AT&T will increase monthly bill for standard upgrades vs Next

[Jtern]

Or you can add a line with AT&T Next and get $100 credit...

That too lol

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Explain to me this logic… My current plan: Mobile Share Value Plan 10GB, six lines, $100 for primary line, $15/data for each of the six lines. Besides taxes and fees, let’s just say my bill is $175/month. In the past I could buy a subsidized phone, and my bill would not change. If I were to buy a subsidized iPhone 6, my bill would increase $25/month. I would love for you to explain the logic to me, and I’m being serious. Where, in my previous $175/month bill, am I making up the cost of a previous subsidized phone? Previously, AT&T would be happy to sell me a subsidized phone as long as I sign the contract to be with them for two years. Now, they’d be happy to sell me a subsidized phone, but they want to increase my bill, too.

If you go back a couple pages, the mobile share value plan discounts normal pricing per line by $25. From the $40 to $15 per line. Fine print in service agreement says it voids that discount, thus the $25/month increase per line

 

[krashx7]

Screw ATT next. I'll keep my two your service agreement and upgrade every two years as I've always done.

 

[laff]

Not going to Upgrade due to AT&T price hike

We have a family plan (and a corporate 25% discount). For 3 users we pay around $141 currently. Now to upgrade a 2 year contract, I could pay the $399 (6+) and $299 (6) but would have my non-Next Family Plan move to just over $180 a month (Third phone # is not upgrading).

So if I want to buy the phone subsidized pricing, I would may an additional $50 a month or $600 a year for the same service. So I am paying the phone price difference for a subsidy (actually more). Sure the Next adds the price into the monthly and would be a little less then the 2 Year uplift and phone list prices, but that bill would be $205 a month. Thats nuts.

Lose - Lose situation for me. So I wait, do I buy full price to keep my grandfathered cost down...thinking wait.

I get company profit, but how about loyalty or something. Hey I would be ok with a slight $ raise, but not a +33% service increase cost.

 

[dgno248]

That too lol

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If you go back a couple pages, the mobile share value plan discounts normal pricing per line by $25. From the $40 to $15 per line. Fine print in service agreement says it voids that discount, thus the $25/month increase per line

That's my exact point. I don't want to void my $25 discount per line. I understand that everybody has a different plan, and NEXT will work for some, but for those of us that currently get the $25 discount, it doesn't make financial sense.

 

[iMas70]

NEXT plans don't qualify for corporate discounts? Am I reading that right? Right now I'm on an old family plan, four of us - and I'm the only one with a data plan (old 3gb for $30/mo). I get 21% off the entire $170 bill each month. I'm guessing I'm better off keeping what I have? I've never gone over the 3gb.

I don't have my bill in front of me but I believe the FAN discount is only off certain parts of the bill.

As for NEXT, if I'm reading everything right, you pay full price for the phone for "x" number of months. Thay amount will them be deducted from the bill after the phone is paid off. If the phone isn't paid off when you want to upgrade, them you turn it in. If it is paid off, then it's yours to do as you please. Do I have this right?

I know they are pushing NEXT hard. Of AT&T benefits somehow. They wouldn't be in business if they couldn't make money.

For myself, I usually get the subsidized price with a 2 year contract. I receive a 23% FAN discount and have an Unlimited data plan.

 

[rui no onna]

Explain to me this logic… My current plan: Mobile Share Value Plan 10GB, six lines, $100 for primary line, $15/data for each of the six lines. Besides taxes and fees, let’s just say my bill is $175/month. In the past I could buy a subsidized phone, and my bill would not change. If I were to buy a subsidized iPhone 6, my bill would increase $25/month. I would love for you to explain the logic to me, and I’m being serious. Where, in my previous $175/month bill, am I making up the cost of a previous subsidized phone? Previously, AT&T would be happy to sell me a subsidized phone as long as I sign the contract to be with them for two years. Now, they’d be happy to sell me a subsidized phone, but they want to increase my bill, too.

What was your previous monthly bill prior to switching to Mobile Share? Also, why the heck would you switch to the new Mobile Share plans if your old bill was already $175 with subsidy?

If your old rates were better, then it's your fault for not doing due diligence and researching new plan costs before you switched.

 

[laff]

Re:

I have not switched - and you may not be talking to me...but I agree...do the math and don't get caught up in the AT&T NEXT math.

Be smart and try not to buy into a financially bad plan just cause you want the iPhone 6 or 6+...we all want it and thats why we are on this forum...but I stopped myself as this was not just a bad deal ...it is a very bad deal.

 

[dgno248]

What was your previous monthly bill prior to switching to Mobile Share? Also, why the heck would you switch to the new Mobile Share plans if your old bill was already $175 with subsidy?

If your old rates were better, then it's your fault for not doing due diligence and researching new plan costs before you switched.

$175 is my current plan. I can't remember what my old plan was, but we paid approx $275. I don't want my current plan to change, so I am not going to get an iPhone 6.

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I have not switched - and you may not be talking to me...but I agree...do the math and don't get caught up in the AT&T NEXT math.

Be smart and try not to buy into a financially bad plan just cause you want the iPhone 6 or 6+...we all want it and thats why we are on this forum...but I stopped myself as this was not just a bad deal ...it is a very bad deal.

Thank you laff! You get it. AT&T CS is going to have a field day in two months when they start getting calls from all of those that bought the subsidized phone start noticing the $25 increase on their bills.

 

[Jtern]

That's my exact point. I don't want to void my $25 discount per line. I understand that everybody has a different plan, and NEXT will work for some, but for those of us that currently get the $25 discount, it doesn't make financial sense.

I hear ya, I'm in the same boat; but eventually ended up biting the bullet last night. Dawned on me that cragslisters on att's MSVP hoping to make a quick buck using their upgrade will probably breakeven or end up in the red.

 

[rui no onna]

$175 is my current plan. I can't remember what my old plan was, but we paid approx $275. I don't want my current plan to change, so I am not going to get an iPhone 6.

So you're basically saving $100 now compared to before. That $100/month ($2,400/2 years) used to pay for your subsidy that's why you were able to get a $750 phone for just $300. Now with the new plans, it makes it clear how much exactly the cost of service is and how much exactly you're paying for the phone.

 

[dgno248]

So you're basically saving $100 now compared to before. That $100/month ($2,400/2 years) used to pay for your subsidy that's why you were able to get a $750 phone for just $300. Now with the new plans, it makes it clear how much exactly the cost of service is and how much exactly you're paying for the phone.

I understand and respect your point. So I guess I'll just stay grandfathered in at the $15/month rate with my 5s.

 

[ttusomeone]

I didn't read every page of this thread so sorry if this is a repeat of what someone already said. I recently changed my family plan with AT&T to a mobile share plan because it saved me some money each month and I could do tethering. I lost my unlimited data but with the amount of data my wife and I used it was no big deal (I'm on wifi at home and at work). When making the switch online, it was very clear that if you got the mobile share plan, you would get a monthly discount that would go away if you bought a phone with a two-year contact. You'd only keep the discount if you went with NEXT or bought it outright. It even said this in a couple places. Of course I'm not shocked that so many people didn't realize this...

 

[rui no onna]

I understand and respect your point. So I guess I'll just stay grandfathered in at the $15/month rate with my 5s.

Lol, I expected this would be the case for a lot of folks. iPhones are expensive. Most people in the US just weren't aware of the fact since they got theirs for $199-399 with an expensive service contract. Now, AT&T discounted service pricing so people are suddenly shocked to see that $199-399 iPhone "jump" in price to $649-849 when in reality, it has always been like that (or at least it was since 4S, the 4 and older were slightly cheaper). The $450 difference just got hidden in the monthly service fee.

 

[nikhsub1]

So you're basically saving $100 now compared to before. That $100/month ($2,400/2 years) used to pay for your subsidy that's why you were able to get a $750 phone for just $300. Now with the new plans, it makes it clear how much exactly the cost of service is and how much exactly you're paying for the phone.

They just don't get it. The answer keeps slapping them in the face yet they just can't see it. I think part of the reason is that these mobile value share plans are new and were not around for the last phone launch. The other thing they can't grasp is that every line went from $40/month to $15/month on mobile share (over 10gb). So the dude with 6 phone is saving $$150/month now. He doesn't get that if he used subsidies on each line they would go back up to $40/month to pay for the subsidy. It must be so complex and beyond comprehension that we need Einstein to explain it. In addition the fact that next is a free loan for the phone is making brains explode.

 

[dotme]

Once you get into the mindset of what the iPhone truly retails for ($650 for the 16GB 6) it becomes a lot easier to figure out the best path at AT&T.

NEXT is now a no-brainer, since it amounts to interest-free financing on that $650. The 2 year contract with subsidy pricing is usually more money, you just don't feel it because the subsidy isn't broken out on the bill. For many years I did the 2-year leapfrog-line game, and only recently realized that I was paying over $700 for each iPhone over the life of the 2 year agreement compared to AT&T's new mobile share deals.

On a side note, AT&T is offering $200 trade in on iPhone 4, 4S and 5 models. Helps take the sting out of the deal a little. I just did that with an old AT&T 4S model I had under the bed and will end up paying just $450 for my iPhone 6 16GB, which I will start on NEXT and pay off in full before next September.

 

[dgno248]

They just don't get it. The answer keeps slapping them in the face yet they just can't see it. I think part of the reason is that these mobile value share plans are new and were not around for the last phone launch. The other thing they can't grasp is that every line went from $40/month to $15/month on mobile share (over 10gb). So the dude with 6 phone is saving $$150/month now. He doesn't get that if he used subsidies on each line they would go back up to $40/month to pay for the subsidy. It must be so complex and beyond comprehension that we need Einstein to explain it. In addition the fact that next is a free loan for the phone is making brains explode.

I get it. Came here to talk it out. Thanks for all the help.

 

[caligurl]

I don't really feel like they're pushing it down everyones throat. Do the math, go with the cheapest option for your situation.

this was my experience when calling yesterday.

i commented about next and switching to shared and she very quickly reminded me that i don't have to give up my unlimited.

 

[cymolia]

Whatever you do , dont call Att customer service asking any questions. Those people are as useless as the dingleberry on my dogs ass.

 

[billhelm]

Next is a no brainer for anybody already on the new Mobile Share Value plans. For those of us on grandfathered cheaper/older plans it is a mixed bag depending on your use and device buying habits.

I think further compounding this issue this go around is the people that switched to those plans earlier this year and were "grandfathered" into the discount even though they were on 2- year contract. AT&T essentially gave a subsidy discount to those people to get them off of the contract and onto next. Could be a rude awakening and increase in cost if you didn't know what you were getting into.

For me, I'd pay a premium to go to unlimited txt/voice and a larger data bucket over what I'm currently paying. It's not a ton but it's several hundred dollars over two years. and I don't care about early upgrades too much. I also have the FAN discount effects to consider (which are minimal in my case)

Stayed on two year contract with a granfathered plan but I'll re-evaluate next go round (and I'm guessing AT&T is eventually going to do away with subsidized contract model altogether)

 

[Surfer13134]

Let me get this straight, I am on the mobile share value plan but pre ordered through Target with a 2 year contract. I have 6 lines on my account,so is every line going up 25 dollars or just the line I put in contract?

 

[HPLouis]

So I did the math is this is what I got:

Mobile Share with Next and 10GB data (25% discount applied):
$15 - 1st line
$15 - 2nd line
$15 - 3rd line
$75 - 10GB data (discounted)
$6.99 - insurance, 1st line
$6.99 - insurance, 2nd line
$6.99 - insurance, 3rd line
------------------------------
$140.97 - total plan price

$42.50 - iPhone 6 128GB on 20 month Next plan
$37.50 - iPhone 6 64GB on 20 month Next plan
$26.50 - iPhone 5c 32GB on 20 month Next plan
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$106.50 - total phones price

$247.47 - total Mobile Share plan and Next phones

700min family plan with unlimited data and free A-List (25% discount applies)
$45 - plan and 1st line and 200 additional bonus minutes (discounted)
$9.99 - 2nd line with 200 additional bonus minutes
$9.99 - 3rd line with 200 additional bonus minutes
$20 - unlimited texts with any mobile to anymobile calling (AT&T save plan)
$6.99 - insurance, 1st line
$6.99 - insurance, 2nd line
$6.99 - insurance, 3rd line
$22.50 - unlimited data, 1st line (discounted)
$22.50 - unlimited data, 2nd line (discounted)
$22.50 - unlimited data, 3rd line (discounted)
------------------------------------------------------------
$173.45 - total plan price

$19.95 - iPhone 6 128GB (399.99 price split 20 months)
$14.95 - iPhone 6 64GB (299.99 price split 20 months)
$4.00 - iPhone 5c 32GB (79.99 price split 20 months)
$1.67 - activation fee (40 split 24 months)
$1.67 - activation fee (40 split 24 months)
$1.67 - activation fee (40 split 24 months)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
$43.91 - total phones price

$217.36 - total family plan price with phones


$30.11 - difference monthly

For me, it would be cheaper for me to stay on my old plan and get a subsidized phone and upgrade every 2 years. I do lose out on yearly upgrades, free international texts and tethering (mobile hotspot). What I do get is piece of mind though. I have a teenager and she uses 10GB's a month (even throttled she still uses alot of data) so I probably would have to spend more and get a 15 GB plan and that would be another $22.50 more, making my monthly increase $52.61 to switch over to Next and Mobile Share.

 

[nostresshere]

$175 is my current plan. I can't remember what my old plan was, but we paid approx $275. I don't want my current plan to change, so I am not going to get an iPhone 6....

And there is the laugh of the day.

No matter what plan you are on, you have to pay to get a new phone.

Contract.
No contract.
Next.
Subsidized.
Corporate.
Grandfathered whatever.

If you get a new phone, somebody has to pay for it.

I had to come back and say "this is damn funny"

 

[dotme]

Let me get this straight, I am on the mobile share value plan but pre ordered through Target with a 2 year contract. I have 6 lines on my account,so is every line going up 25 dollars or just the line I put in contract?

Just your line. The $25 increase is the subsidy - But Next would have been a better deal for you I suspect. People upgrading that are already on Mobile Share pay less for their iPhone with Next, under normal circumstances (There are always special exceptions).

 

[tb12]

And there is the laugh of the day.

No matter what plan you are on, you have to pay to get a new phone.

Contract.
No contract.
Next.
Subsidized.
Corporate.
Grandfathered whatever.

If you get a new phone, somebody has to pay for it.

I had to come back and say "this is damn funny"

Lol. And to think that some guy from China actually sold his kidney for one...

 

[HPLouis]

To make things even more fair, I compared my old plan to the Next 18, since I would keep the phone longer. This is what I get:

Mobile Share with Next and 10GB data (25% discount applied):
$15 - 1st line
$15 - 2nd line
$15 - 3rd line
$75 - 10GB data (discounted)
$6.99 - insurance, 1st line
$6.99 - insurance, 2nd line
$6.99 - insurance, 3rd line
------------------------------
$140.97 - total plan price

$39.59 - iPhone 6 128GB on 24 month Next plan
$35.42 - iPhone 6 64GB on 24 month Next plan
$22.09 - iPhone 5c 32GB on 24 month Next plan
-------------------------------------------------
$97.10 - total phones price

$238.07 - total Mobile Share plan and Next phones

I save $9.40 a month going from Next 12 to Next 18 so I still end up paying more to switch to Next and Mobile Share.