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Experience pre-ordering through AT&T?
- Thread starter NYY FaN
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Just the opposite for me and thousands of others as AT&T site went live ~7 minutes before schedule and a butt-load of us ordered early.
Yeah for sure, even with Apple if you don't get your order in right after midnight you're looking at a backorder situation. I'm wondering if people actually put their order in asap with AT&T in the past and still got screwed waiting.
That was mine and my husband's experience when we preordered the iPhone 6pluses last year.
Is it possible to enter card info on the website ahead of time so I don't have to spend time doing it after adding the phone to my cart?
Customers were doing two year upgrades at Apple and national retailer with mobile share value plans and weren't reading the screen that warned them about their out of contract discount being removed going forward or weren't being explained so att pulled it based on the fact that customers were calling to complain and att was having to do credits or I'm sure lost customers.
I know most of the users in the forum are really well educated about their options but most people aren't.
I know most of the users in the forum are really well educated about their options but most people aren't.
You are not assured one at launch if you preorder when they go live specifically for the iPhone they show estimated arrival time. I've seen the site launch with 7-14 days right at 12:01am and I've seen stores open with 14-21 days at 10am the date of preorders due to the volume of preorders done online. Att does the same process Apple does on their site where they will committ to a window if you can't get it for launch date. Apples is much more accurate but they also hoard as much inventory for sale through their Channels directly.
I'm in this boat too;
I have a two year contract and typically upgrade every year for the partial discount. I pay about $549 ($250+$299) for the middle capacity (64gb) phone. I go through apple directly and, despite the 11:59pm rush lol, get a phone on launch day.
This year, since we cant do that option through Apple (and the mobile share and NEXT plans arent cheaper for my situation) I have two choices;
1. Try my luck with ATT. Not that Apple has been flawless in past launch days with website woes (far from it), I worry about ATTs clunkier web design, and that I don't have two channels (web store and app) to go through. But I could use my partial upgrade discount.
2. I can buy a full price phone through Apple direct this year, and rather than use my partial upgrade this year, I'd get a full upgrade next year (and at that point of course then have to go through ATT - but at least I am kicking that can down the road). Overall between the two years, I'd be $50 ahead (since the partial upgrade is less than half the full upgrade). Downsides being, #1 more cash out of pocket this year (not as big a deal) and #2 what happens if they stop offering 2 year contract pricing altogether next year? Then I would have left that $250 partial upgrade money available this year, on the table.
So the real question is, what do you all think the odds of them pulling 2 year contract (subsidized) pricing off the table completely (not even in an ATT store) next year?
I have a two year contract and typically upgrade every year for the partial discount. I pay about $549 ($250+$299) for the middle capacity (64gb) phone. I go through apple directly and, despite the 11:59pm rush lol, get a phone on launch day.
This year, since we cant do that option through Apple (and the mobile share and NEXT plans arent cheaper for my situation) I have two choices;
1. Try my luck with ATT. Not that Apple has been flawless in past launch days with website woes (far from it), I worry about ATTs clunkier web design, and that I don't have two channels (web store and app) to go through. But I could use my partial upgrade discount.
2. I can buy a full price phone through Apple direct this year, and rather than use my partial upgrade this year, I'd get a full upgrade next year (and at that point of course then have to go through ATT - but at least I am kicking that can down the road). Overall between the two years, I'd be $50 ahead (since the partial upgrade is less than half the full upgrade). Downsides being, #1 more cash out of pocket this year (not as big a deal) and #2 what happens if they stop offering 2 year contract pricing altogether next year? Then I would have left that $250 partial upgrade money available this year, on the table.
So the real question is, what do you all think the odds of them pulling 2 year contract (subsidized) pricing off the table completely (not even in an ATT store) next year?
If you are doing early upgrades every year you are paying more for your device than simply opting for next.
Ex. 64gb iPhone early upgrade is 549 as you mentioned.
On next you pay 37.50 every month for 12 months until you upgrade to the next model device effectively paying 450 for the same device to have the same option to upgrade in 12 months.
Obviously this is ignoring the fact that you can sell your old iPhone for possibly 200 hundred and effectively pay a less amount.
To answer your question about 2 years. (Although I work for att this is strictly my thinking about what they will do not revealing any insider information as for this I have no knowledge of what they will do). 12 months from now is a lot of time and knowing that every carrier has removed the option of doing 2 years I see att doing the same. Looking at it from a business aspect is that you have a potential for an increasing in bad debt if people sign up for next and don't pay. I'll tell you at the moment att still values the 2 year as they know they have the competitive advantage of being only carrier to cater to both 2 year customer base and installment base.
At the moment I feel att is occupied merging directv into att and reaping the benefits of that purchase as quickly as possible to really bother with something that works for att either way which is the 2 year or next. I'd say 7 out of 10 people buying phones from att are opting for next so the 2 year game is working itself out for them on its own.
Also you won't be able to do next this year if you upgrade sept of 2014 with the last iPhone. Since you opted for a 2 year when next was already an option. You'll have to wait until sept 2016 to take advantage of next again when your contract is up.
Ex. 64gb iPhone early upgrade is 549 as you mentioned.
On next you pay 37.50 every month for 12 months until you upgrade to the next model device effectively paying 450 for the same device to have the same option to upgrade in 12 months.
Obviously this is ignoring the fact that you can sell your old iPhone for possibly 200 hundred and effectively pay a less amount.
To answer your question about 2 years. (Although I work for att this is strictly my thinking about what they will do not revealing any insider information as for this I have no knowledge of what they will do). 12 months from now is a lot of time and knowing that every carrier has removed the option of doing 2 years I see att doing the same. Looking at it from a business aspect is that you have a potential for an increasing in bad debt if people sign up for next and don't pay. I'll tell you at the moment att still values the 2 year as they know they have the competitive advantage of being only carrier to cater to both 2 year customer base and installment base.
At the moment I feel att is occupied merging directv into att and reaping the benefits of that purchase as quickly as possible to really bother with something that works for att either way which is the 2 year or next. I'd say 7 out of 10 people buying phones from att are opting for next so the 2 year game is working itself out for them on its own.
Also you won't be able to do next this year if you upgrade sept of 2014 with the last iPhone. Since you opted for a 2 year when next was already an option. You'll have to wait until sept 2016 to take advantage of next again when your contract is up.
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it wouldn't surprise me and I wish I knew the answer because if they are I would just go with the Next plan now and avoid these headaches but only time will tell.
my situation now is I have 2 lines that I rotate upgrades with. Each year I get a new phone at the subsidized price, sell my old phone so I basically get a new phone for almost free each year. It's really tough to give it up so I may just continue this and suck it up ordering through AT&T and hope for the best.
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I'm banking that two year contracts will be a thing of the past by next year and going with the Next plan. The Next + Down Payment seems to be a good option to get monthly costs down.
If anyone who works for AT&T can chime in, is it possible to go with Next via Apple, then put the down payment on it via AT&T to reduce the monthly costs? I was told that's not possible but would like to make sure.
If anyone who works for AT&T can chime in, is it possible to go with Next via Apple, then put the down payment on it via AT&T to reduce the monthly costs? I was told that's not possible but would like to make sure.