Cancel Alltel contracts without ETF due to Verizon Wireless merger

Overview
I was not looking forward of being merged into Verizon Wireless next month, and I examined a letter from Verizon Wireless on June 2nd, 2009 (see attached) that stated my Customer Agreements and Terms are changing on July 27th, 2009. As I read through the Customer Agreement Terms and Conditions (see attached), I noted the following passage:
“IF THE CHANGES HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON YOU, HOWEVER, YOU CAN END THE AFFECTED SERVICE WITHOUT ANY EARLY TERMINATION FEE, JUST BY CALLING US WITHING 60 DAYS AFTER WE SEND NOTICE OF THE CHANGE.”

The Agreement I received is not the same as on Verizon's website, but it is very similar.

Complaints
I made notes of the material change from the agreements that I signed with Alltel, including, but not Limited Too:
- All Verizon Wireless charges and fees that are not taxes, including Federal Universal Service, Regulatory and Administrative Charges. (Verizon Wireless Customer Agreement Terms & Conditions, CA-P.3)
- Home Rate and Coverage Area and Local Calling Area and the possibility of any toll, regional calling, or long distance charges that may be associated with any usage of the service. (Verizon Wireless Customer Agreement Terms & Conditions, CA-P.4)
- Roaming and Roaming Charges (Verizon Wireless Customer Agreement Terms & Conditions, CA-P.4)
- Rights for Dropped Calls or Interrupted Service, including credit given for calls that are not able to be completed (Verizon Wireless Customer Agreement Terms & Conditions, CA-P.5)
- Verizon Wireless Rights to Limit or End Service or This Agreement (Verizon Wireless Customer Agreement Terms & Conditions, CA-P.6)
- Privacy, specifically the collection of information outlined in the Customer Proprietary Network Information (Verizon Wireless Customer Agreement Terms & Conditions, CA-P.6)
- Dispute Resolution and Mandatory Arbitration (Verizon Wireless Customer Agreement Terms & Conditions, CA-P.8)

Script
Basic script, call Alltel and go through prompts for disconnect:
[me]: Hello, I would like to cancel my Alltel contract due to the Verizon Wireless merger
[Alltel rep]: I’m sorry to hear that, but you will be charged the ETF
[me]: Verizon Wireless sent me the new Terms and Conditions of the contract which states that I can be released from the contract, without ETF, if the changes are materially adverse to me.
[Alltel rep]: What changes affect you?
[me]: (Read complaints from list above and quote the June 2nd, 2009 letter)
[Alltel rep]: Ok, let me review these documents and put you on hold
[on hold]
[Alltel rep]: Ok, I have reviewed the documents and agree with you. I have released you from your contract effective immediately.

I called back to verify and the contract was lifted. Good luck to everyone!

I will be trying this next month!!

Most excellent! I just got my notice and was planning on having to suffer through Verizon until my contract ran out in September in order to move to AT&T and a new iPhone and a family plan with my wife. This gives me a month or so to take advantage of this and get out early, saving us some money by going with a family plan.

Now, the real question is how to handle a number port. If I use your script will that just leave me on Alltel/Verizon until I buy a new phone and port my number, or do I need to purchase the new phone, start the port, and then follow your script? Anyone know?

Excellent post and advice OP!

genisys said: cancel contact now, keep service, buy new iPhone, call AT&T to port #, Alltel account will be automatic closed, you will get the last billThat is correct.

They asked me when I wanted to cancel my service, I asked for a week so I could find a new provider to make the port. They had no issues handling the request. I am still on Alltel with no contract.

Can you do this and keep service under them just not locked into a contract?

Like sdirge said, can I cancel my contract and keep Alltel service? I have tried them all and Alltel, by a country mile, beats everyone in my area. I want an iphone, too, but cannot and will not give AT&T a penny of my money. They have the most horrible cs agents than any company I have ever come across.

EDITED to reflect post above mine answered my ? while I was in the process of posting my reply.

zolo said: Man be aware with AT&T I would stay away from them. I have been using them for a year now and I can't wait to finish with them, too many drop calls and they give you all kinds of excuses about it is not att but something else. If you get more than 100 drop calls a month with Alltell go ahead and switch, but if is less then that stay or look for another carrier. Just my 2 cents.genisys said: cancel contact now, keep service, buy new iPhone, call AT&T to port #, Alltel account will be automatic closed, you will get the last bill

Everyone has horror stories about every carrier that ever existed. Here's a hint...they all suck.

sdirge said: fventura03 said: sdirge said: Can you do this and keep service under them just not locked into a contract?

i'm sure you didn't read this before asking, please see the next quote, taken from about 3 posts up...

Spac3d said: genisys said: cancel contact now, keep service, buy new iPhone, call AT&T to port #, Alltel account will be automatic closed, you will get the last billThat is correct.

They asked me when I wanted to cancel my service, I asked for a week so I could find a new provider to make the port. They had no issues handling the request. I am still on Alltel with no contract.

This could have indicated that they were riding out the rest of the billing cycle.

Just wanted some clarification.No, they asked if I wanted a disconnection date. I could have chosen no date and just been on month to month.

zolo said: Man be aware with AT&T I would stay away from them. I have been using them for a year now and I can't wait to finish with them, too many drop calls and they give you all kinds of excuses about it is not att but something else. If you get more than 100 drop calls a month with Alltell go ahead and switch, but if is less then that stay or look for another carrier. Just my 2 cents.
All wireless carriers suck in general; some are better that others as far as coverage in certain geographical areas but overall I would not rate any of them as "very good" or "excellent" when it comes to consumer-friendly policies. In my area I have no coverage problems with at&t and I like the fact that even though my contract ended two years ago they're content to let me continue my family plan month to month without having to sign a new contract. I like the freedom of being able to buy whatever unlocked GSM phone I want and just stick my at&t SIM in it. I also like the fact that just about anywhere I travel worldwide my quad-band GSM phones have service. I would never sign a contract with a CDMA carrier like Alltel and Verizon and be limited to the few crappy phones they want you to choose from.

Being the top of a pile of crap is better than being at the bottom I guess. At least they've got nowhere else to go but up...

Had them both, att and verizon, in florida verizon way better, contracts suck all together...get out anyone that makes you sign a contract is just after your money and as much as they can get. Att got exclusive on iphone I got sucked in, it was worth it to unlock it and get off, tons of dropped calls had 1 or 2 people not on att had to worry bout minutes couldn't take that bologne anymore. No more can't wt for zebragsm and other carriers, they rent out att and tmobile towers and use voip for 3g networks with unlimited everything for 69, family plans unlimited everything 89. Tired of the big conglomerants limiting u on everything. Metropcs is rampant in my area 55 bucks unlimited everything but thew phones are limited. Sucks they suck u in with an iphone. Any contract get out and go month to month for the shear fact u can jump when these other companies break. Theirs a couple others too I don't know the names of. Good luck.

Reception for any company may even vary street to street depending on where the towers are, so telling some random person on the internet "sprint/tmobile/att/verizon/companyhere sucks" doesn't really help anyone.
I haven't heard of any carrier that forces you to renew your contract at the end of the contract. All the major carriers will let you go month to month after the contract ends. The company doesn't have to subsidize a new phone and they still make money.
If you want X phone and only Y carrier has it, weigh the pros and cons beforehand. "OMG I WANT THAT PHONE SO BAD SIGN SIGN SIGN" and later complaining about the reception or rate plan is not good decision making.

In the eastern part of Texas I have found no carrier better than Alltel. When I am in other parts of the country, even in remote areas, I have no problem connecting. I am still not sure in what way this merger will affect my service and price.

ywkhgqo said: Verizon is rated #1 in customer service, and rated #1 in customer loyalty meaning they have the highest percentage of people that sign up with verizon wireless and stick with it. They don't get those numbers for sucking. I've had verizon for over 4 years now and they have been nothing but stellar. coverage, voice quality, phones, everything i'm very happy with.
Saying Verizon is better than at&t is like saying that lawyers are hated less by the general population than used-car salesmen. I can find just as many people in my circle of friends that hate Verizon as I can those that hate at&t, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc. How you feel about a particular carrier depends on the coverage in your area and your personal experiences dealing with that carrier. None are great, some just suck less than others in certain areas!

genisys said: cancel contact now, keep service, buy new iPhone, call AT&T to port #, Alltel account will be automatic closed, you will get the last bill

Don't go and get a child's toy phone and move to a crappy network. AT&T is the suck.

sharkbitz said: I just tried cancelling my contract, and the agent played dumb, and told me he never heard about this letter. Told me to go to a store so they can see it for themselves.The agent I talked too also had never heard of the letter.

Make sure to say that it was dated June 2nd, 2009 and read the key phrases ... "contract terms are changing ... please see attached terms and conditions of Verizon Wireless". State that you reject the terms, escalate to the manager if necessary.

Remember, be polite about it!! Forcing the issue usually gets you no where. Good luck!

Even If you are not on Alltel, you can still cancel the verizon contract see this

Text

The rep was not aware of the letter - it is possible that Verizon has sent out this letter to Alltel customers without making Alltel employees aware.

Paperbag said: Great thanks! I know this is asking alot, but do you also have the terms (the smaller folded piece) as well? I am going to try calling again but if it looks like I have to goto the store, I think this will help the most. I don't think a blacked out letter will get me too far because it doesn't list my account# and such.

P.S. I am in central FL if it matters. What time did you call Alltel? And do you remember the rep's name?

Your help thus far is very much appreciated. I really don't like Verizon for personal reasons.The account I called about was in SW FLA - so it may be the same time for conversion.

I do not have the rep's name, but she was female. I called on the weekend because they seem to be more relaxed about things like this in general. I do not have the Terms and Conditions paperwork - although a scan of it would look weird. Maybe you could pick one up at the Verizon store and see if it's the same??

The only letter (I think) that I have gotten from Alltel was about the billing.
IE: "This is your final bill with Alltel. Make your final payment to Alltel this month. Your first Verizon bill will include some important changes.
1) New Account number
2) New payment address.

Before -July 12 call Alltel
After -July 12 call Verizon

I had a feeling there would be a loophole during this transition. My original concern was making sure my price plan would be Grandfathered in with Verizon. We have been with Alltel for a very long time and have been able to continue our 'extremely' low price plan every time we renew.
So far so good.
I would love to try this just to get new phones, but I don't know if I really want to rock the boat.

My contract with Alltel expires on the 23rd. I am going in and cancel. Jitterbug is the only way to go!