$30.00 fee to change a phone?
Muehle
Newbie

I already feel I pay too much for cell phone usage, but to charge a $30.00 fee to buy a new phone from them is ridiculous!  I am beginning to rethink using Verizon wireless.  Yes...your cell service is good, but that doesn't give you the right to ask for new money every time we turn around!  SICK OF BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF!!!!!

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Re: $30.00 fee to change a phone?
Sandman_CA
Contributor - Level 2

"I am beginning to rethink using Verizon wireless."

I am beginning to rethink my "need" for a smartphone. For a family, costs can approach a monthly car payment. We are seriously considering going back to flip phones, with no data. We have just about had it with the ridiculous costs and "fees." Just as more and more people are "cutting the cord" with cable and going with an over the air antenna, I have heard more people saying that they are ready to dump their smartphones due to the costs. And I actually know some people who have done it and don't regret it.

For me, it wouldn't be so hard. I have a camera, and seldom use my phone's camera. I have a GPS in the car, and don't require the GPS on a phone. And I have a TV, and don't watch movies on my phone.

Hmm. I think I just convinced myself to dump the smartphone.

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Re: $30.00 fee to change a phone?
chromepickle
Enthusiast - Level 3

Dumping the smartphone will save money on the bill, but will not save you from the $30 fee. That will be there to cover costs of the free Backup Assistant and the free online phone training. Backup assistant used to cost money something like $1.99 a month. If you do the math it would cost you more to pay for the Backup Assistant on the monthly rate. Look at it that way and it makes the $30 not look so bad. I agree it still sucks though.

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Re: $30.00 fee to change a phone?
rcschnoor
Legend

chromepickle wrote:

Backup assistant used to cost money something like $1.99 a month. If you do the math it would cost you more to pay for the Backup Assistant on the monthly rate. Look at it that way and it makes the $30 not look so bad. I agree it still ***** though.

Unless, of course, you signed up for a free MyVerizon account in which case Backup Assistant was always free.

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Re: $30.00 fee to change a phone?
Not applicable

Muehle wrote:

I already feel I pay too much for cell phone usage, but to charge a $30.00 fee to buy a new phone from them is ridiculous!  I am beginning to rethink using Verizon wireless.  Yes...your cell service is good, but that doesn't give you the right to ask for new money every time we turn around!  SICK OF BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF!!!!!

A) If you pay full price for a phone you are not charged $30. Sorry you can no longer get a $300+ phone for 100% off anymore. You're such a victim.

B) Please go to one of the other carriers you'll find out in 2 years when you upgrade they also charge an upgrade fee. And it's higher. Don't forget when you sign up for new service with them there is a $35 activation fee.

C) How is getting a phone for 60%-90% off full price being taken advantage of? Seriously I want an explanation.

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Re: $30.00 fee to change a phone?
Not applicable

Sandman_CA wrote:

"I am beginning to rethink using Verizon wireless."

I am beginning to rethink my "need" for a smartphone. For a family, costs can approach a monthly car payment. We are seriously considering going back to flip phones, with no data. We have just about had it with the ridiculous costs and "fees." Just as more and more people are "cutting the cord" with cable and going with an over the air antenna, I have heard more people saying that they are ready to dump their smartphones due to the costs. And I actually know some people who have done it and don't regret it.

For me, it wouldn't be so hard. I have a camera, and seldom use my phone's camera. I have a GPS in the car, and don't require the GPS on a phone. And I have a TV, and don't watch movies on my phone.

Hmm. I think I just convinced myself to dump the smartphone.

Basically you want Verizon to provide you service for almost nothing. Just say it. Enjoy your basic phone while you can within 2 years everyone will be on Share Everything. What will you do then? Oh by the way since you admit you use little data then why not go with Share Everything and 1 GB of data. Like you said you don't use much. You'd probably save money.

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Re: $30.00 fee to change a phone?
rcschnoor
Legend

Brian68 wrote:

Sandman_CA wrote:

"I am beginning to rethink using Verizon wireless."

I am beginning to rethink my "need" for a smartphone. For a family, costs can approach a monthly car payment. We are seriously considering going back to flip phones, with no data. We have just about had it with the ridiculous costs and "fees." Just as more and more people are "cutting the cord" with cable and going with an over the air antenna, I have heard more people saying that they are ready to dump their smartphones due to the costs. And I actually know some people who have done it and don't regret it.

For me, it wouldn't be so hard. I have a camera, and seldom use my phone's camera. I have a GPS in the car, and don't require the GPS on a phone. And I have a TV, and don't watch movies on my phone.

Hmm. I think I just convinced myself to dump the smartphone.

Basically you want Verizon to provide you service for almost nothing. Just say it. Enjoy your basic phone while you can within 2 years everyone will be on Share Everything. What will you do then? Oh by the way since you admit you use little data then why not go with Share Everything and 1 GB of data. Like you said you don't use much. You'd probably save money.

Not sure what you are trying to do here. NOWHERE in the post you quote did he say he wants service for "almost nothing". Just that his payment is gettting close to the price of a "car payment". For my car, at least, that is NOT almost nothing.

The point is that Verizon is touting this new Share Everything plan as a "money saver", when for a lot of people, myself included, it is not. For me to switch to the Share Everything plan, it would cost me an extra $30 on the lowest data tier possible. I currently have 2 smartphones, 2 basic phones and 1 HPC. The lowest tier would probably not cover our data needs, I would probably need to bump it up to 2GB of shared data which would cover our needs but would bring the increase to $40 instead of $30. I would be more than happy to switch, and I am not asking to get service for "almost nothing", but I do not see an INCREASE of my bill by almost 20% to get the same service I currently have as wanting my service for "almost nothing".

I was even hoping to upgrade to 4 smartphones from 2 smartphones and 2 basic phones when Share Everything was first announced, but after pricing was released, that would put the increase at the same amount as upgrading on the old plans, at least at first until I guage the data usage on the 2 new smartphones. I wasn't going to do so for the old prices, and since the "money saving" new prices end up with the same cost(with 6GB shared instead of 2GB for each line), I won't be doing so now, either.

Actually, the biggest overpriced item for the Share Everything plan is the access fee for the HPC. I currently pay an access fee of $10 to share the minutes in my plan. With Share Everything, I would have a 100% increase to $20 for access with the HPC. Once again, I am not asking to receive service for "almost nothing", and would even accept a modest increase, but 100%????? Not really.

Edit: Don't get me wrong, in no way am I unhappy with Verizon and I have no intention of lowering my service or changing providers, but I also have NO intention of switching to the Share Everything plan. I will be happy to keep my bill the same and go to tiered data to receive a subsidy on my next phone. 2GB for $30 is just fine with me instead of 1GB for $50.

Re: $30.00 fee to change a phone?
dimap52
Specialist - Level 1

It's the principle of the thing. The simple fact is, people hate being "nickeled and dimed" like this. Fee after fee after more and more fees. And using the "everybody else does it" excuse is no justification at all in my book and strikes me as collusion and violation of anti-trust law. And if a service is "free", then don't don't descend to sleazy profiteering tactics by smothering this "free" service by an "upgrade" fee on the back end.

But I guess, such is the nature of "business" and unregulated predatory "free market" Capitalism. Hooray for the 1 per-centers like VZW Corporate execs, as that $30 "change phone fee (OP)" will go in their pockets, not the network.

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Re: $30.00 fee to change a phone?
lewisr13
Champion - Level 1

dimap52 wrote:

Hooray for the 1 per-centers like VZW Corporate execs, as that $30 "change phone fee (OP)" will go in their pockets, not the network.

Don't forget the share holders.

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Re: $30.00 fee to change a phone?
Not applicable

dimap52 wrote:

It's the principle of the thing. The simple fact is, people hate being "nickeled and dimed" like this. Fee after fee after more and more fees. And using the "everybody else does it" excuse is no justification at all in my book and strikes me as collusion and violation of anti-trust law. And if a service is "free", then don't don't descend to sleazy profiteering tactics by smothering this "free" service by an "upgrade" fee on the back end.

But I guess, such is the nature of "business" and unregulated predatory "free market" Capitalism. Hooray for the 1 per-centers like VZW Corporate execs, as that $30 "change phone fee (OP)" will go in their pockets, not the network.

What "principal"? Ok how about Verizon stops offering subsidized phones all together them you don't have to worry about getting "nickled and dimed"? How's that sound? As far as "justification", as I said they don't have to offer you a subsidized phone AT ALL. A Galaxy S III even with the $30 upgrade fee is still 62% cheaper than paying full price and yet you gripe. If you don't like it go elsewhere. The ironic thing is the "greedy" ones are the one that expect a $600 phone for free.