That really frustrates me, My eligibility date is only a few days after yours (November 9th) and I've consistently been told by online chat and phone support that I'm SOL. I talked to them about my ETF and it'd be $155 for my extra line that's a dummy line, so I'm trying to determine if I should pay the $155 and add another line, or just say screw it and wait until November.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
AT&T Early Upgrade - iPhone 5
- Thread starter wakerider017
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
That really frustrates me, My eligibility date is only a few days after yours (November 9th) and I've consistently been told by online chat and phone support that I'm SOL. I talked to them about my ETF and it'd be $155 for my extra line that's a dummy line, so I'm trying to determine if I should pay the $155 and add another line, or just say screw it and wait until November.
From my experience, no. I'm seriously considering switching to Sprint since they have LTE coverage in my area and I'd get unlimited data on both iPhone 5's. I spoke with a manager and told him that I'd still be on top after paying the ETF's for AT&T and switching to Sprint and he basically told me sorry to see you go, have fun. I'm putting the numbers together right now but it's looking like AT&T probably lost a 7+ year customer because they don't want to change my upgrade eligibility 60 days. I know I can wait, but for me it's the principle. If i've been a great customer, never been late, have Uverse and cell phone bundled and pay over $160 a month for well over 5 years, moving my upgrade up 60 days just seems trivial to me. I don't want to have loyalty to a company that gives 2 ***** less about me.
/rant
Yep. They won't budge for an Apple device, but said they would for anything else. I don't get it at all. Why wouldn't they want to make the sale regardless of which phone they sell, unless they get a better cut from other products (I have heard this was the case).
My best advice is to try and sell your old phone for $450, if you can, and then plan on not getting the iPhone 5S, as long as Apple keeps up the cycle.
I am getting the dummy line line too. And then my dad can enjoy his 2013 iPhone at full subsidy too if that's something he wants to do.
Glad I haven't used my upgrade since the 4.
Glad I haven't used my upgrade since the 4.
Probably. They seem to move them up a month or two, but not for those of us who bought a 4S on launch last year.
I bought mine in April, but my wife and 3 children all have upgrades due next month and I may try my luck by the end of the month.
Try calling AT&T and expressing your concern. I accomplished the impossible today. I received a 250 dollar credit to my bill to counteract the 250 early upgrade. I explained the situation to the lady over the phone and she happily gave me a credit.
I was not threatening to leave AT&T or was I angry I just expressed my dislike of the removal of my yearly iPhone upgrade they have honored year after year.
You will be amazed what the right person can do in retentions.
I was not threatening to leave AT&T or was I angry I just expressed my dislike of the removal of my yearly iPhone upgrade they have honored year after year.
You will be amazed what the right person can do in retentions.
Tried that 3 times already being as calm as possible. They wouldn't budge at all.
Same here. I was on the phone with 3 agents and 2 supervisors. No one would budge at all. I was told back in march that I would be eligible in October, but he never saved it to the notes. Only part of the conversation was saved so they are calling me a liar and won't budge.
In addition one of the reps was in the same boat as me. She had upgraded every year and AT&T won't even let their employees do it anymore. She tried everything she could but no one higher up would help her help me. AT&T is going to risk loosing millions of new contracts over $250.
That's exactly what I was thinking. I'll wait till November, when it is in stock and just sitting. Then AT&T will want to extend my contract.
I've always assumed this day would come and since I started handing down my iPhones to my kids, I'll just upgrade one of my eligible lines this year, then upgrade my own line next year, etc.
We have spares around here if we need them.
----------
If their upgrades are due next month, go ahead and call to get it bumped up. They'll bump it up. Just ask nicely. It's only a month early. They do want the new contract.
I feel bad for AT&T CS representatives
How are they supposed to intelligently argue that it makes more sense to pay a higher fee to upgrade and remain with AT&T than to just pay the ETF and switch to another carrier? Only a low-grade moron would buy that
But Verizon will charge you $35 to activate!
No, really they wont. No US carrier has ever charged me an upgrade/activation fee unless Ive pre-ordered an iPhone online (4 and 4S). And Ive had at least two new phones a year for the last 17 years.
I have no issue with the paying the ETF fee or maintaining the terms of the contract I signed but I am not paying more to stay with my current carrier than it will cost me to switch to another. Especially when the alternative actually has LTE in my area and AT&T doesnt even have a date for it. Well forget the issue of FaceTime over 3G requiring special plans as I dont use it.
So, AT&T, youre asking me to pay ~$100 more to stick with you than to switch to another carrier, and even then giving me a lower level of service and making me wait at least a month to get my device to do so?
Sod that.
Of course, for all I know, its the same in reverse for Verizon customers but at least where I live theyd have LTE service.
And no, Im not waiting to see what happens in a couple of months. $286 + tax is neither here nor there. Its the principal of being asked for more to stay than it costs to leave.
How are they supposed to intelligently argue that it makes more sense to pay a higher fee to upgrade and remain with AT&T than to just pay the ETF and switch to another carrier? Only a low-grade moron would buy that
But Verizon will charge you $35 to activate!
No, really they wont. No US carrier has ever charged me an upgrade/activation fee unless Ive pre-ordered an iPhone online (4 and 4S). And Ive had at least two new phones a year for the last 17 years.
I have no issue with the paying the ETF fee or maintaining the terms of the contract I signed but I am not paying more to stay with my current carrier than it will cost me to switch to another. Especially when the alternative actually has LTE in my area and AT&T doesnt even have a date for it. Well forget the issue of FaceTime over 3G requiring special plans as I dont use it.
So, AT&T, youre asking me to pay ~$100 more to stick with you than to switch to another carrier, and even then giving me a lower level of service and making me wait at least a month to get my device to do so?
Sod that.
Of course, for all I know, its the same in reverse for Verizon customers but at least where I live theyd have LTE service.
And no, Im not waiting to see what happens in a couple of months. $286 + tax is neither here nor there. Its the principal of being asked for more to stay than it costs to leave.
I imagine the reason they will budge on Androids but not iPhones is that they don't pay nearly the same subsidies to the Android manufacturers. There may also be limits on WHICH Androids they will allow you to buy if they give you an early upgrade (ie. the less expensive ones).
This issue is all about the up-front cost that the carriers pay Apple when you buy a new iPhone under a subsidy. It's a pretty huge number. I specifically remember when AT&T had exclusivity, and I listened to one of their investor conference calls, and they spent a fair amount of time justifying a huge quarterly write-down for iPhone subsidy costs. With exclusivity now gone, and AT&T's network in much better shape than it was (one less reason to jump ship), AT&T has much less of a reason to front this cost to basically buy customer loyalty.
Sorry, it's just the reality of the situation. 1 year upgrades are gone, and none of the US carriers are offering them to my knowledge. At least not on iPhones.
This issue is all about the up-front cost that the carriers pay Apple when you buy a new iPhone under a subsidy. It's a pretty huge number. I specifically remember when AT&T had exclusivity, and I listened to one of their investor conference calls, and they spent a fair amount of time justifying a huge quarterly write-down for iPhone subsidy costs. With exclusivity now gone, and AT&T's network in much better shape than it was (one less reason to jump ship), AT&T has much less of a reason to front this cost to basically buy customer loyalty.
Sorry, it's just the reality of the situation. 1 year upgrades are gone, and none of the US carriers are offering them to my knowledge. At least not on iPhones.
This is a huge business mistake for carriers - iPhone sales numbers are going to be weak because there are many like me who don't like the taste of shelling out $700 for a phone when we've been used to the subsidies for years.
The ripple effect is going to be more damaging in the long run - news reports in the last few days have been proclaiming the iPhone 5 as being capable of boosting the GDP by as much as 1%. How is that going to happen if most of the people who would otherwise buy the phone on launch day sit this one out and wait for a better price?
The ripple effect is going to be more damaging in the long run - news reports in the last few days have been proclaiming the iPhone 5 as being capable of boosting the GDP by as much as 1%. How is that going to happen if most of the people who would otherwise buy the phone on launch day sit this one out and wait for a better price?
Bro,
The iPhone 5 will not flop because you can't get one for the subsidized price. Alot of people did not get the iPhone 4S. Alot of people are still on the iPhone 3GS. There are millions of them out there ready to chuck theirs in the trash.
Bravo!
What might you do next year, though?
----------
Agreed. And plenty will pay the extra money to upgrade early, or they'll buy it straight out because they don't want a contract.
I think it'll be fine, but it is possible that preorders won't be so dramatic as last year due to the inability of some to upgrade for the full subsidy.
We shall see, yes?
That's the thing though.
As far as I can tell, AT&T stopped doing the subsidy last year. I know because I had to do an upgrade swap even though I did that whole sing and dance "primary account >$100" nonsense.
The iP4
So maybe it won't be as hot (even though I know it will), but to say that it'll flop just because iP4S users won't be able to get it for nothing? That's crazy.
Bravo!
What might you do next year, though?
----------
Agreed. And plenty will pay the extra money to upgrade early, or they'll buy it straight out because they don't want a contract.
I think it'll be fine, but it is possible that preorders won't be so dramatic as last year due to the inability of some to upgrade for the full subsidy.
We shall see, yes?
my concern is not with next year. what am i gonna do 10 years from now? who knows. i can prolly get the same deal again next year.