Changing phones with Verizon Wireless...

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Jones - 26 Jun 2004 04:04 GMT

I signed up for a 2 year contract on America's Choice $39.99 at Radio
Shack. The Rep said he was able to get the rate plan that included
calling to Mexico and Canada at no extra charge... the thing is that
he has done that for existing customers renewing, and I was his first
new activation looking for that specific plan... so after the credit
check and everything going through, he informed me I was unable to get
that plan until I was on the network for 2 months. I reluctantly
agreed to go on the plan since he threw in an acessory. I'm within my
14 day period (Radio Shack's return policy is 14 days). But they
don't offer the buy 1 get 1 free on the a530s. My phone is the
CDM8600 which was $29.99 for a 2 year contract.

Questions:

1) Am I able to return the phone to Radio Shack and keep the account
open so I can go to a Verizon corporate store in order to take
advantage of this promo?

2) Do I need to actually cancel the contract at the Radio Shack store
and start up a new one with the Verizon store?

3) If I need to cancel the contract at Radio Shack, what are the
actual charges Verizon will make me pay? Will they just charge the #
of days multiplied by the daily rate for my rate plan? Or will they
take the # of minutes I used and multiply by $0.45/min? What about
the activation fee, will that be creditted?

4) Probably unlikely, but any chance of Radio Shack providing the same
promo??

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

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Brian - 26 Jun 2004 04:19 GMT

Verizon has a 15day satisfaction period where you can cancel your contract
with no charge other than the minutes you used since then. You should visit
the radioshack you purchased from to see what their 14day is. I imagine its
only on the phone, and they will be a middle man to cancel your contract if
you want within the 14 days. All radio shack really did for you was sell you
a phone and activate it, other than that you're with verizon totally.

You're best bet might be to return the phone and cancel the contract while
you're within the grace period, then go to a verizon store and open an
account again and get the phone and plan you want...

> I signed up for a 2 year contract on America's Choice $39.99 at Radio
> Shack. The Rep said he was able to get the rate plan that included
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
>
> Thanks!

Reply to this Message

Jeremy Deats' - 26 Jun 2004 04:49 GMT

Only problem is if he was required to put down a deposit to activate the
account (Verizon likes to collect depsoites from everyone it seems, and then
force you to wait six to eight weeks to get the money back), then he'd have
to wait six-eight weeks for a mail back check for that money. The new
activation would require yet another deposit.

Also, make sure the phones are in mint condition. I had friend of mine get
burned on Verizon's 15 day grace period, he lost the warrenty card out of
the box and there was a very small blimish on the phone... This led to a 15%
restocking fee (15% of the value of the phone, not the value he paid with
the plan.. so the free phone he had was actually valued at like $260 so he
was out for $40, plus he had to wait a week to get his deposit back.). When
I canceled my contract I didn't have that problem, because the phones were
like new. Not a scratch on them... Also if you cancel make sure you get the
activatin fee credited back, you may have to talk to manager to get this
accomplished.

> Verizon has a 15day satisfaction period where you can cancel your contract
> with no charge other than the minutes you used since then. You should visit
[quoted text clipped - 40 lines]
> >
> > Thanks!

Reply to this Message

Peter Pan - 26 Jun 2004 05:58 GMT

> I signed up for a 2 year contract on America's Choice $39.99 at Radio
> Shack. The Rep said he was able to get the rate plan that included
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
>
> Thanks!

Before you do anything, you better read the fine print. For that phone, the
buy one get one free ONLY applies to selected plans, and the ones listed are
all family share plans, that have restrictions, and cost $20 more a month.

While the 14 day trial thing is free on the phone itself, if you cancel, you
will get zapped for an activation fee (usually $35)
you WILL be charged for one months PLAN service (no per minute, unless you
go over the plan minutes) no matter if it is one day or 30. You are charged
the entire amount on day one, no matter how many minutes you use (You pay
for the plan on day one, that gives you up to xxx minutes)

Looking on ebay, a brand new, still in the box Samsung SCH A530 is between
$56 and $79.99

Lets see, so $35 + $39.99 <--- (plan price) + $39.99 (verizon plan first
month if you switch) + $20 (first month for second line, required for free
phone on promo)
hmmmm my calculator says $134.98 to switch (just for the first month, and an
extra $20 a month over the plan price thereafter), or get a brand new in the
box, never activated, brand new second phone for less than $80..... To make
it even stranger,
verizon free phone but contract = 2 years, $20 a month for the second line,
that's $460 to verizon for a free phone over two years, or $80 to ebay for a
second phone on the contract you already have.

Hmmm $514.98 for a "free" phone ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!

Ummmm are you into bridges? I got a bridge to sell ya..... :)

Seriously.... and PS for those lurking, go to www.ebay.com
on Left side, click on consumer electronics
again on the left side under Cell Phones Phones only
then on left side, cell phone finder, Phone brand "Samsung", Service
compatibility "Verizon",Condition "New, Never Opened", Search Keywords
"A530", and then click on show items..

At the moment 17 are shown, but some of them are the A530S model! those are
NOT the one that verizon has (they just have the A530 no "s")
Just a sample of 3 of them as text...
Samsung SCH A530 (Verizon Wireless) CDMA New Phone $56.00
Samsung SCH A530 (Verizon Wireless) CDMA New Phone $81.00
NEW!!NEW!! Samsung SCH-a530 W/Accessories!! $99.00

(You wouldn't beleive the accessories on the 3rd one!) Description:
BRAND NEW SAMSUNG A530s SILVER COLOR CELL PHONE FOR VERIZON You are bidding
on BRAND NEW SAMSUNG A530s Color Cell phone for Verizon. NEVER USED or
ACTIVATED. You will get Home Charger, Battery Charger, Standard Battery,
Belt Clip, Sealed Manual, Verizon Wireless Software Pack and also a special
package of accesories that will include, CarCharger, Leather Case and a
Motorola Factory Ear Piece included with your phone. Buyer should pay $18
Plus insurance (If desired). I will ship the item very next day via UPS
Ground Thanks for looking . And Good Luck

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Jeremy Deats' - 26 Jun 2004 15:42 GMT

"Peter Pan" <Marcs1102GSSPAMMENOT@NOSPAMHotmail.com> wrote in message

> . . . . . . . . . . .
> Before you do anything, you better read the fine print. For that phone, the
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> the entire amount on day one, no matter how many minutes you use (You pay
> for the plan on day one, that gives you up to xxx minutes)

Well, this is no longer true. You can talk to a manager and get the
activation fee waved on a cancellation (I had two activation fees waved
since I had two phones with them). In my contract, on a 15 cancellation they
take the lump sum of minutes for the month and divide it by the number of
days in the month, add something else in.. I don't remember the formula, but
it was made clear that I would "only have to pay for the minutes used", but
shortly after that statement came "plus addition fees".

If they try to bill for an entire month or do something else shady, the
answer is to threaten to sue them. If you have to take it all the way to
court you're likely to loose, but that's not the point since the case will
never make it there. For anything less than a couple grand it wouldn't be
worth it to Verizon Corporate to get an attorney on the case. In the letter
offer to settle with them and state the terms of the settlement (which I
suppose would be the cost of the months bill minus the minutes you used).

Believe it or not, this often works. Is it unethical? I don't think so. It's
not like you could change the terms of their contract before you signed.
Obviously no one explained these important details to you. Cell phone
companies are trying to suck as much money as they possibly can from you,
they get so much they don't have time to deal with the few who dispute them
so they just pay out. Same is true for a lot of industries.

-Jeremy

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Peter Pan - 26 Jun 2004 18:12 GMT

> "Peter Pan" <Marcs1102GSSPAMMENOT@NOSPAMHotmail.com> wrote in message

> If they try to bill for an entire month or do something else shady, the
> answer is to threaten to sue them. If you have to take it all the way to
> court you're likely to loose, but that's not the point since the case will

You may want to look at the contract, when you get one you agree to binding
arbitration and give up the right to sue...

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Elector - 26 Jun 2004 18:26 GMT

> > "Peter Pan" <Marcs1102GSSPAMMENOT@NOSPAMHotmail.com> wrote in message
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> You may want to look at the contract, when you get one you agree to binding
> arbitration and give up the right to sue...

Arbitration can be removed via the simple sending of a letter to the
carrier that you do not agree to that term and will not give up your
right to action via the courts. many companies would like you to think
that is the best for the consumer etc. but it is not. In arbitration
you don't get the same rights to see what documents and information
the other party has, you don't get an advance of witness statements,
or any advance on what the other party intends to produce in relation
to that arbitration.

In my daily line of work I am forced via union contracts to first seek
arbitration and then only as a fourth step in that process may I then
move to the courts. I have won many a hearing with arbitration, but I
have fared much better with the courts when the decision of the
arbiter was flawed.

Verizon Wireless like Verizon telephone and any other name to be
inserted here, is fully aware that you can sue in a court since you
are not obligated to give up your rights. Look at the credit card
industry in the last few years and see that clause for arbitration
versus the court system. Note they also give you a method of opting
out of that provision and keeping your card or services. Just my AMEX
card alone has that I need only call a toll free number and that tells
them I wish for court actions.

Never let any company get away with arbitration.

Elector

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Jeremy Deats' - 27 Jun 2004 23:05 GMT

> Verizon Wireless like Verizon telephone and any other name to be
> inserted here, is fully aware that you can sue in a court since you
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Elector

As I was stating, once you threaten to take legal action and offer up a
reasonable settlement, my experience is they will almost always settle. I
don't know what the threshold is, but if it's less than $100 I can't see it
being worth their time. Even their staff attorneys have bigger battles to
fight, even $500 is probably not worth it considering the cost they'll be
out. Their larger fear is the negative PR they could potentially receive
from the case, should it go to trial. This is all pending the contracts
being shady and mandating that have to pay for services never received.
Again, I'd like to reiterate that Verizon was more than willing to work with
me without having to go to this level. I simply talked to the store manager
where I signed the contract, he agreed to wave the activation fees and
explained how I'd be billed for the week I had service...

You can't expect to get the minutes you used for free, but if they try to
make you pay for a month of service you didn't use you most certinaly can
get out of it.

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Jacob Suter - 29 Jun 2004 21:40 GMT

>>"Peter Pan" <Marcs1102GSSPAMMENOT@NOSPAMHotmail.com> wrote in message
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> You may want to look at the contract, when you get one you agree to binding
> arbitration and give up the right to sue...

In the USA you can never sign away your right to sue....

If that was the case *everyone* would insist upon paperwork like that.
From the plumber to the propane delivery man.

JS

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Jerome Zelinske - 26 Jun 2004 12:09 GMT

The 14 day "no cancellation fee" period is verizon's. RadioShack
has a 30 day return policy on the phone. If you return the phone to
RadioShack within 14 days or later, that does not cancel your contract
with verizon. You would have to contact verizon to cancel the contract.

> I signed up for a 2 year contract on America's Choice $39.99 at Radio
> Shack. The Rep said he was able to get the rate plan that included
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
>
> Thanks!

Reply to this Message

Jones - 30 Jun 2004 23:37 GMT

> The 14 day "no cancellation fee" period is verizon's. RadioShack
> has a 30 day return policy on the phone. If you return the phone to
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
> >
> > Thanks!

I've decided that I will be taking the phone back to Radio Shack
tomorrow after making 2 calls in 2 days to VZ Customer Service... Both
Reps have told me that Canada calling is no longer included in the AC
$39.99 as of May 10th and that they have introduced NAC - North
America's Choice starting @ $59.99. A far cry from what I was
"promised"... Glad to know someone will be losing commission just to
complete a sale.

AT&T however has an add on for $9.99/month which will allow calling to
Canada, Puerto Rico and USVI as well as roaming in those countries.
http://www.attwireless.com/nap/

Anyone been on this add-on feature before?

Comments?

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