Verizon to Initiate $30 Device Upgrade Fee on April 22

[jayducharme]

Until there's a huge public outcry or the government steps in to regulate this, the telecoms will take whatever money they can get away with. There's no need for "upgrade" fees; the telecoms should be paying you to stay with them. They would have a hard time convincing me that activating a new phone costs them $30 -- especially when I don't even have to activate it at their store.

 

[phil-ga]

*Edit*

Two things I "confirmed" via T wireless rep:

1. They can be talked into reducing the $36 fee to $18 (I've gotten them to drop the $18 fee in the past when that was the cap).

2. They claimed to me that this had to do with the cost of the devices per se going up.

My take-aways:

1. When iPhone (whatever) comes out later this year, I'm going to nicely ask for a reduction in fee or a credit to offset.

2. Since their story over the fee is so general and vague, there's no use in getting into a fight with them (hence point 1).

3. If ARPU is not going down over iPhones, and margins aren't changing to procure the device by T, then why essentially require a second revenue stream?

There *is* major subsidy going on with the telecoms; see here, here, here, and here. Very much explains why Dan Hesse (sp?) over at Sprint had some 'splainin' to do with their board.

Unlike how Nokia and, admittedly, Apple handled the recent Lumia 900 data connection issue, the carriers really ought to simply be up front about the fee instead of couching it in so many general and vague terms.

 

[WildCowboy]

Does T-Mobile no longer qualify as a major carrier?

They do, but I didn't mention their policies since they're not an official iPhone carrier. T-Mobile's upgrade fee is $18.

 

[mmzplanet]

I have never EVER paid an activation fee because it can be waived by the staff at the store. If they say no... I threaten to go ahead an look elsewhere for services. They usually cave instantly. The one time AT&T wouldn't budge... I called another AT&T store and had them agree to waive it if I drove over there. Guess who quickly changed their tune. They want their commission.

They are about to get 2-years of service from me for what will be a few thousand dollars, they can waive a $30 fee. And yes, VZW it is totally negotiable too.

Edit: With the number of times I've gone through that... time to tell family to leach off someone else's corporate discount...ha ha

 

[aa521490]

So this fee applies ONLY when you visit a Verizon wireless store to upgrade?

 

[-aggie-]

Hmm....Glad I have AT&T...never had any issues and they never try these kind of things.

100%. Never had any extra fees tacked on anything..Had AT&T since 1999 and don't ever see leaving them.. Verizon does online bill paying fees, etc..seems they want to nickel and dime you everywhere.

I don't see how you're not paying the upgrade fee. I tried everything I could to not pay this last upgrade of $36 at AT&T.

 

[bad03xtreme]

Until there's a huge public outcry or the government steps in to regulate this, the telecoms will take whatever money they can get away with. There's no need for "upgrade" fees; the telecoms should be paying you to stay with them. They would have a hard time convincing me that activating a new phone costs them $30 -- especially when I don't even have to activate it at their store.

Just what we need more government regulations.

We need people to wake up and refuse to be taken advantage of by these companies, if they have no customers they have no revenue simple as that.

 

[Eddie Bombay]

Yea now it's only a matter of time until we see AT&T start doing this.

 

[acslater017]

Haha gotta love the juxtaposition of the Verizon ad directly underneath the article.

"Verizon to Initiate $30 Device Upgrade Fee"
"Verizon. Don't Settle. Switch today".

 

[Rajani Isa]

1. When iPhone (whatever) comes out later this year, I'm going to nicely ask for a reduction in fee or a credit to offset.

Yeah - while the store manager at the AT&T store I upgraded to my 4 at said he couldn't waive the upgrade fee, he was able to discount the case i got by the amount of the upgrade fee.

 

[Sedulous]

US mobile companies are a huge ripoff.

 

[bad03xtreme]

In the Verizon meeting:

"I have a great idea, lets punish our loyal customers looking to upgrade by charging them a fee, how does $30 dollars sound?"

 

[FrauHasSpoken]

I don't see how you're not paying the upgrade fee. I tried everything I could to not pay this last upgrade of $36 at AT&T.

Did you try calling/chat in addition to talking to people in store?

I can always get a phone rep to waive their bs fees.

 

[Darien Red Sox]

From my experience there are always two different sets of prices people charge. The "cheapest" that they offer on there website, and then the lower price you will get when you call up and tell them you are thinking about switching. I did this with my home phone and internet a wile ago and was on the promotion price for 6+ years until I upgraded my package. I will be pulling the "I am thinking about switching to cable" card again when my promotion with AT&T ends.

The current marketing of services seems to be targeted at the new customers when they will be offered a steel of a deal such as low pricing for X amount of time, cash back, free iPod, and paying of there current contract cancellation fees. They can't be making much if any money off of the new customers after giving them all of that so they make it up by overcharging there existing customers. Some people will stay because it is too much hassle to switch whale others will switch back and forth to get the benefits. I have not yet seen this kind of promotions with cell phones but am sure they are right around the corner.

 

[-aggie-]

Did you try calling/chat in addition to talking to people in store?

I can always get a phone rep to waive their bs fees.

I was told they don't even have an option on their menu to waive the fee.

 

[rdowns]

Yea now it's only a matter of time until we see AT&T start doing this.

Isn't it embarrassing when someone points that you didn't even read the original post before commenting?

 

[Vudoo]

100%. Never had any extra fees tacked on anything..Had AT&T since 1999 and don't ever see leaving them.. Verizon does online bill paying fees, etc..seems they want to nickel and dime you everywhere.

I've been with AT&T for a few years as well, but when I upgraded from the 4 to the 4s last December, they charged me a $18 upgrade fee.

 

[50548]

I'm moving to North America in a couple of weeks, and the one thing I'm really not looking forward to is how the mobile carriers seem to rip you off. Especially when compared to what the carriers charge here in the UK.

Some of the carriers charge extra for caller ID, voicemail, etc. All of which are standard in the UK. Plus all the carriers charge these stupid activation/upgrade fees. And then there's the cost of calling plans and data plans...

Not much you can do though, when it seems they have us all by the balls.

Good luck. The US is by far one of the most backward countries when it comes to mobile telephony. Pretty much everything there is worse in that regard than places like Europe and Brazil.

Where else would you have to pay for received SMSs unless you sign up to a specific plan that covers them? What about CDMA, which virtually no other civilized country in the world uses?

I am astounded by the passivity of US customers toward mobile phone carriers - they just do whatever they want.

 

[tasset]

I've been with AT&T for a few years as well, but when I upgraded from the 4 to the 4s last December, they charged me a $18 upgrade fee.

AT&T increased theirs from $18 to $36.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/10/2790614/att-upgrade-fee-increase-leaked-memo
The sister bells, hand in hand.

 

[outdata326]

I wished good companies like Apple did not have to work with shady organizations like said wireless service providers.

We all hear about the billions of dollars Apple has. Well they should have used some of that to buy the old television spectrum and made their own wireless network, it would have been great. People thought that Google was going to do that with their multi-billion dollar bid for parts of the spectrum. However that fell through.

Now said shady companies are using those bands, and charging ridiculous fees for it.

If we all united and stop using our wireless devises for a couple of months, rolls eyes, these shady companies would feel the pinch and then maybe we would have decent service and lower prices.

However, I wished Apple would have went into the wireless service provider business themselves. It sure would have been a better wheel then what we currently use.

 

[tasset]

Good luck. The US is by far one of the most backward countries when it comes to mobile telephony. Pretty much everything there is worse in that regard than places like Europe and Brazil.

Where else would you have to pay for received SMSs unless you sign up to a specific plan that covers them? What about CDMA, which virtually no other civilized country in the world uses?

I am astounded by the passivity of US customers toward mobile phone carriers - they just do whatever they want.

It's the way it is here man. It ties in with the theme that regulating industries somehow sullies our capitalistic spirit. Adds to the indecisiveness and lack of progress with moving the country forward.

 

[-aggie-]

AT&T increased theirs from $18 to $36.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/10/2790614/att-upgrade-fee-increase-leaked-memo
The sister bells, hand in hand.

This is already in the OP.

 

[iSRS]

I bet 4/22 is the day they start Family Shared Data. Hmmm... Been waiting to upgrade my wife's feature phone for an iPhone when that hits. Wonder if I am sure enough to gamble that is when they launch it to get the phone early and immediately switch....

 

[SockRolid]

[...] Uh, AT&T has always charged an upgrade fee. It used to be $18. Now it's $36.

I was just going to say "Charging an upgrade fee sounds like a douchey AT&T move."

Now I remember paying that fee, way back in 2010, when I got my iPhone 4...

 

[mlmwalt]

If you feel like the fees are inappropriate, buy shares of the company and participate in shareholder meetings and votes. I do.

FYI, Eight VZ shares will pay quarterly dividends that will offset the cost of the upgrade fee. And you are helping your retirement in the process.