Verizon Wireless Now Charging Upgrade Fee

[Kami3k]

[citation][nom]whysobluepandabear[/nom]Upgrades are next to USELESS for carriers. You're doing NOTHING but costing them money. Example: An iPhone is an immediate $400~ hit for almost every phone company. They're looking to take that hit and pick up more monthly subscriptions. There are a lot of people who don't even upgrade when their time has come - that's even more of a pipe dream for a carrier....have a customer pay their normal monthly rate, yet not require a new handset that they have to subsidize. And if you're with Verizon or AT&T you've always been a retard. You've ALWAYS been paying more than you should have. The only exception is to those who live in the sticks and have no choice - because as far as I can see, Sprint gets coverage in almost every place the other carriers do, and when they don't, they roam off of Verizon. Don't act like this $30 is the straw that breaks the camels back. You've been getting gouged for YEARS.[/citation]


You really are clueless uh? They easily have made more then double then what the phone retails for by near of the end of a two year contract.

This is just another way for them to get more money from customers. Corporate drone....

 

[Kami3k]

[citation][nom]whysobluepandabear[/nom]Oh, and over your 2 year contract, this $30 fee comes out to $1.25/month. I can promise you that you're paying AT LEAST $30 more a month just by being on Verizon - nix all the weird discounts, promos or basic phones you're on. The average consumer is paying A LOT more per month just be being on Verizon, period.[/citation]

Horrible logic, you pay that 30 dollars UPFRONT, not over a course of many months.

You really like failing don't you?

 

[pocketdrummer]

Well, I was going to switch to Verizon, but now I think I'll stay where I am. Superior service my #$%.

This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of...

 

[pocketdrummer]

This also just makes switching away from Verizon for a new phone that much easier. Way to go.

 

[srhelicity]

[citation][nom]nhasibacsi[/nom]Thank you for this article. I was considering moving to Verizon from AT&T in the future. But it seems that Verizon has a track record for being unappreciative of its customers.[/citation]

As if AT&T is any better. C'mon -- all carriers are like this. Next time, there will be an article about AT&T or Sprint, and everyone commenting will be complaining about how this will force a mass exodus of subscribes away from that carrier.

All carriers want to take more money from you. That's their business. If you think the competition is much better, then you are free to switch. Most of this, though, is the "grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" problem.

 

[hetneo]

Goodbye Verizon, people are not stupid to be paying extra fees just to stay your customer. One thing is to charge fee for early upgrade, but charging after 2 year contract has expired is plain stupid move. After 2 years that phone is payed for in full, and it shouldn't even be considered as upgrade. In truth the fee you pay for "upgrade" is not $30, but $30 plus your old phone's value. This is pure and simple example of crony capitalism.

 

[fuzznarf]

[citation][nom]whysobluepandabear[/nom]And you pay more upfront each month vs the other carriers. Did that logic skip your brilliant retort? Compare a Verizon bill and a Sprint bill. Yeah, STFU.[/citation]
You mad bro??

 

[Onus]

I've been a Verizon customer for many years. With a company discount and a grandfathered unlimited data plan, I pay around $74 per month now (including the assortment of government extortion fees that get added) for 400 minutes (I rarely use >50). This WILL make me look around though, and if I find a better deal when my contract is up in the fall, so long Verizon; IF I find a better deal.

 

[trumpeter1994]

"This fee will help us continue to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect which includes Wireless Workshops, online educational tools, and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices that are more sophisticated than ever."
They forgot to say, "and provide catered lunches for our CEO's and high ranking developers"

 

[classzero]

Evil

 

[classzero]

I'll just bring my number to another company, and play round robin to avoid "upgrade fees".

 

[wildkitten]

[citation][nom]whysobluepandabear[/nom]And I never said they didn't idiot. I said IT'S AGAINST THEIR INTEREST TO HAVE YOU UPGRADE. Reading comprehension is hard stuff...I know.[/citation]

Apparently it's against their interest to have people stay once their first 2 year contract is done using your logic.

I am sick of people like you accusing others who voice their opinion of having an entitlement mentality...
[citation][nom]whysobluepandabear[/nom]...customers who think the world owes them something...[/citation]
The only thing I believe I am owed is being treated fairly. If they want to get rid of their loyalty discount, fine, their choice. I think it's a big mistake as it makes staying loyal less attractive because it tells existing customers that they don't mean as much. But to turn around and charge a loyalty fee is a slap in the face. Not wanting to get charged for nothing is not entitlement mentality. Entitlement mentality is wanting something for nothing, which actually is what Verizon is doing.

Verizon is the company who sells you a phone that has a mobile hotspot built in and charged you a data fee. But if you want to use that mobile hotspot on the phone you use with the data plan you pay for, you have to pay them extra for some reason. Hence, Verizon wanting something for doig nothing. Entitlement mentality on their end, not the customer.

The loyalty fee is the same thing. It is their intent, as you stated, for a customer not to upgrade. Why? Because, in the United States cell companies use the subsidy model. We pay less upfront for our phones, usually below what the phone costs, but we pay for it in increased monthly service costs to make up the difference of the phone, which over the course of a two year contract is much more than what we would have paid for the phone outright. But Verizon doesn't want to take the loss on the phone but still wants to keep getting the subsidy payment.

Now, if Verizon were to couple this upgrade fee with getting rid of the subsidy amount after two years, then fine. I still wouldn't think it would be a smart business decision, but they wouldn't come off looking so greedy either. But they aren't doing that.

You need to learn that people using their right to voice their opinion that they are being treated unfairly is NOT in and of itself entitlement mentality. We are willing to pay a fair price, which is opposite of entitlement mentality, but not willing to keep getting nickle and dimed to death.

 

[wildkitten]

[citation][nom]srhelicity[/nom]As if AT&T is any better. C'mon -- all carriers are like this. Next time, there will be an article about AT&T or Sprint, and everyone commenting will be complaining about how this will force a mass exodus of subscribes away from that carrier. All carriers want to take more money from you. That's their business. If you think the competition is much better, then you are free to switch. Most of this, though, is the "grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" problem.[/citation]

You are exactly right, and it is true Verizon is not the first carrier to have a loyalty fee. But you know what, if I'm a new customer, some carrier is going to bend over backwards to provide me a good deal to switch to them. So maybe it won't be smart to stay with Company B after two years, so I will switch again.

All this will end up doing is create a customer carousel. Go from Verizon to AT&T to Sprint to T-Mobile back to Verizon, rinse and repeat. In a cynical way, this could actually be the intent behind the carriers doing the loyalty fee. They know they will lose a lot of customers but they will gain a lot of customers too because they know the "other guy" is losing a lot because of the same thing.

 

[Guest]

"Current subscribers will also be forced into purchasing the new bundle if they want to make a change to their Internet service including moving to a new area or upgrading/downgrading their connection speed."

Can you say a violation of the antitrust laws.

 

[targetdrone]

[citation][nom]kinggremlin[/nom]I don't understand who at Verizon thought this was a good idea. [/citation]

I bet it was some union boss that came up with the idea. This is how they think after all.

 

[Anomalyx]

And if you're with Verizon or AT&T you've always been a retard. You've ALWAYS been paying more than you should have. The only exception is to those who live in the sticks and have no choice - because as far as I can see, Sprint gets coverage in almost every place the other carriers do, and when they don't, they roam off of Verizon.

Really, that's odd... everyone I know who has Sprint absolutely hates it. Same with T-Mobile. People with AT&T tend to love it, but for the same reasons Apple people love Apple (i.e. no valid reason). Verizon is the only network in my area that has consistent, fast, and reliable connections 100% of the time. Sprint must handle roaming quite horribly, because any carrier except Verizon only has a connection half the time in my area. Paying for a half-connection make you more of a retard. If their service worked, I'd gladly go with the "little guy" companies. Sadly, it doesn't. I pay for reliability, and I don't regret it.

 

[bender3000]

I have been up for renewal with Verizon for over 2 years, and considered switching carriers. I think this may be the deciding factor for me.

 

[punahou1]

I was a Verizon customer from 1999 up until two months ago. Their coverage in my area was the primary reason but now other carriers have caught up. Its ben a disappointing experience - I missed one payment in 2003 while on a business trip and to date they have refused to configure my bank account for automatic pay deduction. Over the years I did not receive one of the promised rebates. Their customer loyalty program is terrible for customers like me who have spent thousands with them. I just switched to Mobi PCS and while the phone selection is limited they have a good Android that does the job. Coverage is great and everyone goes beyond the call to help you...even their finance department.

 

[andywork78]

Verizon try to close there business in 2012??

LoL can't deal with Verizon any more.

They have to taste of lost customer to learn "oh.. our price is too high"

Man.

Verizon stop.

You guys are not the best service provider, you guys are best money eater.

 

[wildkitten]

[citation][nom]whysobluepandabear[/nom]Define fair. Fair for you, and fair for the CEO are going to be quite different, I assure you. Point is, everything is made up, including words and what they mean from individual to individual. A lot of people are self entitled ass bags, whom annoy the living shit out of me. Personally, I'm against corporations AND capitalism - but for whatever reason, people are okay with corporations ruling the world, until they step a little too far and charge you a dumb $30 fee - as if they weren't already bending you over, and raping you with sand paper. If you're going to complain about this fee, complain about how Verizon is over priced EVERY FREAKIN' MONTH![/citation]

You being against capitalism explains a lot. Don't know why you think government running something is better.

And you do realize corporations are NOT living breathing entities. They are people, just like you and me. Corporations do not rule the world nor do they have the ability. If a corporation does something it's because people allow them to. We as consumers can always vote with our wallets, and thanks to capitalism, someone else is free to start a competing business, something that can't be done under socialism or any other system.

And this is what people will do in this case. I don't have to just complain, because I live in a capitalist society, I have the freedom to choose to go to Sprint or AT&T or another company and deprive Verizon of my money.