Phone Upgrade Date Extended in Mid-Contract

Question

OK, I know I'm searching for an answer I'll never have answered, I get it. Verizon can and will do whatever they want. There is latitude when you're the big dog. Woof on the little guys. Or customers, because there are always more of them.
We're four months away from our contract renewal date. We're smartphone users, and are adding our two kids to the account in the coming months. Once we add the kids, we're probably worth a total of $220 - $230 per month to Verizon, so we're not important at all. Again, I get it.
For the first 16 months of our current contract, like those of you who renewed at about the same time, we're were dangled a November 2013 phone upgrade date. 20 months, as has always been the Verizon customer retention strategy. As you all know, that got changed. In mid contract period.
Again, I get it. You changed it because legally you could. But, why? Don't give me the standard line I've heard a thousand times, that to bring the phone upgrade date in line with the contract renewal date makes sense. I don't care if it makes sense. It's wrong to change what you've been offering contracted long-term clients for over a year simply because you can. Go ahead and change it if/when we renew again, of make it clear to new clients as they sign up for another two years. But to change it mid-contract on customers you've had for more than 10 years, like us, is slapping us in the face. Ha ha, we did this because we could, we made a little extra money off of you, and you can't do anything about it.
Marketing retention strategy discussions, like the one that had to be held before Verizon made this call, are fascinating events. You know someone in that room was saying, "uh, guys, this may not be a wise idea"... but then again, maybe not.
I guess time will tell. In our geographic region, ATT and T-Mobile have just expanded their 4G coverage to cover what Verizon used to have all by themselves. In March we'll decide who to go with.
But then again, we're just little guys. Who up until now have been at the mercy of the big dog. Woof.   
There. I feel better now.

Answer 1

Nice responses, all, and thank you. I guess it's good to know you're not entirely alone, even if for something as hopefully-far-down-the-list-of-important-stuff as a cell phone contract.
OK, I work in marketing. Which is why this whole scenario is so interesting to me. I have an attorney next to me who was laughing at me for taking time to vent, even though he admits - and this is for you, Ann154 - companies do get successfully sued all the time for extending offers in writing (on the web, or in print, as does apply in this case) that go beyond the scope of the original written contract. Verizon is simply betting that no one will care enough to do so. And I guess they've been right, and soon, it will all be irrelevant. Again, the big dog woofs.
And to Jonathan at Verizon - thanks for reaffirming the most fundamental and age-old marketing rule - when you know you can't really respond, always fall back to the company boilerplate statement. It will work more times than not for most. I tell my clients the same thing all the time.
But all of this is still bugging me. Which means as a marketer I'm probably developing a conscious. Which means I better find a new career soon.