Fido charging to cash your reward $$'s

[morleybrwon]

Went to cash in my fido rewards to get a new phone, and now they charge $25 real dollars for an 'admin' charge to buy the phone. Classic fido.
My full length rant is here: http://telcoblues.blogspot.com/

[WorldIRC]

Fido is charging to process a hardware upgrade, not to use your Fido Dollars. Even if you didn't have any points, you'd still pay the $25. As well, if you use your Fido dollars for options on your account instead, you would NOT be charged that fee.

Make sure your story reflects the whole truth, and not just your opinion, otherwise that is libel and the article loses integrity

[morleybrwon]

Thanks for your feedback and distinction, but to be clear, I wasn't 'upgrading' my hardware. Just buying a phone. I had no intention of dropping my iPhone which I'm still paying for, for a $70 Nokia, I simply wanted an extra phone. From this angle I don't understand what an 'admin' fee could be for or that someone couldn't see that this is just an added fee.

[Tri3Dent]

If you're wanting to bill the phone at full price to your account, there will be an admin fee. If you're going to buy the phone outright, just pay the store in cash to avoid the fee.

[WorldIRC]

Sorry. An "upgrade" in this case is the name of the process you performed. I didn't mean for the meaning of upgrade in this context to literally mean "buying better hardware". A Hardware Upgrade in the North American wireless industry is the process of buying new hardware for an existing phone number, with or without a contract extension, and in Fido's case, with or without Fido Dollars, and having that transaction take effect on the customers account.

The admin fee is bull **** fee, but it is not a discriminatory fee towards users using Fido Dollars, or users downgrading the quality of their handsets. It is a charged that is placed on the account for buying a new phone on an existing account. Fido charges it, Rogers charges it, Bell charges it, Telus charges it, ATT charges it, Tmobile USA charges it, Verizon charges it.

[ceredon]

If you're wanting to bill the phone at full price to your account, there will be an admin fee. If you're going to buy the phone outright, just pay the store in cash to avoid the fee.

Still pay it, AFAIK.

[WorldIRC]

^No.

If you pay cash at the till, the phone will not go onto your account and no official Fido supported admin fee will be charged on your invoice. You cannot get a discount this way and cannot use your Fido Dollars.