Verizon reneges on free LTE offer for Chromebook Pixel buyers a year early

[Shawn Knight]

When Google’s Chromebook Pixel went on sale just over a year ago, the $1,450 price tag that accompanied the LTE-equipped model was tough for some to swallow. To help ease the sting, buyers were promised two years of free data from Verizon.

Yet after just one year into the deal, the 100MB of free data each month has vanished and understandably, many are upset over the whole thing.

Google’s own Chromebook Pixel LTE product page now explicitly says the product isn’t eligible for any free Verizon data plans. A quick check of an older version of the page through archive.org, however, reveals the original two year promise. And to make matters even more frustrating, Google’s press site makes mention of three years of free LTE service through Verizon.

As Computerworld points out, reports of the shady behavior started showing up around the web back in April. When contacted about the issue, Verizon has reportedly been telling customers that the offer was only good for one year despite the fact that official documentation states otherwise.

I'll be the first to admit that 100MB of data is hardly enough to get upset over but it’s the principle of the matter. If you make a promise, especially one used to sell a high-end machine, you should honor it. That should be even more concrete when there’s proof of said agreement still available online.

Unless there was some discrete clause in the original agreement about having the right to cancel the promotion at any time, I fail to see why Verizon would renege on their promise.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/57205-verizon-reneges-on-free-lte-offer-for-chromebook-pixel-buyers-a-year-early.html

 

[RzmmDX]

Oh a Chromebook? Are you a laptop with a crappy OS or a tablet with a keyboard?

I could never tell.

I can't help to think that it was Google's wishful thinking that Verizon would fully support this when it is apparent that it sucks so bad.

Well, at least Google could try this again with Google Glass 2.0.

 

[monkeychef23]

Oh a Chromebook? Are you a laptop with a crappy OS or a tablet with a keyboard?

I could never tell.

I can't help to think that it was Google's wishful thinking that Verizon would fully support this when it is apparent that it sucks so bad.

Well, at least Google could try this again with Google Glass 2.0.

What the **** is wrong with you? Chrome OS is not "crappy", it's minimalistic and made for a specific purpose. It gives you access to email, web browsing, video streaming sites, and everything else that the internet has available. On the newest hardware it runs extremely well and continues to improve through constant software patches.

If they are terrible then why are so many educational institutions buying THOUSANDS of them for use in classrooms? I'll tell you why; it's simple and it works at a price point that can't be beat.

And as for wishful thinking....Google didn't wish that Verizon would give their customers free data, they made an agreement (those things on paper with signatures!). This entire situation is messed up and I'm honestly surprised that Google isn't fighting for their users.

Don't be so naive. Chrome OS is basic, and that's exactly what it is supposed to be. If you think any more of it then you have the wrong expectations.

And as for the Glass 2.0, I honestly can't believe that you think it will be connected directly to the wireless network. For the foreseeable future Glass will require a phone as all of the applications and infrastructure are on the phone, not in the glasses themselves.

 

[RustyTech]

I'm going to be tip-toeing around monkeychef23 here...he seems to be..umm...google-hurt?

"..it's simple and it works at a price point that can't be beat."

I can think of MANY solutions that are far less expensive than the $1,450, and are not so "basic".

 

[GeforcerFX]

I'm going to be tip-toeing around monkeychef23 here...he seems to be..umm...google-hurt?

"..it's simple and it works at a price point that can't be beat."

I can think of MANY solutions that are far less expensive than the $1,450, and are not so "basic".

haha you caught that too, I mean yeah the average chrome book is $300-400 but you can get a good tablet and a Bluetooth keyboard for that, better OS, better device that's more flexible. I would say more schools are buying tablets then chromebooks from what I have seen and heard.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Oh a Chromebook? Are you a laptop with a crappy OS or a tablet with a keyboard?

I could never tell.

I can't help to think that it was Google's wishful thinking that Verizon would fully support this when it is apparent that it sucks so bad.

Well, at least Google could try this again with Google Glass 2.0.

What the **** is wrong with you? Chrome OS is not "crappy", it's minimalistic and made for a specific purpose. It gives you access to email, web browsing, video streaming sites, and everything else that the internet has available. On the newest hardware it runs extremely well and continues to improve through constant software patches.

If they are terrible then why are so many educational institutions buying THOUSANDS of them for use in classrooms? I'll tell you why; it's simple and it works at a price point that can't be beat.

And as for wishful thinking....Google didn't wish that Verizon would give their customers free data, they made an agreement (those things on paper with signatures!). This entire situation is messed up and I'm honestly surprised that Google isn't fighting for their users.

Don't be so naive. Chrome OS is basic, and that's exactly what it is supposed to be. If you think any more of it then you have the wrong expectations.

And as for the Glass 2.0, I honestly can't believe that you think it will be connected directly to the wireless network. For the foreseeable future Glass will require a phone as all of the applications and infrastructure are on the phone, not in the glasses themselves.

So we can all safely assume that you fell for the old one two, paid substantially more than you should've and are now vehemently defending your purchase.
Hows your iPhone by the way?

 

[psycros]

Oh a Chromebook? Are you a laptop with a crappy OS or a tablet with a keyboard?

I could never tell.

I can't help to think that it was Google's wishful thinking that Verizon would fully support this when it is apparent that it sucks so bad.

Well, at least Google could try this again with Google Glass 2.0.

What the **** is wrong with you? Chrome OS is not "crappy", it's minimalistic and made for a specific purpose. It gives you access to email, web browsing, video streaming sites, and everything else that the internet has available. On the newest hardware it runs extremely well and continues to improve through constant software patches.

If they are terrible then why are so many educational institutions buying THOUSANDS of them for use in classrooms? I'll tell you why; it's simple and it works at a price point that can't be beat.

And as for wishful thinking....Google didn't wish that Verizon would give their customers free data, they made an agreement (those things on paper with signatures!). This entire situation is messed up and I'm honestly surprised that Google isn't fighting for their users.

Don't be so naive. Chrome OS is basic, and that's exactly what it is supposed to be. If you think any more of it then you have the wrong expectations.

And as for the Glass 2.0, I honestly can't believe that you think it will be connected directly to the wireless network. For the foreseeable future Glass will require a phone as all of the applications and infrastructure are on the phone, not in the glasses themselves.

So we can all safely assume that you fell for the old one two, paid substantially more than you should've and are now vehemently defending your purchase.
Hows your iPhone by the way?

iPhones cost only a little more than a same-generation Samsung flagship. I see it as a premium for getting something that's easier to use and has fewer security issues. I don't own anything Apple, btw, just an observation. And I don't get Chromebooks either.

 

[Nilbud]

Verizon has nothing to do with it, the people who overpaid for a Google Chromebook bought them from Google not Verizon.

 

[Guest]

I'm going to defend chrome books a little bit here by saying I bought one for school work and I'm happy with it. I checked online for months and didn't find anything else that was worth spending the money on. Tablets are awful even with a keyboard unless you just really like angry birds. As for the actual subject of the article, it doesn't really matter because the pixel is so over priced that anything they give away with it still won't make it a worth while purchase. Also you can dual run OS on chromebook so if you know a little bit about Linux it's a good buy.

 

[RzmmDX]

Oh lol, I like how people assumed that I have a iPhone.

I use a Droid 4, good to know that Google did NOTHING with Motorola.

And a Chromebook to me is essentially a netbook and those were "great".

 

[monkeychef23]

I'm just going to try and defend myself a bit here.

First of all, I haven't bought a chromebook. I was part of a school district IT department while they were rolling out about 2000 chromebook carts to every classroom in the district. Almost every school district in the county was doing this with a total of at least 150k chromebooks being deployed. I used them a lot in order to train teachers, and for what they were needed for they were fantastic. It's a lot more rugged than a tablet-keyboard options, has special settings for large network deployments. And it saved our district a ton of money on initial rollouts of equipment (meaning we normally give out expensive windows machines in the beginning, but instead used the chromebook) and we didn't have to worry about warranties since machines were easy to replace since everything was our cloud storage center.

I'm frustrated in this post because Verizon just stepped away from an agreement, and that just isn't good business...AT ALL. Verizon has been frustrating a lot to me lately just because of the **** they pull.

Also, I had the original Evo 4G and I'm currently on an S4, thinking about going to the OnePlus. I appreciate iPhones because of how easily they can integrate into pre-existing systems (something we use at work, not at the school district) and because they are pretty reliable. I just prefer android's ability to be customized.

I apologize if I offended anyone, I just feel that Verizon is a scumbag company that needs a management change and needs to be regulated more tightly.

 

[misor]

If you're tired of re-using the same old joke/question, here's another one.
can Chromebook Pixel priced at $1450 run crysis? (sorry, can't help being a troll. )

Verizon reneges on free LTE offer for Chromebook Pixel buyers a year early

google has fiber internet and many wifi hotspots. maybe google should just 'man it up' and reallocate resources to cover the remaining one year of free LTE service, albeit using a service other than LTE.
or being a fat wallet, google can offer to buy T-Mobile, if it's still for sale at the right price, then offer one year of free LTE coverage to chromebook pixel buyers.