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AT&T to Stop Offering Two-Year Phone Contracts Starting January 8
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What about this scenario...
I have a single line MSV plan (3gb) with a "smartphone access fee" of $25 per month. By signing a 2-year contract to get the $450 subsidy, the "smartphone access fee" will increase to $40 per month x24 months, or $15 more per month than current.
This equates to paying an extra $360 over the course of 2 years, but getting $450 subsidy savings on a phone. If you add in the $45 "upgrade fee" for doing the 2-year contract that makes it be $405 extra out-of-pocket over 2 years to save $450 on the phone now.
Is this worth it for a user currently paying the $25 access fee to sign a contract to get the subsidy to essentially save $45 over 2 years? I personally don't intend on leaving AT&T.
Just thought I'd throw this out there b/c most of the discussion has centered around UDP plans (which is a no-brainer to take the subsidy and sign a contract) or MSV plans with high data pools w/ $15 per month access fees in which case the increase in access fee to $40 over 2 years is not worth it.
I have a single line MSV plan (3gb) with a "smartphone access fee" of $25 per month. By signing a 2-year contract to get the $450 subsidy, the "smartphone access fee" will increase to $40 per month x24 months, or $15 more per month than current.
This equates to paying an extra $360 over the course of 2 years, but getting $450 subsidy savings on a phone. If you add in the $45 "upgrade fee" for doing the 2-year contract that makes it be $405 extra out-of-pocket over 2 years to save $450 on the phone now.
Is this worth it for a user currently paying the $25 access fee to sign a contract to get the subsidy to essentially save $45 over 2 years? I personally don't intend on leaving AT&T.
Just thought I'd throw this out there b/c most of the discussion has centered around UDP plans (which is a no-brainer to take the subsidy and sign a contract) or MSV plans with high data pools w/ $15 per month access fees in which case the increase in access fee to $40 over 2 years is not worth it.
So for example I would pay nothing down for a phone but pay 20 bucks a month extra and keep same plan.
I called maybe 6 months ago and they told me next is only offered on mobile share plans...grandfathered plans are all either subsidized or byod only
I guess I got a less than adequate employee. Lol. No biggie. I have 3 phones, 1 iPad, 1 next payment, 20 gb of shared rollover data and unlimited talk and text for 175/month. We all surf and stream but never get over the 20 gigs. I'm one of those people that save and buy my phone upfront every year then hand the older one down to the kids. I pay the bill, I get the new phone.
I believe you. I am no longer with ATT. They allowed something similar when Next first started (people could just pick up next while still in contract) so I figured this may be similar.
Happy New Year!
Can somebody explain next to me a little better? I have grandfathered data and discount so my single bill is 80$ a month for unlimited text data and whatever the minutes are( i don't use many).
Can you upgrade every year on next?
I have a 6+(got it in the first week) i haven't paid for a phone since the 3g since i sell it every two years and it pays for the next upgrade(subsidized).
How much extra a month is it for the 128gig 6+s? i know apple has an option of doing yearly upgrades too not sure the cost difference.
Can you upgrade every year on next?
I have a 6+(got it in the first week) i haven't paid for a phone since the 3g since i sell it every two years and it pays for the next upgrade(subsidized).
How much extra a month is it for the 128gig 6+s? i know apple has an option of doing yearly upgrades too not sure the cost difference.
Just got back from the T-Mobile store. I switched.
Got 5 lines unlimited everything for 220 a month. (plus tax???). It's better for me regardless because now I can finally use data on the 3 lines that didn't have unlimited. Plus I setup the lines setup through business @work so they gave me a credit of 350 per line: 500 applied soon and then 50 credit per month for 2 yrs. Soo good.
Now I'm just waiting for the final bill from ATT so I can cancel the ETFs on the unlimited plans because of the unlimited price increase and unlock them for T-Mobile.
FYI the iPhone 6 is roughly 720p so that's probably why it's not showing 1080p.
The important part is that those hidden fees are often lower then the non hidden fees in the current plans.
My situation was 250 a month for 5 lines, 2 w/ unlimited data.
I would need the 25GB mobile share plan which again would cost me 250 a month (cuz of FAN discount).
So absolutely ZERO price savings. Quite the opposite since I would lose my 5 semi-annual subsidys which are worth about $94 a month new (subsidy value - salvage aka resale value / months).
So either I would pay the same price and never get new iPhones or my cost would go up by about 104 a month if i bought new phones like i currently do with mobile share.
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First your bill will go up by 5 per month.
Second you can purchase an iPhone on NEXT but it'll require a 15 dollar upgrade fee and then a monthly payment of w/e. The thing is the monthly payments equal the total cost of the iphone so it's not exactly a deal. Technically it's a 1% interest rate loan because of the $15 upgrade fee.
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Hmmm, really?
The original statment you made:
"It will be a shock to them when they come to renew their plan and find out that they gotta drop close to a grand instead of $200 up front..."
To which I stated that you can finance, for free an iphone from any major carrier, or through Apple. So your statement that "they gotta drop close to a grand instead of $200 up front" is untrue. That was what I pointed out. The fact is under "subsidized" contracts all the subscriber is doing is financing their phone, anyway. It's simple math, and anyone who is being honest about the math, and/or has half a brain can do the math and know that's true.
And your quote about comparable quality a full price for much much less (emphasis added by me):
"I see more and more going the anti-Apple route as they will find that you can buy most Android phones or Windows phones that are of comparable quality/tech at full price for much much less."
It's in black and white. It's what you said. Did you think I wouldn't be able to go back and find it? Who, exactly is lying here?
I'm not worshipping a symbol. You are correct in saying what the user enjoys using is purely a subjective decision. If you find that the Moto X is better for your needs more power to you. I have personally owned 6 different Android phones. I have gotten rid of every one of them within two weeks. I work in IT, and have had to use Android phones for months on end as testing units. The experience sucks, IMO. Doesn't even come close to iOS for stability, security and quality of user experience, for my money.
But objectively, from a purely quality standpoint there is not a phone on the market that compares to the iPhone that costs "much much less."
Yeap. They adapted an European model yet they are nickel and dimming from the gate.
Good points all around. My main offense is with them trying to insult people's intelligence and make them think paying full price for their phone is a good deal when actually its costing people a lot more. Last I checked ATT Wireless was a pretty profitable company even with the price breaks. Thats all I'm saying.
All I will say is this is still America and when companies increase prices and then insult my intelligence by telling me its a better deal I have the right to take my business elsewhere. I have way overpaid ATT for 15 years and they have no corporate appreciation for customer loyalty whatsoever.
No. I
t means you can no longer ever get a phone on a 2 year contract after January.
You can cancel your service and the ETF will be waived IF THE LINE HAS AN UNLIMITED PLAN because the price increased by 5 dollars next month.
Ok thanks, I've been thinking about switching due to the price hike but I just realize why for 5 bucks more and still have unlimited is a steal , Verizon is 80 bucks for 12 gb,now I'll be at 35 for unlimited . I'm probley going to stick with unlimited for piece of mind, hate to go over and get hit with a 15 dollar a gig overage
You can cancel without etf fees on February when you get hit with the extra $5 if you are unlimited
5 dollars more is not bad for unlimited, I checked Verizon and I would get 12 gb for 80 which would be double of what I pay now for unlimited. I think I'll still with unlimited. I think everyone else should to. Don't let 5 dollars make you loose unlimited
Most likely you can cancel without ETFs now as they have already given us the courtesy notice and 2 months for Feb is the deadline.
T-Mobile is offering unlimited every for $95 a month. Not sure if that's as good as your current AT&T deal.
It's not just the $5 per month increase though now. It's also the loss of the $450 subsidy.
$450/24 months = $18.75 per month you were given as the subsidy. Add the $5 per month to that makes $23.75 per month total increase for those staying with their UDP plans.
Whether or not that is still a "good" deal or a "bad" deal needs to be weighed by each customer.
Awesome!
I just looked closer into the employer monthly service discount and according to their website they no longer offer a monthly discount. Now they offer you a $25 gift card every time you buy a new device through T-Mobile
It looks like this change started in April of 2014. I'm going to call that department directly tomorrow and see what they say.
