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AT&T Raises Smartphone Upgrade Pricing From $15 to $20 to Match Verizon's New Fee
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It's a problem because it adds up: First, it may just be $5 increase (which btw, a $15 price to change a smartphone is ridiculous on its own, what am I paying for exactly?), but then there's going to be more price increases and more and more... It'll just get exactly like the issue you're talking about college (PS. don't forget to count inflation, don't just blatantly say "it increased by 1120%").$5 is hardly anything for people to cry about. Look at what's happened to college costs over the last 38 years, 1120% more since 1978. THAT is what's hurting people. Not this puny $5/mo issue.
Besides, AT&T is just keeping up with the Joneses. Competition is a good thing. Right? Everybody wants something so the value goes up. Just like with college, but only for more than $5 per credit.
It's a monopoly technique in order to rip off the customer as much as possible - if all companies increase in price, then there's no choice, you are being enslaved by the companies because you have no choice but to have at least the minimum phone service.
Not sure what your point is but they run on ATT because ATT owns them; so they aren't going to let their cheaper subsidiary steal higher paying customers.
But when I inquired of an AT&T rep, while I was preparing to swap in my SE to replace my 5C which is month to month now, the rep said there was no charge. So it's confusing to me. If you bring a fully paid phone to replace one on an existing account it doesn't count as an upgrade, the rep made that clear. I also get to keep my 15% discount that AT&T has been giving in hopes that I'll swap to a Next plan one of these years... the rep said there would be no change to my bill in the meantime, it just continues month to month as it has been since the contract on the 5C ran out last September.
Upgrade fee will eventually hit $40 or $45 because that is what the peak was on the old 2 year contracts. Eventually they might remove the upgrade fee but take away the 0% financing too.
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Been chancing it with T-Mobile for 4 months now. Totally worth it in a big metropolitan area. I'm saving about $20/mo compared to the new AT&T Unlimited plan. (not including additional DirecTV cost)
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Same here, been with them since Dec. 2007. I just saw T-mobile has 2 lines for $80 with 6gb data each + all the other features you get (tethering, rollover data for one year, Binge On, Music Freedom).
I just don't see any advantage staying with AT&T any longer. Their pricing and lack of features like T-mobile at a higher price doesn't make much sense.
T-Mobile doesn't require a contact so just sign up for the sim and try it out for a month to see if you like the service. FYI you really want an iPhone 6S with T-Mobile for the Band 12 performance. I don't recommend iPhone 6 or prior.
Typical. I have been fishing for a reason to leave AT&T. I'm pretty sure you guys know some better carriers for cheaper
They might be taking some backlash on this because I just received 5 extra GB a month on my plan for doing absolutely nothing.
I never remember paying any fee other than buying a sim card and when I first signed up to ATT they gave me a SIMM for free so I am confused by this. When I got my 6S I just popped in my my simm
I have yet to pay an upgrade fee or activation fee with AT&T, I usually just remind them that I have been a victim (customer) for almost 15 years, then the rep usually removes the fee.
Not free! The price of the module is included in the amount paid for the service - all cell phone providers are equal in this.
If Verizon weren't the only sensible option to have in my situation, I would get rid of them in a heartbeat. I don't plan on upgrading my 6 until it breaks though so whatever.
Not a big deal if you're an intelligent person and realize you don't need to go to ATT to upgrade your phone. I just buy them from Amazon, take the Sim out of my old phone and stick it in the new unlocked phone. Boom. Done. No fee. But then again I'm not a dolt that buys 800+ dollar phones.
Of course how much one chooses to spend one a phone is a reflection of his/her intelligence. You've obviously evolved to a higher state of being. I hope you'll continue to graciously bestow your wisdom to us all. Thank you.
P.S. How's that 6(S) Plus doing?
I'm in NYC and I still wouldn't switch to T-Mobile. My decision was further underscored by an outdoor event that I attended with some friends a few months ago about 30 miles north of Manhattan. I had three bars of LTE on AT&T. One of my friends had no service (not even Edge) on T-Mobile. I travel a lot, both in and out of the metropolitan NYC area. T-Mobile just doesn't cut it for me. Besides, I get a 25% discount with AT&T through my employer. My monthly fees are actually lower than a comparable plan on T-Mobile.
I should clarify, excluding promotions. There are some promos that waive activation fees in store, too (usually for prepaid customers, but also T-Mobile has a sort of "buy three get one free" on them for new lines on postpaid right now).
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Does anyone remember the good old days when competition meant LOWER prices rather than what looks like after-the-fact not-so-secret collusion (kind of like the kind that drives gas stations to match each others' prices in the wrong direction within one cent every single day at nearly every single station that doesn't have a generic yellow sign out front that makes you wonder if the gas might be leaded and from 1922?)
Ah Capitalism. You work so well in the Corporate States of America where every law is bribed (er lobbied) to not be in the consumer's best interest....
I was going to "like" this, but its accuracy pissed me off more than anything else.
Att has become the new evil of the wireless industry. They don't match any of their competitors in terms of reductions in their plans such as charging $20 for lower tiered plans but the moment one increases their prices they're right on their damn heels, following suit.
I think this is CRAZY as it doesn't cost them anything to activate the phone. It's just another way for big companies like this to charge you for whatever they want to. Oh you want a paper bill that's $5 a month oh you want to pay online we'll charge you $5 for that as well oh you need tech support that is a $1 a minute charge. You need to visit the store and get questions answered that is a $30 minimum fee. This could happen as AT&T is actually doing things like this as I think I do get charged for an actual paper bill.
All AT&T has to do is use a computer and put the IMEI number and at the serial number of the phone into the computer and it activates and they want to charge $20 to do that man it must be REALLY REALLY REALLY complicated to do that and they have 10 engineers to actually get this done and that is why they have to charge $20.
I am so tired of AT&T I am very seriously think of switching to something like Cricket or MetroPCS!
All AT&T wants to do is nickel and dime us and how many class action lawsuits have they had against them?
All AT&T has to do is use a computer and put the IMEI number and at the serial number of the phone into the computer and it activates and they want to charge $20 to do that man it must be REALLY REALLY REALLY complicated to do that and they have 10 engineers to actually get this done and that is why they have to charge $20.
I am so tired of AT&T I am very seriously think of switching to something like Cricket or MetroPCS!
All AT&T wants to do is nickel and dime us and how many class action lawsuits have they had against them?
