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This past weekend my wife and I visited the Verizon Wireless store. Our 2 year contract was up and we decided to drop my phone since I only use my work cell phone now. The idea was to drop my number (the primary number) and then convert her number to a single plan instead of a family plan. Easy enough, should be just a few minutes. Maybe a bit longer if she decides to get a new phone….. wrong

First they told me if I drop my number and convert her number, we would not qualify for the $100 credit toward a new phone. Only the primary number was eligable. If I drop the primary number, it is the same as coming in for the first time wanting an account. What a rip off. We agreed then we would drop her number and she would assume my number so we can use the $100 credit toward a new phone. The girl said she would have to call the change in and she would be back by the time my wife decided on a new phone. She then came back to tell me the rep needed to talk to me on the phone. He wanted to confirm who I was and the changes. He explained that since my billing cycle had just start 3 days earlier, the second number would not be dropped until the 15th of the next month. (I already had paid this months bill). I didn’t like that I missed the cut off by 3 days. Hmmm

Now, isn’t it weird that you go to a Verizon owned store, yet they don’t have the ability to make changes? They have to call somewhere else to have changes made. I already thought it was stupid you can’t make changes online if you have the family plan. But now I see their own employees aren’t trusted to make changes either.

My wife decided on a phone that listed at $129 with a 2 year contract, and it had a $50 rebate. So I asked the girl if all we had to pay today was $29 since we have a $100 credit. I was then told no, because it had a $50 rebate, I would have to pay $50 today and I would get it back after I sent the rebate. I didn’t expect to get more back than I paid, but why can’t they just charge me $29 and then with reciepts that must be sent in anyway, reduce the rebate to $29? Why? Because they know people will forget to send the rebate back on time or forget a detail like the upc codes and they will make money! So in reality, I only get $79 of the $100 credit since there is a rebate (I would get that if I didn’t have a credit) Shouldn’t they throw in an accessory?

The phone my wife picked out has, like most phones today, a camera built in. The girl then tried to sell us the text plan for an extra $10 per month that allowed 500 text messages and pic to be sent and recieved. No thanks, we aren’t young enough to enjoy text messaging and I will just look to buy a cable to download the pics to my computer. Oh, there is a 25 cent charge each time you download a pic to your computer if you don’t have a text/pic plan. Wait a minute. I supposedly just bought the phone, and I own my own computer, why do I have to pay to connect the two and transfer pictures! I am not using cell technology here at all! Now is this a rip off or What!!!!!! That is like going and buying a camera and then finding out you can take pictures all you want, but you have to pay to download them to your other equipment like a printer or computer. How can they get away with this? It’s because all the phone companies follow suite. They know each other are doing the same, what else are you going to do? Same with bluetooth in cell phones. They restrict the bluetooth to only work with headsets. Can’t use the technolgy for transfers to other devices, PCs or printers, etc. If you want to do that, they expect you to buy their services! By the way, the manufactures give full bluetooth, it is the cell phone companies that modify the technology to limit it.

So what did we do? Grin a bear it! We know the same as they do… Can’t go to another Cell phone provider and do much better. You may own the phone with the nice technology, but they own your rights to use the technology!

Oh, now the girl can’t activate the phone because of the account changes made earlier. She then has to call whomever again. Guess what, they make their employees wait on hold also. 6 minutes according to the recording she got! Finally after getting somebody on the line and reviewing they finally decided they would have to drop the second line now, and credit me for it. It was the only way they can make the changes and activate the new phone today. Hmmm, you would think they would have thought that one out the first time!

Okay enough for today. Use your phone and take pictures, but remember, they are in control… Not you!