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Carrier Anyone roll the dice with AT&T retentions lately?

A

avanpelt

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jun 2, 2010
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Have any AT&T customers been able to score any new deals with their retentions department lately? Last time I checked was the week before Verizon launched their new unlimited plan; and the AT&T retentions rep said they didn't have any deals going that I qualified for on my wireless lines. I currently have a MSV plan with 3 GB and a 3 GB bonus with two off-contract smartphones.

I'm wondering if anyone has had any success with retentions now that Verizon is really getting in the game for people who want unlimited and AT&T has essentially stomped off the court as far as competitive pricing and features with unlimited are concerned?
 
Originally, they lowered my bill, but when I really looked at the breakdown - they took away my dummy line and then changed plan from 700 min to 450 (with grandfathered UDP). It did lower my bill about $30/month.. but did they give me a deal? No.

When I called back to say that I am either moving to Verizon or T-mobile and wanted to give them one last try.. they basically told me that they cant lower it anymore and i would best suited to move carriers. mic drop here!
 
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Multiple people on Howard Forums report that AT&T retentions will offer nothing. They don't care if you leave.
 
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CoriG said:
Originally, they lowered my bill, but when I really looked at the breakdown - they took away my dummy line and then changed plan from 700 min to 450 (with grandfathered UDP). It did lower my bill about $30/month.. but did they give me a deal? No.

When I called back to say that I am either moving to Verizon or T-mobile and wanted to give them one last try.. they basically told me that they cant lower it anymore and i would best suited to move carriers. mic drop here!
Click to expand...

Wow. That sucks! Do you by chance have Directv?
 
I called AT&T yesterday. Told the CS agent I was interested in moving my account to another carrier and would like to speak to the retention department. I got put on hold for 12 minutes. Then all of a sudden all cell service dropped. I had only been on hold. And had never spoken to anyone about the situation at all.

I spend the next hour trying to log into my Att account only to have it inaccessible.

Finally went to an ATT store. And found out they cancelled my account. No confirmation. No asking the situation. No even telling me that it would be done. Just sitting on hold for 10 minutes then Boom! No account. CS agent: katelyn gaymon employee id:kg4964
It took An hour to Get my account back up. Providing my drivers lic. birth date etc.

I then called back in to Customer retention. Asked to See If there was anything they could do To retain meand match verizon. They said no. Basically. Anything They could do Would make My Plan Cost More and still not give me tethering.

They actually recommended I look at a more suitable carrier for My needs.

Clearly. Att have 0 intention of retaining existing grandfathered unlimited customers. Or matching other plans. So now I have to Seriously think About my options.

I was so shocked at the the customer service. What was provided. I have never experienced anything like that before. Who cancels a phone line without saying a single word.

Anyway. Probably moving to Verizon. And I slcertainly hope that CS agent ends up as a crossing guard.





avanpelt said:
Have any AT&T customers been able to score any new deals with their retentions department lately? Last time I checked was the week before Verizon launched their new unlimited plan; and the AT&T retentions rep said they didn't have any deals going that I qualified for on my wireless lines. I currently have a MSV plan with 3 GB and a 3 GB bonus with two off-contract smartphones.

I'm wondering if anyone has had any success with retentions now that Verizon is really getting in the game for people who want unlimited and AT&T has essentially stomped off the court as far as competitive pricing and features with unlimited are concerned?
Click to expand...
 
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blueflame said:
I called AT&T yesterday. Told the CS agent I was interested in moving my account to another carrier and would like to speak to the retention department. I got put on hold for 12 minutes. Then all of a sudden all cell service dropped. I had only been on hold. And had never spoken to anyone about the situation at all.

I spend the next hour trying to log into my Att account only to have it inaccessible.

Finally went to an ATT store. And found out they cancelled my account. No confirmation. No asking the situation. No even telling me that it would be done. Just sitting on hold for 10 minutes then Boom! No account. CS agent: katelyn gaymon employee id:kg4964
It took An hour to Get my account back up. Providing my drivers lic. birth date etc.

I then called back in to Customer retention. Asked to See If there was anything they could do To retain meand match verizon. They said no. Basically. Anything They could do Would make My Plan Cost More and still not give me tethering.

They actually recommended I look at a more suitable carrier for My needs.

Clearly. Att have 0 intention of retaining existing grandfathered unlimited customers. Or matching other plans. So now I have to Seriously think About my options.

I was so shocked at the the customer service. What was provided. I have never experienced anything like that before. Who cancels a phone line without saying a single word.

Anyway. Probably moving to Verizon. And I slcertainly hope that CS agent ends up as a crossing guard.
Click to expand...

This is unbelievable!!! What a crappy way to treat a customer!
 
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CoriG said:
No. I am on the grandfathered UDP. I am heading over to Apple today to change out my 7+ for a sim free phone so that i can move to Verizon
Click to expand...

Can you update us as to how this swap process goes? I am thinking of doing the same thing.

Are swapping but keeping your att account until you port over to Verizon? Or are you porting over during the swap?
 
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SaintsMac said:
Can you update us as to how this swap process goes? I am thinking of doing the same thing.

Are swapping but keeping your att account until you port over to Verizon? Or are you porting over during the swap?
Click to expand...

If you have an iphone 7 or 7+ that you purchased on IUP, you need to go into a store and ask the to swap out your phone for a sim free phone (that works on ALL carriers). Apple will cancel out your loan with Citizens One and start a new loan with the new phone. Citizens One will refund everything you have paid on your initial loan (for me it is 6 months since I got my phone on launch day). Once I have the new phone, I can port my number to either Verizon or T-mobile ( I am trying to decide which one is best in LA). Since we are over 6 months out from a September launch of the new phone, I will use refunded money to pay off the remainder of the loan in sept so that I can upgrade to the new phone in Sept.

The only issues with this plan are: you will have to do another credit check when you get the new loan and the off chance that Apple releases the phone earlier than Sept, I wont qualify for the upgrade.
 
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SaintsMac said:
Can you update us as to how this swap process goes? I am thinking of doing the same thing.

Are swapping but keeping your att account until you port over to Verizon? Or are you porting over during the swap?
Click to expand...

I was just going to ask how this swapping process is done. I didn't even think it was possible!
 
SaintsMac - I am not going to port my number right away...

I am trying to decide whether to go with T-mobile (I was able to get ahold of a Hook up code which gives me 20% of my bill for life) or switch to verizon, which is the better carrier, but now $35 more a month with T-mobile's discount.
[doublepost=1487802364][/doublepost]
Freakonomics101 said:
I was just going to ask how this swapping process is done. I didn't even think it was possible!
Click to expand...
IT is possible - I verified it with the manager of the Century City Apple store last night.
 
CoriG said:
SaintsMac - I am not going to port my number right away...

I am trying to decide whether to go with T-mobile (I was able to get ahold of a Hook up code which gives me 20% of my bill for life) or switch to verizon, which is the better carrier, but now $35 more a month with T-mobile's discount.
[doublepost=1487802364][/doublepost]
IT is possible - I verified it with the manager of the Century City Apple store last night.
Click to expand...

Thanks for info!
 
SaintsMac said:
Thanks for info!
Click to expand...
No problem.. but just remember if you want to do this and want to upgrade to the new phone in Sept, you need to switch out your phone before March because the loan states that you can't upgrade until you have had the loan for 6 months.
 
Spoke to them yesterday and told them I was heavily considering switching to T-mo because I needed more data on my family plan (we have overages for the last 2 months) I have been a customer since I got a Motorola RAZR back in 2004 and was just asking them to tack on a few more gigs to my family share plan at no extra cost. The rep tried to sell me on a more expensive advantage share plan, and when I told her I wasn't interested in spending more money I was told that perhaps another carrier is better suited for my data needs.... That was it...

I wonder how far T-mobile is from becoming the number 2 carrier, maybe if they get close At&t will wake the F up and stop being such schmucks.
 
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bigjnyc said:
Spoke to them yesterday and told them I was heavily considering switching to T-mo because I needed more data on my family plan (we have overages for the last 2 months) I have been a customer since I got a Motorola RAZR back in 2004 and was just asking them to tack on a few more gigs to my family share plan at no extra cost. The rep tried to sell me on a more expensive advantage share plan, and when I told her I wasn't interested in spending more money I was told that perhaps another carrier is better suited for my data needs.... That was it...

I wonder how far T-mobile is from becoming the number 2 carrier, maybe if they get close At&t will wake the F up and stop being such schmucks.
Click to expand...

I really cannot believe their stance? I understand that is their right but not sure it is going to work long term for them.
 
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CoriG said:
If you have an iphone 7 or 7+ that you purchased on IUP, you need to go into a store and ask the to swap out your phone for a sim free phone (that works on ALL carriers). Apple will cancel out your loan with Citizens One and start a new loan with the new phone. Citizens One will refund everything you have paid on your initial loan (for me it is 6 months since I got my phone on launch day). Once I have the new phone, I can port my number to either Verizon or T-mobile ( I am trying to decide which one is best in LA). Since we are over 6 months out from a September launch of the new phone, I will use refunded money to pay off the remainder of the loan in sept so that I can upgrade to the new phone in Sept.

The only issues with this plan are: you will have to do another credit check when you get the new loan and the off chance that Apple releases the phone earlier than Sept, I wont qualify for the upgrade.
Click to expand...

I tried this yesterday at my local Apple Store, but was told I need to have the Verizon service activated first because the phone on the citizens one loan needs to leave with the carrier activation. I asked about the Sim free version phone and they said that that phone cannot be sold on the iPhone upgrade program.
 
I was told last night that I could do. I am heading back right now to do it
 
I went in but didn't do it because I did not have enough time to do the process. I am going back later. But I did confirm that they do not have to change the carrier at the store. I can do it later if I wish and it is a sim free phone.
 
Calling retentions always netted me some sort of credit that "magically" occured after discussing with a rep that I may be leaving (I think once they mentioned they could offer me like $80, which isn't nothing. I was with them for about seven years until I finally moved over to T-Mobile once I tested the network and deemed that I got much more for less.

Still, I think it is abolutely orth a shot. Worst case you get nothing and you wasted some time.
[doublepost=1487816653][/doublepost]
og3og said:
I tried this yesterday at my local Apple Store, but was told I need to have the Verizon service activated first because the phone on the citizens one loan needs to leave with the carrier activation. I asked about the Sim free version phone and they said that that phone cannot be sold on the iPhone upgrade program.
Click to expand...
Off topic but this is the number one reason I refuse the Apple upgrade program (considering they pushmultiple models... the phone is unlocked but if you don't buy Verizon you are essentially buying a phone locked from verizon since it doesn;t have the hardare needed to function properly).

I have thought about it, despite not really being too keen on being forced into paying for Apple care, but this move esentially solidifed my decision. Plau, carriers are always offering deals on launch day now... it's another way to compete.
 
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I called and asked for the lowest plan I could get. I ended up with this.

$35 unlimited data
$30 300 minutes a month
$10 data
+ 25% discount. Just got my bill, it was 61 bucks including the tax. I rarely use phone, so I am estatic
 
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