Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

AT&T change in upgrade policy?

2

26139

Suspended
Original poster
Dec 27, 2003
4,315
377
I'm an original iPhone owner.

I've upgraded, on launch day, to the 3GS, the 4 and the 4S and have always qualified for subsidized pricing.

But now (it's not just me, three friends have said the same) I'm no longer eligible to upgrade at the subsidized price.

Anyone else having this issue?

I don't think I'm entitled to anything here, just sad that there seems to be a policy change here.

Anyone else have this issue?

For what it's worth, I'm on a family plan with grandfathered unlimited data. I haven't been to an AT&T store yet to ask about it.
 
Yes. I upgraded from 4 to 4S last year. There are 4 phones on my account, three of which are iPhones. This year I was unable to upgrade from 4S to 5. I was going to do an upgrade swap--my son's phone is eligible in late October. AT&T won't even bump me up by six weeks. They said we could try again on 9/21 for a 1 month eligibility bump.

I'm not particularly bummed either, but it does seem to be a tighter policy.
 
26139 said:
I'm an original iPhone owner.

I've upgraded, on launch day, to the 3GS, the 4 and the 4S and have always qualified for subsidized pricing.

But now (it's not just me, three friends have said the same) I'm no longer eligible to upgrade at the subsidized price.
Click to expand...
You should be eligible for a partial subsidy. You should recheck. Most AT&T users who bought the 4S on or around launch last year qualify for a $200 discount on the 5, assuming bills paid on time etc.
 
jessica. said:
Yeah, the 24 month contract club.
Click to expand...

i enjoy your self-righteous bloviating as much as the next person does, but you don't think it's silly that it's $71 cheaper to terminate the contract early and switch to verizon than it is to upgrade with AT&T?
 
xerenthar said:
i enjoy your self-righteous bloviating as much as the next person does, but you don't think it's silly that it's $71 cheaper to terminate the contract early and switch to verizon than it is to upgrade with AT&T?
Click to expand...

Just as silly as leaving at&t for a carrier that makes you wait the entire 20 months before they'll let you upgrade.
 
xerenthar said:
i enjoy your self-righteous bloviating as much as the next person does, but you don't think it's silly that it's $71 cheaper to terminate the contract early and switch to verizon than it is to upgrade with AT&T?
Click to expand...

Why would someone with perfectly good service on AT&T switch to Verizon and lose unlimited data and the ability to use voice and data simultaneously for a measly $71? :rolleyes:
 
Mine was changed a few weeks ago to full upgrade, do not know why but a friend called and they said that AT&T does for some and does not for others at their discretion. Probably depending on your account and if you paid on time, etc.
 
GoreVidal said:
Why would someone with perfectly good service on AT&T switch to Verizon and lose unlimited data and the ability to use voice and data simultaneously for a measly $71? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Cuz who has perfeclty good service on AT&T? Not anyone in New York City that's for sure.
 
spblat said:
Yes. I upgraded from 4 to 4S last year. There are 4 phones on my account, three of which are iPhones. This year I was unable to upgrade from 4S to 5. I was going to do an upgrade swap--my son's phone is eligible in late October. AT&T won't even bump me up by six weeks. They said we could try again on 9/21 for a 1 month eligibility bump.

I'm not particularly bummed either, but it does seem to be a tighter policy.
Click to expand...

Same here. I got 4 lines eligible late next month, but I didn't call because I figured they wouldn't move the dates.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
Just as silly as leaving at&t for a carrier that makes you wait the entire 20 months before they'll let you upgrade.
Click to expand...

is the economically efficient solution, then, to switch carriers every year?

GoreVidal said:
Why would someone with perfectly good service on AT&T switch to Verizon and lose unlimited data and the ability to use voice and data simultaneously for a measly $71? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

service on ATT in manhattan is spottyish at times. apparently the LTE is faster via ATT only having iPads vs. the droids on VZW... but we'll see.

also, the voice/data simultaneously thing sounds cool, but i use voice so infrequently as it is, it's not a huge feature to me. (i also wish i could sell my over 5,000 rollover minutes.)
 
GoreVidal said:
And the "Start ANOTHER thread bitching about upgrading" club.
Click to expand...
Another? Where's the first thread that I started ... link?
xerenthar said:
i enjoy your self-righteous bloviating as much as the next person does, but you don't think it's silly that it's $71 cheaper to terminate the contract early and switch to verizon than it is to upgrade with AT&T?
Click to expand...
I absolutely think it's ridiculous. I didn't imply or state otherwise. ;)
 
Same here, AT&T charged me the full upgrade price. If I didn't have the grandfathered in unlimited plan it would have been much cheaper to buy out my contract and switch providers.

Oh well.
 
Ljohnson72 said:
I get a full 5 bars with AT&T on my iPhone 4S anywhere in Manhattan.
Click to expand...

The bars are a lie

Calls drop constantly. In midtown. In times square. On the BQE. Drop drop drop.

THe early upgrade sweetened the pot enough for AT&T for me to stay. Now that they made is cheaper to leave, why deal with the grief?
 
spblat said:
Yes. I upgraded from 4 to 4S last year. There are 4 phones on my account, three of which are iPhones. This year I was unable to upgrade from 4S to 5. I was going to do an upgrade swap--my son's phone is eligible in late October. AT&T won't even bump me up by six weeks. They said we could try again on 9/21 for a 1 month eligibility bump.

I'm not particularly bummed either, but it does seem to be a tighter policy.
Click to expand...

Getting the same treatment with verizon. They claim that apple is not letting them move the upgrade dates forward.
 
Ljohnson72 said:
I get a full 5 bars with AT&T on my iPhone 4S anywhere in Manhattan.
Click to expand...

I think what they mean when the towers are over crowded.. drop calls, slow internet etc etc I do also have full bars everywhere I never experienced a problem.
 
26139 said:
I'm an original iPhone owner.

I've upgraded, on launch day, to the 3GS, the 4 and the 4S and have always qualified for subsidized pricing.

But now (it's not just me, three friends have said the same) I'm no longer eligible to upgrade at the subsidized price.

Anyone else having this issue?

I don't think I'm entitled to anything here, just sad that there seems to be a policy change here.

Anyone else have this issue?
Click to expand...


Yes. Millions of people.

There have been new message threads about this almost every hour for the past few days. You signed for 2 years. They paid Apple for part of your phone.

Geez.
 
I got the 3GS on day one & the 4S on day one. checked my status for the 5 & got this:

[This line] is eligible for an upgrade at full retail price.
Discount Eligibility Date: 05-08-2013

I was not planning to upgrade right away anyway, but as a point of reference, they are making me wait 19 months from the day I placed my preorder before I can upgrade at the subsidized price.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back