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FCC Taking On Verizon's New ETF

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Out Government!

glinc

Dec 4, 2009, 12:52 PM
The government should stay out of this crap....every time they step in and regulate stuff, it just takes longer for prices to drop.
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Azeron

Dec 4, 2009, 1:37 PM
I hope they ban ETFs so the carriers can react by ending subsidies. How bad do you really want that phone, junior? You'll be cutting grass for months to pay off that Storm 2. Consumers do not appreciate what these devices are worth. Please end the subsidy so I will never see another parent hand the iPhone over to a screaming brat just to hush him up.
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stinson5043

Dec 4, 2009, 3:26 PM
amen to that i agree that the phones should be sold at full price but i don't see that ever happening. if it does i can't wait for that first person to come in and i get to tell them that the free phone last week is now 200 bucks lol.
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kingstu

Dec 4, 2009, 4:35 PM
I also would love to see all phones be non-subsidized. It would make the consumer have to think about both the device and the network and hopefully bring better features to pay-as-you-go.
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Versed

Dec 4, 2009, 4:19 PM
Actually if they did get rid of subsidized phones, you will be spending more, but probably not as much as you think. They still would be discounting phones to attract you to them.

Very few people pay full retail for electronics. Same would hold true for phones. I doubt a Storm2 will sell for $599 (or whatever) and most likely sell for like mid 300's.
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tuminatr

Dec 4, 2009, 4:39 PM
go look how it works in uk most people pay retail for phones and most people are on prepay
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Versed

Dec 4, 2009, 5:09 PM
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Enzzo

Dec 4, 2009, 5:31 PM
Those are with 24 month commitments. The Pay as You Go phones are different.
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Versed

Dec 4, 2009, 8:30 PM
They were saying there was no commitments in europe. And yes24 months, and yes good phones and yes less etf then what VZW wants.
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a992156

Dec 4, 2009, 9:06 PM
I'm stupid. Is that Euros?
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a992156

Dec 4, 2009, 9:03 PM
That would be the best thing that could happen for Ebay. China would start cranking out all those cheap gsm phones full bore and most of them all being sold on Ebay.
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SugaR-E

Dec 4, 2009, 3:52 PM
Yup. I'm pretty sure that it's gonna get pretty ugly around here. So people, head for shelter! 🙄
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bluecoyote

Dec 4, 2009, 4:54 PM
Here's the deal- we've given them regulatory freedom and allowed them to amalgamate into these singular companies, which has driven DOWN competition.

Ok, that's fine if you're making toothbrushes. However unlike certain commodities, there are significant barriers to entry, such as tower building (which we regulate), airspace (which we regulate) , and carrier permits (which we regulate.) So in other words, we regulate all of the things that allow them to screw us over and justify raising their prices, but now when the Gov't says they're going to step in on predatory pricing such as VZW's unjustified ETF hike, you say "Oh no gov't, get off my back."
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SprintCC

Dec 4, 2009, 6:46 PM
It isn't unjustified. Verizon believes that it is in their best interest to raise the ETF. It is up to us, as consumers, to decide if they were correct. Verizon isn't telling existing customers that their ETF is going up- they are saying it will be higher on new contracts with high end devices. There is a simple answer- if you don't want to be saddled with the higher ETF call AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or any of the myriad of regiional carriers. Pick the ETF you're interested in dealing with. Or go with a prepaid company and have no ETF.

Honestly, the whole thing is pretty asinine. You enter a contract, a legally binding agreement, with a company. You should count yourself lucky that they allow you to go with a simple ETF. If a star football...
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bluecoyote

Dec 4, 2009, 9:15 PM
You're comparing an employment contract to a utilities contract.

Do you really work for Sprint? No wonder they're in the tanker.
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brandtz

Dec 5, 2009, 1:07 PM
is somehow this contract less enforceable ? The meat and potatoes of the two are different, but at the end of they day, it boils down to people are crap.

No one's word is worth sh*t anymore, if it was, there wouldn't exist a multi billion dollar litigation industry.

ETF's are simple and straightforward, someone says they want a service for 2 years and if they "change their mind" they agree to compensate the company a preset value of $.

You don't sign a legal paper if you think it's not fair....YOUR NOT REQUIRED TO BUY A PHONE TO LIVE.
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Azeron

Dec 6, 2009, 5:18 AM
*clap*clap*clap*clap*clap*
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SprintCC

Dec 5, 2009, 1:17 PM
No, I am comparing a contract to a contract. When you sign your name on the line which is dotted you are entering a legally binding agreement. Leaving the contract before it has run its course means two things: First, your word is worth nothing. Second you've shown the world why we need ETFs. The company you signed with has provided you with the promised service and yet you decided to go elsewhere. Even if you paid full price for the phones, the company has to pay to have someone there to sell you a new phone, to activate the phone, and to address your concerns with the service. If a company doesn't know how many customers they can count on having at any given time it is difficult to properly staff these needed positions.

Really, if you ...
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Jayshmay

Dec 4, 2009, 4:56 PM
The government is protecting the CONSUMER against a GINORMOUS corporation that you and many on Phone Scoop have given your souls over to, and you are all now CORPORATE fanboys and NO LONGER a consumer.
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flagrantmisuse

Dec 4, 2009, 5:14 PM
your mom's a corporate fanboy. 😁
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waldorfsalad

Dec 4, 2009, 8:11 PM
Last time I checked, any time you dole out some of your hard earned cash for something, it makes you a consumer. If you work for one of these companies, does that end your right to have any consumer opinions? Of course, not. I believe Verizons in the right on this, so to get the approval of the FCC after the investigation ends, will hopefully put this issue to bed.
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ygbhen

Dec 4, 2009, 9:10 PM
Jayshmay you know how it is on here. I do think VZ should be able to up its ETF if they give a larger than usual discount. A 600 phone for 99 is a huge hit to take. Where I have a problem is if you buy a phone thats 399 and they give you 150 in savings but since its considered a premium device they try to charge you 375 if you plan to cancel. They have been too vague with the details and should just put it all out on the table. I do agree with you with all of these corporate fanboys on here. There was guy on here who said you should not be able to buy your way out of a contract. That it should be like the NFL not knowing that anybody in the NFL can buyout there contract but b/c its millions of dollars and not hundreds, its just not eco...
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Azeron

Dec 6, 2009, 5:27 AM
Hmmmmm....you make an interesting point. Not all "advanced devices" cost the same so why should the ETF be $350? Perhaps at the time of contract signing the subsidized cost of the phone would be subtracted from the retail price of the phone and that will be the ETF. The ETF would be reduced by 1/24th the ETF amount per month.
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Menno

Dec 4, 2009, 10:52 PM
No Jay, the government is sticking their foot where they don't belong.

The ETF was increased because the subsidy was increased. Customers DO NOT have to accept this contract, and they can sign up without doing so.

Customers DEMAND cheap phones, and they DEMAND more feature rich phones. The only way companies can do both is by making up the money somewhere, either through increasing the cost of the plan (whereas plans increasingly include MORE features for the same amount), increasing the cost of the phone (see above) or increasing the ETF.

Honestly, I hope the FCC says "no more ETF" so consumers can buy phones from manufacturers directly, at retail. Yes, then the retail will go down, but they won't be complaining that the droid i...
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