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AT&T is No Longer Waiving Upgrade Fees

M

Middiebear

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 13, 2010
92
39
Head's up, there has been a policy change and all AT&T customer service representatives are being instructed to no longer waive the upgrade fee/activation fee.

It's a policy change that is out of AT&T's CSR's hands and no amount of escalating or complaining will get the fee waived.

However, if you have a FAN discount and it is part of your FAN discount to have the fee waived, a special exception can be made.

Otherwise don't waste your time trying to get the fee adjusted.
 
I

iErick

macrumors member
Jun 19, 2010
43
0
I just learned this the other day. I have never paid an activation fee or upgrade fee on any of my 5 lines. I have always called and just asked for it to be waived and they did.

When I called the other day to have an activation fee waived, they informed me of the new policy. She also informed me of the FAN discount being the only way they can waive it. Luckily my FAN discount allowed for waived activation/upgrade fees. (University of Michigan).
 
F123D

F123D

macrumors 68040
Sep 16, 2008
3,776
16
Del Mar, CA
That's fine. Next time I upgrade, I'll ask for credit on my account in the amount of an activation fee.
 
I

itjw

macrumors 65816
Dec 20, 2011
1,088
6
F123D said:
That's fine. Next time I upgrade, I'll ask for credit on my account in the amount of an activation fee.
Click to expand...

And unless your FAN account waives it, they will deny you.

Sorry, but if you want to upgrade they can charge you whatever they want unless they've agreed not to. I'm surprised with all of the "whine until they give in" threads throughout the internet on this topic they haven't cracked down sooner.

I feel bad for the reps. They don't set policy but probably got so used to just giving it away to everyone that complained that now their life is going to be really fun. Especially dealing with people who think they can escalate their way into not paying anything...
 
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M

maxosx

macrumors 68020
Dec 13, 2012
2,385
1
Southern California
Wrong.

The policy has not changed, they've simply begun to enforce it.

Now it's up to those who are experienced negotiators to prevail.

It is within ones realm to avoid it. I did.
 
I

itjw

macrumors 65816
Dec 20, 2011
1,088
6
maxosx said:
Wrong.

The policy has not changed, they've simply begun to enforce it.

Now it's up to those who are experienced negotiators to prevail.

It is within ones realm to avoid it. I did.
Click to expand...

Yup, with a fan number...

Otherwise, prove it :p
 
2

2298754

Cancelled
Jun 21, 2010
4,890
941
I have no issue with this. I've gotten so many bill credits for basically no reason at all, i'm not going to complain.
 
A

AFDoc

Suspended
Jun 29, 2012
2,864
629
Colorado Springs USA for now
F123D said:
That's fine. Next time I upgrade, I'll ask for credit on my account in the amount of an activation fee.
Click to expand...

bingo! I'll never pay an activation fee...... Why do I need to pay them for the privilage of using their service? They should pay ME for using their service. They won't waive the fee I'll move on and take my several hundred dollar bill/month with me. I bet they would rather lose $30 for an activation fee than my $250+ a month bill.

IF they want to keep me they will make it happen, if not, see ya later. I will go to another carrier and pay what ever upgrade fee they have than stay with AT&T and paying a fee I shouldn't pay as a long time user.
 
mattopotamus

mattopotamus

macrumors G5
Jun 12, 2012
14,666
5,879
AFDoc said:
bingo! I'll never pay an activation fee...... Why do I need to pay them for the privilage of using their service? They should pay ME for using their service. They won't waive the fee I'll move on and take my several hundred dollar bill/month with me. I bet they would rather lose $30 for an activation fee than my $250+ a month bill.

IF they want to keep me they will make it happen, if not, see ya later. I will go to another carrier and pay what ever upgrade fee they have than stay with AT&T and paying a fee I shouldn't pay as a long time user.
Click to expand...

That is a little extreme...when I upgrade at my subsidized price of $449....what's another $30. It's not like they go "surprise" upgrade fee! :)
 
F123D

F123D

macrumors 68040
Sep 16, 2008
3,776
16
Del Mar, CA
When you've finished your carrier contract, you have options. A quick call to cancellation dept before upgrading and they'll more often than not see what they can do to keep you as a happy customer.

This is why AT&T can get away with $20 for unlimited texting, because customers just bend over and take it.
 
6

617aircav

Suspended
Jul 2, 2012
3,975
818
They will still waive it for legitimate reasons and not just because you dont want to pay it.
 
C

caliwolv

macrumors member
Jul 11, 2008
64
1
F123D said:
When you've finished your carrier contract, you have options. A quick call to cancellation dept before upgrading and they'll more often than not see what they can do to keep you as a happy customer.

This is why AT&T can get away with $20 for unlimited texting, because customers just bend over and take it.
Click to expand...

Loving my $5 for 200 messages + iMessage.
 
Nautilus007

Nautilus007

macrumors 68030
Jul 13, 2007
2,642
1,320
U.S
Just calculate the amount of revenue this fee generates for the company out of this air, daily it probably adds millions of dollars in revenue.
 
bryanc28

bryanc28

macrumors 6502
Dec 7, 2007
385
79
Arlington, Va
I love it. You guys think you are gonna get away with not having to pay future activation fees. Well, good luck. I had a b**ch of a time convincing them to drop an activation fee for a phone I returned. They thoroughly checked that it was indeed a returned phone. This was after an hour of being on the phone with AT&t. They are not going to waive your future activation fees period.
 
K

keitarou

macrumors 6502
Dec 7, 2012
254
0
bryanc28 said:
I love it. You guys think you are gonna get away with not having to pay future activation fees. Well, good luck. I had a b**ch of a time convincing them to drop an activation fee for a phone I returned. They thoroughly checked that it was indeed a returned phone. This was after an hour of being on the phone with AT&t. They are not going to waive your future activation fees period.
Click to expand...

More reason's to jump carriers. That way they will finally see customer turnover is high and get rid of these dumb fees.
 
randy98mtu

randy98mtu

macrumors 65816
Mar 4, 2009
1,455
140
This sucks. I want to know what kind of credit they are going to start giving me for lines that are no longer under contract.

I will go the route of calling retention before I do my upgrade. Hopefully get a credit. Like someone else, I have 7 lines on my account and a bill that is well north of $300 and I've been a customer since 1999. Some of the lines I absorbed into my account were active earlier than 1999.

Thanks for the heads up here.
 
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