Verizon vs. Cingular
I was catching up on my blog-family's postings this a.m. and was thinking, I'm about to get my chops busted because I've not posted in a few days and I don't really even have anything to post about.
WRONG!
So a few weeks ago, I got a bug up my rear that I want (read: need) an all-in-one email/phone/pda device, for my own personal use. It will not be receiving work email, thank you very much. They don't pay me enough. So I went to the Verizon website and logged into my account and was poking around. Because my wants and desires are not properly timed, I found out I am six months early to the "new every 2" party. If I want the Treo, I have to pay retail.
Yes, I swore. Retail. There, I did it again. It's a nasty six-letter word I don't care for when used in conjunction with wireless devices. But here's the really vile part. For the Treo 650 (which is the latest model they had, last time I looked...funny because I think the Treo 750 (yes, 2 models later) is about to come out at Cingular), they expect me to pay $619.00. Just push me down on a pool table in the back of a seedy bar and call me Jody Foster.
At this point, I rang up Cingular and inquired as to what new customers get, blah blah blech. So all in all, I could get a Treo that is two models NEWER, a 2 yr contract with rollover minutes AND pay the Early Termination Fee at Verizon of $175 and still come out roughly $150 CHEAPER than if I stay with Verizon and pay the full price for the 2 models-old Treo 650.
I know. I keep thinking of the definition of insanity: repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. But I feel like it is Verizon who is collectively insane.
So liking that old gameshow Press Your Luck (big money, big money, no whammies....STOP!), I called up Verizon again today. I chatted with a nice guy and he basically told me that I MIGHT be eligible for an early exception upgrade in January. When pressed, he couldn't guarantee it. So I asked to be escalated.
I got EJ, the supervisor. I asked him for an early exception upgrade and he said no. I told him my choices were either to get the upgrade or leave Verizon after being a solid customer for over 6 years. He told me if they wanted to give me the upgrade, it would "be because we value you as a customer, not because you threaten to leave." This was the point where I almost hung up.
GB: "If you value me as a customer, then you want me to stay. It's the same thing as not wanting me to leave. Let's not get caught up in semantics. It's just you trying to put a positive spin on it."
EJ: "We cannot give you an early upgrade."
So I confirmed with him that I was quite unhappy, but that I wanted it abundantly clear that at this moment, I did not wish to have my account closed.
I know they don't care. Everyone knows this. But I wish someone inside a cellular provider would show me the math that they do which makes their denial of my request make financial sense to them. I did some math of my own:
$480 additional revenue (b/c if they give me the upgrade, my 2 yr contract date renews now, extending me for another 6 months at $80/month plan)
$960 additional revenue (adding 2 yr commitment for a $40/month data plan)
$X.XX? additional revenue (their margin on the equipment that I want to buy)
So that's $1440 additional revenue over the course of the next two years.
How does that compare with $175 early termination fee, losing $80/month for another 22 months (I had to restart my contract when I moved my number West) and a lost sale on equipment. I just don't understand it.
So my options are:
1. write a nasty letter to Verizon explaining all of this and requesting the early upgrade one last time
or
2. just quit and go to Cingular.
Peeps - CHIME IN.
WRONG!
So a few weeks ago, I got a bug up my rear that I want (read: need) an all-in-one email/phone/pda device, for my own personal use. It will not be receiving work email, thank you very much. They don't pay me enough. So I went to the Verizon website and logged into my account and was poking around. Because my wants and desires are not properly timed, I found out I am six months early to the "new every 2" party. If I want the Treo, I have to pay retail.
Yes, I swore. Retail. There, I did it again. It's a nasty six-letter word I don't care for when used in conjunction with wireless devices. But here's the really vile part. For the Treo 650 (which is the latest model they had, last time I looked...funny because I think the Treo 750 (yes, 2 models later) is about to come out at Cingular), they expect me to pay $619.00. Just push me down on a pool table in the back of a seedy bar and call me Jody Foster.
At this point, I rang up Cingular and inquired as to what new customers get, blah blah blech. So all in all, I could get a Treo that is two models NEWER, a 2 yr contract with rollover minutes AND pay the Early Termination Fee at Verizon of $175 and still come out roughly $150 CHEAPER than if I stay with Verizon and pay the full price for the 2 models-old Treo 650.
I know. I keep thinking of the definition of insanity: repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. But I feel like it is Verizon who is collectively insane.
So liking that old gameshow Press Your Luck (big money, big money, no whammies....STOP!), I called up Verizon again today. I chatted with a nice guy and he basically told me that I MIGHT be eligible for an early exception upgrade in January. When pressed, he couldn't guarantee it. So I asked to be escalated.
I got EJ, the supervisor. I asked him for an early exception upgrade and he said no. I told him my choices were either to get the upgrade or leave Verizon after being a solid customer for over 6 years. He told me if they wanted to give me the upgrade, it would "be because we value you as a customer, not because you threaten to leave." This was the point where I almost hung up.
GB: "If you value me as a customer, then you want me to stay. It's the same thing as not wanting me to leave. Let's not get caught up in semantics. It's just you trying to put a positive spin on it."
EJ: "We cannot give you an early upgrade."
So I confirmed with him that I was quite unhappy, but that I wanted it abundantly clear that at this moment, I did not wish to have my account closed.
I know they don't care. Everyone knows this. But I wish someone inside a cellular provider would show me the math that they do which makes their denial of my request make financial sense to them. I did some math of my own:
$480 additional revenue (b/c if they give me the upgrade, my 2 yr contract date renews now, extending me for another 6 months at $80/month plan)
$960 additional revenue (adding 2 yr commitment for a $40/month data plan)
$X.XX? additional revenue (their margin on the equipment that I want to buy)
So that's $1440 additional revenue over the course of the next two years.
How does that compare with $175 early termination fee, losing $80/month for another 22 months (I had to restart my contract when I moved my number West) and a lost sale on equipment. I just don't understand it.
So my options are:
1. write a nasty letter to Verizon explaining all of this and requesting the early upgrade one last time
or
2. just quit and go to Cingular.
Peeps - CHIME IN.
posted by Gina Bruce at 13:27
5 Comments:
it really depends on where you are- and what kind of service you are getting, if you like the verizon service- i'd say go to cingular and ask them to give u a demo phone or buy a phone and use it for the 15 day trial period-
i did this a while back and i couldn't stand the service- esp. the poor data coverage. so i returned the phone to cingular. imo verizon cannot be beat.
sure the plans cost more- and you have to wait a year before getting phones other people have- but its worth it, i'd rather get my calls/emails on my older model phone, than not recieve some of them.
I'm a hot-head, so here's what I would do:
1) Drop Verizon like a bad habbit.
2) Make sure that, in some way, they hear the big "Fuck you!" that goes along with the thud sound my Verizon phone made when I threw it out my window in front of the closest store.
3)Haul my cookies over to Cingular and pick up a shiny, brand new, latest model Treo and hug it all the way home.
Yeah, that's exactly what I would do.
What about T mobile girl? If it's good enough for Catherine Zeta Jones Douglas Chubby Chaser, it's GOTS to be good enough for y'all. They've got good equip, solid service and good customer service. Those bitches quiver when I call. On the down side, they hacve shitty ringtones. So unless you are so deep in touch with your inner 14 year old midwestern future ho white gurl and don't mind a 'Sexyback' ringtone, thems the one. And nary a dropped call!
Peace love and diet coke yo!
If you weren't in San Francisco, I'd tell you to stop in at the nearest store and make a big scene like only a true diva can do.
It works in Minnesota because nothing is more embarrassing than the thought that people know you have lousy customer service.
I'm happy with T-Mobile. Cingular couldn't give me what I want, but I don't hold that against them. Nobody else can either.
As always,
Aunt Phetamine
I'm not too familiar with other providers. I've been with Cingular for many years, with the exception of the two-year mistake I made with GTE (now SunCom or ATT or whatever) 10 years ago. Cameron had Sprint up until 2 years ago. When we wanted to consolidate our plans Cingular treated us best.
Of course, I have to tell you that I'm not much on the latest, greatest, etc. I pretty much stay an upgrade behind because I hate dealing with bugs.
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