Question about an early upgrade

[sgodd23]

Usually around mid-October of every year, Verizon has let me get an early upgrade by adding $20-50 to the 2-year price of a phone and extending my contract for a year. However, I went in today to see which day it was, and they could not verify if I would be eligible for this early upgrade. They said check back after the 16th and they could see (whereas in years past they could tell me the date of my early upgrade eligibility before that date actually came around). The rep also told me that Verizon didn't do early upgrades anymore, but he did not tell me that I 100% wouldn't be eligible.

So basically, I am asking if anybody knows about this procedure, and if I will be in fact be eligible or not? I know I could just wait a few days and find out, but I am also curious as to what this new procedure is for early upgrades.

Also, I want to ask another quick question if anybody has an answer: I currently have a Charge, and the NFL Mobile app worked fine until about a week or two ago. I could watch the live Sunday and Monday night games, but last time I checked it wants me to pay for V-Cast. So, does anybody know if they made it so the app isn't free for 4G customers anymore?

Thanks in advance!

 

[jta827]

FWIW, the last time I went in to the store and asked about an early upgrade (mid August), they told me that they had discontinued that program.

That said, the VZW website says that I'm eligible for a discounted upgrade and my 2-year term isn't up for some time.

 

[dirkbonn]

FWIW, the last time I went in to the store and asked about an early upgrade (mid August), they told me that they had discontinued that program.

That said, the VZW website says that I'm eligible for a discounted upgrade and my 2-year term isn't up for some time.

The Verizon website also tells me I am elegible for an early upgrade. (I bought the "X" on launch day) However, to get it I have to sign a new 2 year contract, but..... if I wait until my 20th month (which comes in March 2012), then I get the upgrade at the discounted price, PLUS... a "loyalty" discount.

So, apparantly there is no 1 year early upgrade anymore.

 

[Jman42028]

yeah the annual upgrade thing was discontinued. Every now and then we have someone who still has one available. Once we do an upgrade the system removes that option from their account. Basically, the policy was very confusing and with the high subsidized cost of these phones, it didn't work well for vzw.

 

[vzwuser76]

The reason most people still have the ability to do an early upgrade is if they were with Verizon before the NE2/annual upgrade/1 year contracts were discontinued. While they are no longer offered, those who were with Verizon before that have been grandfathered, sort of. By that I mean that we still get one more crack at it.

Those who were on a plan eligible for an NE2 discount have the choice of EITHER an NE2 discount (if they're at month 20 or later of their contract) OR an annual upgrade (if they're at month 12 or later of their contract. Those not on a plan eligible for the NE2 discount only have the annual upgrade option (again if they're at month 12 or later). The reason I bolded either/or is because one person can't use both. For instance you couldn't use your NE2 this year and 12 months later use your annual upgrade. Once you use either upgrade it's gone for good.

IIRC that also applies to the 14 day trial, by which I mean that (I think) if you use it and then return the phone during the 14 days, you don't get the option to go to another phone. I'm not a 100% on that, so make sure you find out from Verizon before you go to use that upgrade.

 

[vzwuser76]

yeah the annual upgrade thing was discontinued. Every now and then we have someone who still has one available. Once we do an upgrade the system removes that option from their account. Basically, the policy was very confusing and with the high subsidized cost of these phones, it didn't work well for vzw.

The thing was, you had to really look hard on Verizon's website to find a mention about the annual upgrade. The NE2 and 1 year contract options were easy to find, but not the annual upgrade. I remember even getting CSRs who didn't know about it.

Verizon says they're making it less confusing for the consumer, but all they did was take away options. It seems like they're following Apple's policy of limited options for the end user. It still baffles me how they can spin that having less choice is a good thing.

 

[CHIP72]

Also, I want to ask another quick question if anybody has an answer: I currently have a Charge, and the NFL Mobile app worked fine until about a week or two ago. I could watch the live Sunday and Monday night games, but last time I checked it wants me to pay for V-Cast. So, does anybody know if they made it so the app isn't free for 4G customers anymore?

Thanks in advance!

Your NFL Mobile app should still be working (press on the menu button at the top; you should be able to access different types of information, like news, scores, and video highlights), but the free streaming video of NFL RedZone and the prime-time games was a September special that ended on 9/30. In order to get access to NFL RedZone and the prime-time games via NFL Mobile, you need to pay $10/month (or $3/day) for V-Cast service.

One thing I've noticed has changed with NFL Mobile is that non-game regular NFL Network programming is no longer automatically included. I know at the end of the 2010 season you had to subscribe to V-Cast to get NFL RedZone or the non-ESPN prime-time games, but you could still watch non-game NFL Network programming without subscribing to V-Cast (this was also true in the NFL off-season). That stinks, but it's not like I was going to watch the NFL Network on my smartphone anyway when I can watch it on a 32" HD television (and don't watch often anyway).

Having said all of the above, I'm pretty sure I remember seeing commercials in September indicating NFL Mobile game access would be free for the season if you had a 4G device. That may have been only for 4G devices bought in September. (If that was the case, I wonder how much Verizon or Motorola paid for that special deal, considering most of the 4G devices bought in September would have been Motorola Droid Bionics.) You should check with Verizon to see if you should be receiving NFL Network programming, NFL RedZone, and NFL prime-time games for free during the 2011 NFL regular season.

 

[kyler13]

The thing was, you had to really look hard on Verizon's website to find a mention about the annual upgrade. The NE2 and 1 year contract options were easy to find, but not the annual upgrade. I remember even getting CSRs who didn't know about it.

Verizon says they're making it less confusing for the consumer, but all they did was take away options. It seems like they're following Apple's policy of limited options for the end user. It still baffles me how they can spin that having less choice is a good thing.

I'm on contract from late April last year. Since this April, my on-line account tells me I'm eligible for a new phone even though I haven't hit 20 months. This is the annual upgrade. You won't find mention of it in print, but if you're eligible, your online account should still show it when it comes available.