Topic: I Hate Stupid Fees

[Schlotzky5]

I have been with t-mobile for years, and I have been going month to month since my contract ran out a little bit ago. I wanted to switch to their new plans which work out better for me. This is what I got from their customer service:


_Toni E: If a customer that is no longer under contract wants to sign up for the new rate plans with no contract, there is a $35.00 activation fee.
Schlotzky5: what does the 35.00 activation fee go towards if I am already a tmobile customer?
_Toni E: It goes to making the change to the new no contract plan while being able to change your features. In other words, most of the new plans require a contract. This one does not.
Schlotzky5: ok
_Toni E: This gives you the freedom to keep the account open to no early termination fees if you ever have to leave us, and we hope that never has to happen!


I think its a recursive fee, meaning the only reason they have it is because they need tech support people to answer the question of why they have it.

[Quemaqua]

Fees don't actually go toward anything.  The supposed cost to the company is imaginary.  Only the cost to the customer is real.  The world is owned by greedy motherfuckers.

[Cobra951]

Perfect reply.

[gpw11]

Telecom is fucking ridiculous. There is so much "unorganized" collusion it's fucking retarded.  I understand that there are a hell of a lot of infrastructure and licencing costs, but I don't buy these fees for a second.  If I wasn't so lazy I'd look into it more so I could bitch.  One interesting thing I did find out recently though is that telecom companies usually pay street price for handsets (or very slightly below) and then subsidize them.  I guess the margins on the units are so small and "unorganized" collusion so prevalent with the manufacturers that there's no real bulk incentives. The other shitty part of that is it's not a subsidy at all....it's a loan you're required to pay back for pretty much forever.  Oh, and text messages are pretty much the only thing in the world that are completely pure profit.

My strategy is to hold onto a plan and never let go, trying to get free shit the whole way through.  It's been working out pretty well, but in the end even if you think you're getting a good deal you're totally not.

[iPPi]

My cell phone's three year contract is nearing the end and I was looking at moving to a pay-as-you-go plan.  They are going to charge me a $50 migration fee.  It's fucking retarded. 

[gpw11]

Don't go pay as you go, it's not all that cost effective.  I'd just let the contract expire and go month to month.  Even change your plan down to the cheapest option if you want.  Although, pay as you go can be good if you don't really ever use your phone.