do you pay the upgrade fee?

**RazMonster** · 03-27-2021, 02:00 AM

i recently got a new phone from best buy (paid off no installment) and find it amusing verizon hits me with a $40 upgrade fee for putting my sim card in a new phone that i own fully.

i see that its only $20 if you do an upgrade online so that tells me that this fee is inconsequential and unnecessary. i just paid $128 of my $168 bill. They can kick rocks.

do you have any methods or work-arounds for this fee? im calling in the morning and just flat out telling them im not paying it and for them to credit/figure it out.

in the past paying my whole bill except for ridiculous or erroneous fees usually lets them know how serious i am and they tend to figure out a way to credit the charge lol

**Serial Port** · 03-27-2021, 05:59 AM

You do realize they can suspend your account for not paying in full ?? You might get the fee waived, but that is no guarantee whether you feel the fee is "fair". Whether you buy the phone outright or on a device payment plan makes no difference. The terms and conditions of service stipulates such fees. Best wishes.

**RazMonster** · 03-27-2021, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by Serial Port

You do realize they can suspend your account for not paying in full ??

Yes. Im not an idiot. It never gets that far because like i said, when i pay everything BUT that fee they generally know i mean business.

**Serial Port** · 03-27-2021, 07:21 AM

I understand your theory on not paying fees that you don't agree with, but the fact remains that it won't always work like you think. I never called you an "idiot".

**RazMonster** · 03-27-2021, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by Serial Port

I understand your theory on not paying fees that you don't agree with, but the fact remains that it won't always work like you think. I never called you an "idiot".

you would have to be an idiot to think they wouldnt suspend service over an unpaid (in full) bill

also, just this morning they waved that $40 so thanks for your well wishes lol.

and pretty much every time ive had a fee i dont want to pay, i pay all of the bill except for that or those fees and just call and tell them and they generally waive it all with no fuss. purpose of this post was to help people not whine about fees.

**Serial Port** · 03-27-2021, 07:45 AM

I am glad it worked out for you.

**zapjb** · 03-27-2021, 08:12 AM

That was uncomfortable.

**tivoman** · 03-27-2021, 11:36 AM

If possible, I don’t paid this fee. Specially when they tried to charge me $40 for switching my sim from physical sim to an eSIM. No new phone.

**ckoch125** · 03-28-2021, 01:15 PM

Oh man we got a real internet badass here lol. Is the fee garbage? Yes, but you acting like you can choose to pay what you want with no consequences is hilarious. You may get credit here and there, but eventually, they will shut that down like everything else, and then you'll be the one "kicking rocks."

**Jack Hagar** · 03-28-2021, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by zapjb

That was uncomfortable.

No kidding.

Do I think the upgrade fee is BS? Yep. Is Verion required to justify it? Nope. They charge it because they can. PERIOD

However you AGREE to it when buying a device. To gripe about it after the fact is stupid. Glad a person that obviously could afford to pay what $1000 or more on a device plus sales tax( hmm doesn't gripe about that. Why not? That's more than the upgrade fee )has trouble with $40. But luckily acting like petulant child apparently works. So hooray....????

**Serial Port** · 03-28-2021, 09:02 PM

Let's keep this thread friendly. Nobody has gone too far yet and we need to keep it that way.

**techguru30** · 03-29-2021, 02:36 PM

I agree that activation and upgrade fees are bull since most of the process is automated. The fees are standard with most providers and I even had to pay an activation fee with Spectrum Mobile. If you do not like paying that fee have you looked into prepaid providers since not all of them charge those kinds of fees but some do. I am glad they waived the fee for you this time but it does not mean they will in the future. Keep in mind if you do not pay your bill in full they can shut off your service and will send you to a collections agency for the amount due if you refuse to pay them.

**Colecaz** · 03-29-2021, 05:55 PM

Switch to prepaid. No upgrade fee there that I've encountered. Buy phone, swap sim, done.

And can't you buy the "activate later" phones from Best Buy and activate on any carrier by just a sim swap. It's when you go on a payment plan they get you.

**RazMonster** · 03-30-2021, 01:57 AM

Originally Posted by Jack Hagar

No kidding.

Do I think the upgrade fee is BS? Yep. Is Verion required to justify it? Nope. They charge it because they can. PERIOD

However you AGREE to it when buying a device. To gripe about it after the fact is stupid. Glad a person that obviously could afford to pay what $1000 or more on a device plus sales tax( hmm doesn't gripe about that. Why not? That's more than the upgrade fee )has trouble with $40. But luckily acting like petulant child apparently works. So hooray....????

$1485 to be exact and no i did not gripe about it afterwards nor do i have trouble paying a small fee. i knew exactly what i was going to do and i did it because it has worked every time ive done it. i dont finance phones anymore because i dont want to be tied to a carrier and i honestly believe it gives you a little bit of leverage when dealing with them, on stuff like this for example. Its not my fault more people are not proactive. Maybe if they were some changes would be made with this policy. but go off...

**RazMonster** · 03-30-2021, 02:01 AM

Originally Posted by techguru30

I agree that activation and upgrade fees are bull since most of the process is automated. The fees are standard with most providers and I even had to pay an activation fee with Spectrum Mobile. If you do not like paying that fee have you looked into prepaid providers since not all of them charge those kinds of fees but some do. I am glad they waived the fee for you this time but it does not mean they will in the future. Keep in mind if you do not pay your bill in full they can shut off your service and will send you to a collections agency for the amount due if you refuse to pay them.

Yes, im old enough to understand how a bill works from a corporation and credit....smh lol
And no, prepaid mobile service doesnt offer what i need.

Paying the entire bull except a fee and simply telling them im not paying it works... has worked since forever and im sure will continue to work. it was no trouble at all and a rep can and will do it for you if are polite and clear with your reason. if it was such a hard fee they wouldn't waive t but they do... time and time again with little effort