T-Mobile's $18 Phone Upgrade Fee is Confusing, Stupid [Cellphones]

from Gizmodo by Sean Fallon

According to an email shared by a source with our friends at the Consumerist, starting today T-Mobile will begin charging existing customers an $18 fee when they buy a new phone. Apparently the new fee will help underwrite the cost of selling subsidized phones to new customers. Now here's the confusing part — if an existing customer is upgrading their phone, but not extending their contract, the fee will not be assessed. Perhaps they feel that any potential anger resulting from this charge will subside after a fresh two year contract expires. Hopefully we will learn more when we receive some confirmation on this issue. [Consumerist]