ATT Early Upgrade Discounting Policy

[Cash Regime]

I opened a new line, transferred the 3Gs to my original line, pulled out an old Samsung and put it on the new line. So I have one line w/ an iPhone with a data plan and texting, had to raise my rate to a family plan, add $10 for the second line. Done.

What did you do with your original 3G then? Wasn't that still under contract?

 

[Applejuiced]

I don't think opening a new line for only $10 a month would work because you would have 2 lines open both with an iPhone, and ATT requires a data plan to have an iPhone.

And it does seem a little troublesome cause you're having to put money down upfront and hope that they'll allow you to cancel a line even though you just opened up a new one. And then if that works, you have to hope that they will port your canceled phone number to the new line. I definitely think it's possible, but I also see some risk, but that can be settled by calling them in advance and making sure they'll do it. But sorry, where are you getting the $175? I've seen it around so it's probably right, but when I look at the ATT website, the $325 is what I see. Did they change the ETF policy at some point?

Yeah, you're probably right.
Im just looking for more options but not 100% how it will work.
Will have to call AT&T tommorow for details.
The old ETF is what I had in mind for the old line will be alot less than the new iphone4 $325 ETF.

 

[mistertomlinson]

Furk, I'm really thinking about just paying the $600... and the second Verizon gets the iPhone (*if), I will no longer be under contract and can tell at&t to SMOKE MY POLE... and I might even send them an HD video in 720p of "my pole."

 

[Rooftop voter]

I assume that if you open another line on your family plan, that the new phone is subject to the new 2 gb data cap, and not the primarys plan correct?Or does being an existing customer opening another line on his plan considered grandfathered in aswell?

 

[Applejuiced]

I opened a new line, transferred the 3Gs to my original line, pulled out an old Samsung and put it on the new line. So I have one line w/ an iPhone with a data plan and texting, had to raise my rate to a family plan, add $10 for the second line. Done.

I see.
So from an individual $39.99 plan for example one would have to jump to a Family $59.99.
So an additional $20 per month if you just have 2 lines on that plan would be $480 for the 24 month term.
Still wouldnt be cost effective IMO.

I assume that if you open another line on your family plan, that the new phone is subject to the new 2 gb data cap, and not the primarys plan correct?Or does being an existing customer opening another line on his plan considered grandfathered in aswell?

That is correct.
Only choices would be the new $15 and $25 plans.

 

[Geckotek]

Did you cancel the second line and keep the iPhone on the first line?

I just realized there is a problem with this second line plan, IF you are trying to keep your phone number. If you open a second account with the iPhone 4 and swap phones, then cancel the newly opened account, you will have agreed to the new $325 ETF and would have to pay it...

Read my post in the middle of the previous page. I JUST answered this.

What did you do with your original 3G then? Wasn't that still under contract?

The phone is not under contract, the line is. You can do what you want w/ the phone. Nobody cares.

 

[SonoViva]

Everyone who has an upgrade in 2010 got advanced to get the new phone.

That is the difference his upgrade date was 11/10 yours was 02/11.

His changed because his date fell in 2010. They bumped up everyone in 2010 to now.

Has anyone's upgrade date actually changed yet? Cause mine still says 9/21/10.

 

[Cash Regime]

Furk, I'm really thinking about just paying the $600... and the second Verizon gets the iPhone (*if), I will no longer be under contract and can tell at&t to SMOKE MY POLE... and I might even send them an HD video in 720p of "my pole."

That's a big if..

but I think a lot of people would enjoy sending HD videos of "their poles" to ATT, including myself.

 

[sniffies]

Hey guys,

I just got off the phone to clarify my eligibility and heard an interesting rule that I did not yet see on these forums. It may have been posted somewhere here, but I've been browsing the forums all day and haven't seen it.

So I bought the original 3G at launch. I upgraded to 3GS (regrettably) also at launch using the early upgrade discount (399). I only have the 39.99 voice plan and $30 data plan so my eligible date for upgrade was 2/2011.. which is fine. However, I assumed that I would be eligible for the early upgrade discount (399/499) like last year, but found that I was not. I just gave AT&T a call to find out that each line can receive the early upgrade discounting only once per 18 months. Thus, since I used it last year on the 3GS, I now have to wait until 11/2010 to have the 399/499 price. If I were to buy it now, I'd have to pay full retail price.

I think this kind of sucks balls, especially since I didn't know of this rule when I purchased the 3GS. I have I known, I probably would not have done so since the 3GS was the ********* upgrade ever. Anyway, this may be old news to you guys, but I was looking at the forums all day and could not figure out why I was not at least eligible for the early upgrade discount.

TIP:

Most CS reps are unaware of another new rule. Check it out. Try again or ask to speak to a manager.

 

[Built]

Hey guys,

I just got off the phone to clarify my eligibility and heard an interesting rule that I did not yet see on these forums. It may have been posted somewhere here, but I've been browsing the forums all day and haven't seen it.

So I bought the original 3G at launch. I upgraded to 3GS (regrettably) also at launch using the early upgrade discount (399). I only have the 39.99 voice plan and $30 data plan so my eligible date for upgrade was 2/2011.. which is fine. However, I assumed that I would be eligible for the early upgrade discount (399/499) like last year, but found that I was not. I just gave AT&T a call to find out that each line can receive the early upgrade discounting only once per 18 months. Thus, since I used it last year on the 3GS, I now have to wait until 11/2010 to have the 399/499 price. If I were to buy it now, I'd have to pay full retail price.

I think this kind of sucks balls, especially since I didn't know of this rule when I purchased the 3GS. I have I known, I probably would not have done so since the 3GS was the ********* upgrade ever. Anyway, this may be old news to you guys, but I was looking at the forums all day and could not figure out why I was not at least eligible for the early upgrade discount.

I got the 1st gen the summer of 2007...and the 3G in December 2008, for the upgrade price. When the 3GS came out, I checked and it said I would not qualify for the upgrade price until May 2010, so I skipped the 3GS and I'm so happy that I did!

 

[Cash Regime]

I see.
So from an individual $39.99 plan for example one would have to jump to a Family $59.99.
So an additional $20 per month if you just have 2 lines on that plan would be $480 for the 24 month term.
Still wouldnt be cost effective IMO.

The phone is not under contract, the line is. You can do what you want w/ the phone. Nobody cares.

I see, I didn't know you could change out the phone and get rid of the data plan. However, as Applejuiced pointed out, the price of upgrading from the standard voice plan (39.99) to the family plan (59.99) is does not justify it. It would make sense if you were already on a family plan which I am assuming you were.

 

[Geckotek]

I assume that if you open another line on your family plan, that the new phone is subject to the new 2 gb data cap, and not the primarys plan correct?Or does being an existing customer opening another line on his plan considered grandfathered in aswell?

No, not the way I did it. (models adjusted to match today's situation)

Line 1 - iPhone 3Gs w/ old data plan
add Line 2 - buy iPhone 4 w/ new data plan
Pull sim from line 1 and place it in iPhone 4
Pull sim from line 2 and place it in Samsung flip
Throw iPhone 3Gs on eBay or in river or whatever you want
Call AT&T, cancel data service on line 2 as it only has a flip on it now
Line 1 now has iPhone 4 w/ old data plan

Potentially (I heard but never tested) you could do this (stuck on new data plan but keep number)

Line 1 - iPhone 3Gs w/ old data plan and old number
add Line 2 - buy iPhone 4 w/ new data plan and new number
Call AT&T, have them transfer old number to Line 2 contract
Place new number on old contract
Have AT&T cancel old contract
You are left with new line 2 with old number and new data plan
Pay ETF on Line 1

I see.
So from an individual $39.99 plan for example one would have to jump to a Family $59.99.
So an additional $20 per month if you just have 2 lines on that plan would be $480 for the 24 month term.
Still wouldnt be cost effective IMO.

My family plan was only $10/month more (think they removed that plan recently). Plus I have a FAN discount.
My plan was to kill the second line 60 days later....but I never did because I kept holding onto it with hopes of porting my main number to Google Voice.....which never happened.

 

[Applejuiced]

I see, I didn't know you could change out the phone and get rid of the data plan. However, as Applejuiced pointed out, the price of upgrading from the standard voice plan (39.99) to the family plan (59.99) is does not justify it. It would make sense if you were already on a family plan which I am assuming you were.

That is correct.
So if you were already in a family plan of 2 and then added a 3rd line it would be just $10 more. Then you can get rid of the data after a month since that line is not used with an iphone and you're good.

 

[Cash Regime]

So it looks like there's not a good way around it for people who are not eligible and have single lines...

If we were to add another line and terminate the first one, then that means we'd have to upgrade to a family plan, add a new line, transfer the phone number, terminate the first line and pay the ETF, and then downgrade back to a single line plan? Don't know if that's possible, but hopefully someone can confirm this with ATT..

 

[Odid]

So it looks like there's not a good way around it for people who are not eligible and have single lines...

If we were to add another line and terminate the first one, then that means we'd have to upgrade to a family plan, add a new line, transfer the phone number, terminate the first line and pay the ETF, and then downgrade back to a single line plan? Don't know if that's possible, but hopefully someone can confirm this with ATT..

Hmm. So people who paid the $499 early upgrade aren't eligible for another early upgrade?? What.

Can someone confirm this possible scenario with adding a line?

 

[melman101]

I sure hope this isn't true. :-(. I really do not want to pay $599 for a 16GB iPhone after buying an iPad two months ago, lmao!

I'm 02/20/2011 and *639 mentions full retail no-commitment pricing :-(

 

[corriewf]

I think AT&T customer service may be off. We should confirm this before going nuts over the thought.

 

[MikePA]

Every time there's a new iPhone announced these same threads are started, i.e., how do I scam the system to get the latest and greatest device at the subsidized price. Plus the whiners who have upgrade dates just past the deadline. This situation is the reason why I did not replace my 3G with the 3GS. Amazing...well, not really.

 

[UnseenLlama]

The AT&T's iPhone 4 device pricing sheet states:

"Early Upgrade” for Existing iPhone Customers

For existing AT&T customers who are not yet eligible for our best iPhone 4 pricing, AT&T offers a special program exclusively for iPhone – early upgrade pricing. This gives customers who do not yet qualify for an upgrade the opportunity to upgrade at a special price. Two-year term agreement and eligible voice and data plan are required."

http://www.att.com/Common/about_us/files/iphone/pricing_fact_sheet_ip4.pdf

Printed this out and will take to the AT&T store to make sure my account is available for the early upgrade. I too have a date of 2/20/2011.

 

[melman101]

The AT&T's iPhone 4 device pricing sheet states:

"Early Upgrade” for Existing iPhone Customers

For existing AT&T customers who are not yet eligible for our best iPhone 4 pricing, AT&T offers a special program exclusively for iPhone – early upgrade pricing. This gives customers who do not yet qualify for an upgrade the opportunity to upgrade at a special price. Two-year term agreement and eligible voice and data plan are required."

http://www.att.com/Common/about_us/files/iphone/pricing_fact_sheet_ip4.pdf

Printed this out and will take to the AT&T store to make sure my account is available for the early upgrade. I too have a date of 2/20/2011.

I sure hope this is true

 

[MikePA]

I sure hope this is true

How could it not be true? It came right from ATT.

 

[UnseenLlama]

I sure hope this is true

How could it not be true? It came right from ATT.

Save it to your Google Docs. Who knows when ATT might update it to say something different.

 

[UnseenLlama]

Also from AT&Ts press release

"All new and current iPhone customers who are upgrade eligible, plus existing customers who choose to upgrade early must agree to a two-year term commitment, and select an eligible voice and data plan for iPhone. No Commitment pricing does not require a two-year term commitment, but does require both voice and data service."

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=18004&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=30863

So as long as you agree to a new two year agreement, you are able to get the "early upgrade" prices 16gb at $399 and 32gb at $499. At least, that's how I read it.

 

[Eric8199]

But according to everything that's been posted here at MacRumors, the only 3GS owners that got bumped ahead 6 months, had the $60 talk plan or Family plan... NOT the cheapest talk plan available. This guy claims he bought the 3GS last year when it came out, only had the $40 talk plan and still had a upgrade eligibility date in 2010. This shouldn't be the case. His date should have originally been in 2011... and I call BS.

I'm in the same situation, except that I didn't upgrade last year, the 3GS was my first AT&T phone. But I bought it launch day and am on the $40+$30+$5 plan and am eligible for a full upgrade according to AT&T.

 

[ecks618]

I was at the apple store yesterday and the manager confirmed the 399/499 for early upgrades for any date in 2011. Basically if you are not eligible for a full upgrade (199/299) you can get the 399/499 pricing with an early upgrade.

Additionally, the primary account on a AT&T plan costing $100 or more for 12 month will automatically be eligible for a full upgrade (199/299)