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Starting Apr. 22, Verizon will implement a $30 upgrade fee for current customers who want to get a new phone, joining the ranks of the three other major U.S. wireless carriers that also implement similar fees.
Verizon says the fee will be used to "provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect which includes Wireless Workshops, online educational tools, and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices that are more sophisticated than ever," according to the announcement. The fee can be waived or minimized if customers trade in an old device through Verizon's trade-in program.
"Just getting your phone set up is pretty difficult. It can take up to a few days to get it right," IBB Consulting Group's Jefferson Wang told Wired. "It's something you don't pay attention until you upgrade again, and is specifically a problem when you switch operating systems."
AT&T increased its upgrade charge from $18 to $36 in February, and Sprint also has a $36 fee. T-Mobile is the cheapest of the bunch, with an $18 fee.
When AT&T increased its upgrade fee, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel told The New York Times, “There’s time and work involved in upgrading you to a brand-new device. Because those devices are increasingly more complex, the upgrade process is more complex.”
But if you're getting charged for sticking it out with your current provider, is it cheaper to just ditch brand loyalty altogether and switch carriers with each new phone you get?
Unfortunately, no.
"When you switch carriers, there can be an activation fee, then the carrier will try to upsell you on their services and products, and then there's also the new data plan. Every carrier has their own data plan that’s a little different," Wang said.
On AT&T and Sprint, you've got a $36 activation fee for new wireless accounts. It's $35 on Verizon. For T-Mobile, the activation fee is also $35, almost double the cost of its upgrade fee.
Although the upgrade fee may seem like an unnecessary additional cost, it's just something we've got to suck up as part of our trendy mobile lifestyles.
