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The skinny on "Early Upgrading"

K

ktex1968

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 16, 2010
90
6
Last year I purchased a 3GS on launch day with the early upgrade discout, this year, I'm told I'm not eligible. After several conversations and finally after being called last night by their urgent care team, they are giving me the early upgrade although technically I'm not eligible until November. The rep expained to me that you can actually can only get that discount once every 18 months (i've heard that here but i've never seen it in any official form) I then showed them this document which says nothing about 18 months, no asterisks, etc.- http://www.att.com/Common/about_us/files/iphone/pricing_fact_sheet_ip4.pdf , they then said they would research it and call me back. 30 minutes later the rep called me back and agreed that it was leading and that they will adjust my options. This might work for anyone else out there in the same boat. :)
 
Another "I had a 3G, got a 3GS and want a 4, but don't want to pay unsubsidized price, so I whined to get it" thread.
 
If you are eligible in November you are eligible today. All iPhone customers w/ upgrade eligibility in 2010 were bumped up to 6/15. Sounds like the "urgent care" team doesn't know its own companies polices. Oh wait it's ATT. Sounds about right.
 
The whole situation with the upgrades is so random. My daughter purchased her 3Gs in October and has full upgrade option available to her! Her bill is $118 a month. I'm glad this worked out for you - I'm upgrading a 15 month old 3G and have been eligible for 3 months now, just waiting (and not very patiently) like everyone else!:eek:
 
I was in the same exact spot and they told me
the same. Only one early upgrade per contract term. I showed them that paper and they still wouldn't do anything. I paid the no commitment price since that was my only option for now. I'm glad you go them to give it to you but that won't happen with everyone. And I don't feel like calling and
arguing every day to get it.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)

It's true. My upgrade date was next February and my early upgrade date was this November. I went into an ATT store and spoke to the manager. She gave me the early upgrade price.



ATT and Apple need to clean this up for next year. It's a PR mess. Unless ATT would just do what their media releases say they will do!
 
OP may I ask what number you called to get this to happen? I am still fighting to get my early upgrade (had a 3G since last May and suppose to get he $199 price but it didn't happen).
 
AT&T's upgrade rules are beyond comprehension.

My brother had an iPhone 3GS on a premier account since Oct. 2009 and in Jan. he changed his plan to a family plan and added my wife and I onto it. I got the 3GS and my wife got some Samsung POS. When the iPhone 4 came out we all checked our availability and somehow I was eligible but my wife and brother weren't.
 
youngplaya0228 said:
OP may I ask what number you called to get this to happen? I am still fighting to get my early upgrade (had a 3G since last May and suppose to get he $199 price but it didn't happen).
Click to expand...

I just called 611 and spoke to a regular CSR, told them about the documentation and they were pretty much at a loss, after a few convos, they escalated the isssue.
 
I upgraded to a 3GS in February thinking the iPad would be keeping them too busy to release a new iPhone this summer, so I had to upgrade on my wife's line.
 
brandonzar said:
AT&T's upgrade rules are beyond comprehension.

My brother had an iPhone 3GS on a premier account since Oct. 2009 and in Jan. he changed his plan to a family plan and added my wife and I onto it. I got the 3GS and my wife got some Samsung POS. When the iPhone 4 came out we all checked our availability and somehow I was eligible but my wife and brother weren't.
Click to expand...
Using AT&T's posted upgrade rules (there's a link in the OP), your brother would be eligible for a full-upgrade 18-months into his contract (Oct 2009 + 18 months = ~Jun 2011?), and you and your wife would be eligible for full-upgrades 20 months into your contracts (Jan 2010 + 18 months = ~Oct 2012?).

Weird that you're eligible for a full upgrade now, but using their rules, it makes sense why your brother and wife aren't. Did you have an existing account with AT&T that was moved onto your brothers family plan?
 
Applejuiced said:
Eligable for an early upgrade in november.
Not a full one.
Click to expand...

If OP is eligible for a full upgrade in November he is eligible today. I think OP is misusing the "early upgrade." "Early upgrade" is anytime before 12- 18 months into a contract. After 12-18 mos (depending on your bill) you qualify for a regular upgrade. OP's upgrade date is this Nov. therefore, under the iPhone upgrade policy he should qualify today for the $199/$299 price.
 
My eligibility date is exactly as OP. Got 3GS last year July and won't be able to get EARLY Upgrade (399/499) until Nov 20, 2010. This is NOT the same as full upgrade eligible this year for (199/299). I will be fully eligible next year in February which is already 6 months early.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
If OP is eligible for a full upgrade in November he is eligible today. I think OP is misusing the "early upgrade." "Early upgrade" is anytime before 12- 18 months into a contract. After 12-18 mos (depending on your bill) you qualify for a regular upgrade. OP's upgrade date is this Nov. therefore, under the iPhone upgrade policy he should qualify today for the $199/$299 price.
Click to expand...

He's not wrong. Like you said it depends on the bill. He's not paying enough in monthly, just like me. It's still early upgrade.
 
ktex1968 said:
Last year I purchased a 3GS on launch day with the early upgrade discout, this year, I'm told I'm not eligible. After several conversations and finally after being called last night by their urgent care team, they are giving me the early upgrade although technically I'm not eligible until November. The rep expained to me that you can actually can only get that discount once every 18 months (i've heard that here but i've never seen it in any official form) I then showed them this document which says nothing about 18 months, no asterisks, etc.- http://www.att.com/Common/about_us/files/iphone/pricing_fact_sheet_ip4.pdf , they then said they would research it and call me back. 30 minutes later the rep called me back and agreed that it was leading and that they will adjust my options. This might work for anyone else out there in the same boat. :)
Click to expand...

I did the same yesterday. Except for some reason, the manager in the store didn't have override capabilities, and explained that he would have to email the store General Manager for approval. He said that he doesn't see why it would get denied to override my early upgrade date.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)

ktex1968 said:
youngplaya0228 said:
OP may I ask what number you called to get this to happen? I am still fighting to get my early upgrade (had a 3G since last May and suppose to get he $199 price but it didn't happen).
Click to expand...

I just called 611 and spoke to a regular CSR, told them about the documentation and they were pretty much at a loss, after a few convos, they escalated the isssue.
Click to expand...

If you're able to, go to a core store and ask to speak to the manager. He or she has the ability to make it happen.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
If OP is eligible for a full upgrade in November he is eligible today. I think OP is misusing the "early upgrade." "Early upgrade" is anytime before 12- 18 months into a contract. After 12-18 mos (depending on your bill) you qualify for a regular upgrade. OP's upgrade date is this Nov. therefore, under the iPhone upgrade policy he should qualify today for the $199/$299 price.
Click to expand...

Actually sir, you are misusing the terms. Please see the following link for proper terminology. http://www.att.com/Common/about_us/files/iphone/pricing_fact_sheet_ip4.pdf

My monthly bill is huge but because I had to port my number off a few years ago for 12 months and then port it back (because of work) my number became the secondary line- which I didn't realize until now. :(
 
aristobrat said:
Using AT&T's posted upgrade rules (there's a link in the OP), your brother would be eligible for a full-upgrade 18-months into his contract (Oct 2009 + 18 months = ~Jun 2011?), and you and your wife would be eligible for full-upgrades 20 months into your contracts (Jan 2010 + 18 months = ~Oct 2012?).

Weird that you're eligible for a full upgrade now, but using their rules, it makes sense why your brother and wife aren't. Did you have an existing account with AT&T that was moved onto your brothers family plan?
Click to expand...

Nope, I moved to a ipod touch and verizion pay as you go phone for a few months in between the 3G and the 3GS. I can't figure out why they are letting me upgrade, but I'm certainly not going to (officially) question it.
 
early upgrade

jjsun said:
I did the same yesterday. Except for some reason, the manager in the store didn't have override capabilities, and explained that he would have to email the store General Manager for approval. He said that he doesn't see why it would get denied to override my early upgrade date.
Click to expand...

i had the same thing happen to me - the sales guy said he would ask the district manager for approval - he called me and said it was approved - but when i went to order online the early upgrade price wasnt there for me- but i ordered a iphone 4 anyway since i wanted to get in the queue - when i went to the AT&T store to find out why i ddint get the early upgrade price in spite of having it approved the store manager told me i would have had to come to the store to do the order and there was nothing she could do about changing the price -even though i asked the sales person originally if the early upgrade price would apply if i ordered online and he said yes

AT&T has incomprehensible policies - but i guess i will now be eligible for an early upgrade (or better) on the iPhone 5 in 2011
 
mhn1234 said:
AT&T has incomprehensible policies - but i guess i will now be eligible for an early upgrade (or better) on the iPhone 5 in 2011
Click to expand...
Their posted upgrade elibility polices are actually easy as heck to understand.

Their inability to apply those policies consistently across their customers' accounts is what's incomprehensible to me. :D
 
mhn1234 said:
i had the same thing happen to me - the sales guy said he would ask the district manager for approval - he called me and said it was approved - but when i went to order online the early upgrade price wasnt there for me- but i ordered a iphone 4 anyway since i wanted to get in the queue - when i went to the AT&T store to find out why i ddint get the early upgrade price in spite of having it approved the store manager told me i would have had to come to the store to do the order and there was nothing she could do about changing the price -even though i asked the sales person originally if the early upgrade price would apply if i ordered online and he said yes

AT&T has incomprehensible policies - but i guess i will now be eligible for an early upgrade (or better) on the iPhone 5 in 2011
Click to expand...

Interesting. The reps at the AT&T Core stores are clueless on the pre-ordering process through Apple.com, so I'm not particularly surprised that you were told inaccurate info. I walked in yesterday morning and explained that I wanted to pre-order on Apple.com, but my eligibility was off and needed to talk to someone. The Rep, in a very cocky tone, told me that Apple has cut off pre-orders. I contested the point and finally had to pull out my iPhone to prove that Apple.com was still taking pre-orders - albeit at a later delivery date. Hope she learned something new...
 
didnt read all the posts sorry if this is a repeat but here goes:

i used to have an iphone 3g, i jumped in a pool a month ago with it by accident and it didnt turn on. in anticipation for the iphone 4, i didnt get a replacement iphone. im using a blackjack and since it doesnt have 3g i figured id just not use the internet for a month or two and i got the data plan removed. now im no longer eligible for the iphone4 (upgrade date is 12/28/10) and i tihnk its bc they no im not on an iphone. if i borrow a friends old iphone for a wk and put a data plan on, do you think att will know im on an iphone and let me upgrade early to the iphone 4 on launch day?

i was planning on camping out with my sister and some friends to get theirs but i thought i might as well try and get one for myself too if we can get in.
 
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