Verizon Will Start Charging a $30 Upgrade Fee Starting April 22nd

[dgstorm]

It looks like the days of a free upgrade (separate from the charge of the new phone) with Verizon are now gone. According to their own website, Verizon will now charge a $30 "upgrade fee" for existing customers each time they want to upgrade to a new phone. Here's the full press release from Verizon and the source link below. Incidentally, I know you probably want to throw a brick at your screen right now, but please don't "shoot the messengers." :icon_eek:

04/11/2012
On April 22, Verizon Wireless is implementing a $30 upgrade fee for existing customers purchasing new mobile equipment at a discounted price with a two-year contract. This fee will help us continue to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect which includes Wireless Workshops, online educational tools, and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices that are more sophisticated than ever.

While the upgrade fee is not unique to Verizon Wireless, most devices can be traded in with our green friendly trade-in program at www.verizonwireless.com/tradein as a way to save money or potentially offset the fee completely.
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Thanks for the tip, Trusstopher!

Source: Verizon

 

[jerkwad]

Dear Verizon,

Screw YOU.

Sincerely,

Jerkwad

PS - Burn in HELL.

 

[cush2push]

Why hello swappa and craigslist if I had to get a phone from Verizon im paying the fee in pennies good thing i love phones that have been out forever og droid, fascinate, and my nexus but Verizon is like a little kid and seeing what they can get away with without going to timeout

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent ICS Blue

 

[jerkwad]

This fee will help us continue to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect which includes Wireless Workshops, online educational tools, and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices that are more sophisticated than ever.

They can't be serious. I've never experienced WORSE support and LESS knowledgeable staff than Verizon wireless employees, both online and at their corporate stores (well, this goes for all wireless providers). But the point remains, this is absurd and if they charge me $30 for the next phone, and i have to wait a long time in line to get the phone, only to have the sales person screw up my unlimited data plan, only to have a different idiot do a half-assed job of putting on a screen protector, only to have ...well you get the idea - i'm going to email and call until that $30 is refunded...it's hard to argue/complain when that service is free. But as soon as I start paying for it, you better believe I will be expecting GOOD service...i hope you all feel the same way and will make sure they hear from us when we aren't happy.

 

[tjk629]

No surprise. I don't know about Sprint or AT&T, but Tmobile does this. I'm surprised Verizon didn't jump on this sooner. Expect AT&T to follow.

I wonder if amazon will charge this fee.

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[jerkwad]

Why hello swappa and craigslist if I had to get a phone from Verizon im paying the fee in pennies good thing i love phones that have been out forever og droid, fascinate, and my nexus but Verizon is like a little kid and seeing what they can get away with without going to timeout

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent ICS Blue

agreed - i do love getting a phone from CL, and remaining out of contract - but that is ALSO going to cost me (and others) more as those phones sell for more than contracted phones, typically...it's just crap to see this kind of treatment considering we already pay more than any other carrier for the "service" that Verizon provides.

 

[wildride89]

Start a petition and when enough people sign it they'll back up. They claim cost from things like workshops etc are the reason. I've never been to a workshop wtf. Sounds like big red is blatantly greedy

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using DroidForums

 

[DJTaT2]

Well they werent able to get the $1 payment fee implimented last yr and in doing this they would get an extra $6 every two years.. im not suprised they came up with another way to get as much money as possible but hopefully enough negative feedback will make them revoke it line their last brilliant idea..

 

[jerkwad]

should we start beating them up via twitter for this garbage...just sayin - DJTaT2 made a good point - enough bad press and maybe they'll do something. But $30.00 is a lot to pass up cuz of bad twitter press.

 

[tjk629]

should we start beating them up via twitter for this garbage...just sayin - DJTaT2 made a good point - enough bad press and maybe they'll do something. But $30.00 is a lot to pass up cuz of bad twitter press.

Plus, they aren't the only carrier that does this.

http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-57371339-85/down-with-upgrade-fees/

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[loki993]

Really? your going to charge me for the "privilege" of staying with your company? And 30 dollars? Really? How can they even try to spin this into something that isn't just a blatant screwing of the customer? Verizon listen up, you are already considered one of the most expensive carriers out there, charging your customers bull#%$* fees is NOT going to attract new business. Do other carriers actually do this....err wait ok I just looked that up ok they all seem to do it.......... still a crock, and you can in no way convince me that this will help me somehow or help you do anything but put more money in your pocket. Of which you already get a lot of.


Can you get 4g on boost mobile?.......

 

[kptphalkon]

Wait wait wait wait just one second. This is some very bad news that leads me to believe a few things.

So, they got rid of upgrade discounts last year. Big whoop, I can handle that. So, from what I read, a new customer can walk in and get a phone for the 2 year contract price. But an existing customer who wants to resign their contract and upgrade has to pay an extra $30? This is ridiculous and lacks all logical thought. Before I go on, this immediately points to an increase of every phone's contract price for any user, new or renewing.

I have a conspiracy theory that they will try to stop offering subsidized phones in the future, but unless Sprint and ATT were to do the same it would be a catastrophic failure. ::Groan:: ATT, here I come...

 

[loki993]

Start a petition and when enough people sign it they'll back up. They claim cost from things like workshops etc are the reason. I've never been to a workshop wtf. Sounds like big red is blatantly greedy

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using DroidForums

So instead of doing the thing that makes the most sense and start charging for the workshops they make us all pay for them whether we like it or not. I never have nor will I ever attend a workshop

 

[Bullitt6996]

I can guess how this went down....

Verizon Exec1: Hmmm...the reports show that people aren't happy with our customer service or many of our policies regarding locked devices and etc. What should we do? This will affect our overhead when people start going to other carriers....

Verizon Exec2: I think we should figure out another way to bill these jerks for something they shouldn't...how about we stick it to 'em when they upgrade? like 30 bucks or so? *evil laugh* hahahahahahaha this may even make up for the ones who figured out wireless tether and that they were being charged twice for the same data....

It never ceases to amaze me when a big company decides to bone it's customers and then wonder why their sales/profits shrink.....

 

[tjk629]

Wait wait wait wait just one second. This is some very bad news that leads me to believe a few things.

So, they got rid of upgrade discounts last year. Big whoop, I can handle that. So, from what I read, a new customer can walk in and get a phone for the 2 year contract price. But an existing customer who wants to resign their contract and upgrade has to pay an extra $30? This is ridiculous and lacks all logical thought. Before I go on, this immediately points to an increase of every phone's contract price for any user, new or renewing.

I have a conspiracy theory that they will try to stop offering subsidized phones in the future, but unless Sprint and ATT were to do the same it would be a catastrophic failure. ::Groan:: ATT, here I come...

New users pay an activation fee of around that amount.

Don't jump ship yet. AT&T raised their upgrade fee to $36 in February. These upgrade fees have been around for many years.

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