Carrier WTF is ATT trying to pull?

This is why you have two options. Next or Two year....It clearly states with mobile share. With next you keep your off contract price of 15 bucks if your on a 10gb mobile share plan or higher and you pay the Next installment. If you decide to upgrade using the 2 year agreement method, You will in return lose that 25 dollar credit. Either way you paying for your device. If you think switching is gonna change that. Good luck and god speed.

It's not because you're getting a new iPhone its because you're not using att next (or bringing your own device).

I agree it was a fast one they pulled on us. Either you agree to buy your phone outright (upfront ir in installments) or we bleed you for more money every month.

If my tmobile or sprint coverage didn't suck I'd leave too but hey, what can I do if I actually want the same quality of service? *sigh

AT&T Next is $40 for 18 months with nothing down for 128GB iPhone 6: $720

AT&T Purchase with 2-year contract: $399 + additional $25/month = $999

Buying the phone outright is $899.

You can pay $40/month for 12 months and get a new phone (the old one has to be returned to AT&T) or you can pay for 18 months and the phone is yours.

Jazwire said:

Holy crap, how slimy can they be.
I'm done with them.
Verizon has better coverage in my area and tmobile is adequate.

I like how they spring this on you 36 hours before launch.

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I think the information has been readily available for some time those who checked out their options

I've been with AT&T since the launch of the iPhone 3G. Should I be expecting it? Are certain people excluded?

If I won't be excluded and I just did the 2 year renewal, I take it I can expect my bill to jump by $25? Is that per iPhone?

Jazwire said:

Holy crap, how slimy can they be.
I'm done with them.
Verizon has better coverage in my area and tmobile is adequate.

I like how they spring this on you 36 hours before launch.

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I'm pretty sure Verizon is doing the same or a similar thing except they call it edge. Pretty much no difference between Verizon and att pricing anymore. I'm pretty sure they are in cahoots. Is surely isn't competitive anymore when they essentially offer the exact same plans.

thats why I never switched to that mobile share crap. unlimited for life.

Jazwire said:

Holy crap, how slimy can they be.
I'm done with them.
Verizon has better coverage in my area and tmobile is adequate.

I like how they spring this on you 36 hours before launch.

Click to expand...

How is this slimy?

Jazwire said:

Holy crap, how slimy can they be.
I'm done with them.
Verizon has better coverage in my area and tmobile is adequate.

I like how they spring this on you 36 hours before launch.

Click to expand...

oh the drama! Maybe you should have the terms/fine print of your plan. It's written pretty clearly...

Mobile share was originally 40/phone, then they lowered it for next plan, and added it back for 2 year contracts. They basically don't subsidize phones anymore.

CrAkD said:

thats why I never switched to that mobile share crap. unlimited for life.

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I think it is the mobile share value plans that came out in February. Regular mobile share isn't changing.

southerndoc said:

AT&T Next is $40 for 18 months with nothing down for 128GB iPhone 6: $720

AT&T Purchase with 2-year contract: $399 + additional $25/month = $999

Buying the phone outright is $899.

You can pay $40/month for 12 months and get a new phone (the old one has to be returned to AT&T) or you can pay for 18 months and the phone is yours.

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Some errors in this:

iPhone 6 128GB - $849.99

Next 12 - $42.50/month for 20 months to keep the phone or trade in at 12 months

Next 18 - $35.42/month for 24 months to keep phone or trade in at 18 months

This information has been out for quite some time. I was confused too but I did my research BEFORE purchasing the phone.

Lots of threads discussing this too. They aren't being slimy or sneaky, you simply didn't read close enough when you went to the Value Plan (like I said, I didn't either). This isn't their fault, it's yours.

Jazwire said:

How come this didn't apply when my daughter upgraded to a galaxy 5 3 weeks ago?

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The $15 rate was for those before a certain date. After that, you won't get the $15 rate UNLESS you go for Next or pay full price for the device. This is their way of adding in the subsidy

https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html#fbid=bp85t3QxeTI



It's not AT&T's fault failing to read the fine print. It's YOURS. It's there... crystal clear.

Jazwire said:

How come this didn't apply when my daughter upgraded to a galaxy 5 3 weeks ago?

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Probably because she was on a 2-year contract all along, so she never had the discounted access fee in the first place. You, on the other hand, must have switched to a Mobile Share Plan and received the discounted access fee at some point.

In any case, AT&T is not pulling anything. You are paying for the phone one way or the other. The difference is that with Mobile Share, the true cost of the phone is visible to you (because you pay either upfront or in installments when using Next), whereas with a contract it's hidden in the access fee.

Jazwire said:

Holy crap, how slimy can they be.
I'm done with them.
Verizon has better coverage in my area and tmobile is adequate.

I like how they spring this on you 36 hours before launch.

Click to expand...

The carriers have found a way to not subsidize phones. Sucks. Not just ATT, look at Verizon Edge, too. They are all the same. They know how badly people want new phones. Why should they give us a discount if they don't have to? That's how they look at it.

Jazwire said:

How come this didn't apply when my daughter upgraded to a galaxy 5 3 weeks ago?

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Maybe you haven't seen next month's bill yet?

How is it slimy or shady? Obviously as a consumer you didn't read or listen to anything when you changed tithe value plans. Save money on your bill in exchange for buying phone at full price or next plan. To use upgrade you lose the monthly discount on that line. What's surprising? They clearly tell you that online and on phone n

miamialley said:

The carriers have found a way to not subsidize phones. Sucks. Not just ATT, look at Verizon Edge, too. They are all the same. They know how badly people want new phones. Why should they give us a discount if they don't have to? That's how they look at it.

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You've always paid for the "subsidy". In many cases the new model is actually less expensive over the contract period.

I gave up on contracts, financed phones(LOL!), two years ago.

I advise you do the same.

newone757 said:

It's not because you're getting a new iPhone its because you're not using att next (or bringing your own device).

I agree it was a fast one they pulled on us. Either you agree to buy your phone outright (upfront ir in installments) or we bleed you for more money every month.

If my tmobile or sprint coverage didn't suck I'd leave too but hey, what can I do if I actually want the same quality of service? *sigh

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The installments are interest free. And you can pay off early if you want to. After 12 payments you can upgrade again. With Next you in effect are leasing the phone with zero interest. And keep your low share plan pricing. If you want AT&T to subsidize cost of phone they raise monthly rate. How is this unfair?

Lobwedgephil said:

Mobile share was originally 40/phone, then they lowered it for next plan, and added it back for 2 year contracts. They basically don't subsidize phones anymore.

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Bingo. Subsidization is dead and they simply arent footing the bill anymore.

Like the other poster in here mentioned. With today's accelerated upgrade cycle of products and the general consumer's appetite to always upgrade/have the latest they no longer have to take a hit subsidizing phones anymore. One way or another we are paying the retail price of our phones (and in some cases over retail) and basically there is nothing we can do about it.

We, as a society, are too dependent on our mobile devices and mobile internet access to truly make a difference anymore. Any type of resistance/show of force by paying with our wallets and going to other carries/prepaid services will be a drop in the buckets. They have us right where they want us