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Would Threatening to leave AT&T maybe cause an early upgrade?

AlphaVictor87

AlphaVictor87

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 7, 2011
797
27
Saint Louis, MO
So my co-worker and i were talking and my upgrade is at the end of november in a month. He suggested what i do is go into the AT&T store and give them this line.

"So i have an issue, my work is offering to give me a new phone line with them on verizon and they said i can start as early as monday next week. But i've been with verizon before and i really don't like their service, either way i'm planning on getting an iPhone 4s. I've really enjoyed AT&T's service but it would be nice to get the 4s asap. Is there anyway i can move my upgrade date up a month at all? If not i'm probably going to end up leaving AT&T."

Has anyone tried an approach like this? has it worked?

Any opinions would be great.

Also if it doesn't work i'm just going to wait a month till my upgrade date, but i figure i could try this if it might work to get my upgrade a month early with no extra fees.
 
I am month-to-month on Verizon and I was thinking about telling them I was looking to move to ATT and see if the would offer me any incentives to stay.

hmm....
 
The best it seems to have done for some people is getting them a credit. But when I did the same AT&T seemed perfectly willing to let me go. They offered free unlimited texting for 3 months, but that was it.

So you can try, but the outcome will not likely be a moved upgrade date. I've heard over and over that they are contractually obligated not to move upgrades for iPhones.
 
Some people tried this and retentions gave them $250 credit towards their bill to make up for the upgrade fee. Are they still willing? Who knows. It helps if your phone is not working right, but it also depends on how close to the upgrade date you are.
 
Ok, thanks everyone, i forgot that they would still make money off of me even if i left early, so crap lol

And i don't really care about credit or anything, so yah doesn't seem like its worth the drive to the store just to get denied.
 
AlphaVictor87 said:
Ok, thanks everyone, i forgot that they would still make money off of me even if i left early, so crap lol

And i don't really care about credit or anything, so yah doesn't seem like its worth the drive to the store just to get denied.
Click to expand...

Drive to the store? No chance. Your only chance would be dialing 611 and ask to speak to retention.
 
OP, not particularly picking on you here but it's the topic.

I wonder what it costs AT&T (and us as customers) to deal with all of the people trying to "game" the system? I read here about people getting dates moved up after multiple phone calls (not many, but a couple) - or about getting a credit (more common) - or about getting nothing, but still consuming the time of AT&T employees in the pursuit. This has got to be expensive, just in hourly wages for the employees involved.

AT&T has in the past had a policy of moving up your fully-subsidized upgrade date a little depending on how much you spend. I'm sure there is some formula, suppose for example that if you spend $100 and pay your bill on time this month, then your date moves up 7 days.

I wish they would have some policy that encourages people not to waste AT&T's time (money). E.g. each month, move up the date as per the above criteria ONLY if there has been no customer service involvement with the account that month (other than for purely service-related questions). Those who just accept that a contract is a contract and don't waste AT&T's time get their date moved up based on what they pay and their timeliness. Those who bother AT&T a lot end up having to wait it out as per the terms of their contract.

Fantasy I know, but I can dream :rolleyes:
 
I am sure it's costing them some more time to roll out LTE.

I am not for people trying to squeeze more out of what they "agreed" to, but I understand it.

Though you have thousands maybe millions of people who hate successful corporations. They like you when you're a small business, but once you get rich, you are now part of the evil Wall Street. (Though I blame the crooked politicians/ croney capitalism...not free market capitalism)

seanfranklin said:
OP, not particularly picking on you here but it's the topic.

I wonder what it costs AT&T (and us as customers) to deal with all of the people trying to "game" the system? I read here about people getting dates moved up after multiple phone calls (not many, but a couple) - or about getting a credit (more common) - or about getting nothing, but still consuming the time of AT&T employees in the pursuit. This has got to be expensive, just in hourly wages for the employees involved.

AT&T has in the past had a policy of moving up your fully-subsidized upgrade date a little depending on how much you spend. I'm sure there is some formula, suppose for example that if you spend $100 and pay your bill on time this month, then your date moves up 7 days.

I wish they would have some policy that encourages people not to waste AT&T's time (money). E.g. each month, move up the date as per the above criteria ONLY if there has been no customer service involvement with the account that month (other than for purely service-related questions). Those who just accept that a contract is a contract and don't waste AT&T's time get their date moved up based on what they pay and their timeliness. Those who bother AT&T a lot end up having to wait it out as per the terms of their contract.

Fantasy I know, but I can dream :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
 
seanfranklin said:
OP, not particularly picking on you here but it's the topic.

I wonder what it costs AT&T (and us as customers) to deal with all of the people trying to "game" the system? I read here about people getting dates moved up after multiple phone calls (not many, but a couple) - or about getting a credit (more common) - or about getting nothing, but still consuming the time of AT&T employees in the pursuit. This has got to be expensive, just in hourly wages for the employees involved.

AT&T has in the past had a policy of moving up your fully-subsidized upgrade date a little depending on how much you spend. I'm sure there is some formula, suppose for example that if you spend $100 and pay your bill on time this month, then your date moves up 7 days.

I wish they would have some policy that encourages people not to waste AT&T's time (money). E.g. each month, move up the date as per the above criteria ONLY if there has been no customer service involvement with the account that month (other than for purely service-related questions). Those who just accept that a contract is a contract and don't waste AT&T's time get their date moved up based on what they pay and their timeliness. Those who bother AT&T a lot end up having to wait it out as per the terms of their contract.

Fantasy I know, but I can dream :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


Hey not a big deal, honestly i had never thought about going in to squeeze anything else out of my contract. I've had a cellphone since i was about 16 and started with those brick phones and trust me i've always been about 6 months off the upgrade train.

What i mean is that i get my upgrade, then 3 to 6 months later the latest and greatest phone comes out and EVERYONE has it and i'm stuck with my ****** little phone. But hey i just stuck with it and never asked for anything more.

Well this has been the closest i've ever been to the release of a brand new phone and my upgrade so i was just coming on here for some advice.

If you notice it didn't take much convincing for me to say "screw it, i'll wait, no big deal" lol

I really don't care, i was just asking the people on this fine forum's opinion!

Again thanks for everyone who responded!!
 
AlphaVictor87 said:
Well this has been the closest i've ever been to the release of a brand new phone and my upgrade
Click to expand...

Right with you there, my upgrade date is 11/06/2011 and I am chomping at the bit for a 4S too.

And, since they DON'T have the policy I described :eek: I have asked at my local AT&T retail store about getting the date bumped. No luck, but you can bet on the morning of the 6th I'll be ordering my new 64GB 4S.
 
I just don't get why people have to get the latest iPhone all the time. the iPhone 4 is a very good phone still.
I can actually upgrade every year but I wait until my wife can upgrade just so we bot can have fun finding new things.... I know... how stupid. But with how technology is now a days, you will never get ahead with it. Upgrading to iOS 5 was great, felt like I have a new phone again.
 
Primejimbo said:
I just don't get why people have to get the latest iPhone all the time. the iPhone 4 is a very good phone still.
I can actually upgrade every year but I wait until my wife can upgrade just so we bot can have fun finding new things.... I know... how stupid. But with how technology is now a days, you will never get ahead with it. Upgrading to iOS 5 was great, felt like I have a new phone again.
Click to expand...

siri is worth the upgrade imho
 
We are addicts, you'll never understand.

Primejimbo said:
I just don't get why people have to get the latest iPhone all the time. the iPhone 4 is a very good phone still.
I can actually upgrade every year but I wait until my wife can upgrade just so we bot can have fun finding new things.... I know... how stupid. But with how technology is now a days, you will never get ahead with it. Upgrading to iOS 5 was great, felt like I have a new phone again.
Click to expand...
 
Primejimbo said:
I just don't get why people have to get the latest iPhone all the time. the iPhone 4 is a very good phone still.
Click to expand...

True. I skipped the 3GS because I was happy with my 3G.

However I want the 4S mostly for Siri. I spend a lot of time in the car and that's the "killer app" for me.
 
Just wait till Nov 1st and ask for the upgrade to be moved up. If it is within the month then they could probably move it up a few weeks.
 
Primejimbo said:
I just don't get why people have to get the latest iPhone all the time. the iPhone 4 is a very good phone still.
I can actually upgrade every year but I wait until my wife can upgrade just so we bot can have fun finding new things.... I know... how stupid. But with how technology is now a days, you will never get ahead with it. Upgrading to iOS 5 was great, felt like I have a new phone again.
Click to expand...

Oh i would agree and if i had an iPhone 4 i wouldn't be concerned with upgrading.

However i have a 3gs and although iOS 5 made my 3gs snappier, in all respects its still super slow compared to my fiance's iPhone 4 and obviously the new 4s.

It just bugs me when from time to time my phone locks up on certian things Ex. takes about 20 seconds to open my camera roll, locks up when trying to get to my wifi switch, just switching pages on the homescreen locks up.

Its basically simple things that SHOULD NOT be buggy or slow which are in fact slow thats bugging me. Now this isn't ALL the time, but about 3 to 4 times a day i generally deal with a lockup of a simple task that shouldn't be locking up.
 
AlphaVictor87 said:
So my co-worker and i were talking and my upgrade is at the end of november in a month. He suggested what i do is go into the AT&T store and give them this line.

"So i have an issue, my work is offering to give me a new phone line with them on verizon and they said i can start as early as monday next week. But i've been with verizon before and i really don't like their service, either way i'm planning on getting an iPhone 4s. I've really enjoyed AT&T's service but it would be nice to get the 4s asap. Is there anyway i can move my upgrade date up a month at all? If not i'm probably going to end up leaving AT&T."

Has anyone tried an approach like this? has it worked?

Any opinions would be great.

Also if it doesn't work i'm just going to wait a month till my upgrade date, but i figure i could try this if it might work to get my upgrade a month early with no extra fees.
Click to expand...

You can't wait till the end of Nov? good lord that's pathetic
 
AlphaVictor87 said:
So my co-worker and i were talking and my upgrade is at the end of november in a month. He suggested what i do is go into the AT&T store and give them this line.

"So i have an issue, my work is offering to give me a new phone line with them on verizon and they said i can start as early as monday next week. But i've been with verizon before and i really don't like their service, either way i'm planning on getting an iPhone 4s. I've really enjoyed AT&T's service but it would be nice to get the 4s asap. Is there anyway i can move my upgrade date up a month at all? If not i'm probably going to end up leaving AT&T."

Has anyone tried an approach like this? has it worked?

Any opinions would be great.

Also if it doesn't work i'm just going to wait a month till my upgrade date, but i figure i could try this if it might work to get my upgrade a month early with no extra fees.
Click to expand...
Just wait an extra month, seriously.
 
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