Cell phone early termination fee question.
 

I really, really want a Motorola Razr phone. I've been with Verizon Wireless for a good eight years and have been a loyal customer. But these damn phones are only available through them for $99 IF you are a new customer and sign a two-year agreement. Otherwise, they're $300 and change. My contract doesn't come up for renewal for over a year. I don't know what my early termination fee is, but I'd guess it's enough that it plus the $99 to sign up as a new customer is probably close to the $300+ price. Cingular will give this phone to new customers for $40 and change AND I could keep my Verizon phone number. Ok, bottom line: has anyone ever gotten Verizon to cave by threatening to leave? Obviously, paying a one-time early termin. fee is a small fraction of the money they'd lose if I left them forever. Does this logic work on them? I know it works with credit card cos. that want to charge an annual fee.

Rick, it may be at the discretion of the rep you work with. If you have a local Verizon store I'd try to pursuade the manager to work with you. Does you workplace have a relationship with them...or how about a friend who has a commercial account? That may be some grease on the wheel.

Verizon wireless sucks with their contracts. I tried the same thing, they wouldnt budge, and I work for Verizon. The only reason I stay with them, is that almost everyone that I talk on the phone to, has the same service and I have almost unlimited in network calls. Not that I even use it much. I went to 3 different VZ stores and they all said I'd have to buy the phone outright. I could get a better deal by going to Cingular or T Mobile than I get with my joke-of-a employee discount.

Thanks Vinny. That's not encouraging news. I used to work at Verizon and we got something like $200 a month toward cell and home phone bills. I know some of those sales reps must have some discretion to get make an executive decision.

Let's see - sell a Razr phone for $99 to and keep a longtime customer who's paid many thousands of dollars to us over the years and probably will continue to do so OR refuse to sell him the phone, get $200 or so in early termination fee and never see him again. Does this sound like a tough decision?

$220 a month toward your bill?? Wow!! What VZ did you work for? We dont get crap. Honestly, I dont think those sales reps get that huge of an incentive. Plus they get enough business that a few customers threating to leave wont put a scare in them. I've been in there jumping up and down screaming about my "employee rights" and no respect for your fellow worker.:D didnt help a bit!
Those stupid Wireless stores always seem to be the most crowded store in the malls. I'ts amazing how obssesed people have become with their cell phones.

The contract BS is one of the many reasons I won't get a cell phone.

Thom, you are a braver man than I.

Vinny, I was in Yellow Pages sales and I think we did get $200 a month for phone stuff. Just got off the phone with V. Wireless and they said there's no way I can get a Razr phone for less than full retail unless I add another line to my account, which, of course, would cost far more than a full retail Razr and far more than paying my early termin. fee and going somewhere else. I asked her if any of that made sense to her - losing a longtime customer for something like this, suggesting an alternative that costs far more than my just paying full retail, etc. Seems like Verizon hasn't changed at all since I worked there. No one gets paid to think or make common-sense financial and sales decisions. I just don't understand folks who would choose 100% of nothing over 60% of something.

Thats for sure!!:p

I agree Thom. They have the worst contract terms of anyone out there. Along with their DSL Service. You shouldnt be locked into a contract with such high penalties, or even locked into a contract at all.

I know that Sprint has an upgrade promotion. If you extend your contract for 1 or 2 years, Sprint will give $75 to $150 respectively towards a new phone. Verizon doesn't have anything like that?

Look for a cell phone forum and see if they have any advice.

I just went thru this BS this week after I ran my cellphone thru the washer AND dryer. I'm with Cingular and went to the store and was offered a POS phone for $120 that a new customer would get for free. I said I would extend my contract for 2 more years now what will you sell it to me for? Still $120. It was $175 to buy out the 10 months left on the contract. I finally got them to sell me a Razr for the $120 that new customers are getting for $49. I've been with them for 7 years. I rank them right up there with insurance companies.

i just read in money magazine that people that want to bail on cell phone contracts just need to sign up with a service that transfers your remaining contract to someone else. i seem to remember a website of a service, but sorry, i dont have the magazine here with me at the office.

i am verizon, and i like it. i dont think i have ever chosen a cell provider, by the equipment. hell, i was sprint for a long time, and in my opinion, they have the lamest phones.

I hate the way US cel service is set up. 2-year contracts...give me a break! Overseas, you buy the phone yourself (with no discounts) and pay a monthly fee depending on how many minutes you use, just like it is with land lines here. I had one when I worked overseas, and it cost around $20 a month total using around 500 minutes worth of local calls.

I have to switch companies each year or two so I can get a new phone. US cel service is a scam to the highest degree.

Just switched to Cingular. The $175 early termin. fee with Verizon will sting, but I'll make it bakc in savings AND my Razr is a GSM, which will make me very happy when I travel overseas. Last year in China I had a rented cell phone and never could figure out to reply to text messages, so I'd have to call them. Now I can use my new phone wherever I go. It even came with a Chinese plug outlet adapter.

And that is why these clerks will remain clerks..unable to to see the big picture.Lose a 7 year customer over a 50 dollar phone.
Rika