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Verizon Starts Charging $30 Phone Upgrade Fee
This is What U.S. Wireless 'Competition' Looks Like
Verizon Wireless has joined AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint and will finally start charging users an upgrade fee. According to a notice posted to the Verizon Wireless website, existing customers purchasing subsidized wireless hardware under a two-year contract must pay a $30 upgrade fee starting April 22. "This fee will help us continue 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." AT&T recently doubled their upgrade fee to $36, Sprint charges $36, and T-Mobile charges $18.
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The Limit
Premium Member
join:2007-09-25
Denver, CO

The Limit

Premium Member

Collusion...

...in lockstep. Almost every carrier does this now, so the excuse "if you don't like it, don't sign up" can't be applied here. And for the love of God, don't even try and argue that this is a legit service fee. It's not, plain and simple.

inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK

1 recommendation

inteller

Member

Re: Collusion...

well actually yes it can, at least with GSM carriers....buy unlocked phone and use it with whoever you want.

Cabal
Premium Member
join:2007-01-21

1 edit

Cabal to The Limit

Premium Member

to The Limit
Not an issue with any number of MVNOs reselling service from the Big 4.

Vchat20
Landing is the REAL challenge
Premium Member
join:2003-09-16
Columbus, OH

Vchat20

Premium Member

Re: Collusion...

Yeah. If you don't mind a horrid selection of phones and no BYOD. There are very few MVNOs that are open BYOD or have a remotely decent selection of phones directly offered by them. Believe me, I've looked. Best option is T-Mobile's prepaid plans given they allow you to just order a SIM and use your own device? And it all just goes downhill from there. I'm currently on Page Plus which is a Verizon MVNO and allows pretty much any clean postpaid Verizon device no questions. Currently rocking an OG Droid which activated just as easy if I was activating on a postpaid VZ account. Unfortunately if you are a primary data user, the plans are a bit ugly compared to other providers. Best plan they have now is a $55/mo unlimited talk/text and 1GB data. Next down the list is $29.95/mo for 1200 texts and 1200 minutes but an anemic 100MB data. Though they at least let you go over those limits with per X rates. If memory serves the $29.95 was $.10/MB when you used up the 100MB.

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958 to The Limit

Premium Member

to The Limit
said by The Limit:

...in lockstep. Almost every carrier does this now, so the excuse "if you don't like it, don't sign up" can't be applied here. And for the love of God, don't even try and argue that this is a legit service fee. It's not, plain and simple.

About the only comment that was even necessary on this story.

djdanska
Rudie32
Premium Member
join:2001-04-21
San Diego, CA

djdanska

Premium Member

ehh

You can usually get t-mobile to waive the upgrade fee if you ask hard enough.
tcope
Premium Member
join:2003-05-07
Sandy, UT

tcope

Premium Member

Re: ehh

Yup, but on top of that it's only $18, which is at least a reasonable rape of money. I'e upgraded several times with TM and they have been so good I've not had any issues with the fee.

crazediamond
Maybe you shouldn't be so proud?
Premium Member
join:2002-01-19
Brooklyn, NY

crazediamond

Premium Member

as a result?

I feel like if there's an upgrade fee that just means I'm more likely to switch wireless companies next time I have to upgrade, assuming that network coverage is similar. (I realize that's a huge assumption :P)
daake07
join:2011-06-28
Kearney, NE

daake07

Member

USCellular is looking better every moment.

I saw this when it was first posted this morning and was amazed. You want to charge me $30 to lock myself into another 2 year contract and pay upwards of $300 for a phone....no. I just renewed my contract last month so this won't affect me for a couple of years, but USCellular is looking better and better.

If they are going to charge this fee I expect LTE to be up and running nationwide by April 22. I think that's a fair tradeoff.

UHF
All static, all day, Forever
MVM
join:2002-05-24

UHF

MVM

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

With US Cellular it's one and done with the contracts. After the first 2 yr agreement, you're done with contracts forever. Add in their free incoming, free mobile to mobile, and free nights and weekends and well over half of my calls are free! I never come close to using the bucket of minutes they give me.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

No iPhone, No Sale.

I'll stick with Verizon as they have the iPhone. I am also thinking of buying an new iPad (old one is 1st generation and is crashing frequently due to low memory) and I am hoping to get the Verizon one as it has LTE.

delusion ftl
@comcast.net

delusion ftl

Anon

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

You should try something better. Then you wouldn't be stuck on more expensive and restrictive carriers.

floyd007
join:2004-06-07
Glen Allen, VA

floyd007 to IowaCowboy

Member

to IowaCowboy
iPhone is NOT the best phone out there, (my opinion of course) sorry, I just do not buy it. I actually switched carriers from At&T to Verizon because I wanted the Incredible and not the IPhone. I do not do proprietary systems. Nobody will have that kind of monopoly over me.

About UsCellular, it will be a matter of time before they to charge a contract fee. maybe not today but eventually. They are not the black knight in shinning armour.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

1 recommendation

itguy05

Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

said by floyd007:

iPhone is NOT the best phone out there, (my opinion of course) sorry, I just do not buy it. I actually switched carriers from At&T to Verizon because I wanted the Incredible and not the IPhone.

Yes it is. I thought Android was better. Picked up a new Droid X on launch day. It had issues out of the box. Would reboot and stuff every couple weeks. 3G hotspot didn't work reliably. I should have sent it back and went back to AT&T and my iPhone. Didn't and it got better.

Now it's been upgraded to Gingerbread and it reboots whenever it feels like it, it is sluggish, the vibrator stopped working, the battery cover comes off when it wants, and it's jut a general POS. Moto won't update it, Google washed their hands of it.

Contrast that to my iPhone 3G that I bought on launch week and sold to a coworker. Still works to this day (guess he doesn't have huge needs).

I'm done with Android when the iPhone 5 comes out. I plan to use my Droid X for target practice when the iPhone 5 is in my hands.
daake07
join:2011-06-28
Kearney, NE

daake07

Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

Because you had one bad phone does not mean the iPhone is better. I had the HTC Incredible and it was a fantastic phone. I rarely had issues and did not root it until after 15 months of owning it. I've now moved on to the Rezound and it is probably the best phone out right now. I also got it for $100 which makes the deal even better.

My Rezound with 32GB of storage cost $100 while a 32GB iPhone costs $300...I'll keep the $200 as well as having the better phone.

Oh lets not forget the 4GB of data that a new Verizon Android customer gets compared to the 2GB cap an Apple customer gets. (This is irrelevant to me, I'm still unlimited).
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05

Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

said by daake07:

Because you had one bad phone does not mean the iPhone is better. I had the HTC Incredible and it was a fantastic phone. I rarely had issues and did not root it until after 15 months of owning it.

Well, Apple's offerings (iCloud, find my phone, etc) are better than what Google gives people. I won't even discuss the abysmal e-mail client that comes with the Droid X (doesn't really do IMAP), or how bad the WiFi is on the DX.

Let me just say this - there are plenty of people going from Android -> iPhone.

Believe me I wanted to love Android. I wanted it to be better than the iPhone. Sadly for me it isn't.
quote:
Oh lets not forget the 4GB of data that a new Verizon Android customer gets compared to the 2GB cap an Apple customer gets. (This is irrelevant to me, I'm still unlimited).
Me too - I'm grandfathered in.
25139889 (banned)
join:2011-10-25
Toledo, OH

25139889 (banned)

Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

You can NOT compare Droid X as that device and software is set only for Verizon. You have to take in account for Android as a whole.

And not that many people going from Android to Apple. Just not seeing it happen. Especially with their over priced phones and higher data plans.

Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA

Thaler to itguy05

Premium Member

to itguy05
said by itguy05:

Well, Apple's offerings (iCloud, find my phone, etc) are better than what Google gives people.

This might just be biased from your Droid X experience. I have a lower-end phone than yours, and all those functions work, if not better, with Google's cloud services.

I might look more into an iPhone once their market becomes open to 3rd parties (ie. amazon). Having to switch my entire cloud media library simply because of my phone manufacturer is pretty goofy.

delusion ftl
@xmission.com

delusion ftl to itguy05

Anon

to itguy05
Unfortunately for you, reality disagrees. Android in the US is growing at a faster rate than ios. So when you say there are plenty of people leaving android for iphones, that may be true, but there are more leaving ios and going to android.

I use all devices and have significant experience with the platforms. icloud is not better than googles cloud services. I cannot imagine where you heard that since it's well known in the industry.

I think the non-intelligent thing to do would be to run back to the abusive spouse because you had a rough go for a bit. I'm confident that if you picked up the galaxy nexus, razr maxx or equivalent you would soon lose your desire never go back.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05

Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

said by delusion ftl :

Unfortunately for you, reality disagrees. Android in the US is growing at a faster rate than ios. So when you say there are plenty of people leaving android for iphones, that may be true, but there are more leaving ios and going to android.

Actually reality disagrees with you:

»techcrunch.com/2012/01/0 ··· ov-2011/

»www.netmarketshare.com/o ··· ample=29

»www.engadget.com/2012/02 ··· d-draws/
quote:
I use all devices and have significant experience with the platforms. icloud is not better than googles cloud services. I cannot imagine where you heard that since it's well known in the industry.
What industry? Where is Google's cloud music offering? Where's the syncing of my media library? When I get a new phone do my apps automatically come over (Hint: no!).

Google does have Docs but that's about it.

I think the non-intelligent thing to do would be to run back to the abusive spouse because you had a rough go for a bit. I'm confident that if you picked up the galaxy nexus, razr maxx or equivalent you would soon lose your desire never go back.

Why would I go back for more of the same disconnected BS that is Android. Or the phone and ecosystem that I know works well (iOS)?

No thanks, I'll ditch the BS of Android and go back to what I know works.

Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA

Thaler

Premium Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

said by itguy05:

Where is Google's cloud music offering? Where's the syncing of my media library?

»lmgtfy.com/?q=google+music
»lmgtfy.com/?q=google+photos
»lmgtfy.com/?q=google+books
»lmgtfy.com/?q=google+videos
»lmgtfy.com/?q=google+documents

I can also do Amazon's versions if you like - that's where I keep my media. I just have the personal preference of not having my media leashed to a specific hardware manufacturer.

NY Tel
Premium Member
join:2004-04-09
Smithtown, NY

1 edit

NY Tel to itguy05

Premium Member

to itguy05
said by itguy05:

said by floyd007:

iPhone is NOT the best phone out there, (my opinion of course) sorry, I just do not buy it. I actually switched carriers from At&T to Verizon because I wanted the Incredible and not the IPhone.

Yes it is. I thought Android was better. Picked up a new Droid X on launch day. It had issues out of the box. Would reboot and stuff every couple weeks. 3G hotspot didn't work reliably. I should have sent it back and went back to AT&T and my iPhone. Didn't and it got better.

Now it's been upgraded to Gingerbread and it reboots whenever it feels like it, it is sluggish, the vibrator stopped working, the battery cover comes off when it wants, and it's jut a general POS. Moto won't update it, Google washed their hands of it.

Contrast that to my iPhone 3G that I bought on launch week and sold to a coworker. Still works to this day (guess he doesn't have huge needs).

I'm done with Android when the iPhone 5 comes out. I plan to use my Droid X for target practice when the iPhone 5 is in my hands.

Couldn't agree with you more. Android is a meaningless mess of well intentioned software running on disparate hardware platforms.
While Apple may have control, if that is what it takes to make it work as flawlessly as it does - then so be it.
ALL HAIL THE APPLE FLAVORED KOOL AID!
25139889 (banned)
join:2011-10-25
Toledo, OH

25139889 (banned)

Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

Apple is by far NOT the best product out there. After all they only tell you what you need. And look at their own products. They're still behind in technology when compared to other products.
rifleman69
join:2006-04-12
Beaverton, OR

rifleman69

Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

said by 25139889:

Apple is by far NOT the best product out there. After all they only tell you what you need. And look at their own products. They're still behind in technology when compared to other products.

No one said Apple is the best product out there but you. It just works!
thecp
join:2004-07-15
Sacramento, CA

thecp

Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

said by rifleman69 See Profile
No one said Apple is the best product out there but you. It just works!
[/BQUOTE :

Tell my friend that please. He txts me all the time telling me all his iphone problems and when I ask him why doesn't he just go with a different phone he tell me "It just works!" And without fail he'll use his upgrade for the next iphone. He's the very reason I will stay far far away from the iphone.

Tycho2
Premium Member
join:2000-07-23
Grandville, MI

Tycho2 to itguy05

Premium Member

to itguy05
It is bittersweet to see this post. I also have had the Droid X since October 2010 and was having major problems with it. I sent it back for a refurb and while the issues are less the fact that it just does whatever it wants sometimes is scary.

I don't know if I am going to stick with Verizon after this stunt.

floyd007
join:2004-06-07
Glen Allen, VA

floyd007 to itguy05

Member

to itguy05
That is your experience. me. no issues and like I mentioned I do not do proprietary systems, no exceptions.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05

Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

said by floyd007:

That is your experience. me. no issues and like I mentioned I do not do proprietary systems, no exceptions.

What OS do you run on your computer? Linux? Windows is proprietary too.....

floyd007
join:2004-06-07
Glen Allen, VA

floyd007

Member

Re: USCellular is looking better every moment.

No it is not. Apple is. They had the same issue back in the 1980s and lost the war with Microsoft even though they had a superior product. IBM at the same time tried with their OS Wrap and PC-DOS and failed. Microsoft, like Google permit all vendors to tinkle with their OS (of course for a price). Apple's products in the 1980s? NO. Today? Severely limited.
jp10558
Premium Member
join:2005-06-24
Willseyville, NY

jp10558 to itguy05

Premium Member

to itguy05
While I don't want an iPhone, I'm seriously disappointed in my Droid 3. I got it for the keyboard, and within a year the space bar is flaky... The phone has been randomly rebooting, or randomly not having GPS work or all around running like it was Windows 98SE - passable, but boy do I have to reboot it a lot.

My 6 yr old dumb Motorola (feature phone?) never rebooted unless I took the battery out. I like the apps, I find many useful - but the OS is laggy / hangy / rebooty and some apps crash all the damn time. I haven't rooted it or re-flashed it, but I'm getting close to seeing if it's the hardware or OS Motorola put on it.

I just wish there were more choices with a slide out keyboard - I just haven't been able to use an onscreen keyboard well ever, and hardly at all on anything less than a 7" touchscreen. My fingers are fat.
25139889 (banned)
join:2011-10-25
Toledo, OH

25139889 (banned) to daake07

Member

to daake07
so does prepaid where you just buy the phone out right. Not happy just sell the phone and move on with a number port.
Technicholas
Premium Member
join:2010-11-11
West Des Moines, IA

Technicholas

Premium Member

Will they wave this for a company discount?

I wonder if they'll let us wave the fee if we have a company discount on our account. What about the loyal customer's who pay their bill on time every month or have auto pay?

••••••
b10010011
Whats a Posting tag?
join:2004-09-07
united state

b10010011

Member

Hey Verizon spend some of that money on fixing your website!

I tried to use Verizions website last weekend and it did not work properly in IE8, Firefox, or Chrome!
contsole
Premium Member
join:2003-12-30
Newington, CT

contsole

Premium Member

Hey Verizon spend some of that money on fixing your website!

They consistently have the worst website ever! When it does occasionally work, why is it so slow?
Crookshanks
join:2008-02-04
Binghamton, NY

Crookshanks to b10010011

Member

to b10010011

Re: Hey Verizon spend some of that money on fixing your website!

Fix your computer. I've used the Verizon Residential site and the Verizon Wireless site in Firefox in Windows, Firefox in Linux, IE, and Safari with no issues at all.

BK3
join:2001-04-10
Geneva, IL

BK3

Member

Can I opt out?

Can I opt out of the "Wireless Workshops, online educational tools, and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices that are more sophisticated than ever."

I have not used, nor plan to use, these things. Can I opt out and save the $30.00?

I can get most of this here at DSLR, if I ever needed it.

•••••

Bill Neilson
Premium Member
join:2009-07-08
Alexandria, VA

Bill Neilson

Premium Member

And with the continued stupidity of

people wanting to destroy any and all regulations....companies will continue adding more and more fees because frankly...who will stop them?

•••••••
caps620
join:2009-01-18
Central NJ

caps620

Member

What else is new ...

From the Washington Post article "Verizon is introducing the fee as cellphone companies are seeing their profits cut by the cost of subsidizing smartphones, especially iPhones."
I don't have a smartphone, I don't need a smart phone (I know I'm the minority) so basically I'm going to pay Verizon the money they are loosing by subsidizing smartphones when I want to change my phone.

••••••
desarollo
join:2011-10-01
Monroe, MI

desarollo

Member

And Yet...

The US Cellular companies will express "shock" when Congress finally notices consumer outrage and figures the votes garnered in regulating the wireless carriers far exceeds those that can be purchased with dollars from those carriers.

You can't have double-digit percentage profit increases (or in the case of Verizon triple) year over year, and have a good explanation of why you *need* to charge an upgrade fee other than you can and will. After all, where's the consumer going to go?

•••

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Still a bargain

It's still a bargain to get a $649 phone for $199 plus the $30 upgrade fee, although I think they should reduce it to $15 for basic phones.

A local supermarket chain in my area (Big Y) has the silver savings club loyalty program where you can upgrade your loyalty card for $20 a year and get special pricing on select items. I have already saved more than I paid for the card itself. One thing I use the card for is ground beef which is $1 off per pound with the silver savings card. The discounts on other select items are pretty generous as well.

If the carriers really wanted to make money, they'd get rid of carrier subsidies and make us pay for the phones outright. Then manufacturers would be forced to sell their phones dirt cheap as they would not sell themselves on their own. Just like when they broke up Ma' Bell, the phones were sold by third party retailers and not by the phone company. I've seen landline phones for $5 at Walmart. I am also pretty sure that our cell service would be cheaper without carrier subsidies as they are built into the cost of service. I think a more sustainable business model for the cell companies would be to offer a discount on service for buying the phone outright.

••••••••••••••••••••••••

Theridge
@speakeasy.net

Theridge

Anon

Bonus

The money for CEO Lowell mcadams bonus has to come from somewhere!

PeteC2
Got Mouse?
MVM
join:2002-01-20
Bristol, CT

1 recommendation

PeteC2

MVM

Maybe I am just too old?

Maybe I am getting along there, and maybe it skews my view of relative value..

My first cell phone was what would come to be called, a "bag" phone. Weighed several pounds, and you would not even fantasize about carrying it in a breifcase!

Cost? $399 (got mine on sale for a mere $299!). Plan? Around $0.71 a minute, no free nights/weekends...nada! At the time, it was actually a decent deal, by the way. Oh yeah, don't even ask about roaming charges...

What could 'ya do with it? If you were really, really lucky...and managed to find the rare good service connection...you could make a call to a landline number...yee-haw!

My current phone, a Glaxy SII? Well, yes, I do make phone calls...and answer emails, texts, vm etc. I also watch the occasional tv show or movie when stuck waiting somewhere...and take photos with it (Not bad 8mp camera)...and send documents from work, to my printer at home...and scan bar codes to compare prices on goods...and listen to my music...and manage my appointments...and use GPS to figure out where I am driving...

Hell, I can go on, and these are features that I actually use on a regular basis, I am sure other folks here have other uses for their smart phones.

I want low cost as much as the next person...but I can also appreciate value...Half the posts here sound like folks feel disenfranchised because the companies have the "gall" to charge them anything at all for their service.
thecp
join:2004-07-15
Sacramento, CA

thecp

Member

Re: Maybe I am just too old?

said by PeteC2:



I want low cost as much as the next person...but I can also appreciate value...Half the posts here sound like folks feel disenfranchised because the companies have the "gall" to charge them anything at all for their service.

Most of these posts are totally off-topic, and the ones that aren't are not complaints about the $30 amount but the lockstep actions of the carriers. Hell, the very first post is about colluding.

Twaddle
@sbcglobal.net

Twaddle

Anon

Upgrade Fee will enf my relationship.

I currently have Sprint and have had it for over 10 years. If they were to tell me that it will cost me 30 dollars to "upgrade" my phone then I would have to say adios. I am quote happy with Sprint(except for that nebulous 10 bucks a month data fee) and the fact that after over 2 years I've yet to see "4G" except for pockets outside my home area. I'll just keep my EVO 4Gs until they fall apart or Sprint no longer supports them. Smart Phones are a bit overrated because the carriers don't fully support the capabilities and serve up a mishmash of services designed to maximize their bottom line and minimizing your wallet.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Non-issue, as usual

Phones cost real money. They aren't free. Get over it.

••••
psiu
join:2004-01-20
Farmington, MI

psiu

Member

NE2?

So does this negate my last New Every 2 upgrade I've been saving? I guess I should look into just buying a phone and selling it right off the bat. Then when a new phone that I actually want comes along (new WP anytime now VZW) I will just pay the retail price.
gapboy118
join:2005-10-09
Santa Rosa, CA

gapboy118

Member

Only via Verizon or other retailers as well?

Will the $30 fee apply only to upgrades performed at a Verizon retail store/online or will it also apply if you upgrade your phone elsewhere, like at Best Buy, Costco, or an online site like Amazon or Wirefly?
TheMG
Premium Member
join:2007-09-04
Canada

TheMG

Premium Member

Keep the fees coming!

Far too many phones ending up in the landfills from people constantly upgrading their phones.

It's about time they do something to help discourage people from upgrading their phones twice a year!
A_Team
join:2006-10-16
San Luis Obispo, CA

A_Team

Member

Re: Keep the fees coming!

Twice a year? Dang, I don't know anyone that's go that much money nowadays to throw away. If your upgrading a smartphone, or even a regular phone on Verizon twice a year, then your spending a fortune on phones not to mention other fees.

But hey, I guess Verizon should feel lucky to a have a few guys like you in their corner that agree with their greedy ways.
amungus
Premium Member
join:2004-11-26
America

amungus

Premium Member

Currently with U.S. Cellular.......

So there's this, an activation fee, a bunch of fees, including the "Universal Slush Fund," totally overpriced text fees, way overpriced data charges that went from 5GB, to 2GB, to 4GB... wow

In other words, these devices are getting insanely expensive, they ate it bad on people who renewed too often (doesn't help that Moto comes out with a new model every other week it seems like), and now they want people to pay.
Oh, and massive iPhone subsidies... yeah.

Well, I've been w/U.S. Cellular since they took over "Cellular One" in my area (10+yrs. in total now I've been w/the 'same' company). Guess what. They've *NEVER* screwed around like this. Guess what else. I'm glad. I pay my fair share, they provide reliable service, and all is good. I have zero incentive to consider another carrier. A shiny Apple phone isn't enough. Service and price are what matter more to me, including customer service, both of which have always been just fine

I might understand this for actual smart phones, NOT including Blackberry (hmm... there's another factor... can you imagine the boxes of unsold Blackberry devices sitting around??).

In my case, if I were with Verizon, it would still cost more than U.S. Cellular, even factoring in a discount that I could get through work.
Add $90 to upgrade 3 lines at once... 2 of which are 'normal' phones... no thanks!
Prespd
join:2004-03-10
Wyoming, MI

Prespd

Member

$30 to keep a number?

So my wife decided to ditch the BB in favor of a 4S on Sprint. I assume the story is the same for all carriers.

She could have paid that upgrade fee, if out of contract, and gotten the phone. Being still in the contract, we were faced with a termination fee and an unsubsidized phone, just to keep her same number.

So instead, we figured with 3 months left on the contract, it was cheaper to keep that account, open a new line, and boom we get a subsidized 4S without an upgrade or cancellation fee. New number of course.

We have the old BB call forwarding to the 4S until the contract is up, then we shut that phone down.

Dear carriers,
Suck it. We'll find away around as many of your fees as we can while still retaining service.
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