was on the Verizon service.

As long as I stayed inside Maricopa County, Arizona it worked great. but then came the reason I bought it in the first place. "Vacation" and travels hither and yond.

Uh oh!!! no service, once in a while I could get a 5 kb-12kb connection and "almost be able" to download my email from Yahoo.com

when I got home in Phoenix/Mesa I called and complained bitterly to them. Oh, you have to pay $175 to terminate your internet service on that plan. Oh yeah? Watch this, I converted that cell number to a regular cellphone at $9.95 a month

Screw their internet service. I still don't use cellphone internet. I might one day, but not now.

I refuse to pay more for cellphone internet service than I pay for cable internet at the house. And add that onto my regular internet service which I already have? That is totally ridiculous. that would make internet service over a $100/month with taxes

[John Hilley]

I have a Verizon AirCard. I am on my third card in 6 years, upgraded to EVDO Rev A when that came out and had to buy a USB720 off eBay for $15 when original failed. I have had service everywhere I've gone. I also have cable modem service at home and a Droid smart phone. So all together I pay about $130 for Internet service. Not happy with the total cost, but for me it is a business cost. Compared to buying a satellite system, which I considered, I am way ahead money wise.

[kjburns]

The new smartphones run around $500 retail with no service. If the price with a contract is low, then the $350 early termination fee makes some sense.

[B Bob]

I posted this thread and I sort of agree with kjburns that the phone companies need a higher termination fee to recoup the cost of the phone if they don't get the phone back. But since the cell phone is only going to work on Verizon unless you hack it, why not just have the person canceling give the phone back. Verizon could then have phones checked by original supplier and sell them at a cheaper price. I just object to the whole stupid system in the USA for cell phones. Contracts for service stink, it keeps the price high. The "gotcha" system of buying a certain number of minutes and then if you go over, "gotcha", huge price jumps take place.

That is very different from most overseas countries. Cell phone service should be like land line service. You buy your phones at the best price. You get the phone service at the best price. You only pay for the calls you actually make. No more of this guessing how many minutes and you have to guess high so you don't go over. That system is very flawed for the consumer. It is great for the providers. I own stock in Verizon to get back some of the money I am paying to use their phones.

As far as coverage. I am happy with Verizon, but have very limited knowledge of the other suppliers coverage. Ten years ago I had Sprint and their coverage at the time was quite good except for my house. They had features back then that Verizon still does not have.

I keep watching to see if the resellers get better. Like Walmart, Costco, Virgin, and so on. If they do I might go with one of them. I will never sign up for a contract again unless absolutely a super deal.

[two2go]

I agree with you B Bob. I gave up on ATT>Cingular>ATT after my contract was up due to escalating fees and service hassles. The "free market" and the lovely Feds are the reason for the mish-mash of providers, and they each operate as quasi-monopolies.
I have a second-hand broadband modem that I have used month-to-month with Verizon, but am switching to Virgin Mobile to save $20/mo and get faster (lots) speed. We currently use plain Tracfones and the service is fine. I have an old IPhone that I use on WiFi only and enjoy almost all the apps and features without phone service. May investigate some of the Android smartphones on prepaid services like Virgin M. and T-Mobile. I will never get tied up in a long-term plan again.

[Midniteoyl]

Termination fees are pro-rated after the first year..

Also,

After about a year, call your phone company and ask for the 'unlock code(s)' of your cell phone(s).. they are suppose to give it to you so you can unlock it for use on other carriers...