14 DAY TRIAL // Yesterday we brought you a bit of unsettling news. It came to our attention that US carrier Verizon had abruptly pulled the plug on the promised two years of free 100MB / month of LTE data, offered when customers purchased a Chromebook Pixel.
However, just a year after making the promise Verizon backed out and left Chromebook Pixel owners without their LTE data, inviting them to pay up if they wanted to have any.
When contacted by dissatisfied users, Verizon claimed they weren't aware of a two-year deal, and in their book the free 100MB data per month deal was a 1-year thing.
Google was contacted to make a statement as well, especially since the company’s press release announcing the offer, which could still be found online, claimed the offer was available not for one or two years, but for three years!
Since yesterday, both Google and Verizon have issued statements in which they apologize for the inconvenience caused to their users. As reported by Android Headlines, one of the carrier’s representatives stated:
“We understand that some Chromebook Pixel customers may have lost their promotional data, 100MB a month for two years early. We apologize for this and are working on a solution for those customers.”
So basically, Verizon is now acknowledging the two-year plan. As for Google, the search giant seems to want to do the right thing and take responsibility for the problem.
“While this particular issue is outside our control, we appreciate that this issue has inconvenienced some users,” Google said.
And in an attempt to alleviate the pain, Google is throwing $150 / €110 in the form of a Visa Credit Card for all customers of the Chromebook Pixel.
Google certainly knows how to make amends. You might remember that a while back the HP Chromebook 11 had to be withdrawn from sale after experiencing issues with an overheating charger. Google replaced those chargers and also offered some sweet Google Play credit to apologize.
It’s not the first time Verizon doesn’t seem to play fair. Remember the case of the Nexus 7 users who couldn’t access the LTE bands under its banner. Only after many months was the tablet allowed back into Verizon’s bosom.
Unlike most Chromebooks out there, the Pixel is quite an expensive device. The laptop arrives with a 12.85-inch IPS display (2560 x 1700) with 239ppi and 3:2 aspect ratio.
The powerhouse of the Pixel is an Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor (earlier generation) fitted with 4GB of RAM. The Pixel retails for $1,450 / €1,065, quite a lot, which makes it even more important for carriers like Verizon to keep their end of the bargain up when selling such a costly device.