Rant about Verizon Razr V3M

[bluestrobe]

I signed a two year renewal contract and got two V3M phones for a great price (one was free, the other $40). Before I got them I researched the V3 phone series and felt it was the one I wanted. Something that can take pictures/videos and cheap software to transfer them to the computer. Basically a media phone. So I ordered them and went and found "Motorola Phone Tools" software real cheap locally. Received the phones and got them working and programmed. I took some pictures a few days later and went to use my new software. Three hours of updates later and I find the media function of the software isn't available. Went to a non-Verizon help site and found out Verizon locks this function out. So I emailed Verizon a letter asking why this is so. I received the following response:

Dear Dan W,

Thank you for contacting Verizon Wireless through our website. I apologize for the delay in responding to your inquiry regarding your Motorola Phone Tools. My name is Jennifer and I am eager to assist you today.

Currently the file transfer feature on all non-PDA handsets has been disabled for security purposes. This extra measure of defense ensures that data is not loaded into the handset that may compromise the functionality of the device, thus voiding the warranty and costing you money for a replacement. File transfers are also prohibited as they may alter our software on the device and potentially affect our network.

In time, this policy may change once it has been determined the damage cannot be done by the transfer of data to and from the device. Until then, we are unable to restore the file-transfer functionality to the device. I apologize for any inconvenience this may present and hope you understand our desire to protect and maintain the integrity of our network.

You are welcome to review your photos and videos online. To do so, you will need a Verizon Wireless Pix Place account. To register, please follow the below instructions:

XXXXXXX

Please keep in mind that any pictures or videos sent to or received from Pix Place will be considered as a non-Verizon Wireless message. Without a messaging package, each picture message sent or received is billed $.25. For more information on picture messaging packages, please reply to this email.

We appreciate your continued business. Thank you for using Verizon Wireless products and services for over two years. Should you have additional questions or concerns, please reply to this e-mail.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXX
Verizon Wireless
Customer Service



I edited out the instructions on how to set up a PIX account since it's a waste of space. So basically this phone is useless for what I want. I like how they advertise the hell out of the media phone and then won't allow you to do anything with it because they want to tighten the leash around their consumers. When looking at this phone on their website for two weeks, there was nothing about locked out functions or limitations of this nature. My friend said I could hack it but theres nothing out there for the V3M. [/rant]

 

[lokiju]

Just flash it once the Alltel flash is available, nothing different than my Verizon V3c.

It's nothing new either just look into how locked down the Moto Q is also.

 

[Linflas]

There was a thread here yesterday with a link full of info about the Verizon RAZR phones and how to mod them. If the search function actually worked I would have linked it in this reply.

 

[randomlinh]

no offense, but you didn't research very well. That was probably the biggest complaint and first things I saw about the razr's... verizon crippled them.

 

[duragezic]

Yep crippled by Verizon.

The Verizon V3c has many mods including simply flashing to Alltel firmware which gets you the default (and much better) UI, unlocked transfer (USB and bluetooth) capabilities and more.

I guess since the V3m is new there might not be much editing done on it yet, but check the major forums like Howardforums, motomodders, etc and you'll have that beast cracked in no time. Fvck dealing with Verizon or any of that.

That's like the Alltel rep when I got my V3c. She was trying to push some monthly multimedia messaging thing on me cause it was the only way to get pictures off my phone. I'm like bitch, I'm wearing a Michigan Tech shirt, I'm going home to see what I can do with this thing.

 

[Saint Nick]

Originally posted by: duragezic
Yep crippled by Verizon.

The Verizon V3c has many mods including simply flashing to Alltel firmware which gets you the default (and much better) UI, unlocked transfer (USB and bluetooth) capabilities and more.

I guess since the V3m is new there might not be much editing done on it yet, but check the major forums like Howardforums, motomodders, etc and you'll have that beast cracked in no time. Fvck dealing with Verizon or any of that.

That's like the Alltel rep when I got my V3c. She was trying to push some monthly multimedia messaging thing on me cause it was the only way to get pictures off my phone. I'm like bitch, I'm wearing a Michigan Tech shirt, I'm going home to see what I can do with this thing.

Alltel charges you to take the pictures off your phone :shocked: Can't you just take them off via Bluetooth? :shocked:

 

[bluestrobe]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
no offense, but you didn't research very well. That was probably the biggest complaint and first things I saw about the razr's... verizon crippled them.

I got these phones about 2-3 weeks ago. I had them for a week or so before I found this out (I know I said "a few days" in the post). At the time of purchase there was little information on these phones and the window in which I could get them for the prices I did wasn't going to last that long. I contacted them last week and got a reponse back which I posted. I talked it over with a few people on my options before I posted it here and another forum.

I did research this model before I bought it. I googled different search strings before purchase and only found websites raving about the multimedia features of these phones.

Flashing to anything other than a V3M has it's issues and you lose the ability to use the flash card capability among other things.

As of last week I did check several forums on flashing this phone and there seems to be nothing on the V3M although every other phone is in there.

 

[Garet Jax]

Talk with your money. Call Verizon, cancel your plan and return the phones. Say they advertised media functions, but provided none.

 

[Spineshank]

Seem edit works.

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: Garet Jax
Talk with your money. Call Verizon, cancel your plan and return the phones. Say they advertised media functions, but provided none.

Except he'll be out $175x3 in early termination fees. I think Verizon's "trial period" is something like 10 days. Granted it won't be as much as he'd pay over the two years in monthly fees, but it seems like he'd be better off just waiting until they figure out how to crack the firmware.

 

[bluestrobe]

Originally posted by: MrBond
Except he'll be out $175x3 in early termination fees. I think Verizon's "trial period" is something like 10 days. Granted it won't be as much as he'd pay over the two years in monthly fees, but it seems like he'd be better off just waiting until they figure out how to crack the firmware.

I found this out on their website so I'll wait for someone to figure out how to crack it.


I have thought about sending them this message. I know I repeat myself a few times in it and they wouldn't care a bit. However, it would be interesting to see the reponse I get. Also I fibbed, I only paid $15.00 for the MPT software.

I find that you are one of the few carriers that do this. I now regret signing another two year contract on these phones which had important features locked out. This was one of the main reasons I bought these phones. The online PIX option costs money to send the pictures to which is a cash cow for your company. When I ordered these phones, I found NO mention of important features locked out and the phone's internal software being modified to do this. I found this out through a message board on the internet rather than the company who sold me these phones. I bought the software to download pictures and videos out of the phone so I could share them with family and friends. Now these phones are nice cameras with no film, a video recorder with no tape, and locked because a company can not trust me with the devices I bought from them. I do fell insulted by this and would have bought other phones if I knew this was a fact of ownership for this and any other model for which prime features have been locked out. I also paid $30.00 for the Motorola Phone Tools software which was rendered useless by this locked out feature. Is there an ETA or some timeline available as when this feature will be available? Or do I watch people with phones from other carriers show me the easy use of MPT with their phones while I have to tell them my phone company locked mine out because they can't trust me. What good are these phones other than communication devices? I might be looking for another carrier and a way out of this contract since I have found, 1) I can not be trusted with a device I bought, and 2) there's no timeline when the important 98% of the features on this phone will be unlocked. I thought being a two year customer would mean something but being a number to a company means nothing anymore. Other than V-Cast (which isn't available in my area), what other "multimedia options" does this phone have? Pictures and videos don't count since they are stuck on my phone.

 

[Jawo]

I've hacked my Moto E815 for file transfers and the such using seem edits. My phone is not attractive as the razr, but it has a micro sd card slot and many more options, including the original interface!

 

[Ktulu]

Originally posted by: Jawo
I've hacked my Moto E815 for file transfers and the such using seem edits. My phone is not attractive as the razr, but it has a micro sd card slot and many more options, including the original interface!

Most of the Moto's don't even need to be seem edited. All you need is PST, and P2KCommander for the V3m and you can transfer whatever you want.

 

[Thraxen]

Cell phone companies are scum. This isn't the least bit surprising.

 

[bluestrobe]

Originally posted by: Ktulu

Originally posted by: Jawo
I've hacked my Moto E815 for file transfers and the such using seem edits. My phone is not attractive as the razr, but it has a micro sd card slot and many more options, including the original interface!

Most of the Moto's don't even need to be seem edited. All you need is PST, and P2KCommander for the V3m and you can transfer whatever you want.

where does one look up more info on what you have described?

 

[nnnyyy]

Cant you save the pcis to a microSD card and then get them from there?

 

[TheGizmo]

Originally posted by: nnnyyy
Cant you save the pcis to a microSD card and then get them from there?

 

[kalster]

verizon is known for crippling phones, sprint is much better in that regard

 

[NaOH]

unlocked gsm phones ftw

2 year contracts ftl

 

[bluestrobe]

Originally posted by: nnnyyy
Cant you save the pcis to a microSD card and then get them from there?

Yes but the battery door doesn't look all that durable thus opening and reattaching it several times a week probably would break it at some time. The size of the card looks like it wouldn't take the in/out abuse over time also.

 

[bluestrobe]

Got this email this morning:


Please note: To provide you better service, we will be upgrading our website from Friday, July 28th to Monday, July 31st. During this time we will be unable to respond to e-mails. Our system will be available again on Monday, July 31st. If you have a need that must be addressed before Monday, please call customer service at 800-922-0204 (or *611 from your handset). We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.
**********

Dear Dan W,

Thank you for contacting Verizon Wireless through our website. I apologize for any inconvenience the inability to use your Motorola Phone Tools software has caused.

My name is Gary and I am eager to address your concerns.

In regards to your inqury about a timeline for when the data transfer capability will be restored. At this time we do not have a estimated time of release. We must verify the process is safe for both our network and handsets or can be made as such.

I am sorry this process has frustrated you, and I do understand why you are upset. I would be just as upset if I just purchased something for my handset/computer/etc and found I could not use it. I would, however, be reassured in knowing that the provider of the service is trying to protect my phone and my service from harmful attacks.

By disabling this capability we are not saying we do not trust our customers. We are trying to protect against the possibility of harmful data being sent to the phone or the network from the customer's computer without their knowledge.

What you send to or from the phone is not harmful, but the possible spyware or viruses that sit dormant on many users computers without their knowledge, leaves to much to chance with a billion dollar network.
I hope you can understand our desire to want to protect our investment and yours, as handset's are a valuable investment on your part as well.

As for what other multimedia options you have available to you on the handset other than pictures, videos, and V-Cast.

You can purchase song's from V-Cast Music online without having the feature on the account and then store them to your handset through the USB cable you have and use the phone as a music player. You can also transfer your existing MP3 songs to the handset through Windows Media Player 10 which will convert them to the required WMA format to play those as well.

We do appreciate you taking the time to contact us, and thank you for choosing Verizon Wireless. Should you have additional questions or concerns, please reply to this e-mail.

Sincerely,

XXXXXX
Verizon Wireless
Customer Service

"We never stop working for you!"

 

[wasssup]

www.howardforums.com

I have a v3m. Seem edit will work to "uncripple" your phone.

 

[olds]

Does Verizon do this to all phones or just the V3M?
I am looking to upgrade to the Samsung SCH-a930.

 

[Daniel]

I have the same phone, it came with ver 3 software. I flashed it back to ver 2, everything works. Then I went to the verizon store where they flashed it up to ver 4 and it retains all the features that they had originally removed. As other posters said, there is a massive amount of information out there on the V3c if you have to mess with it.

 

[AnyMal]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Does Verizon do this to all phones or just the V3M?
I am looking to upgrade to the Samsung SCH-a930.

They do it to all phones. They assume that their customers are idiots and don' know what's good or bad. I hate companies like that.