this post was submitted on 17 Dec 2025
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To be fair, this guy was kinda trying to game the system (I read the article).
You can buy an iPhone straight from Apple (he bought the iPhone 16e) and it's not locked.
This guy went to Verizon, bought a phone from them, and intended to skip out after a month and go to a cheaper MVNO. I don't disagree with the ruling — he was acting within the rules, and Verizon changed said rules after he signed the paperwork — but this guy doesn't seem like a saint. I mean, fuck Verizon and all that, no sympathy for Big Red, but this guy was totally taking advantage. Of course, if Verizon makes a deal and he follows the letter of the law, I'm with him, but also, people like this make phone deals worse for the rest of us.
Remember when you could get a flagship smartphone for $200 straight up and you just had to keep service for 2 more years? If you were happy with your carrier it was fine, it wasn't even new customers only. It was like, once that 2 years is up you're eligible. Verizon even bumped up my eligibility by 2 months when my phone was boot looping. I told them I needed a new phone, either they had to help me or I would be forced to take my business to another carrier, because I couldn't just not have a phone for 2 months. They said "you know what, you pay your bill on time, we want your business, what phone do you want?" (Then they tried to talk me out of getting an iPhone, 6s, because my last two phones were Android. I said IDGAF about platform wars, the iPhone 6s is the best phone out right now (this was before the Pixel 1 was even announced! But the same year it came out) and it's the one I want. Rocked that phone for four years.)
If Verizon wants to sell phones at a loss, that's their problem. When will corporations take some personal responsibility for their bad decisions?
They sell phones at a loss because their overpriced service makes up the difference. They sell phones at a loss because you will ultimately pay more over the life of the plan. Take my iPhone 16 Pro Max 512GB (I traded an older phone to get it, but you can look up the retail price, or look up this generation's, I'm sure it's about the same) and multiply $25 times 24 (months). Now add what Verizon charges for one to 24 times what Verizon charges per line. Verizon users pay way more, even though the phone seems "cheaper."
I challenge anyone with Verizon to post their bill for one line of service with unlimited 5GUW (ultra wideband, I believe). I also get unlimited LTE and base 5G, but after 50GB, it's de-prioritised. Doesn't matter, I use maybe 5GB a month on a busy month. Never been a big mobile user. Anyway, I pay Visible $25 a month, and Visible is owned by Verizon and uses Verizon towers. Anyone can get Visible, but they don't have stores and Verizon stores will not help you. You download the app (iOS or Android) and it does everything. Only service is via chat, no phone support. Same towers. Same coverage. They do have subsidized phones, but not as many, and it's strictly new customers only.
Who cares. Verizon received monopolistic advantages. We should take every advantage we are given against corporations.
Everyone who screws over corporations is a saint 😇
Verizon can get exactly the same amount out of most customers by either: