To AT&T Next upgrade people...

[elaniemay]

I don't know how many of you are in my boat. I paid the last installment to upgrade (not pay the phone off, just to upgrade) and have a delivery date of 10/16-10/23. I talked to an agent and he was not optimistic that the shipping window given was just a safe bet and that most will not likely see their 6s+ phones on launch date.

I am not going to keep arguing and have given up hope that I'll have it this month. That said, I was irritated that I'd have to make yet ANOTHER Next installment payment since I will have my phone for another five weeks (actually two phones with a payment, since we upgraded two lines) and he said to call back or chat back when my billing cycle ends and they will waive that installment payment (and I'll argue for any future payments, if it goes to that) since it was not my fault that they have completely failed to provide the phones to people on launch day, even if they were up at the appropriate time to deserve that.

It eases the blow for me, so I figured I'd dole this info out in case anyone else is stuck like I am. I am going to wait until after launch day (my billing cycle ends in five days, so I'll be good to wait on paying the bill until after launch) and if I don't get it, which it doesn't sound like I will, I'm going to get that installment waived.

 

[RansZ28]

I don't know how many of you are in my boat. I paid the last installment to upgrade (not pay the phone off, just to upgrade) and have a delivery date of 10/16-10/23. I talked to an agent and he was not optimistic that the shipping window given was just a safe bet and that most will not likely see their 6s+ phones on launch date.

I am not going to keep arguing and have given up hope that I'll have it this month. That said, I was irritated that I'd have to make yet ANOTHER Next installment payment since I will have my phone for another five weeks (actually two phones with a payment, since we upgraded two lines) and he said to call back or chat back when my billing cycle ends and they will waive that installment payment (and I'll argue for any future payments, if it goes to that) since it was not my fault that they have completely failed to provide the phones to people on launch day, even if they were up at the appropriate time to deserve that.

It eases the blow for me, so I figured I'd dole this info out in case anyone else is stuck like I am. I am going to wait until after launch day (my billing cycle ends in five days, so I'll be good to wait on paying the bill until after launch) and if I don't get it, which it doesn't sound like I will, I'm going to get that installment waived.

Why? You should pay a monthly installment for either your current device or the new one. Just because you don't receive it when you want to should not justify you to get a credit.

 

[ckurt25]

What AT&T is doing makes sense to me. They are under zero obligation to hold phones for every Next customer when a phone comes out. That's up to you to pre-order or make other arrangements to get a new phone and ensure you're eligible to upgrade, which may mean paying off the installments early.

If they wave your October payment on your existing plan they are doing you a HUGE favor. Just because you're eligible to upgrade doesn't mean you have to. If you want to you can upgrade to any "in stock" phone but you've decided to get a phone in high demand and is back ordered. That's not AT&T's fault.

Next time, if you want a phone on launch day pay off the installment plan a few days before the pre-orders begin and then pre-order or stand in line.

 

[Steve686]

What time did you actually preorder your phone?

 

[elaniemay]

What AT&T is doing makes sense to me. They are under zero obligation to hold phones for every Next customer when a phone comes out. That's up to you to pre-order or make other arrangements to get a new phone and ensure you're eligible to upgrade, which may mean paying off the installments early.

If they wave your October payment on your existing plan they are doing you a HUGE favor. Just because you're eligible to upgrade doesn't mean you have to. If you want to you can upgrade to any "in stock" phone but you've decided to get a phone in high demand and is back ordered. That's not AT&T's fault.

Next time, if you want a phone on launch day pay off the installment plan a few days before the pre-orders begin and then pre-order or stand in line.

I would have LOVED to pay it off a few days in advance, but they would not allow that. I called twice and chatted twice. I was told I had to pay it off at the time of upgrade. I was also told to call AND get a chat rep at the time of pre-order to ensure everything went smoothly. When the time came, phone lines weren't accepting pre-orders and chat was closed. I was lied to. After being treated that way and then not even getting the phone at launch, probably, I definitely do not think I deserve to have to pay for a phone I shouldn't even have anymore by October. It is not my fault that they cannot meet the demand. Every time I call I get a different story and that is frustrating. Am I happy they will waive my installment? Yes. Do I think they absolutely should? Yes.

 

[elaniemay]

What time did you actually preorder your phone?

By the time their site would function, it was 12:48. The rep today said it wouldn't have mattered if it was 12:01, the 6s+ isn't shipping this month. It can't only be me who is frustrated by that...

 

[Travisimo]

I can see both sides, but what they are offering to do for you sounds reasonable. I just signed up for Next 12 for the first time, so I may have to deal with this next year at upgrade. I read about how you might have to pay your last payment a little early to be upgrade eligible on Next (that 12th payment).

How does that work exactly with preorders? I know you have to trade your phone in to do the upgrade in a year. But they let you upgrade first, receive the new phone, and then send in the old phone, right?

I always like to preorder from Apple.com. So next year, I assume I'll have to make my 12th payment a bit early to "pay to upgrade" at which time I'll be eligible to upgrade on Next 12. So I assume Apple.com will check AT&T and it will let me do the upgrade even though I haven't sent in the old phone, right? How does that work when you are doing a preorder that is sent to your home? Do you just mail in your old phone when you get the new one, or go to an AT&T store or what?

 

[Steve686]

I would have LOVED to pay it off a few days in advance, but they would not allow that. I called twice and chatted twice. I was told I had to pay it off at the time of upgrade. I was also told to call AND get a chat rep at the time of pre-order to ensure everything went smoothly. When the time came, phone lines weren't accepting pre-orders and chat was closed. I was lied to. After being treated that way and then not even getting the phone at launch, probably, I definitely do not think I deserve to have to pay for a phone I shouldn't even have anymore by October. It is not my fault that they cannot meet the demand. Every time I call I get a different story and that is frustrating. Am I happy they will waive my installment? Yes. Do I think they absolutely should? Yes.

If you use the online full website and click each line's upgrade eligibility options, there is an option to pay off the phone in full/own, or pay off the required number of payments in order to swap/upgrade.

I paid off my phone in FULL two days before preorders but I DID have the option to make the payments required and trade up.

And I don't know where the reps got their info that the 6s+ isn't shipping this month...

 

[elaniemay]

I can see both sides, but what they are offering to do for you sounds reasonable. I just signed up for Next 12 for the first time, so I may have to deal with this next year at upgrade. I read about how you might have to pay your last payment a little early to be upgrade eligible on Next (that 12th payment).

How does that work exactly with preorders? I know you have to trade your phone in to do the upgrade in a year. But they let you upgrade first, receive the new phone, and then send in the old phone, right?

I always like to preorder from Apple.com. So next year, I assume I'll have to make my 12th payment a bit early to "pay to upgrade" at which time I'll be eligible to upgrade on Next 12. So I assume Apple.com will check AT&T and it will let me do the upgrade even though I haven't sent in the old phone, right? How does that work when you are doing a preorder that is sent to your home? Do you just mail in your old phone when you get the new one, or go to an AT&T store or what?

You pay to upgrade on AT&T's site, that last installment payment early. Then you can choose a phone to upgrade (pre-order) and everything else is the same as it was for you this year. When they ship your phone, they also send a box for you to send your current phone back in. What I wish I had known was that I could make that final early installment payment and then try to switch to Apple's site and order there. I will try that next year, for sure.

And yes, I think AT&T is behaving reasonably in response to my situation. As I stated, I am happy with this response because frankly, the extra payments were a huge reason I was so annoyed to have to wait so long for my phone. I merely made the post to let other people know that this resolution satisfied me and maybe it would satisfy them, too.

 

[Clix Pix]

Back at the end of August I went to my local AT&T (corp) store and paid off my iPhone 6 Plus in full so that I'd be free to do whatever would work out best, and in the end I decided that I'll stand in line on Launch Day rather than preorder. I'll start a new NEXT program then and do the same thing next year as well.

 

[elaniemay]

If you use the online full website and click each line's upgrade eligibility options, there is an option to pay off the phone in full/own, or pay off the required number of payments in order to swap/upgrade.

I paid off my phone in FULL two days before preorders but I DID have the option to make the payments required and trade up.

And I don't know where the reps got their info that the 6s+ isn't shipping this month...

I am not sure because I went to the same area you are speaking of, on the site, and it said I could pay the final installment or pay it off in full, but only the latter option would allow me to complete it. I was told if I made a general payment in the amount of the final installment, it wouldn't be applied as that final payment and therefore I wouldn't be eligible for the pre-order upgrade. I have read that others had no problem paying early, but I did.

And I also don't know where he is getting his information and realize that really, no one knows what is going to happen. I am just happy that they are willing to do something for me if it doesn't deliver on launch.

 

[ckurt25]

The option to payoff your installment plan is on the myAT&T website. I can't say with 100% certainty but it was probably there from the day you started your Next Plan. That's exactly what I did and with the 6S and this will be my 3rd time on Next. If the AT&T people you spoke with gave you bad info you have a right to be upset but the info was there for you to find on their website.

Your right, it's not your fault that supply doesn't equal demand but it doesn't mean you get something else for free. AT&T doesn't guarantee anyone a new phone on launch day. You're paying for your current phone as long as you use it. I don't see the problem there.

 

[mb2008]

She PREPAID an installment, so they should give her a credit if her phone delivers so late, otherwise she's paying 2 installments for her Sep to Oct billing period (depending on actual phone delivery). Yeah, yeah, I know AT&T isn't responsible for phone demand....but she was given bad information, and AT&T should be able to handle the prepayment and stall the contract based on the preorder. I called last Thursday and prepaid 2 installments and my eligibility was reset that night, so it WAS possible to do.

 

[ckurt25]

She PREPAID an installment, so they should give her a credit if her phone delivers so late, otherwise she's paying 2 installments for her Sep to Oct billing period (depending on actual phone delivery). Yeah, yeah, I know AT&T isn't responsible for phone demand....but she was given bad information, and AT&T should be able to handle the prepayment and stall the contract based on the preorder. I called last Thursday and prepaid 2 installments and my eligibility was reset that night, so it WAS possible to do.

Isn't the last payment (to upgrade) the 12th payment? Then they're going to ask her to pay for October because she still has / is using that phone until the new one comes. She won't be paying for the new one until it arrives.

This is an Apple and Oranges comparison but maybe it'll help illustrate something. Let's say you have a lease on a car that's in high demand, a Chevy Corvette and for the example we'll say the lease is up and you're supposed to turn it in on September 30th. In early September the last payment is made and then you walk into your Chevy dealer and say "Hey, I want to turn in my lease and get a new Corvette." They say "Great, the earliest we can get one in would be December." Are they going to let you drive the car for free for the next couple months?

 

[elaniemay]

But since I paid the next installment early (October's) then I should not owe again until November.

 

[duaneu]

The option to payoff your installment plan is on the myAT&T website. I can't say with 100% certainty but it was probably there from the day you started your Next Plan. That's exactly what I did and with the 6S and this will be my 3rd time on Next. If the AT&T people you spoke with gave you bad info you have a right to be upset but the info was there for you to find on their website.

Your right, it's not your fault that supply doesn't equal demand but it doesn't mean you get something else for free. AT&T doesn't guarantee anyone a new phone on launch day. You're paying for your current phone as long as you use it. I don't see the problem there.

The problem is if the new phone is delayed so long that the 13th installment payment is charged. You get no credit back if you make 13, 14, 15 etc. payments and then trade the phone back. You certainly wouldn't make 19 of the 20 payments and give it back when you would own it outright with just one more payment.

If you're on NEXT 12 you should trade it at 12 or pay all 20. Anything in between you're just throwing your money away.

 

[mb2008]

Isn't the last payment (to upgrade) the 12th payment? Then they're going to ask her to pay for October because she still has / is using that phone until the new one comes. She won't be paying for the new one until it arrives.

This is an Apple and Oranges comparison but maybe it'll help illustrate something. Let's say you have a lease on a car that's in high demand, a Chevy Corvette and for the example we'll say the lease is up and you're supposed to turn it in on September 30th. In early September the last payment is made and then you walk into your Chevy dealer and say "Hey, I want to turn in my lease and get a new Corvette." They say "Great, the earliest we can get one in would be December." Are they going to let you drive the car for free for the next couple months?

Except AT&T can't stop the Sep-Oct installment, which was #12, and is now #13. She would not have prepaid if she didn't need to be eligible. If the phone is late, there was no need for the extra payment. She made and extra payment on the Aug-Sep cycle she will never get back.

 

[elaniemay]

Except AT&T can't stop the Sep-Oct installment, which was #12, and is now #13. She would not have prepaid if she didn't need to be eligible. If the phone is late, there was no need for the extra payment. She made and extra payment on the Aug-Sep cycle she will never get back.

I was told that if you pre-paid the installment (not that you made an additional general payment) that your next bill should not include an installment payment, especially under these circumstances. I do not know if that is right or wrong, but it makes sense to me and they are going to make sure that is the case for me.

 

[ckurt25]

The Next 12 plan is make 12 payment and you're eligible to upgrade. If you made the last one early it was the 12th payment. You might want to double check your AT&T bills / paper work to see when all your bills were paid. If the 11th payment was for the month of September and the 12 was for October, depending on the exact dates, maybe you have a case for the payment part of your question but I'm sticking with AT&T can't be expected to have an iPhone for everyone, no matter what, on launch day.

As an FYI, my last bill I payed was for 8/2 - 9/1 and it was due on 9/22. I paid that bill on 9/8, waited for that payment to be reflected on the outstanding installment plan total, which took less than 24 hours, then paid that off. I'm not sure which bill you just paid, only you and AT&T would know that, but if you're bill is like mine, that bill could have been for the month of August. Which could make the installment payment you paid early for 9/2 to 10/1. If that was the case then yeah, you'd be billed for your current phone in October from 10/2 -11/1, because you'd still be using it.

 

[Travisimo]

With all this in mind, I guess the best advice for future reference would be just to pay off the remainder of the phone and sell it yourself. Then you can sell it at your leisure even after you get the new phone if it's delayed, etc. And you'll make out a little better as well since AT&T isn't really giving you that much for your trade-in with Next.

At least that's my plan. I'll make my normal payments until August of next year, at which time I'll pay off the remainder and lock in a selling price (before prices plummet). I'll either switch to another phone if I sell it prior to receiving the new phone (I always have an Android phone on hand), or if I get a good deal at Gazelle or something, that price is usually locked in for 30 days until you return it.

I know this doesn't help the current customer since they already did the Next Upgrade and are at the mercy of AT&T, but it's good info for future reference.

I hope it works out for you! I'm sure AT&T will take care of you. They tend to like customers who use Next. ;-) They are actually making more money from you by taking your old phone and using it for profit.

 

[mb2008]

I was told that if you pre-paid the installment (not that you made an additional general payment) that your next bill should not include an installment payment, especially under these circumstances. I do not know if that is right or wrong, but it makes sense to me and they are going to make sure that is the case for me.

This is AT&T, so we all have different stories, right? I was told it will continue to bill until you turn the phone in or completely pay off.

 

[Steve686]

I get what you are saying about paying off installments early and not having to pay another payment on the device you currently have in anticipation of a new device that would coincide with your early payments.

It's nice ATT will take care of one month for you(that's just good customer service based on what they initially told you to get you to make the early payments agains your CURRENT device).

But, you have been here a few years so I am going to assume you had some sort of idea how launches with new Apple products go and there may have been a slight chance you wouldn't receive a phone on launch day?

 

[Steve686]

This is AT&T, so we all have different stories, right? I was told it will continue to bill until you turn the phone in or completely pay off.

Yes. In the thread title she stated ATT Next program.

 

[ckurt25]

I just rechecked my bill and found some additional info. My last bill said it was my 12th payment (got the iPhone 6 on launch day) so I technically did pay that early (by 2 weeks) and if I was keeping my phone until mid / late October, I'd have that payment to make too.

 

[elaniemay]

The Next 12 plan is make 12 payment and you're eligible to upgrade. If you made the last one early it was the 12th payment. You might want to double check your AT&T bills / paper work to see when all your bills were paid. If the 11th payment was for the month of September and the 12 was for October, depending on the exact dates, maybe you have a case for the payment part of your question but I'm sticking with AT&T can't be expected to have an iPhone for everyone, no matter what, on launch day.

As an FYI, my last bill I payed was for 8/2 - 9/1 and it was due on 9/22. I paid that bill on 9/8, waited for that payment to be reflected on the outstanding installment plan total, which took less than 24 hours, then paid that off. I'm not sure which bill you just paid, only you and AT&T would know that, but if you're bill is like mine, that bill could have been for the month of August. Which could make the installment payment you paid early for 9/2 to 10/1. If that was the case then yeah, you'd be billed for your current phone in October from 10/2 -11/1, because you'd still be using it.

My next bill will be due by October 10th, which is the bill that I already paid the Next 12th installment on. That bill will not include the installment payment, since I prepaid it last week. The bill after that will be due November 10th and, if I don't have my phone by then, would include another installment payment. To me, it makes sense for them to make sure I am not charged for next month's installment since I already paid it. They just went a step further and said the next installment DUE will also not be charged. So, if my phones arrive at the time they state (10/16-10/23), I should be paying on them by the October bill (due in November) and not the current phones I have.