ATT Moved up Iphone updates!

[rbutler222]

Since I got my iPhone 4s on launch day, I'm not eligible for a full discount. However, I'm eligible for an early upgrade price + $250) Which in other words basic iPhone 5 that's normally $199.99 comes out to $450+ tax which roughly comes out to $510 with taxes. I sold my iPhone 4s 32 gig for $650 a month ago. I basically get my iPhone for free if you think about it. Just a simple cycle gentlemen

What a great price for your 4S. Best ROI on the planet!

 

[rbutler222]

Do I stand a chance if the text I'm getting when I dial *639# says: "You may select equipment at our full retail pricing. An upgrade may be available on: 05/08/2013." ?

Since your upgrade date is the same as all of us whose purchase date was Oct. 2011, your message simply is in opposition to all the others. Call them and at least ask your question. I would politely point out that everyone else in the same predicament as you have been given the $250 Early Upgrade Fee and why shouldn't you as well? It's worth the try.

 

[Applejuiced]

Since your upgrade date is the same as all of us whose purchase date was Oct. 2011, your message simply is in opposition to all the others. Call them and at least ask your question. I would politely point out that everyone else in the same predicament as you have been given the $250 Early Upgrade Fee and why shouldn't you as well? It's worth the try.

They told me if you got an early upgrade the year before then you cant get another early upgrade.
Not sure if the particular AT&T rep was right or was just making up things as usual.
Example if you bought the 4S by doing an early upgrade then you cant do another early upgrade for the i5 and keep doing early upgrades every year.
You do an early upgrade then wait for your full upgrade.
Then once you waited and got a full upgrade 6 months later you can do an early upgrade again.

 

[rbutler222]

What is AT&T doing to Me?

They told me if you got an early upgrade the year before then you cant get another early upgrade.
Not sure if the particular AT&T rep was right or was just making up things as usual.
Example if you bought the 4S by doing an early upgrade then you cant do another early upgrade for the i5 and keep doing early upgrades every year.
You do an early upgrade then wait for your full upgrade.
Then once you waited and got a full upgrade 6 months later you can do an early upgrade again.

This is a great example of what undertrained call center agents do when they don't have the ability or the stomach to tell the customer, "I don't know." In their minds, and after having just completed training of the new policies for the new iPhones, being wrong is either a terminable offense or suicide pact!

Actually, when AT&T had the exclusive rights to the iPhone, for the first two years most people were offered early upgrades without monetary penalty and certainly no $200 or $250 upgrade fee. And this was good once anyone hit 12 months of the 24 month contract. It was in 2010, the third year that there was no longer a free upgrade after 12 months into the contract. Many of us either had to wait an extra year or, if my memory is correct, could upgrade after 15 months with the contractual period of time.

Then in 2011, there was the 18-month period of time between iPhone releases and AT&T decided to again allow for upgrades because most early buyers had eaten through most of the 24 months and were given them or shortly afterwards (along 17-19 months or so provided an early upgrade fee with no fee except for what we know as an early upgrade.

Now, in 2012, because of the upgrade history and what AT&T offered its customers, giving them a chance to upgrade early with a $250 fee plus an increased $36 fee, everyone is up in arms about it. In trying to be nice to its customers those first two years, AT&T is now being bitten by the very hands it gave a handout to just a couple of years earlier.

Therefore, as I have written several times the last day or so, if the telephone number attached to the iPhone 4S is not fully upgradable (no EUFee), and you have/had another device such as an iPad, 3G Air Card or an additional phone line, that number becomes the upgradable phone line sans the $250 early upgrade fee. This is called cross-upgrading. The other way around the Early Upgrade Fee or the inability to upgrade at all is to purchase the iPhone 5 on a 2 year contract and purchase a new line for it.

Bottom line is simply that although it might have APPEARED that the telephones were upgradable every year, it was never meant to be that way in actuality. Appearances can be deceiving and not all AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc. or other call center agents (IRS) are not properly trained.

 

[saberahul]

Having read the first page, I won't be surprised if the OP canceled his account here and ran away...

 

[adnurahs]

rbutler222 Will get new line on Family Plan for iPhone 5

rbutler222

I read your posts and they answered a lot of questions for me. I am eligible for a disounted upgrade + $250 fee but I cannot afford that with plans on getting the iPhone 5 64GB if that is the highest they offer. So basically I cannot afford a $649 iPhone. The remedy is to get a line added to my AT&T Family Plan. I do have an iPad but it is The New iPad and I've had it since March 2012.

Getting a new line added is the best thing I can do. However, I have been told that once I add a new $9.99 line to my Family plan I will loose my Unlimited Data. Is this true? I don't see how adding a line will do that.

I was told that once I add the line and get the new iPhone 5 I should go into the AT&T store and have the new iPhone activated on my phone number and put a dummy phone on the new line. Making sure to take away the data plan and just have that new number as a plain phone with no data plan or text.

Please give me your views on this. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Getting a new line added is the best thing I can do. However, I have been told that once I add a new $9.99 line to my Family plan I will loose my Unlimited Data. Is this true? I don't see how adding a line will do that.

That's untrue. When you add a line, you won't be able to select the unlimited plan but one of the tiered plans. You just need to go to the at&t store and ask to perform a device swap. They'll be able to transfer your unlimited plan to the iPhone 5 and put a dumbphone/remove data on the new line.

 

[Europa13]

The biggest three reasons (but the indices are all compared by computer rather than a good ol' human being) are in no special order:

1. Two or more late payments since you purchased your 4S;

2. Changed one or more of your features--rate plan, International dialing plan; AT&T navigator without justifiable reason; removal of a device such as second line; and

3. Changed plans--data or phone.

I recall last year than when I added a feature that added cost to my bill, my "*639#" message immediately changed from "full price" to discounted price. Then, about a week later, I changed my feature back to what they were, and, again, immediately my "*639#" response changed back to having to pay full price.

Also, the longer you have been a loyal AT&T customer, goes in your favor just a paying your bill on time, month after month does.

1. No. I have never made a late payment in the four years I've been with AT&T.
2. No.
3. Yes. I switched from unlimited to a 4 GB/data pro+tethering plan last spring. This increased my bill by $15 per month.

So you're saying because I upgraded my data plan and increased my monthly bill, AT&T is going to penalize me and charge me full price for the phone this year?

I spoke with someone in customer service about this last week and they assured me that upgrading my data plan was not the cause, although they couldn't give me a reason. They just said there are about 150 variables and even they don't know why I'm not eligible for partial subsidy this year.

 

[adnurahs]

Thanx for your help JayLenochiniMac

That's untrue. When you add a line, you won't be able to select the unlimited plan but one of the tiered plans. You just need to go to the at&t store and ask to perform a device swap. They'll be able to transfer your unlimited plan to the iPhone 5 and put a dumbphone/remove data on the new line.

Thank you so much JayLenochiniMac! I am now at ease. Getting the extra line was my last resort and I thought, I really have got to make this work for me. I will get the extra line and it won't even mess with my current status of my current number by switching. This is GR8! Then next year I can possibly get a full discount on the next iPhone, if I want it, which I'm sure I will.

Thanx Again!

 

[alent1234]

1. No. I have never made a late payment in the four years I've been with AT&T.
2. No.
3. Yes. I switched from unlimited to a 4 GB/data pro+tethering plan last spring. This increased my bill by $15 per month.

So you're saying because I upgraded my data plan and increased my monthly bill, AT&T is going to penalize me and charge me full price for the phone this year?

I spoke with someone in customer service about this last week and they assured me that upgrading my data plan was not the cause, although they couldn't give me a reason. They just said there are about 150 variables and even they don't know why I'm not eligible for partial subsidy this year.

CSR won't know. there are expensive applications like SAP that companies use where the conditions are changed on a regular basis to keep the most profitable customers

 

[Bako-MacAddict]

What a great price for your 4S. Best ROI on the planet!

lol, thanks. that kogadget light modification did the trick. Which by the way got for free

 

[orangebluedevil]

They told me if you got an early upgrade the year before then you cant get another early upgrade.
Not sure if the particular AT&T rep was right or was just making up things as usual.
Example if you bought the 4S by doing an early upgrade then you cant do another early upgrade for the i5 and keep doing early upgrades every year.
You do an early upgrade then wait for your full upgrade.
Then once you waited and got a full upgrade 6 months later you can do an early upgrade again.

I have done this every year, buying each phone on launch day and then doing an early upgrade pricing. Including last year with 4S. And my text message confirms I can do it again this year.

I'm not sure why, since it's well documented that others cannot do this. But I can assure you mine is allowing me. If it matters, my bill is $300, we have 5 iPhones on a family plan, and I have a FAN too.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

One day and too many views later, there's still no subsidized 4S owner with "You're eligible for an upgrade at a discounted price" on at&t website.

No subsidized 4S owner is eligible for the full discount at this time, just as I suspected. They'll need to either pay $250 extra for early iPhone upgrade or purchase at full retail.

Let's settle this for the time being (as *639# is giving different information for different customers). Can someone who bought the 4S on launch day (with subsidy and not at full contract-free price) log onto at&t website and navigate to "I want to....Check upgrade options" Click on Upgrade Eligibility to view upgrade options. What does it say?

Does anyone get "You're eligible for an upgrade at a discounted price"?

 

[Applejuiced]

I have done this every year, buying each phone on launch day and then doing an early upgrade pricing. Including last year with 4S. And my text message confirms I can do it again this year.

I'm not sure why, since it's well documented that others cannot do this. But I can assure you mine is allowing me. If it matters, my bill is $300, we have 5 iPhones on a family plan, and I have a FAN too.

Oh I see.
I still dont know if its worth it to do early upgrades every year or pay full price one year and get the full upgrade next year.
Or maybe just add a line to a family plan to be able to get a full upgrade every year for an additional $10 per month.

 

[linkgx1]

Wait, so the 'early upgrade' actually extends your contract another two years, right?

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Wait, so the 'early upgrade' actually extends your contract another two years, right?

Yes.

 

[linkgx1]

Yes.

Damn. I guess I'll wait other year. Opening another line is $30/mo or at least $720 by the end of the contract. Damn damn damn!

 

[Italianblend]

It's okay, being on the "s" track isn't bad. You get a better phone each time with the kinks worked out. No Antenna Gate on my 4S and no screen-gate on my 5S

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Damn. I guess I'll wait other year. Opening another line is $30/mo or at least $720 by the end of the contract. Damn damn damn!

Not if you don't switch over to the shared plan, in which case adding another line is just $10/mo or $240 by the end of the contract.

 

[linkgx1]

Not if you don't switch over to the shared plan, in which case adding another line is just $10/mo or $240 by the end of the contract.

Uh oh, too late. I switched over last month.

But actually I want from $210 to $150 with the mobile share plan. So adding another line would still save.

 

[Lyons00]

I don't know why you are not eligible for the $250 EUFee. Everyone I know is. The best way to find out why you are not is to call AT&T Corporate at (800) 403-3302, hit "0" and then "#." Ask for the Executive Offices and them tell the switchboard operator exactly what you are needing to know. Only they can determine why you have not yet been offered and $250 early upgrade fee.

Hi,

I just called corporate and did what you said, with no luck. They said I got the early upgrade last year and would have to wait. If, I want to get it now it would be 649. I'd tried!!

 

[rbutler222]

1. No. I have never made a late payment in the four years I've been with AT&T.
2. No.
3. Yes. I switched from unlimited to a 4 GB/data pro+tethering plan last spring. This increased my bill by $15 per month.

So you're saying because I upgraded my data plan and increased my monthly bill, AT&T is going to penalize me and charge me full price for the phone this year?

I spoke with someone in customer service about this last week and they assured me that upgrading my data plan was not the cause, although they couldn't give me a reason. They just said there are about 150 variables and even they don't know why I'm not eligible for partial subsidy this year.

If I had your same situation, I would call Corporate CS, not 611 and discuss why you have not been given the $250 EUFee as many others have. If they can't find the reason, generally, they will fix the problem and you should see the results and next day. But call today or tomorrow at the latest.

 

[rbutler222]

rbutler222

I read your posts and they answered a lot of questions for me. I am eligible for a disounted upgrade + $250 fee but I cannot afford that with plans on getting the iPhone 5 64GB if that is the highest they offer. So basically I cannot afford a $649 iPhone. The remedy is to get a line added to my AT&T Family Plan. I do have an iPad but it is The New iPad and I've had it since March 2012.

Getting a new line added is the best thing I can do. However, I have been told that once I add a new $9.99 line to my Family plan I will loose my Unlimited Data. Is this true? I don't see how adding a line will do that.

I was told that once I add the line and get the new iPhone 5 I should go into the AT&T store and have the new iPhone activated on my phone number and put a dummy phone on the new line. Making sure to take away the data plan and just have that new number as a plain phone with no data plan or text.

Please give me your views on this. Thank you in advance for your help.

I truly doubt purchasing a dummy line would do the trick because you would still have no line whose 2-year contact has been exhausted. Now if you were to add a line and purchase the iPhone 5 with it and leave your other line alone until you are contract fee, that might be an option. if you do this, be to check out the Mobile Share to see if you can save money on the total bill. Or, at least get rid of all the extra services you have on your current phone and move to the least expensive phone plan. If you have a data plan, get rid of it, if you can.

As to the iPad, if you have a previous iPad and then bought a second iPad (3rd edition) in 2012, it's the line attached to the original iPad that might be your savior. But if not, you will probably be locked into the $250 UGFee or wait until May or whatever date provided.

One on the lines must have be working for 19-20 months before it's waived.

Sorry.
I really don't know if you can simply purchase a dummy line with nothing attached to it. If that is not possible, I would just get the che

 

[ncoonce]

Does anybody think that they will automatically upgrade everyone that is eligible within the next year? If memory serves me right they did this for the iPhone 4 launch.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I truly doubt purchasing a dummy line would do the trick because you would still have no line whose 2-year contact has been exhausted. Now if you were to add a line and purchase the iPhone 5 with it and leave your other line alone until you are contract fee, that might be an option.

Obviously the person meant device swapping the iPhone 5 to the existing line with a dumbphone to the new line for an additional $10 per month. If he/she doesn't have a dumbphone around to attach the line to, they'll have to purchase one at full retail at a nominal cost for that purpose.