The consumer protection agencies should be looking at this oxymoron and false advertising from Verizon.
When looking for a new phone is advertised as "FREE" with a $30.00 upgrade fee.
Excuse me but f it is free it means at NO COST.
When I call Verizon to explain they told me that they have to do it so people could afford expensive phones.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!, if they can't afford it, too bad, I shouldn't have to subsidized it.
Good luck with that. All the other carriers do the same. T-Mobile stopped however they no longer subsidize phones. FTC knows about this fee for a long time, and do nothing about it.
If you don't like the fee you always have the option to pay full retail and forego the fee.
Stinks only getting a phone for 95% off instead of 100%. How evil of Verizon. This has been around for nearly 2 1/2 years so that more than 1 full upgrade cycle and yet you still see people shocked by it. Here's the thing even if one was success in getting Verizon to stop charging the fee you could see one or more of the following.
A) No more free upgrades. Minimum cost of a phone $30. All other phones raised in price by $30.
B) Increase in ETF from $350 to $380 or $400 even.
C) No more subsidizes like T-Mobile
I think Verizon will eventually go with C anyway. First with new customers then eventually everyone. Then no one has to complain about getting "only" a phone at 5% they can pay 100%
It's not the $30 activation fee every time you change phones that is the worst part of Verizon. It is all the other ways they screw you. If you are an existing customer and just want a better phone you are screwed because of contract date.
Verizon doesn't charge you $30 to change phones. Also no one forces you to sign a contract. You only have to sign a contract if you want a discounted phone. You expect a FREE phone and then not to sign a contract? Do you know how much fraud would happen then?
Coach14 wrote:
Not looking for a free phone jack-***. Just want to pay the normal rate and switch out the phone I currently have. If me changing my phone on the same line should cause me to pay 4x the going rate then that is screwed up. What is your last name...Verizon!
How are you being charged 4X the rate for changing your phone? You aren't even making sense. You want discount upgrade then you pay an upgrade fee. It's been that way for 2 1/2 years now. And if you were with at&t or Sprint they'd be charging you $36.
Don't get mad at me for calling out your claims that Verizon charges hundred of dollars just to change phones.
Coach14 wrote:
Not looking for a free phone jack-***. Just want to pay the normal rate and switch out the phone I currently have. If me changing my phone on the same line should cause me to pay 4x the going rate then that is screwed up. What is your last name...Verizon!
Normal rate for WHAT. If you are trying to purchase a phone, the NORMAL rate is full retail. For basic a basic phone such as the LG Revere 3, that would be $150. IF you are currently out of contract and want to sign a 2 yr service contract with Verizon, the cost of the phone would be $0.99 with a $30 upgrade fee. Your choice, Verizon is not going to force you into either option, but those are the prices of your options.
There is no cost to switch between phones that you already own. I switch out phones on my line several times a year simply because I want to change it up.
The other phone carriers have done the upgrade fee way before Verizon, where have you been under a rock. I was happy to pay it and pay the $99 for my new smart phone because on T-Mobile I would have had to pay $600 out right for the phone and have payments until I die. We had to phones upgrade to smart phones and one person got another dumb phone and we didn't pay 4x for anything so have to clue what you are talking about. Mary
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
