Verizon wireless - Keeping your customers in the dark

Author

Keeping your customers in the dark

Beavis

2006-08-24, 12:33 pm

Oh, it pains me when a company doesn't see fit to keep their front-line
employees informed. (It's the same situation at my company.)

So I'm out of town with my new LG VX8300, and the mobile web has stopped
working. I also notice I'm in an EV-DO area, which isn't the case at
home. Since I have a few minutes, I call tech support from a landline,
and am pleasantly surprised to be only hold for all of about five
seconds. I explain what's going on, and she found and corrected the
issue (EV-DO-related) very quickly.

While she had me, she asked if I'd like to try out their "V-Pack" for a
month free -- unlimited mobile web, videos, and get-it-now traffic.
Sure, why not? She reminded me twice to cancel by the end of my month
if I didn't want to get charged for future months; I appreciate that. I
asked her if she knew when EV-DO would be hitting my area (Albany, NY),
and she said it should be "any time now, it's already in north Jersey
and spreading." Cool.

Well, my month came up a few days ago, so I called up to cancel the
V-Pack. He asked why, and I told him because it doesn't work in my home
area. (The truth is that I don't see the attraction to watching video
in a 1-inch screen, but this explanation was easier. The unlimited
airtime for mobile web was the real reason I did the free month.)

He processed the cancellation, and while we were waiting for it to go
through, I asked him if he knew when Albany would be getting EV-DO. He
said he had no idea; they never give him that information. Nice.

And what do I see when I get home the VERY NEXT DAY? EV-DO service in
Albany. Nice going, Verizon -- by not keeping your people informed, you
gave away a huge revenue stream. Wouldn't it have been nice if your
employee had known about it, and could have told me, "It should be going
live in Albany this week. Do you want to keep the service?"

Notan

2006-08-24, 12:33 pm

Beavis wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> And what do I see when I get home the VERY NEXT DAY? EV-DO service in
> Albany. Nice going, Verizon -- by not keeping your people informed, you
> gave away a huge revenue stream. Wouldn't it have been nice if your
> employee had known about it, and could have told me, "It should be going
> live in Albany this week. Do you want to keep the service?"

While I'm certainly not defending Verizon, or any of the carriers for
that matter, isn't it possible that this particular rep slept through
the announcement?

Notan

Frankster

2006-08-24, 12:33 pm

> "It should be going live in Albany this week.
>Do you want to keep the service?"

You would have cancelled anyway. You said so.

-Frank

Evan Platt

2006-08-24, 12:33 pm

On Thu, 24 Aug 2006 15:43:18 GMT, Beavis <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote:

>Oh, it pains me when a company doesn't see fit to keep their front-line
>employees informed. (It's the same situation at my company.)
>
>
>So I'm out of town with my new LG VX8300, and the mobile web has stopped
>working. I also notice I'm in an EV-DO area, which isn't the case at
>home. Since I have a few minutes, I call tech support from a landline,
>and am pleasantly surprised to be only hold for all of about five
>seconds. I explain what's going on, and she found and corrected the
>issue (EV-DO-related) very quickly.
>
>While she had me, she asked if I'd like to try out their "V-Pack" for a
>month free -- unlimited mobile web, videos, and get-it-now traffic.
>Sure, why not? She reminded me twice to cancel by the end of my month
>if I didn't want to get charged for future months; I appreciate that. I
>asked her if she knew when EV-DO would be hitting my area (Albany, NY),
>and she said it should be "any time now, it's already in north Jersey
>and spreading." Cool.
>
>Well, my month came up a few days ago, so I called up to cancel the
>V-Pack. He asked why, and I told him because it doesn't work in my home
>area. (The truth is that I don't see the attraction to watching video
>in a 1-inch screen, but this explanation was easier. The unlimited
>airtime for mobile web was the real reason I did the free month.)
>
>He processed the cancellation, and while we were waiting for it to go
>through, I asked him if he knew when Albany would be getting EV-DO. He
>said he had no idea; they never give him that information. Nice.
>
>And what do I see when I get home the VERY NEXT DAY? EV-DO service in
>Albany. Nice going, Verizon -- by not keeping your people informed, you
>gave away a huge revenue stream. Wouldn't it have been nice if your
>employee had known about it, and could have told me, "It should be going
>live in Albany this week. Do you want to keep the service?"

Well, there's a number of possibilites. As Notan said, the rep fell
asleep during the announcement. Didn't read his e-mail. Just plain
zoned when they made the announcement.

Another possibility is it's not 'live' yet. Yes, it shows on your
phone, but may not be fully 'ready for prime time'.

When I was a Nextel indirect dealer, we anxiously awaited cross group
Direct Connect (ie being able to direct connect someone in another
fleet / group), and nationwide direct connect. Both started working
about a day and a half before the 'live' date.

Some other people stated it worked a week before the go live date, but
only for a period of a hour or so.

Elector

2006-08-24, 12:33 pm

"Evan Platt" <evan@theobvious.espphotography.com> wrote in message
news:0bkre21cuvmqjrg
2mbcll96ubhlva3v5dv@
4ax.com...
> On Thu, 24 Aug 2006 15:43:18 GMT, Beavis <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote:
>
>
> Well, there's a number of possibilites. As Notan said, the rep fell
> asleep during the announcement. Didn't read his e-mail. Just plain
> zoned when they made the announcement.
>
> Another possibility is it's not 'live' yet. Yes, it shows on your
> phone, but may not be fully 'ready for prime time'.
>
> When I was a Nextel indirect dealer, we anxiously awaited cross group
> Direct Connect (ie being able to direct connect someone in another
> fleet / group), and nationwide direct connect. Both started working
> about a day and a half before the 'live' date.
>
> Some other people stated it worked a week before the go live date, but
> only for a period of a hour or so.

I live in Albany and my Account Executive notified me by email that EVDO was
available in Buffalo NY and Albany New York on Aug 23, 2006 sure enough I
looked at display on my phone and it was there. She also said to do a *228
send and select option 2 to be sure it was to the phone properly.

Elector

Nick Danger

2006-08-24, 10:33 pm

"Notan" <notan@ddress.thatcanbespammed> wrote in message
news:44EDCB70.4C1EDD35@ddress.thatcanbespammed...
> Beavis wrote:
> While I'm certainly not defending Verizon, or any of the carriers for
> that matter, isn't it possible that this particular rep slept through
> the announcement?

These reps probably all work in a single call center which could be anywhere
in the country - or in the world. I doubt that they have daily briefings
where they are expected to memorize which areas got new service today. You
probably wouldn't know it from the kind of service you get from most call
centers, but there is a lot of work going on throughout the call center
industry, developing ways to make sure that they have the right information
at their fingertips when they need it. One day, they might have software
that will cause their display to popup a message saying "Tell the customer
that EVDO will be rolled out in his/her area two days from now." In the
meantime, there's not much they can do. They have to make a quick decision
on the tradeoff - do they put in the extra effort to try to retain this
customer by searching for information that might cause him to change his
mind, or do they finish the call quickly to keep their calls per hour number
at acceptable levels?

bobby.2@wright.edu

2006-08-25, 4:33 am

Beavis,

I totally agree, i got my new phone when v-cast was the big thing. but
it wasn't in the stores that they told me that i could get it free for
a month. it was three weeks later when i calle tech support. They
asked if i wanted to get it free but it was only for a week becasue the
deal was you would get it free with the first month you had your phone.
Know that is crappy, wouldn't you say?

[Holyhalokingdom u305617]

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href=http://www.stephenyong.com/runescape.htm>Runescape</a> <a
href=http://www.stephenyong.com/kingsofchaos.htm>Kings of chaos</a>

Isaiah Beard

2006-08-25, 3:33 pm

Beavis wrote:

> Well, my month came up a few days ago, so I called up to cancel the
> V-Pack. He asked why, and I told him because it doesn't work in my home
> area. (The truth is that I don't see the attraction to watching video
> in a 1-inch screen, but this explanation was easier. The unlimited
> airtime for mobile web was the real reason I did the free month.)
>
> He processed the cancellation, and while we were waiting for it to go
> through, I asked him if he knew when Albany would be getting EV-DO. He
> said he had no idea; they never give him that information. Nice.
>
> And what do I see when I get home the VERY NEXT DAY? EV-DO service in
> Albany. Nice going, Verizon -- by not keeping your people informed, you
> gave away a huge revenue stream. Wouldn't it have been nice if your
> employee had known about it, and could have told me, "It should be going
> live in Albany this week. Do you want to keep the service?"

To which your answer would have been "no, I don't see the attraction to
watching video on a 1-inch screen," according to what you state.

So, how would the outcome have been any different, really?

--
E-mail fudged to thwart spammers.
Transpose the c's and a's in my e-mail address to reply.

Ange1o DePa1ma

2006-08-25, 10:33 pm

"Beavis" <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:nobody-E166CE. 11431524082006@za602
1818.ip.fs.fed.us...
> Oh, it pains me when a company doesn't see fit to keep their front-line
> employees informed. (It's the same situation at my company.)
>
>
> So I'm out of town with my new LG VX8300, and the mobile web has stopped
> working. I also notice I'm in an EV-DO area, which isn't the case at
> home. Since I have a few minutes, I call tech support from a landline,
> and am pleasantly surprised to be only hold for all of about five
> seconds. I explain what's going on, and she found and corrected the
> issue (EV-DO-related) very quickly.
>
> While she had me, she asked if I'd like to try out their "V-Pack" for a
> month free -- unlimited mobile web, videos, and get-it-now traffic.
> Sure, why not? She reminded me twice to cancel by the end of my month
> if I didn't want to get charged for future months; I appreciate that. I
> asked her if she knew when EV-DO would be hitting my area (Albany, NY),
> and she said it should be "any time now, it's already in north Jersey
> and spreading." Cool.
>
> Well, my month came up a few days ago, so I called up to cancel the
> V-Pack. He asked why, and I told him because it doesn't work in my home
> area. (The truth is that I don't see the attraction to watching video
> in a 1-inch screen, but this explanation was easier. The unlimited
> airtime for mobile web was the real reason I did the free month.)
>
> He processed the cancellation, and while we were waiting for it to go
> through, I asked him if he knew when Albany would be getting EV-DO. He
> said he had no idea; they never give him that information. Nice.
>
> And what do I see when I get home the VERY NEXT DAY? EV-DO service in
> Albany. Nice going, Verizon -- by not keeping your people informed, you
> gave away a huge revenue stream. Wouldn't it have been nice if your
> employee had known about it, and could have told me, "It should be going
> live in Albany this week. Do you want to keep the service?"

Verizon needs an outside management consultant team, specializing in
operations, to come in and clean house. Everything about how they deal with
customers sucks big time.

Yesterday it took me 45 minutes to order a new phone. First the website
would not allow me to upgrade, so I called customer service. They explained
that for some cockamamie reason the site "remembers" I ordered another phone
2 months ago, and won't let me order a new one. Imagine if Dell or CompUSA
operated this way. I order a Dell computer 30 days ago, and the website
refuses to sell me another one today.

The rep explained that I was eligible to get $100 off plus the web discount
(a $50 instant rebate). In the past I was told I could only get one or the
other. She could not take my order for the Lg 8300 ($119) but passed me on
to the web sales dept. Before doing so she explained that I'd get $100 off,
plus the instant web discount, so I would actually *make* $31 on the phone.
I was licking my chops.

After 10 minutes on hold the line went dead. So I called back and explained
my situation. Finally I got someone who was able to take my order, but we
were on the phone for nearly 20 minutes!! Of course she asked for my mobile
# (which I had just punched in), then she disappeared. When she returned she
took my name and SS#, then disappeared again. Then she took my CC and
disappeared once more. Again, imagine if a major retailer operated that way.
My only conclusion is their margins are so high it doesn't matter that
they're so inefficient, and if that is so it means they essentially have no
competition.

Anyway, once my order was complete I asked what the bottom line was and the
rep told me I would get the phone for $53, plus a $50 mail in rebate. "What
about the instant $50 web discount?" I asked.

"Sorry, you can only get that on the web."
"But your $#@#$*(& website doesn't let me order, even though I'm due for an
upgrade."
"Well then you should have asked for the web sales department." (I had
forgotten to do so)
"Ok, then connect me to them I want to order through them."
"Sorry, it's too late, your order went through."

She then explained that for some weird reason my phone would arrive in 10
days. What about the 2 day Fedex delivery? You guessed it, it's only
available for Web sales. Haha. So I asked, "Why aren't your sales
departments connected?" and she explained that they are, but for reasons
only God knows it takes several days to verify my credit card information
through customer service, whereas the website does it automatically. Mind
you, I have used the exact same credit card to purchase about 20 Verizon
phones over the last 8 years.

I keep saying this, but imagine -- imagine the state of retail sales in this
country if every vendor operated that inefficiently. Somehow Verizon is able
to do it and stay in business.

Angelo DePalma

Notan

2006-08-25, 10:33 pm

Ange1o DePa1ma wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> I keep saying this, but imagine -- imagine the state of retail sales in this
> country if every vendor operated that inefficiently. Somehow Verizon is able
> to do it and stay in business.

With all due respect, after all that, you still ordered the phone.

THAT'S why they're still in business! <g>

Notan

The Ghost of General Lee

2006-08-25, 10:33 pm

On Fri, 25 Aug 2006 17:51:19 -0400, "Ange1o DePa1ma"
< angelodpnospam@nospa
m.gmail.com> wrote:

>She then explained that for some weird reason my phone would arrive in 10
>days. What about the 2 day Fedex delivery? You guessed it, it's only
>available for Web sales. Haha. So I asked, "Why aren't your sales
>departments connected?" and she explained that they are, but for reasons
>only God knows it takes several days to verify my credit card information
>through customer service, whereas the website does it automatically.

Imagine this scenario.

Let's say you have a problem with text messaging on your phone. They
tell you your issue must be handled by someone else (in this case, the
data department, but they don't tell you that), so they transfer you.
You explain the problem to them and they open a trouble ticket. You,
being a diligent customer, get the ticket number so you can refer to
the incident in case you have to call back later. They tell you they
will look in to it and call you back. You wait for days with no call
back. So you call customer service back, and give them the ticket
number you were given. They tell you it doesn't exist. So you go
through the entire explanation again. They pass you off to Tier 2
support because the problem is beyond their scope. They open another
ticket, you write that number down. They then tell you to take your
phone to the store and exchange it.

You get the new phone and have the same issue. So you call customer
service again. You give them the most recent ticket number, but they
can't find it. So they open another ticket. After realizing they
must again escalate the problem, you get transferred back to the data
department. You give them the last ticket number you were given, but
alas, it's not in their system. So they open yet another ticket, and
give you that number. Go around and around like that a few times and
you can collect a dozen or more ticket numbers, being frustrated that
every time you call and give the last ticket number you were given,
only to be told it doesn't exist.

After a couple of months, you begin to piece together the facts and
determine that each support department has its own trouble ticket
system, and one department cannot access the tickets from the others.
And they never tell you what department you are talking to unless you
specifically ask.

I don't have to imagine. That was my learning experience with VZW
tech support. And I'd think in their own ways, each carrier has
issues with the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.

One would think communications companies would do a better job of
communicating within their own companies. But sadly, that's not the
world we live in anymore.

Ange1o DePa1ma

2006-08-26, 10:33 am

"Notan" <notan@ddress.thatcanbespammed> wrote in message
news:44EF8428.823C9713@ddress.thatcanbespammed...
> Ange1o DePa1ma wrote:
>
> With all due respect, after all that, you still ordered the phone.
>
> THAT'S why they're still in business! <g>
>
> Notan

Not exactly, it's the $170 termination fee. IMO since these cell companies
are quasi-monopolies, the FCC or FTC should step in and order them to work
out a way to eliminate these confiscatory charges and somehow recoup their
losses on a phone.

Ange1o DePa1ma

2006-08-26, 10:33 am

"The Ghost of General Lee" <ghost@general.lee> wrote in message
news:au2ve254dabk5o6
psvhqdkrc8ndtj1an31@
4ax.com...
> On Fri, 25 Aug 2006 17:51:19 -0400, "Ange1o DePa1ma"
> < angelodpnospam@nospa
m.gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Imagine this scenario.
>
> Let's say you have a problem with text messaging on your phone. They
> tell you your issue must be handled by someone else (in this case, the
> data department, but they don't tell you that), so they transfer you.
> You explain the problem to them and they open a trouble ticket. You,
> being a diligent customer, get the ticket number so you can refer to
> the incident in case you have to call back later. They tell you they
> will look in to it and call you back. You wait for days with no call
> back. So you call customer service back, and give them the ticket
> number you were given. They tell you it doesn't exist. So you go
> through the entire explanation again. They pass you off to Tier 2
> support because the problem is beyond their scope. They open another
> ticket, you write that number down. They then tell you to take your
> phone to the store and exchange it.
>
> You get the new phone and have the same issue. So you call customer
> service again. You give them the most recent ticket number, but they
> can't find it. So they open another ticket. After realizing they
> must again escalate the problem, you get transferred back to the data
> department. You give them the last ticket number you were given, but
> alas, it's not in their system. So they open yet another ticket, and
> give you that number. Go around and around like that a few times and
> you can collect a dozen or more ticket numbers, being frustrated that
> every time you call and give the last ticket number you were given,
> only to be told it doesn't exist.
>
> After a couple of months, you begin to piece together the facts and
> determine that each support department has its own trouble ticket
> system, and one department cannot access the tickets from the others.
> And they never tell you what department you are talking to unless you
> specifically ask.
>
> I don't have to imagine. That was my learning experience with VZW
> tech support. And I'd think in their own ways, each carrier has
> issues with the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.
>
> One would think communications companies would do a better job of
> communicating within their own companies. But sadly, that's not the
> world we live in anymore.

Poor service is the bane of the so-called "tech" industries. That is why I
will never switch my VOIP service, Lingo. Their customer service is
unheard-of good, and their tech support is simply unbelievable. Two months
ago I finally got wireless networking in my home, and had problems with
setting up. Nowhere in the print or online D-Link instructions could I find
what to do with a VOIP box. I called D-Link and they were clueless, unaware
of the proper wiring with a VOIP. They had me trying all sorts of stuff
which even I, a networking idiot, knew could not be correct. Not believing
their lack of technical savvy was systemic, I called again and got someone
even stupider than the first guy. Out of desperation I called Lingo, and
even though the D-Link router was not their product (and my difficulty not
the result of anything related to them), they solved my problem after about
10 minutes. Not once did I hear, "Sorry, SIR, we don't support that product,
SIR."

Otherwise your observations are pretty much universal. Except that Verizon's
website is especially dysfunctional. An e-commerce site that does not allow
people to purchase stuff is just too dumb to fathom.

adp

The Other Funk

2006-08-26, 12:33 pm

Finding the keyboard operational
Ange1o DePa1ma entered:

> "Notan" <notan@ddress.thatcanbespammed> wrote in message
> news:44EF8428.823C9713@ddress.thatcanbespammed...
>
> Not exactly, it's the $170 termination fee. IMO since these cell
> companies are quasi-monopolies, the FCC or FTC should step in and
> order them to work out a way to eliminate these confiscatory charges
> and somehow recoup their losses on a phone.

Actually they stay in business with the bells and wistles not the phones.
It's the HP printer philosopy. Give away the printer and charge like hell
for the ink. In this case it is a deeply discounted phone then the Vcast
and Web and roaming and over minute air time.
Cellular phone companies are no where near a monopoly. In any major metro
area you have 3 or 4 choices. Guess what, they are all the same. The FCC
regulates their airwave use and ths FTC isn't going to step in to fix
someones price structure unless it is for a non luxury item. i.e. milk.
Tech support for any company is a cost center not a profit center. It's how
cheaply can we run it without losing too many customers. Phone sales are
probably such a small precentage of their income that they don't plow alot
of money into it.
The world is not the way we want it. It is the way it is.
Bob

--
--
Coffee worth staying up for - NY Times
www.moondoggiecoffee.com

Ange1o DePa1ma

2006-08-27, 4:33 am

"The Other Funk" <bobbie@moondoggie.com> wrote

>
> Actually they stay in business with the bells and wistles not the phones.
> It's the HP printer philosopy. Give away the printer and charge like hell
> for the ink. In this case it is a deeply discounted phone then the Vcast
> and Web and roaming and over minute air time.
> Cellular phone companies are no where near a monopoly. In any major metro
> area you have 3 or 4 choices. Guess what, they are all the same. The FCC
> regulates their airwave use and ths FTC isn't going to step in to fix
> someones price structure unless it is for a non luxury item. i.e. milk.
> Tech support for any company is a cost center not a profit center. It's
> how cheaply can we run it without losing too many customers. Phone sales
> are probably such a small precentage of their income that they don't plow
> alot of money into it.
> The world is not the way we want it. It is the way it is.
> Bob
>
> --
> --
> Coffee worth staying up for - NY Times
> www.moondoggiecoffee.com

Did I say they made money from the phones?

You are right that they're not monopolies, but the way they price their
services and offer limited phones and add-on services, they might as well
be. Otherwise prices would come down as they did for telephone service and
everything else where there is a lot of competition (cameras, computers,
etc).

Notan

2006-08-27, 4:33 am

Ange1o DePa1ma wrote:
>
> "The Other Funk" <bobbie@moondoggie.com> wrote
>
>
> Did I say they made money from the phones?
>
> You are right that they're not monopolies, but the way they price their
> services and offer limited phones and add-on services, they might as well
> be. Otherwise prices would come down as they did for telephone service and
> everything else where there is a lot of competition (cameras, computers,
> etc).

Actually, I was the one that mentioned the phone...

I didn't mean they made a profit on the phone itself, but, rather,
by selling the phone, they kept the OP as a customer.

Notan

Nessnet

2006-08-27, 10:33 am

In the late 80's, a Motorola 8000 sold for over $3000.
Airtime was expensive, close to a buck a minute. At least
well over $.50 or more to the very high users.

You can now buy a phone for less than $100, (yes maybe subsidized)
But, even at full bore retail, there are aren't many phones at $3K.
(Those vanity Nokias, etc don't count). Airtime can commonly be had
for $.10 - even less.

In my book and pretty much anybody else's, this certainly has been pricing
that has come WAAAY down.

It has currently leveled off because of costs of doing business - fixed costs
such as labor, backhaul, site leases and then there is also the continued buildout
with the addition of 3G, etc that is not cheap.

Still overall, I'd say prices have come way down....

"Ange1o DePa1ma" < angelodpnospam@nospa
m.gmail.com> wrote in message news:22ednTNPrtdpomz
ZUSdV9g@ptd.net...
>
> You are right that they're not monopolies, but the way they price their services and offer limited phones and add-on
> services, they might as well be. Otherwise prices would come down as they did for telephone service and everything
> else where there is a lot of competition (cameras, computers, etc).
>

clifto

2006-08-27, 10:33 pm

Nessnet wrote:
> In the late 80's, a Motorola 8000 sold for over $3000.
> Airtime was expensive, close to a buck a minute. At least
> well over $.50 or more to the very high users.
>
> You can now buy a phone for less than $100, (yes maybe subsidized)

In 1986, hard drives cost $30,000 per gigabyte. Today they're under one
dollar per gig. Just the other day a friend bought one for under
forty-two cents per gigabyte.

When phone prices take a proportionate decline, we'll be watching a free
market. Until then we're stuck with the monopolies.

--
More abuse of eminent domain!
http://www.villagelandgrab.com/

The Other Funk

2006-08-27, 10:33 pm

Finding the keyboard operational
clifto entered:

> Nessnet wrote:
>
> In 1986, hard drives cost $30,000 per gigabyte. Today they're under
> one dollar per gig. Just the other day a friend bought one for under
> forty-two cents per gigabyte.
>
> When phone prices take a proportionate decline, we'll be watching a
> free market. Until then we're stuck with the monopolies.
I don't know where you get the justification for claiming that cell phone
companieas have a monopoly. Round here I could have Verizon, Sprint or
T-Mobile tomorrow.

--
--
Coffee worth staying up for - NY Times
www.moondoggiecoffee.com

clifto

2006-08-28, 4:33 am

The Other Funk wrote:
> Finding the keyboard operational
> clifto entered:
>
> I don't know where you get the justification for claiming that cell phone
> companieas have a monopoly. Round here I could have Verizon, Sprint or
> T-Mobile tomorrow.

The cell phone companies are the only ones who can afford to pull off
quantity buys of cell phones.

--
More abuse of eminent domain!
http://www.villagelandgrab.com/

Ange1o DePa1ma

2006-08-28, 4:33 am

"Nessnet" <richard@nodamnspam.nessnet.com> wrote in

> In the late 80's, a Motorola 8000 sold for over $3000.
> Airtime was expensive, close to a buck a minute. At least
> well over $.50 or more to the very high users.
>
> You can now buy a phone for less than $100, (yes maybe subsidized)
> But, even at full bore retail, there are aren't many phones at $3K.
> (Those vanity Nokias, etc don't count). Airtime can commonly be had
> for $.10 - even less.
>
> In my book and pretty much anybody else's, this certainly has been pricing
> that has come WAAAY down.
>
> It has currently leveled off because of costs of doing business - fixed
> costs
> such as labor, backhaul, site leases and then there is also the continued
> buildout
> with the addition of 3G, etc that is not cheap.
>
> Still overall, I'd say prices have come way down....

Ok. In the late 1980s my phone bill was $450-550 per month. Today it's about
$40 ($20 for my Sprint landline, $20 for my Lingo VOIP), and I have
unlimited calling.

Back then I was charged up to 75 cents per minute for calling central NJ
from northwestern NJ; today my per-minute charges no longer exist.

I currently pay $115/month for VZW, 700 minutes (four phones). $10 of that
is for unlimited text/pix messaging for my daughter. That's around 15 cents
per minute. That sounds like a good deal but in fact we hardly ever use more
than 350 minutes, so we're really paying about 30 cents.

I guess prices have come way down, and when you think about the convenience
wireless service is a decent deal. But I have not seen any significant price
drop since I got my first cell phone 7 years ago, and the call quality has
remained constantly average.

Just griping I guess.

Ange1o DePa1ma

2006-08-28, 4:33 am

"clifto" <clifto@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:sdq9s3-b1h.ln1@remote.clifto.com...
> Nessnet wrote:
>
> In 1986, hard drives cost $30,000 per gigabyte. Today they're under one
> dollar per gig. Just the other day a friend bought one for under
> forty-two cents per gigabyte.
>
> When phone prices take a proportionate decline, we'll be watching a free
> market. Until then we're stuck with the monopolies.

When you factor in size, cost, and function, storage technology has improved
even more than that. Our first hard drive cost $400 for 20 MB, and it was
about 4x3x8 inches. Today you can get a 2 GB SD card for $60 that's
one-thousandth the size of my original HDD. If you count size x $$/Gb the
difference is more like a factor of 700,000.

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