Petition: Those locked in a contract do NOT deserve a discount

[Gathomblipoob]

Signed!

I think a lot of these whiners are pissed that mommy and/or daddy won't pay the higher-tier prices on the new iPhone.

 

[uberamd]

lol this issue is never going to die until Launch day, when everyone will snap out of it and stop being petty immature idiots that don't understand how the world of fancy gadgets and technology works.

I hope you are right, because if your not, its going to be a long next few months. And it will ALL repeat next year.

 

[Pennyroyal]

Your poll is bias

 

[zorahk]

Hey look, a thread of elitist mac users whining.

News at 11

Do you live in your mom's basement too?

 

[egk69]

i dont even want a "subbssidy4hw4" ( <-- or what ever you spell that word) phone, I would like yo just be able to buy the 3G S for $500+2 Years Contract (no matter what my contract was) just like i buy my 3G 7 Months ago, But I cant!! I can just buy it with no contract for like 700!

ohh and if that is a "subdiedtictipsentics" price then sorry i didnt know....

 

[dccorona]

I feel those locked in a contract deserve no discount. This has been tirelessly discussed and the fact that people think owning an iPhone makes them exempt to rules is ridiculous.

Where do you place your John Hancock? Here: http://twitition.com/j5lg6

Thanks for your time.

if it doesn't affect you, why do you care?
do you have to take an extreme on EVERY issue?

if they don't get discounts, then oh well, it's not a big shock
if they do get discounts, then good for them, they got an iPhone at a good price point

whining about not getting the discount may be a bit childish (unless you can come up with a legitimate reason, which no one has)

but trying to take away savings from someone when IT DOESN'T EVEN AFFECT YOU is just as childish, as well as selfish and just flat out mean

 

[gwfattwkr]

craigslist

There is a huge market for used Iphone on craigslist.
SO quit crying about your contract take your current Iphone put it on CList and dig in to your pocket and buy one at full retail.

 

[zap2]

Why would you care?


This seems like a lot of work to go out of your way to make sure people pay AT&T money

 

[anjinha]

if it doesn't affect you, why do you care?
do you have to take an extreme on EVERY issue?

if they don't get discounts, then oh well, it's not a big shock
if they do get discounts, then good for them, they got an iPhone at a good price point

whining about not getting the discount may be a bit childish (unless you can come up with a legitimate reason, which no one has)

but trying to take away savings from someone when IT DOESN'T EVEN AFFECT YOU is just as childish, as well as selfish and just flat out mean

Why would you care?


This seems like a lot of work to go out of your way to make sure people pay AT&T money

The iPhone's real price is $600/$700. By letting people upgrade halfway through their contracts for $200/$300 AT&T is losing $200 on every iPhone they sell. They would have to get that money back somehow so the most logical way would be making their plans more expensive. So yeah, that does affect other people.

Also, if they let iPhone users get away with it other smartphone users will want the same discounts. If they give in to that they will lose even more money, and they will have to make their plans even more expensive.

Get real. If you can't afford it, tough luck.

Would you expect to buy a car and upgrade for cheap everytime a new model came out?

 

[Gamst]

Why all the bitching and moaning? Why not just one of the many threads? Plus, creating a poll to try and stop people getting a good deal? You must be 1st Gen iPhone owners that skipped the 3G and don't want anyone else to get a better deal that you.

 

[Que]

what a completely disgusting topic.

if people in a contract getting a good deal was to impact you in a negative manner then i'd understand it.

as it is you're just being completely spiteful. this is turning into a 3g vs 3gs forum, we're all iphone owners and as a 3g owner i have no problem whatsoever with 3gs owners. i probably won't get a 3gs because i'm more than happy with my 3g.

i'd never hope for anything negative to happen to a 3gs owner.

disgusting. whoever signed that petition should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[BigWill]

Signed. People sign a contract for two years and they suddenly want to back out? Screw them. Man up and pay the money or work the system. No way in hell you are entitled to a discount price. I wish the phones were never subsidized and that way the exclusivity would still be there. Instead, we have every idiot with $200 walking around with an iPhone because it is fashionable and not because they utilize its capabilities. Makes me sick!

Why do you care so much about why someone wants an iPhone? You have yours. Live and let live. That's just close minded and elitist. I personally think that the cell providers, all of them, would make far more money if they would get down off the greed pony and offer loyal customers the same discounts as new customers... regardless of what point the contract is at. They would lock the customer in for two years, and sell another phone fer cryin' out loud! Even if someone did that every year, they would still be in a binding contract, and the company sells them a phone per year. Let's see... $199 per year, vs $199 every two years. Hmmmm... my math may be off, but that sounds like more profit to me.

 

[Drewsky87]

I guess some people just don't understand the concept of a 2 year contract. I had to pay more because I was still in my contract, actually I was expecting to pay more than $400 so I had no problem with the price. Just goes to show the ignorance of some people.

 

[chstr]

do work for at&t? I'm sorry you dropped out of school

 

[mactastic]

Let's see... $199 per year, vs $199 every two years. Hmmmm... my math may be off, but that sounds like more profit to me.

LOL... yes your math is off. Try "$300 loss every year, or $300 loss every two years" on the phone sale. The two year contract builds in the cost of the subsidy, so if you bail early or get a new subsidized phone early, you're shorting the phone company money that you contractually agreed to pay them.

Don't like the idea of a contract? Don't sign one. Sheesh... why is that so hard to understand?

 

[BigWill]

Ignorance for some... mindless sheep-following for others.

 

[BigWill]

LOL... yes your math is off. Try "$300 loss every year, or $300 loss every two years" on the phone sale. The two year contract builds in the cost of the subsidy, so if you bail early or get a new subsidized phone early, you're shorting the phone company money that you contractually agreed to pay them.

Don't like the idea of a contract? Don't sign one. Sheesh... why is that so hard to understand?

I get that... and I get the concept of the contract... but there could at least be some kind of pro-rating, and consideration for time with a cell provider. It's much like the cancellation fees. Those should certainly be pro-rated, given that the further into your contract you are, the more of the initial cost the company has recovered. I have no trouble signing a contract, and carrying it through. I just think that there should be some form of reward for staying with a carrier for multiple years.

 

[diabolic]

I get that... and I get the concept of the contract... but there could at least be some kind of pro-rating, and consideration for time with a cell provider.

There is consideration of time with AT&T. That's why some people can get the upgrade price after 12 months, and others after 18 months.

 

[anjinha]

I get that... and I get the concept of the contract... but there could at least be some kind of pro-rating, and consideration for time with a cell provider. It's much like the cancellation fees. Those should certainly be pro-rated, given that the further into your contract you are, the more of the initial cost the company has recovered. I have no trouble signing a contract, and carrying it through. I just think that there should be some form of reward for staying with a carrier for multiple years.

There kinda is! When you join AT&T you can get a subsidized phone for 199/299 if you sign a two-year contract. If you finish that 2 year contract you get another subsidized price. You don't finish the contract you don't get the reward. It's that simple. Why should AT&T reward those that don't finish their contracts?

 

[BigWill]

There is consideration of time with AT&T. That's why some people can get the upgrade price after 12 months, and others after 18 months.

Well there you go... I have been informed, and not just ranted at. Thanks diabolic. I wasn't aware of that.

 

[zap2]

The iPhone's real price is $600/$700. By letting people upgrade halfway through their contracts for $200/$300 AT&T is losing $200 on every iPhone they sell. They would have to get that money back somehow so the most logical way would be making their plans more expensive. So yeah, that does affect other people.

Also, if they let iPhone users get away with it other smartphone users will want the same discounts. If they give in to that they will lose even more money, and they will have to make their plans even more expensive.

No, it doesn't effect other people. The prices your pay for data and voice are very high(as they force you to buy a data plan), thats a lot of money into AT&Ts pocket. They could easily afford to upgrade users, and their over all profit would still be high

To say that that move will result in other people's bills getting raised is an assumption....nothing would "force" AT&T into uppering voice/data costs

 

[BigWill]

There kinda is! When you join AT&T you can get a subsidized phone for 199/299 if you sign a two-year contract. If you finish that 2 year contract you get another subsidized price. You don't finish the contract you don't get the reward. It's that simple. Why should AT&T reward those that don't finish their contracts?

Not finish, or renegotiate? To not finish your contract costs a penalty. A customer who renegotiates their contract, even after only a year, is a 'lifetime' customer. Take a customer who has been on their contract for one of the two years, and renew them for two more, and you have the equivalent of a three year contract. They get their money one way or the other... and I don't mean to say that someone in a contract should necessarily get the introductory price, but certainly a nice reduction.

I'm being a devil's advocate of sorts here... because I AM on a two year contract, and I WILL fulfill it, because I don't NEED a new phone every year, but I am amazed at the amount of consumer 'sheep' there are here. The consumer/retailer relationship has historically been one of offer and counter offer. We've become so accustomed to seeing a price, and settling for it in most areas of retail sales, that bargaining has all but gone out the window. If we as consumers don't push the envelope a bit, we're doing ourselves a grave disservice.

 

[Que]

Not finish, or renegotiate? To not finish your contract costs a penalty. A customer who renegotiates their contract, even after only a year, is a 'lifetime' customer. Take a customer who has been on their contract for one of the two years, and renew them for two more, and you have the equivalent of a three year contract. They get their money one way or the other... and I don't mean to say that someone in a contract should necessarily get the introductory price, but certainly a nice reduction.

I'm being a devil's advocate of sorts here... because I AM on a two year contract, and I WILL fulfill it, because I don't NEED a new phone every year, but I am amazed at the amount of consumer 'sheep' there are here. The consumer/retailer relationship has historically been one of offer and counter offer. We've become so accustomed to seeing a price, and settling for it in most areas of retail sales, that bargaining has all but gone out the window. If we as consumers don't push the envelope a bit, we're doing ourselves a grave disservice.

wow.

an intelligent, well structured post.

i'm sure you'll be blasted by anyone that is getting a 3gs that wants to see 3g owners fed to the lions.

 

[jhCanuck]

Obsessed with poor old AT&T -- or looking to the future?

You hope to sway AT&T with an illiterate petition ?
Biased questions. No real choice.

You might wish to keep in mind that, at the present time,
AT&T's exclusivity contract ends in 2010 (i.e. Dec 31, 2009) --
and no one can say that next year will be exactly the same...
the playing field may be quite different.

Barron's published an article recently stating that Apple could
DOUBLE its iPhone sales if it included Verizon in the mix.

"Adding Verizon, could be worth it. Verizon is the largest U.S. carrier, and while more than 10 percent of AT&T's subscribers are iPhone users already, all of Verizon's roughly 87 million customers are untapped. The analysts believe that having to build a new CDMA iPhone for Verizon is not a big deal (as we've already reported), and will inevitably the two will work together. But negotiations right now are likely focused on Apple's margins. If they breakdown, Apple could go down another road with Verizon, and skirt the exclusivity provision by rolling out a non-iPhone device, like a tablet."

Instead of being obsessed with poor old AT&T (and trying to preserve its monopolistic practices in the iPhone world) it might be more productive
to look to the future... to companies that could offer a full slate of
iPhone services at competitive prices and more Apple-friendly upgrade policies.

Change is coming, one way or another....

 

[uberamd]

Hey look, a thread of elitist mac users whining.

News at 11

Do you live in your mom's basement too?

No, I don't. I live on a college campus, attending school...

if it doesn't affect you, why do you care?
do you have to take an extreme on EVERY issue?

if they don't get discounts, then oh well, it's not a big shock
if they do get discounts, then good for them, they got an iPhone at a good price point

whining about not getting the discount may be a bit childish (unless you can come up with a legitimate reason, which no one has)

but trying to take away savings from someone when IT DOESN'T EVEN AFFECT YOU is just as childish, as well as selfish and just flat out mean

Um, its not about that. Its about society and their sense of entitlement. This makes ALL iPhone owners look like idiots because a group has banded together, a group that has NO common sense mind you, in an effort to get a phone that they do NOT deserve. These iPhone 3G owners feel entitled to a cheap upgrade even though they do NOT deserve one. This is what is wrong with the world, people think they deserve things that they DO NOT DESERVE.

Why would you care?


This seems like a lot of work to go out of your way to make sure people pay AT&T money

See above, people are idiots and this just "oh I deserve an iPhone at a discounted rate because I am special" ordeal is proving that.

The iPhone's real price is $600/$700. By letting people upgrade halfway through their contracts for $200/$300 AT&T is losing $200 on every iPhone they sell. They would have to get that money back somehow so the most logical way would be making their plans more expensive. So yeah, that does affect other people.

Also, if they let iPhone users get away with it other smartphone users will want the same discounts. If they give in to that they will lose even more money, and they will have to make their plans even more expensive.

Get real. If you can't afford it, tough luck.

Would you expect to buy a car and upgrade for cheap everytime a new model came out?

Thank you. People who lease a car don't go to the dealership a year later and try to get the new model for less. Why should this be ANY different. The sense of entitlement iPhone 3G owners have is staggering.

Why all the bitching and moaning? Why not just one of the many threads? Plus, creating a poll to try and stop people getting a good deal? You must be 1st Gen iPhone owners that skipped the 3G and don't want anyone else to get a better deal that you.

See my above comments. And no, I have a 3G and ordered a 3G S.

what a completely disgusting topic.

if people in a contract getting a good deal was to impact you in a negative manner then i'd understand it.

as it is you're just being completely spiteful. this is turning into a 3g vs 3gs forum, we're all iphone owners and as a 3g owner i have no problem whatsoever with 3gs owners. i probably won't get a 3gs because i'm more than happy with my 3g.

i'd never hope for anything negative to happen to a 3gs owner.

disgusting. whoever signed that petition should be ashamed of themselves.

Read my above comments. What is disgusting is the senseless entitlement and lack of reason the people petition FOR a discounted phone have. Those people are idiots, simply put.