List of Advanced Devices with Verizon's $350 ETF

Verizon Wireless' increased early termination fee became effective a few days ago. The $350 ETF applies to a select number of devices and will decline by $10 per month through the life of the contract. The carrier has released the list of advanced products that will be covered by the new policy.

I expected this Verizon Wireless early termination fee to be imposed on elite products. However, the carrier appears to have included a large number of products in its new wireless contract policy. Here are the products included in the increased Verizon Wireless early termination fee.

• Blackberry 8130
• Blackberry 8130 Pink
• Blackberry 8230
• Blackberry 8703E
• Blackberry 8830
• Blackberry 8830 Red
• BlackBerry Tour
• BlackBerry Tour (No camera)
• BlackBerry Curve 8330
• BlackBerry Curve 8330 Pink
• BlackBerry Storm 9530
• BlackBerry Storm2 9550
• Casio Exlim C721
• LG Versa VX9600
• LG Dare VX9700
• LG Env Touch VX11000
• LG Versa VX9600WOK
• LG Voyager VX10K Silver
• Gateway LT20 Netbook Gateway LT2016u
• Samsung Glyde SCH-U940
• Samsung Glyde Revision SCH-U940R
• HP MINI 1000 Netbook
• HP Mini 110–1046NR Netbook
• HP Mini 3111037NR Netbook
• HTC Droid ERIS ADR6200
• HTC Imagio HTC Imagio XV6975
• HTC Ozone XV6175
• HTC Touch Diamond XV6950
• HTC Touch Pro XV6850
• HTC Vogue XV6900
• Motorola Krave MOT ZN4
• Motorola Q9C
• Motorola Droid A855
• Samsung Omnia SCH-I910
• Samsung Rogue SCH-u960
• Samsung Saga SCH-I770
• Samsung SCH-i760
• UTStarcom SMT5800
• Palm Treo Pro
• Palm CENTRO
• Verizon Hub VZHUB
• UTStarcom XV6800
• UTStarcom XV6875

So yeah. They included quite a number of handsets under the new wireless contract policy. Even the devices that were launched more than a year ago.

I have to say that some of these devices shouldn't have been categories under advanced.

That's it for this posts on the products under the new Verizzon ETF rule. Tune in to this blog for more news and updates on wireless contract topics.

US Senator Opposes the Verizon Wireless Contract ETF Increase

Verizon Wireless recently announced it's intention to raise the early termination fee or ETF of premiere device to $350 starting on November 15. However, it appears that this change in wireless contract policy has caught the eye of a vigilant US senator.

Senator Amy Klobuchar is planning to introduce new legislation to prevent wireless carriers from unfairly raising penalties on costumers who cancel their contracts early. This would obviously be in conflict with Verizon's decision to raise the ETF on premiere devices.

I blogged about Senator Klobuchar in the early development of this blog because she is one of the main proponents of the Cell Phone Consumer Empowerment Act of 2007. This legislation aimed to allow consumers to be able to make informed choices about a wireless service that best fits their needs and their budget.

Anyway, wrote the FCC regarding the recent shift in Verizon's wireless contract ETF policy. She wrote,

"Verizon Wireless' decision shows us once again that the wireless industry cannot police itself and will not, on its own, make its practices more competitive and consumer-friendly. To that end, I urge the FCC to review the recent Verizon Wireless decision as well as the competitive and economic impact of ETFs on wireless consumers."

She also wrote a letter to Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam urging him to reconsider the shift in ETF policy because it "unfairly penalize consumers" and "bear little to no relationship to the cost of the handset device."

Well, this is certainly interesting. Well see how this plays out. I doubt if Klobuchar will be able to stop this changes in Verizon's ETF policy but with a little help for her colleagues it might just work.

That's it for this latest development in the Verizon early termination fee saga. Tune-in for more developments in this story.

No Changes in Sprint ETF Policy

Verizon Wireless recently announced its decision to increase the early termination fee or ETF for its premier or advanced devices. Starting the 15th of November, the ETF for Verizon's high-end products will be $350 declines by $10 per month through the life of the contract.

I was wondering how other major carrier's will react to this change in major wireless contract policy. Well, so far only Sprint has issued a statement via Twitter:

One more tweet on ETF policy. We won't be following suit as other carriers increase fees. Official Sprint ETF policy

Sprint is Verizon's main competitor among CDMA wireless networks. Maybe the Now Networks is trying to gain an advantage by not emulating the ETF increase instituted by its rival. Well, they probably need all the help they can get as they are planning to cut costs by cutting jobs.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Some experts think that this shift in wireless contract fees will lead people to purchase devices for its full price to avoid any trouble with the ETF. However, the full price is quite heavy and with the weight of the recession, consumers may go for mid range devices which charges the normal $175 early termination fee.

That's it for this post. Tune in to this blog for more news and info on the wireless contract issues.

Confirmed: Verizon to Raise ETF to $350 on Premiere Devices

A couple of days ago I blogged a rumor claiming that Verizon Wireless might raise its early termination fees for high-end products to dissuade scammers. Well, that rumor has been confirmed.

According to the folks at Phonescoop, Jeffrey Nelson, a Verizon Wireless spokesperson has confirmed the rumor.

This means that the $350 early termination fee will apply to new wireless contracts for advanced devices beginning Nov. 15. The will fee will decline by $10 a month.

The early termination fee for non-premiere devices remains at $175.

However, the devices that will incur a $350 Verizon Wireless early termination fee have not been specified. the new policy will not be limited to mobile phones and will also apply to notebooks.

So what do you think? Well, I don't really mind. After all, this only applies to a limited number of consumers. Those who choose to close the service before the term is up and those who are after the premiere devices.

The strategy aims to prevent people from reselling handsets on online auction sites. I think it's a good strategy on the part of Verizon since it protects their exclusive handsets. I wonder if other carriers will also adopt this wireless contract policy.

That's it for this update on the Verizon Wireless early termination fee increase. Continue to visit this blog to get the latest news and views on wireless contracts.

Rumor: Verizon Wireless Early Termination Fee to be Raised?

Here's some intriguing news for Verizon Wireless consumers. According to the folks at BGR, the carrier maybe considering raising its early termination fees to thwart scammers.

The report say that the Verizon Wireless early termination fee for high-end phones such as the Storm2 and Motorola Droid will be raised to to $350. This will be implemented on Nov. 15 and will decrease by five bucks every thirty days. The usual ETF amounts to around $150-200 so the rumored increase is significant.

But what is the main reason for this possible increase in Verizon Wireless early termination fee for high-end smartphones?

Well, it appears that the carrier is trying to crack down on scammers who purchase a new smartphone on contract and then cancel the line, pay the termination fee and sell the phone for twice or three times its original price.

We've already explained that contract fees are the primary tool that allow carriers to recover the subsidies they’d lose on early contract terminations. This means that this increase in Verizon Wireless early termination fee can be justified.

Well, this is just a rumor so it may not happen. Tune in to this blog for more updates on this increase in Verizon Wireless early termination fee rumor. Drop by often to get the latest news and views on wireless contracts.

Cell Phone Contracts Declining Due to Recession

The current economic recession is causing havoc on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. Business are among the hardest hit and unemployment is on the rise. The tough economic climate is also having a great impact on the mobile phone industry. For instance, some consumers are dumping their mobile phone contracts to save money.

According to a recent study, almost twenty percent of polled cell phone users claim that the financial crisis have forced them to cancel their wireless contracts. This research was conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) for the New Millennium Research Council (NMRC).

But why are consumers choose to terminate their cell phone contracts? Well, they are looking for cheaper alternatives for wireless communication. Some have decided to go with prepaid cellphones which are cheaper and does not involve fees that are associated with wireless contract handsets.

Some of the consumers involved in the ORC expressed that they are thinking about ditching their cell phones altogether and communicate using landlines. Some users have also revealed other recession countermeasures like cutting back on "extras" such as text messaging and mobile web browsing.

Well, the current recession is certainly forcing people to change their spending habits including mobile phone communication. I have to say that there are plenty of deals out there that can help consumers to minimize spending. Sacrifice is need until the economy becomes robust again and we have money to spend on extras.

That's it for this post. Tune in to this blog to get more information and updates on the realm of wireless contracts.

Renegotiate a Wireless Contract

Consumers who are not happy with their contract usually seek to cancel them. However, this is not simple as there's the issue of the ETF or early termination fee.

There are other ways of dealing with a restrictive and "unfair" contract. One can actually renegotiate with the service provider to come up with a better deal.

I've found a CBSNEWS article that mentions several important points that a user needs to look at when negotiating a contract. No, I'm only going to mention a few so you'll be tempted to read the whole article by yourself.

It's obvious that research is the key when discussing your agreement at the table. You need to know what the competitors are offering their customers. This way you can point out to your service that you are not getting a fair deal.

One also needs to have a clear idea of what one really wants to get while negotiating a plan. The consumer needs to clearly express their desire be it more minutes or lower fees. However, the demands should also be realistic or a deal will not be reached.

Persistence and tenacity is also important when renegotiating your wireless contract. You must be determined not to back down when discussing your realistic demands.

That's it for this post. You should read the rest of the article to learn the proper ways of renegotiating a mobile phone contract.