You've neglected to address my root issue - if so many people cared about those unlocked features, which Sprint offers on multiple phones, where are they're customers?
You know, as horribly crippling as Verizon Wireless is to all of their good phones, then explain their ability to not only retain, but get MORE new customers than any other major carrier virtually every single quarter? Sprint's amazingly wonderful lack of 'crippling' must not be so amazing, because they are hemorrhaging customers day, after day, after day. Sprint could make a phone that printed $100 bills every hour, on the hour, and Sprint's net adds would still be in the negative.
Face it. The overwhelming majority of people who buy Verizon Wireless phones/service are perfectly happy with their phones and service. Most people don't give a CRAP about the 'crippled' WiFi, GPS, blah blah blah. You all are in the severe minority. Besides, let's face it. Sprint has several phones with these features unlocked and they are practically giving their phones/service away. Why aren't more people biting?
So, why don't you all go cuddle up to your Sprint phones tonight and pray your call doesn't drop when you need to use the damn thing. Because I'm going to sleep easy knowing my 'crippled' Verizon Wireless phone probably won't.
When are customers actually going to be held responsible for the T/C's they actually sign on for/agree to? These companies always almost always have double opt-in policies, a warning statement at the top of the page that state they'll also be signed up for a $9.99 subscription, etc.
Oh, wait - I forgot. No one's held responsible for their own actions anymore.
Those GoPhones may be more expensive than what you'd get on a contract, but they STILL aren't full retail (full retail from Motorola w/out a contract on a RAZR=well over $200), but they are losing MAJOR money on the ACCESS COSTS customers pay to be able to talk on those phones - be it iPhones or GoPhones.
With iPhones, only 1/3 of them were activated on AT&T monthly service plans. 1/3! So Apple makes their money on the sale of the phones, but AT&T is losing 2/3 of the revenue it was supposed to receive from those iPhone purchases! How is AT&T NOT losing money on THAT deal?!
Yeah, the same argument was made for AT&T when the iPhones were being bought, unlocked, and activated on other netorks - even though it's blatently fraudulent to do as these people are doing, everyone is so caught up in their own "screw the man" mentalities that they can't actually be logical about it.
When you buy a phone in this manner (either GoPhone or iPhone), you agree to abide by a certain set of terms and conditions. To not do so is totally wrong and there's no excuse for it. Just because the company you try to screw is a big company doesn't make it right.
I, like D Train, work for VZW Customer Service. I think this new policy sucks. Absolutely, positively sucks. The only bright side here is that you can opt out at ANY TIME. Not JUST within the first 30 days. So, if you don't opt out w/in those 30 days and you start being bothered, you can STILL opt out.
Again, the phone number to opt out w/in the first 30 days is: 1(800)333-9956
To opt out AFTER those 30 days: cpni-notices@verizonwireless.com OR by fax: 866-745-4661
If you are unhappy with the policy, I encourage all of you to write a letter to the Executive Relations Department. Call *611 or 1(800)-922-0204 to get that address. Those letters ARE READ. If enough people bitch, this really could go away entirely.
Exactly, Ryan! That's the whole reason T/C's are created - to warn people before they proceed. Once warned, it's the end user's fault. Period.
Everyone's just too busy with their "Apple is greedy/Screw Steve Jobs" rants that they refuse to take responsibility for their own actions/live up to their end of the contract they had to agree to when activating their iPhone.
People could have opted out of the update, knowing full well what might happen, but they didn't. They took a risk and it didn't end in their favor. No one else's fault!
See, is you could do any sort of media messaging on the iPhone, you could save your own mp3's ripped from your own CD's as ringtones, as most of VZW's newer phones are capable of doing (in my case, the LG-en-V).
Good luck wiping the word "Sucker" scrawled on your forehood, iPhone users.
Let the hive mind of Engadget get that for you.
"I'm in the market for a new phone and money isn't a limitation. I'm also not partial to any particular US carrier, but here are some of the features I'd like to have: WiFi, GPS, good coverage in lots of places, push Gmail (a must!), physical keyboard (a must!), a touchscreen, decent battery life and a relatively slim body. And please, nothing that has a fruit logo on it. No offense to the fruit fans, though. Thanks!"
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You've neglected to address my root issue - if so many people cared about those unlocked features, which Sprint offers on multiple phones, where are they're customers?