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Own 2g Iphone, AT&T Won't Subsidize 3GS?

V

vogue8

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I own a 2g iphone, much to my dismay, the price AT&T is offering me to upgrade to the 3GS is $200 more than for new subscribers! I paid $400 for the 2g, it was in no way subsidized by AT&T, and AT&T let 2g owners upgrade to the 3G at the best rate. What's going on here? I've called AT&T 3 times, each time I was given the run-around. After reiterating the situation, each representative agreed I should be given the $299 rate, but two days after each call (when the change should have been made) I was told that my request had been rejected for not meeting AT&T's upgrade criteria.

😡

Anybody else with a 2g iPhone able to get the $299 price without spending over $100/month the last 3 months?
 
I understand being upset about this situation to a point. However, I do find it interesting that in this entire rant you left out the details needed to decide if this is s legitimate complaint or not. Might I ask WHEN you got the original iPhone?
 
vogue8 said:
I own a 2g iphone, much to my dismay, the price AT&T is offering me to upgrade to the 3GS is $200 more than for new subscribers! I paid $400 for the 2g, it was in no way subsidized by AT&T, and AT&T let 2g owners upgrade to the 3G at the best rate. What's going on here? I've called AT&T 3 times, each time I was given the run-around. After reiterating the situation, each representative agreed I should be given the $299 rate, but two days after each call (when the change should have been made) I was told that my request had been rejected for not meeting AT&T's upgrade criteria.

😡

Anybody else with a 2g iPhone able to get the $299 price without spending over $100/month the last 3 months?
Click to expand...
When is your upgrade date?
 
abiyng87 said:
I understand being upset about this situation to a point. However, I do find it interesting that in this entire rant you left out the details needed to decide if this is s legitimate complaint or not. Might I ask WHEN you got the original iPhone?
Click to expand...

I got it for Christmas 2007, but didn't activate it until June (to avoid ETF from tmobile). The point is that AT&T didn't subsidize the phone. AT&T is very vocal about explaining how they subsidize the 3G phone, so they want people to wait at least 18 months to upgrade. In my case they want me to wait 18 months, even though I (wife actually) paid for the whole thing.
 
vogue8 said:
I got it for Christmas 2007, but didn't activate it until June (to avoid ETF from tmobile). The point is that AT&T didn't subsidize the phone. AT&T is very vocal about explaining how they subsidize the 3G phone, so they want people to wait at least 18 months to upgrade. In my case they want me to wait 18 months, even though I (wife actually) paid for the whole thing.
Click to expand...

So you don't have a phone that AT&T has subsidized?
 
vogue8 said:
Jan 2010 (~18 months after activation)
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That's typical, then. You're still well under contract.

Even if you didn't initially subsidize your phone, they're going to charge you early upgrade cost for a new handset.
 
vogue8 said:
I got it for Christmas 2007, but didn't activate it until June (to avoid ETF from tmobile). The point is that AT&T didn't subsidize the phone. AT&T is very vocal about explaining how they subsidize the 3G phone, so they want people to wait at least 18 months to upgrade. In my case they want me to wait 18 months, even though I (wife actually) paid for the whole thing.
Click to expand...

The worst part is that last Christmas I got my wife the 3g iPhone. If I had made her phone the primary phone on our family plan, I would get the subsidy (as her bill would be over 100/month.) As it was, my 2g was the primary phone and as the data/sms is 15/month cheaper, I was just below the 100/month threshold.
 
gloss said:
That's typical, then. You're still well under contract.

Even if you didn't initially subsidize your phone, they're going to charge you early upgrade cost for a new handset.
Click to expand...

The exempted everyone 2g owners for the 3g and they are exempting 3g owners now for the 3gs. If I had wanted to upgrade last month I could have gotten the 3g (non-s) for 199, now it is 299? WTF?
 
vogue8 said:
The exempted everyone 2g owners for the 3g and they are exempting 3g owners now for the 3gs. If I had wanted to upgrade last month I could have gotten the 3g (non-s) for 199, now it is 299? WTF?
Click to expand...
They are not exempting everyone who got a 3G, only if you spend $99 or more. Maybe you should spend $99 or more.
 
Ishimaru said:
Then that's when you'll get your upgrade. Why do you think that you get subsidized for the 3GS? Because you have a 2G?
Click to expand...

Last year they subsized the 3G for 2G owners, the explanation was that 2G owners phone's weren't subsidized.
 
Ishimaru said:
They are not exempting everyone who got a 3G, only if you spend $99 or more. Maybe you should spend $99 or more.
Click to expand...

Thats the killer, I am spending like $140/month on an AT&T family plan...BUT the way it is broken down is that my 2g phone is the primary phone, so it is $70 + $20 data = 90/month. My wife's phone is 10 voice + 35 for data. If I had made hers the primary phone it would have been 70 + 35 /month and I would get the subsidy even though I am spending the same.
 
If you didn't use any subsidy on this very line you are looking to upgrade since obtaining the first gen iPhone, then you should be receiving subsidy on the 3G S. However, I think you're a bit confused on how subsidy works and you probably did use it.
 
If you have NEVER purchased a subsidized handset from AT&T (perhaps as backup?), then you should qualify for the subsidized 3GS. Unless you are leaving something out, then you SHOULD be eligible for new customer pricing because you've NEVER gotten a subsidy from AT&T. Upgrade pricing does NOT go along with your contract. You can be in a contract and be eligible for an upgrade. I bought a 1st gen iPhone last Aug and activated it and I was eligible for the 3GS at the 199/299 price. However, there was a point in time where they messed up my account and I saw online that it said I wasn't upgrade-eligible. I made sure then that they fixed it. Did you set up your account in the store? Do you remember who did it for you? They would probably be the best person to talk about this issue. Also, if they say you've received a subsidy, and you haven't, MAKE them SHOW you proof. Don't give up.
 
The OP payed $400 for the early upgrade price and signed a new contract when he activated it. At&t didn't offer a contract free iphone at that time, so he is not eligible for a subsidized phone until he is 18 months into the contract.
 
blueturf said:
The OP payed $400 for the early upgrade price and signed a new contract when he activated it. At&t didn't offer a contract free iphone at that time, so he is not eligible for a subsidized phone until he is 18 months into the contract.
Click to expand...

You're CONTRACT is for your SERVICE agreement. You have to have service with them for that amount of time. It is NOT the same as your upgrade!!! I was eligible for a subsidized phone the DAY I activated my 1st gen iPhone because I didn't buy it from AT&T, because it was never subsidized, and because I never purchased any other phone, ever, from AT&T.

So, unless the OP purchased a phone from AT&T before or after activating the 1st gen iPhone, then he should be eligible for new customer pricing. If he did purchase or get a free phone from AT&T before/after the activating the iPhone, then he shouldn't be eligible.
 
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