Database Users

Egzthunder1's "TMOUSA" Method for Saving Money on HD2

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...
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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...
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.

Best price & plan discounts for evo?

Eventhough I'm not currently in a 4G market, the EVO has me excited however I'd like to get the best deal possible particularly as I'd be using it perhaps 80+% on Wi-Fi off their network.
1) Full retail price: $450 or $600 as I'm not sure I want to sign a 2 yr contract? If I do sign a 2yr contract is the ETF a monthly prorated $200 & would that have any effect on my credit rating-report?
2) Discounts: I've heard suggestions of setting up a simple $10 savings account at a Credit Union to get a 10% Sprint discount, any comments/other discount ideas to minimize that monthly fee?
3) Rooting: Just to clarify does rooting void the warranty & if so do you have any qualms doing it day1?
-Thanks & would be cool to develop for Android/EVO..

Not sure if this info is right but I got it from sprint rep. I asked if I bought the phone straight out what deal would I get. She said its the same plan either way and I would have to have a 2 yr contract even if i didn't buy the phone from them. So no discount and still have to have 2 yr contract. Can anyone confirm this info?

Plans: In order to have an Evo you MUST have an Everything Data Plan. You MUST pay $10 dollars additional to add Premium Data to your plan. You MAY pay $29.99 for the Wi-Fi Hotspot feature.
Discounts: Sprint offers discounts to pretty much every company out there. Heck, some companies only require you know someone who works there to get the discount!
If you are out of contract, you can often call Customer Service and get an additional discount just for resigning, and then still upgrade (and thus resign) a few days later. But it has to be done in that order!
However, these discounts do NOT apply to the $10 Premium Data, $29.99 Wi-Fi Hotspot, or $7 TEP. Only to the actual plan!
Contract: If you are a NEW customer, you MUST agree to a 2 year contract, even if you don't take the discount. So take the discount.
If you are an existing customer and want the discounted price ($199 after $100 MIR) you MUST sign a 2 year contract AND be eligible for upgrade.
If you are an existing customer and got an Evo from a friend or I/O Attendee, you do NOT have to sign a contract. You can change the plan, add the services, add TEP, and add the Hotspot without changing your contract. You'll even be eligible to upgrade on your regular date!

Where did you get the $600 price? I thought the phone was $450 without a discount and $199 with a rebate/discount for an upgrade/new contract.
The reason I ask is I am only 8 months into my contract, so am I going to have to pay $450 or $600?
Also, a friend said he had a Bowing Credit Union account, got him a 20% discount.

$450 is the official price from a Sprint corporate store, $600 is the BestBuy full retail price.

nachyochez said:
$450 is the official price from a Sprint corporate store, $600 is the BestBuy full retail price.
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Click to collapse
Wow, I didn't know that. Why on earth would anyone get it from BestBuy?

nachyochez said:
Plans: In order to have an Evo you MUST have an Everything Data Plan. You MUST pay $10 dollars additional to add Premium Data to your plan. You MAY pay $29.99 for the Wi-Fi Hotspot feature.
Discounts: Sprint offers discounts to pretty much every company out there. Heck, some companies only require you know someone who works there to get the discount!
If you are out of contract, you can often call Customer Service and get an additional discount just for resigning, and then still upgrade (and thus resign) a few days later. But it has to be done in that order!
However, these discounts do NOT apply to the $10 Premium Data, $29.99 Wi-Fi Hotspot, or $7 TEP. Only to the actual plan!
Contract: If you are a NEW customer, you MUST agree to a 2 year contract, even if you don't take the discount. So take the discount.
If you are an existing customer and want the discounted price ($199 after $100 MIR) you MUST sign a 2 year contract AND be eligible for upgrade.
If you are an existing customer and got an Evo from a friend or I/O Attendee, you do NOT have to sign a contract. You can change the plan, add the services, add TEP, and add the Hotspot without changing your contract. You'll even be eligible to upgrade on your regular date!
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Click to collapse
Ok so since I'm new to Sprint it sounds like I would have to sign a 2 yr contract for access to their network & should take their discounted price-Is it a monthly prorated $200 ETF (& would that have any effect on my credit rating-report)?
I was going to link to the 10% Credit Union Sprint Discount but can't as a new user here yet, any other specific significant accessible discounts to consider (wow Sirchuk 20% Bowing Credit Union account, I'll have to look into that-thanks)?
Is the radio shack pre-order by 5/31 the best deal out there? $7 TEP worth it? Are you gonna root it? -Appreciate the replies

If you pay the $200 ETF then it won't go against your credit, but if you don't pay it (just like any other bill) they could take you to collections and then it will hurt your credit. Keep in mind in order to get the rebate you will still need to keep the phone on sprint for X period of time or they'll deny the rebate.
Also, I don't believe the amount is prorated monthly at all. You are agreeing to 2 years and thus get a discount on the phone.

Well, I'm new to xda and as such can't post links.. So google search on,
mcguireslaw
If you will be new to Sprint, go here, for probably the best available discount, if you don't work for a medium or big comapny. Read the link on the right of page (Special Sprint Offer), and click through it.
If you are currently on Sprint (or not), and work for a mid to large company, google seach on,
evpdiscount
and plug your company name in. These are without a doubt the best available discounts, and can simply be added to existing service.
A few examples,
evpdiscount.com/ibm
evpdiscount.com/ups
evpdiscount.com/cisco

SMARTPHONEPC said:
Ok so since I'm new to Sprint it sounds like I would have to sign a 2 yr contract for access to their network & should take their discounted price
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Probably why they do it that way!
SMARTPHONEPC said:
Is it a monthly prorated $200 ETF (& would that have any effect on my credit rating-report)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ETF is $200 until month 5, then goes down by $10 every month until only $50 remains. And no, if you pay the ETF and final bill (make sure you pay it ALL!) by the bill due date (like any bill) it doesn't affect your credit.
SMARTPHONEPC said:
I was going to link to the 10% Credit Union Sprint Discount but can't as a new user here yet, any other specific significant accessible discounts to consider (wow Sirchuk 20% Bowing Credit Union account, I'll have to look into that-thanks)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's called an NVP discount, and there are (literally) hundreds. They range from 5% to 25% based on where you work. So go into a store and get it setup!
SMARTPHONEPC said:
Is the radio shack pre-order by 5/31 the best deal out there?
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Click to collapse
Define "deal". Sam's Club has the cheapest price ($160) last I checked, Radio Shack and Bestbuy both will do it out the door with no MIR and have cheaper accessories. But those same accessories void your mfg. warranty the second you plug them into your phone. Plus you're going to have to call customer service to get any discounts added to your plan.
Corporate stores will require the MIR (Extra hundred bucks up front), but will setup your discount johnny on the spot (should you qualify and I'll bet dollars to dimes you do!) and walk you through the entire setup up the phone (They call it "Ready Now")
SMARTPHONEPC said:
$7 TEP worth it?
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Click to collapse
Absolutely. If something in the phone fails or needs to be cleaned take it to a local Sprint Service center. They either repair or replace at no charge, and replacements are usually in your hands within 3-5 days (unlimited). If you bust the screen out, get water in it, loose it or get it stolen call Asurion and for $100 they send you another (up to 3 a year).
SMARTPHONEPC said:
Are you gonna root it?
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Click to collapse
Whatever it takes to make my AVI's play from my phone onto my TV. This phone is cutting my need for a PC in HALF!!

go through EPRP
sprint.com/sero
[email protected]
383

tatnai said:
go through EPRP
sprint.com/sero
[email protected]
383
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So through that link the Everything Plus™ Data - 500 Anytime Minutes is $59.99+the$10 EVO charge, so we're talking ~$70+taxes/mo as the best deal?
I would have to set that up through Sprint & why doesn't Sprint just match reseller deals while annoying new customers with a mail-in rebate?
-Thanks

tatnai said:
go through EPRP
sprint.com/sero
[email protected]
383
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is there anyway to change my current plan to those prices with this information, or new lines only?

tatnai said:
go through EPRP
sprint.com/sero
[email protected]
383
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought you couldn't use a SERO plan with the EVO? (or any recent smarphone short of the TP2) Or is EPRP different from SERO and I'm just being thrown off by the fact that it says /sero on the URL in your post?
Edit: Nevermind, I figured it out... For anyone not familiar, SERO is an old/outdated set of discount plans Sprint used to offer (based on employee referral), EPRP is the current/modern iteration of that and apparently you can use the EVO on such a plan (and you can upgrade a SERO plan to EPRP too), but it's possible you may not be able to actually buy the EVO w/an EPRP plan until July (judging by what Sprint employees have stated elsewhere), due to the fact that you need to get the phone directly thru Sprint with the plan in order to be able to get on the EPRP and they're locking out the EVO from the EPRPs 'till then (like they did w/the Pre), so that's a bit of a letdown.
Am I right? Kind of a downer, I would've loved to save an extra $10 a month but I don't think I can wait 'till July! Thanks for the info anyway.
Edit: Also, getting on the EPRP and knocking $10 off the bill for a single line plan would disqualify you for Sprint Premier status anyway (since your base bill has to be $69.99+/month), so if anyone wants to be able to upgrade/renew every year you're better off w/the regular plans, as long as you don't mind the higher bill (worth it imo). That is unless you're getting an EPRP family plan of $99 or more, then you still qualify, such as the $110 EPRP 1600 min plan... Which is a big discount over the standard $130 for 1500.
I've got a question, say I sign a contract for a single line $69.99 plan this month, could I later upgrade that to an EPRP family/share plan?

Yeah what he said..just trying to plan this out so I have this phone next weekend or maybe I should calm down & wait until...mid June ?

I'm currently on AT&T and I'm not even waiting 'till the 7th (Monday after the EVO launches), even tho supposedly they've got some big (non-Apple) announcements then. Just sick and tired of waiting for them to release a solid Android phone, the EVO is calling my name! 'Specially after I discovered I can get a 15% discount on my monthly bill thru StudentRate and still qualify for Premier status. That basically makes EPRP irrelevant for me since it's the same amount of discount but w/no caveats; and StudentRate's also got a sweet offer for those ordering the EVO online on the 4th, after 2 different credits you basically end up paying $125 for it w/no activation fees and free overnight shipping, tough to beat. I don't mind waiting 'till Monday if it means saving $110!

Impulses said:
I thought you couldn't use a SERO plan with the EVO? (or any recent smarphone short of the TP2) Or is EPRP different from SERO and I'm just being thrown off by the fact that it says /sero on the URL in your post?
Edit: Nevermind, I figured it out... For anyone not familiar, SERO is an old/outdated set of discount plans Sprint used to offer (based on employee referral), EPRP is the current/modern iteration of that and apparently you can use the EVO on such a plan (and you can upgrade a SERO plan to EPRP too), but it's possible you may not be able to actually buy the EVO w/an EPRP plan until July (judging by what Sprint employees have stated elsewhere), due to the fact that you need to get the phone directly thru Sprint with the plan in order to be able to get on the EPRP and they're locking out the EVO from the EPRPs 'till then (like they did w/the Pre), so that's a bit of a letdown.
Am I right? Kind of a downer, I would've loved to save an extra $10 a month but I don't think I can wait 'till July! Thanks for the info anyway.
Edit: Also, getting on the EPRP and knocking $10 off the bill for a single line plan would disqualify you for Sprint Premier status anyway (since your base bill has to be $69.99+/month), so if anyone wants to be able to upgrade/renew every year you're better off w/the regular plans, as long as you don't mind the higher bill (worth it imo). That is unless you're getting an EPRP family plan of $99 or more, then you still qualify, such as the $110 EPRP 1600 min plan... Which is a big discount over the standard $130 for 1500.
I've got a question, say I sign a contract for a single line $69.99 plan this month, could I later upgrade that to an EPRP family/share plan?
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1. not sure about sprint premier with the 59.99 plan. previously, SERO plans got special treatment even though they didn't qualify for it by their cost structure (phone upgrade discounts, etc), it might be the same with EPRP, you'd have to call and ask
2. very difficult to more from a regular plan into an EPRP. If you want it, sign up with it
3. sprint distinguishes employees from regular users on a referral plan. my rep says I can get it friday. i'll post back friday.

nachyochez said:
Define "deal". Sam's Club has the cheapest price ($160) last I checked, Radio Shack and Bestbuy both will do it out the door with no MIR and have cheaper accessories. But those same accessories void your mfg. warranty the second you plug them into your phone. Plus you're going to have to call customer service to get any discounts added to your plan.
Corporate stores will require the MIR (Extra hundred bucks up front), but will setup your discount johnny on the spot (should you qualify and I'll bet dollars to dimes you do!) and walk you through the entire setup up the phone (They call it "Ready Now")
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The only way using a charger voids your warranty is if you tell them you used a non-OEM charger when making your claim And why would you do that? Not to mention that Radioshack, at least, can set up discounts right in the store. Radioshack will also walk you through using the device (if you've never owned a smartphone before and need it). We call it "customer service."

Try this link for 25% off all plans
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=699240

According to a lot of different posts on sprintusers.com, EPRP plans under the cost limit for Premier don't qualify for it, period. Corporate discounts and other stuff don't preclude you from Premier status but EPRP does (it's not treated as a discount but a separate set of plans, which it is pretty much since some of the minute allotments vary).
Anyway, I'm going ahead w/the 15% StudentRate discount plans, I can get the EVO thru them for $125 anyway... Seems a little more honest than getting in on the 25% Time Warner deal heh (since I AM a student). I'm just wondering if you can upgrade your plan at any time (say, to a Share Plan) when using these discounts.

Who got there focus for less than $200

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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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

Will this work? Loop hole?

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.

Good News - New ATT Mobile Data Share plan

Good News - ATT is offering a new mobile data share plan w/unlimited Talk & Text. More data for less, new data share plan included 10GB of data
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html?gnLinkId=t2015#fbid=QH4FNKQoqUv

Just signed up for the 10gb plan. Was on 6gb now I get an additional 4gb for only 10.00 Att is headed in the right direction. Maybe unlimited like t-crap mobile one day ?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

chadrick.7 said:
Just signed up for the 10gb plan. Was on 6gb now I get an additional 4gb for only 10.00 Att is headed in the right direction. Maybe unlimited like t-crap mobile one day ?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
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I was on the 6gb before also, now i got 10gb i am a happy att customer now...TMobile is keeping all the other carriers on their toes...I love it. Plus i get 22% off my bill through my employer att discount #winning

iamolu said:
I was on the 6gb before also, now i got 10gb i am a happy att customer now...TMobile is keeping all the other carriers on their toes...I love it
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I agree. Things are getting better now. Hopefully it will even get better in the future.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

iamolu said:
Good News - ATT is offering a new mobile data share plan w/unlimited Talk & Text. More data for less, new data share plan included 10GB of data
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html?gnLinkId=t2015#fbid=QH4FNKQoqUv
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This change cut $80 off of my bill overnight!! I was on the original 10gb share plan with 4 smartphones. Now my data plan has dropped $20 from $120 to $100 and I'm saving $15 on each device fee. :thumbup::thumbup::sly:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I think I got duped. I called up and she claimed that I can convert my 4 contract phones over to this plan however that there is only the 40 dollar rate for each line, and I'll actually see 15 bucks per line on the bill. The change is effective on 2/4/2014 which is when my billing cycle changes... I guess I'll check back at the end of the month and have a long discussion with AT&T about it.

That is great news, any saving is good savings

msm903 said:
I think I got duped. I called up and she claimed that I can convert my 4 contract phones over to this plan however that there is only the 40 dollar rate for each line, and I'll actually see 15 bucks per line on the bill. The change is effective on 2/4/2014 which is when my billing cycle changes... I guess I'll check back at the end of the month and have a long discussion with AT&T about it.
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You can change it yourself. Just login to you att.com acct

what's the catch? there is always a catch, I don't trust att no more
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Saved me $77 a month!

lyrad12 said:
what's the catch? there is always a catch, I don't trust att no more
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It's pretty much a modification of the Family Share Value plan introduced not that long ago. The biggest pricing discrepancy between T-Mobile and AT&T was that AT&T charged the same monthly fee per device whether you bought it outright, got it with Next, or brought your own. With the introduction of the recent Family Share Value plan people who got their phones as described above were given a $15 a month discount on the monthly service fee per non-subsidized device. My two went from $40 to $25 per month. With the new plan announced today, if you're not using a subsidized phone, the $25 per month drops to $15. It starts at 10GB so it's really targeted at families/groups and large data users. My 6GB plan with two non-subsidized devices ($25 a month each) was $116. With the new 10GB plan it's $109 because while the data component went up a bit each device dropped $10 ( $15 a month).
So it's a great deal if you aren't using a subsidized device, have a lot of (non-subsidized) lines on your account, or are a big data user. It's pretty meaningless to those with subsidized phones. But it's meant to be a T-Mobile deterrant and you can't get subsidized phones from them directly anymore anyway. You can but only through resellers along with 2-year contracts and different rate plans that are pretty comparable to AT&T subsidized rates.

I was also on the 6GB plan (2 lines). Upgraded to this and now have 10GB for $15 less. Winning!

Can anyone who had a contract tell me exactly what is listed for the specific phone charge? I have attached how it shows up on mine and am a bit worried even though I am told that the 15 dollars will apply to each of my 4 lines
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda premium

msm903 said:
Can anyone who had a contract tell me exactly what is listed for the specific phone charge? I have attached how it shows up on mine and am a bit worried even though I am told that the 15 dollars will apply to each of my 4 lines
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You're not on a Mobile Share plan and I can't tell if the devices on your account are subsidized or not. The per device monthly discount only applies to non-subsidized devices (finished 2-year contract, purchased outright, Next, or bring your own). To get any of the discounts we're talking about you'd need to move to a Mobile Share plan and if you have devices on your account that are subsidized the monthly charge you pay for them won't decrease. With the new 10GB plan non-subsidized devices drop from as high as $40 to $15 per month.

BarryH_GEG said:
You're not on a Mobile Share plan and I can't tell if the devices on your account are subsidized or not. The per device monthly discount only applies to non-subsidized devices (finished 2-year contract, purchased outright, Next, or bring your own). To get any of the discounts we're talking about you'd need to move to a Mobile Share plan and if you have devices on your account that are subsidized the monthly charge you pay for them won't decrease. With the new 10GB plan non-subsidized devices drop from as high as $40 to $15 per month.
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See that's the problem there. I was told by the REP that even though I am on contracts the 15 dollar will apply. Its like I am getting an exemption. I will call them back
Also "The most surprising part of today's announcement is that current customers with on-contract phones can switch to the new pricing structure. Starting tomorrow, you can simply call up AT&T and ask to switch to a Mobile Share Value plan with 10GB or more of data, and you'll drop from paying $40 per smartphone down to just $15" the following was reported via the verge at http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/1/5368768/att-discounts-large-mobile-share-value-plans paragraph 6.
She actually set the plan up to take effect on 2/4/2014 which coincides with the start of my billing cycle.
I will call them back and cancel the changes. I would be going from paying 199 minus discounts to 235 minus discounts and that makes no sense for me.

msm903 said:
See that's the problem there. I was told by the REP that even though I am on contracts the 15 dollar will apply. Its like I am getting an exemption. I will call them back
Also "The most surprising part of today's announcement is that current customers with on-contract phones can switch to the new pricing structure. Starting tomorrow, you can simply call up AT&T and ask to switch to a Mobile Share Value plan with 10GB or more of data, and you'll drop from paying $40 per smartphone down to just $15" the following was reported via the verge at http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/1/5368768/att-discounts-large-mobile-share-value-plans paragraph 6.
She actually set the plan up to take effect on 2/4/2014 which coincides with the start of my billing cycle.
I will call them back and cancel the changes. I would be going from paying 199 minus discounts to 235 minus discounts and that makes no sense for me.
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This is from the new program's conditions. Anyone with subsidized phones can't also be on a "no annual service contract" agreement. Installment agreement refers to Next. Who knows, maybe the CSR you talked to is giving you some additional discounts or exceptions. It's pretty much the Wild Wild West over at AT&T lately in their effort to keep customers from T-Mobile.
Pricing for Value plan w/ 10 GB data ($100/mo.) plus per smartphone pricing ($15/mo.) on no annual service contract or on an installment agmt.​

BarryH_GEG said:
This is from the new program's conditions. Anyone with subsidized phones can't also be on a "no annual service contract" agreement. Installment agreement refers to Next. Who knows, maybe the CSR you talked to is giving you some additional discounts or exceptions. It's pretty much the Wild Wild West over at AT&T lately in their effort to keep customers from T-Mobile.
Pricing for Value plan w/ 10 GB data ($100/mo.) plus per smartphone pricing ($15/mo.) on no annual service contract or on an installment agmt.​
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Anyway thanks for the information. I just got back off the phone with ATT rep along with a online chat and I was informed that I will get charged the 40 dollar a month for the 3 lines and will receive a 25 dollar credit for each line. OF course I would only see that credit on my Next Bill and following bills. I will have to hope the reps I spoke to are correct, if not I'll be calling them back when my next bill shows up.
Here's to crossing my fingers.

While this is great and all but I would rather keep unlimited data on 3 lines family plan with unlimited text messaging and 500 mins with roll over for $160 a month. Until they take away the unlimited that is. Hopefully not anytime soon.
Sent from my SM-N900A using Tapatalk

With the monthly device fee down to $15, Next finally makes sense. It's now cheaper (as long as you want/need 10GB of data) than buying the phone subsidized. And that's not even taking in to account the "new device after 12 months" benefit of Next. Here's how the numbers work out based on current AT&T prices.

BarryH_GEG said:
With the monthly device fee down to $15, Next finally makes sense. It's now cheaper (as long as you want/need 10GB of data) than buying the phone subsidized. And that's not even taking in to account the "new device after 12 months" benefit of Next. Here's how the numbers work out based on current AT&T prices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm on the 10GB Mobile Share Plan and while all my devices are subsidized, the cost per smartphone is just $30.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app