Verizon to begin charging upgrade fees

The cost of a new phone already hits me hard verizon! And I planned on getting a new phone this summer...

Man wtf, just talked to ATT and was wondering why the hell they had this shyt added to the damn phone already. What a damn rip off.

What is with these carriers nickel-and-diming us instead of competing for our business?

Originally posted by Steel-Ice:

---

What is with these carriers nickel-and-diming us instead of competing for our business?

---

Cellular service has transformed in the last 15 years from a luxury to a utility and like all utilities they are pretty much free to rape and pillage.

Quote:

---

The company also notes that trading in older handsets through Verizon's own trade-in program can help "offset the cost" of the new upgrade fee.

---

The trade in program is a joke. When I got my Droid 4, they offered me $5 for my Droid 2 which was in perfect working condition.

Originally posted by Azuran:

---

Originally posted by Steel-Ice:

---

What is with these carriers nickel-and-diming us instead of competing for our business?

---

Cellular service has transformed in the last 15 years from a luxury to a utility and like all utilities they are pretty much free to rape and pillage.

---

Utility companies are different they are regulated by government. They aren't allowed to compete you either have to like the company in your city or move. I never been able to choose between two different power companies, water company, or cable operator for a better price or service. Deregulation leads to lower prices and better services. Example: We have the highest price for internet and the slowest speeds. Europe was once rated lower then us until they deregulated their cable/ internet companies and allowed to compete which lead to increase internet speeds and lower prices.

Even their cellphone prices are lower while our keep rising. The government need to break up the big four and deregulate the utility companies so they will actually compete.
(I have my BBA in Business Management and the question was rhetoric because I already knew the answer.)

I have never paid and will never pay an upgrade fee. If you stay on the phone long enough bitching they either drop it outright, or will credit it back to you later.

Originally posted by hikaricor:

---

I have never paid and will never pay an upgrade fee. If you stay on the phone long enough bitching they either drop it outright, or will credit it back to you later.

---

trade in program? that is a joke, i can sell it on Ebay for more than a freaking trade in program.

How very odd, here in the UK upgrades are free plus the mobile operaters often throw in freebies to encourage you to upgrade and stay with them

Originally posted by Steel-Ice:

---

Deregulation leads to lower prices and better services.
The government need[s] to break up the big four and deregulate the utility companies so they will actually compete.

---

These truths have been proven in the free market repeatedly, and without exception. Government has never once succeeded in providing, or determining the quality of, products and services as well as the private sector relying upon consumer choice.

The newest Ziegiest video explains how companies are/have been making their products with less quality and high prices and have a "use and dispose" philosophy. This causes people to unconsciously spend money on the new and better version. I just read a report that says the next iphone will have a bigger screen.

I've had two android phones in less than one year. My first Cricket brand Hauwii broke in just a couple of months because the usb port broke from plugging and un-plugging constantly. A few months later I purchased a Virgin Mobile android. I don't use the phone much and I don't like the small screen. I could not tether it like my Cricket and when the phone has no airtime you can't view photos or videos. It still plays music however.

Originally posted by Steel-Ice:

---

What is with these carriers nickel-and-diming us instead of competing for our business?

---

Ummm.......they're not "competing" for our business anymore by holding out from charging these lame fees as they are ALL banding together.

Kinda like "Senior ditch day" in high school....the theory is that if EVERYONE ditches, the school can't do anything about it.

Same applies here....if they all charge.....where are you gonna go and not get charged that fee? They know this. So "competing" is no longer an issue when dealing with chargers that all partake in.

It seems like our American cousins get ripped off on a lot for services, for example I get totally unlimited broadband with no usage caps 20 mbps, plus unlimited 24/7 landline calls in the UK & 20 international destinations inclusive of line rental for £23.70 per month that's $37.81.
I think it has to do with there being only 4 big providers in the US and that IMHO they are price fixing and with little or no competion they can get away with it.

Originally posted by Jimathome:

---

It seems like our American cousins get ripped off on a lot for services, for example I get totally unlimited broadband with no usage caps 20 mbps, plus unlimited 24/7 landline calls in the UK & 20 international destinations inclusive of line rental for £23.70 per month that's $37.81.
I think it has to do with there being only 4 big providers in the US and that IMHO they are price fixing and with little or no competion they can get away with it.

---

I guess mobile price and service have as much to do with country of origin as...say, competition, politics, demographics, population/land density and much more.
For example, compared to South Korea, even the excellent UK rates are a ripoff.

Originally posted by Blessedon:

---

Originally posted by Jimathome:

---

It seems like our American cousins get ripped off on a lot for services, for example I get totally unlimited broadband with no usage caps 20 mbps, plus unlimited 24/7 landline calls in the UK & 20 international destinations inclusive of line rental for £23.70 per month that's $37.81.
I think it has to do with there being only 4 big providers in the US and that IMHO they are price fixing and with little or no competion they can get away with it.

---

I guess mobile price and service have as much to do with country of origin as...say, competition, politics, demographics, population/land density and much more.
For example, compared to South Korea, even the excellent UK rates are a ripoff.

---

True but the Koreans earn a lot less, and we don't have a psycopath running Scotland with a nuclear arsenal. LOL

Originally posted by Jimathome:

---

It seems like our American cousins get ripped off on a lot for services, for example I get totally unlimited broadband with no usage caps 20 mbps, plus unlimited 24/7 landline calls in the UK & 20 international destinations inclusive of line rental for £23.70 per month that's $37.81.
I think it has to do with there being only 4 big providers in the US and that IMHO they are price fixing and with little or no competion they can get away with it.

---

The big four are the cell companies. When it comes to internet and home phone you have even less to choose from because of the government. Either you get AT&T/U-Verse or whatever cable company is available in your city. If you are in a rural area your only choice is AT&T. For the same service here it would be about $60 for a year before they decided to raise your bill.

Originally posted by Steel-Ice:

---

Originally posted by Jimathome:

---

It seems like our American cousins get ripped off on a lot for services, for example I get totally unlimited broadband with no usage caps 20 mbps, plus unlimited 24/7 landline calls in the UK & 20 international destinations inclusive of line rental for £23.70 per month that's $37.81.
I think it has to do with there being only 4 big providers in the US and that IMHO they are price fixing and with little or no competion they can get away with it.

---

The big four are the cell companies. When it comes to internet and home phone you have even less to choose from because of the government. Either you get AT&T/U-Verse or whatever cable company is available in your city. If you are in a rural area your only choice is AT&T. For the same service here it would be about $60 for a year before they decided to raise your bill.

---

Dam ! sounds like a license to print money ! We have about 10 ISP's with there own exchanges (backbone) and then lots more who rent off them and resell there own service

I don't know what you pay for mobile (cell) I get 300 minutes to any network 2000 minutes to same network (3 Moblie UK)2000 texts and unlimited data for £12.00 $19.00 per month on a rolling monthly contract sim only (no phone)

I am surprised that no one has mentioned companies like StraightTalk. I started off with Alltel and then stayed with them when they were purchased by Verizon. I have been with both companies for well over a decade now and can't wait for my contract to run out early next year. Phones have climbed in price, service has climbed in price and customer service has declined over the same period. I am tired of contracts and having to keep a phone for the contract period, so I have decided to go with a company like StraightTalk. True the initial out-lay for a new phone is more, but my monthly bill will be cut by more than 50% and everything is unlimited, talk, text, and data.

been with Sprint almost 10 years and have NEVER paid for an upgrade...no bitching needed