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The folks at Droid-Life have received word that the pre-order date for the Motorola XOOM has been pushed from February 17th back to February 20th. You’ll have to wait three extra days, but it’s not like the device is coming out any later now.
The document that confirmed this also says that a reactivation fee will be administered every time you activate the device’s data. This is to discourage people from deactivating their data after 1 month as Best Buy doesn’t see a commission on that sale until after two months of continuous service. Bummer.
I don’t see how Best Buy will be able to enforce the “re-activation fee”, since it contradicts Verizon’s own policy. I asked that very question to my Verizon rep last week, and was told that you pay the activation fee on your first bill in order to “establish a new line of service”. If you discontinue data service for any length of time, upon resuming data service, you will NOT be responsible for another activation fee since you are not establishing a new line of service. When that memo first broke, I also confirmed this with Verizon customer service, and they said exactly the same thing.
Also interesting, we are also hearing that the pre-order may have delayed due to a last minute decision by Motorola to reduce the price. A couple Best Buy stores have reported receiving a survey from Motorola this week, about the XOOM features and price. It would be very interesting, if based on those survey results, Motorola lowered the price of the XOOM just before launch. This could also be the reason for Verizon’s memo about “delayed creative” we saw last week.
I believe the reactivation fee is correct as I’m fairly certain that’s the same thing they do with the Galaxy Tab. At Costco we’re paid upon the initial activation, not a lot due to it basically being considered an upgrade, but should the customer not continue the data, we don’t lose our commission.
The reactivation fee is a new wrinkle that if enough customers raise hell I am sure will go away. While I acknowledge that the Xoom is technically superior to the Ipad, the sticker shock will slow sales. If it does not meet the early projections, I guarantee adjustments to overall price and weird policies like the reactivation fee
So if you cancel after the first month but the “re-activate” a few weeks later, Best Buy doesn’t get their commission from Version even though Version gets to charge you an extra fee?
Perhaps Best Buy’s contract lawyers were easily confused by the double negative, where as you can see in the picture, it reads
“… because don’t not get the bounty …”
@ckeegan
That is great news, I guess all the babies out there were heard by Motorola, but I really don’t see the price going down because everything the XOOM has to offer is far more superior than the 32gb iPad for $729. But I do believe a $200 jump from wifi only to 3G/4G is kinda crazy
won’t bother with a 3G version then… will not pay multiple activations. Activation fees shouldn’t even exist anywhere. Why do I have to pay you to give you my business over other service providers.
@Wireless Fool – They don’t do it with the Galaxy Tab, which is why I couldn’t believe they would do it with the XOOM.
@ckeegan, I hope that is what is happening. I am prepared to pay the $800, but I’d much rather see the price around $700 give or take, I think that would also increase sales greatly. They need to realize that most people will not want the data plan and will cancel it immediately after purchase to save the $55 – so it makes it really hard to justify the extra $200 when it will only be for the small minority of the users.
Just came from best buy and purchased a preorder for the xoom. It was 50 bucks. The presale started today.
ROFLMAO just let the XOOM die and give Honeycomb to all the cheap android tablets that are already out there.
@Mustards,
.
Assuming that’s true, was it only for the 3G version? Was the Wifi version even an option?
Aaron, why would we want to see the Xoom die, and install an incredible operating system on the craplets that currently exist? Apparently, even the Adam is a craplet. Whoops, forgot about the Tab. It’s the one tablet that isn’t crap, but I’m looking for a ten-incher, now. (There’s a straight line for the children.)
If the reactivation fee rumor is true, Verizon can go to hell and take their pile of unsold Xooms with them. I’d sooner buy an iPad and use AT&T than bend over and let Verizon screw me that badly.