Re: Upgrade Fee
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

As our valued customer, your account concerns are our concerns too. We’re here to assist you in any way we can. Since we will need account-specific details from you, we’re requesting your permission to gain access to your account. Please check your Inbox as we’ve sent a Private Message to you regarding on this topic:

 

http://spr.ly/6602Ggb8m

 

RobertC_VZW

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Re: Upgrade Fee
aebone2
Enthusiast - Level 1

excellent suggestions and compromise worth VZ thinking seriously about.  

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Re: Upgrade Fee
gobledk
Enthusiast - Level 2

"No matter what type of upgrade you choose, you also gain the benefits of Verizon 4G LTE network and express self-service options, including My Verizon and My Verizon Mobile. The upgrade fee is applied for the operational cost changes associated with upgrading and activating devices."

These benefits are already included with a Verizon account, so acting like they're something new is misleading.

Re: Upgrade Fee
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

We assure you our mission is to help you in the best way possible and provide you with accurate information, gobledk. We are including a link that will address and clarify all of your concerns regarding the Upgrade Fee, this way you can review at your convenience: http://spr.ly/6601GlfeU.

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Re: Upgrade Fee
Windu1870
Newbie

I bought mine full retail and I was charged the $40.

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Re: Upgrade Fee
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

@Windu1870

If you purchased the phone from Verizon Wireless at full retail price, you will still be charged the upgrade fee. 

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
DaddyLeibniz
Enthusiast - Level 1

Robbquise,

I feel that you bring up a valid conversation that's attempted to be resolved in a private message fashion. There is a community contributor that's doing a great job of repeating the answer they best know/have been provided themselves, but I think the root of your explanation (and others) is correct:

* Upgrade Fee is not necessary in their business model. Verizon is an extremely successful company where, no doubt, this collection of this fee millions of times has contributed to their success over the years. None the less, technology has made quite the advances, incorporating more and more affordable solutions to societal needs. With this, the cost of these services continually rises yet the cost of providing the services does not rise at the same right. This markup can only be explained by a company putting itself and its investors prior to the customer.

My family has been a loyal customer of Verizons for 10+ years with a hefty plan over the years (to meet our needs). However, as of late, they've fallen below substandard service in their website functionality (often not working, buttons misplaced, and chat agents all but useless, in my experiences), phone service reps being 30+ minutes away at varying times of the day, and when you finally do get through, being less than helpful themselves.

Tonight, I made a phone upgrade. It took 2.5 hours because Google Chrome and MS Edge on a Win10 computer would not successfully complete a simple upgrade. A chat agent could not complete the upgrade. Mobile app Safari and My Verizon could not complete the upgrade. After waiting in a call queue for 40+ minutes, a rep who was just nice enough to pass a quality check assisted me, but did the bare minimum required for the call. No credits were offered or provided for the inconvenience of these multiple back-to-back poor interactions.. I am very disappointed with Verizon's quality of care for the customer and lack of corporate intervention to clearly and concisely answer this question in a timely manner.

Re: Upgrade Fee
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

We are sorry to hear of the frustrating experience you had with upgrading your phone online. We always want to make sure that upgrading is as easy as possible.  

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Re: Upgrade Fee
naoho
Enthusiast - Level 1

"We understand your concerns, anytime that you Upgrade a device you will see either an Upgrade Fee or an Activation Fee for this process. CecileC_VZW"

Yes we know this is what happens.  What we want to know is WHY?  What value are we getting for that $20 or $40?  "Upgrading the network" is what the monthly service fee pays for.  Also, upgrading my device does not require any changes to the network nor to my plan.

I was told by an agent it was to have a representative help me with the upgrade process.  I don't need that.  I can swap SIMs myself (if even required) and do a backup/restore.  I could understand if somebody did they should have to pay for that but not for full retail priced BYOD device swaps that require nothing on your part.

There is literally no cost here, and yet you insist on charging us for something.  What _specifically_ and _technically_ does the $20 or $40 pay for?

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Re: Upgrade Fee
E143SLIME8
Enthusiast - Level 1

We have (had) a Gizmowatch2 with Verizon and still have the line with them. The watch was lost and now we have a younger grandchild that wants the watch. I went to purchase another to be added to the existing line/phone number and am being told that I have to AGAIN pay an "upgrade fee" just to complete this transaction. I told them I am NOT upgrading but simply replacing a lost watch to be placed onto the existing phone number. They will not budge on this fee even though we have 5 lines with them and have been with them for 30 years.

Completely dissatisfied with their customer support and am seriously thinking about bailing out.