Why is Verizon charging $30 for upgrade for existing customers?

[mar29oct]

After many years with Verizon it is becoming way too expensive to have a plain old basic phone. Why Verizon is charging upgrade fee when under 2 years contract the cost of the phone is already included. I currently without a contract with month by month and still paying for the phone, what gives? Maybe is time for me to change the carriers, since advance of wireless technology there is virtually not much different between the carriers.

[stoproundingoffminute]

Greed... Nothing more nothing less

[Ann154]

Sprint and AT&T both have a higher upgrade fee and has had it for years before Verizon Wireless added theirs.

[mar29oct]

Two wrongs don't make it right. IMO sooner or later Verizon will regret their policies. They already trying to match other carriers. And like I said in original posting with the advance of technology and deregulation the difference between service is at best minimum, Verizon shines with customer service, but seeing the trend how long this will last?

[stoproundingoffminute]

It's a  shared/Joint monopoly by the big  carriers

[jroeder]

Right, but what Ann was getting at is there is no point in changing providers as you stated, over an upgrade fee.

Since Sprint and AT&T also have upgrade fees....which are higher, you can't change providers to avoid the fee.

T-Mobile doesn't have upgrade fees but you can throw out discounted phones too, since they only charge full price of the phones.

[mar29oct]

I totally get it, but if I switch i don't have to pay upgrade fee since I will be a new customer. Having said that I will most likely buy me my own phone and do no contract with whatever carrier, here in NY is so much cheaper than contract phones in a long run, because of all the fees carriers charge. On no-contract phone all you pay is sales tax each month.

[Ann154]

New accounts usually have an activation fee too.

[Tacabron]

They tried to implement a $2 payment fee. When that was shut down, they found a way to make up the difference with the Activation fee, or upgrade fee.

[rcschnoor]

And to think, that payment fee would have ended up being $24 every 2 years instead of $30 if you upgrade every 2 years.