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A fun call to AT&T

Original poster here...

Thanks to everyone for good suggestions. For anyone interested, here's what I found out and what I currently believe my options are:

A. I went in to the Apple Store today and they suggested they could replace the front glass/home button/earpiece unit for $100. This would take about 10 minutes.

B. I could go into a local non-Apple repair shop, and they'll replace just the earpiece for $60. The Genius Bar guy pointed out the inherent risks in using a non-Apple vendor to open up and muck around with phone.

C. I could continue to use this phone until 2/21, at which time I'd be eligible for the $199/$299 early upgrade pricing. Only problem with this option is that the earpiece volume is around 25%, making it difficult to make calls without resorting to using headphones/speakerphone/car bluetooth.

D. I could go into an AT&T store now and see if, as some posters have suggested, they would be any more amenable to upgrading me now.

Options A and B would likely get me to June, at which point I could then get an iPhone 5, which might or might not have desirable features that I would regret not having if I get an iPhone 4 in February.

Seems unlikely at this point that I'd go to Verizon, as my wife and I share Family Plan minutes and I'm not all that unhappy with AT&T.

Decisions, decisions....
 
I would just pay the 100 and get it fixed wait till June. Then youll have your choice of either prolly a cheaper iphone 4 or the the 5 that we all think might be coming. But there you have more choices than now. By then also can see what plans will be offered that might also help you choose.
 
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If they let anyone do that then they would be out a lot of money
 
How long have you been in the contract? Usually 5 weeks out they're okay with extending your contract. I got my upgrades anywhere from the 16th and 18th month of my contract, iphones included.

As for this newfound idea of calling AT&T asking them what they'll do for you because you now have options, I too would tell you to kick rocks and enjoy the other carrier.
 
Hammer God said:
Me to AT&T: Hey, my 3GS earpiece appears to be damaged. I can't hear callers at all. I either need to fix it ($60) or replace the whole phone. My early upgrade pricing for an IP4 doesn't kick in till February 21, which is five weeks away. Any chance you guys could offer me that pricing now so that I could replace my non-working phone with a new IP4? (Oh, by the way, you, AT&T, would then be able to lock me into a new 2 year contract.)

AT&T: Can you hold on? (Hold music) Okay, I'm back. Yeah. No. Maybe try buying a cheap Go phone to use for five weeks.

Me: Really, you're cool with me having options in February?

AT&T: Wish I could help you, but yeah, we're good. Have I answered all of your questions?

Me: Actually yes, you have.

Click.

I'm not complaining or anything, but I wouldn't have minded if they'd helped me out a little bit here. I was pretty much all, "Hey I'd like to be locked into a new two year contract. Whatya say?" Oh well.
Click to expand...

As an ex-AT&T employee i can tell you this: The training for the call centers sucks. Managers offer little to no help on the floor, either. They pretty much BS their way through calls. That's why i quit. I didn't wanna lie to people or screw them over.
 
Lamarak said:
I would just pay the 100 and get it fixed wait till June. Then youll have your choice of either prolly a cheaper iphone 4 or the the 5 that we all think might be coming. But there you have more choices than now. By then also can see what plans will be offered that might also help you choose.
Click to expand...

I would do the same.
Fix it and then you'd be able to sell your old 3GS for a decent amount and make up more than what you spend fixing it.
 
I wouldnt goto verizon. the way things are looking over there (not even factoring in the slow data speeds) they are making users wait 20 months before they can upgrade! AT&T have been super generous when it comes to letting iphone customers upgrade their phones every year.
 
I know this isn't the best option but I would just keep headphones plugged into the iPhone and talk through the actual iPhone and listen through the ear buds :D

Or just buy a $20 gophone.
 
If I was you I'd,

Get it fixed for $100 and keep it till June 2011. Then get the next gen iPhone on the upgrade and sell your 3GS to cover most of the cost of the 3GS + repair. There are some interesting rumors hitting the web about much improved GPU/CPU specs (dual cores). Sure it's all speculation but it's enough for me personally to wait to go from a 3GS to the next thang :)
 
Just go into a store. As long as you're in the last month of the billing cycle of your contract they'll let you upgrade before the actual date.
 
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