How to get waived activation fees for your cell phone service
As I mentioned in a previous article, many businesses, schools, and organizations you already belong to probably qualify you for discounts with cell phone companies. When starting service, ask if they company you work for, or organization like AAA allows you go get waived activation fees.
Barring that, you still don’t have to pay this stupid fee. Cell phone companies are competing these days, use that against them. Tell them you were with company A, and are now thinking of going to their company but you are going to have to pay an early termination fee, you are going to have to buy a new phone, and it is going to be real inconvenient for you. You really haven’t made up your mind if you really want to move yet, you just want to see what they can offer you.
Nine times out of 10, they will not only waive your activation fees, but they may give you a bigger discount on your cell phone than you thought, and may give you some extras to boot. Stealing a customer from another cell phone company is like bagging the big one for these cell phone salesmen. Their companies promote this, so they will do whatever they can to steal you away from “company A”.
If they still won’t give you a discount, walk away. If they don’t stop you before you reach the door and say they have reconsidered, then simply go the next branch of the same company right down the street and you may get better service. Salespeople at these stores are commisioned and set their own prices, and eventually you will find someone that will be hungry for a sale.
Discounters and third party stores like Wal-Mart and Costco offer better deals and often waive activation fees when the corporate stores won’t. They just work on thinner margins, just like the rest of Wal-Mart. I would say go to the corporate store first to find the phone you want since they will have the best selection, and if they can’t waive your activation, go to Wal-Mart.
I definitely recommend going to the store. If you call on the phone, not only do you have to wait for the phone to be mailed to you, the phone operator doesn’t have the same latitude to discount activation fees, etc. Online third party stores are worse, just read some of their reviews. Amazon is the one exception, but you still have to have the phone mailed, bummer.
If you don’t have a store in your area, check the company’s online store. These stupid cell phone companies have not caught on yet. They are still doing the old retail “price it high, then offer a discount” business that is quickly going south in America. However, you can find good deals, like waived activation fees, often on these sites. If it isn’t there now, wait a week or two and it will be.
Worst case scenario, if you have to have service NOW, you can always start the service and when the first bill comes with the activation fee on it, you can call in and raise hell with the customer service rep saying that the store representative “promised” to waive your activation fee, he had no idea what he was doing, he was a jerk, etc., etc. (I don’t approve of lying, and you have to do what you think is right, from testimonials though, it does work and I ain’t gonna give you any B.S. here.) Nine times out of 10, the customer service rep will appologize and give you the waived activation fee anyway. One way or another, you can avoid some made up, junk fee, like activation.
