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Carrier AT&T get your upgrade fees waived.

SOMEONE HELP ME! I'm getting absolutely no where with this!


Thank you for your patience! Your AT&T Representative will be with you shortly.
Welcome! You are now chatting with 'Rona Marie Lawrence'
Rona Marie Lawrence: Hi Yeedawg, thank you for chatting with me. You can call me Rona. I'll be happy to assist you with your upgrade fee concern.
Rona Marie Lawrence: Let me check your account first.
Yeedawg: Ok
Rona Marie Lawrence: I'm on it right now. Please bear with me.
Yeedawg: No problem!
Rona Marie Lawrence: Thank you Yeedawg :)
Yeedawg: Did you check my account?
Rona Marie Lawrence: Thank you for your patience Yeedawg. I apologize for the delay but I need to make sure you have a waiver before I can credit.
Yeedawg: Ok!
Rona Marie Lawrence: Unfortunately, your corporate discount doesn't include an Activation/Upgrade Fee waiver.
Rona Marie Lawrence: I noticed you already contacted us earlier and the previous representative told you that it cannot be waived.
Yeedawg: Ok, I will just return the phone then, and switch my service over to Verizon. Thank you for your help.
Yeedawg: They have offered me a better plan that would be a lot cheaper than what I am paying right now, and they also stated that I would not have to pay the activation fee, because it is an unnecessary fee that you have.
Rona Marie Lawrence: I understand where you are coming from Yeedawg but how much did you pay for the new phone?
Rona Marie Lawrence: I'm sure you got it at a discounted price.
Yeedawg: I actually paid extra for it because Best Buy had a fee on the phone also, in total for my iPhone 5s 32gb I paid $376.00.
Rona Marie Lawrence: Adding the $36 upgrade fee, the sum of it will still be lesser than the full retail price of the phone you got.
Yeedawg: With Verizon I can go pick up the phone from their retail store at a discounted price with no fees.
Rona Marie Lawrence: That will be your decision now Yeedawg.
Yeedawg: But I'm not understanding why there is an activation fee if I activated the phone myself?
Rona Marie Lawrence: Activation/Upgrade Fees are charged to our customers and are not waived. The upgrade fees helps cover the administrative cost which allows us to offer competitive pricing on our products and services to our customers.
Yeedawg: I love AT&T and the service I get, but if I have to leave the company due to a small $36 fee, I will understand that AT&T does not value their customers. I have been reading online that only AT&T has these fees, and majority of the customers are getting them waived.
Yeedawg: I would like to see the same courtesy extended to me.
Rona Marie Lawrence: I understand that Yeedawg. We can waive the said fee is you have a waiver.
Yeedawg: I'm sorry, I do not understand?
Rona Marie Lawrence: Customers get waiver for Upgrade/Activation with the corporate discount they receive but I checked the corporate discount you have and it is not included.
Rona Marie Lawrence: It means that AT&T and your company do not have an agreement in waiving the said fee.
Yeedawg: But other customers that do not receive corporate discounts are getting the few waived. I feel as if this is injustice towards myself. I am sorry, but if AT&T is going to treat me this way, I will be going to a phone company that will treat me correctly.
Rona Marie Lawrence: Yeedawg, this fee is not waived unless you have a waiver for it. I know it is just $36 but we had requests before to have the fee waived but after explaining what the said fee is for and that it needs a waiver to have it credited, the customers were okay with it. If it will be waived for you then we also have to waive it to customers who requested it but we declined to be fair right?
Rona Marie Lawrence: If we are going to do that, time will come that we will not be able to offer a discounted price for the equipment anymore as what I mentioned above.
Rona Marie Lawrence: The upgrade fees helps cover the administrative cost which allows us to offer competitive pricing on our products and services to our customers.
Yeedawg: Then why would customers that have no waivers be getting the fee waived? That to me is not fair. But I will just go to Verizon, I appreciate your time.
Rona Marie Lawrence: May I have the name of the customer who got the fee waived even without a waiver?
Rona Marie Lawrence: I can check it for you.
Rona Marie Lawrence: Yeedawg, are you still in this chat with me?
Yeedawg: Yes I am.
Rona Marie Lawrence: Do you have the name and the wireless phone number of the customer that received a credit for the upgrade/activation fee?
Yeedawg: I do not have the phone numbers or names, but I am reading it on the AT&T forum.
Rona Marie Lawrence: I see Yeedawg. Whre did you purchase the phone?
Yeedawg: At a Best Buy, not even an AT&T store because they did not have any in stock. So I am not understanding why there is an activation fee when I am the one who activated the phone on the AT&T website.
Yeedawg: They also over charged me for the phone.
Rona Marie Lawrence: Since you are still under buyer's remorse, you can return the phone to the point of sale so that you will not be charged for the Early Termination Fee.
Yeedawg: I understand that. I will be doing that and switching over to Verizon due to the lower prices on my bill and no activation fee.
Rona Marie Lawrence: Is there anything else that I can help you with today Yeedawg?
Yeedawg: Nope, you have not helped me at all and I would not recommend any one to AT&T.
Rona Marie Lawrence: I understand where you are coming from Yeedawg but I already explained what I need to explain regarding the fee. I asked if you know someone who got the fee waived but you are unable to provide me one.
Yeedawg: It's ok I will just go to Verizon and be putting my money into a company that actually cares.
Rona Marie Lawrence: Okay Yeedawg.
Yeedawg: Thank you and have a great night.
Rona Marie Lawrence: Thank you again for chatting with me. Have a good night too.:mad:
 
yeedawg said:
SOMEONE HELP ME! I'm getting absolutely no where with this!
Click to expand...

you clearly do not understand that you don't claim to leave a company for another unless you have the balls to do so if they call your bluff.
go to Verizon homie, apparently AT&T is paying too much attention to these customer service chats.
 
Got mine waived this afternoon. I started a support chat and just asked if they could waive the fee considering we are longtime customers in good standing. The rep had to ask her supervisor, but she got it approved. She wanted to make sure I knew that the fee was "standard" but that because they "value me as a customer" they would waive the fee "just this once".
 
I love how the fee creates more work for them. Of course, 90 percent of or more people, don't get it waived so they still win.
 
Every time I get it waived (since the first iPhone) they tell me it will only happen once......lol. Oooookay.
 
Same for me - just be calm and reasonable and object to the fact that you've extended your contract by buying the new phone. I've never had them not waive the fee. Did two iPhones yesterday.
 
yeedawg said:
SOMEONE HELP ME! I'm getting absolutely no where with this!
Click to expand...

My experience with waving upgrade fees is you call customer service and choose the option to cancel service. Tell them you are considering cancelling and would like them to wave the upgrade fee. They have much more power than the people in the online chat.

Personally I haven't called them about the upgrade fee this time. I've made about 4 separate calls to customer service related to this upgrade and made a trip to the AT&T store for two new sim cards. That's probably the type of thing this fee is supposed to cover. I may still try to call them about it anyway.
 
got mine waived last year, been with them since the original iPhone. think they'll waive my new line I added for my fiancé? first iPhone for her and first line with att though still under my account.
 
I just spoke to an AT&T rep on another matter with my phone service. The rep was extremely nice and told me some nice personal stories. As she resolved my issue, she asked if there was anything else she could do for me. I asked if there was a way to waive the upgrade fee. She replied that unfortunately she can't. All CSR's were given directives from COO's and above that they are not allowed to give upgrade fee credits. In prior year's, most people who called in asking to waive were granted - AT&T are no dummies and they took notice. Their response was to now pay full price for phone in monthly installments and the ability to upgrade yearly without paying upgrade fees. The CSR rep went on to say what they were trained to say, "It is an administrative fee, helps support new towers, etc, etc, etc." I do feel $36 is excessive and don't agree with it. $20 would be a reasonable fee. At the end of the day, it is what it is and I tried to get mine waived with no luck! Kudos to all who got their fees waived and I would be interested in how you did it.

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dave420 said:
My experience with waving upgrade fees is you call customer service and choose the option to cancel service. Tell them you are considering cancelling and would like them to wave the upgrade fee. They have much more power than the people in the online chat.

That is just silly. You just buy a new phone and threaten to cancel your service if they don't credit the upgrade fee? Didn't you just lock yourself in under a new contract? Aren't there cancellation fees involved? If I was on the other end, I would've called your bluff. Sorry!!
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mdawid said:
That is just silly. You just buy a new phone and threaten to cancel your service if they don't credit the upgrade fee? Didn't you just lock yourself in under a new contract? Aren't there cancellation fees involved? If I was on the other end, I would've called your bluff. Sorry!!
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There are no cancellation fees involved on a phone purchased from Apple and returned within the time limit (except the activation fee). They would probably rather keep a customer than charge you a few more dollars. Also are you saying you think the online chat people have more of a power to credit fees than the cancellation and retention department?
Last time I got an upgrade fee I called the cancellation number before I did the upgrade. They agreed to check my account in 30 days and credit any upgrade fees that were applied.
 
dave420 said:
There are no cancellation fees involved on a phone purchased from Apple and returned within the time limit (except the activation fee). They would probably rather keep a customer than charge you a few more dollars. Also are you saying you think the online chat people have more of a power to credit fees than the cancellation and retention department?
Last time I got an upgrade fee I called the cancellation number before I did the upgrade. They agreed to check my account in 30 days and credit any upgrade fees that were applied.
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I misspoke and didn't think about the option of buying the phone at full retail without a contract hitch. I am of course only speaking of my recent experience where the CSR explained to me why they can't credit my upgrade fee. I believe someone else was the one who chatted on-line with a CSR and was able to get their fees waived. I was told company wide, they are not allowed to credit the fees. Obviously some are having success in getting the fees waived.
 
most CSR's have some credits they can use for customers every day that is audited and if management sees a trend they will put out an email saying do this or don't credit this or whatever
 
Thanks guys, Just got mine waived after reading some of your replies

Thank you for your patience! Your AT&T Representative will be with you shortly.
Welcome! You are now chatting with 'Sarah Miller'
Sarah Miller: It's good to see you here in chat, WIll! I'm Sarah, I can help you with your wireless bill. What question do you have in mind?
Will: Hey Sarah! Good Afternoon!
Sarah Miller: Good Afternoon Will. :)
Sarah Miller: How can I help you?
Will: Ive Heard from other loyal customers that you guys are willing to sometimes waive the upgrade fee or give a credit on your bill and i was just wondering if the same courtesy could be done for me :)
Sarah Miller: I see. Will you be upgrading?
Will: i have upgraded to the iPhone 5s about a week ago
Sarah Miller: How's your new phone?
Will: i lovve it!!
Will: lol
Will: the new camera is amazing!
Sarah Miller: Indeed! ;)
Will: fingerprint is also very neat
Sarah Miller: I agree. I am now checking your account here.
Sarah Miller: How's your wireless services so far?
Will: pretty good LTE is pretty fast except around 23rd st in nyc but not really a bother
Will: my service usually blacks out around there but not an issue
Will: im rarely there
Sarah Miller: I see.
Sarah Miller: The upgrade fees are charged to our customers and are not waived. The fee is valid.
Sarah Miller: I am checking what I can do to help you with this.
Will: ok thanks
Will: much appreciated!
Sarah Miller: Good news! I was able to get an approval with my supervisor for the upgrade fee to be waived as one time courtesy. :)
Will: yay!! :)
Sarah Miller: Let me apply the adjustment now real quick.
Will: kk
Will: thanks!!
Sarah Miller: You're welcome.
Sarah Miller: Adjustment was applied, your current balance is $172.66. You may log out then log back in on your online account to check your updated balance so I won't lose you.
Will: yes its updated, checked it on my phone
Will: Thanks so much!

All i did was be a little bubbly and be nice ;);):D:p
 
MaKidzOnYaLip said:
Thank you for your patience! Your AT&T Representative will be with you shortly.
Welcome! You are now chatting with 'Sarah Miller'
Sarah Miller: It's good to see you here in chat, WIll! I'm Sarah, I can help you with your wireless bill. What question do you have in mind?
Will: Hey Sarah! Good Afternoon!
Sarah Miller: Good Afternoon Will. :)
Sarah Miller: How can I help you?
Will: Ive Heard from other loyal customers that you guys are willing to sometimes waive the upgrade fee or give a credit on your bill and i was just wondering if the same courtesy could be done for me :)
Sarah Miller: I see. Will you be upgrading?
Will: i have upgraded to the iPhone 5s about a week ago
Sarah Miller: How's your new phone?
Will: i lovve it!!
Will: lol
Will: the new camera is amazing!
Sarah Miller: Indeed! ;)
Will: fingerprint is also very neat
Sarah Miller: I agree. I am now checking your account here.
Sarah Miller: How's your wireless services so far?
Will: pretty good LTE is pretty fast except around 23rd st in nyc but not really a bother
Will: my service usually blacks out around there but not an issue
Will: im rarely there
Sarah Miller: I see.
Sarah Miller: The upgrade fees are charged to our customers and are not waived. The fee is valid.
Sarah Miller: I am checking what I can do to help you with this.
Will: ok thanks
Will: much appreciated!
Sarah Miller: Good news! I was able to get an approval with my supervisor for the upgrade fee to be waived as one time courtesy. :)
Will: yay!! :)
Sarah Miller: Let me apply the adjustment now real quick.
Will: kk
Will: thanks!!
Sarah Miller: You're welcome.
Sarah Miller: Adjustment was applied, your current balance is $172.66. You may log out then log back in on your online account to check your updated balance so I won't lose you.
Will: yes its updated, checked it on my phone
Will: Thanks so much!

All i did was be a little bubbly and be nice ;);):D:p
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice :)
 
waived

Just copied and pasted as the OP stated and got my upgrade fee waived as a one time courtesy! Thanks for the tip!
 
i got 2 upgrade fees waived. she also told me she put a bonus on it so my bill should be a little lower next month
 
Giving it a shot now. Can't hurt to ask.

Edit: Well, looks like it was a no go.

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

Welcome! You are now chatting with 'Melanie Alvin'

Melanie Alvin: Hi [name] :) I see you have billing question.

Melanie Alvin: Hello there [name].

[name]: Heh, it's okay.

[name]: [name]'s my mother and I'm on her family plan, so technically her name is on the bill.

Melanie Alvin: Yes, that's the first name I see when I saw the chat survey. So how I can help you on your inquiry?

[name]: I had a quick question for you. Back on the 20th I signed up for a contract extension and purchased a new iPhone 5c. A friend of mine were telling me that you guys are sometimes willing to waive the activation/upgrade free for longtime customers. Is there anything I can do to have the same courtesy extended to me?

Melanie Alvin: Oh about that upgrade fee... I received a lot of chats about that recently. The upgrade fee is a valid charge used to cover & allows us to defray some additional service costs in upgrading customer's new device.

In having a standard upgrade, you are to sign for a 2year commitment contract and this upgrade fee applies. It is a valid charge and non-waivable.

Melanie Alvin: This can only be waived if you have discounts attached on your account that includes upgrade waiver.

[name]: No worries, just thought I'd inquire about it. I figured 10 years of service with no billing issues would have entitled me to something. Thanks anyway.

Melanie Alvin: I understand you on this [name] because I know you are a valued customer since 2000.

Melanie Alvin: All carriers pay manufacturers for the wireless device, but only pass along a portion of that cost to the customer. This way, customers can enjoy their wireless device for a much lower price, while the carrier recoups the cost during the term of the agreement.

Melanie Alvin: As much as I would like to waive this for you, I can not apply any adjustments.
Click to expand...
 
Looks like AT&T is tightening it's policies a little bit on this. Just had a coworker chat 3x and 1x on the phone to get his upgrade fee waived...no luck.
 
I just tried two times on live chat and got shot down. Both have told me it's a standard fee bla bla.
 
Add me into the fees waived club! I did it via chat! At first the rep said Its a standard fee. But then I pulled out my on time payments and my loyalty since 1999 card and it worked! I got credit of $39.11! :)
 
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