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Comments on news posted 2013-11-07 10:47:52: Whether it's their treatment of Google Wallet, the Nexus 7 or the Nexus 5, Verizon Wireless is increasingly making it clear that they're using their position as gatekeeper to engage in anti-competitive behavior -- with few properly calling them out f.. ..

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Jerrell
join:2001-06-22
Kansas City, MO

Jerrell

Member

I Agree...

We've been talking the same language for years, lets see if any of our "protectors" will do anything about it. Tom Wheeler has plenty of opportunities to prove he's here to protect consumers and REAL competition; his very first move (whatever that is) while in office will be exactly what you can expect from him going forward for the rest of his tenure.

Zenit_IIfx
The system is the solution
Premium Member
join:2012-05-07
Purcellville, VA
·Comcast XFINITY

Zenit_IIfx

Premium Member

Verizon is also an ass in Wireline

VZ is just a terrible company. Your lucky if you get modern fiber to the home (typically people with FIOS will be the people praising VZ as the best telco ever), otherwise they don't care, and allow the existing infrastructure to literally fall apart.

If anyone can give a case of a Baby Bell gone rouge, VZ is the one to pick.

They want LTE to be the home solution for people who can only get DSL even in large towns and small cities, its rather ridiculous. Cable thanks them for giving up.

cableties
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27

1 recommendation

cableties

Premium Member

Don't forget FiOS...

As reliable as it is, Verizon has been "discriminatory" in its deployment.

And the paywalls...

And the horrible billing service/support (tech support has been fine, but billing...)

I find irony in how such a big company, that specializes in communication, fails to have 24hr billing support (typically 8-5pm). You get a billing error, you have to call M-F between 8-5pm and deal with the "Katie" bot and other issues.

I still get invoices sent home...but they won't bill me at home (demand CC)...but I still get a monthly billing statement. What?

IPPlanMan
Holy Cable Modem Batman
join:2000-09-20
Washington, DC

3 recommendations

IPPlanMan

Member

The best revenge is not being a customer.

Honestly, if a company doesn't act like they respect you as a customer and appreciate your business, don't give it to them… no matter what. I don't understand what this obsession is with Verizon if you're not happy. It's become like being in an abusive relationship and making excuses….

- "If only I didn't want to use my own device/feature, Verizon would change."
- None of the other carriers have coverage, etc.

The best revenge is not being a customer. Period.

n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY

n2jtx

Member

Free Market

Verizon has competition. As the article noted, T-Mobile is beginning to make a dent in the wireless market. If Verizon keeps acting like it does, then it will ultimately start to feel the pressure of market forces. If not, then it is what their customers want (or expect) and should be prepared with lube to take it up the you know what. The FCC will never truly come up with consumer friendly rules but competitive pressures might.

tmh
@comcastbusiness.net

tmh

Anon

The T-1000 reassembles!

Just over 30 years ago, the govt broke up the old Bell system and AT&T. Now all the myriad baby bells have reformed back into Verizon and have the FCC neutered.

Time to bring out the molten iron vat.
navyson
join:2011-07-15
Upper Marlboro, MD

1 recommendation

navyson

Member

I totally agree

Verizon deliberately sabotages certain carriers and HTC is not one of its preferred carrier.
1. Verizon deliberately delayed the HTC One on its network. It wasn’t available until August while it became available on Sprint, AT & T and T-mobile in March.
2. Verizon forced HTC to take out the “Power Save” button on the Verizon version of the phone. Also, Verizon deliberately only got the “silver” version of the phone while other carriers have both the silver and black.
3. Verizon had limited advertisement for the phone unlike others.

I can’t wait to “stick it” to Verizon and jump over to T-mobile.

sb999
@beyondbb.com

5 recommendations

sb999

Anon

Verizon

To all those asking why people stick with Verizon while we bash them incessantly, one word, coverage. It's really hard to go to the competition when you can't get a decent signal in half the areas you are in.

I have always avoided Verizon for all the reason people bitch about here and everywhere else. I had AT&T then Sprint. I have friends that went with T-Mobile. We all had the same problem, poor coverage. When I went from Sprint to Verizon, finally, the difference was night and day in the ability to get a good signal everywhere.

The other providers don't seem willing to invest in the infrastructure to be able to actually compete with Verizon in coverage.

As a company I hate Verizon and wish I could vote with my wallet by going somewhere else. But the "competition" doesn't provide coverage good enough to allow me to do that. I run my business on my cell phone so I am stuck on Verizon until Sprint, AT&T or T-Mobile does a much better job providing coverage.
tcope
Premium Member
join:2003-05-07
Sandy, UT

tcope

Premium Member

Nope

I'm not defendnig Verizon or their actions but this article is simply incorrect in respects to what it claims of Verizon's statement abotu Google Wallet. So much so that it appears that the author simply does not know what he/she is talking about.

Verizon never claimed that Google Wallet, "needs to be integrated into a new, secure and proprietary hardware element in our phones". What Google stated to the FCC was that Android takes over the Secure Element (of the manufacture's/Verizon's/End user's) phone and does not allow anyone else to use it/access it. So really, _Google_ is taking control over a piece of hardware that they have _nothing_ to do with! People simply don't want to acknowledge this as it's easier to jump on the Verizon hate machine and it's not popular to knock Google at this time.

The "discussion" the article propbably refers to is Verizon's offer to allow Wallet if Google removed 100% control over the phone's Secure Element. Google never did this so Verizon's offer went no where (until Kit Kat... we will see what happens).

Nexus 5 and Nexus 7: Since when is any company require to sell another companies products? I did not know you could blame a company for not selling someone else's products. Google is a phone company... do they sell Samsungs? By the same terms, I guess Google must also be anti-competative.

There are a _lot_ of bad thing to be said about Verizon. There are a lot of things that they do wrong. But lets at least get the facts straight and not make crap up.
Keefer21
join:2012-07-06
Hilton, NY

3 recommendations

Keefer21

Member

What a shocker!

Is this really new's to anyone? Ive been boycotting verizon for YEARS for this reason. GREEDY. All companies are in business to make money but verizon just takes it to a disgusting level.

When i was 18 i walked into a verizon store with no credit & verizon wanted 1000$ deposit!!! you kidding me!! everyone else wanted 100-200$

Verizon is an evil company that every single subscriber empowers. Anyone i know with verizon that complains in my company gets shut down quickly because i don't want to hear it & this is why.


mack1951
Universal Soldier
join:2000-04-18
Bayonne, NJ

mack1951 to tcope

Member

to tcope

Re: Nope

Don't know anything about Google Wallet so can't comment but with the Nexus 7 and Nexus 5 it is not a question of selling the product but allowing the devices to operate on their network.

rit56
join:2000-12-01
New York, NY

rit56 to tcope

Member

to tcope
How long have you been working for Verizon?

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Until you throw Apple into the equation

Nobody messes with Apple. PERIOD.

I have my iPhone through Verizon, iPhone 5 with 32 GB of memory and I get my apps through the Apple App Store and my music through the Apple iTunes store.

You want to sell Apple phones, you sell them on Apple's terms. Maybe Google needs to try harder to tighten their grip on Android phones. Maybe if they weren't so open platform like Apple, maybe then they could have more control over their phones and the Android operating system.

It's the Android's openness that allows Verizon to hijack the user experience.

mack1951
Universal Soldier
join:2000-04-18
Bayonne, NJ

mack1951 to rit56

Member

to rit56

Re: Nope

I do not now and have never worked for Verizon. Perhaps your comment was meant for the post above mine?
tcope
Premium Member
join:2003-05-07
Sandy, UT

tcope to mack1951

Premium Member

to mack1951
On the Nexus's I'm just going by what the article states, "the most recent Nexus 5 isn't being carried by Verizon at all". Carried would usuallu mean that it's not sold by. I don't see that a carrier would have much control over what devices are used on their network. People buy devices from other sources all of the time and use them on carrier's networks that don't sell the devices. It appears from the BBR aticle linked to that this is correct... that Verizon refused to _sell_ the Nexus's.
tcope

1 recommendation

tcope to rit56

Premium Member

to rit56
Never and I would _never_ pay them a dime (despite their good data coverage). I've been with T-Mobile for about 10 years now and never had an account with anyone else. I'd also _never_ recommend any get an account with Verizon. I guess this does not make me a shill? Just someone who is stating the facts.

MovieLover76
join:2009-09-11
Cherry Hill, NJ
(Software) pfSense
Asus RT-AC68
Asus RT-AC66

MovieLover76 to IPPlanMan

Member

to IPPlanMan

Re: The best revenge is not being a customer.

I agree wholeheartedly, thought I have the luxury of of having excellent Verizon, AT&T and T-mobile coverage in my area.

For many the Verizon has the best coverage is an excuse for the carrier's practices, which verizon encourages. AT&T coverage is usually at least an option for most people, which isn't quite as bad.

I use T-mobile as I want to vote with my wallet and support the carrier that is challenging Verizon and AT&T's higher priced service.
But I acknowledge that I can do that only because of location, in NJ T-mobile is just as good as AT&T or Verizon for me, and in most locations actually faster with lower ping times

michieru
Premium Member
join:2009-07-25
Denver, CO

michieru

Premium Member

...

Verizon can do what they wish. If you don't like it then switch carriers. You let them treat you like that because you choose to continue paying them every month.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband to IowaCowboy

Member

to IowaCowboy

Re: Until you throw Apple into the equation

And how long did it take before VZW had that iPhone? They were the first to offer it and turned that thing down.

VZ really doesn't need Apple. They already have their own fanboys that will stay with them regardless- aka you.

amarryat
Verizon FiOS
join:2005-05-02
Marshfield, MA

2 recommendations

amarryat

Member

Network safety - they've used that excuse before

Remember when your Blackberry's couldn't use GPS unless you subscribed to Verizon's navigation? GPS was "locked out" of being used by other applications, and they gave the safety excuse.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband to michieru

Member

to michieru

Re: ...

And that's what happens. Everyone claims they have the best network, the best carrier, blah blah blah. But yet have nothing more than anyone else. If nobody is happy with them, then why stay and get raped?
TBBroadband

TBBroadband to sb999

Member

to sb999

Re: Verizon

I can take an CDMA phone for the most part and tell it to roam on VZW without a problem. I can also go and obtain a VZW reseller and be treated much better. Claiming of their coverage is all BS, especially when you zoom in and find that the coverage is "extended" meaning ROAMING and a PARTNER network.

Take a Sprint phone through the mountains from Ohio to Charlotte, Sprint has more coverage in the mountains than what VZW does and will NOT roam onto Sprint. Sprint has the service but when they don't- you can at least pick up a partner- aka VZW.

Nobody likes Sprint anymore either and generally goes to a MVNO to get the better services and rates. People should do the same with VZW- Go to Page Plus or any of the other million MVNOs.

jmn1207
Premium Member
join:2000-07-19
Sterling, VA

2 recommendations

jmn1207 to tcope

Premium Member

to tcope

Re: Nope

said by tcope:

Google is a phone company... do they sell Samsungs?

Yep!

»www.google.com/intl/ms/c ··· ml#ss-cb
Taget
join:2004-07-29

Taget

Member

Thank goodness Apple came along.

And I'm saying that as someone who otherwise dislikes Apple, it's iphone, and it's general behavior.

Apple certainly was not the first company that came up with the idea of apps or useful programs one could run on your phone. But before then the carriers generally stripped whatever innovations the manufacters tried to sneak through and replaced them with buggy brew programs (like gps or vcast) you could make a certain numbers extra a month to use.

Apple had the market presense that they could get at least one manufacter (AT&T) to agree to let them do what honestly all cell phone makers had wanted to do for years. Be allowed to bring their innovations to market. And when it caught fire the others had no choice but to allow the likes of Android on their system.

Apple was not the first attempt at a smart phone. But before then the walled garden was so tight that most people did not see much of a point in getting a pda phone. But it was unique circumstances and serendipity why we have things as good as we have them now. And companies like Verizon would love to use the market position they got off buying the competition and milking their landline customers to get control back and stifle the innovation they see as unfairly allowing others besides themselves to make money.

The problem of course is government is a very blunt instrument to use for an often nuanced situation. Which is what makes the FCC's 600 MHz auction so important. The best way to keep the carriers honest is to have at least 4 competitive carriers. And there are carriers (Verizon and AT&T) who have a virtual lock on most of the good low frequency bandwidth. They need to be kept away from it.
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina to IowaCowboy

Member

to IowaCowboy

Re: Until you throw Apple into the equation

Google will never be able to control Android like Apple controls iOS.

Most of the Android phones aren't made by Google. If Samsung wants to sell phones on Verizon's network, why do they care if Google Wallet succeeds? They just want to sell a device to Verizon. If Verizon wants to load their stuff on it, they don't care as long as they make the sale.
rradina

rradina to Taget

Member

to Taget

Re: Thank goodness Apple came along.

Only 4 competitive carriers? Did we get innovation when we had four US-based car manufacturers (GM, Ford, Chrysler, AMC)?

IMO -- we need all we can get and they need to operate within a framework of rules that halt activities such as those Verizon is accused of practicing.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop to Zenit_IIfx

Member

to Zenit_IIfx

Re: Verizon is also an ass in Wireline

We just started to turn up lots of managed circuits in Verizon territory. I thought that at&t was difficult to deal with and it couldn't be any more frustrating. Boy was I wrong.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband to rit56

Member

to rit56

Re: Nope

So we're back to that game of you must work for XXX because you don't agree with the blog post for the day????? *smh*
TBBroadband

TBBroadband to rradina

Member

to rradina

Re: Until you throw Apple into the equation

True and the way it should be. Why does the device have to be tied down to the company who makes it? Just because others need their hand held when using a phone is all this does with Apple products.
TBBroadband

TBBroadband to Taget

Member

to Taget

Re: Thank goodness Apple came along.

What good did Apple bring? They don't really invent anything. They use the same basic hardware over and over again. Design doesn't change, screen size barley changes, storage room is ALWAYS the same, and why pay $600+ for a device out of contract that they make for $25???

Apple doesn't bring anything to the table but hand holding and and over priced phone that depends on our iTunes account and credit card.
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