Related
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.
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.
A new for AT&T to earn more money??
Administrative Fee (Consumer and Individual Responsibility User (IRU) lines only)
The Administrative Fee helps defray certain expenses AT&T incurs, including but not limited to: (a) charges AT&T or its agents pay to interconnect with other carriers to deliver calls from AT&T customers to their customers; and (b) charges associated with cell site rents and maintenance.
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What a B.S.! Can't stand these communication companies and the lack of options in this country.
sbi1 said:
A new for AT&T to earn more money??
What a B.S.! Can't stand these communication companies and the lack of options in this country.
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The rich will get richer, the poor will get poorer. Its ridiculous what this government let these corporations get away with. Of course at the working man's expense.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app
lildoggs said:
The rich will get richer, the poor will get poorer. Its ridiculous what this government let these corporations get away with. Of course at the working man's expense.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app
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They don't make enough money.... they justify by letting us pay only $200 for a $700 phone. Tha'ts how they get away with it... we can all go to the European way and just buy the phones up front and save a little on the service. But they will still make tons of money of us. $37 stock price for today 11%+ rise year to date... They obviously need more and more :crying:
I called AT&T yesterday to ***** about it, I asked the CSR "What 'new' expenses does AT&T have now that they didn't have last month?". Sure enough he started reading to me the same thing as I posted above. I said "don't read this to me, I can read it myself. I want to know what NEW EXPENSES do you have..."
He said "we don't have that info". I said "well, HQ should give you the answers".
I got so pissed at him that he ended up giving me a credit of the 4 lines times this bull**** fee for the next year ($30). Sure, I was happy and appreciative of his attempt to make a customer happy. Nevertheless, can't wait for my contract to expire to get the hell out. That's why I don't take 'free/discounted' phones from AT&T. Only international versions, nothing with AT&T logo on it. I will not be tied in contracts with big corporations any more.
Sure, it's much more difficult now to go somewhere else when Straight Talk no longer have AT&T sim cards, but we'll see.
sbi1 said:
That's why I don't take 'free/discounted' phones from AT&T. Only international versions, nothing with AT&T logo on it. I will not be tied in contracts with big corporations any more.
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Could not agree more, well said.
Sent from the i777
Quick & Easy BBB, FTC, FCC links
Some momentum is growing at forums.att.com to have a mass of customers report to the BBB, FTC, and FCC, so I am posting easy links here, in case others wish to do so as well.
It's really quick and easy to make your voice heard .
BBB: www.bbb.org/atlanta/business-reviews/telephone-companies/atandt-in-atlanta-ga-7935/file-a-complaint
FTC: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
FCC: http://www.fcc.gov/complaints
You can base your info on the following but you will have to edit it to fit in the web forms:
"AT&T has raised the price on every wireless line in service by $.61 a month by adding a new fee to every bill, which they explain as follows:
"MOBILITY ADMINISTRATIVE FEE" Effective May 1, 2013, the Administrative Fee will be $0.61 per line per month. The Administrative Fee helps defray certain expenses AT&T incurs, including but not limited to: (a) charges AT&T or its agents pay to interconnect with other carriers to deliver calls from AT&T customers to their customers; and (b) charges associated with cell site rents and maintenance."
This is a baloney way of saying "price increase", and is a blatant violation of basic contract law which does not allow the changing of terms after the beginning of a bilateral agreement. The vast majority of ATT customers have 2-year contract agreements which prevent their switching carriers without paying a huge penalty clause.
The ATT Wireless Agreement reads: "If we increase the price of any of the services to which you subscribe, beyond the limits set forth in your customer service summary... you may terminate this agreement without paying an early termination fee or returning or paying for any promotional items."
CTIA Consumer Code reads: "Carriers will not modify the material terms of their subscribers' contracts in a manner that is materially adverse to subscribers without providing a reasonable advance notice of a proposed modification and allowing subscribers a time period of not less than 14 days to cancel their contracts with no early termination fee."
ATT claims that the price for the service remains the same and are only adding a "fee".
What's from stopping AT&T from adding an additional $50/month fee and not letting customers out of their contract?
$.61 doesn't sound like much, but some people have multiple lines. In addition, multiplied by 115.78 million customers, AT&T makes an extra $847 million a year from this dishonest price hike.
As it is not any kind of tax or government mandated charge, the new fee should be included in the basic price displayed in advertising and informational material. The new fee should only be charged on new contracts beginning after the increase, and existing contract customers must be allowed to either reject the price hike or be allowed to terminate their service without penalty, as the contract has already been breached by the carrier."
Coincidentally I just cancelled one of my add-on packages with Comcast cable and they also tried to charge a $2.xx administrative fee. Although the CSR waived it as a 'one time courtesy,' seeing the same issue here highlights what appears to be a growing trend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyDbfCbQnH8
harryspar said:
Some momentum is growing at forums.att.com to have a mass of customers report to the BBB, FTC, and FCC, so I am posting easy links here, in case others wish to do so as well.
It's really quick and easy to make your voice heard .
BBB: www.bbb.org/atlanta/business-reviews/telephone-companies/atandt-in-atlanta-ga-7935/file-a-complaint
FTC: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en
FCC: http://www.fcc.gov/complaints
You can base your info on the following but you will have to edit it to fit in the web forms:
"AT&T has raised the price on every wireless line in service by $.61 a month by adding a new fee to every bill, which they explain as follows:
"MOBILITY ADMINISTRATIVE FEE" Effective May 1, 2013, the Administrative Fee will be $0.61 per line per month. The Administrative Fee helps defray certain expenses AT&T incurs, including but not limited to: (a) charges AT&T or its agents pay to interconnect with other carriers to deliver calls from AT&T customers to their customers; and (b) charges associated with cell site rents and maintenance."
This is a baloney way of saying "price increase", and is a blatant violation of basic contract law which does not allow the changing of terms after the beginning of a bilateral agreement. The vast majority of ATT customers have 2-year contract agreements which prevent their switching carriers without paying a huge penalty clause.
The ATT Wireless Agreement reads: "If we increase the price of any of the services to which you subscribe, beyond the limits set forth in your customer service summary... you may terminate this agreement without paying an early termination fee or returning or paying for any promotional items."
CTIA Consumer Code reads: "Carriers will not modify the material terms of their subscribers' contracts in a manner that is materially adverse to subscribers without providing a reasonable advance notice of a proposed modification and allowing subscribers a time period of not less than 14 days to cancel their contracts with no early termination fee."
ATT claims that the price for the service remains the same and are only adding a "fee".
What's from stopping AT&T from adding an additional $50/month fee and not letting customers out of their contract?
$.61 doesn't sound like much, but some people have multiple lines. In addition, multiplied by 115.78 million customers, AT&T makes an extra $847 million a year from this dishonest price hike.
As it is not any kind of tax or government mandated charge, the new fee should be included in the basic price displayed in advertising and informational material. The new fee should only be charged on new contracts beginning after the increase, and existing contract customers must be allowed to either reject the price hike or be allowed to terminate their service without penalty, as the contract has already been breached by the carrier."
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Complaints filed.
sbi1 said:
Complaints filed.
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You da man. How long did it take, a few minutes, right? We need more people to act.
Thanks for the heads up, I didn't even notice it. I filed a complaint with the FTC and will look into switching when my contract ends next month
Does this fee count as a material change in the contract? I'm guessing not. Sneaky
edit: I now read harryspar's post completely. When Sprint did this, many people were able to cancel and not pay an ETF, but I'm guessing AT&T will fight this but some people might be able to get away with it.
havanahjoe said:
When Sprint did this, many people were able to cancel and not pay an ETF, but I'm guessing AT&T will fight this but some people might be able to get away with it.
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Some people have been successful, see thread on fawallet.com: http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/finance/1270724/
harryspar said:
You da man. How long did it take, a few minutes, right? We need more people to act.
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Yup. few minutes and the bastards "responded" to the BBB one with the usual B.S., to which I responded with (basically) "Cut the B.S.". Nothing will change until everyone files a complaint.
I went through a similar experience with Sprint last year. They claimed it was not a "material change" as another poster eluded to and when I digged very deep in my contract - there was a clause which allowed them to add up to $2.00 per month in "fees" without being considered "material" changes...
I think it depends on the rep you get, some people I know used the fee to get out of their contracts and some it did not work for. I was able to get the fee waived (it was only 20 cents per month or so that they were adding this time) but I didn't feel like fighting to get any further.
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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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!!
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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".
Anyone heard or have any input for this website? Cellbreaker.com. It claims to break your cellphone contract without paying ETF's. I've seen it on the news, but still not too sure since per line its 77 bucks. Anyone use this and have experience to share?
Thanks
Ummmm, yeah...
ppat324wi said:
Anyone heard or have any input for this website? Cellbreaker.com. It claims to break your cellphone contract without paying ETF's. I've seen it on the news, but still not too sure since per line its 77 bucks. Anyone use this and have experience to share?
Thanks
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Click to collapse
I never heard of it until now, so I went to the site. First they want to charge you $10 to do an analysis. Then, IF they find breach of contract, you pay another $77 to them to get you out of it. So, that's $87.00.
Most carrier ETF's are $250, pro-rated for 24 months. This means that every month you have the phone, you deduct $10.42 from that $250.00. Once you've had your phone for 16 months, the price cellbreaker wants to charge you is MORE than your ETF would be.
Further, from what I'm reading on their website, the breaches they look for are price increases, terms changes, and "performance deficiency." Performance deficiency is very subjective. If you only have service 4 days out of 7, and can document it, sure, there's a breach of contract. But I don't think I've been anywhere where I have not had service for more than a couple of minutes. I've been with Verizon for 14 years and they have never once raised the price, altered my terms or done anything even remotely close to breaching their end of the bargain during any two year period.
In other words: try it if you want, but I honestly don't think it will do you any good. Even though it's "GUARANTEED" to get you out of your contract. Here's that "guarantee," by the way: Terms of Use TBD...
Good luck!!!
So Verizon's etf is 250 if you just got the phone, and since I have had my phone (S4) for about a year, my phone 's etf would be around 120 dollars?
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Yep. That sounds about right. Plus you would be responsible for your final bill, so it's important that you cancel prior to the end of your billing cycle.
Well, I called Verizon, and they told me that it would be 250 per line for the etf, bringing me 250+250+230=730 dollars for etf. Ouch
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
ppat324wi said:
Well, I called Verizon, and they told me that it would be 250 per line for the etf, bringing me 250+250+230=730 dollars for etf. Ouch
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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OUCH! That's strange to me. I was going to dump them a year or so ago because I could have received a better price through my job. But they're on ATT and I don't like ATT. Well, at least I like them less than Verizon. But big red told me the fees were prorated. I wonder if that has changed...
ammjr71 said:
OUCH! That's strange to me. I was going to dump them a year or so ago because I could have received a better price through my job. But they're on ATT and I don't like ATT. Well, at least I like them less than Verizon. But big red told me the fees were prorated. I wonder if that has changed...
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They got rid of prorated fees about two years ago. Now it's straight up 250 per line through out the contract.
skeezer308 said:
They got rid of prorated fees about two years ago. Now it's straight up 250 per line through out the contract.
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According to http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/support/customer-agreement that's not true.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY POSTPAY SERVICE IS CANCELED BEFORE THE END OF MY CONTRACT TERM?
If you're signing up for Postpay Service, you're agreeing to subscribe to a line of Service either on a month–to–month basis or for a minimum contract term, as shown on your receipt or order confirmation. (If your Service is suspended without billing, that time doesn't count toward completing your contract term.) Once you've completed your contract term, you'll automatically become a customer on a month–to–month basis for that line of Service. If you cancel a line of Service, or if we cancel it for good cause, during its contract term, you'll have to pay an early termination fee. If your contract term results from your purchase of an advanced device, your early termination fee will be $350 minus $10 for each full month of your contract term that you complete. Otherwise, your early termination fee will be $175 minus $5 for each full month of your contract term that you complete. Cancellations will become effective on the last day of that month's billing cycle, and you are responsible for all charges incurred until then. Also, if you bought your wireless device from an authorized agent or third–party vendor, you should check whether they charge a separate termination fee.
ppat324wi said:
Anyone heard or have any input for this website? Cellbreaker.com. It claims to break your cellphone contract without paying ETF's. I've seen it on the news, but still not too sure since per line its 77 bucks. Anyone use this and have experience to share?
Thanks
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Click to collapse
Based on what their site states they will analyze your contract for Carrier's breach and if they find one for $77 they send the communication to the carrier on your behalf to cancel your contract due to breach.
It seems highly probable being that your average customer would not be able to look at all possible breaches, as far as reputation well they claim they give you a 100% guarantee so that should cover you.
Did you pay the $10 for the analysis and did the analysis return a positive breach finding?
Well, I used a promo code that got me the analysis for free, and it did return with a breakable contract. I might just try it with one of my lines first, then see it it actually is true,then I will do the extra two lines.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
From the Moderator
To all --the term Caveat Emptor comes to mind.... Though this could be a benefit to some...... with the term contracts going away with each passing day..maybe yes...maybe no..... do your research before letting go of your money and or your privacy (which appears that this is necessary for this company to do what they do)...
~~~ oka1
I would choose cellbreaker again and again!
I was with my cell phone company for years before I decided that I was unhappy with everything. I am a long termer. I had been their loyal customer for upwards of 10 years and beyond. I enjoyed everything about my cell phone company until they decided to hike up my cell phone bill. I felt betrayed. I wanted out of my cell phone carriers company, when I noticed that my friends and family were receiving better pricing and coverage. Did I mention coverage? Coverage was awful! Well CellBreaker was there to help. I discovered them on the internet. When I called them, they told me about their process and about their guarantee that it would only take 7 days to switch my contracts. Well it took them a little longer, about 2 more days. I am still pleased with the results. The new contract that they placed me in was cross checked, by them, to guarantee that I wouldn’t experience the price hikes that I experienced with my old contract. I hope that this review will help you determine whether or not you would like to work with CellBreaker. I am happy I worked with them!
ppat324wi said:
Anyone heard or have any input for this website? Cellbreaker.com. It claims to break your cellphone contract without paying ETF's. I've seen it on the news, but still not too sure since per line its 77 bucks. Anyone use this and have experience to share?
Thanks
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Click to collapse
Out of curiosity what are you going to do when you leave your contract? If you go to T-Mobile they pay your ETF, if you go to Sprint they buy out your contract and cut your bill in half. So unless you are going to AT&T (why?) you could save yourself the $$.