[Ghost of V]

[Rama Set]

Alright, so after some investigation it looks like the article is referring to a new upgrade fee that didn't exist when I signed my first contract. It isn't referring to the old upgrade fee for upgrading mid-contract. Apparently they charge $30 now just for upgrading to a new phone and renewing your contract.

Verizon: the shittiest phone company around.

Granted, AT&T isn't much better.

Come to Canada. Literally the worst phone companies in the world. Even paying a warlord in human blood to make a call would be an improvement.

[EnigmaZV]

Alright, so after some investigation it looks like the article is referring to a new upgrade fee that didn't exist when I signed my first contract. It isn't referring to the old upgrade fee for upgrading mid-contract. Apparently they charge $30 now just for upgrading to a new phone and renewing your contract.

Verizon: the shittiest phone company around.

Granted, AT&T isn't much better.

Come to Canada. Literally the worst phone companies in the world. Even paying a warlord in human blood to make a call would be an improvement.

I pay $30/mo for 6gigs of data, and I use voip. $2/mo for unlimited incoming calls, and I use Google Hangouts to make free outgoing calls.

[juner]

Switch to T-Mo, the uncarrier...

[xasop]

Come to Canada. Literally the worst phone companies in the world.

Ah, I see you haven't visited Australia.

[Rama Set]

Come to Canada. Literally the worst phone companies in the world.

Ah, I see you haven't visited Australia.

I pay $65 for 3GBs of data, unlimited minutes and 250 texts. Challenge!

[xasop]

I pay $65 for 3GBs of data, unlimited minutes and 250 texts. Challenge!

Something roughly equivalent (3 GB of data, unlimited calls and texts between 18:00-06:00) costs me $100 with my current provider, which is something like $90 USD. I'm on pre-paid; I'm not sure if what you've said is pre-paid or on a contract. I actually pay less because I wouldn't use close to 3 GB of data if I had it.

Full disclosure: I'm with a fairly expensive provider because the others suck at reliability. I could get the same for cheaper if I didn't care about not being able to make use of the service randomly.

[Lord Dave]

I pay $130 for 2 smart phones, 10 GB of data, unlimited talk and text in the US, and cheaper international rates.

[Thork]

 Work pays for my phone. 

[Ghost of V]

Work pays for my phone. 

Do you pay for anything?

[Thork]

Work pays for my phone. 

Do you pay for anything?

My colleagues ask me this. When you go for a job, you negotiate your package and work conditions. I'm always surprised at how many people don't bother to ask for anything. It might be hard to get another $5000 in wages but its never hard to get $5000 worth of perks because companies just write it all off against tax.

[Ghost of V]

Work pays for my phone. 

Do you pay for anything?

My colleagues ask me this. When you go for a job, you negotiate your package and work conditions. I'm always surprised at how many people don't bother to ask for anything. It might be hard to get another $5000 in wages but its never hard to get $5000 worth of perks because companies just write it all off against tax.

Not everyone has a cushy corporate job to mooch from.

You might think you're moving up but you'll never get ahead giving head to the man, Thork.

[Thork]

Most companies have no idea what they should be providing anyway. I'll give the example of Gulfstream. I went for a job there that paid £55,000 a year + 15% annual bonus and pension contribution. That was it.
I negotiated with them for a London travel allowance, mobile costs, equipment (phone, laptop, etc). A London travel allowance is worth about $3500 on its own each year. They turned around and then resent that out as the offered package to all the applicants because they realised these weren't unreasonable requests for anyone doing that job in London.
I didn't get the job - down to the last 3 (they ended up promoting someone from within the company and frankly he'd been ear-marked from the outset), but it shows you can bolster your wages very often if you know what to ask for.
This time around I got equipment, mobile, travel costs - train, petrol, flights etc, meal costs, company car (still waiting for that bastard mind you), and the ability to work from home as I choose - currently do at least 3 days from home every week.

My advice would be if you ask in a way that makes it sound like a)it would be very normal to expect such perks, b) you ask for sensible and usual things c) you don't tremble like a shitting dog whilst you are doing it, you'll probably get that kind of stuff. :p

[Thork]

You know when they ask ... "Is there anything else you'd like to know about the role?" and you can either ask bullshit questions about whether they intend to expand, or if you'll get additional training, or you just have that long silence when you try to think of something so you sound interested in the job? No. that's the time to say "Does it come with a travel allowance? that would be a very important consideration for me". It puts them on the back foot and they rush off to see what they can do and sure as bears shit in the woods, it'll be ok'd. It also gives them warm feeling of "this guy is making standard industry demands ... he knows what he is doing." over the guy that sat there and asked bollocks questions about who they'd report to or if there was a football team they might join in the company.

[Ghost of V]

The epeen is strong with this one.

[Thork]

You asked.

sure, if you are going for a job as a McDonalds fry-guy you aren't going to be able to ask for anything, but a job interview is supposed to be a two-way negotiation. Do they want you, and do you want them? If you just put them in complete control, you aren't going to get a very good deal and they aren't going to fight to hire you.

Anyway, back on track ... I don't know what a mobile phone costs. I haven't paid a contract in several years. 

[Ghost of V]

You asked.

sure, if you are going for a job as a McDonalds fry-guy you aren't going to be able to ask for anything, but a job interview is supposed to be a two-way negotiation. Do they want you, and do you want them? If you just put them in complete control, you aren't going to get a very good deal and they aren't going to fight to hire you.

There are many jobs that are high-paying that don't require cellphones, laptops, or travel allowances. I already have a cellphone and a netbook to begin with, why would I need to ask for another one? I work as a sup, and if I went up to my bosses and asked for a free laptop they'd laugh at me. It's unnecessary for what I do. Every job that isn't yours is not Mcdonald's-caliber.

[Thork]

Exactly, most jobs have negotiable packages. Just ask for things that are sensible.

[Ghost of V]

Exactly, most jobs have negotiable packages. Just ask for things that are sensible.

What's sensible for a desk-job? Pens?

[Thork]

It depends on the job.

I worked at Airbus in a desk job. I started as a contractor on £10 an hour (first job out of uni). I left 5 years later on £22 an hour having renegotiated my contract every 6 months from the initial start.

I got a part-time job in a call centre when I was learning to fly. Everyone in that call centre got £8. I told them I wanted £10/hour. I got it. I even went back for a second 6 month stint a year later on the same rate.

I got a student job in an Hr dept. Again, everyone got £8/hour. I told the agency I wanted £10/h. the agency swallowed the loss of commission (likely charge £13/h or more for me) to ensure that their candidate got the job and that they at least got some commission.

It depends on the job. You just need to think of your position and how you can get a better deal without sounding like a gonk.