Carrier Verizon’s upgrade fee

[slippery-pete]

My cousin Frank always avoids the upgrade fee. Simple bribe (box of ice cream sandwiches) at local Verizon store works every time.

 

[DevinNj]

An upgrade fee of $35 over around $1,000 phone should not be a big deal. Anyone who truly can afford around 1K phone should not be bothered by it. It is only around 4%.

I upgrade both my wife and I and I think $70 is a little ridiculous, especially with what they charge me monthly.

 

[brofkand]

An upgrade fee of $35 over around $1,000 phone should not be a big deal. Anyone who truly can afford around 1K phone should not be bothered by it. It is only around 4%.

$35 isn't much, you're right. Perhaps that's the point - most people will just pay it and move on with life. But still, I work hard for every dollar I earn and I try not to waste the money I own. Paying fees just because the company charges it, when there are ways to not pay the fee, is an example of wasting money in my view.

The problem with prepaid and MVNO’s is that you’re usually missing out on certain features depending on what MVNO/prepaid service. For example some do not offer WiFi calling, visual voicemail and/or roaming. Also a lot of MVNO/prepaid is prioritized behind postpaid.

So it’s not really as simple as if you can afford to buy the phone outright or not. I stay on postpaid because you get better plans, but yes at a higher cost.

The only one of those features I lose on Cricket is roaming. It is a limitation, but AT&T's domestic coverage is robust enough for me that I don't miss it. When traveling it is missed, but Sprint's international roaming was so slow it's not a huge loss.

Cricket is slower than AT&T, but 8 Mbps on a phone is fine - I am happy to save $30 or more every month for these trade offs. Everyone's situation is different.

 

[sundog925]

i call and complain and they issue a credit.

 

[timeconsumer]

The only one of those features I lose on Cricket is roaming. It is a limitation, but AT&T's domestic coverage is robust enough for me that I don't miss it. When traveling it is missed, but Sprint's international roaming was so slow it's not a huge loss.

Cricket is slower than AT&T, but 8 Mbps on a phone is fine - I am happy to save $30 or more every month for these trade offs. Everyone's situation is different.

Definitely. Also, to be fair Cricket is one of the better MVNO’s available. AT&T’s own prepaid isn’t bad either. But I’ve noticed the Verizon MVNO’s have more trade offs than I care for, including Verizon’s own called Visible.

 

[bushman4]

Verizon nickel and dimeing it’s customers. So what else is new

Verizon would be better off improving its service, etc so that new customers come aboard. If we’re ‘Valued Customers’ as they say stop these activation fees!

 

[VivaLasVegas]

$35 isn't much, you're right. Perhaps that's the point - most people will just pay it and move on with life. But still, I work hard for every dollar I earn and I try not to waste the money I own. Paying fees just because the company charges it, when there are ways to not pay the fee, is an example of wasting money in my view.

That's just it. Both my wife & I work for our money and the "upgrade fee" is enough to make us buy our phones from Apple instead of Verizon.

Verizon nickel and dimeing it’s customers. So what else is new

Verizon would be better off improving its service, etc so that new customers come aboard. If we’re ‘Valued Customers’ as they say stop these activation fees!

If the $35 went to improving Verizon's service I wouldn't mind but where is the money going.

 

[valinda]

Well, I will find out this fall when I order a Verizon phone thu Apple store. I’ll make sure not to use the SIM card that comes with the new phone. I’ll use my old one just to be sure.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Well, I will find out this fall when I order a Verizon phone thu Apple store. I’ll make sure not to use the SIM card that comes with the new phone. I’ll use my old one just to be sure.

You can use the sim card that comes with the new phone just make sure it isn't processed through the Verizon system as an upgrade or change it on My Verizon if you still can do that.