For those who are contracted to their Verizon account and want the upcoming iPhone this summer, now may be your time without having to pay that hefty ETF fee. Otherwise, it might just be a good chance to get a new free phone.
April 2009-Verizon Wireless Get out of ETF with the picture and video messaging fee increase!
This is being discussed in a previous Deal Talk thread Link, but I did not not see a thread dedicated to this. If there is one, please mod alert and delete.
I just did this an hour ago, and was let out of my contract after only 20 minutes on the phone with two different people. I had to change my wireless plan from unlimited messaging to a plan where I was able to add a quota messaging plan in order to qualify for this. I downgraded online to the plan where you add the messaging bundle for $5, $10 or $15/month. I made the changes effective for 4/27 (which was my next billing cycle start date), and even though the change was not effective yet, they still waived the ETF.
In any event, in the latest bill, there is a change in pricing, which states:
“Picture and Video Messaging Pricing Change
Effective 05/03/09, when you send a picture or video message to multiple recipients, you will be charged once for each recipient. If you already have a messaging bundle, these messages will apply towards your bundle quota. If you are on a Pay-as-You go plan or exceed your bundle quota, you will be charged $.25 per recipient. ” (Thanks MLaritz)
This is a price change (See below) and therefore falls under the wonderful “material adverse effect” clause of the contract.
Our Rights to Make Changes
Your service is subject to our business policies, practices and procedures, which we can change without notice. UNLESS OTHERWISE PROHIBITED BY LAW, WE CAN ALSO CHANGE PRICES AND ANY OTHER CONDITIONS IN THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME BY SENDING YOU WRITTEN NOTICE PRIOR TO THE BILLING PERIOD IN WHICH THE CHANGES WOULD GO INTO EFFECT. IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE YOUR SERVICE AFTER THAT POINT, YOU’RE ACCEPTING THE CHANGES. IF THE CHANGES HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON YOU, HOWEVER, YOU CAN END THE AFFECTED SERVICE, WITHOUT ANY EARLY TERMINATION FEE, JUST BY CALLING US WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER WE SEND NOTICE OF THE CHANGE. (from Verizon’s website)
The Tier 0 rep did was unable to do anything, so I spoke to a supervisor. I explained to the rep who at first, stated the “material adverse effect” clause only applies to “plan changes” not messaging. I calmly explained to him that this was not in the original contract I signed, and if I were to exceed the quota, the exceeded money would have a material adverse effect on me. He then said “Well, we’re talking about possibilities here and no guarantees that you will exceed.” I said “Well, what if I do one month, then I will have a material adverse effect on me.” He put me on hold, then tried to get me back to my old plan which was unlimited messaging to anyone. I simply told him I downgraded because I couldn’t afford the plan I previously had, and that changing plans was not an option. He put me on hold again, and came back and that is when I explained the following to him. When I did, he confirmed that the price increase statement means the following:
If you’re on a quota messaging plan (let’s say, 500, as in my case), currently any picture/video messages you send to more than one recipient counts as one message deducted from your total bundle, and if your exceed your quota, you’re charged $.25 per message, regardless of now many people you send the pic/vid message to. (If you send a picture message to 5 people how, it counts as one picture message, and if it exceeds your quota, you would incur a charge of $.25, the price of one picture message)
After 5/3/09, however, any picture/video message sent to more than one recipient deducts from your message bundle as one message per recipient and if you exceed the quota, you will be charged $.25/per recipient (If you send a picture message to 5 people, it will count as 5 separate messages. If you exceed your quota, and send a picture message to 5 people, the single message would count as 5 separate picture messages, and a charge of $.25 per message will be incurred, making the total cost for the ‘one’ message $1.25).
After this explanation, he put me on hold one more time, and in about three minutes, he came back and said “As a one time courtesy, we’ll waive the ETF for you.” He then notated the account, and we parted ways.
I hope this helps other people out. Please post success stories and failures in here.
