Activation and SIM Card Fee?

[timberwolf29]

I just switched over from Sprint to Verizon yesterday.  The voice and data service are much better and am glad I made the switch.

My question is that when I went in to activate a non-contract phone, they wanted to not only charge an activation fee of $35, but also a SIM card fee of $25?!?! I brought my own non-contract phone, I just needed a SIM card to activate it. I understand there's not much I can do about the activation fee, it's kind of ridiculous, but it seems almost everybody pays it.  What I really don't understand is the SIM card fee.  Why can I get one on-line for no charge, but if I go to a Verizon Wireless store, they make me pay $25 for one?  Once I figured out the Verizon Rep didn't know what he was doing in general when he tried to tell me that by activating a non-contract phone, I was still signing a 2 year contract, I fought the fee a bit, but neither him or the manager wouldn't budge.

[tikibar1]

Are you sure you went to a Corporate Verizon store?  With the $25 fee for a SIM card, it sounds like you may have been at a retail store (you can check by using the Store Locator button at the top of the page).

[timberwolf29]

You are correct, it was a retail location.  I didn't know there was difference between the two.  I'm assuming the $35 activation fee would be standard no matter where I went, it would have just been the $25 SIM fee.  If the Verizon rep would have just said exactly what you did, I would have understood. Still wouldn't have liked it, but at least understood why.

Thanks for the education!

[tikibar1]

Yes, starting a new line would incur the activation fee no matter where you started the line, but SIM cards are free at Corporate Verizon stores.