Verizon Wireless to Start Charging $30 for a Handset Upgrade

Verizon Wireless has decided to start charging customers an additional $30 when they upgrade their phone. To make it even clearer, the fee of $30 will be applied to existing customers who wish to purchase a new handset on a 2 year contract. Verizon joins the ranks of Sprint and AT&T both of which have been charging their customers for the same purpose. According to Verizon, the carrier is levying this additional charge to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect.

Although that phrasing is a little ambiguous, a safe bet would be that the carrier is trying to tell us that the cost of customer service requires more funding and one of the ways they can do it that will get less criticism that others (since AT&T and Sprint are doing it) this. While it isn’t exactly a crazy idea that customers have to pay a bit of extra money for a spanking new device, any news of consumers having to pony up even a small amount of money is not usually taken well.