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infoe

macrumors member
Oct 13, 2011
61
1
first rep said nope, i disconnected and second rep within ten minutes did it for me after she gave me the this is probably last time we can do this...she had me log out and log back into my account and there is a credit there of $43.30 on my account. it seems a bit odd that its $3.30 extra and I almost did'nt notice it but i realized that my bill previously was $185ish and now its down to 142.50 with that credit, in either case I saved the chat transcript.

Y0Zrepk.jpg
 

Chico2324

macrumors newbie
Sep 15, 2014
8
0
tried by chat and they wouldn't budge, they tried telling me that not every customer is the same. I asked about how i differ if i've been with them for 9 years and have always made my payments on time, took them like 5 min to respond to tell me that they are not able to speak about other costumers... I ended up closing the chat and calling and without minimum effort i was told that yes that its possible, but I'd have to call back once it shows in the account. She said she was going to leave a note, so that when i call back the next agent can see it and not give me any fuzz...
 

safetyobc

macrumors 6502
Sep 6, 2007
480
27
Arkansas
I logged into my account and used the online chat. I was extremely polite!! AND IT WORKED! They waved the upgrade fee for my wife who upgraded last week from the 5 to the 5S. And they waived my upgrade fee today from the 5 to the 6 Plus!! I would have never thought to try this if it weren't for this thread. Thank you for saving me $88!! (each upgrade fee was $44).

All I did was tell the rep hello, asked how she was doing. Then explained what upgrades I had done last week and today. Told her I had been a customer for several years. And asked if there was anything they could do with the one or both of the upgrade fees. She told me to hold, came back a few minutes later and told me they reviewed my account and waived the fees for BOTH phones!
 

nanabuuui

macrumors newbie
Sep 17, 2014
11
0
Discount stuff

For those who have gotten their upgrade fees waived, are you registered under the AT&T corporate discount program? They're telling me that enrollment is the only way to waive the fee :confused:
 

solo118

macrumors 65816
May 16, 2011
1,316
170
For those who have gotten their upgrade fees waived, are you registered under the AT&T corporate discount program? They're telling me that enrollment is the only way to waive the fee :confused:

Nope. Mine is a personal line, and i got it credited last night just by asking nicely. The first rep didnt want to play ball, but the next rep did a couple of hours later.
 

nanabuuui

macrumors newbie
Sep 17, 2014
11
0
Nope. Mine is a personal line, and i got it credited last night just by asking nicely. The first rep didnt want to play ball, but the next rep did a couple of hours later.

Haha thank you! I've tried twice with chat and I just called customer service.

Attempt 1: rep said no.
Attempt 2: tried to get me to sign up for the corporate discount program. Said they couldn't waive it otherwise.
Attempt 3: rep made a note and is asking for me to call back when the $40 is on my bill.

So many tries! I'm so unlucky :(

Hoping for the best!
 

bored2426

macrumors newbie
Nov 23, 2010
7
0
Super Easy...

Just started with "Hi. I recently signed two 2 year contract extensions and upgraded to new iPhones. I was hoping I could have my upgrade fee waived or credited to my account."

Lindsay Fortuna: Hi, Diana! I can definitely look into this with you! We know how important it is to know your options with standard fees such as these!

Diana: Thank you

Lindsay Fortuna: Of course!! I'm looking into this for you now :)

Lindsay Fortuna: We do see that you have been with us for a very long time, and we definitely appreciate our long-time customers!! Typically, we do not waive these fees since they are standard when signing new 2-year contracts, but as a one-time courtesy, we would be happy to waive these fees for you :) They are currently in your pending charges, so I will take care of them now. The charges, as well as the credits, will appear on your next bill

Lindsay Fortuna: Does that sound good, Diana?

Diana: that sounds great!

Lindsay Fortuna: Fantastic!! I'm getting this taken care of now :) So you will see the adjustment on your next bill that comes out

Diana: thank you very much for your help

Lindsay Fortuna: You're very welcome!! Thank you for being such a valued customer!! We are more than happy to help with this today!

Lindsay Fortuna: and that's all set for you!! if you have any questions about the bill and credits when your next bill comes out, please don't hesitate to get back in touch!!

Lindsay Fortuna: Now that we've gotten these pending fees taken care of, what else can I help you with today, Diana? :)

Diana: No that is all, thank you

Lindsay Fortuna: thank you so much!! have a great day, as well!
 

mytakeontech

macrumors 6502a
Jun 14, 2010
544
9
For those who have gotten their upgrade fees waived, are you registered under the AT&T corporate discount program? They're telling me that enrollment is the only way to waive the fee :confused:

Good to know. I am already under Corp discount program. Will call them later when iPhone 6 arrives.
 

webbuzz

macrumors 68020
Jul 24, 2010
2,358
7,569
I chatted with a rep about my contract, it is still showing billing rates for a Nation 1400 plan from 2004. :eek:

Anyway, my plan and contract are correct, and I asked him if he could waive the fee. After a few minutes he said that he could. But, I have to call back when it hits my bill.
 

pk0

macrumors 6502
Oct 18, 2009
288
124
I had mine credited today on chat. Thanks for the recommendation! They said this is a one time thing but we will see next time :p
 

Orlandu

macrumors 6502
Oct 5, 2010
276
55
Attempt 1 - No go, can't waive them

Attempt 2 - Can't waive them, wouldn't budge

Attempt 3 - Third said he would note the account regarding waiving the fees but couldn't do so until they showed up on my account.
 

pssmith84

macrumors regular
Nov 10, 2011
178
22
I tried for the first time last night to get my fees waived. The person I chatted with said she couldn't do that, but she did have a way for me to save $65 a month. I figured there was some sort of catch, but decided to see what she had to say anyways. She ended up changing my plan from an old family plan to a new data share plan and sure enough, it saves me $65 a month. So I didn't save the $80 for the 2 upgrade fees, but I will save $1560 over the next 2 years. I'm not too upset about the upgrade fees anymore. Lol.
 

-Knight-

macrumors 6502a
Jun 25, 2010
602
0
Miami, FL
Just chatted with ATT cs via chat and talked to a very nice lady. Even though I already received a one time upgrade fee waived two years ago she was able to credit that $40.00 fee again for me just now.

I might not be able to get it in 2 years when iPhone 7 comes out but we'll see.
 

PhillyGuy72

macrumors 68040
Sep 13, 2014
3,032
4,438
Philadelphia, PA USA
Oh I will get this BS waived, I put up with it 2 years ago when it was 36.00 and was at the ATT store..they physically activated it.

Sticking with them when I could have gone elsewhere..nailed with the $40 fee. and I AM THE ONE activating my new phone on my own computer via USB. FU, they can take the $40 and stick it.
 

PhillyGuy72

macrumors 68040
Sep 13, 2014
3,032
4,438
Philadelphia, PA USA
tried by chat and they wouldn't budge, they tried telling me that not every customer is the same. I asked about how i differ if i've been with them for 9 years and have always made my payments on time, took them like 5 min to respond to tell me that they are not able to speak about other costumers... I ended up closing the chat and calling and without minimum effort i was told that yes that its possible, but I'd have to call back once it shows in the account. She said she was going to leave a note, so that when i call back the next agent can see it and not give me any fuzz...

Exactly, I was with them then they took over Cingular! Talking 10, 12+ years.
I think I recall it switching over to ATT when I still had a 2005 Razr, then '07 with the iPhone 1st gen. Of course they have heard these stories before..and they will hear it again. Chat, I dont know if that can work..maybe for some. Ether call or better yet go into a store and talk to them face to face. Thats my plan.

It burns me up more when I wanted to look at cases at the ATT store on Friday, this pig put her arm out blocking me asked "you have a reservation?" I said I want to look at cases. She said no..only access if for iPhone pre-order customers.

Immediately set me off! I grumbled and stated, "so you're the bouncer and this is a f 'in VIP nightclub? F- You!" Not like me to blow up like that, not confrontational..but wow, the way she talked to me..attitude, my blood boiled in. Denied access to a retail store (dont care if it was launch day..happy for those people, Im not butting in front of anyone..just wanted to look for a case) Store was packed, sure someone could ring me up if I found something. So the only reason Ill go back is for this fee removal!

Sorry, end rant.
 

pintnight

macrumors 6502
May 31, 2008
310
1
Guess I need to try a different agent.

ATT CS: Hi Pintnight, glad to have you today. I will partner with you about the one time charge on the account
Pintnight: Hello, I recently signed a 2 year contract extension and upgraded to a new iPhone 6+ (I haven't received it yet though). I was hoping I could have my upgrade fee waived or credited to my account.
ATT CS: I follow that Pintnight, let me just check the account real quick
Pintnight: OK
ATT CS: Thanks
ATT CS: Hi Pintnight, thanks for waiting. I see here that yes you are correct that you processed an upgrade under standard 2 year contract last 9/12/2014. I do apologize but the upgrade fee is a valid charge and the only way for us to waive the fee is if the upgrade is processed under ATT next installment plan or if your account has an upgrade fee waiver
Pintnight: Well, I have never understood the upgrade fee since I never asked ATT for help, return phones, etc. And been a long time customer.
ATT CS: I totally understand that Pintnight, upgrade fee is only posted on the line that is processed under 2 year contract to allow us to assist you with recommending new equipment, offering special offers and discounts, providing assistance with the upgrade process if needed, and supporting the returns process within 14 days.
ATT CS: The upgrade fee allows us to offer you the device that you are getting at the discounted price instead of the retail price
Pintnight: Again, I never asked for you nor request you guys to recommend me new equipment, offer special offiers and discounts, etc, etc.
ATT CS: I understand that Pintnight but the phone that you got is under a discount price.
 

blhoward2

macrumors 6502a
Sep 19, 2012
533
21
I go through this every year. You just have to stay polite but wear them down with logic:

Thank you for your patience! Your AT&T Representative will be with you shortly.

Welcome! You are now chatting with 'AT&T'

AT&T: Hi Blhoward2! Glad to have you here on chat. I understand you need assistance about the upgrade fees, upgrade fee is actually one of our valid charges for processing the upgrade. Let me see what I can do to help you avoid these charges.

Blhoward2: Thanks, I understand its a valid charge but I'm just hoping you can do something since I've been a customer for so long.

Blhoward2: I think I'm going on 13 years with AT&T (I've moved states a few times since I was in the military so this particular account may not be that old).

AT&T: We do appreciate you've been a loyal customer to AT&T, let me go ahead and review your account and see what we can do for you about the upgrade fees. :)

AT&T: Thank you for waiting Blhoward2, since you've been a valued customer with us, we can provide you a courtesy credit today of $25.00. :)

Blhoward2: Hmmm, only $25? My friend literally just called and they waived his entire fee on two lines.

Blhoward2: Help me out Paula ;-)

Blhoward2: I'm also not honestly sure why AT&T charges these anymore...I upgraded through the Apple store and never spoke to AT&T. So I'm being charged for the privielge of signing a new contract.

Blhoward2: Doesn't seem quite right

AT&T: To be honest Blhoward2, the upgrade fee is still on the pending charges and will show up on the next bill, so even if we apply a credit today it will still show on the next bill but here's what I can do, I will talk to my supervisor for further assistance

Blhoward2: Thank you, I appreciate any help you can provide.

AT&T: You're most welcome. :)

AT&T: Please bear with me

AT&T: I'm still here, I appreciate your patience

Blhoward2: No problem

AT&T: Thank you

AT&T: Thank you for waiting Blhoward2, I talked to my Supervisor and we do have another option for you to avoid the upgrade fees on the next bill. :)

AT&T: Since we are unable the upgrade fees, we can recommend you to upgrade your phones under Next installment, we see here your phones were activated on 09/19 and you are still in the 14 days buyer's remorse period, we can change your upgrade to Next Installment

AT&T: With Next Installment, rest assured no upgrade fees

AT&T: no contract and no down payment for the phones. :)

Blhoward2: I'm not interested in Next, under my rate plan it would cost me way more money. My plan would cost the same but I would no longer be getting a subsidized phone. And I can't change plans because I am grandfathered on an unlimited data plan.

AT&T: Regarding your plan,rest assured you can stay on your same plan and upgrade to Next. Though you pay for the phone in installment basis, the best thing with Next is that you can trade in your device every year and get a new phone instead of upgrading your phone every 2 years. :)

Blhoward2: So to avoid ~$90 in fees (upgrade for two lines), I would then be paying what $80 a month in Next installments? That wouldn't make much sense Paula. In one year alone that would be $960 in installments, versus $600 total for subsidized phones

Blhoward2: I understand that your told to push Next, but it only makes sense if you're on a Mobile Share plan and get the discount...and I can't go to Mobile Share because I have unlimited data

AT&T: I totally understand Blhoward2 that you want to pay the installment payments for the phone, I apologize for the inconvenience but we are unable to waive the total charge of $80.00 upgrade fee, the best thing we can do is to provide you a one time courtesy credit of $25.00 on your current bill today.

AT&T: We also checked your FAN discount however it does not cover upgrade fee waiver

Blhoward2: What if I wait until the upgrade fees post? Can they be waived then? I mean I've been paying my bill on time for over a decade

Blhoward2: I'm eligible for more than one FAN discount, is there a way to check if one of the others covers it and would have the same plan rate?

Blhoward2: I mean I'm doing the math Paula, and I've paid AT&T $23,400 over the past 13 years

Blhoward2: Asking you to eat $80 in fees that cost you nothing doesn't seem like that much

AT&T: I apologize but for this account only FAN is allowed, let me talk to my Manager about this. I really want to help you Blhoward2, please bear with me

AT&T: I do get your point

Blhoward2: Thanks

AT&T: I'm back! :)

AT&T: I have a great news!

AT&T: I explained your concern to my Manager and she approved the $80.00 upgrade fee credit

AT&T: :)

Blhoward2: awesome, thanks so much Paula!

AT&T: You're most welcome, please bear with us as we apply the credit to your account, I have to run back to my Manager's office to provide your number and apply the credit. :)

Edit: Also my chat rep is lonely...she has been talking to me for 5 minutes about Android vs iPhone (I'm at work and just answer periodically).
 
Last edited:

pintnight

macrumors 6502
May 31, 2008
310
1
Got the upgrade fee removed, 2nd time the charm.



ATT CS: Hi Pintnight! We understand how important it is to be on top of your finances. Let's go ahead and discuss the upgrade fee and why you are charged for this.

ATT CS: Are you seeing the upgrade fee with your most recent bill?

Pintnight: No, I don't see the upgrade fee yet, let me check my account again.

ATT CS: Sure thing, we can check the bill together online

ATT CS: You can click myAT&T at the orange bar on top of att.com to get us started

Pintnight: No, the upgrade fee isn't there, since I haven't got my iPhone 6+ yet, still waiting for that to be shipped.

ATT CS: We can check on the status of your order through your online account.

ATT CS: Are you seeing the I want to drop down?

Pintnight: Yes, I see my order status, still stuck at shipping date for 10/02/14 to 10/13/14.

Pintnight: The reason I want the upgrade fee to be removed is that I never asked for AT&T nor request AT&T to recommend me new equipment, offer special offers and discounts, etc, etc.

Pintnight: And I have been a customer for AT&T for 14+ years.

ATT CS: This upgrade fee is to cover a small portion of the cost AT&T paid for in getting your device discounted.

ATT CS: Allow me to check on what we can do with your upgrade fee.

ATT CS: We value your loyalty with us and we want to make sure you are getting the best service

Pintnight: There is no way for me to save money buying the iPhone, if I could have bought the phone off contract and get a reduced billing plans, I would have done that. But the monthly bill doesn't change between non-contract and 2 years contract. So, I'm already paying for the phone via the 2 year contract, so there isn't any discount. And I have friends and family that told me that they got the fee waived and why I'm trying too.

ATT CS: I understand, you've been a loyal AT&T customer Pintnight, allow me to get a hold of my supervisor to have this upgrade fee removed for you.

Pintnight: OK

ATT CS: You must be quite excited to get a hold of the newest iPhone in the market! At this moment, we're receiving a lot of orders for the iPhone 6 Plus which gives it a longer timeframe to process. The good thing about this is, your order is currently in progress.

Pintnight: I was hoping if you had any ideas if the shipping can be sooner than expected?

ATT CS: It may be a possibility, some customers were advised that they will receive the iPhone 6 for 14-28 business days, but they got the phone after a week. This may be a possibility with the iPhone 6 plus too

Pintnight: OK, well I'll wait for your supervisor's response about the upgrade fee waived.

ATT CS: I did get the approval of my supervisor and we have seen that your account is in really good standing with AT&T for a long time. We can remove this upgrade fee as a one time courtesy for being with us for such a long time.. You won't see the upgrade fee on your bill once you get the iPhone 6 plus.

Pintnight: Thanks, glad to hear. Will you put a note on there in case I see the upgrade fee and need to talk to somebody else that it was removed but wasn't?

ATT CS: Sure thing, it's already on the notes on the account. And I assure you that you won't chat/call us back regarding the upgrade fee :)

Pintnight: Thank you very much! Have a nice day. That all I have.

ATT CS: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to help you today Pintnight. It's been a pleasure speaking with a loyal customer for a long time. Have a wonderful day!

Pintnight: You too, goodbye.
 

jkim3691

macrumors 6502a
Oct 8, 2011
532
10
Just got mine waived as well with a second attempt. Chatted it up with the rep, had fun doing so. They always note that its a "one time courtesy" but they said that 2 years ago too.
 

blhoward2

macrumors 6502a
Sep 19, 2012
533
21
Just got mine waived as well with a second attempt. Chatted it up with the rep, had fun doing so. They always note that its a "one time courtesy" but they said that 2 years ago too.

They said that last year on mine. Not only did they give it again, they seem to have forgotten to take my elgibility for upgrading last year (I didn't realize it at the time I ordered because I use a family member's account in the odd years to upgrade.)
 

sooner518

macrumors member
Oct 5, 2011
45
0
we have 2 unlimited data plans on AT&T with a 25% off corporate discount. I chatted with them yesterday and asked them to waive both of our "activation fees", but she did offer to credit us $34 (one of our data charges for the month + tax i suppose) to offset the activation fees a bit. I figured that was good enough and thanked him for doing what he could. so we have a $34.50 credit on our account now.
 
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