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Why is AT&T blocking education and state employee discounts on iphone?

B

bbplayer5

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Apr 13, 2007
3,134
1,158
I really dont understand their motives here. They normally give a 15% discount to educators and state employees. They are basically saying "We only give discounts on crappy phones, sorry. Your phone is far too nice for a 15% reduction in your phone bill".

Pretty much a slap in the face!
 
The phones won't receive an employee discount but the 3G plans will; at least this is what has been leased from the ATT document.

The current iphone plan is cheaper though; AND if the front camera is true, I wonder if ATT will mandate a different data package.
 
bbplayer5 said:
I really dont understand their motives here. They normally give a 15% discount to educators and state employees. They are basically saying "We only give discounts on crappy phones, sorry. Your phone is far too nice for a 15% reduction in your phone bill".

Pretty much a slap in the face!
Click to expand...

Do they typically allow a 15% discount on top of a $200 one? I doubt it, especially since the $200 is a discount and not a rebate, but I don't know.
 
bavarian3 said:
The phones won't receive an employee discount but the 3G plans will; at least this is what has been leased from the ATT document.

The current iphone plan is cheaper though; AND if the front camera is true, I wonder if ATT will mandate a different data package.
Click to expand...
I've been looking at AT&T Premier (emploee discount) plans, and in many cases Premier phone prices are higher than those for the general public. IMHO $199 for an iPhone is a screaming deal compared to say $300 for the Tilt.

The 15% you refer to applies to the voice/data plan, not to the phones themselves.
 
That was under the old iPhone, rumors are that the new iPhone will let you use these discounts (on the plans, not on the phone). However, everyone I've talked to at AT&T says they don't know much about the pricing and will know "in the coming weeks" :rolleyes: so I feel it's useless to talk to them and we just need to wait it out for official info.
 
By the way, the 15% discount I speak of.. its for the plans, not the phone.
 
I've talked to an ATT rep and they told me that I will still get my 15% company discount on the service for the iPhone, just no discount on the phone.
 
bbplayer5 said:
By the way, the 15% discount I speak of.. its for the plans, not the phone.
Click to expand...

for the Version 1 iPhone, this was due to revenue sharing between AT&T and Apple. It was part of an agreement and it was Apple that pushed this not AT&T. If premier discount applies to user's total bill, then Apple would lose out on revenue sharing.

With Version 2 around the corner with no more revenue sharing, you will get a discount on services.

AT&T employees are happy with the new agreement because we are now getting discounts on services come Version 2.
 
benmrii said:
Do they typically allow a 15% discount on top of a $200 one? I doubt it, especially since the $200 is a discount and not a rebate, but I don't know.
Click to expand...

At this point in time, the specifics behind the pricing of the iPhone 3G are purely up for speculation. The public does not definitely know if the new phone is a $200 subsidy, or if it is actually being provided to AT&T at a lowers cost, or if there is some other arrangement involved. All we know for sure is that new customers signing up for a two year contract will receive the iPhone at either $199 or $299, depending on capacity specified.

We do not officially know how AT&T will handle employee discounts, existing "unqualified" customers, or anything of that sort. It is expected for AT&T to allow employee discounts on plans since revenue sharing has been thrown out the window.

It seems like we'll just have to wait and see for official confirmation from AT&T.
 
You can get your plan discount on a 1st gen iPhone if it's on a family plan and the iPhone is not the primary line. I have a family plan with 3 phones, 2 of which are iPhones, but the non-iPhone is the primary line and I get my 27% rate plan discount every month.
 
...because you're not buying an iPhone for *educational* purposes.

I got the discount on my MacBook because it's for school.

Seems logical.
 
fishkorp said:
You can get your plan discount on a 1st gen iPhone if it's on a family plan and the iPhone is not the primary line. I have a family plan with 3 phones, 2 of which are iPhones, but the non-iPhone is the primary line and I get my 27% rate plan discount every month.
Click to expand...

Exactly the same for me. Had to juggle line priorities and it would kill me to loose that discount now. I think the discount also gets 50% off of accessories too (non Apple stuff).
 
Yep...

NDimichino said:
...because you're not buying an iPhone for *educational* purposes.

I got the discount on my MacBook because it's for school.

Seems logical.
Click to expand...

Well put. Allowing iPods to be purchased with an educational discount is iffy as well, but I could see the benefits to be had with downloadable lectures and easy storage.

The iPhone, however, has no educational value whatsoever.
 
hahaha

bbplayer5 said:
I really dont understand their motives here. They normally give a 15% discount to educators and state employees. They are basically saying "We only give discounts on crappy phones, sorry. Your phone is far too nice for a 15% reduction in your phone bill".

Pretty much a slap in the face!
Click to expand...

Companies usually give discounts in order to entice customers to buy something. If they reduce the price, they are hoping they will make up for it in customer volume.

That being said, how many people WON'T buy the iPhone at this point based completely on price? Nobody, that's who. You're going to buy one just like I am and spend full price without thinking too much about it.
 
appleretailguy said:
Well put. Allowing iPods to be purchased with an educational discount is iffy as well, but I could see the benefits to be had with downloadable lectures and easy storage.

The iPhone, however, has no educational value whatsoever.
Click to expand...

Yea... I'm going to have to disagree with you there. I go to college and currently have an iphone and this thing has been a life saver.

I go to rutgers and they do lots of thing on the internet (hw, group projects, updated class info, etc.) through blackboard. Having the ability to check blackboard without having to lug around my macbook is really beneficial. As well as being able to receive emails from classmates or professors.

The ability to jump onto the internet for a quick google search is also beneficial. Plus I'm pretty sure a document editor will be released in the app store so the ability to edit docs and email them out is really great.

If anything I think college students benefit the most from the iphone, they have their entertainment which is needed but they also have constant connectivity which is really valuable. Trust me
 
metman787 said:
Yea... I'm going to have to disagree with you there. I go to college and currently have an iphone and this thing has been a life saver.

I go to rutgers and they do lots of thing on the internet (hw, group projects, updated class info, etc.) through blackboard. Having the ability to check blackboard without having to lug around my macbook is really beneficial. As well as being able to receive emails from classmates or professors.

The ability to jump onto the internet for a quick google search is also beneficial. Plus I'm pretty sure a document editor will be released in the app store so the ability to edit docs and email them out is really great.

If anything I think college students benefit the most from the iphone, they have their entertainment which is needed but they also have constant connectivity which is really valuable. Trust me
Click to expand...

Seriously, for me my iPod Touch was useful for this exact purpose.
 
appleretailguy said:
Well put. Allowing iPods to be purchased with an educational discount is iffy as well, but I could see the benefits to be had with downloadable lectures and easy storage.

The iPhone, however, has no educational value whatsoever.
Click to expand...

I teach college, and while I was proctoring a final for one of my colleagues, I used my iPhone to track down a plagiarist from another class. I've also used it in class to look up facts on the fly, to do some last minute research while waiting for a class to start, and I've checked work email hundreds of times (and with Exchange support, that will be even easier). My school also has an iTunesU site, and we podcast lectured for visiting professors and other classes, podcasts that can be played on iPhones.

These are just a few of the uses I've found for the iPhone at my college, so you might want to think that claim over a bit :)
 
AC Rempt said:
I teach college, and while I was proctoring a final for one of my colleagues, I used my iPhone to track down a plagiarist from another class. I've also used it in class to look up facts on the fly, to do some last minute research while waiting for a class to start, and I've checked work email hundreds of times (and with Exchange support, that will be even easier). My school also has an iTunesU site, and we podcast lectured for visiting professors and other classes, podcasts that can be played on iPhones.

These are just a few of the uses I've found for the iPhone at my college, so you might want to think that claim over a bit :)
Click to expand...

There are exceptions to every rule, but I would argue that most students (certainly not the teachers) have the knowledge or wherewithal to use it as you do.

Hey, I was one of the first people in college to bring a laptop to class. I definitely understand the benefits of technology, but I would bet most don't.

metman787 said:
Yea... I'm going to have to disagree with you there. I go to college and currently have an iphone and this thing has been a life saver.

I go to rutgers and they do lots of thing on the internet (hw, group projects, updated class info, etc.) through blackboard. Having the ability to check blackboard without having to lug around my macbook is really beneficial. As well as being able to receive emails from classmates or professors.

The ability to jump onto the internet for a quick google search is also beneficial. Plus I'm pretty sure a document editor will be released in the app store so the ability to edit docs and email them out is really great.

If anything I think college students benefit the most from the iphone, they have their entertainment which is needed but they also have constant connectivity which is really valuable. Trust me
Click to expand...

Again, exceptions to every rule, but an iPhone isn't a necessary part of a college education. Wouldn't many other mobile devices do those same things for less?
 
AC Rempt said:
I teach college, and while I was proctoring a final for one of my colleagues, I used my iPhone to track down a plagiarist from another class. I've also used it in class to look up facts on the fly, to do some last minute research while waiting for a class to start, and I've checked work email hundreds of times (and with Exchange support, that will be even easier). My school also has an iTunesU site, and we podcast lectured for visiting professors and other classes, podcasts that can be played on iPhones.

These are just a few of the uses I've found for the iPhone at my college, so you might want to think that claim over a bit :)
Click to expand...

This is truly great stuff, but once the money-grubbers get wind of it they will try their damnedest to turn it into profit.
 
appleretailguy said:
Again, exceptions to every rule, but an iPhone isn't a necessary part of a college education. Wouldn't many other mobile devices do those same things for less?
Click to expand...

Not really there really aren't any other phones that allow full html email and have a browser powerful enough to load "blackboard" because there is no mobile version.

Your exactly right that an iphone isnt necessary but it is very helpful. Same thing with a laptop. I have friends who have gone through college laptopless and you can imagine how hard that is. Hey they pay a technology fee so they use it. lol.

Long story short, no there really isnt another phone that is as beneficial as the iphone when it comes to accessing everything. I owned a curve before the iphone and I couldnt use it for school as much as the iphone
 
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