My wife and I are eager to ditch her Verizon phone plan so we can save money by getting onto a Cingular family plan together. I mentioned this a week or so ago, and reader JV just sent me a link to an Engadget post claiming that Verizon is about to invalidate their contracts by jacking up SMS messaging rates.
It looks like Verizon Wireless is following in Sprint's SMS footsteps, announcing a planned hike in text messaging rates for those not currently subscribed to a messaging package. ...If this all sounds a little familiar, it's because when Sprint did the same thing late last year, it didn't take long for people to figure out that the rate hikes amounted to a so-called "material change" to their contracts, meaning they could bail on it without paying an Early Termination Fee (EFT). So if you've been sticking to Verizon but secretly fancying another carrier, this looks like it may be your only chance to take the plunge without also taking a hit.
Sweet. The only thing that's not clear to me is whether or not we have to wait for the change to take effect before we can bail.
