How to: Get your 3G upgraded to 3GS without the hefty price

[bbplayer5]

I posted this before it another thread, but I think it deserves its own.

Its really easy to get your new 3Gs for the rebate price, rather than the full 700+ price.

When you order your phone, ask to put it on another line. This enables you to purchase the phone at a subsidy price of 299. Now you say you have 2 phones, I only need 1!!! Well its easy... Your new line will house your new iphone - have them transfer your number to it. Now technically your "old" line is your new phone number. Have them place a regular plan on it for 9.99 a month with 0 features on it. After the first 30 days you can cancel that line, and pay the disconnect fee of 175 bringing you to a total of 475 before tax. Or you can just keep the 9.99 line and pay it but never actually use it. Either way, you are well under the 750 dollar price they want to charge! You should end up saving around 250 bucks with a 30 day cancelation on that line.

Remember to do it AFTER 30 days or you have to return the hardware

 

[jeremeys]

I was planning on doing something similar to this. Instead of swapping lines and numbers, all you have to do is pop the sim cards out and switch them. the new line will be downgraded to the 9.99 line and cancelled after the 30 days.

 

[born4sky]

My friend Did this

 

[Abyssgh0st]

Do you have to have a family plan for this?

And if I did this, I would be eligible for the upgrade next year too right? Using my main line that I made no changes to.

 

[xgman]

We should also start complaining loudly to AT&T and Apple about the upgrade policy. They have been know to back off of things like this at the last minute if they get enough negative backlash.

 

[glide]

I posted this before it another thread, but I think it deserves its own.

Its really easy to get your new 3Gs for the rebate price, rather than the full 700+ price.

When you order your phone, ask to put it on another line. This enables you to purchase the phone at a subsidy price of 299. Now you say you have 2 phones, I only need 1!!! Well its easy... Your new line will house your new iphone - have them transfer your number to it. Now technically your "old" line is your new phone number. Have them place a regular plan on it for 9.99 a month with 0 features on it. After the first 30 days you can cancel that line, and pay the disconnect fee of 175 bringing you to a total of 475 before tax. Or you can just keep the 9.99 line and pay it but never actually use it. Either way, you are well under the 750 dollar price they want to charge! You should end up saving around 250 bucks with a 30 day cancelation on that line.

Remember to do it AFTER 30 days or you have to return the hardware

This will not work if you already have an iPhone as a primary line. You can't simply add a 2nd line for $9.99. You MUST purchase the $30 data plan.

 

[eezing]

I posted this before it another thread, but I think it deserves its own.

Its really easy to get your new 3Gs for the rebate price, rather than the full 700+ price.

When you order your phone, ask to put it on another line. This enables you to purchase the phone at a subsidy price of 299. Now you say you have 2 phones, I only need 1!!! Well its easy... Your new line will house your new iphone - have them transfer your number to it. Now technically your "old" line is your new phone number. Have them place a regular plan on it for 9.99 a month with 0 features on it. After the first 30 days you can cancel that line, and pay the disconnect fee of 175 bringing you to a total of 475 before tax. Or you can just keep the 9.99 line and pay it but never actually use it. Either way, you are well under the 750 dollar price they want to charge! You should end up saving around 250 bucks with a 30 day cancelation on that line.

Remember to do it AFTER 30 days or you have to return the hardware

Why not just pay the additional $200 upgrade fee? = a total of $400

 

[ARK]

Why not just use your current iphone and do nothing?

 

[FSUSem1noles]

Geez, all this over thinking and over analyzing just to get a phone?

 

[davelanger]

Geez, all this over thinking and over analyzing just to get a phone?

Yeah then a year from now when the new gen iphone comes out they will want that.
They should really just wait til next year.We get a free update to 3.0.
Only a few features are missing. Who cares about the compass or the video. Who really uses video on phones? Buy a nice camera for $200 instead of paying $400 for a new phone.


Its not worth upgrading early, the upgrade next summer will be much better

 

[bbplayer5]

Yeah then a year from now when the new gen iphone comes out they will want that.
They should really just wait til next year.We get a free update to 3.0.
Only a few features are missing. Who cares about the compass or the video. Who really uses video on phones? Buy a nice camera for $200 instead of paying $400 for a new phone.


Its not worth upgrading early, the upgrade next summer will be much better

Since when was I asking you for permission to spend my own money?

And to the poster saying this wont work... yes it does.

You buy the new phone on a new line. You tell the sales person you want the new line to have your old phone number. Your new iphone now has the discount and your old number. Then, you switch your old line down to a non-iphone line, and make it very basic - 9.99. You might lose rollover minutes doing this but who cares.

 

[lasteve]

I actually did this last year for the 3G iPhone. I wasnt eligible so I added a line to get subsidized price then cancelled it in 30 days. However I think I got lucky because I was not charged a ETF because they said I called right on the 30th day. They also did not ask for the hardware back so I ended up getting the 3G for the subsidized price , without the ETF, and contract free

 

[edblor]

Since when was I asking you for permission to spend my own money?

And to the poster saying this wont work... yes it does.

You buy the new phone on a new line. You tell the sales person you want the new line to have your old phone number. Your new iphone now has the discount and your old number. Then, you switch your old line down to a non-iphone line, and make it very basic - 9.99. You might lose rollover minutes doing this but who cares.

But you still need to have a data plan on the 2 iPhones you now have. Don't you? Assuming your current phone is an iPhone 3G of course.

 

[nojokews6]

So I have to call on the 31 st day? Will that force me to pay a second month because the 1 extra day?

 

[deceptichop]

hmmm, considering adding the second line to get the 32meg for $299 vs $699. I am one year in my contract, so would it be cheaper just to terminate my current contract and pay the termination fee? And will i still be able to keep my phone #?

OR, cheaper to create some sort of coorporate account?

 

[Ricanlegend]

I posted this before it another thread, but I think it deserves its own.

Its really easy to get your new 3Gs for the rebate price, rather than the full 700+ price.

When you order your phone, ask to put it on another line. This enables you to purchase the phone at a subsidy price of 299. Now you say you have 2 phones, I only need 1!!! Well its easy... Your new line will house your new iphone - have them transfer your number to it. Now technically your "old" line is your new phone number. Have them place a regular plan on it for 9.99 a month with 0 features on it. After the first 30 days you can cancel that line, and pay the disconnect fee of 175 bringing you to a total of 475 before tax. Or you can just keep the 9.99 line and pay it but never actually use it. Either way, you are well under the 750 dollar price they want to charge! You should end up saving around 250 bucks with a 30 day cancelation on that line.

Remember to do it AFTER 30 days or you have to return the hardware

I got a easier one , break your contract that $175 plus the new iphone that $199 that all add up too $374 . This is brilliant

 

[renewed]

Why not just pay the additional $200 upgrade fee? = a total of $400

Yeah LOL... I don't understand what this guy is talking about either...

You can just upgrade to the new iPhone for $399 or $499 respectively.

Why would you go through all that hassle?

 

[deceptichop]

Yeah LOL... I don't understand what this guy is talking about either...

You can just upgrade to the new iPhone for $399 or $499 respectively.

Why would you go through all that hassle?

Since I am one year into my contract, the 32gig 3GS for me will cost $699. This is why I need to fiqure out some sort of loophole so I may get the same phone for $299

 

[kinkster]

But you still need to have a data plan on the 2 iPhones you now have. Don't you? Assuming your current phone is an iPhone 3G of course.

Once you transfer your number over to the new 3GS line, you tell them your using some cheapo phone with the old line and they'll downgrade it. Just take the sim out of your old phone first and they won't detect the IMEI and make you pay for data.

 

[deceptichop]

hey Kinkster, what are your thoughts on my question posted in this thread?

 

[kinkster]

Well if you terminated your contract and then got a new one you wouldn't be able to get the same number. What you could do is sign up with a different carrier, transfer your number, and then transfer it back when you sign up for a new contract. But with all the cancelation fees i doubt it would be worth it, unless you could just transfer your number to a prepaid line, but i doubt they let you do that.

I'm not sure about corporate discounts.

 

[nickburns]

haha good idea!

 

[deceptichop]

Once you transfer your number over to the new 3GS line, you tell them your using some cheapo phone with the old line and they'll downgrade it. Just take the sim out of your old phone first and they won't detect the IMEI and make you pay for data.

Ok, i just preordered my 3GS from Apple. Since i checked the "add a line" feature, i get it for $299 vs. $699.

* First, i will camp out at Apple to pick up my phone
* Then i will swap my 3G SIM into my 3GS
* I am then going transfer my current phone # onto the new line
* I will then tell them i am going to use my old piece of s h i t Nokia for the old line and have ATT downgrade that line to no data/just talk
* After the 31 days I will cancel the "old" line.

what do you guys think? Is this the best way to save $400?

 

[joekun]

I will then tell them i am going to use my old piece of s h i t Nokia for the old line and have ATT downgrade that line to no data/just talk

I think you're required to keep a data plan on your 3G phone for 2 years as part of the original contract, when you call to downgrade I would think that would be a problem but I suppose it depends on the agent you get. lasteve apparently got lucky last year so who knows.

 

[Alucardx03]

Ok, i just preordered my 3GS from Apple. Since i checked the "add a line" feature, i get it for $299 vs. $699.

* First, i will camp out at Apple to pick up my phone
* Then i will swap my 3G SIM into my 3GS
* I am then going transfer my current phone # onto the new line
* I will then tell them i am going to use my old piece of s h i t Nokia for the old line and have ATT downgrade that line to no data/just talk
* After the 31 days I will cancel the "old" line.

what do you guys think? Is this the best way to save $400?

You're not going to be saving $400, only $200. Don't forget, you have to pay the ETF if you cancel your old line. In the end, the phone will cost around $500 when you factor in the $175 ETF.