Adding Insult To Injury AT&T Jacks-Up Smartphone Upgrade Fee To Match Verizon At $20
AT&T just bumped its wireless activation and upgrade fee to $20 per smartphone on several of its plans, a 33 percent increase from its previous $15 charge, though save some of your outrage for Verizon. It was Big Red that rolled out a new $20 upgrade fee earlier this week, which AT&T apparently took as an opening to do the same.
Sure, we're just talking about a $5 price hike here, but what's annoying about the fee increase is that it's an arbitrary bump on top of what's an arbitrary charge to begin with. Does it really cost $15 or $20 for the dude in a blue shirt standing behind the counter to punch a few keys and click the mouse a couple of times en route to activating your overpriced handset? It doesn't matter, because like a honey badger, wireless carriers don't give a flip.
Here's a look at AT&T's recently altered wireless activation and upgrade fees:
As for Verizon, the wireless carrier says it implemented upgrade fees to "help cover our increasing support costs associated with customers switching their devices," but in all reality, it's a way to nickel and dime customers.
Sure, we're just talking about a $5 price hike here, but what's annoying about the fee increase is that it's an arbitrary bump on top of what's an arbitrary charge to begin with. Does it really cost $15 or $20 for the dude in a blue shirt standing behind the counter to punch a few keys and click the mouse a couple of times en route to activating your overpriced handset? It doesn't matter, because like a honey badger, wireless carriers don't give a flip.
Here's a look at AT&T's recently altered wireless activation and upgrade fees:
- Activation and upgrade fees for smartphones with AT&T Next - Activation and upgrade fees are $20 per smartphone added or upgraded with AT&T Next.
- Activation fees for installment agreements and bring your own devices - The fee is $20.
- Activation and upgrade fees for two year agreement - Fees are $45. Note: Two year agreements are available only on select devices.
As for Verizon, the wireless carrier says it implemented upgrade fees to "help cover our increasing support costs associated with customers switching their devices," but in all reality, it's a way to nickel and dime customers.
