In alt.cellular.verizon Todd Allcock <elecconnec@americaonline.com> wrote:
>
> True- but they're making money either way; whether you pay the full
> unsubsidized price, or re-up for two years. Again, the point is, if the
> "Uberfone 5000", or whatever model you really want can be obtained $150-200
> cheaper with a contract, why not? If circumstances change and you need to
> break the contract, you pay the $150-200 EFT and no harm done- it was the
> amount of the discount anyway.
>

This is precisely what I was trying to say, except that their EFT is usually
MORE than the subsidy, so the carrier comes out ahead ... and they don't lower
the price of your monthly plan when the subsidy is paid up ... which means you
should threaten churn to keep your money, as otherwise it is pure profit for
them ... a greedy model.

I would rather have the option to buy a phone that is not locked to any
carrier and buy that phone at full price. Then I should be able to activate
it with any carrier and not pay the plan price that subsidized buyers pay.

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse

America is the country where you buy a lifetime
supply of aspirin for one dollar, and use it up in two weeks.