Re: Upgrade Fee
FrazzledDad
Enthusiast - Level 2

Activation and upgrade fees are pretty much industry standard ... they may be annoying, but its part of the business model.

This past week, I spoke with a phone customer support rep, and questioned the activation fees.  She state that the fees were being used to directly reinvest in their network including their 5G network, so that fee comes back to benefit the customers.  Yeah, I think she went a bit over the top with her explanation, and I don't completely buy into it.  But that is apparently one employees explanation of upgrade and activation fees ...

If we are in a national emergency (which we are!!!), I'd modestly suggest that it would be the "right thing" for carriers to be waiving such extra fees temporarily - when people need phones to be replaced, and they have to buy a device they may never have seen in person before over the Internet, maybe relaxing fees a little bit would be a good community thing to do.  Especially with the in-person retail stores closed in so many placed.  Scale back the upgrade fees (especially when you even downgrading your phone to a lesser device) and the $50 restock fee if the phone you ordered was not what you thought (had you been able to see it in person).

Re: Upgrade Fee
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

The upgrade fee is $20 when purchasing online and $40 when purchasing in the store. I'd say they have already "scaled back the upgrade fees" for online purchases. You can also purchase a BYOD unlocked device from the manufacturer or a used device and avoid the upgrade fee completely. Your choice. 

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: Upgrade Fee
Tigerstep
Specialist - Level 3

They *did* waive those fees till May.

If someone lost their job, they shouldn't be fussing over a $20 - $40 fee trying to finance a 1k phone they know they can't afford.

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Re: Upgrade Fee
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

FrazzledDad Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. We value your opinion and will share this information with the appropriate team. I do want you to know that you can save on those fees using self-serve options via your My Verizon Online or My Verizon App on your device. DoloresK_VZW

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Re: Upgrade Fee
Wynn5665
Enthusiast - Level 2

I agree and would be very happy to participate in any way necessary. I just discovered today that I was charged $40 for setup and yet I was never given the opportunity to do it myself. The salesperson just did it and took forever and I mean forever at least over an hour! and today I just discovered that he must have made a mistake because ever since then which was about two weeks ago I have been unable to complete the setup process. I thought that was my fault, but haven't spoken to an operator at Verizon in order to complain about not being told there would be this $40 charge, I found out that the Verizon store sales people are not required to tell you that you'll be charged or to let you know that you can do it yourself. When you top that with the fact that I can't get the thing to finish setting up and then I keep stumbling into one issue after another - - which, by the way, I am making screenshots of each and every time- - I am just so tired and so furious about it. Then add to it the fact that you can't get anyone on the phone unless you're willing to wait for hours by your phone because they won't even schedule for you a call back time like other businesses are doing these days... I swear I want to strangle somebody at that company. So how do we begin this class action lawsuit?

Re: Upgrade Fee
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Wynn5665,

 

I'm terribly sorry to hear you're struggling to get things set up correctly. We want everything to work awesome for you. Any costs should be explained up front as I know that is crucial as well. We don't normally charge a fee to help set up a phone though. There is an upgrade fee when upgrading, but that isn't directly for setting up the phone and is charged whether you choose to do this yourself or not. What part of the set up isn't working for you? What type of device do you have?

 

AndrewT_VZW

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Re: Upgrade Fee
epjmolokai
Enthusiast - Level 1

I paid full retail through Apple.  Verizon did nothing. Still charged $40 fee.

Re: Upgrade Fee
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

Probably you were charged the $40 upgrade fee, because you upgraded through a third party retailer. 

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: Upgrade Fee
Tigerstep
Specialist - Level 3

You got charged because your account was accessed. Go unlocked to avoid upgrade fees. 

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Re: Upgrade Fee
CMeixsell
Enthusiast - Level 1

That is not true. I paid full retail for a phone at Best Buy and still got charged a $40 upgrade fee by Verizon.