Why then wouldn't "existing" customers simply terminate their current contracts, pay $175 ETF (or less if they have a prorated ETF), and sign up as a new customer?
Found out that early cancelation means losing your phone number so you must be willing to get a new number with the new account. That eliminates a lot of people from early cancelation I think. \
I'm in the same boat. My 3G purchased on launch day makes me ineligible for the lower price until 7/12/2010. My wife's 2G allows her to get the lower price right away.
Here's my question... We're on a family plan. Can she purchase the 3GS at the lower price then switch units with me? She doesn't want the new one, but if course, I do!
I'm in the same boat. My 3G purchased on launch day makes me ineligible for the lower price until 7/12/2010. My wife's 2G allows her to get the lower price right away.
Here's my question... We're on a family plan. Can she purchase the 3GS at the lower price then switch units with me? She doesn't want the new one, but if course, I do!
Of course... just swap out the sim card... simple as that.
You arent upgradable til 2010? that is weird.. i am 07.12.09
Also, AT&T has a pro-rated early termination fee, meaning that each month you're in your cell phone contract, $5 is taken off the $175 ETF, essentially bringing down the cost to cancel to $120 (assuming you bought the iPhone 3G in July, when it came out last year.)
$120<$200? Yeah, I'd rather cancel and get another plan.
True dat EXCEPT I found out this afternoon that early cancelation means losing your existing mobile number which could be a problem for many people. I don't want to lose my number which I have had for many years.
True dat EXCEPT I found out this afternoon that early cancelation means losing your existing mobile number which could be a problem for many people. I don't want to lose my number which I have had for many years.
I am so unhappy right now it is unbelievable. How dare they treat me like this?
I went into the BMW dealership today to trade in my 18 month old 3 series couple for a new X3 and they are seriously expecting me to pay more. WTF? Some clever arse salesman telling me that I have 18 months left on my BMW finance and must pay for my existing car before I can just drive out with a new one.
I hate BMW, do they not realise I am a loyal customer? It should not always be about profit, surely it is more important that they look after their real customers. I have posters of BMW cars on my wall and everything.
They can stick it, They are not getting my business again, Mercedes don't do this, Mercedes would give me a new car whenever I want one.
I am so unhappy right now it is unbelievable. How dare they treat me like this?
I went into the BMW dealership today to trade in my 18 month old 3 series couple for a new X3 and they are seriously expecting me to pay more. WTF? Some clever arse salesman telling me that I have 18 months left on my BMW finance and must pay for my existing car before I can just drive out with a new one.
I hate BMW, do they not realise I am a loyal customer? It should not always be about profit, surely it is more important that they look after their real customers. I have posters of BMW cars on my wall and everything.
They can stick it, They are not getting my business again, Mercedes don't do this, Mercedes would give me a new car whenever I want one.
Mwaarrgghhh, Mwaarrgghh, I want my mommy.
I would love to find a BMW dealship that gives that car to new bmw customer at half off... but charges a guy that has been with bmw for a few years almost double... seems backwards huh?
It's worse than that. I could live with the 12 months restriction from the iPhone 3G purchase date before I could upgrade to the iPhone 3GS. Since I bought my iPhone 3G on July 11 2008 (launch date), that would mean only waiting another month.
But because I've been a loyal Apple/AT&T customer, and I bought the original iPhone before I bought the iPhone 3G, I'm being made to wait 18 months instead of 12 before I'm offered the "unsubsidized" price of $199/$299. For me, that is 12/12/09.
So thanks AT&T. You just earned the animosity of someone who was generally not offended by your service (although your network doesn't compare to Verizon). I sure hope another US carrier doesn't land the iPhone soon, or you may find people remember crap like this for a long time.
As it is, I'll just have to make due with my iPhone3G until Christmas I guess.I guess I can spend that $300 elsewhere.
So where is this different from what every other company does? I used to have the exact same issues with Sprint.
I am so unhappy right now it is unbelievable. How dare they treat me like this?
I went into the BMW dealership today to trade in my 18 month old 3 series couple for a new X3 and they are seriously expecting me to pay more. WTF? Some clever arse salesman telling me that I have 18 months left on my BMW finance and must pay for my existing car before I can just drive out with a new one.
I hate BMW, do they not realise I am a loyal customer? It should not always be about profit, surely it is more important that they look after their real customers. I have posters of BMW cars on my wall and everything.
They can stick it, They are not getting my business again, Mercedes don't do this, Mercedes would give me a new car whenever I want one.
Mwaarrgghhh, Mwaarrgghh, I want my mommy.
I see your point. I don't think I realize how much a new iPhone is really worth. I will pay whatever they ask to have the 3G S on launch day and I will not complain it's a raw deal any more. Thanks for that dose of reality.
32GB RAM
Longer Battery Life
Faster Speed
Higher Resolution Auto Everything Camera
Video Recording-Editing-Sharing
Voice Control
Stereo Bluetooth
That's a very valuable list of just some of the advantages we gain with the new model. It's easily worth $236 to me to get it ASAP.
The big question is , will it be able to make phone calls in San Francisco (the Apple Mecca) without dropping the call? I have to keep my 3G switched off because it is unable to stay connected reliably.
I would love to find a BMW dealship that gives that car to new bmw customer at half off... but charges a guy that has been with bmw for a few years almost double... seems backwards huh?
Booyahh
This isn't so strange.
It even happens with magazine subscriptions. New subscribers get better deals then us old subscribers. That's the way it works.
They figure, correctly most of the time, that current purchasers will pay the higher prices, but in order to get new customers they have to lure them in with a deal.
The fact that it's done across so many industries shows that it works.
So far as I can tell, AT&T is only requiring a one year wait before allowing the subsidized price.
My one year anniv. from my iPhone 3G is 7/12, which is what the website says for me to get the subsidized pricing.
Prior to that date, its $200 more.
My wife got my iPhone 2G and is currently eligible for the normal subsidized pricing. I have asked a few friends who also go iPhone 3G's but on different dates, theirs also show their 1 year anniv. as the date they are eligible for the subsidy. One for example is 7/17/09.
Here is mine....
What the hell?!? I bought my 3G phone at launch & when I checked online I got this message:
As a valued AT&T customer, AT&T can offer you an early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-yr commitment and an $18 upgrade fee. You may qualify for a standard iPhone upgrade on 03/12/2010. I happen to still have my receipt & it is dated July 11, 2008. What gives?
The big question is , will it be able to make phone calls in San Francisco (the Apple Mecca) without dropping the call? I have to keep my 3G switched off because it is unable to stay connected reliably.
I have to wonder why no AT&T phone can get a signal at my home 2 miles from where WWDC is being held?
I would love to find a BMW dealship that gives that car to new bmw customer at half off... but charges a guy that has been with bmw for a few years almost double... seems backwards huh?
Booyahh
Except he doesn't give the new customer half off. They work out a deal where the upfront price is discounted in exchange for two years of mandatory oil changes at dealer prices. It "feels like" you're getting a car for less, but the dealer actually gets that money back, and more, from the service agreement. It's actually kind of a dumb system for the consumer, but it's a standard industry practice and most people just accept it.
Now, here you come. You got your discounted car, and you've paid for one year of the agreed upon expensive oil changes. The dealer has gotten half of the money you agreed to pay.
But wait! BMW brought out an updated model that you covet! It has more horsepower and better gas mileage and cool new electronics. You want it!
So you go to the dealer and say, sell me the new model and give me that deal again! And the dealer says, I'd be glad to do that, as soon as you've paid me what you agreed to. If you'd like, you can pay me the balance of what you owe, and then I'll be happy to sell you a new car with the same terms as before.
And you say, "Hey! Bullshit! I'm already a customer and you're giving that great deal to the guy that just walked into the showroom, WTF!" And the dealer just looks at you with pity, because he's just realized it was probably a mistake to sell you a car in the first place.
I've been saying that for years and constantly get bashed by solipism and his ilk keep saying blah , blah, blah and defending the AT&T/Apple partnership- how Apple loves the crappy signal, defend AT&T at the bottom of Consumer Reports, etc,etc, etc.
No, no one bothers to listen to you because you are annoying and bitch about everything. Sorry...
And as I told you before, I live in manhattan and I get no Verizon signal in my apartment. Speaking of Verizon, I called them to find out about switching my 3-in-1 RCN service which sucks to Fios. There I was, a fresh new potential customer for the taking, and what did they do? Put me on hold for 15 minutes, at which point I hung up. I figured if that's what they do to people interested in signing up, what kind of service could I expect once I was a customer?! Of course I already knew the answer because I used to be a Verizon wireless customer and they sucked.
While it's totally fair to make people ride out the contract, after hearing that some are being offered the upgrade much earlier, I have to admit that I'm a little skeptical of the reasoning behind their upgrade system:
I've been with AT&T since August 2002.
I have four lines with them, and pay them over $200/month.
I have paid EVERY bill on time, and my credit score has been above 800 for almost a decade.
Only one of my lines is an iPhone, which was a 3G purchased July 2008.
Another one of my lines hasn't been upgraded in over three years.
And I'm eligible to upgrade the line with the iPhone 3G in March of next year.
I wonder if part of this "complex upgrade eligibility scheme" is AT&T's assumption that I'll pay $400 just because I can.
If that's their assumption, they've made a miscalculation.
Comments
Why then wouldn't "existing" customers simply terminate their current contracts, pay $175 ETF (or less if they have a prorated ETF), and sign up as a new customer?
Found out that early cancelation means losing your phone number so you must be willing to get a new number with the new account. That eliminates a lot of people from early cancelation I think. \
explain?
I'm in the same boat. My 3G purchased on launch day makes me ineligible for the lower price until 7/12/2010. My wife's 2G allows her to get the lower price right away.
Here's my question... We're on a family plan. Can she purchase the 3GS at the lower price then switch units with me? She doesn't want the new one, but if course, I do!
I'm in the same boat. My 3G purchased on launch day makes me ineligible for the lower price until 7/12/2010. My wife's 2G allows her to get the lower price right away.
Here's my question... We're on a family plan. Can she purchase the 3GS at the lower price then switch units with me? She doesn't want the new one, but if course, I do!
Of course... just swap out the sim card... simple as that.
You arent upgradable til 2010? that is weird.. i am 07.12.09
Also, AT&T has a pro-rated early termination fee, meaning that each month you're in your cell phone contract, $5 is taken off the $175 ETF, essentially bringing down the cost to cancel to $120 (assuming you bought the iPhone 3G in July, when it came out last year.)
$120<$200? Yeah, I'd rather cancel and get another plan.
True dat EXCEPT I found out this afternoon that early cancelation means losing your existing mobile number which could be a problem for many people. I don't want to lose my number which I have had for many years.
True dat EXCEPT I found out this afternoon that early cancelation means losing your existing mobile number which could be a problem for many people. I don't want to lose my number which I have had for many years.
Plus:::
- Have to WAIT 90 DAYS to resignup with AT&T
- Lose your number
- No more rollover mins
- Lose credit with AT&T
I went into the BMW dealership today to trade in my 18 month old 3 series couple for a new X3 and they are seriously expecting me to pay more. WTF? Some clever arse salesman telling me that I have 18 months left on my BMW finance and must pay for my existing car before I can just drive out with a new one.
I hate BMW, do they not realise I am a loyal customer? It should not always be about profit, surely it is more important that they look after their real customers. I have posters of BMW cars on my wall and everything.
They can stick it, They are not getting my business again, Mercedes don't do this, Mercedes would give me a new car whenever I want one.
Mwaarrgghhh, Mwaarrgghh, I want my mommy.
I am so unhappy right now it is unbelievable. How dare they treat me like this?
I went into the BMW dealership today to trade in my 18 month old 3 series couple for a new X3 and they are seriously expecting me to pay more. WTF? Some clever arse salesman telling me that I have 18 months left on my BMW finance and must pay for my existing car before I can just drive out with a new one.
I hate BMW, do they not realise I am a loyal customer? It should not always be about profit, surely it is more important that they look after their real customers. I have posters of BMW cars on my wall and everything.
They can stick it, They are not getting my business again, Mercedes don't do this, Mercedes would give me a new car whenever I want one.
Mwaarrgghhh, Mwaarrgghh, I want my mommy.
I would love to find a BMW dealship that gives that car to new bmw customer at half off... but charges a guy that has been with bmw for a few years almost double... seems backwards huh?
Booyahh
It's worse than that. I could live with the 12 months restriction from the iPhone 3G purchase date before I could upgrade to the iPhone 3GS. Since I bought my iPhone 3G on July 11 2008 (launch date), that would mean only waiting another month.
But because I've been a loyal Apple/AT&T customer, and I bought the original iPhone before I bought the iPhone 3G, I'm being made to wait 18 months instead of 12 before I'm offered the "unsubsidized" price of $199/$299. For me, that is 12/12/09.
So thanks AT&T. You just earned the animosity of someone who was generally not offended by your service (although your network doesn't compare to Verizon). I sure hope another US carrier doesn't land the iPhone soon, or you may find people remember crap like this for a long time.
As it is, I'll just have to make due with my iPhone3G until Christmas I guess.I guess I can spend that $300 elsewhere.
So where is this different from what every other company does? I used to have the exact same issues with Sprint.
I am so unhappy right now it is unbelievable. How dare they treat me like this?
I went into the BMW dealership today to trade in my 18 month old 3 series couple for a new X3 and they are seriously expecting me to pay more. WTF? Some clever arse salesman telling me that I have 18 months left on my BMW finance and must pay for my existing car before I can just drive out with a new one.
I hate BMW, do they not realise I am a loyal customer? It should not always be about profit, surely it is more important that they look after their real customers. I have posters of BMW cars on my wall and everything.
They can stick it, They are not getting my business again, Mercedes don't do this, Mercedes would give me a new car whenever I want one.
Mwaarrgghhh, Mwaarrgghh, I want my mommy.
I see your point. I don't think I realize how much a new iPhone is really worth. I will pay whatever they ask to have the 3G S on launch day and I will not complain it's a raw deal any more. Thanks for that dose of reality.
32GB RAM
Longer Battery Life
Faster Speed
Higher Resolution Auto Everything Camera
Video Recording-Editing-Sharing
Voice Control
Stereo Bluetooth
That's a very valuable list of just some of the advantages we gain with the new model. It's easily worth $236 to me to get it ASAP.
I think perhaps you are being way too sensitive for an Apple rumor forum, but to each their own.
On the other hand, if you can find me a good condescending ring tone, I would love to be able to use it on my iPhone 3G S.
Perhaps I am, but some posters here can be unnecessarily insulting. Like you said though, to each their own.
I would love to find a BMW dealship that gives that car to new bmw customer at half off... but charges a guy that has been with bmw for a few years almost double... seems backwards huh?
Booyahh
This isn't so strange.
It even happens with magazine subscriptions. New subscribers get better deals then us old subscribers. That's the way it works.
They figure, correctly most of the time, that current purchasers will pay the higher prices, but in order to get new customers they have to lure them in with a deal.
The fact that it's done across so many industries shows that it works.
So far as I can tell, AT&T is only requiring a one year wait before allowing the subsidized price.
My one year anniv. from my iPhone 3G is 7/12, which is what the website says for me to get the subsidized pricing.
Prior to that date, its $200 more.
My wife got my iPhone 2G and is currently eligible for the normal subsidized pricing. I have asked a few friends who also go iPhone 3G's but on different dates, theirs also show their 1 year anniv. as the date they are eligible for the subsidy. One for example is 7/17/09.
Here is mine....
What the hell?!? I bought my 3G phone at launch & when I checked online I got this message:
As a valued AT&T customer, AT&T can offer you an early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-yr commitment and an $18 upgrade fee. You may qualify for a standard iPhone upgrade on 03/12/2010. I happen to still have my receipt & it is dated July 11, 2008. What gives?
The big question is , will it be able to make phone calls in San Francisco (the Apple Mecca) without dropping the call? I have to keep my 3G switched off because it is unable to stay connected reliably.
I have to wonder why no AT&T phone can get a signal at my home 2 miles from where WWDC is being held?
Can't US users use the newly announced features that were announced on EVERY carrier except AT&T?
Is this a trick question?
I would love to find a BMW dealship that gives that car to new bmw customer at half off... but charges a guy that has been with bmw for a few years almost double... seems backwards huh?
Booyahh
Except he doesn't give the new customer half off. They work out a deal where the upfront price is discounted in exchange for two years of mandatory oil changes at dealer prices. It "feels like" you're getting a car for less, but the dealer actually gets that money back, and more, from the service agreement. It's actually kind of a dumb system for the consumer, but it's a standard industry practice and most people just accept it.
Now, here you come. You got your discounted car, and you've paid for one year of the agreed upon expensive oil changes. The dealer has gotten half of the money you agreed to pay.
But wait! BMW brought out an updated model that you covet! It has more horsepower and better gas mileage and cool new electronics. You want it!
So you go to the dealer and say, sell me the new model and give me that deal again! And the dealer says, I'd be glad to do that, as soon as you've paid me what you agreed to. If you'd like, you can pay me the balance of what you owe, and then I'll be happy to sell you a new car with the same terms as before.
And you say, "Hey! Bullshit! I'm already a customer and you're giving that great deal to the guy that just walked into the showroom, WTF!" And the dealer just looks at you with pity, because he's just realized it was probably a mistake to sell you a car in the first place.
Of course... just swap out the sim card... simple as that.
You arent upgradable til 2010? that is weird.. i am 07.12.09
Wait you bought a 3g and you're elegible in july?
I'm not ellegible until december and I bought it a few days after launch. wated in line for 4 hours to get a black one.
what gives?
I've been saying that for years and constantly get bashed by solipism and his ilk keep saying blah , blah, blah and defending the AT&T/Apple partnership- how Apple loves the crappy signal, defend AT&T at the bottom of Consumer Reports, etc,etc, etc.
No, no one bothers to listen to you because you are annoying and bitch about everything. Sorry...
And as I told you before, I live in manhattan and I get no Verizon signal in my apartment. Speaking of Verizon, I called them to find out about switching my 3-in-1 RCN service which sucks to Fios. There I was, a fresh new potential customer for the taking, and what did they do? Put me on hold for 15 minutes, at which point I hung up. I figured if that's what they do to people interested in signing up, what kind of service could I expect once I was a customer?! Of course I already knew the answer because I used to be a Verizon wireless customer and they sucked.
I've been with AT&T since August 2002.
I have four lines with them, and pay them over $200/month.
I have paid EVERY bill on time, and my credit score has been above 800 for almost a decade.
Only one of my lines is an iPhone, which was a 3G purchased July 2008.
Another one of my lines hasn't been upgraded in over three years.
And I'm eligible to upgrade the line with the iPhone 3G in March of next year.
I wonder if part of this "complex upgrade eligibility scheme" is AT&T's assumption that I'll pay $400 just because I can.
If that's their assumption, they've made a miscalculation.