Verizon throws you bone, pats self on back

So it’s come to this. Verizon corrects a horribly consumer unfriendly policy, and we’re ripping them for it. The news: Verizon will now allow you to change rate plans mid-contract without having to extend said contract. There are two sides to this. First, it’s good because Verizon is actually empowering the consumer, even if only slightly. It’s bad, though, because it took this long to get something as simple as this done. Imagine how long it’s going to be before their contracts don’t bar us from filing a class action suit. The worst part of all, though, is Verizon’s unabashed praise for itself. We recommend reading the entire press release, which we’ll link at the end, because we’re not going to quote the entire thing here. However, of note:

“Verizon Wireless once again demonstrates that our number one priority is delivering the most customer-friendly wireless experience in the U.S. marketplace. Our commitment to our customers is why we lead the industry in customer loyalty and why more customers use the Verizon Wireless brand than any other,” said Jack Plating, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Verizon Wireless.

Eh, we don’t exactly agree with those sentiments. But that’s why we’re here: to interpret this corporate-speak for the BS it is. Verizon did nothing more than throw you a bone, and only did so because they saw a chance to one-up AT&T. If you look at all of their developments over the past year, we bet that AT&T is the No. 1 reason behind most of them. Do you view this as progress, or just another bone thrown by Verizon so that they can keep the wool firmly over your eyes? [CNN Money] via [Consumerist]]]>