The problem is timing.  I purchased the two V265s a couple of months ago, and subsequently discovered the disabled functionality.  I don't feel like shelling out another several hundred bucks to circumvent Verizon's arrogance.

- John
 Why don't you purchase non-VZW motorola phones and have them
 activated on VZW's service?

 -Quick
   "John Miller" <John.L.Miller@NO-SPAM.verizon.net> wrote in message news:2zH2e.11532$vd.159@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
   I've been a Verizon customer for years:  first land line, then wireless, then DSL.  I've been very well satisfied.  But the other day, my opinion of Verizon took a big hit.

   I have a couple of Motorola V265s, and I picked up their mobilePhone Tools to facilitate managing my address book, speed-dial numbers, etc.  Although I rarely use the camera or fiddle with ring tones and such, I thought it'd be nice, too, to be able to use the toolset to handle my phones' audio (if I want to try a funny ring tone) and video (if I want to take an occasional impromptu snapshot).  But no.

   Motorola told me - and a Verizon customer service rep. freely confirmed - that Verizon requires Motorola (and, I assume, other 'phone vendors) to disable any stand-alone media transfer capabilities.  She also confirmed my assessment that this was consciously intended to force Verizon customers to use their messaging and/or get-it-now services in order to boost Verizon's revenues.

   OK.  So paying 25 cents to transfer a picture is no big deal.  But for me, what is a big deal is that I don't care to go through a whole series of steps to transfer audio or video to myself via messaging, retrieve it, reconstruct it, and plunk it where I want it.  In particular, since I never use messaging, it represents a pain in the neck to re-learn how to do it every month or two when I want to grab a photo.  My hardware and software have the full capability to perform this rather simple task in a local, stand-alone, simple fashion, were it not for Verizon intentionally disabling the inherent, manufacturer-provided capabilities.

   My message to Verizon:  if you want to increase your revenues, then provide services and functionality that are so useful, simple, and needed that your customers are drawn in voluntarily.  Trying to jam it down our throats doesn't work and only engenders disdain for you.

   Now, I don't say this is a deal-breaker, but you can bet your sweetie that I'll look into every other wireless provider's plan before I renew with Verizon Wireless when my contract's up.

Quick Wrote:

When you have the phone activated, won't it then at that point disable
everything they want disabled? I think this is the case, but I could be
wrong.

I wanted to buy a non branded, non service provider V710 straight from
Motorola. After talking to a Motorola rep, they said that once the
phone was activated on whatever provider I was going to go with, that
some function's would work, and some wouldn't according to the
providers setup.

The big deal with all the crippling is the *Get It Now * feature. They
are wanting everybody to use it, and with the case of the V710 and it's
bluetooth function, they don't want one user getting a game or whatever
from Get It Now and then giving it to somebody else via bluetooth.