AT&T is just not trying when it comes to keeping customers

[slippery-pete]

So go to Sprint instead of running to a message board to complain that the evil AT&T only offered to give you $120 .....

Wait, I have been eating at McDonald's for like 20+years. I am going there now to demand they do something to keep me as a customer.

 

[thekb]

Wait, I have been eating at McDonald's for like 20+years. I am going there now to demand they do something to keep me as a customer.

See that's the point. McDonald's competes for your business and offers you new incentives everyday to keep you as a customer. If they don't have the food you want at the price you want, then you go to Burger King or Wendy's, or wherever. They don' have the luxury of a long term contract to fall back on to start taking you for granted like the cellular companies do.

When the OP's contract was up, he became a free agent. Let the bidding begin!

Like I said, he did AT&T a huge favor by giving them first crack at earning his business. They had a leg up on the other companies, but that doesn't mean they win by default. They still have to earn his business. That is one of the most basic tenets of capitalism!

Competition for scarce resources in a FREE MARKET is what ensures we all get the best goods and services for a fair price. OP is a great American!

 

[b166er]

they need us more than we need them.

While I do see your point and I mirror your frustration with ATT, I don't agree with this. In the US we pretty much have VZW and ATT. Sprint and TMO will never truly rival them. We need cellular service, so we put up with the asinine plans and policies set by the duopoly. A lot of people talk about leaving ATT, including me. And I may go to VZW, but I know the grass isn't all that much greener right now. But most people stay put because VZW and ATT are more or less the same. Every time one moves, the other one mirrors it.

 

[marcello696]

My contract is up and I am moving from ATT to VZW with the iPhone 5. Been an ATT customer going back to the Cingular days but the lack of a strong signal in my house (drop calls whenever I walk into my office) and having a VZW iPad with full bars on LTE almost everywhere I go in SoCal makes it an easy decision.

I will lose my grandfathered unlimited data but in reality the next subsidized ATT phone I purchase wont allow me to keep it anyways.

VZW for my area has the better network coverage, especially with LTE and moving to the new shared plans makes pricing equal, so it's pretty much a no brainer.

 

[Applejuiced]

I will lose my grandfathered unlimited data but in reality the next subsidized ATT phone I purchase wont allow me to keep it anyways.
.

Actually with AT&T you will be able to keep your unlimited data plan with the next iPhone. With Verizon you cannot.

 

[Boiler]

Actually with AT&T you will be able to keep your unlimited data plan with the next iPhone. With Verizon you cannot.

Halelujah

 

[marcello696]

Actually with AT&T you will be able to keep your unlimited data plan with the next iPhone. With Verizon you cannot.

I hope Im wrong but just like VZW I dont see ATT giving another subsidized phone with unlimited LTE, even if its throttled at 3GB.

Even if I am wrong I think its time to move to a network that works consistently in my area.

 

[Applejuiced]

I hope Im wrong but just like VZW I dont see ATT giving another subsidized phone with unlimited LTE, even if its throttled at 3GB.

Even if I am wrong I think its time to move to a network that works consistently in my area.

Above you stated that you will lose your unlimited data with next subsidized iphone on AT&T and I corrected you that the statement was false.
AT&T never indicated that you will lose your grandfathered unlimited plan if the next iphone is LTE.
Again we are not 100% sure but from the looks of it you will be able to keep it just not do facetime over 3G unless you switch to a new shared data plan.
What you want to switch to and from is your choice.

 

[iMikeT]

Jesus you sound like the truther people commenting about 9/11 on YouTube. You sound exactly like the type of person who thinks they deserve everything in life and throw a temper tantrum when they don't get it. I hate when threads go political, but do you really think the left cares about you or anyone else either. Both parties are equally corrupt and only looking out for what's best for them and what will line their pockets more to secure their future. Why does anyone do anything? A majority of the time it's for personal gain, not to be nice to someone else. So please drop it with this left vs right ranting.

Uh, no.... 9/11 was never an inside job. There were no demolition crews. These things really happened and was caused by some really bad people.

The entire left vs right is something that neo-cons, libertarians, anarchists, and right-wing wackadoodles typically bring up as a wedge where it matters most, the people. Unfortunately, the average person is extremely misinformed that they believe what they see and hear on the tv without questioning it. It seems that they got to you too.

I can't get over you guys busting OP's chops for asking for some kind of retention incentive. They offer the moon to "new" customers, but tell long time customers to pound sand.

As long as they all do it that way, I as the customer, am able, nay am entitled, to play one company against the others to get the best deal for me. I AM special, because I have the money they want. If they don't like the game, they shouldn't have established the rules. They have no one to blame but themselves.

And I think calling and asking for an incentive is darn nice of the OP. He could just switch companies without any warning to his provider. He's at least giving them a chance to compete for his business. Hey, capitalism's a bitch.

See that's the point. McDonald's competes for your business and offers you new incentives everyday to keep you as a customer. If they don't have the food you want at the price you want, then you go to Burger King or Wendy's, or wherever. They don' have the luxury of a long term contract to fall back on to start taking you for granted like the cellular companies do.

When the OP's contract was up, he became a free agent. Let the bidding begin!

Like I said, he did AT&T a huge favor by giving them first crack at earning his business. They had a leg up on the other companies, but that doesn't mean they win by default. They still have to earn his business. That is one of the most basic tenets of capitalism!

Competition for scarce resources in a FREE MARKET is what ensures we all get the best goods and services for a fair price. OP is a great American!

I'm not asking for anyone to take sides here but thank you and everyone else who is able to see this from my point of view and the others who share it. That's really all I wanted, for this side of the debate to be heard rationally.

Thanks again for a couple of great replies. And I don't try to be great, I'm only an ordinary American.

 

[hypnoz]

The entire left vs right is something that neo-cons, libertarians, anarchists, and right-wing wackadoodles typically bring up as a wedge where it matters most, the people. Unfortunately, the average person is extremely misinformed that they believe what they see and hear on the tv without questioning it. It seems that they got to you too.

I'm not asking for anyone to take sides here but thank you and everyone else who is able to see this from my point of view and the others who share it. That's really all I wanted, for this side of the debate to be heard rationally.

Thanks again for a couple of great replies. And I don't try to be great, I'm only an ordinary American.

Lol. Yeah the left vs right is just a debate tactic by the psychos. Anyone who knows everything about anything knows that THE PEOPLE can not be held down by the masters who put us serfs in chains in these tiered contracts! They MUST be stopped, they won't even offer existing customers freebies... the ONLY answer is for a regulator to step in and tell them whats up. This Duopoly can not stand. Down with the fascist free marketers! The people have spoken, through me, because they have no free will. Winning.

 

[MassiveAttack]

So go to another carrier.


The End

Verizon, sprint ad tmobile are not that much better option than AT&T.

 

[MassiveAttack]

I'm an AT&T customer and I no longer sign contracts in order to upgrade. True I pay my phones at full price but I have the satisfaction of knowing that's exactly what AT&T doesn't want me to do. I also have the option to leave them at anytime I wish open.

 

[mjpearce023]

I'm an AT&T customer and I no longer sign contracts in order to upgrade. True I pay my phones at full price but I have the satisfaction of knowing that's exactly what AT&T doesn't want me to do. I also have the option to leave them at anytime I wish open.

Actually AT&T would prefer you to buy your phone outright because they start making money off you from day 1. When you upgrade AT&T loses money to start with and then makes it back with your monthly payments. You are just making AT&T more money by paying full price for the phones and using their service.

 

[hypnoz]

Actually AT&T would prefer you to buy your phone outright because they start making money off you from day 1. When you upgrade AT&T loses money to start with and then makes it back with your monthly payments. You are just making AT&T more money by paying full price for the phones and using their service.

Except for the fact that he can leave at any time. They like consistent income.

 

[Boiler]

Except for the fact that he can leave at any time. They like consistent income.

I'm not entirely sure yet

If you but a full price, unsubsidized contract free phone on day 1

is it actually a FACTORY UNLOCKED phone that you could leave and would work on another carrier right away?

Or would it still be an AT&T iphone in need of an ATT microsim?

 

[hypnoz]

That's a good question. Anyone know?

 

[mnsportsgeek]

I'm not entirely sure yet

If you but a full price, unsubsidized contract free phone on day 1

is it actually a FACTORY UNLOCKED phone that you could leave and would work on another carrier right away?

Or would it still be an AT&T iphone in need of an ATT microsim?

If you bought through AT&T it would still be locked to AT&T but could be software unlocked through AT&T after you leave.

If you buy through apple, you can get factory unlocked for $50 more.

 

[Boiler]

If you bought through AT&T it would still be locked to AT&T but could be software unlocked through AT&T after you leave.

If you buy through apple, you can get factory unlocked for $50 more.

Thanks, $50 for factory unlocked seems worth it.
Unless there are easy software unlocks to follow.

Wish this service were available on launch or soon after

 

[Applejuiced]

Actually AT&T would prefer you to buy your phone outright because they start making money off you from day 1. When you upgrade AT&T loses money to start with and then makes it back with your monthly payments. You are just making AT&T more money by paying full price for the phones and using their service.

Exactly.
I have an uncle with the same distorted point of view that he doesnt want to sign a contract.
Yet, he's been with AT&T for over 8-9 years with 4 lines on his family plan. He goes and buys used iphones on ebay for $300-400 every time where in reality he wasted years and years of upgrades on all of his lines. Doesnt make any sense.
Weird, he could have got iphones for $199 all these years for all his lines and then sold them and got newer ones etc. Its not like he's going to any other carrier, he's just paying them for years and getting nothing in return as a loyal customer.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Thanks, $50 for factory unlocked seems worth it.
Unless there are easy software unlocks to follow.

Wish this service were available on launch or soon after

Currently, AT&T will unlock any iPhone that is not under contract. If you pay the ETF, they will unlock upon request. If your contract is up, they will also unlock it. There are some backdoor methods that seem pretty sketchy that I have not looked in to however.

 

[takeshi74]

AT&T is just not trying when it comes to keeping customers

An experience like mine is why AT&T is going to lose customers like me when the next iPhone is released.

You'd think that. However, I thought the former of the two quotes above back when they were Cingular yet look at where they are now. They're still one of the biggest carriers out there. I'll believe that they're seriously losing customers when it actually happens.

 

[GadgetGeek407]

this has been a fun read from the start...yes loyalty from a customer does deserve rewards, but not what you want, its what they give you, you take it. I use to work for Sprint and I remember the ridiculous things customers would call and ask for in the cancellation department. Sure we had our save offers as we called them and they were damn good. But nowadays there is too much competition everyone offers more or less the same products, with different services, speeds, networks, prices. Buyers need to do research.

The sad part is it does not cost of any of these companies barely anything to give free text or talk and data is the only thing that puts stress on their network. If you pay for data you should be able to use it how you want when you want. ATT not offering facetime to all its customers with data is WRONG. even though i have the new plan its still wrong and unethical and greedy. I hope by launch day they do they right thing.

How do you think other MVNO prepaid companies offer free unlimited international text and pic messaging and non of the big guys do? its all GREED

Grass is not always greener but sometimes it is. I was with Sprint for 14 years recently changed to AT&T and I love it. I love the gsm network ability to do a ton of calls and conference them or for that matter conference anyone into any call, thats important to me. I love being able to surf the net and talk on the phone that is important to me. So it depends on priorities. Data is much faster on ATT than Sprint as well at least in Orlando.

 

[slippery-pete]

See that's the point. McDonald's competes for your business and offers you new incentives everyday to keep you as a customer. If they don't have the food you want at the price you want, then you go to Burger King or Wendy's, or wherever. They don' have the luxury of a long term contract to fall back on to start taking you for granted like the cellular companies do.

When the OP's contract was up, he became a free agent. Let the bidding begin!

Like I said, he did AT&T a huge favor by giving them first crack at earning his business. They had a leg up on the other companies, but that doesn't mean they win by default. They still have to earn his business. That is one of the most basic tenets of capitalism!

Competition for scarce resources in a FREE MARKET is what ensures we all get the best goods and services for a fair price. OP is a great American!

The OP was expecting something from at&t and complained that they were "only" giving him around 120 to keep his business. Not sure how that fits into the free market.....actually, it ends up costing us more in the long term. Companies end up passing on that cost to consumers.

If he isn't happy with AT&T or their offer, move on....AT&T didnt have to offer him a dime but they made an offer they thought was fair.

 

[iAmYou]

Yep, seems like they try to piss off their longtime customers.
Those with unlimited plans that have been around supporting them for years since the original iphone came out.
Not cool IMO.

And see, I always have the opposite experience.
They usually bend over backwards for me.
I do however get to use premier customer care.

 

[tigres]

Serious question.

My sis resides in the UK. Can I get a plan with her and use it in the US? I hear everything in Europe when it comes to cell phones is cheaper than here in the US?

Anybody do this?