Taking the unlimited data out of the picture, let’s say we had a regular capped plan, and wanted a new phone. The monthly access for a phone goes from 15 to 40 dollars. We could spend 650 and own the phone right away, versus get it ‘free’ and spend 600 over 2 years, and not have the ability to change our minds. That’s the kind of arithmetic that didn’t apply when we got the new one last fall (because we kept the same plan). It’s a pretty powerful disincentive to go with a contract.
I actually played around with AT&T and T-Mobile’s pages and none of them would actually save us much money (given that we’d almost certainly need new equipment).
Verizon’s not a monopoly. They’re part of the vast confuse-opoly of US cell service but that’s a different pit thread :D.
Very true. T-Mobile has shaken up the way some contracts work, but they are not a discount plan. And you would definitely need a new phone with them or AT&T (though many phones can be used on switched between T-Mobile and AT&T). And they all try very hard to keep customers confused. Harder to tell just how shitty they are if you don’t fully understand.
I’m still with Verizon because they bought Alltel, and my mom’s job had a slight discount through Alltel 15+ years ago so we went with Alltel as a family. I’m still on a family plan with my parents cuz it works!
I’ve also heard that Verizon’s coverage can’t be beat, so I just stick right here. I don’t have the time or energy to try to find something better, price-wise, and I’m afraid if I do I’ll be disappointed in them coverage-wise.
PS: The optimal thing to do seems to be to re-up any plan you have with Verizon/AT&T to get your free phone and then immediately switch to T-mobile and have them pay off your early termination fees for you. You get the best of both worlds in this situation.
If you push most companies hard enough, they will do the right thing. It pays for them in the end. They just won’t do it *unless *you push hard enough, and the front-line troops are conditioned to be push-resistant.
A variant of that actually comes to mind, as about the only way to save money on a new phone.
For an iPhone 6, which retails for 650 or more, take the contract with Verizon, then break it within a couple of weeks so you’re not paying the extra monthly fee for long. Pay the 350 termination fee. If you paid 200 dollars up front, you’ve gotten a 650 dollar phone for 550 dollars.
Doing the T-Mobile thing would also work, unless the phone won’t work on their network. Some do, some don’t (even with a swappable SIM, I gather).
Since Verizon really does have the best coverage (from what I can find online; my own personal evidence is getting a call while standing on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, about 50 miles from anything), we really weren’t interested in jumping ship if we didn’t have to.
Just a suggestion. I work for T-Mobile and I can tell you trying to get the insurance company to budge on policy is pointless. They will NEVER budge. Your best bet is to ask if you can get an in-house claim done by Verizon. We do it sometimes for good customers who would be getting hosed by the insurance otherwise. Basically Verizon would send you a new phone and just eat the cost themselves, minus whatever the deductible would have been. For example, and iPhone 6 new is $630 about through T-Mobile. The deductible through Asurion is $175 for us. We’d send you a brand new one, bill it to your account and then credit you $455 (630-175). It’s actually a BETTER solution because insurance always sends you refurbished phones. So try asking for that. For a 20 year customer I can’t imagine they wouldn’t do that.
