Related
I just switched to EM+ Family plan and recently came off of EM. I still have until September for my contract that I extended when I got the G1 back in Thanksgiving of 08.
I figured that I'd go to EM+ and use the "Subsidizing" ability to cover the $530 cost. This will not work for the unseen future due to some "duh" moments.
EM+ works this way: If T-Mobile is selling the phone on their site, you can use EM+ to purchase it and subsidize it over a maximum of 20 months. They charge you separate from your bill, and you can choose how much to pay additional each month for the phone. (Not sure if there is a minimum payment per month. I'm guessing you have to at LEAST pay 1/20th of the phone's cost).
This won't work with the N1 because Google has exclusive selling rights for the phone.
So, like a moron, I finally came to the conclusion that there are only two ways to buy the phone, and they are the ways Google has already plain-as-day outlined.
Until there is a new game in town and Google relinquishes their exclusivity and T-Mobile picks up the Nexus One of their own accord, my only option is to buy the phone outright because the EM+ plan is not compatible with the purchasing options on the Nexus One. This is because the nature of EM+ does not make the "extension" option a viable choice due to the non-contractual nature of EM+.
It is also the highest plan possible, and - aside from the $35 fee - possibly the best plan T-Mobile offers because it's packages are cheaper than EM. However, once on it, there is no backing out.
Start saving those pennies, XDA family.
wait so does that mean that i cant buy the n1 unlocked & unsub through google, then go to tmobile and get a EM+ plan?
All we can do is either pay the $530, or $180 if your line is eligible for an upgrade (contract or upgrading to EM in the first place).
TMo always lets you upgrade to EM+ if your line isn't on it, but the $35 upgrade fee applies, and you are still obligated to the contract time you signed up for before switching to EM+. IE, I still have till the end of September for the extension I signed up for at the End of November 2008 when I got my G1, even though my account will switch to EM+ on the 8th of January.
Of course, we could always do the $180 and pay the $350 cancellation fee, but that costs a total of $530 -_-
Blueman101 said:
wait so does that mean that i cant buy the n1 unlocked & unsub through google, then go to tmobile and get a EM+ plan?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do that. He's talking about upgrading and getting the 180 price instead of the full 530 price.
I have tried to talk Tmobile in waiving the ETF on one of my lines if I buy the N1 and add an aditional line but they won't do that either. Its either 530 or nothing for me. (don't want to pay 110+ dollars a month for two lines)
engagedtosmile said:
You can do that. He's talking about upgrading and getting the 180 price instead of the full 530 price.
I have tried to talk Tmobile in waiving the ETF on one of my lines if I buy the N1 and add an aditional line but they won't do that either. Its either 530 or nothing for me. (don't want to pay 110+ dollars a month for two lines)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks
*phew* I was worried that my ordering of the n1 was for nothing
-Cheers
errr tmobile
I saved my upgrade for this but their plan totally sucks for the Nexus one.
500 minutes???!!!! for 79$ [email protected]#%@%
I just bought it unlocked im going to just put my sim in it.
Lol, good job. I am in agreement with that.
This stuff is to fin complicated, they should have thought this out more. All this what works what doesnt stuff you know.
I bought my Nexus One for $530 then just went over to T-mobile and changed my G1 plan to an Even More Plus 1000 minute unlimited text/web $69.99 a month. Unlocked phone and no contract, can't beat that. I think they charged me $35 to change plans but I still think that is great deal. Oh, and all the T-mobile employees in the store were going nuts loving my phone since they had never seen it before.
For my 3000 post, I figured I would do something special for those of us fresh into TMOUSA's crappy 2 year contract (and for those thinking about it).
We all drooled and drooled consistently until TMOUSA came out with the HD2. There is a catch though, it is through TMOUSA. Many people have reported crappy service (cell-wise) and flat spots for data coverage (3G areas turning into Edge, turning into GPRS, into no-data). On top of that paying $450 for a device is not exactly appealing either ($199 sounds like a much better deal after all). I have been thinking about it long and hard and I came up with the perfect mathematical solution for getting a cheaper HD2, sticking to TMOUSA cheaper plans (or leave TMOUSA altogether), and not paying for such crappy data plan/coverage. If you are like me, you are surrounded by an accessible Wifi signal about 70-80% of your waking day, so being forced to pay $30 per month is borderline stupid.
[highlight]Edit: My method is only for brand new devices. A lot of you are suggesting cheaper solutions by buying them off eBay or craiglist, which will come with the added risk of device malfunctions or scams. If you feel adventurous enough to go down these paths... by all means. It usually works out better in the end anyways. But this method ensures a brand new device, that you will get on the spot.[/highlight]
Without Further Ado, I give you the "Scr3w You Very Much, TMOUSA" Method...
Getting HD2 without contract from the store:
$450
Cheapest Unlimited voice only plan from TMO: $49.99 (without contract)
Cost over two years: $49.99 * 24 months = $1199.76
Getting HD2 with contract from the store:
$199
Cheapest Unlimited voice + Data (they will force you into this) plan from TMO: $89.99 (2 year contract)
Cost over two years: $89.99 * 24 months = $2159.76
Cost to get out of the contract (option available only after 15 days from establishing a contract - aka remorse period): $200
Difference in phone price (with and without contract difference):
$450 - $199 = $251
Cost of breaking Contract and Keeping New Phone: $199 + $200 = $399
so we are saving $50 right off the bat (remember that the no contract price is $450, so $450 - $399 = $51)
Plan Cost:
$2159.76 - $1199.76 = $960 savings over two years
Total Savings over 2 years ($960 plan cost savings - $200 early cancellation fee + $50 for savings versus purchasing HD2 @ full price)= $810
You may think "but I still need internet" on the road... simple answer to that too:
Internet package from non contract plan = $25
Internet package from contract plan = $30
Savings over 24 months contract = $120
May not seem like much, but when you add that to the $240 from the unlimited voice plan difference (49.99 w/o contract vs $59.99 w contract), it adds to $360 for the life of the contract, plus you can leave them dry at any point you want...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope this is useful into deciding if you are getting a HD2 but don't want TMOUSA as your carrier or simply don't feel like paying a lot to them.
Good to know for us tmobile users my friend.. i'll stick it as requested.
But there are those of us who actually need more than the basic services.
My business requires me to have unlimited minutes, texts, and e-mail access at all times.
So, over all, T-Mobile is cheaper than At&T or Verizon.
But I do see your point.
$30 a month for 3G internet service does seem a bit too much, when I pay the same amount for 4G (Clear Wireless) at home.
I would much rather opt out of TMOUS 2 year contract and jump ship to AT&T/Verizon/Sprint...
TMOUS has the absolute WORST service...
I guess you forgot the %35 Bing cash back when you shop online and pay full price! $300 with no contract is the best deal
Funkyrocemz said:
I would much rather opt out of TMOUS 2 year contract and jump ship to AT&T/Verizon/Sprint...
TMOUS has the absolute WORST service...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on where you are...they work quite fine in many major areas.
This does make sense. But then again it doesnt. Think about it!
Tmobile sells it on a 2 year contract for $199.
Walmart sells the samething (online) for $99 plus theres many coupons foe $25 off. So thats $75 on a new 2 year contract. Walmart also pays taxes.
Thats $75 vs. $450+ tax.
Now let me get to the point. If you want data+text+500 minutes. Its 59.99 on even more plus. Vs. $79.99 on contract.
So thats $20 more a month.
Heres the catch. If you cancel your contract after 6 months. The fee goes from $200 to $100 per line.
So lets add this up.
Buy the phone for $75. Add ($20 extra a month for 6 months= $120). And then add another $100 for the contract cancellation. Thats a total of $295.
So $295 vs. $450+ tax. Which sounds like a better deal?
After you cancel the contract. Just sign up for even more plus..
As an alternative (I did that personally), buy one get one free from T-Mobile promotion ... and pay $200 + tax for TWO HD2 phones. Activation waived.
So you pay $214 (in FL) for 2 phones.
Then you pay for 2 weeks of cheapest service (around $70) and cancellation fees of $400 for 2 phones
Total loss: $684
And you eBay your 2nd HD2 for $500 (around 450 after all fees)
You get your new shiny HD2 for $234 and you did not even extended your contract yet
Don't Forget HTC has extended the turn in a old phone and get 50.00 on top of that with teh purchase of a HD2, G1, etc... I think till May 19th
recyclerebates.com/htcWebQuote.do;jsessionid=B386A281A1471313D8E724CBA74DD8B4
joshkoss said:
Good to know for us tmobile users my friend.. i'll stick it as requested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot josh!
Always a pleasure hearing from you, my friend!
rickyoon.vegas said:
But there are those of us who actually need more than the basic services.
My business requires me to have unlimited minutes, texts, and e-mail access at all times.
So, over all, T-Mobile is cheaper than At&T or Verizon.
But I do see your point.
$30 a month for 3G internet service does seem a bit too much, when I pay the same amount for 4G (Clear Wireless) at home.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may think "but I still need internet" on the road... simple answer to that too:
Internet package from non contract plan = $25
Internet package from contract plan = $30
Savings over 24 months contract = $120
May not seem like much, but when you add that to the $240 from the unlimited voice plan difference (49.99 w/o contract vs $59.99 w contract), it adds to $360 for the life of the contract, plus you can leave them dry at any point you want...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Internet with the cheaper plans is cheaper ($5 a month cheaper to be more precise)
alefsin said:
I guess you forgot the %35 Bing cash back when you shop online and pay full price! $300 with no contract is the best deal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It isn't as much as I forgot, but rather I had no idea about it (then, again, I have never used Bing)
joefx13 said:
This does make sense. But then again it doesnt. Think about it!
Tmobile sells it on a 2 year contract for $199.
Walmart sells the samething (online) for $99 plus theres many coupons foe $25 off. So thats $75 on a new 2 year contract. Walmart also pays taxes.
Thats $75 vs. $450+ tax.
Now let me get to the point. If you want data+text+500 minutes. Its 59.99 on even more plus. Vs. $79.99 on contract.
So thats $20 more a month.
Heres the catch. If you cancel your contract after 6 months. The fee goes from $200 to $100 per line.
So lets add this up.
Buy the phone for $75. Add ($20 extra a month for 6 months= $120). And then add another $100 for the contract cancellation. Thats a total of $295.
So $295 vs. $450+ tax. Which sounds like a better deal?
After you cancel the contract. Just sign up for even more plus..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! I had no idea Walmart sold these... I bought mine at Best Buy (had a $70 coupon from Rewards)
I was looking at this option and it is done through "Let's Talk"... and they do have their own set of rules (apart from TMOUSA)
$200 LetsTalk instant discount
Purchase select T-Mobile phones online or through our customer service department and receive a $200.00 instant discount when you activate new T-Mobile service on a plan of $59.99 per month or higher and in conjunction with any feature or bundle or any other plan option at least $30.00 per month or greater. This exclusive offer is limited to select online retailers and is not available in any stores. Certain rate plans may not apply. This promotion applies only to individual plans or line 1 to line 2 of a family plan and requires a (2) two-year service agreement.
Offer Qualifications and Restrictions:
Cancellation of this purchase option within the first 61 days of activation will result in a $100 penalty charge.
Customers who add a qualifying feature after their service has been activated by LetsTalk.com are NOT eligible unless the feature is activated by LetsTalk.com directly.
If the customer receives their phone and the qualifying data feature is not active, the customer must contact LetsTalk.com directly to have the feature added in order to avoid a chargeback.
If the customer receives their phone and wishes to add the qualifying feature to take advantage of the offer, the customer must contact LetsTalk.com's Customer Service center and LetsTalk.com must add the qualifying feature through their activation system.
Customers who contact T-Mobile directly to have the qualifying feature added to their accounts post activation will not be eligible for this offer.
The customer may not change the feature activated by LetsTalk.com through T-Mobile's website, call center retail stores or any other T-Mobile agents or representatives and must maintain the same qualifying feature selected at the time of purchase for 61 days in order to avoid a deactivation chargeback.
If the customer wishes to change to a different qualifying feature they must contact LetsTalk.com directly and LetsTalk.com must change the data feature directly otherwise the customer may be liable for a chargeback.
LetsTalk.com imposes this chargeback solely to recoup plan feature commissions deducted by T-Mobile.
Phones Eligible for this Promotion:
Samsung Behold II (T-Mobile), HTC HD2 (T-Mobile)
Qualifying Plan Features for this promotion:
Android Unlimited Web, Android Unlimited Web for Flexpay, myTouch Unlimited Web, myTouch Unlimited Web for Flexpay, BlackBerry Unlimited Web, BlackBerry Unlimited Web for Flexpay, BlackBerry Unlimited Web w/Enterprise Email, BlackBerry Unlimited Web w/Enterprise Email for Flexpay, Sidekick Unlimited Web, Sidekick Unlimited Web for Flexpay, SmartPhone Unlimited Web, SmartPhone Unlimited Web for Flexpay
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you are absolutely correct about everything you are saying... There will be various methods for doing this (which result in different savings) based on personal usage of the features of the plan. In my case, (as I explained in the first post) I don't really need internet 24/7 on my device since most of my waking time, I am in areas where wireless is available, so for me this translates into at least saving $30 per month (without accounting the fact that the unlimited voice is $10 cheaper as well), and here is the thing why I posted this. Remember that having internet when you are in a contract is not an option, it is a requirement... there is no way out of it unless you break your contract or pay full price for the phone. I figured this way to be cheaper for my usage type.
Maybe I will change the title of this thread to "Ways of Getting a Cheaper Device and No Contract" or something like that. I appreciate your input on this
bogdatov said:
As an alternative (I did that personally), buy one get one free from T-Mobile promotion ... and pay $200 + tax for TWO HD2 phones. Activation waived.
So you pay $214 (in FL) for 2 phones.
Then you pay for 2 weeks of cheapest service (around $70) and cancellation fees of $400 for 2 phones
Total loss: $684
And you eBay your 2nd HD2 for $500 (around 450 after all fees)
You get your new shiny HD2 for $234 and you did not even extended your contract yet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not bad, but why would someone pay $500 for a device on eBay (assuming shipping is included), when they can buy it brand new, from the store, no contract needed for $450?
alooohaboy said:
Don't Forget HTC has extended the turn in a old phone and get 50.00 on top of that with teh purchase of a HD2, G1, etc... I think till May 19th
recyclerebates.com/htcWebQuote.do;jsessionid=B386A281A1471313D8E724CBA74DD8B4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just checked it out and in order to do this, you have to have proof of purchase (receipt or UPC box label). I have a 7 year old Wallaby bought in eBay, a 5 year old Blue Angel, 2 0.5 year old Vogues (soon to be 4), soon to have a Tytn, and a Wizard (which I sold, but for the sake of argument, I will throw it in as well).... I cannot use any of these devices for that since I have no way of providing them with proof of purchase (and this happens to be the case for a lot of htc device owners around here).
It is a good resource to have though. Thanks for sharing.
Just spoke to LetsTalk customer support. aka Walmart $99 purchase.
They'll give you the phone for $99 but if you break the contract within 6 months, you'll have to pay $250 disconnect fee to LetsTalk in addition to the $200 charged by T-Mobile.
I went to a Sams Club last week and they had it for $142 + tax. The guy there said I can keep my existing plan (family plan and $25 android data plan).
So my plan is to buy the phone from Sams Club. If I like it, I'll stay on the new 2 yr contract and if I don't I'll break the contract after 30 days and sell it on craigslist (ebay charges a lot of fees).
I've been waiting for a good android phone for a long time (my contract on the G1 got over more than a year ago. But since T-Mobile is not getting any good androind phones, I'll try WM 6.5. Microsoft wins and Google loses. The last WM device I used was an MPX200. I would have bought the Nexus One if they allowed me to add it to my family plan with a discounted rate.
before u go getting phones at contract discount and canceling. you may want to read this http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1634784
basically says tmobile will start blcking IMEI's of phones from canceled contracts. I dont know if its legit but i just bought a HD2 from ebay and now im paranoid anyone heard of this?
Edit seller assured me thats not the case for me but still thats kinda scary.
kcaj32 said:
Just spoke to LetsTalk customer support. aka Walmart $99 purchase.
They'll give you the phone for $99 but if you break the contract within 6 months, you'll have to pay $250 disconnect fee to LetsTalk in addition to the $200 charged by T-Mobile.
I went to a Sams Club last week and they had it for $142 + tax. The guy there said I can keep my existing plan (family plan and $25 android data plan).
So my plan is to buy the phone from Sams Club. If I like it, I'll stay on the new 2 yr contract and if I don't I'll break the contract after 30 days and sell it on craigslist (ebay charges a lot of fees).
I've been waiting for a good android phone for a long time (my contract on the G1 got over more than a year ago. But since T-Mobile is not getting any good androind phones, I'll try WM 6.5. Microsoft wins and Google loses. The last WM device I used was an MPX200. I would have bought the Nexus One if they allowed me to add it to my family plan with a discounted rate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true!
But if you plan on keeping the phone for atleast 181 days, then lets talk will remove the fee (plus tmobile will only charge $100 per line). This would be the best decision for someone looking to keep the phone and not sell it anytime soon.
mrbox23 said:
before u go getting phones at contract discount and canceling. you may want to read this http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1634784
basically says tmobile will start blcking IMEI's of phones from canceled contracts. I dont know if its legit but i just bought a HD2 from ebay and now im paranoid anyone heard of this?
Edit seller assured me thats not the case for me but still thats kinda scary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess this would apply more to being careful about buying the phone from 3rd party (places like ebay, craiglist, etc)
joefx13 said:
This is true!
But if you plan on keeping the phone for atleast 181 days, then lets talk will remove the fee (plus tmobile will only charge $100 per line). This would be the best decision for someone looking to keep the phone and not sell it anytime soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I spoke to T-Mobile too. Their policy for canceling 2 years contract is:
If you have more than 180 days from the end of the contract, you pay $200.
If you have more than 90 days but less than 180 before contract ends, its $50, and less than 90 days for contract to end, you pay $25.
But yes, I agree that someone who plans on keeping the phone for 2 years, its a good deal.
rtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt
I live in NY, and $500 for uncontract phone at T-Mobile Store before tax. Is there big sale on thanksgiving? Is Delaware cheaper?
st0n36 said:
rtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt
I live in NY, and $500 for uncontract phone at T-Mobile Store before tax. Is there big sale on thanksgiving? Is Delaware cheaper?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Craigslist
Either craigslist where new G2's are going for $400-450 or Costco where you can get a G2 for $450 without contract.
i stopped by a Costco in Anne Arundel, MD and they said they are not allowed to sell phones w/o contract.
icruisin said:
i stopped by a Costco in Anne Arundel, MD and they said they are not allowed to sell phones w/o contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That always depends on the individual dealer as some love their commision so much they don't sell without contract. The one at Arundel Mills and Beltsville in MD won't sell without contract but the one at Pentagon City and Largo does. Go figure
anyway if u wanna buy from Costco, Just buy it for $99 $149 or whatever the two year price is and cancel after 15 days and pay your $200 ETF since Costco dealers doesn't charge additional ETF
http://membershipwireless.com/index.cfm/go/shop/do/PhoneDetails/productid/3812
On the one hand: Wow, that's probably the cheapest way to get the G2 unlocked and off contract. That's probably cheaper than my 21 month upgrade options right now.
On the other hand: Seriously? We're going to talk about scamming Costco, T-Mobile and HTC here in a public forum? How long until Costco would wise up to something like this or T-Mobile put an additional cancellation clause into their Terms and Conditions?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=810674
cmc1002001 said:
That always depends on the individual dealer as some love their commision so much they don't sell without contract. The one at Arundel Mills and Beltsville in MD won't sell without contract but the one at Pentagon City and Largo does. Go figure
anyway if u wanna buy from Costco, Just buy it for $99 $149 or whatever the two year price is and cancel after 15 days and pay your $200 ETF since Costco dealers doesn't charge additional ETF
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Costco dealers do make you sign an additional contract stating that you are liable to pay them an ETF in addition to Tmobiles ETF. This is basically stealing the phone. Tmobile will deny to pay the dealer the commission because the line isn't open. So the dealer just gave you a 99 dollar G2 that they bought for 450 or so. Some dealers will also charge the employee who activated the line back for the full price of the phone.
acis said:
The Costco dealers do make you sign an additional contract stating that you are liable to pay them an ETF in addition to Tmobiles ETF. This is basically stealing the phone. Tmobile will deny to pay the dealer the commission because the line isn't open. So the dealer just gave you a 99 dollar G2 that they bought for 450 or so. Some dealers will also charge the employee who activated the line back for the full price of the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What page does it say you have to pay Costco a additional ETF. I'm looking at my friend's Vibrant contact and all they're contract says is that if you cancel, you should return the phone within 90 days so they can offer low prices. There's no additional ETF here?
acis said:
The Costco dealers do make you sign an additional contract stating that you are liable to pay them an ETF in addition to Tmobiles ETF. This is basically stealing the phone. Tmobile will deny to pay the dealer the commission because the line isn't open. So the dealer just gave you a 99 dollar G2 that they bought for 450 or so. Some dealers will also charge the employee who activated the line back for the full price of the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you combined 2 comments and responded to a red herring. One comment was asking about Costcos that would sell the phone for full price without a contract (not stealing, just a different way to sell it) and another was asking about Costco ETFs. I don't think anyone was claiming that they could get it for $99 at Costco without a contract - that would get someone in some serious trouble...
I guess I should add that if you were stating that you doubt that Costco doesn't have their own ETF, I agree that would be odd as it is common industry practice for 3rd parties to sell a subsidized phone and have their own ETF in addition to the carrier's ETF, but I wouldn't put it past Costco - they aren't your average 3rd party retailer and often have unique arrangements with manufacturers due to their membership store nature and the way they manage their bulk purchases.
Thanks for all your replies.
I contract one on craigslist, but no answer yet.
seems phone $49
http://membershipwireless.com/index.cfm/go/shop/do/PhoneDetails/productId/3812
activation fee $30?
Early termination fee $350
maybe you have to keep line more than 15 days. so +$30
dunno if you cancel line contract immediately after purchase. t-mo and costco are separate things. they share info and costco requires phone back?
T-Mo stores able to discount?
Does anyone know if T-Mo retail stores are allowed to negotiate or offer deals? I was going to purchase my G2 via T-Mo online, but also need to get my wife a MyTouch, and I want to see if they can offer a discount for two purchases.
I don't think that the actual retail stores can negotiate at all, other than the occasional waiving of the new line activation fee (Not the upgrade fee). If you want a better deal you would have to call, and it honestly depends on your situation as to how much they are willing to give you (Regular reps might not be able to help either, you may have to contact loyalty). They also may require you to order it rather than get it from a direct dealer, but I'm not sure.
Adam5400 said:
I don't think that the actual retail stores can negotiate at all, other than the occasional waiving of the new line activation fee (Not the upgrade fee). If you want a better deal you would have to call, and it honestly depends on your situation as to how much they are willing to give you (Regular reps might not be able to help either, you may have to contact loyalty). They also may require you to order it rather than get it from a direct dealer, but I'm not sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. i have a Family Plan with 5 lines, and they've always been pretty good about waiving stuff (gave my wife the same grandfathered data plan I had from my original G1 purchase). I guess I'll call Customer Loyalty. Thanks!
I got mine for 108 customer loyalty discount .
i got mine for $0.00
:-D
$99 - Loyalty discount NM
NM
There is no message.
I paid $212.13 after tax. They did wave $18 upgrade fee.
However, this was my first smartphone. Where I won was them allowing me to reverse grandfather into the $30 unlimited plan. The last update to my data usage was 2457MB as of 6:27pm 11/14/10, 6.5 days after I got it.
I got mine for free, my wife's was 199.
There are only two ways to get the loyalty discount:
1. You paid too much each month (> $100).
or
2. You haven't upgraded for ages ( out of contract for over a year or two).
Either way, it's a chimp change for AT&T to give you a small discount out of the $$$ they made out of you every month
I pay only $95/mo for entire family account of 3 lines and upgrade every single year (can live with any phone for over a year). So, no discount for me. But also means I saved $$$ every year, more than $100 or $200 discount for sure.
foxbat121 said:
There are only two ways to get the loyalty discount:
1. You paid too much each month (> $100).
or
2. You haven't upgraded for ages ( out of contract for over a year or two).
Either way, it's a chimp change for AT&T to give you a small discount out of the $$$ they made out of you every month
I pay only $95/mo for entire family account of 3 lines and upgrade every single year (can live with any phone for over a year). So, no discount for me. But also means I saved $$$ every year, more than $100 or $200 discount for sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts exactly.
foxbat121 said:
There are only two ways to get the loyalty discount:
1. You paid too much each month (> $100).
or
2. You haven't upgraded for ages ( out of contract for over a year or two).
Either way, it's a chimp change for AT&T to give you a small discount out of the $$$ they made out of you every month
I pay only $95/mo for entire family account of 3 lines and upgrade every single year (can live with any phone for over a year). So, no discount for me. But also means I saved $$$ every year, more than $100 or $200 discount for sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or you have 4 smartphones...and associated data plans to go with them and unlimited messaging.
If I priced out 4 separate individual plans, I'd be paying through the nose. I think $150 for four smartphones with unlimited data (pre cap) and unlimited text/pix/vids etc. along with 2k mins is a pretty good deal
V DidDy 210 said:
Or you have 4 smartphones...and associated data plans to go with them and unlimited messaging.
If I priced out 4 separate individual plans, I'd be paying through the nose. I think $150 for four smartphones with unlimited data (pre cap) and unlimited text/pix/vids etc. along with 2k mins is a pretty good deal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only the service charge on the primary line counts into loyalty discount. You can pay for 100 lines and your loyalty discount remains the same.
foxbat121 said:
Only the service charge on the primary line counts into loyalty discount. You can pay for 100 lines and your loyalty discount remains the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's true but i'm not even talking about the discount. He's saying that people who pay way too much are the only one's eligible for loyalty discount.
but I'm arguing that I think that 150 for all that i get is a very good deal
I paid $499 and tax. And promptly returned it the next day. I'll wait to see if any holiday sales pop up before thinking about purchasing one again.
V DidDy 210 said:
that's true but i'm not even talking about the discount. He's saying that people who pay way too much are the only one's eligible for loyalty discount.
but I'm arguing that I think that 150 for all that i get is a very good deal
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Yes, $150 is a good deal for 4 smartphones, but he's also right because you don't qualify for the loyalty discount since you don't pay "too much".
Right now Focus is AT&T store exclusive, as soon as Amazon or Newegg has it, it'll be $100 less at least. Surround was available for free with a new contract at Amazon and it's a damn good phone for free!
I paid $106 for the Focus(haven't upgraded in almost a year) and got the unlimited data for smartphones on AT&T.I used to have the unlimited data for iphone so no change in monthly bill.
rexian said:
Yes, $150 is a good deal for 4 smartphones, but he's also right because you don't qualify for the loyalty discount since you don't pay "too much".
Right now Focus is AT&T store exclusive, as soon as Amazon or Newegg has it, it'll be $100 less at least. Surround was available for free with a new contract at Amazon and it's a damn good phone for free!
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Correct. What I refered to was monthly bill, not how much you paid for your phone. It's the monthly bill that matters dollar wise, not the one time phone cost. Assume you pay $30 extra per month than most others, it could add up to $720 extra in 2-year contract and for that you get $100 discount on the phone. No a greatest deal but if you could use all that features you paid for, good for you. But personally I don't see any point of this poll/thread.
i'm curious as to how you got 3 lines with unlimited data/messaging and minutes for 95...?
Revaric said:
i'm curious as to how you got 3 lines with unlimited data/messaging and minutes for 95...?
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I didn't say that.
Someone over at Engadget tipped regarding a $100 off holiday coupon for select phones - the Focus was included. I called AT&T customer service and asked them to credit me for the $100 so I didn't have to go through the trouble of returning it to the store and buying it again online just to save. They credited me $105. So I ended up paying $145 for my Focus after tax.
Does that coupon work for the non contract price? A $499 Focus would then be $399?
I don't know. I suggest anyone thinking about the focus. Which is awesome pressure the sales associate for the customer loyalty discount. and then report back here.
bmstrong said:
Does that coupon work for the non contract price? A $499 Focus would then be $399?
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The coupon specifically stated it was only valid with certain phones and a 2 year contract
Can you purchase the DVP 8GB for 100 bucks then CANCEL your brand new tmobile service?
Whats the worse? they'll only charge you 200 bucks for a contract termination right? then you've bought the phone for 300 bucks.=)
nope wont work. cause when you get approved dell emails you and lets you know you recieved a $350 dollar discount so you will be charged 200 from tmobile and 350 from dell for the credit you recieved. they will charge the credit card you used over and over. loop hole is to get a prepaid credit card for one time use
SHAUN231 said:
nope wont work. cause when you get approved dell emails you and lets you know you recieved a $350 dollar discount so you will be charged 200 from tmobile and 350 from dell for the credit you recieved. they will charge the credit card you used over and over. loop hole is to get a prepaid credit card for one time use
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Do you have a link with this information? I looked all over their agreements and conditions of sale, and I see nothing about having to pay back the discount.
Also, how is using a prepaid credit card a loop hole? Wouldn't they call you to get a valid credit card if the one on file doesn't work? Or can't they just send you a paper bill?
It would probably work fine with the exception that there is also a 35 dollar activation fee for new service and you are required to pay a minimum of the first months service. Also just a word of caution that there may be hidden cancellation fees much like with Amazon. Where both the carrier and the company you purchased from charge you for cancellation prior to a specified amount of time. It really doesn't save you as much as you would think. The best option would be to sign up for Borders Rewards and receive the 10% off for purchasing through the Dell Employee Purchase Program which Borders Rewards members have access to.
jessej said:
It would probably work fine with the exception that there is also a 35 dollar activation fee for new service and you are required to pay a minimum of the first months service. Also just a word of caution that there may be hidden cancellation fees much like with Amazon. Where both the carrier and the company you purchased from charge you for cancellation prior to a specified amount of time. It really doesn't save you as much as you would think. The best option would be to sign up for Borders Rewards and receive the 10% off for purchasing through the Dell Employee Purchase Program which Borders Rewards members have access to.
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The Amazon cancellation fee isn't hidden. It's clearly part of their "Instant Discount Policy".
If you intend to use T-Mobile service anyway, paying the first month's service fee is no big deal. You're paying only $20 more than the no-contract price that you would have paid had you purchased the phone outright. However, over the course of 2 years, that $20 adds up even if you pay the ETF, so it's always beneficial to get off contract as soon as you can.
I thought the activation fee was waived, but even if you did have to pay it, you're still saving $95:
Code:
Discount: ($350)
ETF: $200
Service Fee Diff: $20
Activation Fee: $35
___
Savings: $95
I took it to mean that he would be signing up for a new contract and already has one. If this is actually what he was doing then he would also be paying for his existing monthly plan if he wants to keep his existing phone number. Say $50for this example.
$100 phone
$200 cancellation
$35 activation
$50 data only plan (new contract)
or
$60 500 minutes (new contract)
$50 existing plan
total is $435 or $445
total after the discount on the 8gig model with 10% epp is $404.
jessej said:
I took it to mean that he would be signing up for a new contract and already has one. If this is actually what he was doing then he would also be paying for his existing monthly plan if he wants to keep his existing phone number. Say $50for this example.
$100 phone
$200 cancellation
$35 activation
$50 data only plan (new contract)
or
$60 500 minutes (new contract)
$50 existing plan
total is $435 or $445
total after the discount on the 8gig model with 10% epp is $404.
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Incredible - especially considering the standard ECF in Canada is $400!
for tmobile, i believe you cannot modify your account within the first 3 months if you want to buy a phone because the retailer won't get commission if the line is cancelled so they might charge you extra.