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Carrier AT&T get your upgrade fees waived.
- Thread starter Captainobvvious
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Took a little bit of work...
As you can see, I essentially threatened to leave before she caved...
Suzette: Hi Darrel, thank you for chatting with AT&T. I can help you with questions about fees.
Darrel: Good afternoon, I recently signed a 2 year contract extension and upgraded to a new iPhone. I was hoping I could have my upgrade fee waived or credited to my account.
Suzette: I understand you want to know if the upgrade fee will be waived. I can check on your FAN enrollment to see if it can be done. Please give me a moment.
Darrel: Thanks.
Suzette: I am afraid Darrel, based on agreement with your employer/university, upgrade fee is not waived.
Suzette: We do charge for upgrade fee for all early and standard upgrades. If you pay for the full retail price and do not sign up to new agreement there is no upgrade fee charged.
Darrel: I was unaware that I would be charged an upgrade fee when I purchased my new phone.
Suzette: I am sorry you have not been informed. If you have checked the upgrade offer online, it is provided together with the statement about discounted equipment pricing and requirement of signing to a two-year contract.
Darrel: I did not order through AT&T. I purchased my iphone through apple. I don't recall being charged an upgrade fee the last time I bought a new iPhone.
Suzette: I am sorry if you have not been informed at the Apple Store and that you are not able to check the eligibility offer online. But upgrade fee is definitely charged for all upgrades eversince I have started working for AT&T 3 years ago, although it was a lower price before.
Suzette: The upgrade fee is to allow us to assist customers with recommending new equipment, offering special offers and discounts, providing assistance with the upgrade process if needed, and supporting the returns process within 30 days. These specialized processes help us to ensure you are satisfied with your new equipment, and are ready to use it the day you receive it. The upgrade fee allows us to defray some of these additional service costs.
Darrel: I've been a loyal customer for years now, and was even tempted to switch to another carrier with better data rates but chose to stick with your company anyways. Had I known that I'd be charged what amounts to half my normal bill, just to extend my service, and agree to commit to AT&T for another 2 years, I'd have gone with Verizon. I'm disappointed that I cannot have this fee waived.
Suzette: I am sorry you feel that way. We do value you and want to keep you as a customer. You have to understand that you have received a very big discount for your device Darrel.
Darrel: I feel as if I'm being penalized for signing a 2 year contract.
Suzette: In your case, you are only charged $399.99 instead of the full retail pricing of $849.99. The upgrade fee will cover all the expenses incurred by renewing your contract, all the departments involved with order processing, updating your information, shipping and activating your new device.
Darrel: Nobody would ever pay $849 for a new cell phone, which is why your company subsidizes the cost of the iphone for a "cheap" price and signs us up for a two year contract, because throughout the length of the contract you'll eventually recoup the original cost of the phone slowly, but surely. I wouldn't have been charged an activation fee such as this if I'd switched companies, and I'm wondering if you value new customers over people that have proven to pay bills on time and be loyal for years. Maybe I'll go ahead and switch anyways.
Suzette: Since we value you I will try to submit a request to credit the upgrade fee as a one-time courtesy since you have not been informed about it. This will still be subject for approval. Please give me a moment to complete the request.
Darrel: OK.
Suzette: Good news, Darrel! The credit for $36 activation fee has been approved.
Darrel: Yay!
Darrel: Thanks!
Suzette: Please be advised that future upgrades will still be charged upgrade fee and new lines or new accounts will be charged activation fee.
Suzette: Your current balance is $74.88. You will receive a text confirmation for this within 24 hours.
Suzette: Now that I have successfully applied a courtesy credit on your account, do you need help with anything else?
Darrel: No, you've been very helpful. Thanks!
Suzette: Have I resolved your issue today?
Darrel: yes.
Suzette: We realize that you have a choice in wireless providers thus we appreciate your patronage. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to assist you today. Have a great day!
😀
As you can see, I essentially threatened to leave before she caved...
Suzette: Hi Darrel, thank you for chatting with AT&T. I can help you with questions about fees.
Darrel: Good afternoon, I recently signed a 2 year contract extension and upgraded to a new iPhone. I was hoping I could have my upgrade fee waived or credited to my account.
Suzette: I understand you want to know if the upgrade fee will be waived. I can check on your FAN enrollment to see if it can be done. Please give me a moment.
Darrel: Thanks.
Suzette: I am afraid Darrel, based on agreement with your employer/university, upgrade fee is not waived.
Suzette: We do charge for upgrade fee for all early and standard upgrades. If you pay for the full retail price and do not sign up to new agreement there is no upgrade fee charged.
Darrel: I was unaware that I would be charged an upgrade fee when I purchased my new phone.
Suzette: I am sorry you have not been informed. If you have checked the upgrade offer online, it is provided together with the statement about discounted equipment pricing and requirement of signing to a two-year contract.
Darrel: I did not order through AT&T. I purchased my iphone through apple. I don't recall being charged an upgrade fee the last time I bought a new iPhone.
Suzette: I am sorry if you have not been informed at the Apple Store and that you are not able to check the eligibility offer online. But upgrade fee is definitely charged for all upgrades eversince I have started working for AT&T 3 years ago, although it was a lower price before.
Suzette: The upgrade fee is to allow us to assist customers with recommending new equipment, offering special offers and discounts, providing assistance with the upgrade process if needed, and supporting the returns process within 30 days. These specialized processes help us to ensure you are satisfied with your new equipment, and are ready to use it the day you receive it. The upgrade fee allows us to defray some of these additional service costs.
Darrel: I've been a loyal customer for years now, and was even tempted to switch to another carrier with better data rates but chose to stick with your company anyways. Had I known that I'd be charged what amounts to half my normal bill, just to extend my service, and agree to commit to AT&T for another 2 years, I'd have gone with Verizon. I'm disappointed that I cannot have this fee waived.
Suzette: I am sorry you feel that way. We do value you and want to keep you as a customer. You have to understand that you have received a very big discount for your device Darrel.
Darrel: I feel as if I'm being penalized for signing a 2 year contract.
Suzette: In your case, you are only charged $399.99 instead of the full retail pricing of $849.99. The upgrade fee will cover all the expenses incurred by renewing your contract, all the departments involved with order processing, updating your information, shipping and activating your new device.
Darrel: Nobody would ever pay $849 for a new cell phone, which is why your company subsidizes the cost of the iphone for a "cheap" price and signs us up for a two year contract, because throughout the length of the contract you'll eventually recoup the original cost of the phone slowly, but surely. I wouldn't have been charged an activation fee such as this if I'd switched companies, and I'm wondering if you value new customers over people that have proven to pay bills on time and be loyal for years. Maybe I'll go ahead and switch anyways.
Suzette: Since we value you I will try to submit a request to credit the upgrade fee as a one-time courtesy since you have not been informed about it. This will still be subject for approval. Please give me a moment to complete the request.
Darrel: OK.
Suzette: Good news, Darrel! The credit for $36 activation fee has been approved.
Darrel: Yay!
Darrel: Thanks!
Suzette: Please be advised that future upgrades will still be charged upgrade fee and new lines or new accounts will be charged activation fee.
Suzette: Your current balance is $74.88. You will receive a text confirmation for this within 24 hours.
Suzette: Now that I have successfully applied a courtesy credit on your account, do you need help with anything else?
Darrel: No, you've been very helpful. Thanks!
Suzette: Have I resolved your issue today?
Darrel: yes.
Suzette: We realize that you have a choice in wireless providers thus we appreciate your patronage. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to assist you today. Have a great day!
😀
ill just post the chat; Removed all last names for security purposes. Oh and I was chatting as if I was the account holder, which is my father.
---
Please wait for a site operator to respond.
You are now chatting with 'Alfonso ***** '
Alfonso : Hello Mr. ***, and thank you for chatting with ATT. I'll be taking care all of your concerns for today!
Alfonso : I understood your concern. I'll see what I can do here.
Christopher: thanks!
Christopher: okay great
Christopher: Hope you're having a great night at work
Alfonso: I am and I will have a greater night if I will be able to make you a happy customer this evening.
Christopher: good!
Alfonso : The early upgrade fee of $250 is a standard price upon doing an early upgrade and it cannot be waived. However for the upgrade fee, they can be removed.
Christopher: Here's the thing, we could've sworn that his line was due for standard upgrade in september before I transferred billing responsibility from my stepfather into my own name back in May. Then, somehow it magically changed.
Christopher: We called about that before and the lady and her supervisor were so rude and unwilling to look into it, I was very close to closing the account all together, but my son actually convinced me not to because he loves your service
Alfonso : I understood that and we appreciate you for staying with us. I'll see further what I can do here.
Christopher: thank you very much
Alfonso: No worries. Give me three-five minutes to work on this.
Christopher: great
Alfonso: Thanks.
Alfonso: Thank you for your patience.
Christopher: no problem
Alfonso: As I've said a while ago we cannot remove the fee but as a one time courtesy I'll give you a credit equivalent to the charge. But the upgrade fee won't no longer be credited back, is that okay?
Christopher: that is wonderful
Christopher: thank you
Alfonso: I'll give it to you now.
Christopher: great. Thank you very much Alfonso
Alfonso: You're welcome! Your updated balance now is $88.25.
Christopher: Excellent, thanks alot for your help. Your customer service is above and beyond all of your competitors and is what makes me a proud att customer
Christopher: have a great night
Alfonso: My pleasure. Is there anything else?
Christopher: nope that is all
Alfonso: I understand that you may be busy at this time and not able to continue this session. I apologize for any inconvenience but due to lack of response, I will need to end the Chat session. Please feel free to visit us at att.com for further assistance.
---
He must've clicked the wrong "end session" link on his end. I gave him all 10s on the survey after the chat.
Last edited:
Wow I can't believe my thread is still going!
I'm so happy to have helped so many people save some cash. I wonder what the total is now but I don't have the patience to total it... Looks like a LOT!
Woooo!
I'm so happy to have helped so many people save some cash. I wonder what the total is now but I don't have the patience to total it... Looks like a LOT!
Woooo!
I just used the chat service and got both my lines that I upgraded credited as well! It was really easy and saved me $72, thanks for the tip!
Add me to the list $36 fee credited.
Just was polite, asked for the courtesy to waive the fee. They did make mention that this is a one time exception
Just was polite, asked for the courtesy to waive the fee. They did make mention that this is a one time exception
How easy was this?
Me: I just received my statement and I see a $36 upgrade fee for my new iPhone.
Me: I have been a long-time customer and would like to get that fee waived.
CSR: I will gladly waive that for you. One moment please.
Me: Thank you so much.
It's not even a credit. It's coming right off my current bill. Thanks OP.
Me: I just received my statement and I see a $36 upgrade fee for my new iPhone.
Me: I have been a long-time customer and would like to get that fee waived.
CSR: I will gladly waive that for you. One moment please.
Me: Thank you so much.
It's not even a credit. It's coming right off my current bill. Thanks OP.
Waived fee
All i did was tell them that i talked to a rep and she told me to call back at the end of my billing cycle and they would waive it. So I called yesterday and they did it with no hassle or problem🙂🙂
All i did was tell them that i talked to a rep and she told me to call back at the end of my billing cycle and they would waive it. So I called yesterday and they did it with no hassle or problem🙂🙂
Well I just asked if there was a way they could waive me the activation fee as a courtesy this one time, and stated how I just signed the contract last Saturday and I already owed $150. The online rep was super nice and credited me the $36 plus tax immediately. I'm pretty stoked right now.
i went on the live chat and asked politely to have it waived. since i am "a long time and valued customer" it was waived first time lol. awesome thread!! thanks for the tip!.
AT&T messed up and charged me 2 upgrade fees because I canceled a preorder and then bought in store.
Just got off of live chat and they waived both fees. Took 5 minutes!
Thanks OP!
Just got off of live chat and they waived both fees. Took 5 minutes!
Thanks OP!
I called ATT on the morning of the 22nd. I requested that my two upgrade fees be either waived or credited. I was given a credit for two lines. It took some 5 minutes.
Worked for me. I sent an email and asked what the purpose of the upgrade fee was. Here is the load of malarkey answer they gave:
I got it credited, but it still some BS. It would be like a restaurant charging you a "seating fee". Those are all costs of doing business, which should be more than covered by the normal fees. On top of that, I ordered my phone from Apple, activated it from the device and never dealt with AT&T except to ask about the fee.
I got it credited, but it still some BS. It would be like a restaurant charging you a "seating fee". Those are all costs of doing business, which should be more than covered by the normal fees. On top of that, I ordered my phone from Apple, activated it from the device and never dealt with AT&T except to ask about the fee.
Worked for me, they guy agreed to make the adjustment on both mine and my wife's line. He said our October bill will reflect the adjustment showing each line's one time upgrade fee waived.
Thanks to the OP for a great idea. That just paid for a few extra lightning cables 🙂
Thanks to the OP for a great idea. That just paid for a few extra lightning cables 🙂