Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

ATT just hooked me up with a sweet workaround to allow me t upgrade to the new iPhone

egeek84

egeek84

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 26, 2010
448
160
Northern California
Alright, so like many of you, I ordered my iPhone 4S back on launch day last October. I've been happy with it but I knew once the iPhone5 leaks started coming out, that I would be upgrading to the new one.

My upgrade eligibility was recently changed to early upgrade meaning I pay the 250 on top of the phone price.

Unfortunately, money has been really tight for me and just by selling the phone itself on craigslist, I would only have enough to buy the new iphone 5 with the same 64 gigs of space (I really can't see myself with anything lower)

Anyways, heres what I did:
I called ATT and explained to the rep that i've been a loyal customer since 1998 and that I am on a family plan and that I spend over 100 a month yada yada
He said he couldn't do anything. AT this point, I told him to transfer me to cancellations. ( I didn't expect cancellations to do anything but I thought it would be worth a shot)

The cancellations department is actually called the "customer relations" department.

I got a very friendly guy on the phone who clearly was invested in trying to keep me as a customer.

He ended up doing the following for me:

Putting me on a lower voice plan that is ONLY offered from his department (450 anytime with primary line costing 40 and each additional 10 dollars with up to 4 additional lines) that is 10 dollars cheaper than the plan im on now which is 550 anytime and 50 dollars a month. (Since I don't use voice much anyways, this was an even better plan for my needs)

So I ended up breaking even and i'm going to use that 10 dollars im saving and just add a new line to my account when the new iphone goes on sale and then have that phone assigned to my number and have a "dummy phone" attached to that line.

And as a bonus, the awesome guy hooked me up with 4000 free rollover minutes and free texting for 6 months as well as a small account credit for my inconvenience.

TLDR : I wasn't really expecting ATT to bump my eligibility date since I hadn't finished fulfilling my 2 year contract but they hooked me up with a way to avoid paying the 250 I otherwise would have had to pay and now I am VERY happy :) So call and ask to be transfered to the customer relations department, they just may help you out like they did with me! :)
 
norcalbear84 said:
Unfortunately, money has been really tight for me and just by selling the phone itself on craigslist, I would only have enough to buy the new iphone 5 with the same 64 gigs of space (I really can't see myself with anything lower)
Click to expand...

That's your first problem. You're spending all your money on an iPhone. You really have your priorities all $%&#ed up.

Not to mention, that workaround only works for your particular circumstance. You're burning $10/mo on a "dummy" phone just to get a new iPhone? Wow...just wow.
 
GoreVidal said:
That's your first problem. You're spending all your money on an iPhone. You really have your priorities all $%&#ed up.

Not to mention, that workaround only works for your particular circumstance. You're burning $10/mo on a "dummy" phone just to get a new iPhone? Wow...just wow.
Click to expand...

The $10 a month for two years ($240) is still cheaper than the $250 early upgrade fee from AT&T.
 
norcalbear84 said:
.....but they hooked me up with a way to avoid paying the 250 I otherwise would have had to pay and now I am VERY happy :) So call and ask to be transfered to the customer relations department, they just may help you out like they did with me! :)
Click to expand...

Any existing at&t customer can add a new line for $10 per month (at least on the regular plans). You couldn't even afford $10 more per month yet are getting the iPhone 5. Screwed up priorities indeed.

----------
Fernandez21 said:
The $10 a month for two years ($240) is still cheaper than the $250 early upgrade fee from AT&T.
Click to expand...

Sure, $10 cheaper. A big deal if you can't afford even $10 per month :rolleyes:
 
I still dont get why people still sign contracts and actually have a minute limit, you can never have a set bill every month it's something different, I still don't see the Hook up for the iPhone 5, I would hold off on the upgrade if money is tight better yet upgrade and sell it on eBay within the first week of release you will end up making a few bucks, I'm sure the i5 will be around for a while
 
GoreVidal said:
That's your first problem. You're spending all your money on an iPhone. You really have your priorities all $%&#ed up.

Not to mention, that workaround only works for your particular circumstance. You're burning $10/mo on a "dummy" phone just to get a new iPhone? Wow...just wow.
Click to expand...

Who are you to judge my spending habits? Go annoy someone else.
And if you had read my thread, you would notice that i'm not really spending an extra $10 since I am saving $10 by switching to a cheaper plan that offers me 100 less anytime minutes per month (which doesn't really affect me since I never use all my anytime minutes as it is and also have a huge rollover surplus) but that also allows me to add up to 2 additional lines (since the one im on now is capped at 3)
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
Any existing at&t customer can add a new line for $10 per month (at least on the regular plans). You couldn't even afford $10 more per month yet are getting the iPhone 5. Screwed up priorities indeed.

----------



Sure, $10 cheaper. A big deal if you can't afford even $10 per month :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Wow, sour grump, party of one, your table is ready. I can easily afford the $10 dollars but the family plan i'm on now is capped at 3 lines and I have 3 lines already activated and I have no need for more minutes so it would have been pointless to upgrade to a more expensive plan. Thus, this customer relations only plan serves its purpose wonderfully for me.
 
Last edited:
Apparantly there are lots of bitter Bobs on tonight who are likely venting their frustration of not being able to get the new iPhone by trolling in others threads. To those who this thread helps out in any way, grats and enjoy your new iPhone! That's all for now! Peace PS- it's better to not say anything at all if you don't have anything nice to say, just a friendly tip ;)

----------
braddick said:
So you got AT&T to also credit you a small amount for your inconvenience.
Well played.


?
Click to expand...

It's not about the credit. It's about ATT offering a resolution to a unfavorable situation that (judging by past threads in the recent days), i'm not the only one experiencing. Anyways, i'm over it. I'm happy and stoked for Sept 12, Later!
 
norcalbear84 said:
Apparantly there are lots of bitter Bobs on tonight who are likely venting their frustration of not being able to get the new iPhone by trolling in others threads.
Click to expand...

I'm buying mine unlocked on launch because I can afford it, not sure who you are referring to.

----------
norcalbear84 said:
Later!
Click to expand...

Please do let that be the last we hear from you.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
norcalbear84 said:
Apparantly there are lots of bitter Bobs on tonight who are likely venting their frustration of not being able to get the new iPhone by trolling in others threads.
Click to expand...

This doesn't make any sense. I don't see how you're getting the idea that the "bitter bobs" aren't able to get the new iPhone. Do you have access to their bank accounts/etc.?
 
GoreVidal said:
I'm buying mine unlocked on launch because I can afford it, not sure who you are referring to.
Click to expand...

glitternarwhal said:
This doesn't make any sense. I don't see how you're getting the idea that the "bitter bobs" aren't able to get the new iPhone. Do you have access to their bank accounts/etc.?
Click to expand...

People who are financially (as well as morally) bankrupt tend to assume that.
 
norcalbear84 said:
Alright, so like many of you, I ordered my iPhone 4S back on launch day last October. I've been happy with it but I knew once the iPhone5 leaks started coming out, that I would be upgrading to the new one.

My upgrade eligibility was recently changed to early upgrade meaning I pay the 250 on top of the phone price.

Unfortunately, money has been really tight for me and just by selling the phone itself on craigslist, I would only have enough to buy the new iphone 5 with the same 64 gigs of space (I really can't see myself with anything lower)

Anyways, heres what I did:
I called ATT and explained to the rep that i've been a loyal customer since 1998 and that I am on a family plan and that I spend over 100 a month yada yada
He said he couldn't do anything. AT this point, I told him to transfer me to cancellations. ( I didn't expect cancellations to do anything but I thought it would be worth a shot)

The cancellations department is actually called the "customer relations" department.

I got a very friendly guy on the phone who clearly was invested in trying to keep me as a customer.

He ended up doing the following for me:

Putting me on a lower voice plan that is ONLY offered from his department (450 anytime with primary line costing 40 and each additional 10 dollars with up to 4 additional lines) that is 10 dollars cheaper than the plan im on now which is 550 anytime and 50 dollars a month. (Since I don't use voice much anyways, this was an even better plan for my needs)

So I ended up breaking even and i'm going to use that 10 dollars im saving and just add a new line to my account when the new iphone goes on sale and then have that phone assigned to my number and have a "dummy phone" attached to that line.

And as a bonus, the awesome guy hooked me up with 4000 free rollover minutes and free texting for 6 months as well as a small account credit for my inconvenience.

TLDR : I wasn't really expecting ATT to bump my eligibility date since I hadn't finished fulfilling my 2 year contract but they hooked me up with a way to avoid paying the 250 I otherwise would have had to pay and now I am VERY happy :) So call and ask to be transfered to the customer relations department, they just may help you out like they did with me! :)
Click to expand...

Hey NorCalBear, thank you for taking a good amount of your time to type and post this helpful info :)

P.S. don't worry about or even respond to the snide idiots in the thread that try to act smart by putting you or others down... they will just bring you down to their pathetic level and beat you with experience ;)
 
I rather pay $240 over a period of 24 months than pay $250 upfront. It may be a total saving of $10 but it's over a period of time.
 
FelixDerKater said:
$10/mo. + taxes and fees. In the end, you lose.
Click to expand...

How is he losing when he saves $240 upfront ? Taxes and fees for an $80 plan would be like $3-5 extra per month. He's tight with money at the moment, not for the next 24 months in which the extra money he spends each month would hurt him.
 
If AT$T were a cab driver, they just took you thru their secret short cut; AKA 4 left turns.
 
It's just extra liability. What if funds are even tighter in the future and then there is an additional line termination fee hanging overhead?

----------

Chances are, with a long history with AT&T, he's still on the unlimited data plan. All you have to do is call and voice your opposition to the throttling policy. They immediately offer you an advance upgrade to an LTE phone. Chances are pretty exceptional that the new iPhone will be an LTE-capable phone. You walk away with no extra "dummy line," a new phone at a deep discount, and no long-term commitment to a line you don't intend to use.
 
if you cant afford a new phone, just dont get one. jesus christ, going thru all of this hoopla to just get a new phone. get your priorities straightened out. WTF is a 'bitter bob'? save your $240 for use it to buy some literature on managing your finances.
 
Hmmm I don't think I would get another line I dont really need.

I called too, I am customer since 1997 and I got $25 instant credit, 6 months free texting and a $250 credit on my account towards the out of pocket costs for my new phone. All without another line. Additional lines come out to be over $15 with the taxes. I think my deal is sweet cuz I'll sell my 4s for $350 so I'll actually come out a bit ahead.
 
Fernandez21 said:
The $10 a month for two years ($240) is still cheaper than the $250 early upgrade fee from AT&T.
Click to expand...

Or you could just not upgrade. There is a thought. Your 4S is barely a year old and will get the full iOS 6 upgrade, do you really need the iPhone 5?

The only reason they are hooking you up is because they do not want their customers bailing on them to Verizon or Sprint. I plan to dump AT&T and switch to Verizon when the new iPhone gets released. I am still using my iPhone 4 from launch day 2 years ago. if I could use it on Verizon I would just switch but it isn't compatible.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back