the right thing to do

I'm feeling pretty grumpy -- and perplexed. Last night, on the way home from work, I returned my friend Dan's call. I ended the call on the front porch of my building, checked my mail and headed up to my apartment.

Now I can't find my cell phone.

What do you do when you can't find your cell phone? You call it. So, I did. Nothing. I have looked all over my apartment and haven't been able to find it: under furniture, in closets, in my bed, in bags, in pockets, everywhere. I even looked in the freezer. The only thing I can guess is that I dropped it somewhere in the lobby when I checked my mail. I left a sign up in the lobby, but haven't heard from any of my neighbors.

Perplexing.

The part that is making me grumpy is the call that I had with Verizon, the wireless company that I have used for six years now -- from Los Angeles to Boston and now in DC. What are my options, I asked? (I don't have insurance, which is admittedly my fault. When I wasn't a basket case, I never lost anything. But now I am a basket case.) Well, apparently my options are 1) to buy a new phone at full retail price ($150-$600) or 2) to terminate my contract for $175. Note, that I am also a Verizon DSL customer and a Verizon long distance customer, which means I spend about $160 a month with the company and am supposedly a member of their special loyalty group.

Here's where I am leaning: pay the $175 and tell them to f*ck off. I mean, really, the extra $25 (presuming I go for the cheapest phone) is worth the satisfaction. I'll cancel my long distance (keep the DSL because I just signed a new contract with them too -- stupid) and get a wireless plan with T-Mobile or Cingular and get a (better) free phone from them in the process. The long distance plan has become a bit useless to me anyway, so I'll make up the cost in a few months with that savings.

Either that or Verizon will realize that loyal customers are important and that giving me an upgrade credit seven months early (on a two year contract) is no skin off their back when you're talking about a six year customer who sure does love and see the magic of (negative) word of mouth.

Consumerist.com, anyone?