Verizon cuts off 2yr free 100MB CB Pixel deal at 1 year

[Bateluer]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/24/5838946/google-giving-chromebook-pixel-owners-150-because-verizon

Google's Chromebook Pixel is expensive. The $1,449 LTE version is even more pricey, but when it launched last year, Google threw in a bonus that took away some of the sting: two years of complimentary Verizon LTE connectivity. The limited-time offer gave buyers 100MB of free data each month; not enough to accomplish much, but perfect for those situations where you're briefly stuck without a Wi-Fi connection. Unfortunately for the people who took advantage of that deal, Verizon isn't meeting its end of the bargain. The company is reportedly cutting off its free data services just one year in, leaving Chromebook Pixel LTE buyers enraged.

Computerworld was first to pick up on the controversy, and today it's revealed that Google is doing its best to rectify the situation. Obviously Mountain View can't force Verizon to give you wireless data; instead, it's handing out $150 gift cards to make up for the blunder. "While this particular issue is outside of our control, we appreciate that this issue has inconvenienced some of our users," a Google spokesperson told Computerworld. Pixel owners experiencing problems with Verizon data can contact Google Play customer support for more details on the $150 gift card, which comes in the form of a prepaid debit card.

Meanwhile, Verizon says this is all a big misunderstanding and that it's already working to make things right for Pixel owners who lost out on their monthly data a year earlier than expected. "We understand that some Chromebook Pixel customers may have lost their promotional data, 100MB a month for two years, early," a spokesperson told Computerworld. "We apologize for this and are working on a solution for those customers." Google no longer offers free LTE service to new Chromebook Pixel buyers, though it remains priced at $1,449.

Heh, I can't image the Pixel was a big seller, and 100MBs per month is, at best, a pittance. Hell, I'd call it 1/10th of a pittance since I consider 1GB a pittance. Was it worth it, Verizon, to invite lawsuits by not honoring your contracts? 'Working on a solution'? Turn the data pipes back on for affected individuals, thats the solution, you clowns.

 

[bearxor]

Man. Google and Verizon's relationship just keeps getting worse and worse.

 

[jdoggg12]

Animal Farm... Verizon is one of the pigs...

 

[cronos]

Haha I read this yesterday. How dumb is Verizon to do something like this?

 

[OBLAMA2009]

the only people that have pixls are the people who got them at google i/o last year, so this is a totally insignificant amount of data being given away anyway

 

[Tsavo]

100 MB a MONTH?

Perfect...if you are stuck in 1981.

 

[postmortemIA]

Heh it hurts their bottom line.

I bet CEO has wet dreams of charging us per byte like utilities do per KWh

 

[Ravynmagi]

I think T-Mobile is giving all it's tablet buyers free 200MB a month. And I also think AT&T started doing something similar too. Verizon says it was an accident, but it seems like they should be expanding this promo to more people, not killing it off. Its not much data, it's a nice offer, and could lead to them converting to paid plans when they realize they need more data.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

high data prices/lack of true mobility keeps a lot of people from buying more tablets. ALL mobile shuff should come with a free lifetime 1 gb/month of data, that way at least a device is good for checking email all month and doing a little surfing

 

[gmaster456]

Is it really that big of a deal for Verizon to hold up their end? I know it's free but if they say they will provide service for 2 years then I don't see why they couldn't hold their end up. The chromebook pixel isn't even a huge seller I'm willing to bet that 100MB they are providing is costing them almost nothing.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

Is it really that big of a deal for Verizon to hold up their end? I know it's free but if they say they will provide service for 2 years then I don't see why they couldn't hold their end up. The chromebook pixel isn't even a huge seller I'm willing to bet that 100MB they are providing is costing them almost nothing.

not only that, my guess is that anyone using it is going to produce overages

 

[Stable]

It is ponderous why Verizon would even bother canceling contracts. Did they assume people would not remember they had two years data, and mosey over to the Verizon store to fork over $50/mo on a 5GB cap they call "unlimited"?

 

[mosco]

This makes no sense. Google sold a device that said it came with 2 years of 100MB of service on the box yet they claim Verizon shutting the service off and its out of the control? How about you don't sell something you can can't guarantee?

 

[ponyo]

http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/25/verizon-confirms-it-will-reconnect-data-plans-for-chromebook-pixel-owners/

Verizon is reconnecting the data plans for the pixel. Google is also offering $150 prepaid debit card to effected pixel owners.