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Ken_Kong's profile

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2 Messages

Wednesday, September 10th, 2014 1:01 AM

Upgrade Sharing details

If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Currently we have a family plan with 2 smartphone lines and 2 non-smartphone lines. I would like to use an upgrade, that is available on one of the non-smartphone lines, for my smartphone line to purchase an iphone 6 plus at the "discounted" price. 

 

I understand the "upgrade sharing" between the two lines, what I don't understand is the details of that transaction. Are the upgrade eligibilities simply exchanged between the two select lines? Or are additional elements of each line exchanged as well?

 

 

Thanks.

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

ACE - Expert

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14.1K Messages

10 years ago


@Ken_Kong wrote:

If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Currently we have a family plan with 2 smartphone lines and 2 non-smartphone lines. I would like to use an upgrade, that is available on one of the non-smartphone lines, for my smartphone line to purchase an iphone 6 plus at the "discounted" price. 

 

I understand the "upgrade sharing" between the two lines, what I don't understand is the details of that transaction. Are the upgrade eligibilities simply exchanged between the two select lines? Or are additional elements of each line exchanged as well?

 

 

Thanks.


Lets call your four lines Line A through Line D.

 

You are using Line A: contract until 1/1/2016 (for the purposes of this illustration; of course it might be a different date in reality...the particular date isn't important.

 

Line B is eligible for an upgrade 9/19/14. Line B upgrades and gets an iPhone 6. However, Line B doesn't change the phone in use; it "gives the device" to Line A.

 

Now Line A has an iPhone 6 and the contract is still until 1/1/16.

Line B has the same phone as before, so it can still use the non-smartphone plan, but the contract runs until 9/19/16.

Former Employee

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107 Messages

10 years ago

Essentially, you just swap eligibility and contracts. I believe your current contract is moved to the line who has upgrade eligibility to be completed there, and the new contract is put on the line the phone will be used on.

Contributor

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2 Messages

10 years ago

So essentially my plan would go from having 2 smartphone and 2 non-smartphone lines to 3 smartphone and 1 non-smartphone lines?

 

If so, can I cancel the data plan on the new smartphone line (previously a non-smartphone line)?

Former Employee

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107 Messages

10 years ago


@MicCheck wrote:

@Ken_Kong wrote:

If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Currently we have a family plan with 2 smartphone lines and 2 non-smartphone lines. I would like to use an upgrade, that is available on one of the non-smartphone lines, for my smartphone line to purchase an iphone 6 plus at the "discounted" price. 

 

I understand the "upgrade sharing" between the two lines, what I don't understand is the details of that transaction. Are the upgrade eligibilities simply exchanged between the two select lines? Or are additional elements of each line exchanged as well?

 

 

Thanks.


Lets call your four lines Line A through Line D.

 

You are using Line A: contract until 1/1/2016 (for the purposes of this illustration; of course it might be a different date in reality...the particular date isn't important.

 

Line B is eligible for an upgrade 9/19/14. Line B upgrades and gets an iPhone 6. However, Line B doesn't change the phone in use; it "gives the device" to Line A.

 

Now Line A has an iPhone 6 and the contract is still until 1/1/16.

Line B has the same phone as before, so it can still use the non-smartphone plan, but the contract runs until 9/19/16.


That is a cross upgrade. From what I understand the shared upgrade is switching eligibility and contract dates. It's important to know the difference, especially if the smart phones are getting the 25$ discount for being out of contract. I'm going to look in to it further.

Former Employee

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107 Messages

10 years ago

I double checked. A shared upgrade takes the available line's eligibility, upgrades the device, and puts the device AND the contract on the other line.

 

I don't know if AT&T will do a cross upgrade anymore, as it allows folks to get discounted devices and keep their out of contract discount if they have a basic phone on the account.

Contributor

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1 Message

10 years ago


@o00bubbles00o wrote:

A shared upgrade takes the available line's eligibility, upgrades the device, and puts the device AND the contract on the other line.


Thanks for the followup o00bubbles00o.  But what happens to the available line?  Does it get the contract (and eligibility date) of the other device?  For example, let's say:

 

MY Phone is eligible for an upgrade today (the eligibility date is in the past).
My WIFEs Phone is eligible for an upgrade in December.

 

If I transfer eligibility to my wife's phone, and she gets a new phone, her next eligibility date is 2 years from now (she just got a phone), but when is my eligibility date for my phone?  Do I inherit her December eligibility date?  Seems fair, but want to be sure I understand.

One more monkey wench:  Let's say that MY phone is still grandfathered on the $30 unlimited iPhone data plan, but my wife's phone is not.  If I transfer my eligibility, am I also transferring my data plan and getting hers?  If not, can I ask to do that?  She uses more data :)

 

(note:  I'm assuming 2 year contracts, here, NOT the AT&T Next plan).

 

Thanks!

Employee

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16 Messages

10 years ago

It would switch your contract status. 🙂 So if your line is eligible for an upgrade because you're out of contract and your wife's contract is still active until Decemeber. With doing the 'Shared Upgrade' option, your contract would reflect on her line and your line will be replaced with her contract that expires in December. 

 

As for doing the transfer of unlimited data, I am not quite sure that is possible. I haven't seen it done yet so maybe someone can answer that question! 🙂 

 

Hope I helped some! 

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