AT&T Upgrade eligibility?

[cjvitek]

Greetings everyone,

I am just curious who is going to be eligible to upgrade to the new iPhone right away? Have you checked?

I just checked this morning, and my upgrade eligibility is listed as 5/7/13. Now, in the past, I have always been eligible to upgrade when the new phone comes out, because of AT&T's policy to allow people spending over $100 to upgrade each year. I have the main line of a family plan, and my line's costs is over $100.

Anyone know if they have changed that "rule"? If it was still in place, I should be able to upgrade this month (1 year after iPhone 4S).

Chris

 

[Tanbam]

Yes, the rule has changed. I pay a boatload each month, and the main line on my family plan is on more of a nineteen-month upgrade cycle. As a matter of fact, it's the same cycle as my wife's line, and its bill is pretty small.

On the bright side, I've got incentive to just wait a couple of months and shop for providers. AT&T was keeping me locked in with the easy upgrades, but I might be able to wiggle out of the handcuffs now.

It's a shame, becuase the churn prevention has got to be worth forking out a few bucks extra every year for a subsidy. God knows that I pay WAY more each month to AT&T than I actually receive in service. Two of the four iPhones that I pay for each month usually use <500MB a month...

 

[Fausty82]

Yes, the rule has changed. I pay a boatload each month, and the main line on my family plan is on more of a nineteen-month upgrade cycle. As a matter of fact, it's the same cycle as my wife's line, and its bill is pretty small.

On the bright side, I've got incentive to just wait a couple of months and shop for providers. AT&T was keeping me locked in with the easy upgrades, but I might be able to wiggle out of the handcuffs now.

It's a shame, becuase the churn prevention has got to be worth forking out a few bucks extra every year for a subsidy. God knows that I pay WAY more each month to AT&T than I actually receive in service. Two of the four iPhones that I pay for each month usually use <500MB a month...

I threatened to walk from AT&T today when I asked where my upgrade went... despite having an ETF approaching $1000 for my 5 line family plan. I got escalated to the "retention" department where I was told that it was Apple that dictated the change. The lady was very polite and accommodating until I told her that what she said was BS - that Apple was in business to sell phones, and that they would get their money regardless of what we customers or the wireless providers paid or didn't pay. She got very testy after that ... so I don't know what the real story is, but I have a hard time believing that Apple could/would dictate such a change.

At any rate, with 5 lines, at least one of them is up for renewal/upgrade annually so I'm good for now... but still quite angry about the unannounced change in policy.

 

[ITS ME DAVID]

You can upgrade but must pay $250'plusnthe cost of an early upgrade phone.

 

[Fausty82]

You can upgrade but must pay $250'plusnthe cost of an early upgrade phone.

THAT ain't gonna happen. I'd sooner pay them $1000 and take all my phone numbers with me. And I am as serious as a heart attack about that.

 

[cardfan]

THAT ain't gonna happen. I'd sooner pay them $1000 and take all my phone numbers with me. And I am as serious as a heart attack about that.

I'm the same way. I won't pay them an "early" upgrade fee. They've upgraded me for every iphone since the iphone 3G. Either they do it again or I pay ETF and take my 4 lines with me. I have 3 other carriers to choose from. I'll even jump on data sharing but they have to continue the annual upgrade.

 

[Trexwarrior]

If enough customers jump ship especially us long time customers maybe they will catch a hint.. I doubt it though, they will price gouge us until Sprint starts catching up in customer base and 4G LTE and then they will promise us the world to stay loyal. I have been loyal to AT&T for too long. I have a gut feeling Verizon and AT&T are in bed with each other and are probably guilty of price collusion. Just my opinion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hammer]

Another thing Apple is risking here in my opinion, as a corporate Windows user I am VERY interested in Surface and that makes me VERY interested in Windows Phone 8.

If ATT and Apple get too greedy, Apple will suffer the most if companies like mine (3,000+) drop iOS devices entirely in favor of Windows ecosystem. It's now a very viable platform we are considering in our global communications and computing platform.

Oops.

 

[Hammer]

Wanna hear something truly pathetic?

I contacted my corporate AT&T rep today and he advised to wait until next week!!!

Hello!!! Preorders start tomorrow!!

He said they don't have enough information yet to advise on upgrade eligibility for enterprise accounts...WHAT???

Apple and AT&T should be ashamed of such a pathetic cluster of misinformation.

 

[cardfan]

I'm not sure i'd be too worried about that. I wouldn't upgrade my business on day one of a product's release.

This isn't an apple thing or even a business one. It's AT&T and annual upgrades for consumers...a service they provided in the past for primary lines.

 

[mc511#CB]

My upgrade is in April of next year. Its 6 months away but i have more to worry about getting through the rest of 2012 and such. And even if was desperate enough i could take my sisters upgrade thats in january. Reason being she looses too many phones and i gave her my old android phone for $50 which i could have gotten more for. My parents who are the signers would let me slide with it as well. But April cause i also get my tax return money then as well