[US] Verizon Wireless.

[Dane]

So I am now able to upgrade my phone. My contract ends in July.

I go to upgrade my phone. It gives pricing and whatnot, it also forces me directly to the share everything. I am still on a grandfathered unlimited data for my Iphone 4. My bill would go up $20-$25 more each month. Not an option. Looking around yet it says I need to pay a $30 "upgrade fee" because "it extends the length of your current contract".

I called verizon, and they said the "upgrade fee" is because it extends my current contract.

I stated to them: ?If in your words it extends my current contract, I should get to keep my unlimited data?because if I change it then not only does my plans change from what I had, to the new shared everything, this technically is a new contract. So a ?upgrade fee? shouldn?t be needed as it?s not extending it.

Verizon: ?it?s your same contract, your extending it, nothing changes.?

Me: ?Then if nothing changes, I get to keep my unlimited??

Verizon: ?No, you cant.?

Me: ?Then it is not the same old contract being extended, it?s changed, or new. Extending the same contract would be leaving my features alone, if it?s a different contract, then the $30 shouldn?t apply.?

Verizon: ?I?m sorry?

How can they get away with that? That?s not extending my current contract! If it was they?d leave everything alone. Around $2,000 for two years and I?ve had them since 2007. They are taking advantage of their customers.

Anyone have any tips with dealing with them?

ATT is more then verizon would be.

[techbeck]

So I am now able to upgrade my phone. My contract ends in July.

I go to upgrade my phone. It gives pricing and whatnot, it also forces me directly to the share everything. I am still on a grandfathered unlimited data for my Iphone 4. My bill would go up $20-$25 more each month. Not an option. Looking around yet it says I need to pay a $30 "upgrade fee" because "it extends the length of your current contract".

I called verizon, and they said the "upgrade fee" is because it extends my current contract.

I stated to them: ?If in your words it extends my current contract, I should get to keep my unlimited data?because if I change it then not only does my plans change from what I had, to the new shared everything, this technically is a new contract. So a ?upgrade fee? shouldn?t be needed as it?s not extending it.

Verizon: ?it?s your same contract, your extending it, nothing changes.?

Me: ?Then if nothing changes, I get to keep my unlimited??

Verizon: ?No, you cant.?

Me: ?Then it is not the same old contract being extended, it?s changed, or new. Extending the same contract would be leaving my features alone, if it?s a different contract, then the $30 shouldn?t apply.?

Verizon: ?I?m sorry?

How can they get away with that? That?s not extending my current contract! If it was they?d leave everything alone. Around $2,000 for two years and I?ve had them since 2007. They are taking advantage of their customers.

Anyone have any tips with dealing with them?

Verizon announced months ago that it will begin charging everyone $30 to upgrade their phones.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/11/technology/verizon-upgrade-fee/index.htm

Don't know about the rest. I would call and talk to a manager. My mom upgraded her phone from an older android to a new model before xmas. She still has her unlimited shared dataplan and renewed her contract for an additional 2yrs. She didnt have to pay anything more per month.

[PNWDweller]

I have had success in calling again and getting a different person who sees things differently than the other. Sometimes though, it doesn't work.

I have also had good success in going to the top level of VZW and talking to their corporate big wigs. They hate talking to customers especially if you get noisy with them and not one but all of the execs get the same email - forces them to talk about it and take action (puts them to work) See EECB here for more info on that tactic and use their company directory for the contact info. (USE AS YOUR LAST RESORT)

Or, simply move to a different carrier if you can. :)

[Dane]

Verizon announced months ago that it will begin charging everyone $30 to upgrade their phones.

http://money.cnn.com...e-fee/index.htm

Don't know about the rest. I would call and talk to a manager. My mom upgraded her phone from an older android to a new model before xmas. She still has her unlimited shared dataplan and renewed her contract for an additional 2yrs. She didnt have to pay anything more per month.

Wow that is honestly ridiculous I thought they only meant if you somehow upgrade early. However it's for everyone.

I have had success in calling again and getting a different person who sees things differently than the other. Sometimes though, it doesn't work.

I have also had good success in going to the top level of VZW and talking to their corporate big wigs. They hate talking to customers especially if you get noisy with them and not one but all of the execs get the same email - forces them to talk about it and take action (puts them to work) See EECB here for more info on that tactic and use their company directory for the contact info. (USE AS YOUR LAST RESORT)

Or, simply move to a different carrier if you can. :)

I'll try talking to different people at Verizon.

[techbeck]

I'll try talking to different people at Verizon.

May want to go in to a store as well if the 2nd phone person didnt help. Its a PITA but these days, anyone will try and suck as much money out of ya they can.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

yeah the carriers here in the US suck donkey dick

they're all taking advantage of us and there's not much we can really do about it :/

[sc302 Veteran]

The only way that you can get around that is to purchase a phone for the full price, not contract price and then apply it to your plan or buy a used phone from ebay and apply it to your plan. You want a new contract phone you will get a new contract. I have owned my iphone 4 since August and have used almost 1.5GB since I owned the phone, I never hit the 2GB monthly limit (I am always on wifi, I leave the data off unless I am out and about).

From what I was told from a verizon engineer when I was setting up a township pd on the verizon network (they needed a verizon engineer out due to constant dropping and data stream), he stated that although verizon leases their towers out to other companies, they don't lease all of their towers out.

Out of all providers (sprint, att, tmobile), when hurricane sandy hit only verizon wireless service was stable. All other companies had 0 capability, no phone calling no texting, no data, nothing. Texts would take days to reach the phone, it was a mess if you weren't on verizon (my verizon phone was the only one working in the department, everyone else had sprint/att/etc)...company since switched entirely to verizon.

http://news.cnet.com...ernet-services/

[I am Reid]

If you are getting a new phone at a reduced price by signing a contract then yea, you will lose your unlimited data. Verizon is eating most of the cost of the phone if you sign a NEW contract, its not the same as your old one, so what they are doing is right. This new contract has different terms than your old one, which is why you cant have unlimited data.

I feared they would do this so I waited as long as I could and then signed a new contract to lock my terms in til 2014. If I want a new phone I have to pay for it at full price, which is fine by me. My bill is only $74 now with unlimited data, but under a new contract my bill would easily be over $100.

[Dane]

I double checked, I would not be doing a "NEW 2 year contract. It's a extension of your current one" how does that work then?

[sc302 Veteran]

https://community.ve.../message/931278

https://community.ve...m/thread/775940

https://community.ve.../message/893024

http://news.cnet.com...ng-subscribers/

The best answer I can give is read through the above and make your own association as to how it works.....basically no one thought it would be a good idea to fight back and that is now how it works. I would consider purchasing a phone for 700+ if you want to keep your data plan.

[AJerman]

That's why you use GSM carriers. Swap the SIM and be done. There really isn't much you can do to keep your unlimited plans though. Pretty much all the companies are doing everything in their power to force you off of them. I finally came off my AT&T unlimited because... I think it was that they forced me if I wanted LTE. I have a 5 GB plan now and I think I've only gotten one warning as being close to my cap. 5 GB seems pretty good, even for me, if I just make sure to keep Wifi on at home and work.