AT&T Early Upgrade Price Reduction an apparent success

[dwreck]

Ask to speak to customer relations.

They gave me a discount of $10/mo on my messsaging plan so that I can add a line for $10/mo and use the subsidy on that line on the iPhone 5. I asked, to be sure, and the rep told me that I did not need a data plan on the additional line. And I get to keep my unlimited data plan.

Of course, I'm just 10 weeks from my eligibility date, and my ETF is currently at $165.

 

[Middiebear]

Ask to speak to customer relations.

They gave me a discount of $10/mo on my messsaging plan so that I can add a line for $10/mo and use the subsidy on that line on the iPhone 5. I asked, to be sure, and the rep told me that I did not need a data plan on the additional line. And I get to keep my unlimited data plan.

Of course, I'm just 10 weeks from my eligibility date, and my ETF is currently at $165.

"Customer Relations" is the "SAVE/CANCELLATION" department... Basically the department with CSRs specifically trained on how to retain customers.

Now if you add-a-line just to get the iPhone 5 at the discounted price then you will be adding a data plan on that add-a-line.

But because you essentially won't be using that line, you will HAVE to call back in and have a CSR update the line's imei in the billing system to a non-smartphone in order to have that data plan removed.

If you don't call back in... You will be charged for 2 data plans.

 

[2298754]

Damn, what did you say? The guy I got wouldn't do *anything* for me.

Just BSed that they gave me an early upgrade from a 3GS and 4, and she was like "you're SOL," so I "suggested" a bill credit [didn't say the amount] and she agreed to it. $250 and I got a text message confirmation about the credit.

 

[dwreck]

I don't think I have a non-smartphone.

Maybe I'll just pay the early upgrade fee, since I see that the promised discount has already been applied. That works out to less that $10 more than fully subsidized.

"Customer Relations" is the "SAVE/CANCELLATION" department... Basically the department with CSRs specifically trained on how to retain customers.

Now if you add-a-line just to get the iPhone 5 at the discounted price then you will be adding a data plan on that add-a-line.

But because you essentially won't be using that line, you will HAVE to call back in and have a CSR update the line's imei in the billing system to a non-smartphone in order to have that data plan removed.

If you don't call back in... You will be charged for 2 data plans.

 

[uvmskier]

Ask to speak to customer relations.

They gave me a discount of $10/mo on my messsaging plan so that I can add a line for $10/mo and use the subsidy on that line on the iPhone 5. I asked, to be sure, and the rep told me that I did not need a data plan on the additional line. And I get to keep my unlimited data plan.

Of course, I'm just 10 weeks from my eligibility date, and my ETF is currently at $165.

This thread inspired me to call and ask for the $250 to be waived. The customer care department would not do it. However, I was able to do exactly what dwreck described.

They added a new line for $9.95 a month and credited me $9.95 off my $30 unlimited texting plan which means my monthly bill will not increase. They said I will activate the new phone on my existing line which has the grandfathered unlimited data plan on it as well as my old phone number. They said I can either find a non-smartphone to assign to the new line or the guys in the AT&T store can put a blank sim on the new line. I had to sign up for a data plan on the new line in order to get the iPhone but I can drop it if I put a non smartphone on it. The cool part is that the $9.95 discount is forever so I'll come out ahead once i can eliminate the third line. They did charge me the $36 upgrade fee which I'll call up to try to have waived once I receive the phone.

 

[miguelq]

This thread inspired me to call and ask for the $250 to be waived. The customer care department would not do it. However, I was able to do exactly what dwreck described.

They added a new line for $9.95 a month and credited me $9.95 off my $30 unlimited texting plan which means my monthly bill will not increase. They said I will activate the new phone on my existing line which has the grandfathered unlimited data plan on it as well as my old phone number. They said I can either find a non-smartphone to assign to the new line or the guys in the AT&T store can put a blank sim on the new line. I had to sign up for a data plan on the new line in order to get the iPhone but I can drop it if I put a non smartphone on it. The cool part is that the $9.95 discount is forever so I'll come out ahead once i can eliminate the third line. They did charge me the $36 upgrade fee which I'll call up to try to have waived once I receive the phone.

Will this work if you don't have a family plan?

 

[AHDuke99]

Just chatted with them online. The rep said she had escalated my request to her supervisor and they would contact me in the next 48 hours to let me know what they will do. I didn't BS anything, just explained to her I wanted to upgrade my two lines, and was unaware that the yearly upgrade policy on my lines had changed. I was willing to sign a new contract but did not want to pay the $250 early upgrade fee. We'll see how this turns out.

 

[uvmskier]

Will this work if you don't have a family plan?

I'm guessing that this won't work without a family plan. There's nothing super secret or sneaky about this. You could just pay for a family plan and two data plans if you really want to always have the current model iPhone. Just set the contracts up so they are staggered by a year and you'll always have an expiring contract on launch day. The additional cost is $9.95 for the line plus the data plan; I think the cheapest smartphone data plan is $20 for 300mb per month. So, for another $30 a month you can get an upgrade every year. The cost ends up being very close to the same as buying a phone out of contract and that's why nobody does this.

The variable that AT&T introduced with me is that they're willing to add another line, grant me new contract pricing on a smartphone, and then drop the required data plan immediately after starting the additional line. I don't see why they are willing to do this but not just grant me a full upgrade two months early. I think this is an example of the customer care reps finding a loophole in the system. They get paid based on the number of happy/unhappy resolutions at the end of the day so this improves their numbers.

 

[AHDuke99]

Yeah, I'd be fine if they let me add a dummy line and reduce my texting plan $10 or something. Whatever answer they give me will let me know whether I want to move to Verizon in the future or stay with them.

 

[2298754]

Anyone else able to do it for a second line? I got the iPhone 5, but now another line on my account wants it. They have a Lumia 900 right now...