Homeowners or renters insurance. They can't recover the boxes, it is a loss to their company. The real problem here is (apparently based on his comments) Geico. They should be covering the cost of the cable boxes and paying him for the cost he was charged. Verizon is not the only company to do this, every major media provider will require you to cover the cost of damaged equipment, which seems fair to me, as they didn't damage it. If you borrow a friends Xbox and the fire burned it up, you would be fighting for his xbox to be covered or buying him a new one, you wouldn't be telling him "sorry dude, your loss." Was Your responsibility.

Personally, I feel for this guy. Verizon has been the bane of my existence for the past three months. I can especially relate to being transferred multiple times only to have to retell my story each time from the beginning. They sold me home phone/wireless internet equipment and services they assured would work for my upcoming needs. After the move, I spent about three weeks daily with tech support and customer service only to find out it was completely incompatible with my set up. Adding insult to injury I was charged $350 for early termination of the two useless services PLUS they won't accept a trade in of the brand new wireless home phone unit base and 4G LTE wireless device after I was assured by phone several times that they would issue me a "gift card" for them. Bastards. =o(

I don't see what his issue is with the equipment. Sure, Verizon could choose to forgive the replacement fees, or decide that after 4-6 years they're not worth anything anyway (fact), but they're under no legal obligation to do so. Where he's got a case is with the service charges which have been accumulating since February, despite the fact he informed Verizon in February. He should have hit that point harder, not the old equipment point.

Verizon sucks ass. They literally suck it. Whenever I'm constipated, I just call up Verizon on my non-Verizon cell phone, hold it near my rectum and feel better instantly.

Did I mention they eat the shit that comes out too?

I'm sorry but what HIGH Amazing Technology is in a Cable Box that makes it cost more than my last 3 top of the line PCs combined? That's utter BS.

>> ^Yogi:

I'm sorry but what HIGH Amazing Technology is in a Cable Box that makes it cost more than my last 3 top of the line PCs combined? That's utter BS.


Depends on the cable box really, DVR's have a replacement value of arround $500 each, an EMTA is $300-$600 (depends on the model). I'm assuming we are talking about 4-5 boxes and a modem, which could well be around the amount he was billed. There may also be cable cards in some of his boxes that are billed separately, but they would not be near the cost. Also despite the 5-6 years he owned them cable technology doesn't change that rapidly, so a standard 2way set top box from back in 2000-2002 may still be refurbished and used and may still be a well functioning box. Electronics values depreciate based on reduced function (or continued ability to do what is needed in the current cable television market), and cable boxes don't tend to lose function (as long as they are not 1990's analog equipment), thus they don't tend to lose value.

>> ^arekin:

>> ^Yogi:
I'm sorry but what HIGH Amazing Technology is in a Cable Box that makes it cost more than my last 3 top of the line PCs combined? That's utter BS.

Depends on the cable box really, DVR's have a replacement value of arround $500 each, an EMTA is $300-$600 (depends on the model). I'm assuming we are talking about 4-5 boxes and a modem, which could well be around the amount he was billed. There may also be cable cards in some of his boxes that are billed separately, but they would not be near the cost. Also despite the 5-6 years he owned them cable technology doesn't change that rapidly, so a standard 2way set top box from back in 2000-2002 may still be refurbished and used and may still be a well functioning box. Electronics values depreciate based on reduced function (or continued ability to do what is needed in the current cable television market), and cable boxes don't tend to lose function (as long as they are not 1990's analog equipment), thus they don't tend to lose value.


That's fucking bullshit. For $500 I can build a top of the line PC, how in the fuck is a box with a hard drive in it that much money? That doesn't make any sense...is it made out of gold!?

Yes, he legally owes Verizon (at fair market value for used equipment only). However, that's not the point. A company like Verizon should waive the charge in these circumstances - it's good business practice.

#1 DVR's are always marked up higher then their raw components. It is the usual tax on having the convenience of the set top box.

#2 DVR with cable decoding hardware like this are generally constructed a bit better then off the shelf hardware thus adding to the cost. Also the cable decoder hardware itself is always expensive. The equipment is built to go through more then one customer in its life span.

#3 the dvr might have offered advanced features like whole house DVR (even in consumer Tivo boxs, this is big money) even if the user didn't pay for them.

The finance department doesn't go out of there way to gouge customers who have to pay for damaged hardware. Instead it is customers finding out that the finance departments are getting ripped off on the hardware they pay for.

>> ^Yogi:

>> ^arekin:
>> ^Yogi:
I'm sorry but what HIGH Amazing Technology is in a Cable Box that makes it cost more than my last 3 top of the line PCs combined? That's utter BS.

Depends on the cable box really, DVR's have a replacement value of arround $500 each, an EMTA is $300-$600 (depends on the model). I'm assuming we are talking about 4-5 boxes and a modem, which could well be around the amount he was billed. There may also be cable cards in some of his boxes that are billed separately, but they would not be near the cost. Also despite the 5-6 years he owned them cable technology doesn't change that rapidly, so a standard 2way set top box from back in 2000-2002 may still be refurbished and used and may still be a well functioning box. Electronics values depreciate based on reduced function (or continued ability to do what is needed in the current cable television market), and cable boxes don't tend to lose function (as long as they are not 1990's analog equipment), thus they don't tend to lose value.

That's fucking bullshit. For $500 I can build a top of the line PC, how in the fuck is a box with a hard drive in it that much money? That doesn't make any sense...is it made out of gold!?

I'm not sure if you intended to sound like a dick, but you fail in the use of the sarcasm check box.

>> ^Yogi:

>> ^jmd:
#1 DVR's are always marked up higher then their raw components. It is the usual tax on having the convenience of the set top box.
#2 DVR with cable decoding hardware like this are generally constructed a bit better then off the shelf hardware thus adding to the cost. Also the cable decoder hardware itself is always expensive. The equipment is built to go through more then one customer in its life span.
#3 the dvr might have offered advanced features like whole house DVR (even in consumer Tivo boxs, this is big money) even if the user didn't pay for them.
The finance department doesn't go out of there way to gouge customers who have to pay for damaged hardware. Instead it is customers finding out that the finance departments are getting ripped off on the hardware they pay for.

Ok I have another question. What kind of fucking asshole defends a giant corporation like Verizon against the common man? In the war against these fucks, you apologists are first to go!

You know in part, I understand the companies point of view. Markups protect their software from reverse engineering, and also protect them from people who don't return equipment thinking they will just buy the box and not pay the rental on it. Also, you seem to think that the company is out to screw the customer, its not the case at all. I don't have to apologive to see the rational behind these actions, they make perfect sense and keep the resposibility on the customer for leased equipment. Also, as I said before this guy should not be paying anything himself because Geico should be covering this loss. This is another good reason not to forgive this fee, because it should reasonably be covered, thus neither the victim or the media company is bearing the burden.

>> ^Yogi:

>> ^jmd:
#1 DVR's are always marked up higher then their raw components. It is the usual tax on having the convenience of the set top box.
#2 DVR with cable decoding hardware like this are generally constructed a bit better then off the shelf hardware thus adding to the cost. Also the cable decoder hardware itself is always expensive. The equipment is built to go through more then one customer in its life span.
#3 the dvr might have offered advanced features like whole house DVR (even in consumer Tivo boxs, this is big money) even if the user didn't pay for them.
The finance department doesn't go out of there way to gouge customers who have to pay for damaged hardware. Instead it is customers finding out that the finance departments are getting ripped off on the hardware they pay for.

Ok I have another question. What kind of fucking asshole defends a giant corporation like Verizon against the common man? In the war against these fucks, you apologists are first to go!

*dead

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