early termination?

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Verizon is trying to charge me with a $175 early termination fee.

My wife's phone stopped working last week. We have two weeks left on her 2
year contract. She takes the phone to the Verizon store and ask sif they can
swap the phone for one that works. They couldn't. She asked if she could
sign a new contract to get a new phone and they said she couldn't because
she had over 2 weeks left on the current contact. She explained that she
needed a phone and couldn't wait two weeks. They said they could not help
her.

So, we ported her number to a new phone with Cingular. Now, Verizon send me
the early termination bill for $175 when there is only 2 weeks left on the
contract. They won't budge.


Any suggestions.
 
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S. Davis wrote:
> Verizon is trying to charge me with a $175 early termination fee.
>
> My wife's phone stopped working last week. We have two weeks left on
> her 2 year contract. She takes the phone to the Verizon store and ask
> sif they can swap the phone for one that works. They couldn't. She
> asked if she could sign a new contract to get a new phone and they
> said she couldn't because she had over 2 weeks left on the current
> contact. She explained that she needed a phone and couldn't wait two
> weeks. They said they could not help her.
>
> So, we ported her number to a new phone with Cingular. Now, Verizon
> send me the early termination bill for $175 when there is only 2
> weeks left on the contract. They won't budge.
>
> Any suggestions.

Ummm, you sure you're telling us the whole story?

VZW will give you an upgrade credit and the new-any-two
$100 towards a new phone as long as you are within the
last 2 *months* of a two year contract (you have to sign
up for 2 more years to get the NE2 $100) but you can get
the 1yr. subsidized price on a new phone for a 1yr. resign.

1) Was it a Verizonwireless store or a reseller?
2) Was your wife's number the secondary line on a Family Share?
(that would exclude her from the NE2 $100 but not the subsidized
price on a phone)
3) Were you simply asking for a completely free replacement phone?
I'm pretty certain that 1 or more phones are currently offered at the
2yr contract price of under $100 (I count more than 10 on the website).
Extending your contract for 2 years to get the NE2 credit would make
any of those $0 out of pocket.

It just doesn't sound quite right. Can you provide a few more details?

-Quick
 
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S. Davis wrote:
> Verizon is trying to charge me with a $175 early termination fee.
>
> My wife's phone stopped working last week. We have two weeks left on
> her 2 year contract. She takes the phone to the Verizon store and ask
> sif they can swap the phone for one that works. They couldn't. She
> asked if she could sign a new contract to get a new phone and they
> said she couldn't because she had over 2 weeks left on the current
> contact. She explained that she needed a phone and couldn't wait two
> weeks. They said they could not help her.
>
> So, we ported her number to a new phone with Cingular. Now, Verizon
> send me the early termination bill for $175 when there is only 2
> weeks left on the contract. They won't budge.
>
>
> Any suggestions.

So I was fixated on the phone in my last reply.

*2 weeks* left on the contract? How did you manage to terminate
it? All you had to do was pay the last month's bill and there wouldn't
have been any ETF. Did you refuse to pay the bill? The one before
also maybe? Unless this is a troll, this should be a very interesting
story...

-Quick
 
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It sounds like you recieved some wrong information. You have a couple
different options at this point. You can call Telesales at 800-256-4646 and
tell them you would like to port your number back. They should be able to
offer you a "really good" deal. or call customer service and tell them you
want to reconnect the service under the same contract WITH A DIFFERENT
NUMBER , finish your 2 weeks and then cancel the service.

per VerizonWireless.Com,
"You become eligible to take advantage of equipment upgrades at promotional
pricing during the last two months of your contract period"


"S. Davis" <sdavis267@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:yYqdnVGByLkzVlXdRVn-gg@comcast.com...
> Verizon is trying to charge me with a $175 early termination fee.
>
> My wife's phone stopped working last week. We have two weeks left on her 2
> year contract. She takes the phone to the Verizon store and ask sif they
can
> swap the phone for one that works. They couldn't. She asked if she could
> sign a new contract to get a new phone and they said she couldn't because
> she had over 2 weeks left on the current contact. She explained that she
> needed a phone and couldn't wait two weeks. They said they could not help
> her.
>
> So, we ported her number to a new phone with Cingular. Now, Verizon send
me
> the early termination bill for $175 when there is only 2 weeks left on the
> contract. They won't budge.
>
>
> Any suggestions.
>
>
 
G

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Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"S. Davis" <sdavis267@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:yYqdnVGByLkzVlXdRVn-gg@comcast.com...
> Verizon is trying to charge me with a $175 early termination fee.
>
> My wife's phone stopped working last week. We have two weeks left on
her 2
> year contract. She takes the phone to the Verizon store and ask sif
they can
> swap the phone for one that works. They couldn't. She asked if she
could
> sign a new contract to get a new phone and they said she couldn't
because
> she had over 2 weeks left on the current contact. She explained that
she
> needed a phone and couldn't wait two weeks. They said they could not
help
> her.
>
> So, we ported her number to a new phone with Cingular. Now, Verizon
send me
> the early termination bill for $175 when there is only 2 weeks left
on the
> contract. They won't budge.
>
>
> Any suggestions.
>
>

I see KC also answered this but I want to chime in with another
option.

If as you stated the wife's phone was broken beyond repair or cost and
you then port the number to another carrier like Cingular then you
could have called the Presidents Line and explained you have two weeks
left on your contract and you need that phone now they would have bent
over to keep the account active. Not sure how much you spend per month
but even at $100 it was not worth them losing the business over a
possible good will replacement phone and or contract.

You can renew that 2 year contract way before the final two weeks of
the contract. I don't know the exact month but its less than what you
had left on the contract. 18 Months keep jumping into my mind.

You can contact a lawyer and have him/her state the reasons for the
leaving the service, you can contact the States Attorney Generals
Consumer Frauds Department and file a complaint, many of the states
have online filing for such matters. You can sue Verizon in small
claims court for breach of contract and the amount they want from you
and the filing fees and loss of the month (2 weeks service pro rata),
you can have them report you to the credit bureaus and you can then
send a notice of dispute to them and the bureaus stating that you
don't owe it and that its in dispute.

Many options, of course if your really at Cingular now then all this
is a moot case.

Elector
 

stan

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> 2) Was your wife's number the secondary line on a Family Share?
> (that would exclude her from the NE2 $100 but not the subsidized
> price on a phone)


I have two phones on a Family Share plan and both have the NE2 $100
promotion.

-Stan
 
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Stan wrote:
>> 2) Was your wife's number the secondary line on a Family Share?
>> (that would exclude her from the NE2 $100 but not the subsidized
>> price on a phone)
>
> I have two phones on a Family Share plan and both have the NE2 $100
> promotion.

You might want to check on that... One of the restrictions of NE2 is that
it is only offered on plans of at least $39.99(?). The secondary lines on
a Family Share are added at $20 each. They are below the minimum
plan required for NE2. Only the primary line will qualify.

-Quick
 
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Nathanls <NOSPAM@nospam.comcast.net> wrote:
> It sounds like you recieved some wrong information. You have a couple
> different options at this point. You can call Telesales at 800-256-4646 and
> tell them you would like to port your number back. They should be able to
> offer you a "really good" deal. or call customer service and tell them you
> want to reconnect the service under the same contract WITH A DIFFERENT
> NUMBER , finish your 2 weeks and then cancel the service.

If he ports back he'll probably get hit with an early term fee from Cingular.

--
JustThe.net Internet & New Media Services, http://JustThe.net/
Steven J. Sobol, Geek In Charge / 888.480.4NET (4638) / sjsobol@JustThe.net
PGP Key available from your friendly local key server (0xE3AE35ED)
Apple Valley, California Nothing scares me anymore. I have three kids.
 
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On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 15:59:26 -0500, "S. Davis" <sdavis267@comcast.net>
wrote:

>Verizon is trying to charge me with a $175 early termination fee.
>
>My wife's phone stopped working last week. We have two weeks left on her 2
>year contract. She takes the phone to the Verizon store and ask sif they can
>swap the phone for one that works. They couldn't. She asked if she could
>sign a new contract to get a new phone and they said she couldn't because
>she had over 2 weeks left on the current contact. She explained that she
>needed a phone and couldn't wait two weeks. They said they could not help
>her.
>
>So, we ported her number to a new phone with Cingular. Now, Verizon send me
>the early termination bill for $175 when there is only 2 weeks left on the
>contract. They won't budge.
>
>
>Any suggestions.
>

If all you had left on the contract was two weeks, why not just pay
for the final month's service and be done with it? All you have to do
is pay for all 24 months of your 2 year contract and you've fulfilled
the contract. The fact you ported the number away from them before
the 2 years was up should not make you liable for the higher ETF, if
you are willing to fulfill your commitment for the final month.
 
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"The Ghost of General Lee" <ghost@general.lee> wrote in message
news:nlqjc0hsf4jo5e89e6ek29ah3kqfjtrcjb@4ax.com...
> If all you had left on the contract was two weeks, why not just pay
> for the final month's service and be done with it? All you have to do
> is pay for all 24 months of your 2 year contract and you've fulfilled
> the contract. The fact you ported the number away from them before
> the 2 years was up should not make you liable for the higher ETF, if
> you are willing to fulfill your commitment for the final month.

You would think logically this would be the case, but if you read the
contract, what it actually says is that if you terminate your contract any
time before two years is over you will get hit with the ETF. Also, Verizon
(and every other wireless providers) policy is to automatically terminate
your account if your port your number away from them.

-Eric
 
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On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 08:52:00 -0700, "Eric Rosenberry"
<erics@R3MOVErosenberry.org> wrote:

>"The Ghost of General Lee" <ghost@general.lee> wrote in message
>news:nlqjc0hsf4jo5e89e6ek29ah3kqfjtrcjb@4ax.com...
>> If all you had left on the contract was two weeks, why not just pay
>> for the final month's service and be done with it? All you have to do
>> is pay for all 24 months of your 2 year contract and you've fulfilled
>> the contract. The fact you ported the number away from them before
>> the 2 years was up should not make you liable for the higher ETF, if
>> you are willing to fulfill your commitment for the final month.
>
>You would think logically this would be the case, but if you read the
>contract, what it actually says is that if you terminate your contract any
>time before two years is over you will get hit with the ETF. Also, Verizon
>(and every other wireless providers) policy is to automatically terminate
>your account if your port your number away from them.
>
>-Eric
>

Take it to arbitration. If he pays for the last month's service by
it's due date, there's no way in hell VZW would win it. This is one
time where the "must arbitrate" clause pays off in the customer's
favor. He won't even need a lawyer.

His duty was to pay for a line of service with VZW for 24 months. As
long as the 24th month is paid for, he's fulfilled his contract.
Their claim of breech of contract (which is what their claim to the
ETF would amount to) would have no merit, as VZW would have suffered
no damages. Again, this all assumes all charges through that 24th
month have been paid. Just because VZW decides to terminate your
contract because their computer system is set up to make certain
incorrect assumptions doesn't automatically put you in breech and
subject to the ETF.