AT&T to Raise Early Termination Fee for iPhone and Other Smartphones to $325

[JediZenMaster]

I'm going to be laughing at WWDC when there is no Verizon iPhone announced. And then ill check back on here to see if these people who claimed they were going to cancel either way, Really did cancel.

Remember guys if AT&T is that bad then why not buy yourself out of your contract and leave?

I Kknow if my service was truly that BAD as others make it seem. Then i would have cancelled. So save yourself the trouble and leave guys.

 

[macrazee]

Didn't Verizon raise ETFs on their smartphones as well?

Anyway these new ETF are NOT retroactive, on new contracts only. So you know what you're getting in to.

I'll be awaiting a fully unlocked 4G unit before springing. Until then, my trusty old 3G is working quite well!

 

[ghostface147]

Pathetic... That's why I'm on Big Red, and thinkin' about getting a Droid.

I'll wait now...

Keep in mind Verizon has the same termination rates for smartphones. You don't get grandfathered in when you get a new smartphone. New rates apply to you.

 

[Hurda]

I want to know who the 8 people are that voted this as positive!

I was one. Like other said, if you're planning to quit the contract early and don't want to pay the fee, don't sign the contract in the first place.

A change in contract usually give you somewhere b/t 60 and 90 days where you can opt out of the agreement at no penalty at all since the terms have changed. If I was anyone I would hold off as long as I could then decide, new phone or new carrier.

No contract is being changed because this new ETF only applies to new contracts.

 

[calderone]

screw ATT.. This decision MAY make me switch to verizion( which i was NEVER planning to do) if they get an iphone..

also I'm screwing you att i have my iphone jailbroken and am tethering a TON everyday so F off

Verizon started changing $350, $25 more than AT&T last year.

And wouldn't this change allow a customer to back out if he/she does not agree with the change in terms?

No, because it does not apply to current contracts.

The increase in the early termination fee is outrageous. AT&T has had an exclusive contract and now they are whining about potential early terminations. Do they hear footsteps?

AT&T is just like the airlines: Stick us for every penny they can!

Verizon already increased their ETF on smartphones. Whine about them too.

 

[jbuck777]

screw ATT.. This decision MAY make me switch to verizion( which i was NEVER planning to do) if they get an iphone..

also I'm screwing you att i have my iphone jailbroken and am tethering a TON everyday so F off

Show em whos boss my friend.

In all seriousness, the timing of this increase has to be suggestive of something. Whether its ATT's loss of exclusivity, or an upcoming Verizon capable version of the iPhone.

They chose to do this only a couple weeks before the conference....coincidence, I think not

Luckily im on Rogers, and have absolutely no plans on moving to Fido, Telus, or Bell (frankly anybody who thinks having an iPhone on Telus or Bells little 3g network is better the on Fido/Rogers astonishes me....they dont have a 2g or GPRS network to fall back upon).

 

[douglaswilliams]

I bet they did this because they are going to lose their exclusivity this fall. That way they will capture people who will jump on the new iPhone during its first few months. When Verizon offers the iPhone cheaper and with a cheaper data plan, people won't switch.




(not saying that I know they are losing their exclusivity, just saying what if...)

 

[JediZenMaster]

Didn't Verizon raise ETFs on their smartphones as well?

Yep , VZW's is 350 dollars. People need to wake up and realize that the Grass is not always greener on the other side. I imagine that when and if VZW gets the iPhone.

There will be threads of people complaining about VZW's service as well. And before anyone says it. No one on this board knows how VZW's network will handle the iPhone. It could easily have problems as well.

 

[FakeWozniak]

screw ATT.. This decision MAY make me switch to verizion( which i was NEVER planning to do) if they get an iphone..

also I'm screwing you att i have my iphone jailbroken and am tethering a TON everyday so F off

I have zero respect for anyone with this attitude. My service suffers because your kind of selfishness. ATT's network isn't ready for this yet as a common feature. You brag like your "sticking it to the man" but you are sticking it to everyone on ATT.

I hope your phone gets bricked.

 

[bella92108]

Guess when he said he "wasn't worried about losing exclusivity" because announcing this now will allow all the current iphone customers to run BEFORE losing exclusivity haha

 

[tdmac]

While it looks likes its all pure greed, I will withold my judgement for now. AT&T can play this really really smart.

I am hoping that for the higher termination fee's.

AT&T offeres the iphone for a much lower subsidized price point for those that are at the normal upgrade point. In addition, for those that purchased a new phone last year, that they allow you to upgrade and the normal upgrade price.

This would be a fair swap and would lock in the business nicely for AT&T for 2years.

 

[lazyrighteye]

This is the most clear indication that AT&T will lose exclusivity sometime after the next revision of the iPhone comes out this June.

Doubling their ETF? Dang.

 

[JediZenMaster]

I bet they did this because they are going to lose their exclusivity this fall. That way they will capture people who will jump on the new iPhone during its first few months. When Verizon offers the iPhone cheaper and with a cheaper data plan, people won't switch.
(not saying that I know they are losing their exclusivity, just saying what if...)

1) Well for starters unless Apple broke the contract with AT&T which i don't think they could have because AT&T would sue them. Then VZW can't even carry the iPHone untill 2012 at the earliest. Unless the contract mentions AT&T as having the lock on the "GSM" iphone instead of "Any" iphone.

2) The iPhone wouldn't be announced in the fall, It would be announced at WWDC. That is where all new iPhone announcements are done.

 

[lilo777]

AT&T offers Android phones too.....so they don't care what smartphone you buy....as long as it is from them

That's true. But if the customer decides to switch to Android then he/she has an option to go to another provider or to stay and given the quality of ATT service many might jump the ship.

 

[kevinkt]

Instead of charging us a crazy fee, improve your damn network you sissy company

 

[gri]

I'm surprised you would consider dealing with Verizon after what they did to New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. Verizon dumped all their landline customers (voice and computer) to Fairpoint (a bankrupt company). Verizon wasn't losing money in these states but, I guess Verizon wasn't content with the money they were making. Right now, Verizon could offer me a free smartphone and calling plan and I would not accept it. People from New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine should be boycotting Verizon. Verizon screws their customers over more than the others combined.

Not to mention that Verizon was able to deliver DSL to the 4th floor of my apartment building but no the 8th floor - not enough electron pressure?
Now on cable and much happier anyway.

 

[bella92108]

I have zero respect for anyone with this attitude. My service suffers because your kind of selfishness. ATT's network isn't ready for this yet as a common feature. You brag like your "sticking it to the man" but you are sticking it to everyone on ATT.

I hope your phone gets bricked.

I have ZERO respect for YOUR attitude ... he has a right to do what he wants. What if someone decides to download a song every minute from the iTunes store... or a movie? They could EASILY burn through more data than someone who tethers. This is why ATT gives "unlimited" data. Additionally, they promised tethering in 2009, so even though he doesn't have a legal right to do it, there's a bit of broken promise ATT has made to their customers. That said, it's ridiculous that you think it's bad that he "sticks it to the man" ... affecting your service, but IF the ATT network were properly designed then one use should have ZERO impact on your service. As an end user, you should be able to expect a quality experience from your provider, and it's their responsibility to remedy it (and they DO have the ability to detect and respond to situations of abuse), but your beef should be with ATT not this guy.

 

[hierobryan]

F YOU, AT&T!!! I'm switching to another provider when my contract is up. You can have this tired ass iPhone.

 

[JediZenMaster]

Instead of charging us a crazy fee, improve your damn network you sissy company

What's so crazy about it? Verizon's ETF is 25 more bucks than AT&T's. I'm sick of this double standard S**T if verizon can charge a higher EFT. Then AT&T should be able to also.

 

[firewater101]

Wouldn't REQUIRING businesses to sell phones unlocked be anit-consumer because it robs the consumer of the choice to enter into a service agreement to get a phone they otherwise couldn't afford?

I could drop $299 for an iPhone -- if I had to pay $699 because the government wouldn't let them subsidize my phone, I probably would have skipped (or waited much longer to get one).

... which is why iPhones would not cost $699 if they were legally unlocked. You are still paying that much now for an iPhone, it is just hidden in the monthly service. They can get away with charging that much because you don't see the price directly. Service itself would be cheaper for everyone because they wouldn't be subsidizing the phone, and competition would push prices down. You could still enter into a contract like this if you wanted, as they could still sell you a cheap phone in exchange for that. Just because the phone is unlocked doesn't mean you don't have to pay for your service. It would simply mean that you would have a choice instead of not having one.

... and as for the comments above, just because the networks build towers and lease the bandwidth from us doesn't make it theirs. We still get to determine the terms of the lease. This is why the FCC can tell you what you can and can't say on broadcast television. This is also why we could demand open competition if the political will existed. Unfortunately it seems people would rather defend unfair profits at the cost of freedom of real choice.

 

[bella92108]

Not to mention that Verizon was able to deliver DSL to the 4th floor of my apartment building but no the 8th floor - not enough electron pressure?
Now on cable and much happier anyway.

You really should research how DSL technology works before making ridiculous statements like this. Cable has the same limitation, it just means that the cable POP is closer to you proportionate to the technology limitations than DSL.

 

[JediZenMaster]

F YOU, AT&T!!! I'm switching to another provider when my contract is up. You can have this tired ass iPhone.

Cool go to VZW where you will be paying 350 instead of 325

 

[AdamSubach]

I got a DEAL!

Soo I guess AT&T screwed up... I only payed 116.16 for terminating my account, and it just about a week ago. "iPhone plan"

 

[MacFly123]

This is the biggest pile of crap that I have ever heard! Of course you won't be losing customers...you have us by the balls!

Are they gonna reduce the monthly rate to compensate for higher etfs?

AT&T's greed never ceases to amaze me.

Ahhh, AT&T you will never change your stripes. Monkey see, monkey do.

Ha ha. Now we know what he meant by "we don't think people will leave."

Of course, the good news is that this is the most solid fact to-date that supports the Verizon iPhone rumors.

DITTO! What happened to these outrageous ETFs being investigated???

 

[CupertinoBob]

Guess when he said he "wasn't worried about losing exclusivity" because announcing this now will allow all the current iphone customers to run BEFORE losing exclusivity haha

I am thinking since Verizon raised their fee first, and it is $25 more than ATT that perhaps it is Verizon who is worried not ATT. Haven't you noticed that when the gas station on the corner raises its price, pretty soon the one across the street does too. Just business. If some cannot keep their word on a contract I don't have much respect for them. This is business, not charity.