Now not only do you have to sign a 24 month contract to upgrade your phone - there is an additional $30 - upgrade charge for the pleasure of doing it. Really!! Verizon?
Both easily avoided by paying full retail price for your new phone. Of course then you are not saving up to $450 on the purchase price.
Then of course I can choose to change my provider - except they have you hooked with the phone system. The upgrade charge is new - so rather ridiculous answer. Rather keep it in the price if they must.
Sarcasm should be avoided.
AT&T and Sprint both have upgrade fee. Theirs is higher than Verizon Wireless. Both carriers have had an upgrade fee for years before Verizon added their fee last year.
Recently I had some billing problems with Verizon (their mistake). I had at least 4 managers call me to see if I was still happy. Them being concerned! This upsets me more than anything - long term - more than 10 year customer and now I am being stiffed to stay a customer. Generally you have to upgrade to stay with the technology - I can use my phone from 10 yrs ago or even 5 years ago anymore! Why be a follower with this upgrade charge and rather be a leader with no charge. Be loyal to your customers that have been loyal to Verizon. I think it stinks and probably opening oneself up for future problems - like the Premium messaging debacle!
I just found out about this fee and am equally outraged. If I buy a Verizon phone at COSTCO, they will reimburse for an activation fee, but not for an upgrade fee. Verizon Customer Service told me that the fee is to help transfer contacts to a phone, etc. I have never gotten help doing that. I have always done it myself. My option to avoid this will be to switch carriers when my contracts expire. I will switch carriers every 2 years if necessary The fact is that these phone cost pennies to make in the far east and the markup is astronomical. Unless they want to give me a service credit for this fee, I am walking.
You are so right. I have heard all the justifications - blaming it on the mobile phone supplier etc. Look at the competition out there isn't it about time we the customer got treated with respect. Once we have signed up they keep us on the hook. Well some of the Service providers are starting to understand this and saying - we will charge you for using our service and finance the phone over 24 months. Pay it off early and it is yours and you can change whenever you like. Straight forward and no tomfoolery. I think Verizon has become a bit to greedy and not really offering customers what they want. Just because not that many people have complained doesn't make it right and doesn't mean they aren't noticing it. I too am considering moving. I think after 11 years with Verizon I am probably done. Others are looking more attractive and are eager to respect their customers!.
Verizon is coming out with that too, it's called Verizon Edge.
We don't want you to go anywhere because of a fee PATRIOT78. The fee is not to make you unhappy or cause you to switch companies every two years, but to only help with the cost of all the awesome benefits you receive that are worth more than this one time fee. It covers device set up, online options via our website, self-serve phone options, store assistance and more. Its one time for the two-years and you also receive an amazing discount on your phone. I hope you understand the benefits of the fee and with staying our customer. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.Kinquana_VZWPlease follow us on twitter @VZWSupport
First of all, it is obvious to me that Verizon doesn't care since my attempts to avoid this fee have been rebuffed. If that is the final decision than so be it. It will my final decision as to whether or not I choose to remain a customer. I have enjoyed the service for years but am opposed to any type of upgrade fee which few know about until they attempt an upgrade.
In my opinion, it is extremely condescending of Verizon to purport to help me and give me supposedly awesome benefits that VERIZON considers to be worth it. I disagree. I have always set up my own telephone, transferred contacts on my own, etc. As far as the "amazing discount" on the phone, Verizon and other companies subsidize phone purchases for one reason... to draw customers into a long term commitment for paid services. At the end of the day, it is the consumer who should be sovereign and not the corporation.
Finally, as a matter of principal, I refuse to be "nickled and dimed" by Verizon Wireless. The choice belongs to Verizon: waive the fee or lose my business.
The other carriers have an upgrade fee. You can also avoid the upgrade fee by purchasing a device at the full retail price, use the payment plan or purchase a used device.
I paid $100 for my "upgraded" phone. It is the absolute worst piece of crap I've ever had. Worth maybe $20. $100 is way too much and $450 is laughable.
They have horrible customer service! I am due for an upgrade in 8 days and tried to do it today but was told I would have to wait 8 more days. I have been a customer for 10 years now and my wife for even longer. They don't care about the customers at all.
Seem to get a lot of posts from individuals who are probably Verizon afgent defending them. This is really indefensible!
Completely agree. This is what happens when a company gets too big for its own pants.
I agree, which makes the customer service and customer satisfaction really very poor.
Hey believe it or not, there are many customers who like Verizon. Just because they dont jump on the, "VZW is a thief, let's start a class action suit", wagon does not make their opinion any less valid or important
VZW is way overpriced on their phones. The $30 fee is ridiculous. Just another way to get every dime from you. The best bet is go to Sams Club or Wal Mart. Many good phones are free there. I purchased a Droid RAZR for $0.99. VZW does not appreciate its customers.#TRUTH
You are correct, different retailers charge different prices for the items they sell.
Regardless where you purchase a phone for Verizon, though, you will be stuck with the $30 upgrade fee, even if you purchase it at Sam's Club or Walmart.:smileyhappy:
rcschnoor wrote:You are correct, different retailers charge different prices for the items they sell.Regardless where you purchase a phone for Verizon, though, you will be stuck with the $30 upgrade fee, even if you purchase it at Sam's Club or Walmart.:smileyhappy:
rcschnoor wrote:
I think the difference is that when purchasing from somewhere like Sam's Club or Walmart, the $30 upgrade fee is not paid at the time of purchase, the charge is added to your next Verizon bill.
PATRIOT78, your business is important to us and we definately don't want to lose you. Additionally, we want you to conitinue to receive the amazing benefits of being on our network. Yes, there is a one time upgrade fee of $30.00. It allows us to continue to provide you with a high level of support from the time you upgrade throughout the life of the device. Additionally, the fee covers the costs associated with the device upgrade, including transferring contacts and data, offering wireless workshops, online device tutorials and support information. Everything to help you understand and use your new device easily. Lasina_VZWPlease follow us on twitter @VZWSupport
I am sorry to learn of the issues with your device Baxterman! I completely understand the need of a reliable device and would like to see that happens for you! What is going on with it? Which model do you have? I am looking forward to your reply. Thank you,Lena_VZWPlease follow us on twitter @VZWSupport
That is correct. I do still get charged the $30. You missed the whole point. I can get the exact same phone for less than $1,add the$30 fee, I am still paying far less than $200-$400 for the same phone. Verizon just takes advantage of its customers. Like the Unlimited Data that I have. They told me I would have to pay "Full Price" for my next phone if I wanted to keep this. Full Price at Sam's=$0.99. Problem solved. Moral of the story: Stay out of the Verizon stores. #RIPOFF!
If that "full price" at Sam's of $0.99 requires you to sign a new contract with Verizon (and as far as I know, it does), then you'll lose your unlimited data.
I believe you are missing the whole point. If you are paying a $30 upgrade fee, you are not paying "full price". These prices you are quoting at Sam's and Walmart are NOT full price, but subsidized prices in exchange for signing a new contract. Purchase a new phone at Walmart without signing a new contract and you will be paying MUCH higher prices.
For example, I just checked the price for a Verizon branded Samsung S4 on Walmart without signing a new contract and it is $699.99. That is a BIT more than $100, I believe.
I can't believe people defend Verizon for this upgrade fee. As someone else said, they are charging this fee because they CAN. Their intention is to get you hooked in a 2-year contract and keep dangling "free" or cheap phones in front of you and encourage you to UPGRADE, hoping you won't notice. Because I bet most people don't. How about paying for those customer services with my ridiculous phone bill??? $165 for 2 lines and one isn't even a smart phone??? REALLY??? That doesn't sound right to me, but that's what our fabulous customer service person set us up with when my husband got on my bill last year.
I was eligible for an upgrade back in January, but didn't because my phone was fine. Then on Sunday, I lost my phone so I went in to the Verizon store to find out what my options were. She looked at my account and the first thing she said (in a pretty condescending tone) was "oh, we need to reconfigure your plan; you have unlimited data!" as if it was MY fault, and I was trying to get over on Verizon. You know why I have unlimited data? Because that's what Verizon was pushing back when I got my first smart phone, so now I'm in "trouble" for it? Then she said something like "you are almost up to 2 GBs!" tsk tsk. Guess what? I have unlimited data and have never once checked to see how much I use, so that really means nothing to me. 2 GBs, 4GBs? I really have no idea.
Did she make a suggestion for a new plan? Not exactly, unless you think 'you're almost up to 2 GBs' is a suggestion. Did she make any suggestions for upgraded phones? No. That's why I was there. I told her I was interested in an Iphone 5, though "interested" in my world doesn't mean married to that idea, I don't really know what I want, I just needed a new phone. Did she mention replacing my phone with my insurance plan? No. I asked her what the Iphone 5 would cost me and she said two-thirty-something, and I asked why it was more than the Apple Store and that's when the upgrade fee came up. I said that I didn't remember a $30 upgrade fee in the past, and she said it was a new fee. That was the last straw of Verizon irritation, I left, without a new phone.
The whole reason that I went into the store was so I could have my options and some phones explained to me. That didn't happen. Apparently, getting me off the data plan was more important than replacing or upgrading my phone. I had to go home and get on the Google machine to figure out what was going on and that's where I found articles on the unlimited data plans being ended, what the new tiered plans were, and the new upgrade fees. Thanks customer service!
All Verizon and any giant corporation like that cares about is making as much money as possible. They try to come up with as many ways possible to bring in money that will irritate the fewest people, or better ways in which they don't notice. I doubt they care about their employees either seeing as they didn't have one chair in the Verizon store, and they all have to stand all day long. They probably found some corporate focus group report that said customers buy phones .009 % more when people are standing.
So now, I'm listening to as many podcasts as possible on my old Blackberry with my unlimited dataplan, considering my options.
I was told the $30 is to cover all the "free" things Verizon gives to its customers. Seriously, you think we are idiots. Tell me what you give to us that's free. We pay for everything. There is nothing that is free. Absolutely nothing.
I just called about going in today for my upgrade (it comes due tomorrow) and was told it shouldn't be a problem but I needed to talk to the local store manager. So the customer service person put me through to the store who said no. One day - less than 24 hours and I can't get my upgrade? Reason - the system will charge me full price because they can't override the date. Well I know that is not the case because they've done it in the past. I'm so disgusted with Verizon and all these money-hungry, executives who don't care about the working class,middle America. It's time to look for a change. That's what you get for 25+ years of loyalty - absolutely NOTHING!
The main trouble with the device, a Gusto II from Samsung, is the very poor quality of the sound. I'm not referring to music, speech is garbled by the poor quality often requiring me to ask the speaker to repeat what they said. It's just a very poorly made piece of plastic crap, much inferior to other samsung and motorola models I've had in the past. The plastic it is made from is comparable to that used in a cheap child's toy and the design makes handling the device awkward.
I find Verizon's attitude toward long term customers to be unsatisfactory and will be pursuing another option when my current contract expires.
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David
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Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator
