CENTRAL U.S. -- Contract Renewal question

[james16841]

On June 9, 2009 my Alltel account will be eligible for an upgrade/ contract renewal. Being within the last four months, I can upgrade our devices and renew my contract. I am trying to determine what my options are here.

Would I be able to get new Alltel phones and sign a new Alltel contract? OR Would I be able to get new Verizon phones and sign a new Verizon contract?

Or, should I just wait a while longer and see what happens?

[MrObvious]

Does your phone work fine? If not you could just buy a phone off eBay and activate it and leave your contract unextended.

[james16841]

Originally Posted by MrObvious

Does your phone work fine? If not you could just buy a phone off eBay and activate it and leave your contract unextended.

Phones work fine; just wanted to upgrade to newer models. Spoke with Verizon Customer service today. Even though we are eligible for renewal/upgrades, we must wait "a couple of months" for the transition phase to be over before we can move our service to Verizon. If we were to renew our contract right now, it would remain with Alltel Wireless. I have read in various places on the web of people saying you can switch if you're within your last 120 days, but according to Verizon customer service that is false information.

We were casualties of the AT&T / Cingular merger years ago (hence the reason we switched to Alltel in the first place.) We're going to ride out these "couple" months until we can get Verizon service. No intentions to renew with Alltel.

[MrObvious]

I'm just waiting it out myself too. I have the Touch Diamond and it was an insurance upgrade after the 6800 was discontinued and that seems to work alright.

[bikebryan]

Originally Posted by james16841

Phones work fine; just wanted to upgrade to newer models. Spoke with Verizon Customer service today. Even though we are eligible for renewal/upgrades, we must wait "a couple of months" for the transition phase to be over before we can move our service to Verizon. If we were to renew our contract right now, it would remain with Alltel Wireless. I have read in various places on the web of people saying you can switch if you're within your last 120 days, but according to Verizon customer service that is false information.

We were casualties of the AT&T / Cingular merger years ago (hence the reason we switched to Alltel in the first place.) We're going to ride out these "couple" months until we can get Verizon service. No intentions to renew with Alltel.

If you are within 120 days of then end of your current contracts with Alltel, then you can port your number over to VZW "early." That means you can do so without having to pay an ETF on the Alltel side, but you will have to pay the activation fees on the VZW side for each ported number. Thus you can jump to VZW early, without Alltel ETFs, and get new VZW equipment capable of taking advantage of their many data options. Of course you would also have to choose a VZW plan which can be good and/or bad depending on your needs.

So VZW gave you bad info. Try talking to their in-store reps if you haven't already.

[james16841]

Originally Posted by bikebryan

If you are within 120 days of then end of your current contracts with Alltel, then you can port your number over to VZW "early." That means you can do so without having to pay an ETF on the Alltel side, but you will have to pay the activation fees on the VZW side for each ported number. Thus you can jump to VZW early, without Alltel ETFs, and get new VZW equipment capable of taking advantage of their many data options. Of course you would also have to choose a VZW plan which can be good and/or bad depending on your needs.

So VZW gave you bad info. Try talking to their in-store reps if you haven't already.

BIKEBRYAN: I really appreciate that information. I will contact a Verizon retail rep and find out what they have to say. For what its worth, I have had 2 separate Verizon customer service reps tell me that I will have to wait it out. Is this something that you have personally dealt with?

[bandit390]

Originally Posted by james16841

BIKEBRYAN: I really appreciate that information. I will contact a Verizon retail rep and find out what they have to say. For what its worth, I have had 2 separate Verizon customer service reps tell me that I will have to wait it out. Is this something that you have personally dealt with?

If verizon didn't have licenses to sell in your area. Then there is no verizon for you to port to. Eventually you will be able to when its merged.

[james16841]

Originally Posted by bandit390

If verizon didn't have licenses to sell in your area. Then there is no verizon for you to port to. Eventually you will be able to when its merged.

Verizon is already servicing our area; always has been. My understanding is that I cannot port to Verizon right now without being subject to Alltel's $175/line early termination fee (even though I'm in the last 120 days of my Alltel contract and am eligible for upgrade) It appears that I will be required to wait until Verizon takes over Alltel in my area. I am frustrated to say the least.

[bikebryan]

Originally Posted by james16841

Verizon is already servicing our area; always has been. My understanding is that I cannot port to Verizon right now without being subject to Alltel's $175/line early termination fee (even though I'm in the last 120 days of my Alltel contract and am eligible for upgrade) It appears that I will be required to wait until Verizon takes over Alltel in my area. I am frustrated to say the least.

1. Alltle does not have a $175 ETF, is it $200. If you terminate before your service agreement expire date the entire ETF applies and it doesn't matter that you are eligible for an upgrade. That comparison is apples to oranges.

2. You CAN port you number to Verizon if you are within 120 days of your Alltel contract date and Alltel WILL waive the ETFs. Now you are under a time crunch though - when your area gets ready to convert to the Verizon Billing System (VISION) there will be a lockdown on those port requests. You may already be there and that's why you can't port early. In that case it's your bad you waited.

[james16841]

Originally Posted by bikebryan

1. Alltle does not have a $175 ETF, is it $200. If you terminate before your service agreement expire date the entire ETF applies and it doesn't matter that you are eligible for an upgrade. That comparison is apples to oranges.

2. You CAN port you number to Verizon if you are within 120 days of your Alltel contract date and Alltel WILL waive the ETFs. Now you are under a time crunch though - when your area gets ready to convert to the Verizon Billing System (VISION) there will be a lockdown on those port requests. You may already be there and that's why you can't port early. In that case it's your bad you waited.

We have successfully made the switch from Alltel to Verizon. For some reason nobody in customer service wanted to give me information on how to switch over UNTIL I was actually within the last 120 days. However, once that was the case, the transition was made very smoothly. We now have a Verizon plan with 2 verizon devices. The whole process was taken care of relatively quickly within the retail store.

[bikebryan]

Originally Posted by james16841

We have successfully made the switch from Alltel to Verizon. For some reason nobody in customer service wanted to give me information on how to switch over UNTIL I was actually within the last 120 days. However, once that was the case, the transition was made very smoothly. We now have a Verizon plan with 2 verizon devices. The whole process was taken care of relatively quickly within the retail store.

This was an unpublished policy so of course nobody mentioned it UNTIL you were within the time frame it was available. What else would you expect?