Verizon Wireless allows customers to change plans without extending contract
Though you may be used to hearing Alltel boast of its consumer-friendly policy that enables users to change their plan at anytime without requiring a contract extension, now would be a good time to gear up for lots of similar chatter from Verizon. Reportedly, Verizon Wireless will soon allow its users to change up their plans mid-contract without asking them to sign on for any additional time, which should thoroughly excite those customers who've been regretting their plan decision since day two. So go on, Verizon customers, start scoping out which plan best fits your current lifestyle, because the new rule goes into effect on October 7th.[Thanks, Kiwi616]
Filed under: Verizon Wireless
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sleighboy @ Oct 3rd 2007 2:01PM
This is new? Myself and others I know have changed plans mid-contract w/o any extension. Infact I was advised by a rep to change my plan a month before my NE2 was up so I could get an addtl $50 off a new phone by only spending $15 more on a plan bump.
Surtur @ Oct 3rd 2007 2:12PM
This post confuses me as well, Sleighboy. I have T-Mobile and this year I moved to 600 minutes from 300 and back to 300 with no contract extension. I was under the impression that T-Mo only required a contract extension with their promotional plans (like the 1000 minutes for $39.99 one.)
ShortFuse @ Oct 3rd 2007 3:04PM
Yes, and this isn't talking about T-Mobile, this is talking about Verizon.
Roger Alford @ Oct 3rd 2007 3:16PM
Technically T-Mobile allows you to change plans at anytime and "backdate" it, without contract extentions at anytime, with the exception of promotion plans. Key is ANY plan with "Unlimited Nights" or $39.99 plans with 1000+ minutes without nights are called "promotional", but additionally, plans with "FamilyTime" or "MyFaves" is also promotional which require 2-year extentions.
The problem then lies in the online My T-Mobile site, which shows me, I CAN get a MyFaves plan WITH Nights WITHOUT extentions. As for regular plans, I can switch to those but forget the nights included, but I already have a grandfathered add-on stand alone for $4.99 for nights. So could I technically change to a plan without nights and still use this add on?
ShortFuse @ Oct 3rd 2007 3:02PM
It's about time. I have a few friends that unknowingly had their contracts renewed. The CSR didn't tell them they extended the contract. The article also states Verizon will introduce an unlimited Verizon Wireless to/from Verizon Landline plan. This is in response to AT&T Unity, but this will cost extra, unlike AT&T's service which is including in the standard plan.
Roger Alford @ Oct 3rd 2007 3:17PM
T-Mobile needs to roll out "Unlimited to ANY Landline" plan, which enables you to select calls to any company you select. Be it Verizon Landline, Embarq, Qwest or AT&T. For me, Id select AT&T because thats where I live, though technically more of my friends are mobile users or use QWEST for homephone.
theman1321 @ Oct 3rd 2007 3:22PM
This is cool and all, but I just want to be able to switch to a new phone whenever I want without having to pay extra fees.
elgee02 @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:29PM
You can. It's called "full retail".
Ruben @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:09PM
This is not new if you're or were an existing Verizon wireless customer. Anytime a customer would change their plan they would extend a year on the day you change the plan (i.e. If they want to change their plan on 10/3/2007, it will extend it to 10/3/2008). This was a problem b/c people signed for 1 or 2 yr agreements and this extended their services with them. It didn't give the customers any flexibility to change plans their without extending their contract. SO UNFAIR! Also the Verizon representatives wouldn't tell you or be clear about this, if you didn't as they wouldn't say anything. ( not every rep. is like this but most of them )In a business sense it was good for Verizon if they extend their contracts they get more money (even if people cancel early they still get money from the term. fee) I'm glad they made this move b/c Verizon are being less greedy and actually thinking about their customers needs. This is one of the reasons why people hate or leave Verizon or b/c their crappy customer service!
Nick @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:36PM
If they don't tell you that your contract will be extended you can fight it. I went to cancel my Nextel plan a few years ago, and they said that I would have to pay the cancellation fee because I changed my plan a few months back and that extended my contract. I told them that they never said that it would extend my contract, and they went back and listened to the phone call when I changed my plan. Then they let me cancel.
Matt Dombovy-Johnson @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:28PM
I did this over the summer with Verizon to ease the pain of a high bill... Nothing new...
trooth @ Oct 4th 2007 5:20AM
I am glad to see them make the move. I thought that it was a good idea when Alltel changed their policy a couple of years ago. Honestly the contracts need to go. That means no more subsidizing the price of phones. If you are going to charge an activation fee than so be it. If companies want to offer a discount to their customers periodically to reward them for staying with them, that would be great too.
This is a really a no brainer on their part though. If they want to really push these new plans that bundle unlimited messaging, vznavigator, vcast video, etc. you have to remove this major drawback to actually switching to one of those selected plans. I understand that churn is a major cost factor for wireless providers, but at some point they are all going to have to bite the bullet and start acting more like landline companies and not rely on contracts to keep customers in place.
Prepaid should be an option for people with horrible credit. People who dont want a contract shouldn't have to go that route for cell service, let people buy their own equipment, pay an activation fee, and if needed put down a deposit. That is how other utilities and services work, of course those other utilities and services generally have little to no competition per address...
Warren @ Oct 4th 2007 9:38AM
Many many Moons ago Verizon. They would like you go up and down withing the period of plan offerings that you selected your plan in. So they are basically going back to what they were doing before. Nothing new here.
gareth @ Oct 4th 2007 1:07PM
uh what?
dionigi @ Oct 5th 2007 6:51PM
i've changed my plan with AT&T (and Cingular before it) numerous times without any penalties or extensions. the one company i've experienced that with was Sprint.
Moi @ Oct 6th 2007 4:02PM
I've been doing that for years with Verizon. So what's the news here?