Verizon pushing Microsoft Windows Phones over Apple iPhone?

“Evidence is mounting that Verizon may be pushing Windows Phones over iPhones to customers not sure on which smartphone handset to purchase,” Mark Reschke reports for T-GAAP. “Whether these are isolated incidents at a few stores, or a nationwide push by Microsoft to force their way into the smartphone war is not yet clear.”

“Microsoft attempting to inject themselves into markets they completely missed or believe is critical to the company is nothing new for the Redmond giant,” Reschke reports. “The likely game this go around is to spiff local Verizon representatives with per-handset bonus cash or via weekly/monthly sales totals.”

Reschke reports, “One T-GAAP-er just told us they went seeking a smartphone and were leaning towards an iPhone. The Verizon representatives highly suggested she should get a Windows phone instead. When the customer (she) decided upon an iPhone and wanted to know the difference between the iPhone 4 and 4S, the sales person became rude, rolled her eyes, and simply went through the motions to sell the phone.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: If true, Apple would be wise to nip this in the bud as this has “Sears,” written all over it. (As in, salespeople from Sears et al. for years pushed shitty Windows PCs over superior Macs – which they neglected and often never even turned on – in order to cash in bribes (spiffs) paid by Windows PC makers.)

Has anyone else witnessed Verizon Wireless salespeople pushing Windows Phone or other phones over Apple iPhones?

Related articles:
Nokia paying AT&T up to $25 million for exclusive employee use of Lumia 900 Windows Phone – March 23, 2012
You want back into the Mac market? Apologize to Mac users first – September 4, 2006


  1. Being an AT&T customer since the early 90’s the last time in to get a phone may 2011.the salesperson was pushing android phones even though I had 4 iPhones on my plan .apple needs to hit this action hard as salespeople control the sale over people easily swayed or uninformed .a friend of mine just purchased an iPhone 4s ,I just stayed behind him ,the salesperson tried to talk him out of it ,saying first all phones are the same ,then android will be here 5 years from now and apple won’t .this behavior is not acceptable .appke needs to look into it quick .

    1. Frankly, I don’t think it’s a big deal. If something like this was going to affect iPhone sales in any meaningful way, it would have happened already. The competition has had special promotions and “2 for 1” deals, and that never adversely affected iPhone sales; Apple seems to be able to sell as many iPhones as they produce, at full price.

      Verizon (or AT&T) is not going to want to rely solely on iPhone sales, so even if there wasn’t any financial incentive (these “spiffs”), they will always try to push alternate products. That’s nothing new either.

      I think most of the customers who buy an iPhone walk into the store wanting an iPhone. The “sale” is already made; it just needs to be executed. Most of those people are not going to be talked out of buying an iPhone by a salesperson. The small percentage of customers who are “easily swayed or uninformed” can buy something else, and it does not affect overall iPhone sales; Apple will still sells as many as they make, at full price.

      1. The most “vulnerable” (and not-so-small) segment is the uninformed who haven’t experienced the iPhone user experience and believe that all feature phones are created equal.

      1. Gawd! This is business in the real world!

        Spiffs can sometimes mean the difference between making/missing a mortgage payment.

        Apple has been contending with this since it went public and as Ken says, the company who has missed every major technological shift since 1997, is not a threat to anyone but themselves.

        The very idea that Apple should somehow punish Verizon for accepting money for promoting a product is laughable.

        All I ever heard about Apple vengence was vocalized by one individual regarding IP theft, iPhone, Android, and the process is pretty much ongoing.

        1. Oh fricking please about your mortgage payment reference. Screw any salesperson who misleads customers to the wrong product for self-concerned, spiff-related reasons. You are a douche. There I said it. Meant it too.

            1. Wow, you just get sleazier. The job of a salesperson is to LISTEN to the customer, INFORM the customer based on what you the salesperson learned from the customer, and help the customer pick the product that will be best for them. Dude, you’re a piece of work and very much alone in this argument.

      2. That’s a great idea! Maybe Apple could drop support for what ever network you are on also. Heck Apple should drop support on all networks. That will teach those sales people.

    1. BS.

      Betamax went Pro and VHS went public. Americans aren’t going to pay extra for superior quality when there is a generic brand available. You know, like Android is to iPhone.

      The movie studios and television industry wouldn’t have shit to do with VHS because it just wasn’t broadcast quality. Bring a promo to a TV station on VHS and watch them snicker and then reject your product. Half-inch tape rules in studio!

      1. Not BS. Where I worked, Sony would give volume discounts to the business, so the sales staff didn’t see correct pricing. In addition JVC give spiffs to the sales guys on the floor. Though, you are absolutely right about the Pro side.

  2. I have seen this when Verizon first got the iPad. The Zoom and other Android tablets were being pushed when I was in their store looking at their tablet selection. Cell phone stores, especially independently owned ones will always push where the money is. If they are currently pushing Windows 7 phones it simply means they are making more money on them. Not sure what Apple can really do to prevent this though?

    1. What part of the story mentions a “Windows phoneS”? Did I miss it?

      I know three sales persons at a phone store and they all say they have to sell the stuff that does not sell itself. That includes promoting Android and Windows over the iPhone. They get more commission doing that.

      1. this is the issue.

        The phones don’t sell themselves, the salespeople get a bonus for selling the crap that doesn’t.

        My parents owned a Yamaha dealership, same situation.
        We sold every R1 and R6 we could get our hands on, but Yamaha did NOT give us a bonus of any kind for selling them. Virago 250… Different story.

        My mom just got her 4S a few weeks ago. It was free from a promotion with a company she deals with, got it at the apple store and had to go to AT&T to fix the switching error the apple sales guy did… AT&T said it was a common mistake the apple store makes a lot.
        My mom has the 4s in her hand… Contract already started, the AT&T sales guy was trying to get her to switch to android.
        There was no way she’d switch, I was there anyway, but it was funny to listen to the guy beg her to switch.

        Its all about the bonus from ms/google/carrier.
        Apple doesn’t need one to sell the iPhone.

  3. Well, no matter what, come November when my AT&T contract is up I’m switching to Verizon and the new iPhone 5. I’ve waited long enough for decent coverage in my workplace, and Verizon has it in spades.

    1. Yep, me too. I noticed when I got my iPad 3 that the reception was much better on Verizon than my old iPad 1 on AT&T. Hugely better. I have to use a MicroCell at home to even have the old AT&T be usable with my iPhone 4. So switcheroo to Verizon it is come iPhone 5, or just the “new iPhone”, day.

      1. Gosh darn Peter, did you not think maybe the 4G LTE from Verizon would be better than the 3G non LTE rom AT&T? Would you also be surprised to learn that a V8 corvette is faster than your Kia 4 cylinder? Wow, you really understand technology, I am going to use your expertise next time I buy a phone. Yeah, right.

  4. I work part time at a Sprint retailer, iMobile, all of the sales people push Android phones bc they have a personal vendetta against Apple products. My theory is they are all conditioned due to having to badmouth the iPhone for not having it for so long. I have told them several times what they do is borderline criminal.

    We’re also a tech repair center and it’s pathetic how many Androids come in and out of that place.

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