Carrier AT&T ETF + iPhone Upgrade Program + BYOD Pricing

[codeman7]

Hello! Wondering if anyone has come across this. I'm halfway through my iPhone 6 AT&T contract, and my ETF right now is $215. I want to pay this to cancel my contract, purchase a new iPhone 6s through Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program, and then start paying $25/month less to AT&T (since the device is now BYOD).

However, I spoke with AT&T, and they confirmed that I can pay $215 to end my contract and begin the iPhone Upgrade Program, but that I am not eligible for the BYOD discount until 2 years after my original contract start date.

Has anyone else encountered this? Is this true? Seems to me they'd offer it right away, since I'm no longer under contract with them.

 

[nrvna76]

ETF's are tough because it's not common to pay the ETF and stay with them. Maybe cancel that line and start a new one on the upgrade program.

 

[codeman7]

ETF's are tough because it's not common to pay the ETF and stay with them. Maybe cancel that line and start a new one on the upgrade program.

Yeah it does make some sense to me that I basically paid $300 + $215 ETF + ($15 discount forfeited * 12 months) = $695 for a $750 phone, but at the same time, if I'm no longer under contract and could just as easily go to another carrier (thus making them $0/month), you'd think they'd just allow BYOD pricing.

 

[stulaw11]

All you have to do is add a line on a Next plan, buy the phone to use on it, and then cancel the current line on the 2 year paying the ETF. I think you lose your # though is the downfall (I did this about 2 years ago and I think I lose my # in the deal).

 

[codeman7]

All you have to do is add a line on a Next plan, buy the phone to use on it, and then cancel the current line on the 2 year paying the ETF. I think you lose your # though is the downfall (I did this about 2 years ago and I think I lose my # in the deal).

Losing my number would be a deal breaker. At that point I'd just switch to Verizon at literally the same monthly price as I'd get with AT&T's BYOD pricing.

 

[imaginex20]

I just did this recently. I had a year left on my contract and I called retention and told them I wanted to move to the mobile share plan but with the discount. What they did for me was credit my account for $90 and I had to get a cheap Android phone for $80.

I essentially got a free phone, contract was terminated and now I have a BYOD discount with the Apple's iPhone upgrade plan.

2GB plan: $25
Line access: $25
Total: $43 (26% discount) + $36.50

I was paying $75 a month plus the $300 subsidized price for 2GB prior to this.

Overall, I am saving money while being able to upgrade every year

 

[stulaw11]

Call CS though there has to be a way to switch from 2 year to a Next without messing with new lines etc. They want everyone on Next ASAP so they must have some method to get you on it now.

 

[codeman7]

I just did this recently. I had a year left on my contract and I called retention and told them I wanted to move to the mobile share plan but with the discount. What they did for me was credit my account for $90 and I had to get a cheap Android phone for $80.

I essentially got a free phone, contract was terminated and now I have a BYOD discount with the Apple's iPhone upgrade plan.

2GB plan: $25
Line access: $25
Total: $43 (26% discount) + $36.50

I was paying $75 a month plus the $300 subsidized price for 2GB prior to this.

Overall, I am saving money while being able to upgrade every year

So do you now have 2 lines, or what was the $80 phone for?

Call CS though there has to be a way to switch from 2 year to a Next without messing with new lines etc. They want everyone on Next ASAP so they must have some method to get you on it now.

I would think they'd be motivated to move people over. I'm not sure if it's different since I'm doing Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program instead, though?

 

[netnothing]

Same as you.....halfway though my 2 yr contract on AT&T with our iPhone 6. I paid the ETF on both ($215 each). The minute I paid my balance, my account went to the BYOD pricing ($25 for service from the $40).

Not sure why you couldn't do it. I think the only restriction with the AT&T ETF is that you can't sign up for a new subsidized contract.

-Kevin

 

[codeman7]

Same as you.....halfway though my 2 yr contract on AT&T with our iPhone 6. I paid the ETF on both ($215 each). The minute I paid my balance, my account went to the BYOD pricing ($25 for service from the $40).

Not sure why you couldn't do it. I think the only restriction with the AT&T ETF is that you can't sign up for a new subsidized contract.

-Kevin

This is good to know, my inclination is that it may actually work, they just say it won't/policy is not to do it.

So you paid your ETF already? Did you simply contact AT&T to do it? Didn't realize I could do this ahead of time.

 

[imaginex20]

So do you now have 2 lines, or what was the $80 phone for?



I would think they'd be motivated to move people over. I'm not sure if it's different since I'm doing Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program instead, though?

They gave me the phone to move me to a Next plan in order to terminate my contract. But with the credit to my account the phone is essentially free. That was their way in the system to give me the $15 BYOD discount

Edit: I still have only one line

 

[netnothing]

This is good to know, my inclination is that it may actually work, they just say it won't/policy is not to do it.

So you paid your ETF already? Did you simply contact AT&T to do it? Didn't realize I could do this ahead of time.

Yeah, I realized on Friday that I really wanted to get into Next 12 and get the 6s. My current months bill was already due on the account. I actually did the whole process via the chat on AT&T site. The guy I got was really good. I was really just chatting to find out what was possible. He told me the ETF on my lines was $215 each. He asked if I wanted to do that.....I said yes. He processed it right away. That added the $430 to my current bill. He then said that bill needed to be paid for the upgrade eligibility to show for preorders that night. So he waited on chat while I paid the bill with my CC. The minute it was paid, my monthly bill went from $120 ($40 data, $40 service, $40 service) to $90 ($40 data, $25 service, $25 service).

My accounts immediately showed as upgrade eligible both on ATT and Apple. Again, on the ATT site the only thing it said I couldn't do was start another 2 year contract.

I ended up going with Next 12.

EDIT: And I'll sell my 6's for anywhere from $300 to $450+ depending on where I go.

-Kevin

 

[codeman7]

Just thought I'd post a quick update. I chatted with AT&T yesterday and told them I'd like to end my contract, maintain my service, and then drop to BYOD monthly line access pricing. They said it was no problem at all, took about 15 minutes on chat, but in the end I only ended up paying $185 ETF (not sure how that works, but it's cheaper than the $215 it should have been), and I now show as not under contract with the lower line access. So it appears this is pretty easy to have done!

 

[KisakiSama]

Just thought I'd post a quick update. I chatted with AT&T yesterday and told them I'd like to end my contract, maintain my service, and then drop to BYOD monthly line access pricing. They said it was no problem at all, took about 15 minutes on chat, but in the end I only ended up paying $185 ETF (not sure how that works, but it's cheaper than the $215 it should have been), and I now show as not under contract with the lower line access. So it appears this is pretty easy to have done!

How long did it take the ETF fee to show on your account? I set it up in chat and was told it would take a few minutes to reflect and then I could pay it, but it's been about 45 minutes and nothing new so far. Just wondering if that's normal.

 

[netnothing]

How long did it take the ETF fee to show on your account? I set it up in chat and was told it would take a few minutes to reflect and then I could pay it, but it's been about 45 minutes and nothing new so far. Just wondering if that's normal.

When I did it via chat the agent stayed with me and after he processed it, he said to reload the page. I did and it showed the new bill. He then had me pay it online via a CC. Once it was paid, he processed everything and I was good to do right then. Whole process took maybe 10 minutes.

-Kevin

 

[KisakiSama]

When I did it via chat the agent stayed with me and after he processed it, he said to reload the page. I did and it showed the new bill. He then had me pay it online via a CC. Once it was paid, he processed everything and I was good to do right then. Whole process took maybe 10 minutes.

-Kevin

Well shoot, might need to talk to them again then. Thanks!

 

[netnothing]

Well shoot, might need to talk to them again then. Thanks!

The chat agent I had was really good. I got the sense that in order for everything to work and be eligible right then (this was Friday afternoon before pre-orders that night), I had to pay bill and he had to see it and do something. Probably some manual entry in the system to speed things up.

-Kevin

 

[codeman7]

How long did it take the ETF fee to show on your account? I set it up in chat and was told it would take a few minutes to reflect and then I could pay it, but it's been about 45 minutes and nothing new so far. Just wondering if that's normal.

For me, the rep had initially told me it would show up on my next bill. I didn't notice any charges or changes yesterday right after chatting. Today, however, I saw that the $185 charge had showed up. I chatted with AT&T again, and they said that was the ETF. I paid it then, and I now show as not under contract, with BYOD line access pricing. The chat agent confirmed that as well.

 

[KisakiSama]

It sounds like there were some hijinks going on with my account, but the agent was good about it and I got it all squared away. Now I show I'm eligible for Next pricing with the monthly BYOD line discount applied. Even despite the little hiccup it was still a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Thanks for the replies!