AT&T to Raise Fees For iPhone Contract Breakers

[Osiris]

AT&T to Raise Fees For iPhone Contract Breakers

AT&T has (hi)jacked the iPhone early termination fee from $175 to a whopping $325. If you think AT&T is just picking on iPhone owners…you're right…regular cell phone owners that break their contract are getting a $25 break, they only pay $150 now.

Starting June 1, smart-phone buyers will have to pay $325 for breaking their contract, up from $175 currently. For buyers of regular phones, the fee is being decreased by $25 to $150.
​

 

[Jayce]

Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch.

 

[Dauntae]

That's because the new Iphone won't be AT&T apple already ended the exclusive to att BS and the 3GS phones will still be under contract so if you want an upgrade when the new ones are out it's gonna cost you. I HATE AT&T already, if I didn't have the Iphone I would have jumped ship a long time ago.

 

[-RockMan-]

Heh, I hear you daunte ATT doesn't even try to **** with me over their stupid rate plans.

1.I am on no contract with them what so ever.
2.If I need a phone, I will buy a destroyed one on ebay.com and make the necessary repairs and cosmetic repairs to it and do it just like I did with my old blackberry 8700c.
3.I am on a prepaid plan which means they **** with credit card and have unwanted or needed billls showing up at my house every 2 weeks.
4.Even though I am on prepaid and I now use a new Ka08 mini iphone and att found out I had one and turned off my internet ports.
It took less than a week to break free from no email mms or internet buy unlocking the ports again with the right settings.

5.I like ATT but there customer service is really starting to get very sad and sorry just like that ****ty tracfone I left 2 1/2 years ago.
ATT may have it's problem but atleat they know how to fix a problem fast without ****ing off the customer even it is or not the customers problem.

I would use verizon again, but their **** phone uses only cdma and I aint trying to go back to the stone age if you understand where I am coming from.

 

[Jayce]

I hear ya on the CDMA part, however CDMA has certainly gotten better over the years. I never had much of a problem with ATT besides their pricing. 70 bucks a month for 450 min voice and unlimited text on an individual plan is robbery. Fortunately for me, I'm anti contract and never resigned when my contract expired 2 years ago with ATT. I plan to jump ship to T-Mobile here shortly, so we'll see how that goes.

I think it's very poor, regardless of the situation, to jack up the ETF on iPhone users like that. To me it's just a serious -1 to ATT's reputation. I don't care if it was Apple who had involvement with that decision or not. 325 to drop a contract? Really? Ouuch...

 

[KSoD]

Honestly this isnt that bad. If anyone really did some research on this they would see that Verizon still has higher fees. They are $350 to drop a contract. Plus you entered into the contract, you should be held responsible. This is no different to cancel a phone contract than it is to get out of a car loan or any loan for that matter.

People buy the item at a discounted price and agree to stay with the service for a set amount of time. They think that instead of paying full price for the phone that it will just be cheaper to cancel the contract and get the phone that way.

So now the carries have found a way to discourage this behavior and people get upset cause they cant cheat the system?

Maybe they should start having Phone Contracts affect credit reports a bit more and maybe people would take such things a bit more seriously instead of trying to cheat the system.

Yes i am part of AT&T, just as i was part of Verizon and T-Mobile before them. I wanted to get out of my contracts before they were up just as i want up upgrade my phone now before my "upgrade" period allows for. But i signed the contract and i will live up to it. Just as you expect your insurance company to live up to their contract if something happens and you have to use their service.

 

[Jayce]

Regardless - 325 to drop a contract with an iPhone contract when you're already spending 150-200 on the iPhone in the first place at a "subsidized price" is STILL robbery.

If you get the iPhone for free when you sign, or 50 bucks or something like that, then 325 suddenly doesn't sound so bad. But as it stands, definite -1. Plus a quick google search revealed Verizon dropped quite a few devices off of their $350 ETF.

 

[KSoD]

You neglect to see the point Jayce. The Phone costs $500 to get without a contract. So even spending $200 on it with a 2 year agreement and then dropping it at the current rate of $250 you actually SAVE $50 doing it this way. So now not only is AT&T out the phone, but the 2 years worth of income from the service.

The point being, you signed a contract which is a legally binding deal. You are trying to get out of it, they have every right to try and stop you.

If you were the carrier and i was the customer would you be happy if i repeatedly bought a phone and contract just to drop it a month later and actually save money doing so? How would that look on your profit margin over the next couple of years?

So no i dont blame AT&T for doing this and frankly i am glad they are. Too many people have done this in the past and it is something that needs to be stopped. People need to learn that when you give your word and sign a contract that you have to live up to it. You expect others to do so. You should do it to.

 

[Jayce]

You neglect to see the point Jayce. The Phone costs $500 to get without a contract. So even spending $200 on it with a 2 year agreement and then dropping it at the current rate of $250 you actually SAVE $50 doing it this way. So now not only is AT&T out the phone, but the 2 years worth of income from the service.

The point being, you signed a contract which is a legally binding deal. You are trying to get out of it, they have every right to try and stop you.

If you were the carrier and i was the customer would you be happy if i repeatedly bought a phone and contract just to drop it a month later and actually save money doing so? How would that look on your profit margin over the next couple of years?

So no i dont blame AT&T for doing this and frankly i am glad they are. Too many people have done this in the past and it is something that needs to be stopped. People need to learn that when you give your word and sign a contract that you have to live up to it. You expect others to do so. You should do it to.

Actually, Mak, I already understand all of the above. I've been through this time and time again with cell phone companies, contracts, subsidized phones, online deals, etc. I understand that companies offer the subsidized phones via contract because hey, it makes sense. If you get a 400 dollar phone for 200 dollars, ATT misses out on 200 bones. By signing a contract, that guarantees ATT's safety net of making up the missing 200 dollars throughout the duration of your contract. 2 and 2 is 4. I got that.

Maybe I just don't think the iPhone is worth what they charge for it, but it's a hefty price to bail, especially considering you're still dishing out a good chunk up front when you get the phone to begin with. When you add up that + ETF + activation fee (which is completely retarded in itself, and I'm surprised they still require that) it's a good chunk of change that leaves a stinging hole in that pocket...

But hey, I have nothing to worry about. Not only will I never have an iPhone, but I'll never sign another contract.

Then again, this new ETF change shouldn't effect existing iPhone owners, since the contract would bind them to the previous ETF... I just think it'll be a greater deterant to, if anything, dampen iPhone sales with ATT. *shrug*

 

[Puddle Jumper]

That's because the new Iphone won't be AT&T apple already ended the exclusive to att BS and the 3GS phones will still be under contract so if you want an upgrade when the new ones are out it's gonna cost you. I HATE AT&T already, if I didn't have the Iphone I would have jumped ship a long time ago.

Even if the new iPhone isn't exclusive to At&t I wouldn't expect to see it on Version anytime soon. With At&t Apple dosen't have to share shelf space/ advertising with any other high end consumer oriented smartphones. On Version they would be in direct competition with the Droid and Droid Incredible and I seriously doubt Apple want's consumers comparing those phones directly to the iPhone. Besides at the rate Andoid is growing Verison doesn't really need the iPhone anymore.