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AT&T $36 "Upgrade Fee"

Does anyone know that if you purchase the iPhone outright (e.g. $849 from AT&T) if you still have to pay the $36 upgrade fee?

Thanks.
 
if I bought my iphone this morning from the apple store do i call at&t today or do i wait for it to be delivered?
 
JeepinCoastie said:
if I bought my iphone this morning from the apple store do i call at&t today or do i wait for it to be delivered?
Click to expand...

I don't think you have to call AT&T ever. Just wait on the phone and it should work once connected to iTunes or whatever the current activation steps are.
 
I know it's just a way for them to get more money, but shouldn't it be the other way around. They should be offering me $36 as an incentive to sign a new contract!
 
I called this afternoon to ask for the waiver of the upgrade fees, and it was done quickly. The representative was nice and it got waived without a problem.
 
I agree its a BS fee. I mean really your going to charge people for deciding to stay with your service and upgrade?? over the course of the contract you spend about $2000+
 
Just called up the support line this morning. I was nice and polite to the service rep, asked how his day was going. It was his daughter's birthday so I said I hope she had a good one and asked how old she was turning.

I explained that I had just recently upgraded to an iPhone 5 through Apple's website on pre-order and was wondering if they could do anything for me about the $36 upgrade fee as I had been off contract the past two months and wouldn't even have to pay an ETF to go somewhere else.

He said that it wasn't on the bill yet, but he could credit my account for the amount to cover it when it did bill. He even offered to email me a receipt of the credit. As soon as I got of the phone I got this:

Thank you for using AT&T!

This email is a follow-up to our conversation earlier today; below is a summary of our discussion:

The following adjustment(s) have been applied to your account:
Date Applied: 09/15/2012
Credit Amount: $36.00
Rollover Minutes: 0

This credit will appear online within 1-2 business days.
- It may take 1-2 billing cycles to appear on an invoice.

If you have further questions about your AT&T account, please refer to http://wireless.att.com/ or by calling us at 1-800-331-0500.

Sincerely,

D V.
AT&T Customer Care
1-800-331-0500
Click to expand...

Easy.
 
Just got my CSS and it had the upgrade fee.....

A quick chat to billing support with the long time customer, 2 iphone lines for years, unexpected fee, blah blah blah

And I got this:

Thank you for your patience. We can submit a one time credit for the upgrade fee, however we will not be able to credit upgrade fees in the future. You will still see the upgrade fee listed on your next bill, but there will be a credit just under it canceling that charge out.

Its the same thing I heard on the 3G, 3Gs, 4, and 4s...........

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and I do have a FAN account.

I tried to edit my post but got this:
You do not have permission to perform this action. Please refresh the page and login before trying again.

now I have to figure out where thats coming from!
 
billinaz said:
Just got my CSS and it had the upgrade fee.....

A quick chat to billing support with the long time customer, 2 iphone lines for years, unexpected fee, blah blah blah

And I got this:

Thank you for your patience. We can submit a one time credit for the upgrade fee, however we will not be able to credit upgrade fees in the future. You will still see the upgrade fee listed on your next bill, but there will be a credit just under it canceling that charge out.

Its the same thing I heard on the 3G, 3Gs, 4, and 4s...........
Click to expand...

Yeah I love how they tell you that so that you don't "expect" it, but you can ask for these kinds of things over and over and get them.
 
randy98mtu said:
Is this in writing somewhere that FAN accounts shouldn't be charged this?
Click to expand...

There is. I finally found where the discounts were listed for my FAN and found this:

Waived Upgrade Fee
Available for upgrades on qualified plans. See your AT&T account representative for compl... More Available for upgrades on qualified plans. See your AT&T account representative for complete details.

So I guess I didnt have to play the longtime customer card......
 
billinaz said:
There is. I finally found where the discounts were listed for my FAN and found this:
Click to expand...
Did you find this on the AT&T web site? I have been trying to find the details for my FAN discount too, but my company has apparently hidden the information really well ...
 
I just chatted with an AT&T representative and they waived my fee. It took a little tug, but after I mentioned I was a loyal customer for 7 years they waived it for me. :)
 
billinaz said:
On the premier website there is a button on the top right that says something like 'discount' or something similar.
Click to expand...
Thanks, but I can't use the Premier site since I am an "IRU", i.e. I receive a discount through my company but the account is an individual account in my name. Guess I'll contact HR. I really don't see any justification for this "upgrade fee". :rolleyes:
 
I enrolled my phone in the Best Buy's Choose Phone Freedom plan, so I got an extra $50 off the phone, so the $50 I'm saving from that will be used to offset the $36 charge on the next bill! :D

I just checked though and the FAN account for my school says they offer waived upgrade fees.

But only one question, do those fees get waived if you get it though Best Buy, Apple, or something that is not through the premier website?
 
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I called ATT Thursday night with a question about ordering and the cust serv rep asked me if anyone had mentioned the $36 upgrade fee and I said no. She then said I'd been a customer for many years and offered to waive the fee. i didn't even have to wait for the charge to show up and then call back, she put it on right then and my current bill due later this month was reduced by the $36. Definitely call and you should be able to get it waived.
 
powerbook911 said:
I don't think you have to call AT&T ever. Just wait on the phone and it should work once connected to iTunes or whatever the current activation steps are.
Click to expand...

I sent an email to AT&T about this. I was wondering that after I received the phone if I would have to go to AT&T to have a sim card assigned to it.

Here is the reply from AT&T:

The new iPhone 5 will come to your door with a Nano-Sim already placed
in the device. You will be able to activate it as soon as it arrives.
 
Had a chat w/AT&T online. Purchased two IP5's on Friday at AT&T store. Cust rep said my FAN account terms & conditions did not allow waiver of fees. But after a bit of complaining she waived one of the fees.... so $36 instead of $72. Better than nothing.
 
What the hack? it was the easiest waiver ever.

Me: "Hello, I would like to waive/credit my upgrade fees for my iPhone 5 upgrade"
REP: "No problem, let me check that for you"
..... 2 minutes of typing noise.
REP: "It was all done, you got a credit for $72 (2 iPhones) that you'll see in your next billing cycle"

----------
whsbuss said:
Had a chat w/AT&T online. Purchased two IP5's on Friday at AT&T store. Cust rep said my FAN account terms & conditions did not allow waiver of fees. But after a bit of complaining she waived one of the fees.... so $36 instead of $72. Better than nothing.
Click to expand...

I also have FAN account and waived both, call them, don't chat.
 
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