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Any way to NOT get reamed on phone+data+texting plans?

Just wondering if there are any good tricks or deals to minimize the monthly cost of owning and actually using one of these devices. I've been using LetsTalk for the last few years as I've not really found any cheaper way to get phones & plans, so most of my numbers are based on this. I did a quick spreadsheet for 24 month cost of ownership (ignoring taxes and fees for simplicity) and have attached that. Basically with AT&T you can go with the $40 voice plan and get the phone for $200, or the $60 plan and get it for free. Then add on $30 for data (the letstalk deal requires this for at least 6 months anyway) and another $5 for basic texting. I broke these down with comparisons to the iphone, sidekick 2008, the cricket slider my friend bought and the dirt-cheap samsung propel. I know this isn't exactly apples to apples but I'm doing this more to evaluate the cost/benefit of having a nice smartphone vs a decent voice/text platform with no data plan. Just kinda throwing this out there for feedback, I'm sure you guys know a lot more than I do about what is available and what can be done...

thats easy to answer..... nope. Im on ATT and my bill ends up ~150$ a month

behrouz said:
thats easy to answer..... nope. Im on ATT and my bill ends up ~150$ a month
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Mine is unlimited EVERYTHING and 100% free, and so is the second, third, forth and fifth line.
Ohh yea the data card is also.
Sorry I couldn't resist.

Ok, to make a long story short, I pay $20 a mo for unlimited data. I have had it for years from when I was with Cingular. I pay $5 for 250 texts and 39 for the lowest minutes. I own my own phone and have always bought unlocked phones and haven't had a contract in years.
So I wanted the Fuze and went to the Att store and was willing to sign a 2 year contract to get the phone for $299 but wanted to keep my plan EXACTLY like it is. Hre said no prob....until he started ringing me up. Stated my data plan was not compatible with the Fuze and I had to upgrade to the $30 a mo. I said no, he said you can't get the speacil price with the $50 rebate if I didn't. I said stuffit.
So, I am willing to pay $500 for the unlocked, no commitment phone from Att and will leave my plan as it is.
Question.....Does anyone know if the phone will be COMPLELTY unlocked or uncripled if I buy it for full price from Att? I want to take my sim out, put it in the new Fuze and keep on keepin on as I have for years.
Thanks

techspy said:
Ok, to make a long story short, I pay $20 a mo for unlimited data. I have had it for years from when I was with Cingular. I pay $5 for 250 texts and 39 for the lowest minutes. I own my own phone and have always bought unlocked phones and haven't had a contract in years.
So I wanted the Fuze and went to the Att store and was willing to sign a 2 year contract to get the phone for $299 but wanted to keep my plan EXACTLY like it is. Hre said no prob....until he started ringing me up. Stated my data plan was not compatible with the Fuze and I had to upgrade to the $30 a mo. I said no, he said you can't get the speacil price with the $50 rebate if I didn't. I said stuffit.
So, I am willing to pay $500 for the unlocked, no commitment phone from Att and will leave my plan as it is.
Question.....Does anyone know if the phone will be COMPLELTY unlocked or uncripled if I buy it for full price from Att? I want to take my sim out, put it in the new Fuze and keep on keepin on as I have for years.
Thanks
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Search for my threads regarding media net. It will tell you all about it.
As for the device (full price) or (with contract renewal) its the same phone, it will be locked.

I don't know how but ATT knows what phone you're using on their network and will probably make you change it anyway. It happened to me when I got a Tilt.

behrouz said:
I don't know how but ATT knows what phone you're using on their network and will probably make you change it anyway. It happened to me when I got a Tilt.
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Well, I happen to know a thing or two about how AT&T works.

Thanks for the info KD8DNS. I sent you a PM

KD8DNS said:
Mine is unlimited EVERYTHING and 100% free, and so is the second, third, forth and fifth line.
Ohh yea the data card is also.
Sorry I couldn't resist.
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Yeah well enjoy trying to procriate with all that radation from your high and mighty tower!
*coveting your glowing in the darkness right about now*

telegraph0000 said:
Yeah well enjoy trying to procriate with all that radation from your high and mighty tower!
*coveting your glowing in the darkness right about now*
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My procreating happened to yield 2 kids. So Im the least bit concerned.

HA!!!!!! Look at me!! I'm teary eyed!! That's one of the funniest thints I've seen!!!!

9 Months to Go on Contract

Anyone see a way to get a Thunderbolt when I have 9 months to go on my current contract? I realize I could pay full price but not looking to do so. Thanks for any suggestions. My current phone is an amoled incredible.

Add a line? $10. a month.

jdk2 said:
Add a line? $10. a month.
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if you added a line and got the contract pricing wouldn't you also have to sign up for a data plan, which then cannot be removed without breaking the contract and incurring ETFs. then it'd be $10 + $29.99/month......seems buying retail would be better/equivalent to that.
ebay is always an option, but since it's so new it would be quite difficult to get anything much less than retail cost.
i don't know much about it but i've seen mention of early upgrade fees on verizon, maybe you could talk to verizon employees and see if you have any options there. i haven't had much luck with them but people have posted about experiences with verizon people where they are really accommodating and friendly.

sitrucz said:
Anyone see a way to get a Thunderbolt when I have 9 months to go on my current contract? I realize I could pay full price but not looking to do so. Thanks for any suggestions. My current phone is an amoled incredible.
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Back when I got my Droid 1, I was only 12 months into my 2 year contract. VZW let me do an early upgrade but did charge me a $20.00 fee. I recomend you calling *611 from your phone.
good luck !!!

Verizon did the same with me for my tbolt. I was 13 months into contract, they let me upgrade for 2 year contract price + 25.00$
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

Buy retail or try to get an early upgrade...
it is actually really annoying. everyone always wants the latest phones and cannot wait to get them... and then they scramble to find the best way to get them when they still have "x" months left in their contract (x usually being greater than 6, closer to 12).
at that point, why not just get a 1 year contract to begin with. pay the extra $70 for your device up front but then have the freedom and flexibility at 10 months to do as you choose (and be able to get a new device without trying to "work the system" and weasel your way out of a contract or find some fishy way to add another line). you will end up spending more if you do not get a 1 yr contract.
I am a firm believer of this!
*EDIT*: and Verizon does not always allow early upgrades for 2 yr contracts, so you cannot rely on that

bmcclure937 said:
Buy retail or try to get an early upgrade...
it is actually really annoying. everyone always wants the latest phones and cannot wait to get them... and then they scramble to find the best way to get them when they still have "x" months left in their contract (x usually being greater than 6, closer to 12).
at that point, why not just get a 1 year contract to begin with. pay the extra $70 for your device up front but then have the freedom and flexibility at 10 months to do as you choose (and be able to get a new device without trying to "work the system" and weasel your way out of a contract or find some fishy way to add another line). you will end up spending more if you do not get a 1 yr contract.
I am a firm believer of this!
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That, I'm never getting another phone at a two-year contract ever again unless the whole market system changes with it, which i dont see happening.
Regardless, if you are stuck in a contract, do the add a line thing, as with that, you can get the new phone on a new line, then switch it over to a crappy cheap phone that doesn't need a data plan, and disable everything on it, so you're only paying the $10 a month for an extra line.

Russ36363 said:
Regardless, if you are stuck in a contract, do the add a line thing, as with that, you can get the new phone on a new line, then switch it over to a crappy cheap phone that doesn't need a data plan, and disable everything on it, so you're only paying the $10 a month for an extra line.
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maybe i'm not well-versed on verizon's contract terms. are you all sure that the contract doesn't forbid cancelling the data plan? i was basing my knowledge on an experience with at&t more than two years ago, haha. at that time i did the secondary line upgrade to get a new blackberry and at&t's terms were that in order to get an upgrade price it is required to sign up for a data package. the loophole there for me was that the data plan could be cancelled after two months at no cost at all. later on a friend who tried to do the same thing as me could not because at&t changed their policy and would not allow people to remove data plans after two months without an ETF.
is verizon's policy better and either doesn't require a data plan upon upgrade or allows you to remove it immediately after upgrading? (note: i tried to look up verizon's policy on this by going to the site and pretending to be a new customer but it started to ask for payment and personal info before showing me the terms and conditions. it did require me to sign up for a data plan when purchasing a smartphone though) i'm curious to know what the fine details are.

bkiminfinity said:
if you added a line and got the contract pricing wouldn't you also have to sign up for a data plan, which then cannot be removed without breaking the contract and incurring ETFs. then it'd be $10 + $29.99/month......seems buying retail would be better/equivalent to that.
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make sure you have an older dumbphone to transfer your existing line to. then you can drop data to your heart's content.
i have done this twice now, once for x and once for thunderbolt. $10/mo each.

bkiminfinity said:
maybe i'm not well-versed on verizon's contract terms. are you all sure that the contract doesn't forbid cancelling the data plan? i was basing my knowledge on an experience with at&t more than two years ago, haha. at that time i did the secondary line upgrade to get a new blackberry and at&t's terms were that in order to get an upgrade price it is required to sign up for a data package. the loophole there for me was that the data plan could be cancelled after two months at no cost at all. later on a friend who tried to do the same thing as me could not because at&t changed their policy and would not allow people to remove data plans after two months without an ETF.
is verizon's policy better and either doesn't require a data plan upon upgrade or allows you to remove it immediately after upgrading? (note: i tried to look up verizon's policy on this by going to the site and pretending to be a new customer but it started to ask for payment and personal info before showing me the terms and conditions. it did require me to sign up for a data plan when purchasing a smartphone though) i'm curious to know what the fine details are.
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From the experiences I've had and others who've posted about it, the only restriction AFAIK from verizon is that you need a data plan on the line when you activate the phone on that line, so you'd need to add a data plan on the line when a smartphone is activated for it. However, if the phone isn't a smartphone, i've been able to add and remove the data to the line as needed (I've had an old enV phone where theres been a few times where I've needed the data, so I've just turned on the data plan for the two weeks or so, and never gotten charged outside of that, or fees)

Bodero said:
make sure you have an older dumbphone to transfer your existing line to. then you can drop data to your heart's content.
i have done this twice now, once for x and once for thunderbolt. $10/mo each.
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i have an old blackberry pearl flip, does that count? seeing that it is a blackberry i would think it doesn't......
but a follow-up question i have is that is it worth it paying the extra $10/month? price speculation for tbolt: $319 for 1-year contract, add the $10/month for a year = $120 for a total of $439. retail is $599 so you save $160.....as opposed to paying $319 alone and saving $280. i guess for someone with an upgrade available the method of adding a line and then moving the new phone saves you an upgrade and costs $120 more to get the tbolt. so you are paying an extra $120 above the cost of the phone itself to save your upgrade.
makes more sense for someone with no upgrade option then.

But i didn't think it could be just 10 dollars a month. The phones are required to have their own 29.99 data plan
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

Thanks all I'm thinking *611 and see if I'm eligible for that early upgrade and will do the 1 year contract.

Bodero said:
make sure you have an older dumbphone to transfer your existing line to. then you can drop data to your heart's content.
i have done this twice now, once for x and once for thunderbolt. $10/mo each.
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Or call Verizon and tell them you no longer want a phone on that line and they'll put a dummy ESN on it. That's what I did the last time I pulled the add a line and drop it for a discount.

It turns out I'm eligible for the early upgrade on 5/10 of this year which puts me on my incredible for 1 year. My full upgrade is up on 1/10/12. So I guess I'll see what's out there in May. Thanks again.

just keep calling *611 and get someone that is nice. after 4 calls to CS i begged the lady to ask her supervisor to advance my upgrade (from Dec.). I paid the $20.00 fee. good luck.

I found an official document on verizon's FAQs under "Worry Free Guarantee". Easier to get to through google. When I have the link I can post it.
Basically it states that if you are in a two year plan already you will be able to take advantage of one more annual upgrade at discount price or if you so choose wait until your 20th month and get your "New Every Two" credit.
I had to print this sheet and make sure the full url was across the top in order to show it to a verizon rep. He then put a remark under my account stating that I was indeed elgible for an early upgrade. The problem is just with the changes verizon is now implementing.
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using XDA App

I bought my thunderbolt on craigslist for $540. Was a little shady as the guy didn't have the box, but had all the accessories Verizon employee maybe? Just can't imagine how a day old phone is missing the box. Anyway I activated the phone with no issue.

When you guys are paying the $20 or whatever to get the early upgrade, so they just reset your account so that Wirefly/Amazon/etc see you as upgrade eligible, or do you then have to buy the phone from VZW? I'd like to upgrade 4 months early (and have multiple lines to upgrade, so the "new every 2" would only take care of one phone) but I don't want to pay VZW an extra $50/phone if I can avoid it.

They are sadly apparently getting rid of the annual upgrade feature Anyway should you want to go the full retail route I got mine cheapest through VZW at 599.99 vs the 749.99 it seemed to be listed everywhere else. I don't get my annual upgrade which they are still honoring for the time being until July of this year (still can get it should I want to grab another device this summer).
The only reason I could see to upgrade earlier than your annual upgrade date is in the off chance verizon changes the way they do 4G data plans for new 4G phones at that point? Currently they are offering 4G at 3G data prices w/ unlimited data, and they can't suddenly start charging those of us who are on these unlimited plans more or force us to the tiered plan concept... so we'd be grandfathered in sorta like the unlimited data AT&T users are currently. Was the main reason for me jumping the gun and upgrading early at full retail, that and the speeds are amazing.

Just Ordered My One S...At an Amazing Price!

So I called up T-Mobile yesterday(day the One S was released) and immediately asked for the Retention department. I was forwarded over and spoke to a sweet young woman. I explained that I was still on contract for a few months but I was thinking of canceling. I explained that I have no service the moment I walk into my apartment and randomly where I sit at work. Which is true but I went on to say that I've been using WiFi calling successfully. Although, having to resort to that is frustrating.
I told her I was offered a free phone(Samsung Galaxy Nexus), no activation fee, and $35 less in charges per month if I were to switch to a work plan with Sprint(That last part being a fabrication). She quickly responded that she could offer me a better deal. I could tell that while I was explaining the situation, she was looking through my account and saw that I have been a customer of T-Mobile for just about 7 years. She took a moment to gather approval.
She came back on the line to ask which phone I wanted. I humbly spoke of the One S and she puts me on hold again. She comes back to offer me a lower rate plan than what I pay now, with a higher data limit. She continues to say that the cost of the phone for me would be close to $300 but she had applied a $250 credit on the account so that I will only have to pay $29.18. She even applied that charge to next months bill, and if that wasn't enough, she backdated the rate plan to save me just about that amount on this months bill. So I'm basically getting the HTC One S for mere dollars added to my next months bill.
So essentially, this is just another example of how far T-Mobile will go to satisfy their loyal customers and is further proof that they deserve all those J.D. Power & Associates awards for excellence in customer service.
Android Enthusiast first, T-Mobile Spokesperson second,

Want a cookie?
Sent from my HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio Z715e using XDA Premium App

good price.
i have been with TMo for over 12 years. they didn't want to give me a full early upgrade (I had 3 months left). I told them that I was ready to cancel and move to AT&T. She forwarded me to customer care and they worked out a price on the HTC One S. I'm not too thrilled with it, but it's not too bad.
$249+activation+tax+shipping = $290. That's what they wanted. I told them that Walmart had it for $198. WTH. They applied a $100 credit and now the total is $190. With the $50 rebate, comes out to $140.
Still TMo could have done better. I have two lines and a data plan. Was hoping TMo would take customer loyalty into consideration even more. Oh well, I am ready to jump ship next time. screw loyalty.

Sometime those hard to believe. I was once on a VERY thin line of canceling Tmobile and moving to Verizon (wife gets 20% discount there and her Tmo doesnt work at work due to ****ty building penetration). I have 2 lines and have been a customer for 6 years. Retension department wouldn't give me ANY deal on anything, they just forwarded my call to cancellations department.
On top of this when I was trying to order One S yesterday (I am ONLY 10 days away from my full upgrade by the way) 3 different customer service reps told me 3 different things. I ended up paying $260 with tax + activation fee + shipping and no rebate (or had a choice to pay $300 + get $50 rebate). I have to mention that I did get a line credit for $80 bucks few days ago for roaming mix up where I had to pay Tmobile extra $150 < I still dont know if it was my fault or Tmobile...basically I used Wifi-calling in France to call USA and somehow all my calls were charged roaming fees (And I do know how to use Wifi-calling)
I hate Tmobile reps, their lies, and their new stupid automatic answering service

HTCMario said:
good price.
i have been with TMo for over 12 years. they didn't want to give me a full early upgrade (I had 3 months left). I told them that I was ready to cancel and move to AT&T. She forwarded me to customer care and they worked out a price on the HTC One S. I'm not too thrilled with it, but it's not too bad.
$249+activation+tax+shipping = $290. That's what they wanted. I told them that Walmart had it for $198. WTH. They applied a $100 credit and now the total is $190. With the $50 rebate, comes out to $140.
Still TMo could have done better. I have two lines and a data plan. Was hoping TMo would take customer loyalty into consideration even more. Oh well, I am ready to jump ship next time. screw loyalty.
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I kinda of disagree with you here. You signed a 2yr contract, and despite being a longtime customer, you're fully aware you're not due for an upgrade. As such, they SHOULDNT offer you a full upgrade. However, they typically will offer you a discounted upgrade. So you were ready to cancel and pay an Early Termination Fee? I don't see how you're upset, since they were nice enough to offer you something. The other carriers would've told you to pay full price or hit the road with the ETF.
It sounds like you're not having a case of "screw loyalty", but instead, "screw signing 2 year contracts". Were you really surprised at the result?
I see people arguing about contractual obligations and how the carrier can screw you over, but what about YOUR obligation to follow the terms and the period length?

nickmv said:
I kinda of disagree with you here. You signed a 2yr contract, and despite being a longtime customer, you're fully aware you're not due for an upgrade. As such, they SHOULDNT offer you a full upgrade. However, they typically will offer you a discounted upgrade. So you were ready to cancel and pay an Early Termination Fee? I don't see how you're upset, since they were nice enough to offer you something. The other carriers would've told you to pay full price or hit the road with the ETF.
It sounds like you're not having a case of "screw loyalty", but instead, "screw signing 2 year contracts". Were you really surprised at the result?
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can i piss and moan without having logic thrown at me?

HTCMario said:
can i piss and moan without having logic thrown at me?
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Hey, it's better than the guy below your post who couldn't wait TEN days. Yes, 10 days. Let's count them: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9.....TEN, bingo eligible for upgrade. Jeez

nickmv said:
Hey, it's better than the guy below your post who couldn't wait TEN days. Yes, 10 days. Let's count them: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9.....TEN, bingo eligible for upgrade. Jeez
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I should be more clear, I WAS eligible for an upgrade. When I got $80 account credit few days ago, rep noted on my account that I will be eligible for full discount upgrade on 25th instead of May 5th.
One of the reps from retensions then lied to me that I was not, and he doesnt see it noted on my account, rep before that said that I do have a full discount. In total I made 4 calls and got 4 different results (1 rep just had no idea what to do and transferred my call to some private voice mail)

I just renewed my contract with a grandfathered plan and Corp discount. I was able to get 3 phones, all HTC One S for a total of $200. They basically offered the phones for $199 each with no rebates, then offered initially a $250 total discount which I was able to get them to add another $150 discount. So it's $600 for the 3 phones - $400 credit. The credit shows up already on my account.
I thought about waiting for the S3 but I liked the One S in stores.
Now I am thinking of using the trade-in offer to send a couple of old phones. I am not sure if I am still eligible or not.
The upgrade, activation and shipping fees were waived. I had the $20 preferred android plan on one line. It is supposed to be ulimited but in relaity it has a "soft" limit of 5 GB.
My other 2 lines had the $5 web2go data plan offered by retention 2 years ago and it worked great with iPhones. The 2 lines were switched to the same $20 5GB plan.
Just a note, I called retention twice . My first offer was to pay $350 for 3 phones which I didn't accept and the second time the CSR was more willing to get a better deal and upped the credit.
I also got $10 off my monthly plan for 24 months.
Can't complain.

here's T-Mobile's link to get $100 trade-in for any smartphone or $200 for any iphone.
mytradeins dot com

Not bad. I pulled off something very similar last year to get the G2x on full upgrade pricing despite being only a year into my contract, using the AT&T merger and a threat to move to Sprint as bargaining chips. Got that, and got the One S for full upgrade pricing this year by helping them get some conquest customers from Verizon.

I just got my One S today and came from an SGS2 on T-Mo, all I have to say is wow. Everything about the phone is wonderful. What a well crafted piece of tech. Love this phone. Sense 4.0 is so much nicer than TWiz. My 2 cents.

Does this really work?

dangabob13 said:
So I called up T-Mobile yesterday(day the One S was released) and immediately asked for the Retention department. I was forwarded over and spoke to a sweet young woman. I explained that I was still on contract for a few months but I was thinking of canceling. I explained that I have no service the moment I walk into my apartment and randomly where I sit at work. Which is true but I went on to say that I've been using WiFi calling successfully. Although, having to resort to that is frustrating.
I told her I was offered a free phone(Samsung Galaxy Nexus), no activation fee, and $35 less in charges per month if I were to switch to a work plan with Sprint(That last part being a fabrication). She quickly responded that she could offer me a better deal. I could tell that while I was explaining the situation, she was looking through my account and saw that I have been a customer of T-Mobile for just about 7 years. She took a moment to gather approval.
She came back on the line to ask which phone I wanted. I humbly spoke of the One S and she puts me on hold again. She comes back to offer me a lower rate plan than what I pay now, with a higher data limit. She continues to say that the cost of the phone for me would be close to $300 but she had applied a $250 credit on the account so that I will only have to pay $29.18. She even applied that charge to next months bill, and if that wasn't enough, she backdated the rate plan to save me just about that amount on this months bill. So I'm basically getting the HTC One S for mere dollars added to my next months bill.
So essentially, this is just another example of how far T-Mobile will go to satisfy their loyal customers and is further proof that they deserve all those J.D. Power & Associates awards for excellence in customer service.
Android Enthusiast first, T-Mobile Spokesperson second,
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Click to collapse
Did the same thing a week ago to get my amaze for free. Gave me a 250 dollar credit on my bill. Im on value plan so 200 took care of the phone and taxes down payment, and the other 50 went towards my next month bill. I have a 27 dollar bill next month. I didnt even say I was leaving. I just said I wanted a new phone. She said I have been a customer for 5 years and she would be glad to help me out.
So now I have the amaze. Had a problem with my first one, and I am still in buyers remorse, so there sending me another one tomorrow. Now I have 20 more days to mess with these phone and if I dont like it, all I need to do is pay 50 bux and they will send me the S.
Win Win

This is interesting. I may call them tomorrow because I am eligible to upgrade my line as a part of my family plan. ATT also offers employees of my company a 20% discount on monthly plan. We have 4 lines on our tmobile family plan... 2 are not under contract, 1 is under contract until the 29th, and the other is under contract until September. Maybe I can argue with ATT tomorrow that two are still under contract, but we will pay the disconnect fees (really just one after this weekend) and see what kind of deal they can offer on 4 phones (2 htc one x, sgs2, and a stupid free phone), and then call tmobile to work something out.
I think the ideal situation would be ATT offers me a plan and the phones with a price, and I present it to tmobile as a deal, and receive free phone upgrades for each line. This is farfetched, but if they want to keep our service, what else could they do?
Sent from my HTC Desire Z using XDA

ITALIANNYC said:
Did the same thing a week ago to get my amaze for free. Gave me a 250 dollar credit on my bill. Im on value plan so 200 took care of the phone and taxes down payment, and the other 50 went towards my next month bill. I have a 27 dollar bill next month. I didnt even say I was leaving. I just said I wanted a new phone. She said I have been a customer for 5 years and she would be glad to help me out.
So now I have the amaze. Had a problem with my first one, and I am still in buyers remorse, so there sending me another one tomorrow. Now I have 20 more days to mess with these phone and if I dont like it, all I need to do is pay 50 bux and they will send me the S.
Win Win
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What a delay...you are clearly going to get the One S ...stop wasting time.........jeez. So when you call back on the 19th day and "decided" to go with the one S and the $50 doesnt apply you'll come back and bash t-mobile.............and to clarify. Its consumer to business...the.reps.discretion is.what makes.us.happy or dissatisfied.not."The Company"
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

bipoler said:
What a delay...you are clearly going to get the One S ...stop wasting time.........jeez. So when you call back on the 19th day and "decided" to go with the one S and the $50 doesnt apply you'll come back and bash t-mobile.............and to clarify. Its consumer to business...the.reps.discretion is.what makes.us.happy or dissatisfied.not."The Company"
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
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Of course the 50 applies. I had a credit of 250 posted to the account and 200 of it went towards the down payment of the amaze ( 149.99, 49.99 tax ). The other 50 went towards next month bill. For me to get the ONE s, I need to pay an extra 50 because the Down payment for the ONE s is 199.99, not 149.99. I been with T-Mobile for 5 years and just signed a new 2 year contract. I dont have any reason to bash them.

Is this Tmobile USA? If so, how did you get passed the automatic menu to a customer retention rep?
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using XDA

I was also able to get enough credits to get the one s for free since they said I'm a valued customer for 5yrs

Just tried this and TMobile says that I'm on value plan so no discounts at all! I have to pay $599 retail price.
So much for being a "valued" customer for 7 years.
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using XDA

new AT&T upgrade plan (AT&T "Next")

http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/16/att-next-upgrade-program/
AT&T:
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/next.html?sf15024656=1#fbid=PD71HEOU89k
Interesting...
Also... top comment on Engadget:
OK, so I work for ATT I'll just clarify this for you guys a little. This is what we reps have been told. Basically whatever the normal price plan is for the phone you add 1/20th of the phones price to that normal plan pricing. After 12 months minimum but before 20 months you can choose to trade in your old phone and get a new one. There are no down payments for either phone so there is that, you can get an iphone 5 64GB for no money down if you have good credit XD. BUT you would then pay an extra 40 some per month to make up for it. The average installments would be $20 with smartphones usually costing about 400 or more so after 12 months you would have paid $280 or more and if you sold your old phone you could buy a new one.
POINT: This is a blatant rip off, save up your money those months and sell the phone you save money, the price you pay for this simply gives ATT a larger profit, they will then resell the old phones you turn in which by the way have to be in perfect shape or there will be an additional charge for repairs. Anyone with sense will no do this.
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Oh and how this effect the unlock policy, currently any non iphone can be unlocked after 90 days of service in good standing. On this ATT NEXT plan you cannot unlock it until after the full 20 months.
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FAQ
What is AT&T Next?
AT&T offers you another choice for smartphone and tablet pricing. AT&T Next is a new way for you to get a new device every year. You have the choice after 12 monthly payments to trade it in for a new device or choose to keep it, and after 20 months, there are no more installment payments. No down payment, activation, upgrade, or financing fees are required — only sales tax on the device is due at time of purchase.
How can I take advantage of AT&T Next?
Visit att.com or a participating AT&T Company Owned Retail location to learn more about AT&T Next and to find out if you are eligible.
Are there additional charges?
Sales tax is charged on your new phone or tablet at the time of sale. There's no down payment and no activation fee.
Is a contract required with AT&T Next?
AT&T Next requires that you sign an installment agreement to pay for the device over 20 monthly payments. If you cancel your wireless service, the remaining unpaid balance on the device is due. A Wireless Customer Service Agreement (voice and data service) is required.
How many AT&T Next installment plans may I have on my account?
There's a limit of two per account.
What devices are eligible for AT&T Next?
At this time, customers can buy a smartphone or tablet with AT&T Next.
Do I own the device? Or is this a leasing offer?
The device is yours and you’re responsible for 20 monthly payments. You’re also responsible for any loss, theft, or damage to the device — both during the installment agreement period and after. We recommend you purchase the optional Mobile Insurance to protect your investment.
How do I get a new device every year with the program?
After your twelfth (12) installment payment, but before your twentieth (20) installment payment, if your wireless account is in good standing you may trade in the device. The device must be fully functional and in good physical condition. Select a new smartphone or tablet and a new 20-month agreement will start.
When I trade in my device after 12 months and get a new one, what is the length of my new installment plan?
When you trade in your device, no further installments are billed for the original device. You will start over with a new 20-month installment plan on your new device.
Will I be able to pay off this device early?
Yes, you have the option to pay off your installment agreement, but the full outstanding balance will be due immediately.
What payments are due if I cancel AT&T Next?
The full outstanding balance on your installment agreement becomes due.
What if I don't want to trade in my device after 12 months and I want to keep it?
You have the choice to either trade your phone in or keep your phone. If you keep it, after 20 months, it’s yours and no more installment payments are required.
What if my phone is damaged (e.g. cracked screen)? Can I still trade it in after 12 months?
Yes. However, we reserve the right to charge a fee to repair the device and return it to fully functional and good physical condition.
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This is a ripoff. Why is everyone trying to follow TMobile's BS? There's a reason why offer crap service.
I'm going to stick with my normal 2 year upgrades. AT&T has always offered me an early upgrade from 6 months-1year at the 2 year price. If that goes away and I have to put up with this BS, I'll be pissed.

mr_blanket said:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/16/att-next-upgrade-program/
Interesting...
Also... top comment on Engadget:
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Interesting... I called this when T-mobile started this. It is almost better to pay full price for phones now... If you sell your current phone 300-450 and put the rest on a credit card you will still be saving money or just pay it up front. But the cancel at any time is pretty cool idea
But this may lead us to buy unlocked devices and not deal with locked bootloaders....
AutoUnion said:
This is a ripoff. Why is everyone trying to follow TMobile's BS? There's a reason why offer crap service.
I'm going to stick with my normal 2 year upgrades. AT&T has always offered me an early upgrade from 6 months-1year at the 2 year price. If that goes away and I have to put up with this BS, I'll be pissed.
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Click to collapse
I am willing to bet that soon that will go away... Not sure how soon but eventually

joshuadjohnson22 said:
I am willing to bet that soon that will go away... Not sure how soon but eventually
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Yeah, this sucks. I might just start paying full price and sell the old phone. Much easier.
some quick calculations
S4 is $32/month. Would have paid $384 in a year.
If I just bought a Galaxy S4 for $629. I could sell it in a year for ~$400, so $229.
or
use your upgrade. $149 is what I spent on my Galaxy S4. Sell it for $450 in the Fall, pick up GNote3 on CL, etc. $500-550. Only out about ~$100-150. Sell GNote3 in the Spring for $450-500 for GS5.

AutoUnion said:
Yeah, this sucks. I might just start paying full price and sell the old phone. Much easier.
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same here, as I posted above... why not get the international unlocked version and be able to flash out of the box? Now with international phone having LTE I don't see a need to get carrier phones if it will cost us so much

joshuadjohnson22 said:
same here, as I posted above... why not get the international unlocked version and be able to flash out of the box? Now with international phone having LTE I don't see a need to get carrier phones if it will cost us so much
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I wonder if this also means that those early upgrades they used to give to iPhone owners are gone to. I have iPhones on the other lines on my family plan, so if I don't have an upgrade, I could bank on using one of those

AutoUnion said:
I wonder if this also means that those early upgrades they used to give to iPhone owners are gone to. I have iPhones on the other lines on my family plan, so if I don't have an upgrade, I could bank on using one of those
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I think those things will die off slowly. But I doubt it will be right away

I'm curious to see what else they talk about at their keynote.
I would really like them to do what US Cellular did. They brought back Unlimited Data, but it's ONLY valid for the 2 year contract length. After that, it's gone. If you try to break your contract, the ETF is $$$$. Let them charge $40/month for it. Still worth it over Sprint/TMobile, IMO

AutoUnion said:
I'm curious to see what else they talk about at their keynote.
I would really like them to do what US Cellular did. They brought back Unlimited Data, but it's ONLY valid for the 2 year contract length. After that, it's gone. If you try to break your contract, the ETF is $$$$. Let them charge $40/month for it. Still worth it over Sprint/TMobile, IMO
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It will be "Blah Blah Blah we want more of your money... Blah .... we will take it with force if we have to.... Blah .... what are you going to do about it... Blah Blah.... bend over and take it.... Blah I will be charging you a fee for listening to this keynote it will appear on your bill as a $10 Keynote charge... This will be added to your monthly bill to pay for future keynotes"

I think it's nice for it to be an option. Myself, I just buy out of contract if given a choice. It's nice to offer this and the traditional plan so some people who cant afford a phone outright can get one.
All the carriers new deals are all including trading in smartphones as of late. Usually you get ripped off as you can sell it yourself for more $. Selling my year and a half old iPhone 4S almost paid for my S4 in full out of contract..

20 month = same as unlocked upfront
12 month and upgrade to newer phone = 60% of cost one year lease... what a ripoff
Well it is AT&T

AT&T users better read the fine print before rejoicing. You’re still paying the same high monthly contract price for your no-contract plan. AT&T is double dipping into your wallet when those contract monthly plans has a subsidized phone calculated into them but you’re paying full price for the phone.
AT&T Mobile No Contract.
$70/m unlimited talk.
$20/m unlimted text.
$30/m 3GB data plan.
$32/m Samsung S4 monthly payment Next program.
+$10/m device insurance.
——————————-
$162
Compare with T-Mobile, and the price you pay for unlimited talk, text, and true unlimited, you’re just paying for the talk unlimited portion on AT&T. Not to mention, the insurance is built into the Tmo Jump program.
T-Mobile
$50/m unlimited talk/text.
$20/m unlimited data plan.
$20/m Samsung S4 monthly payment.
$10/m Jump program (includes premium device insurance).
——————————-
$100/m

I guess Att thinks we can't do simple math.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

This is the most telling story I've seen about it so far...
http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/16/4528404/att-next-phone-upgrade-plans-a-huge-ripoff

mr_blanket said:
This is the most telling story I've seen about it so far...
http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/16/4528404/att-next-phone-upgrade-plans-a-huge-ripoff
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We all needs to repost this. Att needs to know we are not going for this crap.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

nthknd said:
We all needs to repost this. Att needs to know we are not going for this crap.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
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Absolutely. Repost, Facebook, Tweet, Link, +1, etc. Maybe this will cause a Xbox One-like backlash.
What I hate the most is that the majority of the people on this forum are stuck with AT&T until 2015 :crying:

You guys do realize this is an OPTION right? They are not forcing you to take this deal. Verizon also has a deal starting like this one as well. At least att is not forcing those with unlimited data to lose it when they want an upgrade like big red does. Att has always given OPTIONS unlike other carriers who force things down your throat. Remember that when you start typing your rant about how att sucks.
Also when was anything perfect at launch? I'm sure as time goes on and voices are heard, this plan will get made to make more sense.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

While it is an option, for now at least, so many people will fall for this scheme. People like my iPhone loving mother who is persuaded by "as seen on TV" adds will probably fall for this no matter what I say. Or teenage girls who beg their parents for the latest and greatest.
All they have to say is "NEW DEVICE EVERY YEAR". That's it. People will be overjoyed and they will make billions. Only our small subset of users will actually do the math.

Yeah att is simply bartering...if your selling something at a garage sale you always start with a high price and slowly lower until you reach an agrrement...att wants to make as much money as possible so they will start high and hopefully lower to find a price they still make profit and that people will go for...and as stated this plan is only a choice, we arent being forced to use the next plan
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

I have a $285 etf right now
Say I early upgrade to a s3 mini at $12/mo ($250 full price) with the next promo. I can just pay off the $250 and leave with no penalty? Cheaper than paying my etf and I can sell those phones as new because I wouldn't keep them.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

T-Mobile for nexus 5

Ok so i plan on getting the $30 tmobile plan on the nexus 5 but that 100 minute thing is going to kill me. what can i do as an alternative?

havy15 said:
Ok so i plan on getting the $30 tmobile plan on the nexus 5 but that 100 minute thing is going to kill me. what can i do as an alternative?
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As an alternative you can.... not get it.

buy 40$ refills since minutes after 100 are 10c per min. Then whatever you dont use is carried over. I usually use 34$ a month.

havy15 said:
Ok so i plan on getting the $30 tmobile plan on the nexus 5 but that 100 minute thing is going to kill me. what can i do as an alternative?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume this is a non-contract plan? Do they have more that are non-contract? T-Mobile, in my opinion, has royally screwed its customers. By not allowing customers to upgrade their phones the old way (getting a phone for next to nothing when the customers signs a new 2 year agreement). And their customer service, in my opinion (again) used to be amazing. It has gone to complete crap.
I left them, in contract, so I was happy to pay the 200$ early termination fee to get rid of them.
Doesn't TMobile now have non-contract plans for every new customer? I am not too familiar with them now, since I switched, but I thought this was the case?
---------- Post added at 01:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:59 PM ----------
overlord727 said:
buy 40$ refills since minutes after 100 are 10c per min. Then whatever you dont use is carried over. I usually use 34$ a month.
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Ahh I fellow Maryland-er, in the same city as me... Good deal.

gsteelx said:
I assume this is a non-contract plan? Do they have more that are non-contract? T-Mobile, in my opinion, has royally screwed its customers. By not allowing customers to upgrade their phones the old way (getting a phone for next to nothing when the customers signs a new 2 year agreement). And their customer service, in my opinion (again) used to be amazing. It has gone to complete crap.
I left them, in contract, so I was happy to pay the 200$ early termination fee to get rid of them.
Doesn't TMobile now have non-contract plans for every new customer? I am not too familiar with them now, since I switched, but I thought this was the case?
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Click to collapse
yeah its non contract now. and since they bought out metro they have increased their coverage. which i live in Cali so i heard its good reception.

overlord727 said:
buy 40$ refills since minutes after 100 are 10c per min. Then whatever you dont use is carried over. I usually use 34$ a month.
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i heard there are apps you can use though but i tried googling they said google voice, but some say it doesn't work.

umm
havy15 said:
Ok so i plan on getting the $30 tmobile plan on the nexus 5 but that 100 minute thing is going to kill me. what can i do as an alternative?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe not go with that plan?

havy15 said:
Ok so i plan on getting the $30 tmobile plan on the nexus 5 but that 100 minute thing is going to kill me. what can i do as an alternative?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are other choices - might I kindly suggest that you "skim" thru this thread with extensive info & how-to's, etc. - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2476995&page=82 (yes, I know & understand that, like most, "we" all hate to read to try to understand how things work .. )
You did NOT indicate what your data needs or usage pattern are - but if you plan to use the Nexus 5 for lots of mobile air minutes to talk, there are unlimited plans for that. Priced accordingly & competitively, they do vary & might / might not have good coverage for your location.
There is Straight Talk, Simple Mobile, and the Walmart plan ... Lately, Target has its own exclusive "Brightspot" plans. Like here - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2511152&page=3
Or, do as I say & listen to what I do - leave a reserve fund (like a credit line) for excess minute charges to be deducted once you go over & yes, T-Mo will SMS alert you and you can do short codes to check your account status.
The "Search" button here on XDA - it does miracle finds, usually & often - use it. Have a nice day !

gsteelx said:
I assume this is a non-contract plan? Do they have more that are non-contract? T-Mobile, in my opinion, has royally screwed its customers. By not allowing customers to upgrade their phones the old way (getting a phone for next to nothing when the customers signs a new 2 year agreement). And their customer service, in my opinion (again) used to be amazing. It has gone to complete crap.
I left them, in contract, so I was happy to pay the 200$ early termination fee to get rid of them.
Doesn't TMobile now have non-contract plans for every new customer? I am not too familiar with them now, since I switched, but I thought this was the case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all (new) plans from tmobile are non-contract
Tmobile basically separated the phone subsidy with the phone line.
(I don't know the exact numbers, but someone can chime in)
Before, you would be paying $130{?} for 2 lines on t-mobile. now, you'll be paying $80 for 2 lines. You can CHOOSE to finance two Samsung Galaxy S4 phones @ $25/month for 24 months with $0 down, which gives you a monthly fee of $130, similar to before... but the extra $25 a month stops exactly after 24 months. you just can also choose not to take the "free" phone...
As you said, you aren't happy with what T-mobile is doing, then go back to the other 3 carriers (which do the same contract thing. though at&t finally follow t-mobile and added a off-contract $15 discount)... I'm happy with what T-mobile is doing...

paperWastage said:
all (new) plans from tmobile are non-contract
Tmobile basically separated the phone subsidy with the phone line.
(I don't know the exact numbers, but someone can chime in)
Before, you would be paying $130{?} for 2 lines on t-mobile. now, you'll be paying $80 for 2 lines. You can CHOOSE to finance two Samsung Galaxy S4 phones @ $25/month for 24 months with $0 down, which gives you a monthly fee of $130, similar to before... but the extra $25 a month stops exactly after 24 months. you just can also choose not to take the "free" phone...
As you said, you aren't happy with what T-mobile is doing, then go back to the other 3 carriers (which do the same contract thing)... I'm happy with what T-mobile is doing...
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I am on another carrier now.
Who would finance a phone? That's asinine. I mean if you have to do it, you have to do it, but that doesn't make sense to me.
For me, I was with T-Mobile for 7+ years. I felt as though I got screwed. It may be good for new customers, but not previous customers. It was a big slap in the face for long time customers.

gsteelx said:
Yeah, I am on another carrier now.
Who would finance a phone? That's asinine. I mean if you have to do it, you have to do it, but that doesn't make sense to me.
For me, I was with T-Mobile for 7+ years. I felt as though I got screwed. It may be good for new customers, but not previous customers. It was a big slap in the face for long time customers.
Click to expand...
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and you are just playing into the trap that AT&T/Verizon/Sprint/{T-mobile} have been playing for the past 10x years.... let the customers get "free" phones every 2 years, but hide the cost within the phone line
now, it's separate... it's the same price as before, just that customers can choose to finance a phone, or not finance a phone(and save $25/month). if you can't see that you have better choices, then sorry, AT&T/Verizon/Sprint would love you. you are the customer that they want
if you had a grandfathered plan, t-mobile would actually give you a better deal(than new customers), to entice you to switch
http://slickdeals.net/f/6340984-heads-up-t-mobile-grandfathered-plans-are-being-eliminated

paperWastage said:
and you are just playing into the trap that AT&T/Verizon/Sprint/{T-mobile} have been playing for the past 10x years.... let the customers get "free" phones every 2 years, but hide the cost within the phone line
now, it's separate... it's the same price as before, just that customers can choose to finance a phone, or not finance a phone(and save $25/month). if you can't see that you have better choices, then sorry, AT&T/Verizon/Sprint would love you
if you had a grandfathered plan, t-mobile would actually give you a better deal(than new customers), to entice you to switch
http://slickdeals.net/f/6340984-heads-up-t-mobile-grandfathered-plans-are-being-eliminated
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Click to collapse
You could be right, but I am happy with that way of doing business... No worries.

yeah im on verizon now and its just ridiculous .

I'm not going to read the T-Mobile$30 plan thread since I have a working solution.
But for my daughter I set her up with a Callcentric number, Google Voice and Google Voice Callback (available in the Amazon app store) and now she receives and makes all calls over IP.
I find the quality ok when I talk to her though occasionally there are voice delays when I'm using internet calling also.