Notice Of Administrative Charge Increase
Effective 1/1/2012, the monthly Verizon Wireless Administrative Charge for voice and email plans will increase from $0.83 to $0.99 per line for all eligible customers. The charge for Mobile Broadband customers will remain at $.06. For information regarding this charge, call 1-888-684-1888. Please consult your Customer Agreement for information about rate changes.
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Will this make us eligible to terminate our contract without an ETF and go month to month? I would definitely be interested in re-signing a new contract for another phone.
They did this back in 2008 to the same fee and it was possible to cancel. Actually getting to Verizon to do it is a different story.
http://consumerist.com/2008/04/esca...-based-on-administrative-charge-increase.html
Well my question more specifically is...can I basically end my 2 year contractual commitment and go month to month due to this change? Or do I have to cancel completely and move to another carrier?
I have no desire to break my contract but I wouldn't mind getting them to offer me some freebies to not do it.
On the other hand, if I got out of the contract and something happened to my phone I could get a new one at a reasonable price so it could be my insurance. Hmmm...
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
feralicious said:
I have no desire to break my contract but I wouldn't mind getting them to offer me some freebies to not do it.
On the other hand, if I got out of the contract and something happened to my phone I could get a new one at a reasonable price so it could be my insurance. Hmmm...
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk
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That's exactly what I'm interested in. I'm wondering if it will basically let me get a new phone at a subsidized price anytime I want since I'm off contract. Essentially an upgrade available immediately for me.
You would probably lose your unlimited data and get on the 2/4Gb plan.... by having to start a new month to month contract.
Cares said:
That's exactly what I'm interested in. I'm wondering if it will basically let me get a new phone at a subsidized price anytime I want since I'm off contract. Essentially an upgrade available immediately for me.
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Month-to-month customers rarely get discounted devices. Generally you will have to pay full price for a new phone. It wouldn't be worth it. And I agree that you would lose your unlimited data that way. On the other hand, if you break your contract, you could possibly come back in a week or so and sign up for a new one to get a discounted phone.
WasabiWa83 said:
Month-to-month customers rarely get discounted devices. Generally you will have to pay full price for a new phone. It wouldn't be worth it. And I agree that you would lose your unlimited data that way. On the other hand, if you break your contract, you could possibly come back in a week or so and sign up for a new one to get a discounted phone.
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That's exactly what I meant. Stay month-to-month until a new phone comes out and resign a 2 year for a fully subsidized line.
If you break contract you are at the will of Verzion. If they decide they want to raise your price, reduce your data, etc, they can do it. The only thing keeping you in the plan you have now is the fact they have to honor their end of the deal too.
I will try this tonight. I have a line that I keep suspended, so this would be a great out for me.
H3Dude said:
You would probably lose your unlimited data and get on the 2/4Gb plan.... by having to start a new month to month contract.
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And there it is who would want to be on a more expensive data plan.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
WasabiWa83 said:
Month-to-month customers rarely get discounted devices. Generally you will have to pay full price for a new phone. It wouldn't be worth it. And I agree that you would lose your unlimited data that way. On the other hand, if you break your contract, you could possibly come back in a week or so and sign up for a new one to get a discounted phone.
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Which is only a slight discount from buying it outright in the beginning.
VZW charges $299 for these devices with a $350 ETF that drops $10 a month. Same $649 either way - you're just paying for your freedom in advance.
Superguy said:
Which is only a slight discount from buying it outright in the beginning.
VZW charges $299 for these devices with a $350 ETF that drops $10 a month. Same $649 either way - you're just paying for your freedom in advance.
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But we're talking about getting to break the contract without the ETF and we already have a phone. So I paid 1 penny for my phone and am on a 2 year contract. If I got out of contract and went month to month without the ETF and lose my phone then it will only cost me $150 to get a new phone with a new contract at Amazon or Wirefly. I don't know why people pay more and buy at Verizon.
The issue would be what they would charge you for a plan month to month - or if they even offer that option, they might just say see ya - and if you keep unlimited data if you already have it.
Regardless of who you buy your phone from, in the end we'll all be dealing with Verizon in the end. The .01 Rezound was a deal for new customers only/new lines only I believe. I'm not going to buy from wirefly or any of those retailers. I don't think Costco reduces the price of the phone too much when it first comes out. I do know they generally offer nice bundles for pretty much the same price though. With my company I do get more $ off my devices ranging from $50 - $100. Not sure if other places can apply that discount or not. Imo I don't see what the big deal is from such a minuscule bump in price. When we signed up with Verizon we all knew we were going to pay the highest rates already to begin with. Slight price increase with the 4-5 years I've been with them, I frankly could care less. You pay what you get for imo. If you people want to terminate and sign back up to get a subsidized phone you can try. I'm pretty sure they have some policy or regulation in place that will prevent such scenario. Well! Good luck to those that decide to go down this path.
feralicious said:
But we're talking about getting to break the contract without the ETF and we already have a phone. So I paid 1 penny for my phone and am on a 2 year contract. If I got out of contract and went month to month without the ETF and lose my phone then it will only cost me $150 to get a new phone with a new contract at Amazon or Wirefly. I don't know why people pay more and buy at Verizon.
The issue would be what they would charge you for a plan month to month - or if they even offer that option, they might just say see ya - and if you keep unlimited data if you already have it.
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since you haven't had your rezound for 6 months, amazon would charge you their ETF. When they don't get their monthly commision for your line, they will come after you.
nrfitchett4 said:
since you haven't had your rezound for 6 months, amazon would charge you their ETF. When they don't get their monthly commision for your line, they will come after you.
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Not true. I work at Best Buy mobile. We get payed by Verizon as long as they sign there contract and don't return and cancel with in 14 days. I assume this is the same at Verizon.
zetsumeikuro said:
Regardless of who you buy your phone from, in the end we'll all be dealing with Verizon in the end. The .01 Rezound was a deal for new customers only/new lines only I believe. I'm not going to buy from wirefly or any of those retailers. I don't think Costco reduces the price of the phone too much when it first comes out. I do know they generally offer nice bundles for pretty much the same price though. With my company I do get more $ off my devices ranging from $50 - $100. Not sure if other places can apply that discount or not. Imo I don't see what the big deal is from such a minuscule bump in price. When we signed up with Verizon we all knew we were going to pay the highest rates already to begin with. Slight price increase with the 4-5 years I've been with them, I frankly could care less. You pay what you get for imo. If you people want to terminate and sign back up to get a subsidized phone you can try. I'm pretty sure they have some policy or regulation in place that will prevent such scenario. Well! Good luck to those that decide to go down this path.
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Pretty sure the 1 penny deal was for any new contract, existing customers or new, but that's neither here nor there. I only brought up the price I paid cuz the poster I was responding to was adding up costs.
As to the additional costs, I could care less about pennies more per month, but if it creates a way to lose the 2 year commitment that would be cool since that would allow me to replace the phone for only $149 if something should happen to it. Most likely I won't do anything about it, I'll wait and see if anyone else reports back successfully. I've already had so much good luck getting this phone I may be pushing things. I got refunded $199.98 from Amazon when it went on sale, ordered it with the mhs to get the Amazon $100 gift card for which I found no fine print stating I had to keep it for any length of time, then found the unlimited data plan trick so bumped up my mhs to unlimited to get that. I really needed a new phone too so I made out like a bandit! Oh, and moms got me a 64gb card for xmas (she actually thought it was a boring gift, lol). Now I just have to get brave enough to root.
nrfitchett4 said:
since you haven't had your rezound for 6 months, amazon would charge you their ETF. When they don't get their monthly commision for your line, they will come after you.
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I thought about that, but if Verizon is the one breaking the terms perhaps there's an out and they would be held responsible. However, I suppose they would just subsidize that pennies per month cost to keep the contract valid if it came to that.
Related
I don't think I've ever bought a phone upon it's release date. Last time I bought from VZW was in my pre-Eris days when I had an LG VX8700 (still my fav non-smart-phone).
Anyway, in anticipation of this TBolt launch, where would you guys expect to see the best pricing? I don't know if the corporate stores, Amazon or Best Buy, or VZW online or a satellite kiosk traditionally have the best pricing/rebates, etc.>
Just looking for the most bang for my buck I guess.
I do find it ridiculous that they've not announced pricing. If they are "coming soon" they have to know this crap.
if your looking for online then go for Wirefly if your also getting a new contract( i wouldnt but thats me)
of if your looking for full price either amazon or bestbuy. i suspect it will be sold out quick so bestbuy's preorder would make sure you get dibs
superchilpil said:
if your looking for online then go for Wirefly if your also getting a new contract( i wouldnt but thats me)
of if your looking for full price either amazon or bestbuy. i suspect it will be sold out quick so bestbuy's preorder would make sure you get dibs
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Yeah, I'll be doing a new contract, NO way in hellz I'm going to pay full retail for the bugger.
I wonder if BB will let me in on their "buy back" program for free if I pre-order this week. I guess that new service is free this week only. ?
I will find out.
chimpsnest said:
Yeah, I'll be doing a new contract, NO way in hellz I'm going to pay full retail for the bugger.
I wonder if BB will let me in on their "buy back" program for free if I pre-order this week. I guess that new service is free this week only. ?
I will find out.
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Im paying full $600+
id say Wirefly as they give a ridiculous discount. but dont break their contract or you will be paying out the ass to them
Been with VZW since '98, I doubt I'll jump ship in the next 24 months. I just need to make sure that whatever I do w/the phone it does NOT affect my monthly pricing (I've got that great 69.99 plan for unlimited text, data, 450 minutes and 5 friends and family #'s).
Wirefly is good on some phones, but Amazon is sometimes better with their discounts.
I will be adding two of these to an existing plan, and porting numbers over from ATT, so I think I will see who offers the best deal. Including calling VZW directly and pitching them whatever lowest price I find online.
ATT's sales/retention has always matched Amazon prices for me in the past and without the pesky secondary ETF to worry about.
chimpsnest said:
Been with VZW since '98, I doubt I'll jump ship in the next 24 months. I just need to make sure that whatever I do w/the phone it does NOT affect my monthly pricing (I've got that great 69.99 plan for unlimited text, data, 450 minutes and 5 friends and family #'s).
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how do you get that plan cause im gonna be a new costumer but dont want to pay 90 dollars for the same plan.
aodmisery said:
how do you get that plan cause im gonna be a new costumer but dont want to pay 90 dollars for the same plan.
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Its probably grandfathered in from long ago. Much like ATT will let you keep an existing unlimited data plan, but they no longer offer it to new customers.
aodmisery said:
how do you get that plan cause im gonna be a new costumer but dont want to pay 90 dollars for the same plan.
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It was a special pricing plan but it ended on 1/31. You had to be "invited" by VZW to get it -or- had to call in to customer service and ask REAL nice about their loyalty program.
My contract was due to be up this year, so I think that's how I got it.
Does anyone know? I know they can't be done, but is there some level of customer service that can still provide one-year contracts? The death of one-year contracts is pernicious and unfortunate, especially when corporate discounts so often put the one-year price at only 30 or so dollars over the two year.
tekhna said:
Does anyone know? I know they can't be done, but is there some level of customer service that can still provide one-year contracts? The death of one-year contracts is pernicious and unfortunate, especially when corporate discounts so often put the one-year price at only 30 or so dollars over the two year.
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sadly i think the one year contracts are done for, it is sad. i love verizon but our bill is far to expensive anymore. id move back to sprint to save some $$ but i cannot afford the eft's on two lines.
mighty_markus12 said:
sadly i think the one year contracts are done for, it is sad. i love verizon but our bill is far to expensive anymore. id move back to sprint to save some $$ but i cannot afford the eft's on two lines.
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I left Sprint when I realized that Verizon actually ended up costing the same, or less, for our 4 lines of service once Sprint added in their 10$/smartphone fee.
sprint was about $40-50 cheaper for me.
I could save a ton of money by switching to sprint, but their service is so bad around my area it is virtually unuseable.
jmorton10 said:
I could save a ton of money by switching to sprint, but their service is so bad around my area it is virtually unuseable.
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same here, that's why i left them last summer.
Alright, well that's great--Sprint sucks, but it's cheaper. Alas, one-year contracts with Sprint are dead too, so let us never discuss that wretched company again.
yeah one year contracts are dunzo, no way to get them at all.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA App
One year contracts, as far as equipment upgrades are concerned, are completely done. If a rep is gonna offer you equipment as a save option, it will come with a 2 year agreement or at full retail (there is also the Certified Pre Owned option, but that's another story and doesn't have a 1 year deal).
There are some save options, as far as Friends and Family for non-qualifying plan or bonus minutes/texts, that do require a 1 year agreement if you accept, but they are unrelated to equipment. Of course, it's been several months since I stopped working for VZW, so things may have changed.
jmorton10 said:
I could save a ton of money by switching to sprint, but their service is so bad around my area it is virtually unuseable.
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Exactly how I feel. I had the EVO4G with Sprint but did not want to go for another contract. It's true they offer unlimited data for a significantly cheaper cost than Verizon, but what's unlimited data worth if you can't use it? With Verizon, I am paying $30 more than I was paying to Sprint, but at least, I can play my music with MOG Music. I felt so frustrated with sprint because I was paying $10/month for my MOG subscription without being able to use it on Sprint Network.
Wendemixda said:
Exactly how I feel. I had the EVO4G with Sprint but did not want to go for another contract. It's true they offer unlimited data for a significantly cheaper cost than Verizon, but what's unlimited data worth if you can't use it? With Verizon, I am paying $30 more than I was paying to Sprint, but at least, I can play my music with MOG Music. I felt so frustrated with sprint because I was paying $10/month for my MOG subscription without being able to use it on Sprint Network.
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My biggest problem with sprint is the spectrum they use. Wimax is a joke indoors on a phone. Move 2 feet to the side and it would drop to 3g. What frequency are the building lte out on?
Sent from my Rezound using Tapatalk
tekhna said:
Does anyone know? I know they can't be done, but is there some level of customer service that can still provide one-year contracts? The death of one-year contracts is pernicious and unfortunate, especially when corporate discounts so often put the one-year price at only 30 or so dollars over the two year.
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I sent a letter directly to Mr. Mead voicing this exact thing. They stated that they removed 1-year contracts because no one actually used them. When the truth is that VZW's business model made reps always push you into a 2 year for the added commission.
It's really been downhill for VZW. First they got rid of Annual Online Upgrades, New Every Two, Unlimited Data, and then finally one year contracts. I've been planning to send out a few more emails to executives, maybe if we all voice our disappointment?
isdnmatt said:
I sent a letter directly to Mr. Mead voicing this exact thing. They stated that they removed 1-year contracts because no one actually used them. When the truth is that VZW's business model made reps always push you into a 2 year for the added commission.
It's really been downhill for VZW. First they got rid of Annual Online Upgrades, New Every Two, Unlimited Data, and then finally one year contracts. I've been planning to send out a few more emails to executives, maybe if we all voice our disappointment?
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I actually wouldn't be surprised if people didn't use them, people aren't very smart about their money. It's a no-brainer though if you've got most corporate discounts. And most people don't care about their phone that much to upgrade very year.
It's been downhill since the iPhone. Let's be clear about what caused the problem! I think it's probably too late for them to bring one-year contracts back, but I was wondering since they did promos like this http://www.droid-life.com/2011/07/07/verizon-offers-1-year-contracts-to-out-of-contract-customers/ last summer when one-years were supposedly dead, if they'd do them again. But that was a while ago.
I'd rather just have a European pricing model where I pay for my phone outright and have a smaller monthly bill.
I actually move from ATT to VZ because of the Droid Inc and got it on a one year contract (paid $30 extra for the phone). It's almost been a year since my contract has expired and I don't want to upgrade because of the 2-year contract policy and also since phones are moving so fast, if I wait 6 months for a price drop like the rezound, everyone has already moved onto another phone. Lol.
Side Note: My wife is on the Eris and I'm thinking about getting a Rezound for her. Is it easy to root and flash a custom rom on it?
AT&T is the only I know that offered a 1 year contract, and was typically online only thru Premier. They kept making them harder to get.
I refuse to sign a 2 year contract based on how Verizon treated me in 2004. When you think about it, the ETF difference is virtually the different in phone price buying off contract. So you're paying for it one way or another. I will say I have found that on AT&T and Verizon, they treat you better if you DON'T have a contract. You can threaten to walk out that door immediately and mean it. That puts a lot more power back in the consumers' hands.
I just looked into it to upgrade my finace to a S4 and they said not only do you have to pay the full device price(spread out over 24 months) but then you have to trade in your "old" device and get nothing in return? WTF. If I'm going to give you a device you are going to give me some money for it. Not to mention, other carriers knock off money on your bill for paying for your own phone, but not VZW. Geez. This company makes me wonder more and more why I am with them.
Sorry to vent, I just can't believe what they charge for. And I have been a customer since 2005.
1454 said:
I just looked into it to upgrade my finace to a S4 and they said not only do you have to pay the full device price(spread out over 24 months) but then you have to trade in your "old" device and get nothing in return? WTF. If I'm going to give you a device you are going to give me some money for it. Not to mention, other carriers knock off money on your bill for paying for your own phone, but not VZW. Geez. This company makes me wonder more and more why I am with them.
Sorry to vent, I just can't believe what they charge for. And I have been a customer since 2005.
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You are only forced to trade the old device in if you haven't paid the full price for it. With Edge, you're eligible for an upgrade every 6 months (providing that 50% of the device's retail price has been paid). If you keep the phone for 24 months (or pay it off early), you're able to keep the phone when you get a new device.
I think what they're looking at is more of a phone rental system. You pay monthly for the phone until it's half paid, and then trade it in for a new phone. It pretty much looks like a car lease.
Cilraaz said:
You are only forced to trade the old device in if you haven't paid the full price for it. With Edge, you're eligible for an upgrade every 6 months (providing that 50% of the device's retail price has been paid). If you keep the phone for 24 months (or pay it off early), you're able to keep the phone when you get a new device.
I think what they're looking at is more of a phone rental system. You pay monthly for the phone until it's half paid, and then trade it in for a new phone. It pretty much looks like a car lease.
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Pretty much sums it up accurately. For the most part the consumers have been the ones driving this trend fighting tooth and nail over the early termination fees and 2 year contracts.
Good job explaining it.:highfive:
Cilraaz said:
You are only forced to trade the old device in if you haven't paid the full price for it. With Edge, you're eligible for an upgrade every 6 months (providing that 50% of the device's retail price has been paid). If you keep the phone for 24 months (or pay it off early), you're able to keep the phone when you get a new device.
I think what they're looking at is more of a phone rental system. You pay monthly for the phone until it's half paid, and then trade it in for a new phone. It pretty much looks like a car lease.
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Well then the CS rep I talked to yesterday doesn't know crap. Not surprising, but still. The we have about 8 months left on her contract for her driod 4, and she said for me to take advantage of the "edge" program I would have to trade that device in and pay my monthly installments for the S4. I would consider upgrading her early but the battery has taken a crap and I don't trust vzws return warehouse to not screw up again. So I was just going to use edge for her. But I'm not giving them a free device that I agreed to a two year contract over. I would rather just pay cash for the device than do that. So I guess they don't train their people for crap anymore.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
stein5830 said:
Pretty much sums it up accurately. For the most part the consumers have been the ones driving this trend fighting tooth and nail over the early termination fees and 2 year contracts.
Good job explaining it.:highfive:
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Huh? I'm fine with a contract. I'm also fine paying full price. But if I am going to pay full price for the device I should get an extra discount like what tmo gives. If that is where you are going with the comment. I'm not sure 100% what you're getting at.
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Cilraaz said:
You are only forced to trade the old device in if you haven't paid the full price for it. With Edge, you're eligible for an upgrade every 6 months (providing that 50% of the device's retail price has been paid). If you keep the phone for 24 months (or pay it off early), you're able to keep the phone when you get a new device.
I think what they're looking at is more of a phone rental system. You pay monthly for the phone until it's half paid, and then trade it in for a new phone. It pretty much looks like a car lease.
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1454 said:
Huh? I'm fine with a contract. I'm also fine paying full price. But if I am going to pay full price for the device I should get an extra discount like what tmo gives. If that is where you are going with the comment. I'm not sure 100% what you're getting at.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
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Sorry: To clarify, when you sign up for service you sign a two year contract, but at the end of those two years, unless you pay full price for a phone, you will be signing another two year agreement. At this point the carriers are acknowledging that users want phones more often than two years but two not want to pay full price. So in a sense you can know rent you phone and get a new one once you have paid ~50% of the full cost, however long that takes you (so long as it is more than 6 months).
stein5830 said:
Sorry: To clarify, when you sign up for service you sign a two year contract, but at the end of those two years, unless you pay full price for a phone, you will be signing another two year agreement. At this point the carriers are acknowledging that users want phones more often than two years but two not want to pay full price. So in a sense you can know rent you phone and get a new one once you have paid ~50% of the full cost, however long that takes you (so long as it is more than 6 months).
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Oh, I see more of what you are getting at now. Sorry, I'm sometimes a little slow.
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A little caviar the rep might not have told you: you have to be OUT of contract to begin with to start edge
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reinaldistic said:
A little caviar the rep might not have told you: you have to be OUT of contract to begin with to start edge
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
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Nope, she didn't. Thanks for the heads up.
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Not sure if anyone really cares or not but I just knocked $105 off my AT&T Family plan bill with their new Mobile Share Value Plans.
I'm not a sales agent for AT&T, I'm just letting my fellow XDA users know.
https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html#fbid=K-dU-76XrWB
This is a real deal if you have a large family plan like i do with 5 lines and all smartphones. I was able to lower my bill to $192 a month from $306 the previous month with one phone call. And even better we are getting 10gigs a month now vs the 6gigs i was on.
I know I'm going to take some heat for spamming the board but if one person saves some money I'll be happy
ok flame away
Not sure if its worth giving up an unlimited data plan for this plan.
Ya, I saw those plans, heck, it's even worth it for just 2 lines and 10Gig, $100+$15+$15=$130. I am paying 70 for my single line and only 2gig of data. I know, everyone will tell me to go to a prepay, but I HAVE to have the microcell so I am stuck.
lemonz23 said:
Not sure if its worth giving up an unlimited data plan for this plan.
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yeah .. unfortunately we lost are unlimited plans back in 2009 when we all got iPhone's
clsA said:
yeah .. unfortunately we lost are unlimited plans back in 2009 when we all got iPhone's
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Unl plans are caped at 3 GB... Then u get the slowest speed...
10 GB = $100 + 15 per device
15 GB = $130 + 15 per device
Completely worth it. Now if you do an upgrade after moving to the plan instead of paying 15 for that line you will pay 40... they are trying to cope somehow how T-Mobile works.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
I went ahead and jumped on this. I had to give up 1 unlimited (LTE) data plan, which was throttled after 5GBs anyway. I think it's worth it to save $90/month.
We went to the value plan. Only two lines, so no massive savings. Went to from 6 to 10 GB for $10 cheaper
I was under the impression that once you switched to one of these plans, you no longer would get subsidized phone upgrades. Correct? In other words, the next time you want to upgrade you basically are on the AT&T Next setup (full unsubsidized price of phone broken out over x payments)
chp said:
I was under the impression that once you switched to one of these plans, you no longer would get subsidized phone upgrades. Correct? In other words, the next time you want to upgrade you basically are on the AT&T Next setup (full unsubsidized price of phone broken out over x payments)
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This is correct. Also, if you have currently been in contract for 6 months, they will allow a switch to AT&T Next. I feel it will not be long before they completely go to this method, especially with T-Mobile and others doing much the same.
Ive held on to my 2 line unlimited everything plan for years, paying about $185 before taxes and fees. I think it makes sense to go for this new plan, which drops the price down to $150 while sharing 10gigs. i've only ever gone over 3gigs in a month two times.
codejunkie83 said:
This is correct. Also, if you have currently been in contract for 6 months, they will allow a switch to AT&T Next. I feel it will not be long before they completely go to this method, especially with T-Mobile and others doing much the same.
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Okay, so if that is the case, it seems like you will only save money if you do not intend to take advantage of subsidized upgrades in the future (assuming still available).
chp said:
Okay, so if that is the case, it seems like you will only save money if you do not intend to take advantage of subsidized upgrades in the future (assuming still available).
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From a purely monetary standpoint, yes - however, when you compare the data that you receive (10 GB vs 4/6GB), you are still saving money if you use that much data. But without taking advantage of the subsidized upgrades, you would most likely even out.
chp said:
I was under the impression that once you switched to one of these plans, you no longer would get subsidized phone upgrades. Correct? In other words, the next time you want to upgrade you basically are on the AT&T Next setup (full unsubsidized price of phone broken out over x payments)
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Do you remember where you heard this? It's the first I've heard about this aspect to the new plans, which means I may regret making the switch.
joshfalk said:
Do you remember where you heard this? It's the first I've heard about this aspect to the new plans, which means I may regret making the switch.
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My understanding from the AT&T rep (and my bill) is that each smartphone in the value plans are now $40 per month with a $25 monthly credit, so net $15.
If I upgrade using a Next plan, the $25 credit remains. (Next = a 0% interest loan to purchase the phone over 20 months.)
If I upgrade using a 2-year subsidy, the $25 credit is removed. (Making for a really expensive upgrade-- 24 * $25 + $200 up front = $800 for an iPhone 5S that I could purchase outright for $650.) Not that I'd purchase a 5S, but just an example of how an already overpriced phone just got even more expensive.
Basically, they really do not want people buying subsidized phones, and that's fine with me. I'd rather purchase the phone I want on my own timing and pay for it outright.
Up until the value plans it made sense to do 2-year upgrades because AT&T was already padding their rate plans with the subsidy cost, whether you upgraded or BYOP you paid for it.
Now, it makes more sense to just BYOP.
Yes you have to stay on the next plan, ability to get a new phone yearly or 18 months, to keep the $15/month. I also saved 50% on my phone bill.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
ronf1011 said:
Yes you have to stay on the next plan, ability to get a new phone yearly or 18 months, to keep the $15/month. I also saved 50% on my phone bill.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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This is good news, I was worried that when i upgraded with NEXT it would go from $15 to $40. I guess I should have read into it a little more, but yeah, my family is saving close to $100 since we switched to the value plan.
Love this plan. Switched to it immediately.
The Next program is basically a phone leasing program. So if you pay $30/month for Next18, that $540 is gone when you trade in for the new one. It would be cheaper buying the phone out right then sell it when you wanted to get a new one.
HTCm7One said:
The Next program is basically a phone leasing program. So if you pay $30/month for Next18, that $540 is gone when you trade in for the new one. It would be cheaper buying the phone out right then sell it when you wanted to get a new one.
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+1 and you are still dealing with the bloat. Going unlocked from here on out. These value plans are nice. Thanks @t-mobile! ? and AT&T for falling in line..
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Upgrades?
I changed to the shared plan two months ago, losing my useless unlimited plan. I moved 5 phones. Two of them were eligible for upgrades at the time, but I was holding them for when I really wanted them. I need one now. I went to the ATT website and checked upgrade-ability. The two phones seem like they have subsidized plans available to them. I can also do the Next plan for any of my phones for the same price. So I can pay zero interest for 20 months, have no plan commitment, and pay in full for my daughter's new iphone over 20 months, or I can pay $199 for the phone, a one-time $36 upgrade fee, and commit for another two years of my shared plan. There is no change to the basic rate.
So heres my case, after the 12 months would they take my phone back even tho its rooted and bootloader unlocked? just wondering because im gonna upgrade to the m9!!
HRodMusic said:
So heres my case, after the 12 months would they take my phone back even tho its rooted and bootloader unlocked? just wondering because im gonna upgrade to the m9!!
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yes they will take it back. the reps dont know enough to check for root and unlocked bootloader. all they will check for is if it has "normal" wear and tear as per your at&t next agreement.
freebee269 said:
yes they will take it back. the reps dont know enough to check for root and unlocked bootloader. all they will check for is if it has "normal" wear and tear as per your at&t next agreement.
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chill, ill just make sure i go back to a stock rom. =)
freebee269 said:
yes they will take it back. the reps dont know enough to check for root and unlocked bootloader. all they will check for is if it has "normal" wear and tear as per your at&t next agreement.
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this rep nows well enough :good::good:
just unroot and relock the bootloader lol
Is next worth it? These Damn salesmen keep trying to get my dad to switch and he wants to do it.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
The way Next was explained to me by a customer service rep was this: You get a phone on Next and you pay monthly on it, on the unsubsidized price. As long as you're paying on the phone monthly, you get a discount off of your bill. When you stop paying for the phone, the discount is removed. But you never really own the phone.
So you're stuck constantly renting a phone from AT&T to keep your bill lower. They now have you even more firmly by the balls.
This was how it was explained to me, but not all reps know what they're talking about. So if anybody knows more or differently, feel free to correct me.
Anyway, I used a cross-upgrade to get mine.
rahtrip said:
Is next worth it? These Damn salesmen keep trying to get my dad to switch and he wants to do it.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
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You end up paying more in the long run IF you switch at the halfway point....but if you run the full payment plan then you obviously end up paying the same amount for the phone. That being said, the 2 year contract is ultimately cheaper by several hundred dollars. But of course you have to wait 2 years to get subsidized pricing, and if you're a gadget-addict such as myself then NEXT might be a good deal because you can get a new phone without having to worry about your two year wait period.
Ultimately they make way more money off of you....otherwise they wouldn't offer it
TheEmpyre said:
You end up paying more in the long run IF you switch at the halfway point....but if you run the full payment plan then you obviously end up paying the same amount for the phone. That being said, the 2 year contract is ultimately cheaper by several hundred dollars. But of course you have to wait 2 years to get subsidized pricing, and if you're a gadget-addict such as myself then NEXT might be a good deal because you can get a new phone without having to worry about your two year wait period.
Ultimately they make way more money off of you....otherwise they wouldn't offer it
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Actually, Next is cheaper than a 2 year contract. With Next you pay the full price of $640 plus tax. With a 2 yr contract you pay $800 plus tax... The phone is $200 up front plus you lose the $25/month Next discount and end up paying $600 extra over the term of the contract...so $800 total.
It's win-win for gadget addicts like me. I don't have to worry about losing resale value of I get a scratch or ding...no need to sell it to break even. I can just bring it back and get the new hotness each year.
working for at&t sales for 3 years i find it so awesome looking for phones that are rooted and unlocked. granted when i do see it i let it slide because heck im gonna do the same when i trade mine in lol.
but if they come in complaining about all the stupid issues their having and i find it rooted then i cant help them because theyve got a tmobile phone with an att type rom with tmobile apns and i just sit there and go...if ur gonna root...go learn to read dude.
/gets off soap box
bbunsen said:
Actually, Next is cheaper than a 2 year contract. With Next you pay the full price of $640 plus tax. With a 2 yr contract you pay $800 plus tax... The phone is $200 up front plus you lose the $25/month Next discount and end up paying $600 extra over the term of the contract...so $800 total.
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Not all plans will receive a $25 subsidy. That's only if you pay for one of the more expensive mobile share plans. All plans below, I think 8 GB, only receive a $15 discount. Doing a cursory search of different sites that have done mathematical analysis on NEXT all conclude the two year subsidy is cheaper. Why would AT&T do it if they weren't going to make money hand over fist?
Sent from my HTC One_M8
TheEmpyre said:
Not all plans will receive a $25 subsidy. That's only if you pay for one of the more expensive mobile share plans. All plans below, I think 8 GB, only receive a $15 discount. Doing a cursory search of different sites that have done mathematical analysis on NEXT all conclude the two year subsidy is cheaper. Why would AT&T do it if they weren't going to make money hand over fist?
Sent from my HTC One_M8
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Ok. Well, I did the math myself and Next is cheaper for my lines on the 10GB plan.
Regardless of plan, you pay $40/mo with a contract plus $200 up front for the phone right now. That is $1160 for one line over 2 years. With a $15 subsidy one would pay $1240 over 2 years and with a $25 subsidy it is $1000 over 2 years.
So, after 12 months on Next, one will have spent either $684 or $564 for the line depending on the plan vs $680 with a contract...but with Next you can upgrade to a new just released phone and likely keep paying the same amount monthly.
If you don't want to upgrade early and don't get the 10GB or greater plan, it might not be as good for you...unless you keep your phone longer than 2 years. If you do, Next is better.
I've been buying new phones every year (or sooner) and selling my used ones to help finance the new one. I've been doing so since the Palm Treo 650 days...about 10 years now I guess. [Wow, I'm old.] I know how much money I've lost doing that over the years...even when hopping carriers to do so when ETFs were cheaper. Since I obviously plan on spending extra money to get the latest technology more frequently, this option helps spread out the costs and minimizes risk of not being able to sell a phone for the price I need to keep the ball rolling.
Again, it may not be for everyone.
bbunsen said:
Ok. Well, I did the math myself and Next is cheaper for my lines on the 10GB plan.
Regardless of plan, you pay $40/mo with a contract plus $200 up front for the phone right now. That is $1160 for one line over 2 years. With a $15 subsidy one would pay $1240 over 2 years and with a $25 subsidy it is $1000 over 2 years.
So, after 12 months on Next, one will have spent either $684 or $564 for the line depending on the plan vs $680 with a contract...but with Next you can upgrade to a new just released phone and likely keep paying the same amount monthly.
If you don't want to upgrade early and don't get the 10GB or greater plan, it might not be as good for you...unless you keep your phone longer than 2 years. If you do, Next is better.
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I'm really not trying to start a pointless bickering match here, but for the sake of someone trying to make an informed decision here is my math:
Individual 2 GB Plan: $40 per month for the plan + $25 smartphone charge (includes $15 Subsidy off of the $40 fee) + $25 per month for a premium smartphone. Multipled over 12 months = $1,080
2 Year contract: $65 per month for a smartphone plan, 2 GB data + one time $200 fee, multiply the plan cost over 12 months = $980
The cost of the 2 year contract is cheaper in this case by $100, for an individual, for 2 GB of data.
TheEmpyre said:
I'm really not trying to start a pointless bickering match here, but for the sake of someone trying to make an informed decision here is my math:
Individual 2 GB Plan: $40 per month for the plan + $25 smartphone charge (includes $15 Subsidy off of the $40 fee) + $25 per month for a premium smartphone. Multipled over 12 months = $1,080
2 Year contract: $65 per month for a smartphone plan, 2 GB data + one time $200 fee, multiply the plan cost over 12 months = $980
The cost of the 2 year contract is cheaper in this case by $100, for an individual, for 2 GB of data.
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Click to collapse
I don't want to keep going back and forth here either.
Your math is correct if a 2GB $65 on-contract plan exists, but I don't think it does. They advertise 2GB plans for $65 but that doesn't include a subsidized phone. 1GB on contract for $65 is a possibility and would be slightly cheaper over time if you can live with 1GB per month.
Everyone has different needs and requirements. I am just happy that the US is starting to transform their policies to separate phones and service like many other countries where the cost for mobile data is much more affordable. I've lived places where they dish out data on the cheap and it was glorious. BYOD pricing is getting reasonable and isn't just for MVNOs anymore which is nice.
Bottom line is that AT&T wouldn't invest money in creating and implementing the Next plan if they weren't going to see more profits from it. More profits means the customer pays more or more customers pay more. They aren't doing this as a convenience to their customers - it's about making more money.
Right. Businesses don't make changes to decrease their bottom line unless it is to attract more customers. I believe this is an attempt at gaining more customers and more market share while trying to remain competitive in this changing space. At the same time, I imagine it doesn't hurt them financially.
bbunsen said:
Right. Businesses don't make changes to decrease their bottom line unless it is to attract more customers. I believe this is an attempt at gaining more customers and more market share while trying to remain competitive in this changing space. At the same time, I imagine it doesn't hurt them financially.
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AT&T makes record profits every quarter, I bet they're willing to take a hit for a quarter or two to stop customers from fleeing to T-Mobile.
Me having 5 lines and the 10 GB mobile share it is significantly cheaper for me to do the Next with that $25 discount. When I first converted I didn't had the discount without the Next, but when my contract was up for me to upgrade it was cheaper to do Next than the 2 year contract.
I'll probably pay it off before the year and sell it myself and do another Next when my next phone i want comes out.
edit: ATT doesn't necessarily need to make a killing switching to these plans. If they keep their profits the same, but keep people under contract ( 2 year/or owing money on the Next) longer it makes sense. Carriers fear losing customers more than anything.
TheEmpyre said:
2 Year contract: $65 per month for a smartphone plan, 2 GB data + one time $200 fee, multiply the plan cost over 12 months = $980
The cost of the 2 year contract is cheaper in this case by $100, for an individual, for 2 GB of data.
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2 year contract price for 2 year is $80, $40 for the 2GB and then $40 for smartphone charge.
So AT&T Next with an iPhone 5S on the 20 month plan is $32.50 a month.
Next: ($25+$32.50)20 = $1150
2year: ($40x24)+$236 =$1196
That $236 is including the upgrade or activation fee, which is waived on Next as well.
Edit: I guess this is assuming you do the full ride for each the Next agreement and the 2 year contract. Although with Next you have the CHOICE to turn it in sooner and upgrade sooner, you don't HAVE to, which many people are misinformed about.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
HRodMusic said:
So heres my case, after the 12 months would they take my phone back even tho its rooted and bootloader unlocked? just wondering because im gonna upgrade to the m9!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're going to be upgrading to a new phone release(which is every year) then "Next" is a great option for you.
Reason why is you going to be stuck in a contract with AT&T for two years. And when the M9 or whatever device you might see next year come out you won't be able to upgrade for the new/upgrade 2 year price tag, you would have to pay full retail($600-$800). Most likely you are going to stop using the older device once the new come out so why not just sign up for Next and keep upgrading every year. If you wanna spend $1,000+ a year for phone service + $600+ every time a new phone comes out then thats up to you.
You can also pay off your phone before a year. you don't have to keep paying $35 a month for the device.
Longcat14 said:
AT&T makes record profits every quarter, I bet they're willing to take a hit for a quarter or two to stop customers from fleeing to T-Mobile.
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I doubt T-Mobile is a threat to AT&T or Verizon. they're service is still useless unless you live in one of those "Markets".