Cancelled my service and returning the droid

[whec716]

So, based on these new ads from dell mobile, wirefly and others I called Verizon and explained my situation.

I am a new customer, bought the droid 1 week ago. Paid $199 plus $35 activation from the Verizon wireless store. Now I see the phone for $99 with free activation. Asked for a credit for the difference. They refused. So I asked if I could cancel my service and return the phone, only to buy it again. They said I could.

So, long story short - I canceled the Verizon service and i'm returning the droid.

As much as I enjoyed the phone, I'm not sure if i'll replace it or just use my business blackberry.

WHEC716

 

[JohnDroid]

So, based on these new ads from dell mobile, wirefly and others I called Verizon and explained my situation.

I am a new customer, bought the droid 1 week ago. Paid $199 plus $35 activation from the Verizon wireless store. Now I see the phone for $99 with free activation. Asked for a credit for the difference. They refused. So I asked if I could cancel my service and return the phone, only to buy it again. They said I could.

So, long story short - I canceled the Verizon service and i'm returning the droid.

As much as I enjoyed the phone, I'm not sure if i'll replace it or just use my business blackberry.

WHEC716

Sorry to hear about it. It is typical however that technology devices get cheaper at very rapid paces. I've purchased quite a few ipods only to find out they dropped the price significantly just weeks later ;(

 

[austinnadz]

If I were Verizon I'd stick with the once a customer always a customer mantra and say you were already given your instant savings when you purchased the phone the first time when it first came out and not allow you to buy it again at the lower rate.

I'd be careful with that if you want a Droid again.

 

[kevin1016]

Anyone who bought the Droid on the release date or soon thereafter and thought that the price would stay the same, especially directly before Christmas, needs a reality check.

 

[takeshi]

If I were Verizon I'd stick with the once a customer always a customer mantra and say you were already given your instant savings when you purchased the phone the first time when it first came out and not allow you to buy it again at the lower rate.

I'd be careful with that if you want a Droid again.

Huh? Are you saying that your fantasy about being Verizon affects their real world policies?

I'd be careful with that.

 

[austinnadz]

No, I'm saying that at one point you were a Verizon customer and are no longer subject to new verizon customer policies (hence once a customer always a customer), whereas you may not be able to get the phone for the reduced price. Of course if Verizon was smart they'd reset that after every 6 months or so.

 

[RTracer]

Remember the whole debacle over the iphone release and soon after price drop...

Being an early adopter is a *****, buts its the price we pay

 

[db83]

where did you see the price drop?

 

[morrisbeer]

OK, I see your frustration here. I too saw the price drop and wanted to do something. I work terrible hours and decided to send verizon an email directly. I told them about my frustration seeing an identical item to theirs being sold cheaper. Kind of a slap in the face. I hadnt even sent in the $100 mail in rebate yet and let them know that I was going to cancel my service. I quickly received an email that told me my account was going to be credited the $100 mail in rebate and also the $80 difference in the purchase prices. Satisfied me and once again keeps me a verizon customer. Good word of mouth beats any kind of money paid for advertisement in my eyes.

 

[medicTHREE]

Remember the whole debacle over the iphone release and soon after price drop...

Being an early adopter is a *****, buts its the price we pay

Eh, such is life with all new consumer products. Say you buy a 2010 S4 right now, the price you pay is not giong to be the same as someone who buys it in July 2010. It certainly won't be the same as someone buying it in December 2010.

All consumer goods come down in price, and electronics do so rapidly. If you don't wanna get burned in the price game, stay with your old phone. If I returned every device that the price came down significantly on in short order, I'd spend more time at customer service than using my device.

What do you do when in another 30 days they drop the price again?

 

[keiichi25]

where did you see the price drop?

He was looking at the various sites, like Free Cell Phones with New Cell Phone Plans - Shop Deals from Wireless Carriers - Wirefly.com and mobility.dell.com.

On those sites, I see Wirefly at $149.99 and Dell at $119.99 with Free activation and the likes.

Of course, this is after Black Friday (Currently Cyber Monday) sales, which suggests they are down pricing to encourage sales.

Verizon's typical stance will be not to give you a refund after a sale is made. Generally, whenever you sign something, you committed to the price at the time of sale. This is not like the Circuit City of "We will be any price." offer. Unless it was literally stated they will do that, you can't go back a few days later to try and get a refund on a price change.

Most companies will not do that unless they put a guarantee of that nature.

 

[conazo]

Remember the whole debacle over the iphone release and soon after price drop...

Being an early adopter is a *****, buts its the price we pay

Eh, such is life with all new consumer products. Say you buy a 2010 S4 right now, the price you pay is not giong to be the same as someone who buys it in July 2010. It certainly won't be the same as someone buying it in December 2010.

All consumer goods come down in price, and electronics do so rapidly. If you don't wanna get burned in the price game, stay with your old phone. If I returned every device that the price came down significantly on in short order, I'd spend more time at customer service than using my device.

What do you do when in another 30 days they drop the price again?

Great Point!

 

[whec716]

I was not an "early adopter" i wanted almost a month. I am not asking to be credited the difference for the life of the phone. But what is customer is that if the price on a device drops during the return policy, generally you can get the difference, I know i've done that with ipod's bought from Best Buy.

 

[godanigo]

So you're mad because you failed to shop around?

I don't call apple and complain that some other company has the iPod for cheaper and demand they refund the difference. There is something to be said for buying an item from the original manufacturer (or in this case, offerer/carrier whatever). Don't complain and punish Verizon for your mistake.

 

[austinnadz]

Verizon's typical stance will be not to give you a refund after a sale is made. Generally, whenever you sign something, you committed to the price at the time of sale. This is not like the Circuit City of "We will be any price." offer. Unless it was literally stated they will do that, you can't go back a few days later to try and get a refund on a price change.

Most companies will not do that unless they put a guarantee of that nature.

I work for a major technology company to remain unnamed (trust me if you watch TV you've heard of them), and a policy of theirs is that if you cancel your services while under contract, you are not eligible for new customer promotions/deals for 6 months after cancelling their services (assuming it is the same qualifiers ie. address, social security # etc., otherwise you wouldn't really be a returning customer anyways). So I also advise everyone to be careful of that.

For companies this policy does makes good sense business wise. The special rates of "39.99 for the first 6 months" is a good deal for the customer, thats what grabs you and makes you feel secure, and then they increase the rates to the non-promotional deal after your intro has expired, this is where they get you. It doesn't make good sense for the business to continually offer the promotional rates to people who continually threaten to cancel or cancel, if they were making money off of the promotional rates they would be the normal rates. So don't assume that if you cancel you are going to be able to go back and get the same thing you were previously offered just because you are a customer.

We all want low prices but the business is there to make money, they have to draw a line somewhere whether it's the right line or not.