Verizon customers might want to take advantage of smart phone deals being offered by the company now because early termination fees are about to double.

   Verizon has announced plans to bump the fee for bailing out of some contracts to $350 as of November 15th.

   "USA Today" quotes Joel Kelsey of Consumers Union as saying the fee "is insane."  He says "there's no justification" for a fee that high and calls it punitive.

   Verizon says it's all about the high costs of smart devices.

   Spokesman Jim Gerace says while customers only pay 99-dollars for a Blackberry, what Verizon pays is substantially more.
   The company says early termination fees for standard cellphones will stay at the current $175.

   Wireless phone customers do have another option.

   Most carriers will allow the purchase of a phone at full retail price with no contract attached.

   In the case of a Blackberry Storm 2, that fee could be a stopper at $539.

   Verizon currently sells that item for $179 with a two-year contract.



   (Copyright 2009 by VERTEXNews/Newsroom Solutions)