I suspect that Cingular's stance on early termination fees -- and the fact that they aren't prorated -- was given to you when you entered into the contract. While it might be nice if they told you all the downsides to your decisions every time they spoke to you on the phone, I've got to tell you that I would have preferred not to have to go through all that when I'm getting rid of my cell phone service. It was a long, frustrating process compounded by the fact that an awful lot of people who both hear and speak cannot grasp that they aren't meant to talk to the relay op about me, but rather talk to me as if they thought I was a person (though I will at least give them credit for not referring to me as "it", which an awful lot of people do). The phone companies can't really win on this issue because different people want different things.

You should not have made a new contract with Verizon before the end of your contract with Cingular. Verizon took over the right to bill you for the use of your cell phone number, and that meant that Cingular couldn't do it any more. And that means you were ending the Cingular contract. While I recognize that you didn't really think all of that through (and many people wouldn't), you still did something that your contract said would cost you a non-prorated early termination fee, and therefore the charges are both warranted and justified. You can't change your mind now and unilaterally decide that the terms you agreed to two years ago no longer apply.

Of course you can ask, but it sounds like your request has already been answered. I don't see them changing their minds.