Verizon Wireless to Implement $30 Upgrade Fee Later This Month

By emeadows
April 12, 2012

Verizon has long been the only wireless carrier of the “big four” to allow upgrading for free. No longer. Starting on April 22, Verizon will begin charging a $30 upgrade fee whenever an existing customer wants to extend a contract with new hardware.
According to a released statement, this new fee will be used to help Verizon “continue to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect.” According to TechCrunch, “that apparently includes Verizon’s online support tools, their in-person Wireless Workshops, and ‘consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices.’”
AT&T bumped up its fee from $18 to $36 earlier this year, which is about equal to Sprint’s. T-Mobile’s upgrade fee still stands at $18 for now.
“In fairness, it’s a fee that doesn’t come into play but once every two years or so (unless something tragic happens to your device before that), but it makes for an unsightly bill that can temper the joy of new phone ownership,” comments TechCrunch. “Families in particular will have it rough — the bill for a bog-standard four-person family plan could easily double if everyone gets a new phone at the same time.”

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