AT&T stopping 3rd Party Retailer 2 Year Contracts
Snn5
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AT&T plans to drop two year contracts through third-party retailers, Apple included | 9to5Mac

Thanks to mama23dogs for the heads up.

Wonder when Verizon will try the no contract Edge or full price phone angle.

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mama23dogs
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Customers over at ATT are already mad and threatening  to jump ship.  As usual, what makes business sense to one company, may benefit another.  Customers on small data plans and low discount get a cheaper price with subsidy purchase.

I Was wondering how Verizon folks feel about it?

Heretic1989
Specialist - Level 2

I can only afford a phone with a new 2 yr activation.

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mama23dogs
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I Don't see the benefit of 2 year subsidy.   If you are buying a flagship, you are to shell out an upgrade fee, plus $200 down payment and the line fee is $40.  

INstallment purchase only requires the the tax up front.  Since I get the $25 discount, the payment is pretty much a wash.

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Heretic1989
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I've never paid more than $100 for one single phone. I've paid $100 for two phones. As a matter of fact, i wait for end of life phones. Either bogo or `free´ with new 2 yr contract.

For you and everyone else that have deep pockets. More power to you.

Weth
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But, you see, you didn't pay $100 for 2 phones.   You paid, $100 plus $80 upgrade fees, and at least $720 extra in monthly access fees (assuming More Everything).  The cheap deal really is just smoke and mirrors. 

Contract prices will be going away.   The Edge change requiring 100% payoff is part of the process completing separating phone purchase from service. 

mama23dogs
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ON my wish list:

Not having to explain that very fact, once a week, to someone who crawled out from under a rock.

If I write the, "you have always paid for your phone..." Paragraph one more time, it will involve primal scream therapy.

Rawrbug
Enthusiast - Level 3

Try working in a call center for Verizon... primal scream therapy is for when I get to my car.

mama23dogs
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Rawrbug

I laughed out loud.  But now am ashamed to laugh at the pain of another.

thanks and so sorry..... 

I Like my Flagship phone.  I bought it after several months on the market and the new version was on its way, so I got a better price.  As much as I want to upgrade to Note 5, I will probably wait a year, tip the next note is released.  The people in the Samsung Department at Best Buy better fix the theft sensors so they aren't so sensitive.    

I Swear, I only mentally drool and I never leave smudges on the goodies.

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Tidbits
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You understand that the cost of those phones are tied into the price of the plans right?

Back in the 90s carriers were sued and carriers said that fact. So you may think you paid $100 for 2 phones, but you actually paid full retail price for those phones. You just didn't see it separated. That's the reason why termination fee has diminishing returns after you completed time.

T-Mobile with their "uncarrier" movement just made it more transparent over keeping it hidden.

Not applicable

Heretic1989 wrote:I can only afford a phone with a new 2 yr activation

Any reason why you can't save up over 24 months? If you sign a 24 month contract TODAY you KNOW you have 2 years before you're next upgrade. Put $10-$20 a month away. If you can't afford to pay full price for  device then you need to keep your devices longer than 2 years until you can. This is the future.

Weth
Legend

Heretic1989 wrote:

I can only afford a phone with a new 2 yr activation.

This makes no sense. With Edge, there is much less up front costs than 2 year contract, no activation fee, and you will in most circumstances end up saving money over 24 months.

Saving a bit every month and paying cash up front is an even better option, as it leaves you with no commitments to Verizon. However, short of that, Edge is less expensive up front and less expensive over 24 months.

So how you do you say you can only afford a phone with 2 year activation?

Heretic1989
Specialist - Level 2

Hold your horses Ladies and Gentlemen. I put these punctuation marks ` ´ around the word free. So why are we having this conversation? Smh Lol

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Snn5
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Oh yeah, "air quotes."  LOL

Khines5705
Specialist - Level 1

"""I love Mondays!"""  lol

Not applicable

mama23dogs wrote:

Customers over at ATT are already mad and threatening  to jump ship.  As usual, what makes business sense to one company, may benefit another.  Customers on small data plans and low discount get a cheaper price with subsidy purchase.

I Was wondering how Verizon folks feel about it?

Last I heard over 65% of upgrade are done via Next anyway. Personally I think it's time to get rid of 2 year contracts. Where are these people going? Not T-Mobile. Sprint has already said they're dumping 2 year contracts by the end of the year.

Snn5
Legend

I feel like this:  Flagships are nice like my LG G2 on Verizon, but I have used mid-range phones (I am now with my Boost Volt) and I can tell you that while my G2 was -$50 ($100-$100 trade-in+$50 rebate) and a great phone and the Volt is normally $100 full retail but I got on promotion for free, just had to pay $20 promotional rate for a normally $55 10GB plan......all to say I can't tell a huge difference other than the screen and RAM between the two phones.  One phone was $100 on contract with the fees hidden inside the contract and the other was $100 straight out paid for.  (Phone comparison, not network service comparison)

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