When did AT&T raise the activation/upgrade fee to $40?

[kupkakez]

And this goes in as a discount to your new phone?

Nope. Part of the Next deal is that you have to trade the device in. When you initially start on Next you keep your current phone. When you get your 1st Next device and then go to get your 2nd Next device you'll have to give ATT the 1st one. UNLESS you paid it off in full, then it is yours to keep.

 

[sonicrobby]

Nope. Part of the Next deal is that you have to trade the device in. When you initially start on Next you keep your current phone. When you get your 1st Next device and then go to get your 2nd Next device you'll have to give ATT the 1st one. UNLESS you paid it off in full, then it is yours to keep.

So you trade it in 1 for 1? no need to pay for any portion of the new phone upfront?

 

[kupkakez]

So you trade it in 1 for 1? no need to pay for any portion of the new phone upfront?

You just pay the taxes on the full cost of the phone. So if you are getting a 16GB iPhone you'd pay tax on the $649.99.

 

[rui no onna]

So you trade it in 1 for 1? no need to pay for any portion of the new phone upfront?

Yup, no upgrade fee or anything. Just trade in your Next phone (in good working condition) and you can get a new phone with no down, just need to pay the monthly amortization. Of course, you still need to pay whatever taxes are applicable in your location.

Caveat, trade in value with Next/Edge (basically the total of your remaining payments), is usually lower compared to what you'll get from other trade in sites and is practically guaranteed to be lower than what you can get selling on ebay or CL.

Of course, you only need to trade in if you haven't paid off the phone yet. With Next 12, the phone is yours to keep after 20 months. Next 18, it's yours after 26.

 

[TacticalDesire]

People are shocked that a company is in the business to make money. That's capitalism folks, love it or hate it that's what America runs on. If you don't like ATT or their methods vote with your wallet and go elsewhere.

 

[617aircav]

People are shocked that a company is in the business to make money. That's capitalism folks, love it or hate it that's what America runs on. If you don't like ATT or their methods vote with your wallet and go elsewhere.

No kidding. Are they supposed to smile when there is a price hike?

 

[karmatourer]

AT&T Upgrade fee now $40

up from $36.
"Or upgrade with a 2-year service agreement and a $40 upgrade fee".

 

[nnacrumors]

You just found that out? It's been there for awhile.

Greedy *******s nonetheless

 

[karmatourer]

"Or upgrade with a 2-year service agreement and a $40 upgrade fee" .

I have Next. Those fees don't apply to me and its cheaper than having a contract plan. Nothing but win here.

And my next upgrade is a paltry ten months away.

----------

And you return your rented phone.

I have Next. Those fees don't apply to me and its cheaper than having a contract plan. Nothing but win here.

And my next upgrade is a paltry ten months away.

 

[dc52nv]

I always call AT&T the next day and get it waived anyway so it doesn't matter to me how much they charge.

 

[TahoeDust]

I always call AT&T the next day and get it waived anyway so it doesn't matter to me how much they charge.

Yup.

 

[Technarchy]

"Or upgrade with a 2-year service agreement and a $40 upgrade fee" .





----------

And you return your rented phone.

It's not rented because your payments build equity in the device. It is your device, and you don't return it. You trade it in. Big difference.

 

[pooleman]

Activation fees do nothing in terms of activation. I don't need anyone's help with a activation. Give me a sim and a phone and I'll do it myself.

If I put my old SIM from my iPhone 5 into the new iPhone 6 Plus will I still be charged the activation fee?

 

[BD1]

To be fair though, it's not a guarantee that the older non-Mobile Share subsidy plans are cheaper than new Mobile Share Value + Next. If you still have flip phones, then sure. On all smartphones lines, it really is more of a case to case basis.

Here's what I would be paying if I hadn't gone MobileShare:
$90 700 minutes 4 lines
$30 family unlimited text
$45 line 1 5GB w/tether (plus some occasional overages)
$30 line 2 3GB
$30 line 3 3GB
$20 line 4 300MB
TOTAL $245

Figure $75 per month from that is for device subsidy ($450 * 4 / 24) so cost of monthly service for me is $170 on traditional plans vs $160 on Mobile Share Value.

Are you factoring in the $ that you can get if you sell your old iPhones? You lose this with Next unless you pay it off. So let's say you get $200 on average per old iPhone (depends on memory of course) when you get a new iPhone . This is another $800 or $33.33 per month ($200 *4/24) that you potentially get on subsidized vs Next.

 

[reverberlayed]

People get caught up with the wording of activation and upgrade fee. In reality, they aren't charging you to activate it, even though they call it that. They don't want to increase the monthly payment, so they sneak in an upgrade fee. I'm not saying it's right, or justified, but you'll get charged one way or another.

A business is in business to make money. AT&T has a net income of under 14% (it's AT&T as a whole, not just wireless) and in order to keep its investors and leadership happy, has decided it will charge an upgrade fee.

In the end, there are other options.


Source:http://investing.money.msn.com/investments/stock-price?Symbol=T&ocid=qbes

 

[hansonjohn590]

FTC does not need to intervene. There are alternatives.

Actually they do. If the networks are built using taxpayer dollars, they are subject to scrutiny from the taxpayers.

 

[rui no onna]

Are you factoring in the $ that you can get if you sell your old iPhones? You lose this with Next unless you pay it off. So let's say you get $200 on average per old iPhone (depends on memory of course) when you get a new iPhone. This is another $800 or $33.33 per month ($200 *4/24) that you potentially get on subsidized vs Next.

Again, the trade in is entirely optional on Next.

Resale value is the same regardless of whether you buy via Next or subsidized. If I can make more from selling than the Next trade in value (basically whatever the remaining payments are), I can always sell the phone and pocket the remainder.

Just a thought, if you're only getting $200 for your 1-year old iPhone, then Next 12 is better as effective trade in value for Next is $260 (for a $650 iPhone). If that $200 is after 2 years, then assuming your account isn't in arrears, the Next phone should have already been paid off by then.

 

[BD1]

Again, the trade in is entirely optional on Next.

Resale value is the same regardless of whether you buy via Next or subsidized. If I can make more from selling than the Next trade in value (basically whatever the remaining payments are), I can always sell the phone and pocket the remainder.

Just a thought, if you're only getting $200 for your 1-year old iPhone, then Next 12 is better as effective trade in value for Next is $260 (for a $650 iPhone). If that $200 is after 2 years, then assuming your account isn't in arrears, the Next phone should have already been paid off by then.

Ok, I thought you had to turn in your phone under Next. At least if you want a new phone every 12 months?

 

[DravenGSX]

Again, the trade in is entirely optional on Next.

Resale value is the same regardless of whether you buy via Next or subsidized. If I can make more from selling than the Next trade in value (basically whatever the remaining payments are), I can always sell the phone and pocket the remainder.

Just a thought, if you're only getting $200 for your 1-year old iPhone, then Next 12 is better as effective trade in value for Next is $260 (for a $650 iPhone). If that $200 is after 2 years, then assuming your account isn't in arrears, the Next phone should have already been paid off by then.

Except that the general going rate for a 1 year old 32GB iPhone is $300. So, I paid $300 out of pocket on the subsidized plan when I got the phone. On Next, I pay $450 out of pocket over the course of 12 months. I sell the phone for $300, regardless of how I paid for it. That means, I lose $150 on the device using Next. Add that to the totals and the value of the two different options changes a bit.

 

[BD1]

Except that the general going rate for a 1 year old 32GB iPhone is $300. So, I paid $300 out of pocket on the subsidized plan when I got the phone. On Next, I pay $450 out of pocket over the course of 12 months. I sell the phone for $300, regardless of how I paid for it. That means, I lose $150 on the device using Next. Add that to the totals and the value of the two different options changes a bit.

Yes, this is my thinking also. When Next first was announced I did this math and didn't think it was that great of deal vs what is claimed above.

 

[theBigD23]

To be fair though, it's not a guarantee that the older non-Mobile Share subsidy plans are cheaper than new Mobile Share Value + Next. If you still have flip phones, then sure. On all smartphones lines, it really is more of a case to case basis.

Here's what I would be paying if I hadn't gone MobileShare:
$90 700 minutes 4 lines
$30 family unlimited text
$45 line 1 5GB w/tether (plus some occasional overages)
$30 line 2 3GB
$30 line 3 3GB
$20 line 4 300MB
TOTAL $245

Figure $75 per month from that is for device subsidy ($450 * 4 / 24) so cost of monthly service for me is $170 on traditional plans vs $160 on Mobile Share Value.

The calculation is long and complicated, but I just did for our family of 5 and we are saving about $2,200 NOT using Next.

 

[Applejuiced]

How is it that if you have a certain data plan there is an activation fee and if you have another one there is no fee?
Doesn't make any sense.
I never paid any activation fees for many years and don't plan to pay now either. They will credit it back to me.

 

[nottooshabby]

Read this thread, and let us know if you have luck this year in getting the activation fees waived.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1451998/


It worked two years ago for me by just doing the online chat and complaining.

 

[Gizmotoy]

Ok, I thought you had to turn in your phone under Next. At least if you want a new phone every 12 months?

If you want a new phone every 12 months, yes, you either have to turn in your phone or pay it off.

Anyone who has enough usage, or enough lines, to hit the 10GB data package should seriously crunch the numbers for going with NEXT or buying unsubsidized. The $25-per-month-per-line discount makes NEXT/purchased-outright cheaper for my 2 line setup than getting 2 subsidized phones when upgrading every other year as I do now.

I think we'll probably give up our grandfathered unlimited plans, accept the 10GB limit, and enjoy the tethering we don't have now and take the slightly cheaper service (plus save $80 in activation fees).

The key is hitting that $25/month discount level, otherwise the NEXT plans are probably more expensive.

In case it's not clear:
$25/line * 24 months = $600 per line
$600/line - $450/line subsidy you would have taken on your current plan = $150 cheaper
$150 / 24 months = $6/month/line

So your MobileShare plan can be up to $6 more per month than your current plan, and you'd still come out ahead. For two lines, it can be up to $12 more per month, and so on. Compared to my current plan I'll come out something like $100 ahead per device over 2 years, including activation fee savings.

Note the above assumes you're keeping the phone 2 years and no trading up every year.

 

[2298754]

I always call AT&T the next day and get it waived anyway so it doesn't matter to me how much they charge.

x2