I need a new wireless data card (switched laptops, have new express slot instead of pcmcia). I currently have Verizon. I went to the Verizon store today prepared to pay full price for a new card on my existing contract.
My options:

1. Get new card at 1 year contract with small discount and pay $20 “early upgrade fee”
2. Get new card at 2 year contract with larger discount and pay $20 “early upgrade fee”

The early upgrade fee is non-negotiable. I could deal with re-upping my contract and slurping down bullcrap if the service were stellar, but its just so-so, so that upgrade fee sticks in my craw.

While doing research with help from Erik, I discovered two interesting but ultimately useless things. In 2004 and 2005, the PUC granted Californians the right to cancel service within 30 days if the service did not meet their needs. This makes sense given all the variables of cell coverage. Carriers threw lots of money at the assembly and got that right tossed out. There was much ruckus in 2006, with 87% of people surveyed saying they wanted this right restored. Senate passed it a restoration of this right, but ultimately the assembly voted it down. Suck it.

The other thing I discovered was that in February 2007 Verizon upped their text messaging fees and a limited number of people were rumored to have gotten out of their contracts based on “material changes to their contracts.” Verizon ultimately clamped down on this in various ways, semi-humorously crediting some folks’ accounts .30cents/month until their contracts ran out, thus negating the material change, while others were simply denied as the change was not considered material.

My third option: Pay a $200 early termination fee and go with another carrier. Is it expensive? Yes. Can I get slightly better data service elsewhere? Probably. Is it worth it to stick my foot up Verizon’s ass? Definitely.