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Stop Complaining...(you might just be lazy)

M

MACsimus19

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 18, 2007
70
0
If find it pretty funny that so many current iPhone users take the time to complain about 3G price plan issues and 3G device pricing injustices when they could have made money or broken even in the process.

I'll explain.

I've always had a $20 a month data plan on my ATT account so no new incremental cost there when I purchased the original iPhone.

June 29th 2007, iPhone comes out and I'm out $600 bucks...ouch. New pricing structure announced and I call up AT&T immediately and demand my $200 back. Call gets escalated and I get a $200 credit on my bill (pays to listen to keynotes and call AT&T during moments of chaos). Apple is later kind enough to give the $100 credit and BOOM! $300 dollar iPhone.

Fast forward 11 months. Early June, start getting antsy and want to sell the old iPhone to make way for the new one before the June 10th press conference. Sell it for $450 on craigs list (probably could have gotten more if I really tried). Sweet now I'm up $150.

July 11th just around the bend, will use my $450 to purchase a 16GB 3G phone and use the remaining 150 to cover the 180 extra dollars for year 1 of 3G iPhone usage.

This doesn't seem like anything to complain about. I'd say I got a pretty good deal and it didn't take too much work to make it happen. Probably just as much effort as it takes to complain about how unfair the system purportedly is.

Just one guys story...but it could have been yours with a pinch of effort.

See you on line somewhere in NYC.
 
So you have the integrity to not only get AT&T to give you $200, but you also take Apple's $100? Bravo!!
 
People like you help cause a bad economy..
Scamming and ripping off companies is not cool, and eventually it catches up to you.
 
gibbz said:
So you have the integrity to not only get AT&T to give you $200, but you also take Apple's $100? Bravo!!
Click to expand...

Dont think it has anything to do with integrity. My crystal ball failed to mention the hundie was coming from Apple so I took what AT&T was kind enough to give. Apple's credit went straight to the store in the form of a gift I was planning on buying already. The credit only helped Apple from a financial / PR standpoint and made my stock go up, why wouldn't I take it?

When the next iPhone comes out I plan on selling the 3G one for a profit and using my fiances account to get the next Gen iPhone as she is already a year into her contract (she uses a BJ 2 - can't type with nails on the ole touch screen).

Then once my contract is up in 2 years I'll do the same thing. The year difference we have in our contracts will allow for the profitability cycle to continue. I'd be surprised if AT&T continues to allow early 1yr upgrades.
 
lorinserbenz said:
People like you help cause a bad economy..
Scamming and ripping off companies is not cool, and eventually it catches up to you.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure your economy theory is wildly unfounded. Thats not the kind of thinking that affords aftermarket parts on your benz.

Secondly, who exactly did I scam? They obviously felt my complaint was warrented. Many on MR did it because they felt somehow wronged. I was happy to pay the $600, I just didn't believe that some should get $200 back from AT&T while others didn't... so I spoke up. My call didn't fall on deaf ears. Lucky me. No scam.
 
I don't think the OP did anything terribly wrong, he took the initial plunge, and with luck, by the end of it all, he was ahead.

But I wouldn't call those complaining lazy because they didn't do what you did. Many of us were just patiently waiting for the new iPhone. While the current situation is the same as before, full price with 2 years, like you originally paid. it's a little bittersweet to some that were mislead by the new low price. Or those that switched to ATT to prepare for an iPhone and grabbed the cheapest free phone, causing them to be ineligible for the iPhone discount.

You could have done a bit better if you had got a free subsidized phone before getting your iPhone since ATT ignores that for all iPhone owners when it comes to upgrading.

One thing I hope, is if I pay full $499 price for the 16gig 3G, that next year when the new amazing model comes out, I can upgrade right away as my eligibility rolls in around Nov. But anyone that takes the subsidized iPhone on the 11th shouldn't get another discount until their 2 years are up.
 
TimothyB said:
I don't think the OP did anything terribly wrong, he took the initial plunge, and with luck, by the end of it all, he was ahead.

But I wouldn't call those complaining lazy because they didn't do what you did. Many of us were just patiently waiting for the new iPhone. While the current situation is the same as before, full price with 2 years, like you originally paid. it's a little bittersweet to some that were mislead by the new low price. Or those that switched to ATT to prepare for an iPhone and grabbed the cheapest free phone, causing them to be ineligible for the iPhone discount.

You could have done a bit better if you had got a free subsidized phone before getting your iPhone since ATT ignores that for all iPhone owners when it comes to upgrading.

One thing I hope, is if I pay full $499 price for the 16gig 3G, that next year when the new amazing model comes out, I can upgrade right away as my eligibility rolls in around Nov. But anyone that takes the subsidized iPhone on the 11th shouldn't get another discount until their 2 years are up.
Click to expand...


I was really only talking about current iPhone owners taking the 3G plunge. I can see how others on AT&T that aren't fully upgrade eligible are somewhat miffed.

I contemplated the free phone-ebay/CL sale move but actually thought that to be a bit duplicitious...see I'm not that big of a jerk.
 
I'll agree to disagree about whether what he did was wrong. I do agree that just because others weren't as "fortunate" as the OP does not correlate to complaining. If I'll give the OP anything, I'll say he was opportunistic.
 
lorinserbenz said:
People like you help cause a bad economy..
Scamming and ripping off companies is not cool, and eventually it catches up to you.
Click to expand...

LOL

Like AT&T doesn't screw us (the consumers) over?

Not saying two wrongs make a right, but damn, everyone here is $%$&ing about how AT&T is gouging customers, taking advantage of us, scamming us, etc. and one guy who gets $200 back is bringing down the whole economy and ripping off a multi-billion dollar company?
 
extraextra said:
LOL

Like AT&T doesn't screw us (the consumers) over?

Not saying two wrongs make a right, but damn, everyone here is $%$&ing about how AT&T is gouging customers, taking advantage of us, scamming us, etc. and one guy who gets $200 back is bringing down the whole economy and ripping off a multi-billion dollar company?
Click to expand...

I hate this ideology that just because someone has an exorbitant amount of wealth that it is okay to take a relatively small amount of it, the so-called Robin Hood mentality. I do agree that this is certainly not as big in the grand scheme of things as lorinserbenz implied, but dishonest nonetheless.
 
MACsimus19 said:
If find it pretty funny that so many current iPhone users take the time to complain about 3G price plan issues and 3G device pricing injustices when they could have made money or broken even in the process.

I'll explain.

I've always had a $20 a month data plan on my ATT account so no new incremental cost there when I purchased the original iPhone.

June 29th 2007, iPhone comes out and I'm out $600 bucks...ouch. New pricing structure announced and I call up AT&T immediately and demand my $200 back. Call gets escalated and I get a $200 credit on my bill (pays to listen to keynotes and call AT&T during moments of chaos). Apple is later kind enough to give the $100 credit and BOOM! $300 dollar iPhone.

Fast forward 11 months. Early June, start getting antsy and want to sell the old iPhone to make way for the new one before the June 10th press conference. Sell it for $450 on craigs list (probably could have gotten more if I really tried). Sweet now I'm up $150.

July 11th just around the bend, will use my $450 to purchase a 16GB 3G phone and use the remaining 150 to cover the 180 extra dollars for year 1 of 3G iPhone usage.

This doesn't seem like anything to complain about. I'd say I got a pretty good deal and it didn't take too much work to make it happen. Probably just as much effort as it takes to complain about how unfair the system purportedly is.

Just one guys story...but it could have been yours with a pinch of effort.

See you on line somewhere in NYC.
Click to expand...

Here's my story:

I make over $110,000 a year. That covers my 3G.

Just one guys story tho....
 
lorinserbenz said:
People like you help cause a bad economy..
Scamming and ripping off companies is not cool, and eventually it catches up to you.
Click to expand...

ok this is the stupidist thing i have read!! these companies have multiBILLION dollar companies that 100 to 200 dollars is not going to affect them..and do you think these companies care about you? Hell no what if you had some hardship and you couldnt pay your bill for a few months do you think they would say thats ok just pay us whenever NO they dont care they just want money
 
WhySoSerious said:
Here's my story:

I make over $110,000 a year. That covers my 3G.

Just one guys story tho....
Click to expand...

I wouldn't exactly brag about that, barely scraping the 6 figure mark isn't something to broadcast (at least in NYC)... maybe that's a lot in Dallas, dunno.

The post has nothing to do with how much money you make, just the percieved value of current iphone users upgrading to 3G iphone. Unless of course you are like a bajillionare which 110k apparently is nowadays.
 
MACsimus19 said:
I wouldn't exactly brag about that, barely scraping the 6 figure mark isn't something to broadcast (at least in NYC)... maybe that's a lot in Dallas, dunno.

The post has nothing to do with how much money you make, just the percieved value of current iphone users upgrading to 3G iphone. Unless of course you are like a bajillionare which 110k apparently is nowadays.
Click to expand...

wasn't bragging. i was telling my story and stating a fact. sorry if you feel inadequate now. maybe i should have posted a more appropriate story like you did. then you wouldn't feel so bad, huh?
 
WhySoSerious said:
wasn't bragging. i was telling my story and stating a fact. sorry if you feel inadequate now. maybe i should have posted a more appropriate story like you did. then you wouldn't feel so bad, huh?
Click to expand...

Yay! Pissing contest.

As an ad director in NYC, I've got nothing to feel bad about. My post was a nice way of saying..."that's all, I make more than that and still feel poor" (not really but you catch my drift...well, maybe you don't)
 
WhySoSerious said:
wasn't bragging. i was telling my story and stating a fact. sorry if you feel inadequate now. maybe i should have posted a more appropriate story like you did. then you wouldn't feel so bad, huh?
Click to expand...

Stop digging a hole, you're embarrassing yourself.
 
GAS said:
I'd go as far to say that most of the threads are, people moaning about screws etc.
Click to expand...

The point of the thread was merely my way of saying that the iPhone has been a pretty decent value in world of wireless and seems to be an overall fair deal. I personally think all the complaining from current iPhone users looking to upgrade is unfounded. Where some people take the thread is entirely unpredictable-we've seen some income statements and theories on the economy...its all very exciting.
 
lorinserbenz said:
People like you help cause a bad economy..
Scamming and ripping off companies is not cool, and eventually it catches up to you.
Click to expand...

They do the same to us. And plenty of people buy a used car for $2500 and then turn around in a year and try to get $3500 for it.
 
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