Anyone care about new $30 fee

[longknives]

That's just the way big business rolls, the Banks do it, the Airlines do it, Utilites do it too, these day's that's just the price we have to pay to play.

 

[Vudumedic]

Well if everyone calls and complains it might help. They canned the $2.00 fee for credit card payments when there was a backlash. Perhaps they will do the same with this bull e.

 

[Immolate]

Phone companies charge what the market will bear. Verizon gets a premium for its superior network. AT&T gets a premium because they had a monopoly on the iPhone for so long. T-Mobile and Sprint are less because their networks are mediocre and they can't keep up with the other two. Each one has it's pluses and minuses. What bugs me about Verizon is that they fall behind other carriers for months at a time on hardware. The GNex was a great score for them, but was it worth losing the S2? I don't think so. We know they aren't getting the One X either, at least not any time soon.

So Verizon does what it does because they make money doing it. A decision that causes a net loss will be unmade in a hurry. But you as a consumer should chose the best deal for you and run with it. That's how the market works. If price sensitivity was all that high, then Sprint would be the biggest carrier. But it's not. People are willing to pay a premium for the best network, the best phone, to keep their unlimited plan, etc.

I recommend making a calculated and rational decision about your mobile phone service. You won't be happy if you switch because you're angry and you find out you're getting a worse deal with worse service. Take you time and do what makes the most sense for you.

I'm not saying you shouldn't complain. You should always complain when a company does something you feel is wrong, and give them a chance to correct it before you jump ship. This has the added benefit of sometimes getting yourself a bit of incentive to stay. But once you've gone through channels and you're still not satisfied, step up and make a rational buying decision.

You really do have all of the cards in the consumer market. But you have to be willing to do without a particular phone, plan, network or whatever in order to use that power. As long as you're willing to let the phone companies beat you like a rented mule, they will. My experience is that most people are willing to take it rather than have to settle for something second tier like the pre-paids.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a long-time Verizon customer with a 5-phone family plan, and I'm a phone junkie. I get a corporate discount of 18% but I still pay $350 a month. I'll probably be able to avoid the fee, but if I can't, I won't jump ship. The reason? The pain of moving would far exceed the pain of the $30. I may get annoyed, but I'll be annoyed that I trapped myself by letting my kids have smart-phones and that I'm paying $150 a month for data plans, not because I'm paying $12 a month for stupid upgrade fees.

You're not a victim. Don't think like one. Take control.

 

[rage151]

The recently announced upgrade fee, along with other acts designed to penalize/charge the customer are, in my opinion, mostly due to none other than the iphone being carried on VZW. Verizon, although doing well, continues to see its impact to their bottom line ?stated on their most frequent earnings call/press release.

VZW says they are taking away the options/adding fee?s because the cost of providing services (tutorials, tech support for advanced phones, etc?) consequently drive the cost to do business up. Seems that their earnings announcements point mostly to the iphone driving costs. All of the biggest changes to VZW policies happened around the same time as the VZW iphone release. They partially projected some losses and actually felt more. They are now making Android, Blackberry, WinMo, and standard phone customers pay for their decision to carry the iphone.

VZW iphone 2/10/2011
NE2 1/16/2011
* 1-year contract terminated 4/17/2011
$30 Upgrade fee 4/22/2012

http://ovum.com/2012/02/27/the-iphon...n-us-carriers/

* Their reasoning behind this was ridiculous. They rarely, if ever advertised a 1-year contract and sales associates made it next to impossible to get one. They would sign you up on a two year contract after you made it very clear, multiple times, that you wanted a one year agreement. Then you would have to call customer service to get it fixed. I had to do this 4-5 times. VZW wants everyone locked in as long as possible (2+yrs) and did not incent anyone to offer or work with 1-year contracts. Since Sales Associates did not get an incentive for it, the consumer was rarely educated about the option and even more rarely offered it.

The iphone is impacting even those who want nothing to do with it and/or Apple. It is hurting consumers.

 

[Sebasterd]

At the end of the day you still pay it

 

[bananaslug613]

A $30 fee because VZW pays high Apple subsidies is not okay with me. Especially when they're running a 40%+ profit margin. Get a Google voice number and keep canceling and signing up again to get the cheapest prices and screw the upgrade fee. Nice try VZ I'm smarter than you lol

So you would rather pay a $35 activation fee than a $30 upgrade fee?

 

[bill.allrobots.org]

For me, I won't ever buy a brand new "technology" phone when it comes out as I usually do, I'll just wait for 6 months for the price to go from $299 to under a $100 or less, greedy bastards...

Still waiting for the price to budge on the Nexus, 4 months later :-/

 

[Jude526]

Too bad the mighty dollar has gotten in the way of good customer service. Those of us who don't use these tools shouldn't have to.pay for the services it will cover. Prices are increasing and benefits are less. Glad I like my Thunderbolt. Don't see any reason to upgrade next year. Recently I upgraded my internet to the Mifi and received 50.00 rebate. Most likely my last rebate. Can use it with up to 5 devices. Like it cause recently got the Galaxy tab 10.1.......sweet. so not stuck just with my.laptop.
Might just pay retail for a phone next year

 

[benblanco97]

I think we have a good arguement in not paying this pointless fee...think about it when was the last time you bought a phone and it was flawless hardware and software? Me personatly it hasnt happened ,why should i give you any more money from what i just payed when you cant deliver a phone that doesnt piss me off more than once a day...F you...give me a flawless phone and ill think about paying you the 30 dollars until then you shouldnt even think about considering charging anybody one cent...just my opinion...just say no im not paying it.

 

[Droid800]

I think we have a good arguement in not paying this pointless fee...think about it when was the last time you bought a phone and it was flawless hardware and software? Me personatly it hasnt happened ,why should i give you any more money from what i just payed when you cant deliver a phone that doesnt piss me off more than once a day...F you...give me a flawless phone and ill think about paying you the 30 dollars until then you shouldnt even think about considering charging anybody one cent...just my opinion...just say no im not paying it.

Good luck getting a new phone then.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[rage151]

Too bad the mighty dollar has gotten in the way of good customer service. Those of us who don't use these tools shouldn't have to.pay for the services it will cover. Prices are increasing and benefits are less. Glad I like my Thunderbolt. Don't see any reason to upgrade next year. Recently I upgraded my internet to the Mifi and received 50.00 rebate. Most likely my last rebate. Can use it with up to 5 devices. Like it cause recently got the Galaxy tab 10.1.......sweet. so not stuck just with my.laptop.
Might just pay retail for a phone next year

The "tools" are BS. It's because of Verizons cost to carry the iphone. Don't believe everything VZW tells you.

 

[Droid800]

The "tools" are BS. It's because of Verizons cost to carry the iphone. Don't believe everything VZW tells you.

It has nothing to do with the iPhone.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[rookie83]

Verizon is just the school yard bully always getting more fees out of my pocket. HEY VERIZON I HAVE NO MORE LUNCH MONEY LEFT TO GIVE

 

[Shotine]

Its bs that they are making so much money off of the monthly fees along to have to go and grab more money out of our pockes with the upgrade fee. Where dose this end, give them a long enough time and other companys that will do the same and we will be getting a free phone but paying them 100 for the pleasure of giving them money month after month. If they really want to increase their income they should ax the money that they are paying their high ups not bleeding their customers dry. And yes it is because of how much it costs them to carry the iphone apple is laughing all the way to the bank, even the sales reps make less commission off selling it than anything else all because of how money hungry apple is.

 

[Droid800]

You guys are seriously complaining about a fee you only have to pay once every two years?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Trentoncc24]

Yup, and if no one did we'd be facing a bigger fee than $30.

 

[Shotine]

You guys are seriously complaining about a fee you only have to pay once every two years?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

so your saying that the montly amount that verizon already rapes you for isnt enough you would rather them nickle and dime you to death?

 

[FrankXS]

Funny thing about this fee... if it were for most anything else I wouldn't mind that much. It's not all that much money. What bothers me is that it is only for loyal customers. They are charging you $30 to buy a two year contract and phone from them. Insulting.

Imagine this: You bring a friend into the store to buy a new phone and a VZW 2 year contract for the first time. And you, an existing customer, are also going to extend your own plan for another two year contract. You buy the same phone and plan. Your cost is $30 more than your friends because you are an existing customer. Right. Make sense to me.

-Frank

 

[bananaslug613]

Funny thing about this fee... if it were for most anything else I wouldn't mind that much. It's not all that much money. What bothers me is that it is only for loyal customers. They are charging you $30 to buy a two year contract and phone from them. Insulting.

Imagine this: You bring a friend into the store to buy a new phone and a VZW 2 year contract for the first time. And you, an existing customer, are also going to extend your own plan for another two year contract. You buy the same phone and plan. Your cost is $30 more than your friends because you are an existing customer. Right. Make sense to me.

-Frank

Current customer - $30 upgrade fee
New customer - $35 activation fee

Current customers actually get it $5 cheaper.

 

[smccloud]

Current customer - $30 upgrade fee
New customer - $35 activation fee

Current customers actually get it $5 cheaper.

There is no reason for a $30 upgrade fee, or even a $35 activation fee. A smaller activation fee yes, but not $35.

I could see something like a $5-$10 upgrade fee if you did it in a Verizon Corporate Store or with Verizon Telesales, but not if you do it on their website or a 3rd party reseller. But Verizon wants as much $$$ as they can before they get in trouble for being so greedy.