http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/ Engadget Comments for Faking one's death still not enough to escape Verizon contract http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 7:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 11:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 21st 2007 9:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 21st 2007 11:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 7:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
Phone problems, extra fee, rates going up without notice. By then, it will be too save you from... the @#*%ing contract. And you'll NEVER get out -- 2 years starts to become a VERY LONG TIME.]]>Oct 4th 2007 2:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
"by the way sir, did you know you could track your account information online at www.verizoncom/user/..."]]>Aug 20th 2007 7:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/welcome/index.jsp?WT.srch=1]]>Aug 20th 2007 7:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 7:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 7:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 8:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/]]>Aug 20th 2007 8:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
Hence, I say "bite me" to anyone sticking up for a technology that has such serious geo-challenges.]]>Aug 20th 2007 9:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
i have at&t and guess what, i use gsm.

oh, guess what else... i have hsdpa, and i download at a comfortable 1.5 megs a second. i can bind my phone to my laptop with bluetooth, via usb, or ir. fuck blackberries, thier the most worthless peices of shit on the face of the planet - everyone of which deserve to be to be thrown into a large pit, pissed on, and then set ablaze. i have fine service on at&t btw, back to phone quality. perhaps all you asses should cough up some dough and quit buying cheap ass phones.

how about you people start realizing part of the issue is the service, but most of it is your cheap-ass phone that is causing you grief. want a good phone? get an HTC, or a re-brand. ]]>Aug 20th 2007 9:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 10:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 11:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 23rd 2007 10:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 8:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
As for the service, I've had AT&T since they were AT&T the first time, and I've watched them progress and improve. In my area, they are often better than Verizon in terms of service and dropped calls. I live in a suburb 20 minutes outside NYC. If I were to go into the city, I would say that AT&T and Verizon are evenly matched, or perhaps taht Verizon has a slight advantage.

Under these circumstances, I would always choose AT&T over Verizon because of the option to buy unlocked phones with none of the original features crippled, or if I were to choose to buy directly from AT&T, at least I would know that MOST of the features were still available.]]>Aug 21st 2007 8:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
I have personally never had any problems with Cingular (Cingular forever!!! Down with the AT&T name!!!)
Now I'm a Sprint Customer with My Parents and their good as well (built from the ground up! {Isn't or wasn't that one of their slogans?}]]>Aug 20th 2007 7:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 8:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
agreed. My phone only JUST switched two days ago from showing Cingular to AT&T. A sad day.]]>Aug 20th 2007 8:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 8:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 9:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 9:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 8:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 21st 2007 10:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 9:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 9:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
As was seen in that AT&T document the other day, having all of that documentation and forwarding it to the FCC, and other government agencies may also help you out.

Faking your own death is probably best left for more life or death situations, than escaping a few hundred dollars of extra charges.]]>Aug 20th 2007 8:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 9:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 9:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 9:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
Now of course there are situations where you didn't get a chance to test all circumstances, etc...but so it is with so many purchases. If you really feel robbed, then by all means pursue. I am not saying that mobile communications is an industry free and clear of pointed fingers and allogations, but I do feel that it is a person's responsibility to live up to a contract that they sign.

So be it.

]]>Aug 20th 2007 9:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
Oh, and satellite TV companies are the same way. I signed up for Dish network, then found out that their tuners are incompatible with TiVo (because the tuners have screen savers that can't be disabled, even though they claim they can). I found this out one day after I had signed up. ONE DAY. And they still wouldn't let me out of the contract without paying them, in this case, $400 of f-you money.]]>Aug 20th 2007 9:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 9:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 10:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 20th 2007 11:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
people are stupid, they would pay 600 dollars for a phone that has no GPS, no OTA downloads, no stereo BT, a crappy non keyboard and a camera that sucks, and yet they balk at paying 175 when they are clearly dissatisfied with service even after getting more and more phones, and being told exactly how to get out of it by solving issues.

people always amaze me, don't like cingular, pay and move on, don't like sprint, pay and move on. don't want a ocntract? buy a phone off ebay for a higher price and start service, it's not rocket science ya idiots...Christ people act as if getting a free razr phone because they agree to a two year contract is a god given right to get more free stuff just because they got one thing free. don't want a contract? fine, pay more for the phones it's not hard, anyone can do it....it's like I am surrounded by retards with Popsicles...running around all happy until it melts.


what is funny is that when told how much a phone costs with a one year or no contract people always get all huffy and amazed, like the phone they saw for free online should mean that every phone is free, and that they can't believe the phones really cost that much when out of contract. it is just crazy how dumb people are.
]]>Aug 20th 2007 11:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 21st 2007 3:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 21st 2007 4:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Customer service expericence are also mixed depending on region. I had idiots and smart people alike on the phone with Cingular, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. It depends on the person as well as the companies policy.

I always got easily out of contracts without penalties by writing a friendly but stern letter, cancelling my contract while pointing out that the providers declining coverage (Cingular then AT&T) represents a breach of contract on their part, see call logs complaining about lack of connectivity from this date and that date (had 7 or 8 such calls within a month).
If you wish to pursue any penalties for early termination please use the court system.
Blah blah blah, pseudo legal babble, yadda yadda
Of course if you just want out because someone else has shinier phones, that will cost :-)
]]>Aug 21st 2007 6:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 21st 2007 7:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 21st 2007 10:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/BTW Ive had Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon before this. All were better. Even smoke signals are better than this company. Sorry, Im a bit pissed off.]]>Aug 21st 2007 10:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
the people demand no termination fees]]>Aug 21st 2007 10:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/Aug 21st 2007 11:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/faking-ones-death-still-not-enough-to-escape-verizon-contract/
I dropped my pay as you go account, ran out her contract and have absolutely refused to touch a cell phone since then. I will never get cell service again with any carrier. They are all the same.

I am looking at getting a Nokia N770 or N800 and running Gizmo on it to get VoIP over WiFi at work and home. Anyone giving this a try?]]>Aug 21st 2007 12:52PM