Customers Can Test Drive The Nation’s Most Reliable Wireless Network for 30 Days

[RH]

Test Drive: Verizon Wireless Puts Customers In The Driver's Seat
Customers Can Test Drive The Nation’s Most Reliable Wireless Network for 30 Days

03/22/2007: In an industry first, Verizon Wireless is putting customers in the driver’s seat to take the nation’s most reliable wireless network for a spin. On Monday, March 26, Verizon Wireless will introduce Test Drive, an initiative that gives customers the opportunity to be their own Test Man or Woman and experience the Verizon Wireless network virtually risk-free for 30 days. If at any point during the 30-day Test Drive customers are not satisfied with their experience and take their number to another wireless carrier, Verizon Wireless will refund their money for their calls, equipment, activation fee and taxes, as well as release them from their contract without an early termination fee when they return their phone within the Test Drive period.



http://news.vzw.com/

[hf1khal]

I wish they started a price war instead. But this will for sure be a good thing for them and my bet is that 90% of the new subscribers will remain.

[larry]

I guess this is their way of not lowering prices.

[Kalimotxo]

Ususally after the first ten days of having service you know whether it's going to work for you or not. This is probably more of a selling tool / leveling with Cingular.

[jones]

How about Raising it to 2 Months
Bumper to Bumper Warranty?

[bobolito]

That's nowhere near an industry's first! AT&T Wireless has had that policy for years which Cingular inherited, then Sprint copied it and now Verizon copied the idea, and now they have the balls to claim it was THEIR initiative? What kind of an insult is that? Do they really think people are that stupid? Geez!

[ComicalMoodyDan]

Originally Posted by bobolito

That's nowhere near an industry's first! AT&T Wireless has had that policy for years which Cingular inherited, then Sprint copied it and now Verizon copied the idea, and now they have the balls to claim it was THEIR initiative? What kind of an insult is that? Do they really think people are that stupid? Geez!

Actually what Verizon is offering is an industry first. Both Cingular and Sprint offer a 30 day trial period but with both of those if you decide to cancel you do still have to pay for the days you had service. What Verizon is offering is a TOTAL and complete refund, that you pay nothing if you cancel before 30 days.

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by TNDan21

Actually what Verizon is offering is an industry first. Both Cingular and Sprint offer a 30 day trial period but with both of those if you decide to cancel you do still have to pay for the days you had service. What Verizon is offering is a TOTAL and complete refund, that you pay nothing if you cancel before 30 days.

Yes this is a first, but you "Have" to port your number to another carrier for them to honor this.
I think it's going to get them more people to try their service & if the people like it they will stay with them. It will be an interesting to see how they do in the 2nd Qtr results, since they seem to be timing this to the end of the 1st Qtr.

[bobolito]

A small variation to the original idea? I can hardly call that "an industry first". Give me a break! That's the same as saying Verizon is coming out with Rollover minutes and instead of expiring after 12 months, have them expire in 24 months and then call that an industry's first? Wow! They are so original!

If that's the case then should we call T-Mobile's 'My Faves' an industry's first too because they only allow 5 people instead of 10 like Alltel's My Circle? I'm sorry, but in my mind, things run both ways, so whether they add or remove some detail from the original idea, it is still a copy of the original idea.

The only thing Verizon had that was an industry's first was the IN messaging and the 'New Every Two' program. And then Alltel had an industry's first with My Circle.

[Fire14]

You do make some very good points bobolito, guess I can't argue that.

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by bobolito

A small variation to the original idea? I can hardly call that "an industry first". Give me a break! That's the same as saying Verizon is coming out with Rollover minutes and instead of expiring after 12 months, have them expire in 24 months and then call that an industry's first? Wow! They are so original!

If that's the case then should we call T-Mobile's 'My Faves' an industry's first too because they only allow 5 people instead of 10 like Alltel's My Circle? I'm sorry, but in my mind, things run both ways, so whether they add or remove some detail from the original idea, it is still a copy of the original idea.

The only thing Verizon had that was an industry's first was the IN messaging and the 'New Every Two' program. And then Alltel had an industry's first with My Circle.

Ok, but by this rationale Cingular/AT&T's 30 day trial shouldn't be considered an "industry first" either...as all they did was extend the trial from 14 days to 30 days. And all "Rollover" did was copy prepaid cellular, cause with prepaid you get to keep your minutes until they expire.

I don't really care for Verizon much, but I do think that this will get them some "switchers." Most of the other guys are charging activation plus service/overage during their trial period. This seems much more "customer friendly."

[bobolito]

That's the thing, nobody is calling AT&T/Cingular 30-day trial and Rollover an industry first. Verizon is calling their copied idea "an industry first." That was my point. As for Rollover, Cingular actually got that from Bellsouth DCS before it even was merged into Cingular back in the 90's. In other countries, the Rollover idea is nothing new.

However, I disagree with your thoughts that extending the 14-day trial to 30 days falls under the same rationale. Taking the idea of a 14-day trial and extending it to 30-days is one thing, but taking the same idea of a 30-day trial (which others are already doing) and adding a small detail to it is another. Therefore, if Verizon had said that they are extending their trial period to 45 or 60 days, then I would agree that's an industry's first.

In the end, I do agree that this is a very customer friendly initiative and is a step in the right direction. Verizon just took an old idea and added some "bells and whistles" to it. Nothing wrong with that. Just don't call it an industry's first. I find that offensive.

[jimbo]

We're in agreement then, because I find most wireless marketing fluff to be offensive!

I have an idea wireless cos, use your marketing money to make your network so good that it sells itself.

[dmapr]

Originally Posted by bobolito

That's the thing, nobody is calling AT&T/Cingular 30-day trial and Rollover an industry first. Verizon is calling their copied idea "an industry first." That was my point. As for Rollover, Cingular actually got that from Bellsouth DCS before it even was merged into Cingular back in the 90's. In other countries, the Rollover idea is nothing new.

However, I disagree with your thoughts that extending the 14-day trial to 30 days falls under the same rationale. Taking the idea of a 14-day trial and extending it to 30-days is one thing, but taking the same idea of a 30-day trial (which others are already doing) and adding a small detail to it is another. Therefore, if Verizon had said that they are extending their trial period to 45 or 60 days, then I would agree that's an industry's first.

In the end, I do agree that this is a very customer friendly initiative and is a step in the right direction. Verizon just took an old idea and added some "bells and whistles" to it. Nothing wrong with that. Just don't call it an industry's first. I find that offensive.

Not that I care about what slogan marketing decides to attach to which campaign, but in line with your "extending the trial" point VZW takes a 3-day full refund Cingular policy and extends it to a 30-day full refund policy. You can cancel your service with any carrier at any time — the only difference is how much it's going to cost you as a function of when you cancel it. With Cingular, the amount is $0 for the first three days, $activation + $usage for the first 30 days and $activation + $usage + $ETF for the first ~730. With this VZW program it'll be $0 for the first 30 days, $activation + $usage + $ETF for the first ~730. What you decide to call "industry first" is entirely up to you

[jones]

Ok, Who will make the Industry First 2 Month Trial
or 45 Days.
But this time we'll put it in th Guinness Book.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by bobolito

That's the thing, nobody is calling AT&T/Cingular 30-day trial and Rollover an industry first. Verizon is calling their copied idea "an industry first." That was my point. As for Rollover, Cingular actually got that from Bellsouth DCS before it even was merged into Cingular back in the 90's. In other countries, the Rollover idea is nothing new.

However, I disagree with your thoughts that extending the 14-day trial to 30 days falls under the same rationale. Taking the idea of a 14-day trial and extending it to 30-days is one thing, but taking the same idea of a 30-day trial (which others are already doing) and adding a small detail to it is another. Therefore, if Verizon had said that they are extending their trial period to 45 or 60 days, then I would agree that's an industry's first.

In the end, I do agree that this is a very customer friendly initiative and is a step in the right direction. Verizon just took an old idea and added some "bells and whistles" to it. Nothing wrong with that. Just don't call it an industry's first. I find that offensive.

Thank You. I was thinking exactly the same thing...

-Jay

[jones]

Now that VZW has Made their Trial Period
the Same as Cingular Who Offered it First,
the Next Move will Be to Make a
STREET LEVEL Coverage Map.

[blsemp]

Cingular has done a good job with their map. They try to update it monthly.

[bobolito]

LOL! I get the feeling that when Verizon comes up with street-level maps they will call it "an industry's first." Right now, what they have cannot be called street-level maps. Sorry.

An example of an industry's first was T-Mobile when they were the first to release street-level coverage maps. Another example of industry's first was when Cingular claimed they had the fewest dropped calls. Everyone else followed along.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by bobolito

LOL! I get the feeling that when Verizon comes up with street-level maps they will call it "an industry's first." Right now, what they have cannot be called street-level maps. Sorry.

An example of an industry's first was T-Mobile when they were the first to release street-level coverage maps. Another example of industry's first was when Cingular claimed they had the fewest dropped calls. Everyone else followed along.

But Verizon does hold an important first in the cell phone world. They were the first to disable features of their phones to boost their ringtone and data sales. Why not put that in a press release Verizon?