$20 fee to buy a phone from Verizon

[tonyo906]

So Verizon is going to charge me $20 per phone to purchase a new phone ?

You got to to be kidding?

Time to look at other alternatives.

[naansalad]

just to let you know most of carrier already had that fee unless you go with prepay service....V is last carrier who is going to start that fee....you can upgrade on weekend I think that fee start on 04/04/2016

[pherson]

So tell me again why peop want something for nothing nowadays?

[Ann154]

https://community.verizonwireless.com/thread/907828

See the other thread on the same topic.

[tonyo906]

Pherson,

So everytime  you  go  to the  store to buy something from them you pay them extra so you can buy it from them ?

[DigitalRules]

Pretty much all the providers already have a fee similar to this. Some even charge when you bring your own device. Verizon will not charge for that. Besides if you have to finance a phone, you probably can't afford it anyway.

The 5g auction just started last week, so this is a good way to keep up the cash flow.

[rcschnoor]

DigitalRules wrote:

Pretty much all the providers already have a fee similar to this. Some even charge when you bring your own device. Verizon will not charge for that.

You mean that Verizon won't charge for the YET. Previously, people had said they wouldn't charge an upgrade fee if you purchased at full retail up front. That has certainly changed. It is most likely just a matter of time before they start charging when you bring your own device.

DigitalRules wrote:

Besides if you have to finance a phone, you probably can't afford it anyway.

Just because someone uses financing does not mean they can't afford it. That is certainly a broad statement without any validity. Using interest free financing keeps YOUR money in YOUR pocket for a longer period of time. Additionally, Verizon has offered incentives for financed phones which were not available if you purchased at full retail up front. For example, last December Verizon was giving $100 off of iPhones purchased on payments yet that same $100 off was not available for full retail purchase at point of sale. I chose to purchase the 64 GB iPhone 6S for $649 over 2 years vs paying $749 up front. Didn't seem like that hard of a decision. Of course, you can pay it off at any time.

[DigitalRules]

rcschnoor wrote:

You mean that Verizon won't charge for the YET.

True, hopefully they won't charge in the future, but who knows???

Just because someone uses financing does not mean they can't afford it.

Also true, I should have said, many can't really afford them. Like the ones who prioritize having an iPhone over their children's needs.

[Snn5]

From Droid Life:

"Another way of putting that is, they are charging you $20 extra because their automated systems need to automate an IMEI switch on your account that is automatic when you, yourself, put your currently activated SIM in your new phone and sit back as the automatic process completes."

What I don't get is, one must pay $20 to activate a new phone, but customer provided equipment is $0...as of right now anyway.  Don't those CPE devices require activation too? 

I suppose Verizon might start charging for a SIM to be used in a CPE device at some point if the newly needed SIM is a different size than the old SIM.  Still, that day is coming when CPE incurs a charge as well.  They don't mind charging for a phone you bought from them, but bringing one from Swappa/eBay/Amazon/etc... is $0 charge.  

?????

[pherson]

Yes. The state I live in has no taxes on clothes. If I go to that same brand store in another state I have to pay taxes. What's your point?