Thanks for that, it actually made me laugh
But these people think owning an iPhone makes them special!!
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
AT&T has 48 hours to answer iPhone pricing complaints
- Thread starter jjk454ss
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Not complain as much because Verizon's network absolutely destroys AT&T's in terms of quality.
What is the AT&T total price after 2 years contract?
Im living Turkey and 2 phone company selling iPhone Vodafone and Turkcell. Vodafone make 1 year contract Turkcell 18 months contract. Vodafone Total price 1300$ Turkcell total price 1450$. What do you think this is good price or similar to US?
Ps: This price is 3G not 3G S.
Im living Turkey and 2 phone company selling iPhone Vodafone and Turkcell. Vodafone make 1 year contract Turkcell 18 months contract. Vodafone Total price 1300$ Turkcell total price 1450$. What do you think this is good price or similar to US?
Ps: This price is 3G not 3G S.
Meanwhile Verizon disables features on their phones and forces their software on them.
Question: Is AT&T actually requiring you to fulfill an entire 2 year contract or just 1 year of it to get the 199/299 pricing? I got my first iphone,a 3g, in september of 2008 and on 9/27/2009 am eligible for the "full discount on a standard iphone upgrade"? This is only one year after I signed the 2 year contract...now I just have to decide if I will spend $200 extra to have a 3Gs sooner rather than later.
It has to do with how much you're spending monthly on your plan. If it's costing you $99 or more per month, your subsidy is paid off faster and you're allowed a new fully subsidized phone after 12 months.
Like Slippery-Pete was saying, it DOES NOT take 2 years for AT&T to make back the extra money they paid to Apple for your phone. If you're paying a $100/month cell bill, within 6 months to 1 year they've made that money back plus much more. At 12 months, you've already given them $1200 + $199 or $299. I myself have given them $1500 for a phone plus service for the past year. I think they've made some profit
All you people who are sitting there and calculating out x dollars over 2 years and saying we haven't paid off our phones- that's YOUR OWN calculation, NOT AT&T's calculation. AT&T has made a profit, and everything is negotiable.
If I finished my contract, and continued to pay for 2 MORE years going month-to-month without a contract (which I have done with other phones), would AT&T then say "oh, you've already paid your subsidy for the next phone"? No, of course they wouldn't. The rate plan is the rate plan, regardless of the subsidy. The subsidy part is completely negotiable, and separate from the monthly rate plans.
Okay, I'm sorry but the bit in bold REALLY annoys me. The calculation I (and I suspect others) have provided is simplifed to make the point that the whiny little crybabies can't seem to grasp - that you have a subsidy to pay back over the life of your contract. Yes, AT&T surely use a different calculation but as we have no way of knowing what that is the simplified versions are a better bet than deliving into multiple-case scenarios where that subsidy is front loaded on a contract, or when it's paid off if you use all your allowances every month versus someone who uses just a few percent, or how much they make off each minute of usage to judge when those on higher tarrifs are eligible for updates or a thousand and one possible cases.
As for the "I think they've made some profit" nonsense what the HELL does that have to do with anything? AT&T are a business, they're in it to make money, end of. While I'm sure they've made SOME profit who are you to say that's enough for them? Bear in mind it's not just the cost of providing your phone and allowances - that also pays for customer support, network maintenance, network upgrades, marketing, retail presence etc etc et-f'n'-c. There will be a business model based around earning $120 a month from you for 24 months, not earning half that before giving you another $300 subsidy because you're distracted by the newest shiny thing and then doing it all over again next year.
We come back to the same point - you signed a contract for 2 years (or however long a term). AT&T will have calculated their potential profit and all of their costs when deciding that contract. By signing you have indicated you are happy with those terms. You KNEW damn well that it was very likely a new iPhone would come along in those two years. You KNEW by reading the contract that you had no god given right to upgrade without paying the relevant fees specified within that contract.
Basically - if you want to complain about the cost of the handset, or the cost of the packages that you're being asked to sign up to go right ahead that's fair enough (although have a look at the UK price first... we're getting bent over and violated over here). But if you signed up to a contract and now want out of it just because you feel like it you haven't got even the slightest hint of a rational case to make as far as I can see.
I see...so it varies. Makes sense that it is always more complicated than I think.
Thanks for the info!
I really don't mean to pick on you here but, unfortunately, you're a prime example of why people complaining are getting very little sympathy.
When you bought the phone you got exactly what you paid for. The 3.0 release delivers additional functionality you did not have originaly, for free, but you decide to whine about not having, what, voice control? That's about the only thing that doesn't need a hardware upgrade that's in 3.0 for the 3G S but not the 3G isn't it? You say it's SHOULD have had it in the first place but, and here's the really important bit:
YOU BOUGHT IT IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT IT DIDN'T BLOODY WELL HAVE IT!
You were happy THEN to pay money for it, don't complain now after you've had a year's use out of a phone and are suffering shiny thing envy.
Same thing with the extra line - it's your responsibility to find out what adding another line does to your plan and the termination date. If you're not happy with that arrangement and your provider won't alter the deal you need to decide if the downsides are worth it. You obviously decided it did, you knew at the time what it would do to your upgrade possibilities, don't whine about it now.
No, you don't reset your upgrade eligibility however so you can get another subsidized phone earlier.
Hell no! It's all a farce, (AT&T getting their money back) most people are sheep on here. That is a great point kas23!
I do understand why AT&T wont offer the new customer pricing to 3G customers but the guy has a good point.
Lowering the price for current 3G users will show they care about customer service and loyalty (if thats even something AT&T or any other big company is capable of).
This along with the tethering and MMS stuff that is going on is seriously making me consider other carriers (ie verizon) for my next phone plan.
Lowering the price for current 3G users will show they care about customer service and loyalty (if thats even something AT&T or any other big company is capable of).
This along with the tethering and MMS stuff that is going on is seriously making me consider other carriers (ie verizon) for my next phone plan.
It doesn't reset your eligibility though because you are not signing on for another 2 years! Thus you pay to keep paying back your original one. THEN once that is paid off you can upgrade again, even though you may not want to, you CAN. Think about it, its not a farce.
No, he does not have a good point. What publicly traded company, that has an obligation to its share holders to make $, is going to, out of the goodness of its own heart, take a hit to appease a group of complainers? Hm? AT&T already has their contracts, they can bitch ALL they want, but they are in contract and paying AT&T and there is nothing they can do about it, short of paying AT&T a ETF.
So clearly you don't understand why they won't offer the phone for less money, if you did you wouldn't even bring up the underlined part.
Bet you wish you didn't start this thread? thanks for the info i know what you are trying to say, i tried the same but my post just attracts people who quote contract blah blah blah you should have read it stop moaning blah blah blah
Well hats off to you for trying to tell the world how you feel but i have come to the conclusion this forum is not the place
p.s i will sign it anyway
Well hats off to you for trying to tell the world how you feel but i have come to the conclusion this forum is not the place
p.s i will sign it anyway
Because you make no sense. There is absolutely no reason why a company would ever do something like this. And a publicly traded company should NEVER do something like this. From a business side, its irrational, and they are after all a BUSINESS. If you have taken any business classes, or understand business at all, you should realize why suggesting that you deserve a lower price for no reason is hogwash.
People come to these forums expecting to find others who will agree with their nonsensical reasoning on too many things. Examples are this post, and posts like "Should I upgrade my *insert computer name* 2.5GHz to the new *insert computer name* 2.61GHz????" Posts like that are STUPID, as they make no sense to anyone who can process logical thought.
The subsidy isn't about paying anything back; you're not financing anything. The subsidy and contract is that AT&T is willing to give you a discount on the phone knowing that you will be an AT&T customer for the next 2 years (or pay an ETF). When you buy a phone at full retail price, your monthly bill is not lower, however, you're free to leave anytime you wish. Since AT&T doesn't have you locked in for 2 years, they're not giving you a discount.
The misunderstanding here is people thinking that you're financing something when you sign a contract, you're not. You're receiving a discount by agreeing to be with the company for a period of time. Think of it as a loyalty bonus for being a customer for a long time; you're just getting it in advance. If cell carriers really wanted to be mean, when you sign up they could make you pay full retail price and after 2 years, give you a subsidy on a phone as a way of saying "thank you for being loyal"
If the 3G was fully subsidized, so it didn't cost a single cent to purchase as long as you signed up for a 2-year contract, would people still complain if they couldn't get the 3G S for free as well?
You don't remember Apple the first year refunding money to early iPhone adopters do you? Isn't that irrational business by your standards?
MMM no this forum is for the iPhone and that is what his thread is about! and there are plenty of people who agree with him so i don't get your point
