Starting Dummy Line on AT&T

[al0513]

Leaning towards starting a dummy line since they wont budge on my upgrade. My question is, could I start a dummy line, use the new 5, and if they decide to make my original line eligible for upgrade within the next month, could I return the dummy line and take it off my account?

 

[spblat]

Sounds risky.

 

[al0513]

Sounds risky.

:eeps: You think it would work?

 

[dave006]

Leaning towards starting a dummy line since they wont budge on my upgrade. My question is, could I start a dummy line, use the new 5, and if they decide to make my original line eligible for upgrade within the next month, could I return the dummy line and take it off my account?

Sure you have 30 days before you get locked and have to pay the ETF. You would just need to return the device and pay for any services used during the 30 day period.

Dave

 

[emaja]

Are you on an individual plan or a family plan with spots still free?

If you are on a family plan, I'm pretty sure you can do this -

Go to Walmart and buy a pre-paid AT&T phone for $20, then add that as a new line to your existing family plan for the $10 a month.

Do the iPhone 5 order as an upgrade to that pre-paid phone, then do a SIM swap at an AT&T store and you are all set. There is no ETF on a pre-paid phone since there is no contract subsidy. There is also no activation fee.

 

[ericrwalker]

Do the iPhone 5 order as an upgrade to that pre-paid phone, then do a SIM swap at an AT&T store and you are all set. There is no ETF on a pre-paid phone since there is no contract subsidy. There is also no activation fee.

Sim-swap a nano-sim?

 

[emaja]

Sim-swap a nano-sim?

Since it will be a different SIM, you will have to go into an AT&T store to do it. The pre-paid phones come with the old full size SIM if I remember correctly.

 

[OMGbrandon]

I doubt this would work, will it?
Sounds pretty iffy.

Are you on an individual plan or a family plan with spots still free?

If you are on a family plan, I'm pretty sure you can do this -

Go to Walmart and buy a pre-paid AT&T phone for $20, then add that as a new line to your existing family plan for the $10 a month.

Do the iPhone 5 order as an upgrade to that pre-paid phone, then do a SIM swap at an AT&T store and you are all set. There is no ETF on a pre-paid phone since there is no contract subsidy. There is also no activation fee.

 

[al0513]

Are you on an individual plan or a family plan with spots still free?

If you are on a family plan, I'm pretty sure you can do this -

Go to Walmart and buy a pre-paid AT&T phone for $20, then add that as a new line to your existing family plan for the $10 a month.

Do the iPhone 5 order as an upgrade to that pre-paid phone, then do a SIM swap at an AT&T store and you are all set. There is no ETF on a pre-paid phone since there is no contract subsidy. There is also no activation fee.

This is a great idea!

I just have the feeling that AT&T is going to cave and let people upgrade that have been on contract for a year. .. which mine should be coming up. So in that case... why not add the new line for $9.99 and then buy the iPhone 5, use it and cancel it if my upgrade is to come up?

Not paying the early upgrade fee of $250 because as a AT&T manager told me yesterday - I will probably be in the same boat next year when the new phone comes out.

 

[emaja]

I doubt this would work, will it?
Sounds pretty iffy.

My daughter lost her iPhone privileges but we still wanted her to have a phone for emergencies. I bought a $20 phone and replaced that iPhone without a problem. Cancelled the data even and AT&T gave me no problems at all.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I just have the feeling that AT&T is going to cave and let people upgrade that have been on contract for a year. .. which mine should be coming up.

Too late. People will have paid the $250 and they won't want to return that money.

 

[al0513]

Here is why dummy line makes more sense. I was on the phone with an AT&T manager and she told me flat out that if I pay that $250 I will probably be in the same situation next year for the next upgrade. So... to me even if I pay an extra $9.99 per month (minus 20% due to my company discount) I'm guaranteed an upgrade every year (2 different lines). So that comes out to roughly $240 for two years. If I pay the $250 this year to upgrade early, I would have to pay an extra $250 to upgrade early next year.

 

[mrtune]

Are you on an individual plan or a family plan with spots still free?

If you are on a family plan, I'm pretty sure you can do this -

Go to Walmart and buy a pre-paid AT&T phone for $20, then add that as a new line to your existing family plan for the $10 a month.

Do the iPhone 5 order as an upgrade to that pre-paid phone, then do a SIM swap at an AT&T store and you are all set. There is no ETF on a pre-paid phone since there is no contract subsidy. There is also no activation fee.

The moment they sell you an iphone at the upgrade price, that extra line get's locked in for 2 years. Swaping sims will work fine and you can probably remove the data fee once you do that, but the $10 extra line cost will remain for the duration of the contract. You won't be able to cancel it without paying ETF.

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Here is why dummy line makes more sense. I was on the phone with an AT&T manager and she told me flat out that if I pay that $250 I will probably be in the same situation next year for the next upgrade. So... to me even if I pay an extra $9.99 per month (minus 20% due to my company discount) I'm guaranteed an upgrade every year (2 different lines). So that comes out to roughly $240 for two years. If I pay the $250 this year to upgrade early, I would have to pay an extra $250 to upgrade early next year.

That is correct. If you plan to upgrade yearly, paying $120 instead of $250 makes a lot more sense.

If not upgrading on a yearly basis then it's not worth it.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Here is why dummy line makes more sense. I was on the phone with an AT&T manager and she told me flat out that if I pay that $250 I will probably be in the same situation next year for the next upgrade. So... to me even if I pay an extra $9.99 per month (minus 20% due to my company discount) I'm guaranteed an upgrade every year (2 different lines). So that comes out to roughly $240 for two years. If I pay the $250 this year to upgrade early, I would have to pay an extra $250 to upgrade early next year.

Yes, so why would you want to return the dummy line and take it off your account as mentioned in the OP? If you keep it, you're guaranteed the yearly upgrade. You're not guaranteed the early iPhone upgrade for $250 next year as at&t may eliminate that and follow Verizon's and Sprint's footsteps in making you wait out your contract.

 

[emaja]

The moment they sell you an iphone at the upgrade price, that extra line get's locked in for 2 years. Swaping sims will work fine and you can probably remove the data fee once you do that, but the $10 extra line cost will remain for the duration of the contract. You won't be able to cancel it without paying ETF.

Correct. It is still easier to spread that $10 over a few months until the OP's current line is out of contract.

Just a thought...

Yes, so why would you want to return the dummy line and take it off your account as mentioned in the OP? If you keep it, you're guaranteed the yearly upgrade. You're not guaranteed the early iPhone upgrade for $250 next year as at&t may eliminate that and follow Verizon's and Sprint's footsteps in making you wait out your contract.

That is another way to guarantee annual upgrades.

 

[al0513]

The moment they sell you an iphone at the upgrade price, that extra line get's locked in for 2 years. Swaping sims will work fine and you can probably remove the data fee once you do that, but the $10 extra line cost will remain for the duration of the contract. You won't be able to cancel it without paying ETF.

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That is correct. If you plan to upgrade yearly, paying $120 instead of $250 makes a lot more sense.

If not upgrading on a yearly basis then it's not worth it.

AT&T States that there is a 30 day no questions asked contract cancellation. Course I would have to pay a restocking fee on the phone + activation fee. dont know if that is worth it now...

 

[maximus96]

Are you on an individual plan or a family plan with spots still free?

If you are on a family plan, I'm pretty sure you can do this -

Go to Walmart and buy a pre-paid AT&T phone for $20, then add that as a new line to your existing family plan for the $10 a month.

Do the iPhone 5 order as an upgrade to that pre-paid phone, then do a SIM swap at an AT&T store and you are all set. There is no ETF on a pre-paid phone since there is no contract subsidy. There is also no activation fee.

just so I'm clear, doing it your way is you pay $20 for the go phone and there is no activation fee for upgrading, but if you straight up add a line with the new iphone, there is a $36 or something activation fee right?

 

[emaja]

just so I'm clear, doing it your way is you pay $20 for the go phone and there is no activation fee for upgrading, but if you straight up add a line with the new iphone, there is a $36 or something activation fee right?

Yes.

Add the Go Phone as a new line, then upgrade THAT to an iPhone 5. As mentioned, you are then locked in to a 2 year contract for the iPhone 5.

You can then drop the old iPhone's plan down to a basic phone - drop data and text - and pay only $10 a month for that until the contract is up. Then you can cancel the old iPhone entirely without an ETF.

 

[maximus96]

Yes.

Add the Go Phone as a new line, then upgrade THAT to an iPhone 5. As mentioned, you are then locked in to a 2 year contract for the iPhone 5.

You can then drop the old iPhone's plan down to a basic phone - drop data and text - and pay only $10 a month for that until the contract is up. Then you can cancel the old iPhone entirely without an ETF.

do they let you swap the old number to the new iphone5 line?

 

[emaja]

do they let you swap the old number to the new iphone5 line?

Swapping the SIM does that AFAIK.

 

[JWhite32]

Yes.

Add the Go Phone as a new line, then upgrade THAT to an iPhone 5. As mentioned, you are then locked in to a 2 year contract for the iPhone 5.

You can then drop the old iPhone's plan down to a basic phone - drop data and text - and pay only $10 a month for that until the contract is up. Then you can cancel the old iPhone entirely without an ETF.

You do not need to purchase a "dummy" phone. Just got back from the AT&T store and they said I could add a line with the iPhone 5 and switch it to my line no problem. Then suspend the other line and it will just "float" out there for $9.99 a month. No phone or data plan required for the second "ghost line". ...Now here's the catch (and the deal breaker for me) I currently only have one line. No family talk plan. I have the 450 mins plan. I would have to upgrade to the lowest priced family talk plan which is $30 a month more than what I pay now. Plus the $9.99. So my bill would be $40 more a month to do this. Not happening... So, if you already have 2 or more lines, then adding a line is definitely worth it= $9.99 mo. But $40 mo. is not worth it to me. Hope this helps.

 

[emaja]

I was told by AT&T that a phone number had to be associated with a phone. I hate the different answers that we get. It seems that it's not a lot to ask for consistency.

 

[ericrwalker]

Since it will be a different SIM, you will have to go into an AT&T store to do it. The pre-paid phones come with the old full size SIM if I remember correctly.

When I got the iPhone 4 I upgraded my wifes line. Gave her my iPhone 3G. They would not give me a micro-sim for my line. I had to cut my sim. If they have the same policy now, it might not happen, and from what I hear, there is no cutting to make a nano-sim.

 

[Blueline29]

I was told by AT&T that a phone number had to be associated with a phone. I hate the different answers that we get. It seems that it's not a lot to ask for consistency.

That's what I was told as well. I started my line a couple of nights before last year's launch and had to go dig an ooooooooold phone out of my junk drawer so that the new # could be associated with it until the launch, whereupon it was switched to my 4S.

 

[sbddude]

Here is why dummy line makes more sense. I was on the phone with an AT&T manager and she told me flat out that if I pay that $250 I will probably be in the same situation next year for the next upgrade. So... to me even if I pay an extra $9.99 per month (minus 20% due to my company discount) I'm guaranteed an upgrade every year (2 different lines). So that comes out to roughly $240 for two years. If I pay the $250 this year to upgrade early, I would have to pay an extra $250 to upgrade early next year.

I don't think the discount applies to the $9.99