T-Mobile's 'Un-Carrier 4.0' Initiative Offers Up to $350 Per Line to Switch Carriers

[kensic]

why is everyone saying this is good / aggressive. I have an iPhone 5s from ATT and I'm not handing it over to TMobile for 350$. This would be an amazing deal if they just flat out paid your ETF fees for taking the leap and switching. However, they are paying you 350$ for your iPhone that you could sell on eBay for 500$

Give me 350$ no questions asked to switch to you TMobile, and I will

yup, im in the same situation. I just upgraded 3 lines to 5S in my family with AT&T.

there's no way im handling it over to tmobile and repurchase 700$ phones.

"Trade-in of their old phone, purchase of a new T-Mobile phone and porting of their phone number to T-Mobile are required to qualify. "

that's sentence in their paper. so I guess im not switching.

 

[Macboy Pro]

They call it aggressive because T-Mobile pays $350 plus the value of your phone, up to $300. Almost $650 for switching. I think it's pretty aggressive.

Until you evaluate their ETF to leave T-mobile once you figure out how crappy their network is. Would be a very rough move from AT&T (or even Verizon) over to the mostly Edge network of T-Mobile.

This deals is for suckers. There are plenty of them I am sure....

 

[mattwallace24]

No, AT&T makes you pay an ETF (which essentially covers their loss on the phone they subsidized for you).

This deal essentially lets you get subsidized pricing on phones at T-mobile's lower non-subsidy plan pricing:

1. Buy iPhone for $200 at AT&T with 2-year contract.
2. Cancel your plan and move to T-mobile.
3. T-mobile covers your ETF (which appears to be $325 at AT&T) and gives you 'up to' $300 for your just-purchased iPhone.
4. You take the ~$600 and buy a new unlocked iPhone for $650.
5. Ta-da, ~$250 for an iPhone on T-mobile's lower rates.

It may just be me, but I'm not getting the math.

I buy a phone for $200 and probably at most they give me $300 -- +$100 best case.

I cancel my AT&T service, get charged $325 ETF and T-Mobile gives me a gift card for $300 ($25 loss).

So now I'm up $75, but have to repurchase my iPhone for $649.

So now I'm down $574, but get the lower monthly savings? I'm sure if they clarify their offer and just told everyone to "pay us $574 to be on T-Mobile", it doesn't look so good.

 

[kensic]

No, ATT makes you pay the remaining of the cost of the iphone... been like this for ages.

wrong, show me where it states that.

my friends have done it....signed up at At$t...pid 200$ for the phone....1 month later, quit and just pay ETF nothing else

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this sucks, because "you required to give up your current phone"

in most cases the people that want to quit At&t are people with expensive iPhone 5S.

so therefore if this is your case.....it's not a good deal upfront.



but a year later of paying lower monthly fees, then that's where you'll be saving money.

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No, AT&T makes you pay an ETF (which essentially covers their loss on the phone they subsidized for you).

This deal essentially lets you get subsidized pricing on phones at T-mobile's lower non-subsidy plan pricing:

1. Buy iPhone for $200 at AT&T with 2-year contract.
2. Cancel your plan and move to T-mobile.
3. T-mobile covers your ETF (which appears to be $325 at AT&T) and gives you 'up to' $300 for your just-purchased iPhone.
4. You take the ~$600 and buy a new unlocked iPhone for $650.
5. Ta-da, ~$250 for an iPhone on T-mobile's lower rates.

your math is wrong....the 600$ in step 4, 1/2 of this you must use to pay ur ETF man! lol

 

[ghostface147]

Until you evaluate their ETF to leave T-mobile once you figure out how crappy their network is. Would be a very rough move from AT&T (or even Verizon) over to the most Edge network of T-Mobile.

This deals is for suckers. There are plenty of them I am sure....

Speak for yourself. Houston is rock solid for everyone I know who uses them. Live in Paris, TX? Maybe not. In fact, Houston tends to get everything first from cell phone companies, except the Sprint Spark program.

 

[31 Flavas]

yup, im in the same situation. I just upgraded 3 lines to 5S in my family with AT&T.

there's no way im handling it over to tmobile and repurchase 700$ phones.

"Trade-in of their old phone, purchase of a new T-Mobile phone and porting of their phone number to T-Mobile are required to qualify. "

that's sentence in their paper. so I guess im not switching.

Just incase you missed it. You get trade in value for your phone + they pay your ETF. So you can get as much as $650 per phone number. (up to $300 trade in, up to $350 ETF).

If you just recontracted for 2 years with AT&T for 3 iPhone 5S 16GB -- You get ($282 x 3) + ($325 x 3) or $1,821 to switch to T-Mobile.

Or $607 per phone.

 

[DMaki650]

It may just be me, but I'm not getting the math.

I buy a phone for $200 and probably at most they give me $300 -- +$100 best case.

I cancel my AT&T service, get charged $325 ETF and T-Mobile gives me a gift card for $300 ($25 loss).

So now I'm up $75, but have to repurchase my iPhone for $649.

So now I'm down $574, but get the lower monthly savings? I'm sure if they clarify their offer and just told everyone to "pay us $574 to be on T-Mobile", it doesn't look so good.

The only thing I wanna say that might clear this up is you don't pay full retail right there. Since it's $0 you only pay the taxes for the device up front and the remainder is done once a month.

 

[joselc23]

You can estimate the value of your trade in on the site.

AT&T iPhone 5S is $282
iPhone 5C is $213

lol a Verizon S4 is $175

 

[SkippyThorson]

This sounds like a great way to leave Verizon for AT&T.

Here's how it goes...

Leave Verizon early, termination-fee-free for T-Mobile and their credits - which they'll give you for leaving ANY carrier. After you get your number ported safe and sound to T-Mobile, head over to AT&T for their deal, which you can ONLY get for leaving T-Mobile.

Boom.

You just used T-Mobile as your middle-man pawn to jump from one carrier to the other. Seriously considering this for the other half!

 

[osofast240sx]

Until you evaluate their ETF to leave T-mobile once you figure out how crappy their network is. Would be a very rough move from AT&T (or even Verizon) over to the most Edge network of T-Mobile.

This deals is for suckers. There are plenty of them I am sure....

T-Mobile LTE covers 220+ million people. That's not edge! Att covers 270 Million people not much difference.

 

[DMaki650]

This sounds like a great way to leave Verizon for AT&T.

Here's how it goes...

Leave Verizon early, termination-fee-free for T-Mobile and their credits - which they'll give you for leaving ANY carrier. After you get your number ported safe and sound to T-Mobile, head over to AT&T for their deal, which you can ONLY get for leaving T-Mobile.

Boom.

You just used T-Mobile as your middle-man pawn to jump from one carrier to the other. Seriously considering this for the other half!

Nope, the EFT is done after you get your final bill, they then pay that bill for you. And the credit you get for your phone is done on a Mastercard Debit card I believe.

 

[Netherscourge]

So I just bought my 64G 5S on AT&T for $399.

T-Mobile is offering me $300 for that phone, plus I get to repurchase a new one from them for $849.

And then they'll pay my AT&T ETF.

So I'm basically out $99 on the phone I just purchased ($399 purchase less $300 credit) and I have to buy a replacement from them for $849. So now I'm out $948 to switch over to T-Mobile as the ETF credit is a wash (I don't have to pay it if I don't switch).

IF they offered a superior coast to coast experience compared to Verizon or AT&T, I'd check it out, but I'm not paying a premium to move over to them just because they have an ex-AT&T executive now as CEO who suddenly decided at this late stage in his life to be a hipster.

What am I missing? Is this really another play for the value consumer with the cheap smartphone? I don't get it.

Uh - most people who just bought a iPhone 5S aren't going to give it away to T-Mobile just to switch networks.

The program is aimed at people to give up the older, cheaper, subsidized, 2-year-contract phones.

The fact that the offer is capped at $350 makes trading in an iPhone 5S 64GB nonsensical.

 

[CEmajr]

Excellent. Time to get my last 2 family members off Verizon. Might as well go ahead and port my iPad Mini to them as well. Coverage is excellent here in Charlotte.

 

[mattwallace24]

At most he's trying to look that way. If you think that he's someone revolutionary, you're falling into his marketing scheme. No, I don't mean that in a tinfoiler way. It's just the public image he's trying to use to gain customers, like how Google tries to appear "good-willed" and RVCA "cool". All he does is bring in more competition, nothing new.

Exactly.

Look at his background and history. The guy was well groomed at AT&T...worked at Dell...educated at MIT, UMASS, and Harvard...and up until he becomes CEO at T-Mobile, he was never known as cool or revolutionary...smart guy wearing expensive suites, definitely, but not revolutionary. Brilliant marketing spin by T-Mobile. Proves my theory that you can throw Chuck Taylor All-Stars on most anybody and at least make them look cooler.

And is it just me or does he look like Christopher Walken. I was hoping that Un-Carrier 4.0 was going to be "MORE COWBELL!"

 

[eldo33]

no matter how you calculated, company doesn't go out and lose profit to consumers. Tmobile has already calculated all the scenarios so they will make profit from this deal no matter what, little less but when multiply by millions of customers..that's kaching $$$.

anyone who is still under 2 years contract (like my self with 4 lines) might seems tempted but all the phones stuck on contract are bit old such as IP5 so if giving this up to buy $600 for tmobile IP5s, i'm already at a loss of $350+ per line.

Tmobile plan only save money when you aren't in contract with the low month cost.

i'll wait till end of the year to switch when contract is over.

 

[MMANN113]

So many people misreading this. They are NOT giving you $350 cash or credit to switch. They are giving you UP TO $350 to pay for early termination fees. Actual amount depends on the fee you were charged. So if AT&T only charges you $50 to terminate your contract, then t-mobile will pay that 50 and you are breaking even.

 

[BigHonkingDeal]

And is it just me or does he look like Christopher Walken. I was hoping that Un-Carrier 4.0 was going to be "MORE COWBELL!"

Yep, needs more Cowbell

Love Christopher Walken and he does look a little like him....

 

[Will do good]

Until you evaluate their ETF to leave T-mobile once you figure out how crappy their network is. Would be a very rough move from AT&T (or even Verizon) over to the most Edge network of T-Mobile.

This deals is for suckers. There are plenty of them I am sure....

I don't know about you, my T Mobile month to month plan is great. $30/month, super reliable LTE and clean calls.

 

[swarmster]

your math is wrong....the 600$ in step 4, 1/2 of this you must use to pay ur ETF man! lol

Wow, that's true. Long day, lol.

So nothing gained, really. They're just letting you get out of your contract.

 

[mccldwll]

Uh - most people who just bought a iPhone 5S aren't going to give it away to T-Mobile just to switch networks.

The program is aimed at people to give up the older, cheaper, subsidized, 2-year-contract phones.

The fact that the offer is capped at $350 makes trading in an iPhone 5S 64GB nonsensical.

Not necessarily. While the numbers certainly are better for lower GB 5s iPhones, they can fork for a 64 GB. I'm not doing it; however.....if you just bought a new 64GB 5s for $399, on contract, you'll get $300 phone trade, plus $350 early term, total $650. A new similar one on T-mobile is $850, plus tax. Therefore, you start out $200 in the hole, but the assumption is that over the life of the contract you just got out of, you'll more than make that up. Also, assuming early term fees are capped at $350 as suggested, T-Mobile is taunting AT&T since AT&T has just given a consumer a $450 subsidy, but only gets back $350 on early term fee.

 

[31 Flavas]

So now I'm up $75, but have to repurchase my iPhone for $649.

So now I'm down $574, but get the lower monthly savings? I'm sure if they clarify their offer and just told everyone to "pay us $574 to be on T-Mobile", it doesn't look so good.

Your entire ETF gets paid, unless it exceeds $350. Yes, you have to buy a T-Mobile phone -- but they give you an instant credit for the trade in value of your phone. The remaining balance of which you can spread out over 24 months, for $0 down and 0% interest.

Now the reason why you would be switching is for the lower monthly plans. If you're paying $95 / mo with AT&T for unlimited calls / text / 300M data. Then with T-Mobiles base plan (unlimited calls / text / 500M data) you are saving $45 per month.

So whatever the remaining balance is on your "new" phone, it's quickly paid for in your savings per month.

Maybe we should have AT&T clarify their cellular offer as "We charge you twice as much per month, for less. Oh yea, and we charge you $20 for data overage. But, trust us, it's worth it."

 

[CEmajr]

Not necessarily. While the numbers certainly are better for lower GB 5s iPhones, they can fork for a 64 GB. I'm not doing it; however.....if you just bought a new 64GB 5s for $399, on contract, you'll get $300 phone trade, plus $350 early term, total $650. A new similar one on T-mobile is $850, plus tax. Therefore, you start out $200 in the hole, but the assumption is that over the life of the contract you just got out of, you'll more than make that up. Also, assuming early term fees are capped at $350 as suggested, T-Mobile is taunting AT&T since AT&T has just given a consumer a $450 subsidy, but only gets back $350 on early term fee.

Good point about them losing $100 on the subsidy if the customer just recently got the phone. This will hit AT&T pretty hard. I can't wait to see how they respond. Ish just got real.

 

[panzer06]

why is everyone saying this is good / aggressive. I have an iPhone 5s from ATT and I'm not handing it over to TMobile for 350$. This would be an amazing deal if they just flat out paid your ETF fees for taking the leap and switching. However, they are paying you 350$ for your iPhone that you could sell on eBay for 500$

Give me 350$ no questions asked to switch to you TMobile, and I will

It said a device trade-in and equipment purchase is required. It did not say you had to trade in your high-end phone. You'll get less money for the crappy Android your cousin has in the drawer but it's something and you can still Swappa or eBay that AT&T 5s.

For customers with crappy Sprint phones that have no resale value this is a good deal if it gets you out from under a contract. I wish they were doing thi last year when I switched. I would have saved a ton.

Cheers,

 

[Tiger8]

This sounds like a great way to leave Verizon for AT&T.

Here's how it goes...

Leave Verizon early, termination-fee-free for T-Mobile and their credits - which they'll give you for leaving ANY carrier. After you get your number ported safe and sound to T-Mobile, head over to AT&T for their deal, which you can ONLY get for leaving T-Mobile.

Boom.

You just used T-Mobile as your middle-man pawn to jump from one carrier to the other. Seriously considering this for the other half!

I would check the time limit, I think the $300 Master card comes after you get your final bill from Verizon and then send it to T-Mo, it could be around a month or so, then AT&T's 'special' offer would have run out.

Remember AT&T will only pay $450 if you trade in your T-Mo iPhone AND purchase a FULL PRICE AT&T handset or join their next program (and still pay subsidized plan prices)

 

[iSRS]

It all sounds good until you read the fine print. "Up to" = vague

Watch Verizon & AT&T create a new early termination clause effective midnight.

Perhaps, but wouldn't be effective until your next contract, or they would have to let you out if iur contract now by being able to decline the change