Verizon Add-on Fees
I went to a Verizon Store to upgrade one of my phones (secondary line) for the first time in about 2 years.
I was hit with various fees that I didn't have to pay the last time I did this:
1) They charged me a $20 upgrade fee, on top of the price of the phone; for what reason and since when, I have no idea;
2) A $10 fee to transfer my contacts from old phone to new phone, and
3) I was told I had 30 days to return the phone if I didn't like it but that would be another $20 for a restocking fee.
Are all Verizon Stores doing this ? When did all these fees go into effect ? Verizon just keeps nickel and dimeing you, as Customer Service goes Down & Down! Unbelievable.
I was hit with various fees that I didn't have to pay the last time I did this:
1) They charged me a $20 upgrade fee, on top of the price of the phone; for what reason and since when, I have no idea;
2) A $10 fee to transfer my contacts from old phone to new phone, and
3) I was told I had 30 days to return the phone if I didn't like it but that would be another $20 for a restocking fee.
Are all Verizon Stores doing this ? When did all these fees go into effect ? Verizon just keeps nickel and dimeing you, as Customer Service goes Down & Down! Unbelievable.
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Their Customer Service just got rated the best in the country by JD Power. Charges & fees are competitive or reflective of the industry, sorry.
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The one fee I can't understand is the $20 restocking fee. You're basically being punished for returning a product you're unhappy with.
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It's all in effort to reduce returns and encourage customers to pick the right phone the first time (and more accurate qualifying by the reps)
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tgoace said:
It's all in effort to reduce returns and encourage customers to pick the right phone the first time (and more accurate qualifying by the reps)
You are kssing right?
Sounds to me like a corporate Talking point!
Just like the "rigorous testing" they claim to do on phones that take longer to get to Verizon when in all actality they are trying to KEEP the phone working as they remove features the manufacturer intended to be on the phone for other Carriers.....
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And also to discourage people from buying a phone because the color they want is out of stock and returning it for a different color within 30 days. Any phone returned by a customer can no longer be sold as new. It is sent to the warehouse and becomes a Field Replacement Unit (FRU). Even if the phone works fine and has less than 10 minutes of use on it, it gets sent back.
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To all on this thread:
Yes, those are corporate talking points, but valid nonetheless.
You can always assume that a wireless company is in business to make money (are there any non-profit wireless companies?). So look at this through money making as well as money saving glasses:
Money making: extra $20 here or there adds to the bottom line, assuming your costs don't change. It literally takes 10 seconds to activate a phone, but if you can add to the bottom line (as do all these companies, not just the one I work for), why not? Again, this is a business, not a charity.
I know many stores that do not charge the $10 phone book transfer fee simply because it takes too much time to explain why they charge for it when it was previou...
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Yes, those are corporate talking points, but valid nonetheless.
You can always assume that a wireless company is in business to make money (are there any non-profit wireless companies?). So look at this through money making as well as money saving glasses:
Money making: extra $20 here or there adds to the bottom line, assuming your costs don't change. It literally takes 10 seconds to activate a phone, but if you can add to the bottom line (as do all these companies, not just the one I work for), why not? Again, this is a business, not a charity.
I know many stores that do not charge the $10 phone book transfer fee simply because it takes too much time to explain why they charge for it when it was previou...
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one problem is that manufacturers won't give back 100% of the phone value if it is over 90 days old from the day we received it in our inventory. So some phones even if returned under the 30 day return policy will cost us a substantial amount of money to return. My idea on the policy is that the first exchange should be free and if you decide you want to exchange it again. Then there should be a restocking fee.
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chappie said:
The one fee I can't understand is the $20 restocking fee. You're basically being punished for returning a product you're unhappy with.
Isn't that the same fee for ATT to restock the iphone?
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tgoace said:
Their Customer Service just got rated the best in the country by JD Power. Charges & fees are competitive or reflective of the industry, sorry.
Really? I can not ever remember a time I had to pay ATT $10 to transfer my contact list...Oh thats right we use SIM cards that do that for you........
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The Upgrade fee is industry standard. Most companies charge $18 though. The fee to transfer your contacts is industry standard as well (at least with cdma products), the reason for this is that there are ways to have them transfered yourself (ie. if you are registered on verizonwireless.com you can download wireless backup and not be billed the 1.99/month), or you can go the old fashion way and do it by hand. Either way you are being charged for a service that is being performed for you.
The restocking fee may be a little over the top, but there are Sprint stores in my area that charge a $30 restocking fee, and also wont let you return a phone if it has more than 30 minutes of usage.
The restocking fee may be a little over the top, but there are Sprint stores in my area that charge a $30 restocking fee, and also wont let you return a phone if it has more than 30 minutes of usage.
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ATTGuyNY said:
the reason for this is that there are ways to have them transfered yourself (ie. if you are registered on verizonwireless.com you can download wireless backup and not be billed the 1.99/month), or you can go the old fashion way and do it by hand. Either way you are being charged for a service that is being performed for you.
Exactly.
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tgoace said:ATTGuyNY said:
the reason for this is that there are ways to have them transfered yourself (ie. if you are registered on verizonwireless.com you can download wireless backup and not be billed the 1.99/month), or you can go the old fashion way and do it by hand. Either way you are being charged for a service that is being performed for you.
Exactly.
Becasue the Carrier will not allow you to do it any other way easily....(you forgot that part..)
You want a Rolls Royce? Don't ask about the MPG. Just shut up and pay for it.
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actually its really easy to use backup assitant. you d/l the prog (for free) and click a button. everything is backed up. get a new phone. same deal. everything is there.
so joe...what happens when you lose your precious att phone with the sim card and contacts all inside it? with vzw and backup asst. you just get a new phone and d/l your contacts back to it 😛
so joe...what happens when you lose your precious att phone with the sim card and contacts all inside it? with vzw and backup asst. you just get a new phone and d/l your contacts back to it 😛
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ATTGuyNY said:
The Upgrade fee is industry standard. Most companies charge $18 though.
Really? I've upgraded my phone 3 times with T-Mobile over the past year (had to get my Pearl, then the Curve when it came out 🤣 ), and my girlfriend has upgraded twice, and neither one of us were ever charged any type of upgrade fee, nor have her parents ever been charged an upgrade fee (they have T-Mobile as well).
I do work for AT&T though, and I'm well aware that they do charge an $18.00 upgrade fee, and I'm a former Verizon customer. Never upgraded with Verizon though, so never got an upgrade fee with them either. 😛
Mobile backup is definitely the best idea I know of to get your contacts from one phone...
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I am really not to familiar with T-Mobile as we only have 1 T-Mobile store in my area, and hardly any T-Mobile customers (nearest good tmob coverage is about 56 miles away). However I did work customer service for them 2004-2005 and they did charge an upgrade fee then.
If you have upgraded your phone 3 times in the last year, it doesnt sound like those are true upgrades (contract runs out and then you renew with a discount on a new device), it sounds like those are more like either angry customer call ins, threats to cancel, or that you have such a high bill you have a world of leverage. Being that the shortest contract T-Mobile offers is 1 year.
But yes, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint all do charge an upgrade fee for sure. So does Cell One...
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If you have upgraded your phone 3 times in the last year, it doesnt sound like those are true upgrades (contract runs out and then you renew with a discount on a new device), it sounds like those are more like either angry customer call ins, threats to cancel, or that you have such a high bill you have a world of leverage. Being that the shortest contract T-Mobile offers is 1 year.
But yes, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint all do charge an upgrade fee for sure. So does Cell One...
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Actually if you break it down you got a better deal then a new line would have. They don't get charged an upgrade fee but do get charged a $25-$35 activation fee, if it would have been the primary line you would have gotten another $50 off.
The phonebook transfer is a service we offer and charge $10 for it, that's standard with every carrier and every agent. Depending on where you go some may build it into the upgrade fee (we do). We have to recoup the cost of purchasing the machine to do the transfers for you somehow.
The restocking fee is totally legit. What if you have the phone for 2 weeks, put on 6 hours of talk time and then want to return it. We can't sell that phone as new anymore so we have to discount it to get it off the sh...
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The phonebook transfer is a service we offer and charge $10 for it, that's standard with every carrier and every agent. Depending on where you go some may build it into the upgrade fee (we do). We have to recoup the cost of purchasing the machine to do the transfers for you somehow.
The restocking fee is totally legit. What if you have the phone for 2 weeks, put on 6 hours of talk time and then want to return it. We can't sell that phone as new anymore so we have to discount it to get it off the sh...
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Great way to put things into persepctive.
I'll surely have my associates take a look at this description.
Thanks!
I'll surely have my associates take a look at this description.
Thanks!
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The activation fee always smooths things over with the upgrade price (we actually build the fee into the price of the phone, so it's just $20 more). Then customers feel good because they are getting a better deal then new.
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"The restocking fee is totally legit. What if you have the phone for 2 weeks, put on 6 hours of talk time and then want to return it. We can't sell that phone as new anymore so we have to discount it to get it off the shelves. We are just trying to recoup some of the lost revenue when the phone is resold."
I agree with your point, but not in the case of this Boulder. It's a piece of junk that shouldn't have been released in the first place.
I agree with your point, but not in the case of this Boulder. It's a piece of junk that shouldn't have been released in the first place.
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gozvzw said:...
Actually if you break it down you got a better deal then a new line would have. They don't get charged an upgrade fee but do get charged a $25-$35 activation fee, if it would have been the primary line you would have gotten another $50 off.
The phonebook transfer is a service we offer and charge $10 for it, that's standard with every carrier and every agent. Depending on where you go some may build it into the upgrade fee (we do). We have to recoup the cost of purchasing the machine to do the transfers for you somehow.
The restocking fee is totally legit. What if you have the phone for 2 weeks, put on 6 hours of talk time and then want to return it. We can't sell that phone as new anymore so we have to
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next time don't go to corporate. you just got F-ed in the A!! Agents like myself have the option to not charge those fees. That's what you get for going into a "REAL" verizon store. And you get way better C.S. with us too. Enjoy you 20.00 device initation fee (what ever the hell that is) 🤣 If you can't tell I hate COR stores we are always cleaning up there messes. Oh when you go online to save a buck you get hit with those fees and wind up spending two. People don't want to come see us cause we are not "real" but you just got really screwed. But in the end they all sneak it in somewhere
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Are you guys one of those indirects that promise to waive upgrade fees, and then have to call CS when the customer gets their bill and battle it out with a rep?
I am an indirect myself, so I am not jumping to corporate defense, but agents that do that are the reason that no one want to go to a store that isn't "real"
I am an indirect myself, so I am not jumping to corporate defense, but agents that do that are the reason that no one want to go to a store that isn't "real"
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I pray for you and your family that your grammar and spelling is no reflection on your ability to sell phones.
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same here. its a nice way to keep them out of the COR store. also my phones are usually cheaper too 🙂
oh and no phonebook transfer charge if you buy a phone from me.
oh and no phonebook transfer charge if you buy a phone from me.
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We still have to add on the $20 upgrade fee at our Premium site.
I don't think the OP got screwed just because he went to the COR store. I know that we indriect retailers can, in some cases, save some people a buck or two, but that doesn't mean that going to the coprorate store means they're getting screwed.
Hate to sound like a jerk, but you're not representing your location well either with the baching of the COR store...not to mention pretty poor spelling and grammar.
I don't think the OP got screwed just because he went to the COR store. I know that we indriect retailers can, in some cases, save some people a buck or two, but that doesn't mean that going to the coprorate store means they're getting screwed.
Hate to sound like a jerk, but you're not representing your location well either with the baching of the COR store...not to mention pretty poor spelling and grammar.
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FUQ COR. As for my spelling and grammar, I am a victim of the California school system prick! 😛 And yes he got screwed out of whatever the total of those fees was at the COR location. Besides an act fee on new lines the only thing we charge extra is tax. suck it
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How many places do you know of that a person can clear 54000.00 a yr. and only work 20 hrs a week? And yes I was refered to your mom from your dad (had to turn 14 there for a minute).
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Oh God, don't even get me started on the flaws in your logic. Going to a corporate store is probably the best means of getting a consistent experience (as far as stores go, anyway). While I'm not necessarily saying that this is true of your particular store, I know that some indirect stores have customers sign secondary contracts that customers aren't told about. I realize that they're signing a disclosure, but these contracts could at least be vocally disclosed to the customer.
So, I get a call that sounds really bogus, only for it to actually be completely legit. An indirect store had signed this guy to an extra contract that entitled that particular company to around $300 any time that he had a service interruption. And people talk abo...
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So, I get a call that sounds really bogus, only for it to actually be completely legit. An indirect store had signed this guy to an extra contract that entitled that particular company to around $300 any time that he had a service interruption. And people talk abo...
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rayr129 said:
I went to a Verizon Store to upgrade one of my phones (secondary line) for the first time in about 2 years.
I was hit with various fees that I didn't have to pay the last time I did this:
1) They charged me a $20 upgrade fee, on top of the price of the phone; for what reason and since when, I have no idea;
2) A $10 fee to transfer my contacts from old phone to new phone, and
3) I was told I had 30 days to return the phone if I didn't like it but that would be another $20 for a restocking fee.
Are all Verizon Stores doing this ? When did all these fees go into effect ? Verizon just keeps nickel and dimeing you, as Customer Service goes Down & Down! Unbelievable.
Are you serious ...
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I worked for a Verizon Agent for over a year and we have the option to not charge these fees. In fact we never charged anyone an upgrade fee. And no we did not have to call customer service to have the fee taken off their bill. Also we never charged anyone who was doing an upgrade or starting a new line of service to transfer their phone book. Now if they were switching phones for some other reason we would sometimes charge them for the service. These fees are just standard at corporately owned stores, they charge them because they know they can because customers automatically think that they will get better service and a corporate store can do more for them. Anyways this just shows you that don't always have to go to the big guy just t...
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I recently upgraded my phone to the new LG chocolate 3 cause I was due for an upgrade. I ordered it online and the only thing that wasn't there was the tax which was only like $5. Other than that, there was no hidden fees for me ordering my upgrade online.
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jjw0782 said:
I recently upgraded my phone to the new LG chocolate 3 cause I was due for an upgrade. I ordered it online and the only thing that wasn't there was the tax which was only like $5. Other than that, there was no hidden fees for me ordering my upgrade online.
Seems to be "Stay away from the corporate stores and and save your dough".
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How about viewing it as, "Try doing SOMETHING yourself and saving some money as an incentive?" If you go to a store and have the work done for you, then why shouldn't there be some sort of fee?
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Corp stores are just fine. They also have the new VIP program now also that allows us to waive processing fees and phonebook transfers. The fees are obviously there for a reason.
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I change phones every 4 months and have never been charged for contacts or any type of activation fee.
The fees are there, but they are easily waived if you show some balls. I called in to my local store and said it was ridiculous that the BB curve didnt support macs so I couldnt transfer my contacts and she put a notation in my account and took care of my transfer for free.
Everyone wants to bitch about fees, but you know what, its a part of life. All cell companies have to find new ways to get income, and increased fees is one of them. Deal with it, and move on....or you can port to another carrier and get far inferior voice service.
Chris
The fees are there, but they are easily waived if you show some balls. I called in to my local store and said it was ridiculous that the BB curve didnt support macs so I couldnt transfer my contacts and she put a notation in my account and took care of my transfer for free.
Everyone wants to bitch about fees, but you know what, its a part of life. All cell companies have to find new ways to get income, and increased fees is one of them. Deal with it, and move on....or you can port to another carrier and get far inferior voice service.
Chris
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come to my indirect location then. i dont charge upgrade fees. dont charge to transfer contacts if you buy the phone from me. and although i only give you 7 days to return a phone, there is no fee other than price difference if applicable
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upgrade processing fees / device initiation fees will always be considered by many consumers as nickel and dime fees. it is always a good idea if you are in a corporate location, to disclose it upfront and allow your customer to understand these fees. many people will be upset no matter what, mainly because it is just their mentality. often times, just by setting proper expectations, your customer will be ok with the fee.
i remember years back when our fee was 11.25. customers went crazy over this "nickel and dime fee". We then upped it to 15.00 and here we now sit at 20.00.
i often times agree with the customer when i work with them that it is a good chunk of change to pay along with the phone. proper expectations and the ability to...
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i remember years back when our fee was 11.25. customers went crazy over this "nickel and dime fee". We then upped it to 15.00 and here we now sit at 20.00.
i often times agree with the customer when i work with them that it is a good chunk of change to pay along with the phone. proper expectations and the ability to...
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I cannot understand why some stores charge a fee to transfer contacts. I have had this done at a local VZW corp store about 8 times in two years ... and they have never even asked me to pay for this service.
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I think it varies depending on the store. At our store, if you are a customer of ours, we do everything with no charge. If you bought the phone from another store, a friend, or anything like that and just come in wanting us to transfer everything, we charge the fees. This prevents us from having a store full of people wanting everything done for free, causing the paying customers to wait longer to be helped.
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There are 2 reasons that the fee is charged.
1.) The cellbrite machine that does the transfer is usually a $1000 piece of equipment on most carriers co-op lists.
2.) transfering your contacts can be done yourself through mobile backup which is a free service as long as you are registered on verizonwireless.com. As soon as a new phone activates on your phone number your contacts are sent back to your new phone. this saves verizon money because while that rep is dealing with your contacts, he quite possibly could have been selling a data feature or something along those lines.
1.) The cellbrite machine that does the transfer is usually a $1000 piece of equipment on most carriers co-op lists.
2.) transfering your contacts can be done yourself through mobile backup which is a free service as long as you are registered on verizonwireless.com. As soon as a new phone activates on your phone number your contacts are sent back to your new phone. this saves verizon money because while that rep is dealing with your contacts, he quite possibly could have been selling a data feature or something along those lines.
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AMEN BROTHER! I agree on this one. If the customer did business through us...I waive those fees. If they "saved" money by going online...hey, they are all about "do it yourself" so they pay for the stuff they don't want to do themself. Plain and simple. People say, "well, that's not fair to the customer....and you should be customer first."
I am customer first. I will charge what VZW says to charge. I will waive when it is someone that bought through me. Hey, I don't ask the local John Deer place how to operate my lawn tractor if I bought it from Home Depot. I ask Home Depot...they sold it to me. If Home Depot won't answer questions, but I bought there because it was a hundred cheaper then buying it a John Deer company store, th...
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I am customer first. I will charge what VZW says to charge. I will waive when it is someone that bought through me. Hey, I don't ask the local John Deer place how to operate my lawn tractor if I bought it from Home Depot. I ask Home Depot...they sold it to me. If Home Depot won't answer questions, but I bought there because it was a hundred cheaper then buying it a John Deer company store, th...
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bump to keep this on top. I am ranting right now...freaking online! LOL
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