NO upgrade discount for iPhone 4 -> 5 eligible or not - website gives false info [ Edited ]

[BeadyEl]

When I check my upgrade eligibility, the site says that (oh joy!) I am eligible to upgrade.  By contrast, my wife - also an iPhone 4 owner - isn't eligible as yet.

Yet when I click through to the upgrade screens for my phone, the "upgrade" pricing is exactly the same as buying a new iPhone 5 if you have NO current account.

Now - I'm not necessarily shocked that they aren't offering an upgrade discount (though from what I've read they're desperate to get people OFF the 3G network).   I'm not happy about it, but not surprised in the least.

HOWEVER - by saying that I am eligible for pricing that my wife isn't -- they're flat out LYING.   Eligible for an upgrade or not, I doubt very seriously that they would refuse to sell my wife an iPhone 5 - at full price - if she wished to do so - and that is the SAME pricing they are offering me as an "upgrade" price.

Nitpicky?   Yes, but we're talking about the company that invented nitpicking here.    A falsehood is a falsehood, and it's NOT ok.

[dwill05]

When you say the upgrade pricing is the same as buying a new phone if you have no current account, do you mean the same price as a new customer (199/299/399), or full retail (649/749/849)? The new customer price is the best one you'll get as a current customer.

For the difference between you and your wife's eligibility, are you on a family plan, are you the primary account holder, and did you both get your phones on the same day? It's not uncommon for people on a family plan to have different upgrade dates.

[tonester697]

I think OP is saying that he is being presented with the full retail price (or in lieu of that, a non-fully subsidized price) when he checks "his" eligibility, even after being under the impression that he qualified for the discounted price...given his comment about "I doubt very seriously that they would refuse to sell my wife an iPhone 5 - at full price - if she wished to do so - and that is the SAME pricing they are offering me as an "upgrade" price.  Then again, we don't know exactly what OP saw when he attempted to check his eligibility, so...

To OP--when you run the upgrade eligibility tool on AT&T's website and plug in your phone number, which message do you get:

"You're eligible for an upgrade at a discounted price"

 --or--

"As a valued AT&T customer, you're eligible for a discounted iPhone upgrade at a reduced discount, along with a 2-year service commitment"

The first one implies that you qualify for the full subsidized price ($199/$299/$399); the second one means you qualify for a reduced but not fully discounted price (typically $449/$549/$649); you would get the second message if the line you're looking to upgrade is still within, but somewhat near the end of its 2-year commitment--YMMV but for example, one of my lines will qualify for the full subsidized price at 19 months in (i.e., not the full 24 months) but until then the best deal that line can get is the partially-discounted price I mentioned earlier.

[BeadyEl]

The prices I am referring to are $199, $299 and $399.   I'm aware that these prices are available only with a 2-year contact.

When I log in and choose to 'check upgrade eligibilty' I see:   "Great news! You qualify for an upgrade with a new 2-year commitment."

When I follow the links I get the $199/$299/$399 prices.   This is the same pricing as if I was opening a brand new account with a new phone number.

However, now perhaps I see the flaw in my earlier reasoning;  perhaps for my wife to upgrade, she'd have to pay the even higher unsubsidised price for the iPhone 5?

IF that's the case, then at least it's all technically self-consistent:  "Upgrade pricing" doesn't mean I get a discount vs. what a new customer would pay.  It only means I won't be paying more than a new customer would -- which I would be if I was upgrading before becoming eligible - like my wife would be if she wanted to upgrade now.

This is rather a different meaning for the phrase "upgrade pricing" vs. any other computer-type product.   Normally it means - "because you bought our earlier/other product, we'll give you a discount over the price that a new customer would pay."  

[dwill05 · Accepted solution]

Like it or not, but that's AT&T's definition of upgrade pricing. Has been for quite a while, I believe.

[BeadyEl]

I believe you about that - some industries just seem to operate from their own custom dictionary.

I've only upgraded once before since becoming an AT&T customer, so my exposure to theirs has been limited.  

[sandblaster]

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dwill05 wrote:

Like it or not, but that's AT&T's definition of upgrade pricing. Has been for quite a while, I believe.

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Not just AT&T but the whole wireless industry handles upgrades pretty much the same way. 

[stufried]

Rather than breaking out our legal dictionaries, what about telling us what kind of iPhone 5 you priced and what they quoted.  For example, the no commitment price for a 16GB iPhone 5 is $649.  If they agreee to sell it to you for less than this, you've been given a discount -- not as much as you regard as reasonable, but still a discount. 

[cousintim]

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BeadyEl wrote:

I've only upgraded once before since becoming an AT&T customer, so my exposure to theirs has been limited.   

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Yet you were quite quick to play the "they're flat out LYING" card.

[simplesymon]

Found out to myself about the no 199,299,399 upgrades,, very disappointed !! They have always giving the upgrade as and ATT customer , don't know if this was ATT or apple.. I have never been with other carrier , this should not be as a loyal  customer with ATT and apple...

[dwill05]

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simplesymon wrote:

Found out to myself about the no 199,299,399 upgrades,, very disappointed !! They have always giving the upgrade as and ATT customer , don't know if this was ATT or apple.. I have never been with other carrier , this should not be as a loyal  customer with ATT and apple...

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AT&T stopped giving early full discount upgrades.  If you are still under a 2-year contract, you won't get a full upgrade option until 20 months in.