Jack recently got a new phone for one of his AT&T cellphones. In the process, he of course had to extend his contract another two years. When he got his bill, he discovered a mysterious $18 “upgrade fee.” When he called AT&T, they told him it was the standard contract extension charge.

“I politely protested,” writes Jack, “saying how silly it was for them to charge me to extend a contract and the CSR kindly rescinded the charge. Still, it should not have been imposed in the first place.”

If you end up extending your cellphone contract, be sure to check your bill to make sure you’re not being charged a fee for the service they’re providing you by locking you into contract with them another two years. Full bill scan inside…

People in the comments who work for cellphone companies say this is a standard charge. Guess what? That makes it even more ridiculous. What “cost” are they trying to recover? None, it’s just a bullshit way to squeeze out more money that they figure most people won’t notice.

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