How do you answer this question about upgrading?

[veriztd]

So true.

Imagine a world where McDonalds charges an "order entry fee." You know, to legitimatly reduce the loss they take when they have to pay someone to enter the order.

Or perhaps a "toll takers fee." To offset the salary of the toll taker on a bridge. Sir, that will be $1.50 to cross the bridge ($1.25 for the bridge and $0.25 to pay my salary to sit here and take your money)

This fee is a charge to take your money. Rationalizing this one is impossible.

.jem

But remember, banks charge you to keep you money with them. So let's bash every bank while we are at it. So instead of bashing cellular companies let's keep everything in perspective.

[1BARFLY]

Easy way to look at it, we charge an upgrade fee because the company wants to. if a customer has had Cingular for a long time and they feel that they shouldnt have to pay a fee then just tell them that you will call, customer service to see if they will waive it. Most of the time they will if they want to keep a customer. But that fee puts money in the companies hands which in return comes into ours, so I dont care either way.

[veriztd]

Easy way to look at it, we charge an upgrade fee because the company wants to. if a customer has had Cingular for a long time and they feel that they shouldnt have to pay a fee then just tell them that you will call, customer service to see if they will waive it. Most of the time they will if they want to keep a customer. But that fee puts money in the companies hands which in return comes into ours, so I dont care either way.

I agree, it all depends how you approach it w/ cust svc rep. If you start the call screaming about the fee, it is not likely to be easily waived. If you polite and friendly, it is certainly possible the rep could waive the fee. It is always handled on a case by case basis so the resolution may not be the same every time.

[MissRich87]

I tell people that I honestly do not know why they are charging the upgrade fee or what it's actually for.

Everyone so far has accepted that with a chuckle, repected my honesty, and signed.

Thats about what I say... I'm not sure why they do this. and in california no matter how discounted our phones are they tax off the full price... Does this happen to anyone else? If its free the tax is sometimes almost 30 or 40 bucks! How do you explain that one!?

[ivwshane]

Thats about what I say... I'm not sure why they do this. and in california no matter how discounted our phones are they tax off the full price... Does this happen to anyone else? If its free the tax is sometimes almost 30 or 40 bucks! How do you explain that one!?

I just tell them that it's california law and cingular doesn't get any part of it. I also tell them I think it sucks too.

[Lambert]

Thats about what I say... I'm not sure why they do this. and in california no matter how discounted our phones are they tax off the full price... Does this happen to anyone else? If its free the tax is sometimes almost 30 or 40 bucks! How do you explain that one!?

It's a California law that all providers charge tax on the full retail price. Remind them that they live (or are visiting in some cases) one of the most corrupt states in the union. Gotta pay for those hard working illegal alien medical bills and education somehow I guess.

[dizzle247]

the upgrade fee is for people when they migrate over from blue to orange. It used to be called the "migrate" fee, but cingular changed it so that in order to get a discount on a phone, you would have to "upgrade" to an orange phone from a blue phone and sign another contract.

that's what i was taught in CSP .. look it up!

[ivwshane]

the upgrade fee is for people when they migrate over from blue to orange. It used to be called the "migrate" fee, but cingular changed it so that in order to get a discount on a phone, you would have to "upgrade" to an orange phone from a blue phone and sign another contract.

that's what i was taught in CSP .. look it up!

Unfortunately the upgrade fee is charged when people upgrade their orange accounts too.

[dizzle247]

well who gives a damn, waive the freaking fee is the customer *****es about it. haha

[SoCal91302]

the upgrade fee is for people when they migrate over from blue to orange. It used to be called the "migrate" fee, but cingular changed it so that in order to get a discount on a phone, you would have to "upgrade" to an orange phone from a blue phone and sign another contract.

that's what i was taught in CSP .. look it up!

I have done a few hundred migrations and have never seen a customer get charged an upgrade or migration fee.

[tennessee31]

I have done a few hundred migrations and have never seen a customer get charged an upgrade or migration fee.

Yup. Upgrade fee is supposed to be waived for blue customers migrating to orange. There is no such thing as a migration fee. The upgrade fee is only for orange-orange or blue-blue account upgrades.

[dizzle247]

technically, the migration fee got turned into the "upgrade" fee.

[veriztd]

Keep it simple, an upgrade fee is charged when a customer upgrades their phone. With migration from Blue to Orange upgrade costs are waived.

[gregsmith59]

Keep it simple: Cingular wants their prices to look like other carriers, but doesn't exactly want to honor those prices. So they take back $18 when you get a new phone, because they can.

They tried to do the same with blue to orange migrations, but it looked so bad that they eventually removed the charge.

[Gibson714]

Its $18-$36 depending on what company.That is not much money.It has been my experience that most people dont even complain about it ,they might ask why but will accept pretty much any answer you give them.The people that complain are usually the same people who always want to know how much a phone cost after tax because they might not have enough money to pay for it.