AT&T Hikes Phone Activation Fee To $25 In Latest Customer Fleecing
Surprise! AT&T just hiked their activation fee. Customers must now pay $25 instead of $20 in order to activate a new line or upgrade an existing one.
The activation fee applies to both devices purchased with an installment agreement and devices the customer already owns. The activation and upgrade fees for two year agreements are $45. Customers can still be charged the activation fee if their device is back-ordered. Verizon also recently upped their activation fee from $20 to $30. Unlike AT&T, Verizon has gotten rid of their two year agreements in favor of payment plans or full retail pricing.
AT&T has been full of price hike surprises lately. The company increased the price of their legacy unlimited data plans by $10 this year. AT&T has been trying to encourage their customers to adopt their Mobile Share Advantage plan and Unlimited Data plan.
Both AT&T and Verizon have also been limiting their “unlimited” data plans. AT&T at one point throttled unlimited data customers after they had consumed between 3GB to 5GB of data. AT&T now usually only throttles Unlimited Data Legacy customers if they are connected to a busy cell tower.
Verizon recently told customers that currently use an average of 200GB or more of data per month that they will need to abandon their current plans. Verizon will disconnect these customers if they do not switch by February 16th. According to Verizon's current data plans, customers would need to pay $450 per month for 100GB.
AT&T and Verizon have also been the subject of numerous customer billing complaints. Together they charged customers roughly $600 million in overage fees this past year. Verizon supposedly got rid of overage fees this past September, but one woman was hit with a $9,100 phone bill and a Cleveland nonprofit faced a $20,000 bill due to unexplained overages. No explanation for the charges has come forth.
The activation fee applies to both devices purchased with an installment agreement and devices the customer already owns. The activation and upgrade fees for two year agreements are $45. Customers can still be charged the activation fee if their device is back-ordered. Verizon also recently upped their activation fee from $20 to $30. Unlike AT&T, Verizon has gotten rid of their two year agreements in favor of payment plans or full retail pricing.
AT&T has been full of price hike surprises lately. The company increased the price of their legacy unlimited data plans by $10 this year. AT&T has been trying to encourage their customers to adopt their Mobile Share Advantage plan and Unlimited Data plan.
Both AT&T and Verizon have also been limiting their “unlimited” data plans. AT&T at one point throttled unlimited data customers after they had consumed between 3GB to 5GB of data. AT&T now usually only throttles Unlimited Data Legacy customers if they are connected to a busy cell tower.
Verizon recently told customers that currently use an average of 200GB or more of data per month that they will need to abandon their current plans. Verizon will disconnect these customers if they do not switch by February 16th. According to Verizon's current data plans, customers would need to pay $450 per month for 100GB.
AT&T and Verizon have also been the subject of numerous customer billing complaints. Together they charged customers roughly $600 million in overage fees this past year. Verizon supposedly got rid of overage fees this past September, but one woman was hit with a $9,100 phone bill and a Cleveland nonprofit faced a $20,000 bill due to unexplained overages. No explanation for the charges has come forth.
