NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Verizon Wireless *doubling* early termination fees for some phones
Gizmodo is reporting (and seems to have the doc to prove it) that Verizon Wireless will be *doubling* the early termination fee (ETF) for some smartphones to $350 (dropping $10 per month of service completed). See: http://bit.ly/Y2tdC (Gizmodo) This would apparently apply to most new customers beginning 11/15. Even given the expense of modern smartphones, such a change seems surprising with so much regulatory concern already in progress over ETFs. T-Mobile told me a week or so ago that they want to deemphasize contracts and have now established a bunch of no-contract plans that they expect most new customers will prefer over time. These don't offer phone discounts. BUT... since T-M assumes most people won't want to pay full price for a phone, they include a payment plan where you pay off the price of the phone over 24 months or some such -- a different sort of contract really. They also told me that once a user had selected a "non-contract" plan they could not convert to a contract plan without establishing a new account. T-M also recently added free nights/weekends to most plans that didn't have them up to now, but these are not grandfathered in and converting an existing plan to take advantage of this would apparently entail a one-time $30 fee. --Lauren-- NNSquad Moderator