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Can someone please explain my upgrade options here?

W

WilliamG

macrumors G4
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
10,055
3,978
Seattle
Bought 2x iPhone 3G the day they came out in 2008. Family plan with the wife.

Bought 2x iPhone 3GS the day they came out in 2009. My wife's line was eligible for free upgrade (just the price of the handset) while I had to pay $299 for the 32GB + $200 early upgrade fee.

Now it's 2010, and checking the *639# tells my wife she can get the upgrade for the handset price + $18 fee. No problem.
MY line, though says, "You may select equipment at our full retail pricing. An upgrade may be available on 02/20/2011."

Why is that? I was fully expecting for it to be the price of the handset + $200 like last year, but now they want me to pay $599 for the 16GB and $699 for the 32GB? What?

This seems contrary to AT&T's press release.

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

:(
 
Peace said:
Where do you get the $200 early upgrade fee from ?

You either paid $299 for a 32GB or $699 for the early upgrade period.
Click to expand...

No. You're wrong. I know exactly what I paid for the 32GB 3GSs last year. I paid $299 for my wife's, and $499 for mine, because of a $200 penalty fee for upgrading "early.". You can see the EXACT same thing in my post above with the AT&T upgrade options to the iPhone 4. $299 (no early upgrade or AT&T goodwill upgrade) and $499 (early upgrade) are reflected as pricing, along with the $699 no-commitment option.


**EDIT**

I see you edited your post. The $200 is that early upgrade fee, if you will. In any case, I'm not getting that option due to it saying: "You may select equipment at our full retail pricing. An upgrade may be available on 02/20/2011."

That is stating, as far as I can tell, that it will cost me $699 to upgrade to the 32GB iPhone 4, not $499.
 
In 2008 did you get a 16GB for both of you ?
And in 2009 did you upgrade the wife's from a 16GB to the 3GS 16GB and you went from the 16GB 3G to the 32GB 3GS ?
 
Peace said:
In 2008 did you get a 16GB for both of you ?
And in 2009 did you upgrade the wife's from a 16GB to the 3GS 16GB and you got went from the 16GB 3G to the 32GB 3G ?
Click to expand...

No. In 2008 I got 2x 16GB iPhone 3G

And in 2009 we both got 32GB iPhone 3GS.
 
William is correct about the "Early Upgrade" pricing. It is the full subsidy price +200.00

William, in your case, you have a FamilyTalk rate plan and your wife's line is the primay line on the account and has the highest MRC. You are the add-a-line and so your MRC is going to be very low which means that your upgrade date is well past the 2010 cut off date. I would suggest that this year, you swap the lines to shorten the upgrade cycle for next year's iPhone (do this after you get your two iPhone 4 phones.

So sell the two iPhone 3GS units and you should more than break even on the transaction and you will still have your Unlimited data plan.

Dave
 
dave006 said:
William is correct about the "Early Upgrade" pricing. It is the full subsidy price +200.00

William, in your case, you have a FamilyTalk rate plan and your wife's line is the primay line on the account and has the highest MRC. You are the add-a-line and so your MRC is going to be very low which means that your upgrade date is well past the 2010 cut off date. I would suggest that this year, you swap the lines to shorten the upgrade cycle for next year's iPhone (do this after you get your two iPhone 4 phones.

So sell the two iPhone 3GS units and you should more than break even on the transaction and you will still have your Unlimited data plan.

Dave
Click to expand...

Can you explain "swap the lines." I'm not entirely sure what you're saying. Right now I can get one iPhone 4 32GB for $299 + $18 upgrade fee + new 2-year contract, and the other will cost $699 with no extension of contract.

Are you saying I should buy the $299 + $18 for the NON-eligible line? Can I do that? And then buy the $699 option for the line that's eligible? I'm confused...
 
WilliamG said:
Bought 2x iPhone 3G the day they came out in 2008. Family plan with the wife.

Bought 2x iPhone 3GS the day they came out in 2009. My wife's line was eligible for free upgrade (just the price of the handset) while I had to pay $299 for the 32GB + $200 early upgrade fee.

Now it's 2010, and checking the *639# tells my wife she can get the upgrade for the handset price + $18 fee. No problem.
MY line, though says, "You may select equipment at our full retail pricing. An upgrade may be available on 02/20/2011."

Why is that? I was fully expecting for it to be the price of the handset + $200 like last year, but now they want me to pay $599 for the 16GB and $699 for the 32GB? What?

This seems contrary to AT&T's press release.

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

:(
Click to expand...

Yes, I am in the same situation. My wife is definitely get the $199 price. I'm getting the $599 price when I check for upgrades. Some people say that in 12 months from our 3GS purchase, we will get our $399 price, so June 19th if you bought it on launch day.

I guess we will find out next week.

I will buy iPhone 4 for $399 but not for $599.
 
WilliamG said:
Can you explain "swap the lines." I'm not entirely sure what you're saying. Right now I can get one iPhone 4 32GB for $299 + $18 upgrade fee + new 2-year contract, and the other will cost $699 with no extension of contract.

Are you saying I should buy the $299 + $18 for the NON-eligible line? Can I do that? And then buy the $699 option for the line that's eligible? I'm confused...
Click to expand...

AT&T places the account on one of your phones as a main. If you look at your full bill you will see one line is priced near $100 while the other is the $10+$30 = about $45 as a secondary "add a line".

He means make yours the primary and hers the add a line account. A CSR can do this at any ATT store.

In their accounting methods they see her as paying more a month than you, even though you have a family talk plan. They break down the bill in this way.
 
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