Do I have a negotiating point with a 2 dollar difference. That sounds stupid.
I'll add more text messages.
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iPhone 3GS Launch Day Details and AT&T Pricing
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Do I have a negotiating point with a 2 dollar difference. That sounds stupid.
I'll add more text messages.
You know, if someone at the AT&T store told me that my monthly bill needed to be 100.01 each month to upgrade after 12 months, I would have gladly upgraded my text plan to meet that requirement.
However, since no one mentioned it to me, it just seems like I wasn't given a fair shake.
Which is what I think the majority of us feel.
Bingo!!! This is correct. If you spend, by yourself, more than $100 a month on your contract then you are eligible for upgrade after 12 months. If you spend less than that you are eligible after 18 months. Simple economics people. AT&T stated this a year ago and it still hold true. Call them and ask. You might say "heh I spend more than 100$ a month whats up?", well make sure you are not on a family plan or if you are it has to be the highest costing family plan. Additionally taxes do not count. The plan must be over $100.
I want to know why I have to wait, when I never bought an iPhone of any sort and have been out of contract for 14 months.
Doesn't work this way. The plan has to be over $100 bucks minus all the taxes. My monthly bill is $160 with family plan and I am nowhere close to qualifying for it.
What if?
I'm just wondering what if you got a refurbished iPhone I mean it's not technically new right? Also what makes to think the Apple stores won't sell these at 199 and 299 when so many people will be waiting online for one? Also will the Apple employees check every time your ATT account to see if they can sell you one at 199 or 299??
I'm just wondering what if you got a refurbished iPhone I mean it's not technically new right? Also what makes to think the Apple stores won't sell these at 199 and 299 when so many people will be waiting online for one? Also will the Apple employees check every time your ATT account to see if they can sell you one at 199 or 299??
I think it has to do with whether or not one kept the original first-gen iPhone active when buying the 3G.... Last year when I got the 3G I did not keep my older iPhone active (I now use it as backup and as an iPod Touch, since it still has all the other features except the phone functions.)
I stood in line on Launch Day 2007 to buy the first-gen iPhone. Last year I again stood in line on Launch Day 2008 for the 3G iPhone. This year I won't be standing in line to get the new 3GS.
This is what it says on my ATT iPhone account:
"iPhone Upgrade
As a valued AT&T customer, we can offer you a discounted iPhone upgrade at a higher price, along with a 2-year commitment and an $18 upgrade fee. Please proceed with the online upgrade process for pricing details. You may qualify for a full discount on a standard iPhone upgrade on 12/12/2009"
I didn't go through the process to see how much the discounted iPhone upgrade at a higher price is....I'm guessing it will still be a fairly high price. While the new features on the new phone are exciting, I can wait until December 12th, it's not that compelling....
I stood in line on Launch Day 2007 to buy the first-gen iPhone. Last year I again stood in line on Launch Day 2008 for the 3G iPhone. This year I won't be standing in line to get the new 3GS.
This is what it says on my ATT iPhone account:
"iPhone Upgrade
As a valued AT&T customer, we can offer you a discounted iPhone upgrade at a higher price, along with a 2-year commitment and an $18 upgrade fee. Please proceed with the online upgrade process for pricing details. You may qualify for a full discount on a standard iPhone upgrade on 12/12/2009"
I didn't go through the process to see how much the discounted iPhone upgrade at a higher price is....I'm guessing it will still be a fairly high price. While the new features on the new phone are exciting, I can wait until December 12th, it's not that compelling....
It's also shipped to you when you order from AT&Ts website. I did that this morning and it is being shipped to my home.
Anyone's head tilt to the right watching this guy?
Yes, as I understand it, those who pay a total of $99 or more PER LINE - are golden. "I", who was at $95 am not. Nor is my hubby's $9.99 + $30 for data is double screwed.
Now - Can we add more SMS onto our lines today to get to the $99 level and be good to go next Friday? Me thinks so! Taking suggestions for how to deal with an add on "family plan" line though. Damnit. Possible to separate them temporarily?
Yes, as I understand it, those who pay a total of $99 or more PER LINE - are golden. "I", who was at $95 am not. Nor is my hubby's $9.99 + $30 for data is double screwed.
Now - Can we add more SMS onto our lines today to get to the $99 level and be good to go next Friday? Me thinks so! Taking suggestions for how to deal with an add on "family plan" line though. Damnit. Possible to separate them temporarily?
I guess Wii is communist, so is Palm Pre and McDonalds and Starbucks. Well it now all makes sense.
So I talked to apple and att and the best option for me is to ADD a line , which means I guess I have to go to a family talk plan.
The apple store says they can do that , I hope they are right.
That puts my plan over 100.00, so going forward that should put me on a 12 month upgrade right????
very confusing.
Do I have to go with a family talk plan to add just one additional phone.
The money's *not* insignificant, though.
When I bought my 3G, I paid $299 to Apple. ATT then paid an additional $400 to Apple, giving Apple a total of $700 for the phone.
ATT has two years to recoup its $400 subsidy to me from the fees I pay...in addition to covering its service costs and making a profit. If ATT let people buy a new fully subsidized 3G-S after having only been under contract 1 year, they would lose ~$200, as that's all that they would have gotten back from their $400 subsidy.
True, you have signed a new 2-year contract...but ATT needs the money from *those* two years to pay off the $400 subsidy they have paid Apple on your behalf for the 3G-S. So ATT will still have lost $200.
So it seems to me that ATT is being pretty reasonable in offering three options.
1. If ATT hasn't paid a subsidy for you (b/c you are a 1G or new customer), you only have to pay $200 or $300 for the new iPhone. ATT will pay Apple a $400 subsidy, and you will be under K to ATT for 2 years.
2. If ATT paid a subsidy for your 3G and only one year has passed, you pay $400 or $500 for the new phone, which is the $200/$300 subsidized cost, plus $200 to make up for the unpaid part of the $400 subsidy that ATT paid on your behalf and hasn't yet recouped because you've only paid on your K for one year. [Note - there seems to be some variation if you were on a more expensive plan, presumably because ATT was able to pay off the subsidy after one year]
3. You can also buy a non-subsidized no-K phone for the full price of $600/$700. This is similar to the prices Europeans pay for their no-K phones.
From this, it is easy to understand why Apple likes ATT - ATT is willing to pay them $400 per phone.
It also seems that ATT is being pretty reasonable about upgrades - when I was on Verizon I could get a subsidized phone after two years, but I never had the option of getting a partially-subsidized phone after one year. ATT is at least giving us credit for having paid down part of the subsidy, which, again, is more than I would have expected.
Having said that, I don't think I'll pay to upgrade early - the changes in the new phone are nice, but not killer...and getting OS 3.0 will be *almost* like getting a new phone anyway.
But what bumps eligibility to March? I spend over $400 / month, never late, even have their U-Verse service as well. Can't AT&T show a little love?
I have the same issue. AT&T site does not let me preorder the phone, but takes me back to the current models. Failed!
ATT is Full of... (wait for it) ... Sh...urprises
And not in a good way.
I bought two iphone 3Gs on launch day last July...one for my wife, one for me. She NEVER uses hers -- literally it is untouched except to do the updates -- as she has a work phone and uses that 100% of the time.
Restating the backstory: We have only owned 3G (since launch day last July) -- no iphones before that -- and were not ATT customers until that day.
I tried logging onto the ATT website where it says she is eligible for an upgrade in July 2009, BUT...I am not eligible for an upgrade until December 2009!!! We got our phones on the same day people! There is no difference in our accounts...it's the Family Plan.
So because the reasoning is not clear ANYwhere, I call ATT to ask what our upgrade status is.
There, the guy tells me that my wife is eligible in July 2009...but I am not eligible until MARCH 2010!!! I tell him what it said on the website. He tells me she can upgrade earlier than me because SHE is the primary account holder. He has no explanation as to why it says December 2009 on the website for me...but he is quoting me March 2010. His response: "Oh." (Maybe it was the guy in the ATT You Tube video???).
As for the business about who is the primary account holder...
WRONG.
It even says on the account page that I am the primary account holder. I remember it was a big hassle point when I bought the phones...because she wasn't present to sign the paperwork.
Then I pose this query to Mr. ATT...If I want to pay the higher price (like I ever would!) could I just go in and buy a 3GS on launch day?
Get this...NO! Ha!
According to him, you are locked in to YOUR iphone until your two years are up. Locked in. Apparently you can't buy groceries or go to the movies or keep your freedom as a US citizen either.
As they say on SNL...Really ATT? Really?
Seems like a classic not knowing ass from elbow, right hand not knowing what left hand is doing kind of scenario. Meanwhile, I can tell you what third finger right hand is doing. Mos def.
I would never DREAM of signing another two year contract with these jokers. I love Apple (most days), but I defected from Blackberry AND Verizon to get my/our iphone 3G phones, and except for the small part of the process known as ATT, I've been happy. I'm hoping by the time I'm "eligible" for renewal either Verizon is also carrying the phones or else that the 4GS will be forthcoming on Verizon.
All of this aside...doesn't ATT realize that our country's in a depression, recession, slowed economy? Don't they read the papers? Don't they check the NYT, Wall Street Journal, or CNN apps on their own phones? You'd think there'd be some creative incentive to keep customers happy, engaged, and enrolled? Why not just offer the subsidized prices to anyone willing to renew for two more years? Why not think outside the box and say, for example, renew your contract for three or four years and you, too, can get the subsidized pricing?
Seriously, get creative. Or at the very least, get a clue.
Really ATT? Really?
And not in a good way.
I bought two iphone 3Gs on launch day last July...one for my wife, one for me. She NEVER uses hers -- literally it is untouched except to do the updates -- as she has a work phone and uses that 100% of the time.
Restating the backstory: We have only owned 3G (since launch day last July) -- no iphones before that -- and were not ATT customers until that day.
I tried logging onto the ATT website where it says she is eligible for an upgrade in July 2009, BUT...I am not eligible for an upgrade until December 2009!!! We got our phones on the same day people! There is no difference in our accounts...it's the Family Plan.
So because the reasoning is not clear ANYwhere, I call ATT to ask what our upgrade status is.
There, the guy tells me that my wife is eligible in July 2009...but I am not eligible until MARCH 2010!!! I tell him what it said on the website. He tells me she can upgrade earlier than me because SHE is the primary account holder. He has no explanation as to why it says December 2009 on the website for me...but he is quoting me March 2010. His response: "Oh." (Maybe it was the guy in the ATT You Tube video???).
As for the business about who is the primary account holder...
WRONG.
It even says on the account page that I am the primary account holder. I remember it was a big hassle point when I bought the phones...because she wasn't present to sign the paperwork.
Then I pose this query to Mr. ATT...If I want to pay the higher price (like I ever would!) could I just go in and buy a 3GS on launch day?
Get this...NO! Ha!
According to him, you are locked in to YOUR iphone until your two years are up. Locked in. Apparently you can't buy groceries or go to the movies or keep your freedom as a US citizen either.
As they say on SNL...Really ATT? Really?
Seems like a classic not knowing ass from elbow, right hand not knowing what left hand is doing kind of scenario. Meanwhile, I can tell you what third finger right hand is doing. Mos def.
I would never DREAM of signing another two year contract with these jokers. I love Apple (most days), but I defected from Blackberry AND Verizon to get my/our iphone 3G phones, and except for the small part of the process known as ATT, I've been happy. I'm hoping by the time I'm "eligible" for renewal either Verizon is also carrying the phones or else that the 4GS will be forthcoming on Verizon.
All of this aside...doesn't ATT realize that our country's in a depression, recession, slowed economy? Don't they read the papers? Don't they check the NYT, Wall Street Journal, or CNN apps on their own phones? You'd think there'd be some creative incentive to keep customers happy, engaged, and enrolled? Why not just offer the subsidized prices to anyone willing to renew for two more years? Why not think outside the box and say, for example, renew your contract for three or four years and you, too, can get the subsidized pricing?
Seriously, get creative. Or at the very least, get a clue.
Really ATT? Really?
If you're using $299, I'm guessing that you're looking at a 32GB version. The full retail price of that would be $699.
So if you look at $699 as the price and $66.41 as the tax, that would give a tax rate of just around 9.5%.
Based on your location (California) and a quick check of Wikipedia, that seems possible. Is that actually your rate?
Here's what I'm upset about.
I bought 1st gen the day it came out. Paid $500 for the 4GB. Ok... Great... they lowered their price and I got $100 store credit from Apple.
Then that one broke in April of 2008, so I bought another one... This time I went with the 16GB... another $500.
Then they announced the 3G SHORTLY after that. I wasn't happy with the timing of everything, but I sucked it up. I wasn't planning on getting the 3G, but I broke down in September and bought it. 16GB for $300.
I cannot upgrade until February of 2010. So, when the NEXT phone comes out in 2010, I still would not be able to get it. I'm definately going to talk to someone about this, just to see what they say. I've ALREADY spent $1200 on iPhones since it came out. To be forced to wait, and skip the next gen phone is ridiculous!
I bought 1st gen the day it came out. Paid $500 for the 4GB. Ok... Great... they lowered their price and I got $100 store credit from Apple.
Then that one broke in April of 2008, so I bought another one... This time I went with the 16GB... another $500.
Then they announced the 3G SHORTLY after that. I wasn't happy with the timing of everything, but I sucked it up. I wasn't planning on getting the 3G, but I broke down in September and bought it. 16GB for $300.
I cannot upgrade until February of 2010. So, when the NEXT phone comes out in 2010, I still would not be able to get it. I'm definately going to talk to someone about this, just to see what they say. I've ALREADY spent $1200 on iPhones since it came out. To be forced to wait, and skip the next gen phone is ridiculous!
Because you have to pay off the discounted price you got from ATT; you pay it off by the month via your cell service fees. It takes almost the entire length of the contract to get ATT back to even. So you can't get a new subsidized price until you've paid off the old one.
Some have said, well, I'm getting a new two year contract; no, you're getting a two year contract from the time you get your new phone, and the old contract you are getting out of early.
Extreme example: say the iPhone was one of ATT "free" phones with a two year contract. You wouldn't expect that they were really "free" to ATT: someone bought them. And you wouldn't expect to get a new one every other month just because a more cool "free" phone showed up.
Remember, you can always get the "no commitment" price which is full retail, then change phones (for full retail) whenever you want. If the new phone you want, say a Palm, is on another network, you can switch without penalty.
Me? I don't buy every new gimcrack that shows up just because it is new. I didn't enough advantage in the 3G over the original to upgrade immediately; so now I get the $299/32GB price ;-)
Eddie O
I originally went to Apple's website to order the iPhone 3GS and placed a reserve to pick up at an Apple Stores. I then saw the little blurb that pre-authorization does not guarantee an iPhone. First come first serve.
Since I figured that it would be crazy at the store, I went back and order the 32 GB Black online at the Apple Store.
Ten more days! (Hopefully)
Since I figured that it would be crazy at the store, I went back and order the 32 GB Black online at the Apple Store.
Ten more days! (Hopefully)
