Both of my phones are now eligible for an upgrade on my family plan... we both got 3GS' on launch day last year.
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AT&T A Bunch of Crooks... Only One Line Eligible, Contract Termination Raise...
- Thread starter thiagos
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I get that Mr. High and Mighty!! I'm just saying, how can you expect me not to be jealous when everyone and there mother is getting an unexpected upgrade, but your not. My two best friends are in the clear and they don't pay as much as I do a month... so do i not have the right to question why i'm missing the cut? am i not allowed to be jealous? I'm not preaching that AT&T is being unfair and I demand and update... I had NO intention of getting this phone and was going to wait for the next version (like my 2 friends), but when I find out they can upgrade and I can't for no apparent reason (though with the 150 variables in a complex formula to calculate elligibility, i'm sure there IS a reason) do you not understand why I'd be a bit jealous and confused and would like to see why i didn't qualify and they didn't? I'm so sick of all this crap from people preaching how "its a contract" "stop feeling entitled" blah blah blah... I have every right to be jealous and want answers and no amount of preaching from the likes of you or anyone else here is going to make me say... oh well... guess lifes just unfair... though i know it is and i'm sure i'm just going to have to deal with it... i'm within my rights to figure out why I'm left out of the party
If you're spending $230 a month, you might as well add one additional line for $9.99 a month and do a device swap every other year. The primary line will be eligible every year and the two of you will always be eligible to do a full upgrade yearly.
I agree that it would be nice if at&t simply laid out the criteria for upgrades so everyone could understand why or why not they were eligible for an upgrade.
And yes, you have the right to be jealous that others get an early upgrade but you don't. However, to me it seems like a pretty petty thing to be jealous about. It is a phone, nothing more.
So i'm curious if the OP just payed the full retail price for the iPhone would he still be subject to the higher termination fee?
just a phone???? its the freakin Iphone 4... its magic... don't you listen to Jobs at all????
So they let you upgrade early, you agree to the terms of service, you have the option of not doing the upgrade, and they are the crooks because they fixed a loophole too many people were abusing?
YES!!! You are overreacting big time.
I'm not a fan of AT&T by any means but I will give it to them for trying to have a balance with customers on iPhone upgrading.
I suggest either leaving them and get rid of the "crook" or just sell the other one and accept it.
YES!!! You are overreacting big time.
I'm not a fan of AT&T by any means but I will give it to them for trying to have a balance with customers on iPhone upgrading.
I suggest either leaving them and get rid of the "crook" or just sell the other one and accept it.
I'm in the same situation. My iPhone 3G is eligible for upgrade but wife's isn't. I figure I'll upgrade mine now and then upgrade her's next January when she is eligible. No big deal.
OMG...This rant has me rolling on the floor laughing.
This guy is ready to burst a blood vessel!
The reason they raised the ETF was because a bunch of morons on slickdeals came up with this bright idea when the iPhone 3GS came out.
Open several lines and buy several iPhone 3GSs. Pay the early termination fee of $175.
Sell the 3GS on ebay for a $150 profit over the cost of the phone + termination fee.
Those idiots ruined it for the rest of us.
OP, I do agree with you though. It sucks they raised the ETF fee.
If they introduce a Verizon iPhone next year, a lot of people are going to want to bail out and they're going to get screwed by the ETF.
The cool thing is, I think the ETF gets lower the longer you've had the line. It only drops by $10 each month you have the plan though. They should have it drop by $15 a month atleast for the people paying the $325 ETF.
Open several lines and buy several iPhone 3GSs. Pay the early termination fee of $175.
Sell the 3GS on ebay for a $150 profit over the cost of the phone + termination fee.
Those idiots ruined it for the rest of us.
OP, I do agree with you though. It sucks they raised the ETF fee.
If they introduce a Verizon iPhone next year, a lot of people are going to want to bail out and they're going to get screwed by the ETF.
The cool thing is, I think the ETF gets lower the longer you've had the line. It only drops by $10 each month you have the plan though. They should have it drop by $15 a month atleast for the people paying the $325 ETF.
This is all well and good for those of you that get to upgrade, but can you explain why i'm the primary on a family plan that has 2 3GS's from launcn day, yet NEITHER of my phones is elligible? I wouldn't expect both phones, but it be nice if i could at least upgrade mine (since my wife doesn't really care either way
Something is wrong there. You should definitely be able to upgrade both lines. Everybody that upgraded on launch day, including me, should be eligible. You need to talk to AT&T about that.
You probably bill more than $100/month before taxes on the second line as well then.
I know right??? I've called them 3 times (first two times my call dropped.... ironic right?) and I also went into the AT&T store and I've yet to get a straight answer... just 4 different guess. The first 2 thought that I should be elligble but couldn't figure out why... since i never miss a payment (autopay) and havent' changed anything on my service since launch. I'm not pissed or anything... just frustrated with the lack of answers and the attitude of people on here saying i should just shut up and deal with it.
If you explain it in the same way to the AT&T rep the way you explain it on here (angrily), no wonder you are getting different answers. They just want to get you off the phone.
Phone companies can sell you a phone a full price. Every time. I'm surprised they ever agreed to subsidize anything at all.
No, I'm very amicable on the phone... i'm not mad at AT&T at all, i'm just looking for some answers... its the people on here that like to get on their soap boxes and preach to me about how i have no right to even question or complain the lack of transparancy that ticks me off.
Overreacting? Yes.
Nope, your average bill is $50 per person. Early upgrade is typically for people average around $90 per person or more.
Nope, your average bill is $50 per person. Early upgrade is typically for people average around $90 per person or more.
I don't think so. I think if you bought both phones at the same time, requiring 2 contracts of 2 years that both expire on the same date, that both lines should have identical upgrade eligibility. If this stuff about going by amount of revenue generated by each line is correct, I don't agree with it.
Please don't flame me, folks. I'm not in this situation and I'm not whining about having to comply with a contract I signed. I'm just stating my opinion.
Interesting, after reading this today, i called a buddy of mine who works at at&t to look up my family plan, and he informed me that all of my lines on my family plan are eligible... tough luck ?
? 
People....
The way upgrades are determined on multi-family lines are as such:
$177.61 total monthly bill (2 iPhones)
$27.61 taxes (rounding to make math simple)
$150 phone bill
$60 data plan (2x $30) if it wasn't obvious to some
$10 (second line)
$50 (primary line)
$30 (family unlimited text)
Now you add:
50+30+30 = $110 = eligible every 12 months
10+30 = $40 = eligible every 24 months
This is how the math at ALL CARRIERS work. The actual monthly phone service is attached to the primary line. All additional lines are just $10 per month, you don't split the phone service. All "extra family" type services are added to the primary number. Remember the $10 per month is only giving additional phones access to the shared plan of the primary line.
Hopefully this clears up some confusion for people.
The way upgrades are determined on multi-family lines are as such:
$177.61 total monthly bill (2 iPhones)
$27.61 taxes (rounding to make math simple)
$150 phone bill
$60 data plan (2x $30) if it wasn't obvious to some
$10 (second line)
$50 (primary line)
$30 (family unlimited text)
Now you add:
50+30+30 = $110 = eligible every 12 months
10+30 = $40 = eligible every 24 months
This is how the math at ALL CARRIERS work. The actual monthly phone service is attached to the primary line. All additional lines are just $10 per month, you don't split the phone service. All "extra family" type services are added to the primary number. Remember the $10 per month is only giving additional phones access to the shared plan of the primary line.
Hopefully this clears up some confusion for people.
Interesting, after reading this today, i called a buddy of mine who works at at&t to look up my family plan, and he informed me that all of my lines on my family plan are eligible... tough luck
I think your buddy at AT&T could be fired for looking up your account even with your permission. Opening up the account of somebody you know is a big no-no.
just a phone???? its the freakin Iphone 4... its magic... don't you listen to Jobs at all????
You are joking right? It's just a phone. You're not going to die by not having it. It's a luxury item, provided at a cost, it's not a need.
When the iViolin app comes out for my iPhone 4 I'll literally play the worlds smallest violin for you