Anyone care about new $30 fee

[bill.allrobots.org]

I talked to a Verizon customer service rep on the phone last night. This will only affect purchases through them. If you call and customer service orders the phone for you, you pay $30. If you go to a Verizon store, and they renew you there, you'll likely pay $30. If you buy a new phone on Amazon Wireless, or even Verizon's own website, this does not apply.

Thus, they are actually only charging the users who use the service. That seems fair to me. I doubt this actually affects very many people on this site. Who needs customer service to buy their phone for them?

 

[I am Fake Jesus]

an extra fee to do nothing extra.....yup pretty silly to me. but i will ask for it to be waived. if they say no...ill say im not ready to upgrade then.

 

[Scarab]

I've been a VZW customer since 1986 (I was part of the original test market). My first phone was $1200, and monthly charges broke the $400 barrier. I called VZW customer service yesterday to voice my concerns, and I told the rep (nicely) that I am against the additional fee. That information will be relayed to VZW Mgmt in a sales meeting as feedback, and that's what every customer should be doing right now.

I see a lot of people who make the comment "yeah, I can handle $30, not a problem". Whether you can afford it or not is not the issue here. I work hard for my dollar, and I don't want to pay another senseless fee. It's no different with Federal and State tax increases, enough is enough.

My contract is up come May 1, and I have every intention of shopping around to cut my telecommunications cost. If they want me as a customer, they'll drop that fee because I'm already paying more than what I can get from competitors.

Remember how Bank of America customers balked at the monthly fees they announced last year? So many customers called to voice their concerns that the plan never came to fruition and they abandoned the idea.

 

[recDNA]

vzw has the highest rates and no longer has the fastest 4g. I have no intention of staying with them anyway.

 

[bolski]

I guess I'll keep this X2 longer than expected. Bad move, Verizon.

 

[SCXR]

They really need the money.

Verizon Communications reported on Friday that its third-quarter earnings rose to $1.38 billion, or 49 cents per share, from $659 million, or 23 cents per share, a year earlier.

Verizon's third-quarter profit virtually doubles - latimes.com

I think the contracts themselves should be outlawed. All they do is keep the price of the phones artificially high. We the consumer lose. There is no way an iPhone with a 3.5 screen should cost more than the new iPad with a 9.7" screen. The newest Android phones are gong for $299 + tax (I live in California) + the $30. That's close to $400 plus a two year commitment.

Competition usually brings prices down but we're not seeing that in the cell phone industry because of these contracts. We've seen prices drop in PCs over the years and are now seeing price reductions in non-Apple tablets.

 

[smccloud]

I talked to a Verizon customer service rep on the phone last night. This will only affect purchases through them. If you call and customer service orders the phone for you, you pay $30. If you go to a Verizon store, and they renew you there, you'll likely pay $30. If you buy a new phone on Amazon Wireless, or even Verizon's own website, this does not apply.

Thus, they are actually only charging the users who use the service. That seems fair to me. I doubt this actually affects very many people on this site. Who needs customer service to buy their phone for them?

So based on this if I goto Costco to upgrade (gotta love their extras) I won't pay the $30 fee?

 

[ftap]

So based on this if I goto Costco to upgrade (gotta love their extras) I won't pay the $30 fee?

Amazon wireless will charge you a $30 upgrade fee (unless there is a promo going on). It will clearly be in the terms you have to click through and in the email receipt they give you.

Amazon will also note amazon isn't charging the upgrade fee...it's the carriers who charge the upgrade fee.

Costco does free activations and you normally will see a credit within 3 billing cycles.

 

[ftap]

Honestly, Verizon is trying to maintain their profit margins. Q4 2011, the iPhone accounted for 55% of Verizon's smartphone activation.

The iPhone erodes Verizon's profit margin because Verizon has to subsidize one phone the most. Apple sells the iPhone (in bulk) to carriers for probably cost to $600 (Apple iPhone MSRP is $650). We all know this is a fact because Sprint CEO says iPhone costs Sprint 40% more than any other cell phone.

Do the math. Even though the MSRP of certain Android phones maybe $500-600 (full price at the retail store). We all know carriers get Android phones for much much less than the retail price. Sprint's CEO saying 40% more for iphone puts a high end Motorola/Samsung Android device at around $400 for the actual cost for Verizon and other carriers when they order them in bulk.

So if Verizon sells the Motorola Droid for $200 on contract, Verizon really is only subsidizing customers $200 vs. subsidizing customers $400 for each iPhone sold.

 

[bill.allrobots.org]

So based on this if I goto Costco to upgrade (gotta love their extras) I won't pay the $30 fee?

According to the rep I spoke to, that is correct, yes. I specifically asked about third-party Verizon retailers, and he told me that the fee does not apply.

Of course, I can't promise the rep was correct. If you attempt it, report back for the rest of us.

 

[bill.allrobots.org]

Amazon wireless will charge you a $30 upgrade fee (unless there is a promo going on). It will clearly be in the terms you have to click through and in the email receipt they give you.

Amazon will also note amazon isn't charging the upgrade fee...it's the carriers who charge the upgrade fee.

Costco does free activations and you normally will see a credit within 3 billing cycles.

Is this according to Verizon? Or experience? Or... ?

This contradicts what I was told by a Verizon representative.

 

[smccloud]

Amazon wireless will charge you a $30 upgrade fee (unless there is a promo going on). It will clearly be in the terms you have to click through and in the email receipt they give you.

Amazon will also note amazon isn't charging the upgrade fee...it's the carriers who charge the upgrade fee.

Costco does free activations and you normally will see a credit within 3 billing cycles.

November is going to suck then, two upgrades.

According to the rep I spoke to, that is correct, yes. I specifically asked about third-party Verizon retailers, and he told me that the fee does not apply.

Of course, I can't promise the rep was correct. If you attempt it, report back for the rest of us.

I won't know until November (when my line & wife's line are due for upgrades), but I doubt that fee will be gone by then.

 

[Spacemaker24]

One way to look at this is that we were fortunate to get free upgrades for as long as we did. I know right now everyone thinks this is the end of the world but it's just not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.

 

[cyberdalek]

4 way monopoly? Uh huh. Verizon seems to be following suit, not starting the trend. Verizon was not the first to get rid of unlimited data, not the first to get rid of one year contracts.. if you have a problem with texts, then you should get them to replace the phone under warranty. This is also open enrollment for the extended warranty.

The monopoly comment refers to to what you pointed out. Verizon follows what the others do so consumers have no choice but to pay higher monthly bills and increased fees. What is the difference if one company runs everything or if 4 run it but charge the same inflated charges?

The only thing keeping me with Verizon now is the unlimited data. Its only a matter of time before they follow AT&T and start throttling us at 2 or 3Gb. Why would they do that? Because they can, and the precedent has been set by others.

As far as the text comment. My phone is only part of the problem. I have a Galaxy Nexus and am well aware of the radio issues but I am talking about near my home that has been labeled a "known trouble area" by Verizon and it has been that way for as long as I have had them....4 years now. Imagine your home utilities company saying that it is a known trouble area and not only doing nothing about it but also raising fees in the process.

I want consistent 4G service when I travel around. I live in Columbus, Oh which was one of the first LTE cities and I still get outages and splotchy service. So explain to me why I should pay more for them to give me sub-par service.
If they want to justify the fee by saying they need to keep up the workshops and how-to clinics, I definitely object. I do not use them and never will.

 

[BBLGH]

I care about the fee.

I have been considering going to another vendor, perhaps one of the "pay as you go" options. My data usage is not tremendously high, as I have a lot of access to WiFi, and if I am paying the outragous contract fees for Verizon's upgrades ($199, and now + $30), this may be the tipping point.

 

[Erievon]

Do I care? Sure I do, my next phone will cost me 30 bux more. Not much I can do about it though, they all have a similar fee.

What I take issue with here is the reason they're giving us to justify the fee. I don't use those services, nor do anyone I know use those services. If you want to put on clinics for how to use the phones you sell, more power to you, but charging for it? Meh, the phone didn't come with a manual, so yeah, I'd consider that normal, not a premium service you're providing.

They want to subsidize the phones they sell less, without changing their advertised price. Me, I prefer the truth, charge me more for the phone, because that's why the fee is there. don't dazzle me with BS.

 

[anon(394005)]

I talked to a Verizon customer service rep on the phone last night. This will only affect purchases through them. If you call and customer service orders the phone for you, you pay $30. If you go to a Verizon store, and they renew you there, you'll likely pay $30. If you buy a new phone on Amazon Wireless, or even Verizon's own website, this does not apply.

Thus, they are actually only charging the users who use the service. That seems fair to me. I doubt this actually affects very many people on this site. Who needs customer service to buy their phone for them?

So this will not affect me at all as I only purchase phones online anymore as I really don't care to deal with the hassle in the store or over the phone (most customer service sucks these days anyway). I much rather prefer to do my own research and when ready to pull the trigger, do so online. I can wait the day for it to ship. Good things come to those who wait, right? Anyway, even if I chose to go in store or over the phone, the fee is nominal for me anyway in the bigger scheme of things.

As to those making comments about subsidizing services you don't use. I've got a big one that chafes my behind to no end: my property taxes go to pay for the local schools despite the fact I don't have kids (by choice)! Grrrr...

 

[heraldo]

It's a fee. When you are unable to charge more for your service because of competition you charge a fee. Many companies do it. After all, that's what the banking industry is made of, fees and charges.

I don't like it.

 

[keyslapper]

I think the whole thing would go something like this:

Them: "Yes, Mr. X, you can have this phone for free with a 2 year agreement and $30."

Me: "Um if I'm giving you $30, it's not really free, is it?"

Them: "Well of course it is! That $30 isn't for the phone, it's for the privilege of getting it for free and staying with Verizon!"

Me: "Kiss my ass. I'm going to see AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile."

Them: "But Mr. X, they'll charge you the same fee! Why not keep the service you have?"

Me: "They'll only charge me that fee in 2 years if I upgrade. IF I upgrade. In the meantime, my monthly bill for 3 lines and 2 data plans will sure as hell be a lot less. Maybe I'll see you in 6 years. Maybe not. After having been with Verizon Wireless for more than 10 years, it's YOU that should be working on YOUR loyalty, not ME. Have A Nice Day."

 

[rkhaudio]

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...