HTC Thunderbolt Release Date

[Effington]

I just despise rumors in general, and I said that earlier, that its terrible how much VZW is jerking it's customers around.

How is VZW jerking ANYONE around? They have not announced a release date on the device. Ever. It's not on their website, it's not advertised in their stores, and if you call them wanting one they tell you it's not available yet. How exactly is this jerking you around? Because you want it now now now and they are not selling it yet???

Best Buy stores have tweeted all sorts of junk tweets trying to bring people in, but Best Buy is not owned by VZW, they are just a reseller (and a rather sucky one at that).

Here's my problem with VZW - why not just tell us what's up? I know they're all getting giddy over the iPhone, so why not throw us a bone. If it's delayed, tell us. If they have some dates but they're tentative, tell us. At least give us a range or tell us it will be here by March. Instead we get cryptic tweets like "It'll be here sooner than you think." Thanks VZW, you're my hero.

If the phone is delayed because they want to give it full functionality, like hotspot and Skype, tell us. We get it. You want it to be right. But with enough "leaks" about the 14th, and then Best Buy getting in on the mix, it's time to set the record straight Verizon.

JUST TELL US what is going on. It's not that hard.

 

[Effington]

Up to 6 months old its 50% of value, 6-12 40%, 12-18 30%, 18-24 20%.

So lets say its value is 629.99, at one year it will be 30%, so 188.99.

On ebay you would get at least that much, as long as its a fairly popular phone, and you would probably get more. Droid 1's bring 150-200 and they are about 1.5 years old now. But with the buyback, you dont have to worry about making a sale, its guaranteed.

So the buyback is on the retail price, not the contract price? Even if you buy it at the contract price?

That seems like a pretty good deal to me....

Yep, its on the retail price.

But you have to pay for the buyback guarantee?

 

[liquidice]

OK, well in the meantime, how does Best Buy's buyback program work on the phones?

For instance, lets say I get the Thunderbolt now and then a year from now I want to switch to the Bionic (or Pyramid, or whatever) - how much will Best Buy give me for the TB?

I have a feeling it'll be something like $20 in store credit or something lame like that. I mean, would I be better off just selling it on eBay than bothering with the buyback?

Up to 6 months old its 50% of value, 6-12 40%, 12-18 30%, 18-24 20%.

So lets say its value is 629.99, at one year it will be 30%, so 188.99.

On ebay you would get at least that much, as long as its a fairly popular phone, and you would probably get more. Droid 1's bring 150-200 and they are about 1.5 years old now. But with the buyback, you dont have to worry about making a sale, its guaranteed.

Also, one thing that I found confusing is it is up to 6 months from your effective date, which is 31 days after your purchase. Then anything after 6 months to 12 months, then anything after 12 months to 18 months. This is detailed in the fine print (imho 0-6, then 6-12 sounds like there's a big overlap - but it is really 0-6 months then 7-12 months then 13-18 etc)

So you really have about 13 months to get 40%. If I get the TB through BBY and get the free buyback program - I plan on trading in the phone before my year is up and getting 40% back so I can buy a different phone. It works out to about as good as buying a 1-year contract and selling the first phone for about $100 (assuming the 1-year contract price for the TB is $350, and the next phone you buy is $350 on another 1-year contract as well).

2 years is too long to keep a phone -- my T-Mobile G1 can attest to that

 

[jcbsides]

Here's my problem with VZW - why not just tell us what's up? I know they're all getting giddy over the iPhone, so why not throw us a bone. If it's delayed, tell us. If they have some dates but they're tentative, tell us. At least give us a range or tell us it will be here by March. Instead we get cryptic tweets like "It'll be here sooner than you think." Thanks VZW, you're my hero.

If the phone is delayed because they want to give it full functionality, like hotspot and Skype, tell us. We get it. You want it to be right. But with enough "leaks" about the 14th, and then Best Buy getting in on the mix, it's time to set the record straight Verizon.

JUST TELL US what is going on. It's not that hard.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. I think most customers appreciate some transparency when it comes to things like this. Verizon can certainly tell BB to stfu up about things. Just say something. If it isn't the 14th and BB has been saying it is, I would really like to know that and if Verizon said at this point "Sorry folks, BB was wrong. You won't get it until the 14th." I wouldn't be happy about it but I wouldn't be mad at Verizon. I would just be generally displeased because I hate my current phone.

 

[jcbsides]

* 24th not 14th

 

[wingdo]

I just despise rumors in general, and I said that earlier, that its terrible how much VZW is jerking it's customers around.

How is VZW jerking ANYONE around? They have not announced a release date on the device. Ever. It's not on their website, it's not advertised in their stores, and if you call them wanting one they tell you it's not available yet. How exactly is this jerking you around? Because you want it now now now and they are not selling it yet???

Best Buy stores have tweeted all sorts of junk tweets trying to bring people in, but Best Buy is not owned by VZW, they are just a reseller (and a rather sucky one at that).

Here's my problem with VZW - why not just tell us what's up? I know they're all getting giddy over the iPhone, so why not throw us a bone. If it's delayed, tell us. If they have some dates but they're tentative, tell us. At least give us a range or tell us it will be here by March. Instead we get cryptic tweets like "It'll be here sooner than you think." Thanks VZW, you're my hero.

If the phone is delayed because they want to give it full functionality, like hotspot and Skype, tell us. We get it. You want it to be right. But with enough "leaks" about the 14th, and then Best Buy getting in on the mix, it's time to set the record straight Verizon.

JUST TELL US what is going on. It's not that hard.

I cannot get a straight date from my AT&T Account Manager on the Atrix and we have a $500,000 Wireless account with them. It's not just Verizon. They will wait until any issues are fixed, they will wait until they have enough in store to cover expected demand, they (meaning all carriers) know you're not going elsewhere over a delay of a week, especially when they haven't even told you when to expect it.

All Verizon has said on the TB release date is Q1 2011. We are not even half way through Q1.

As to why it's not being released yet, what would you have them tell you ????

1 in 3 phones explodes and causes massive facial burns when used but a fix is coming?

A majority of the child labor making the device in China all had dysentery and were out of the factory for a week?

They cannot get hotspot to work?

There is nothing VZW can tell you which will actually make you "feel better" about the delay so they don't say anything at all. Everyone is already expecting the world's most perfect device ever. Words that they are working on a problem no matter how big or small can only serve to diminish sales. No business does that.

 

[eklipsephil]

Here's is my understanding of the situation ...
Verizon isnt going to launch the phone which is something they have never done before, that i can recall, thus all the secrecy/games/teasing. Best Buy has exclusive rights to the phone meaning nobody will be selling it except them until Verizon launches it, thus the removal of the Amazon ads and Verizon reps getting explicit instructions not to advertise the phone let alone sell it. Verizon likely won't launch the phone until the end of this month or later because they are going to wait for the iPhone to restock and sell out again and for the return grace period to expire.
If there was something wrong with the phone they wouldnt have allowed pre-orders, and based on the date on my pre-order form that expires the 16, the phones should be at Best Buy, exclusively, the 14th as, dare i say, scheduled.

 

[JMCS88]

Go with Verizon, and when you wanna sell your phone, sell it to Gazelle.com. They pay good money for new phones. They were buying old iPhone 3Gs last year for like $200 or $300 bucks when the iPhone 4 came out. It's a good trustworthy company with good deals.

 

[JMCS88]

Go with Verizon, and when you wanna sell your phone, sell it to Gazelle.com. They pay good money for new phones. They were buying old iPhone 3Gs last year for like $200 or $300 bucks when the iPhone 4 came out. It's a good trustworthy company with good deals.

I meant used phones, not new.

 

[jcbsides]

Oh come on, we know phones aren't exploding. I'm just saying that being all secretive gets them nothing. Like someone else said, they wouldn't allow preorders if it wasn't going to happen in the next few weeks. I just think that with things like what happened this morning being leaked they should say SOMETHING even if that something is that it won't be the 14th. That would make me happier than "soon, maybe the 14th...maybe not...maybe march...maybe the 24th." There are too many maybes.

 

[guitarchris123]

Here's my problem with VZW - why not just tell us what's up? I know they're all getting giddy over the iPhone, so why not throw us a bone. If it's delayed, tell us. If they have some dates but they're tentative, tell us. At least give us a range or tell us it will be here by March. Instead we get cryptic tweets like "It'll be here sooner than you think." Thanks VZW, you're my hero.

If the phone is delayed because they want to give it full functionality, like hotspot and Skype, tell us. We get it. You want it to be right. But with enough "leaks" about the 14th, and then Best Buy getting in on the mix, it's time to set the record straight Verizon.

JUST TELL US what is going on. It's not that hard.

That would be really nice if Verizon did clear things up and set the record straight with all the speculation and misinformation out there right now. But I don't think Verizon will reveal anything until its concrete. Large companies don't tell their customers the inner workings of their decisions, and the processes their products go through, step-by-step, just because customers want to know. If they say it was delayed for whatever reason, that just makes them look bad (ie. like they were rushing and failed) and they don't want that. We'll just get teasers, and then one day all of sudden you will wake up in the morning and they will drop the true knowledge on us. Most of their customers have no clue about the rumor mill going on in the blogs and forums having to do with this phone, so they probably don't feel they have to clear things up just for us. Its clear that the stupid iPhone has thrown a monkey wrench into the release of this phone. What a bummer.

 

[dbgoolsby]

how is vzw jerking anyone around? They have not announced a release date on the device. Ever. It's not on their website, it's not advertised in their stores, and if you call them wanting one they tell you it's not available yet. How exactly is this jerking you around? Because you want it now now now and they are not selling it yet???

Best buy stores have tweeted all sorts of junk tweets trying to bring people in, but best buy is not owned by vzw, they are just a reseller (and a rather sucky one at that).

here's my problem with vzw - why not just tell us what's up? I know they're all getting giddy over the iphone, so why not throw us a bone. If it's delayed, tell us. If they have some dates but they're tentative, tell us. At least give us a range or tell us it will be here by march. Instead we get cryptic tweets like "it'll be here sooner than you think." thanks vzw, you're my hero.

If the phone is delayed because they want to give it full functionality, like hotspot and skype, tell us. We get it. You want it to be right. But with enough "leaks" about the 14th, and then best buy getting in on the mix, it's time to set the record straight verizon.

Just tell us what is going on. It's not that hard.

i cannot get a straight date from my at&t account manager on the atrix and we have a $500,000 wireless account with them. It's not just verizon. They will wait until any issues are fixed, they will wait until they have enough in store to cover expected demand, they (meaning all carriers) know you're not going elsewhere over a delay of a week, especially when they haven't even told you when to expect it.

All verizon has said on the tb release date is q1 2011. We are not even half way through q1.

As to why it's not being released yet, what would you have them tell you ????

1 in 3 phones explodes and causes massive facial burns when used but a fix is coming?

A majority of the child labor making the device in china all had dysentery and were out of the factory for a week?

They cannot get hotspot to work?

There is nothing vzw can tell you which will actually make you "feel better" about the delay so they don't say anything at all. Everyone is already expecting the world's most perfect device ever. Words that they are working on a problem no matter how big or small can only serve to diminish sales. No business does that.

+11111111111

 

[Westy]

No delay per my Best Buy

They may have there head in the sand, however, I was just at Best Buy and they were adamant that they would have some Thunderbolts in store on the 14th of February

 

[jcbsides]

They may have there head in the sand, however, I was just at Best Buy and they were adamant that they would have some Thunderbolts in store on the 14th of February

If true, this is a huge relief. I am so desperate for a new phone.

 

[want a droid]

Just talked to a real informative best buy mobile guy here in Towson, MD. I asked him if it was coming out the 14th and he told me nothing is confirmed and that he also heard the 24th. Also told me the data plan is going to stay $29.99/mo for at least the time being. There was a vzw guy in the store with him who confirmed the data plan. The vzw guy also confirmed the selling price is unknown (whether it will be $199 or $249).

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