Can't Upgrade to Iphone 5 til 12/8/2012? AT&T making LOTS OF CUSTOMERS MAD!!!!

[carolyn.sanders…]

This is absurd.  I have been a customer for YEARS!  ALWAYS was able to EARLY UPGRADE @ the 2 year price with EVERY LINE!  Used my line to upgrade another line in December 2010, and the response from the lovely "customer service reps" @ 611 & the *639#, wants me to pay another $450 for the new phone?!

I have NEVER had any issues with upgrading my phones!  EVER!  I even preordered the 4S (using another line) and so now I'm stuck for 3 more months to get the 5?  If APPLE offered the price directly for AT&T customers, I would BUY FROM APPLE and NOT AT&T!! 

I'd actually PREFER to switch carriers at this point as this was NEVER an issue before.  I understand AT&T can change stuff all they want.... But I STILL HAVE UNLIMITED DATA from back in 2010! 

I wont even get into details about the DROPPED CALLS CONSTANTLY, the 4G DATA is SUPER SLOW, or the "hardware issues" AT&T says is behind this - and to contact Apple. (Not to mention CRAPPY DATA & INTERNET SPEEDS, no thanks to the "throttling" you decide to do at 3GB even though I pay for unlimited.

So basically, my account was upgraded in December 2010 and AT&T wants me to "upgrade" in three months to the Iphone5? Where's AT&T coming up with this "upgrade fee" of $250?  You're getting a guaranteed contract from me along with $2400+ over the following two years..  HOGWASH!

What if I was still on the original Iphone 3? - that the software SUCKS and has MAJOR issues keeping up with the 3 new Iphones? 

AT&T - I am EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU!  You're "loyal customer" is now shopping your competition. 

How much do you want to be that AT&T will offer some sort of "extra incentive" to get the Iphone5 because their sales will not be as high as projected?  First company to offer something like that with the Iphone 5 gets my hard earned cash!

[dwill05]

Many threads in this forum about AT&T no longer allowing early upgrades. That's a choice they have made, right or wrong. I suspect their sales will be just fine, given Apple selling out in 1 hour and AT&T selling out during the day. All those phones aren't going to Sprint and Verizon.

[rockinmom]

Be happy that you even have your original upgrade date. I was eligible for an upgrade on 9/16/2012 but a rep messed up my account and now I'm no longer eligible and have to wait until 3/20/2013! No one at AT&T can tell me why my date was changed, who did it, or why they can't fix it even though I have proof my eligibility was sept! Be glad you only have to wait a few months for your TRUE date and not get it extended by SIX MONTHS. 

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

---

rockinmom wrote:

Be happy that you even have your original upgrade date. I was eligible for an upgrade on 9/16/2012 but a rep messed up my account and now I'm no longer eligible and have to wait until 3/20/2013! No one at AT&T can tell me why my date was changed, who did it, or why they can't fix it even though I have proof my eligibility was sept! Be glad you only have to wait a few months for your TRUE date and not get it extended by SIX MONTHS. 

---

you posted in another thread that you account payment was late and your account was suspended - this is proably the reason your upgrade date was pushed back

http://forums.wireless.att.com/t5/Phone-Upgrade/Completely-Disgusted-Contact-us/m-p/3296947#U3296947

---

rockinmom wrote:

Oh I got the same speech. "apple doesn't allow us to change the eligibility date or discount the phone". Well- apple has nothing to do with my eligibility date- they care about selling their phones, not the service used on them.

I was never informed of any change to my account- by email, text, phone, or snail mail. Not. A. Word. Yes, my account was suspended a couple of times but it was either put food on the table for my daughter or pay my cell bill. Each time the service was only interrupted for a matter of hours (if not minutes). For this reason, we did a transfer of billing responsibility to add my line to my mother's account. BEFORE the transfer my eligibility was 9/2012, AFTER it was 3/2013. So while I had my own account and was paying $150 per month with the occasional interruption of service I was good to upgrade. It once I transferred to a family plan that has 5 lines and is $250 a month total I have to wait 6 months? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that even after 3/2013 my upgrade fee is still $499 (not the $199).

[mikewho]

I have a feeling AT&T will start to give out early upgrades before long. They always seem to. With how saturated the market is, the carriers need to pick off customers from other carriers more than ever. No better way to do that than with a brand new shiny iPhone. Once the dust settles I'm sure early upgrades will follow. Just have patience.

[richfray]

Verizon does not allow early upgrade option. Customers who pay on time every month can get an upgrade at 20 months into their contract.

Sprint's upgrade policy is 20 months with no early upgrade option.

T-Mobile - no iPhone

AT&T will let you upgrade at 20 months with good payment history. In addition, and only carrier that I know of, that will let you upgrade earlier than 20 months if you pay the early upgrade fee of $250.

Those are the choices folks.

[suegeo92]

I surely do not understand where phone companies tell me when I can buy a new phone. I am furious! They should want my business, give me anything I so choose - I am a reasonable person and consumer and I pay my bills on time.

I want an IPHONE 5 NOW! Not later. ATT are you listening?

[dwill05]

You can buy a new iPhone right now for full price. If you bought your previous phone at a discounted price, you agreed to a contract whereby you wouldn't be eligible for another discount until a certain time period had passed. How can the do it? Simple, you agreed to the terms of the contract.

[richfray]

---

suegeo92 wrote:

I surely do not understand where phone companies tell me when I can buy a new phone. I am furious! They should want my business, give me anything I so choose - I am a reasonable person and consumer and I pay my bills on time.

I want an IPHONE 5 NOW! Not later. ATT are you listening?

---

You can buy a new phone whenever you choose. However, if you want a $700 device for $200, whenever you choose and believe AT&T or any carrier should do that for you, you will be forever disappointed. That's like expecting a car company to give you a $70,000 car for $20,000, whenever you choose. Paying your bills on time is what you should do as a responsible person, not to hold a company hostage to your definition of reasonable. Give you anything you choose? Are you serious?

[21stNow]

---

suegeo92 wrote:

I surely do not understand where phone companies tell me when I can buy a new phone. I am furious! They should want my business, give me anything I so choose - I am a reasonable person and consumer and I pay my bills on time.

I want an IPHONE 5 NOW! Not later. ATT are you listening?

---

You have to be kidding me!

The two highlighted statements contradict each other so much that I'm going to take this as a joke. 

[mikewho]

I don't know if they were serious or not, but you can always buy a phone at the retail price. Getting the cheaper price is not available every time we want it, although would be nice to have unlimited upgrades.

[mikewho]

Reminded me of the line, I want an oompa loompa now. Surely they were kidding.

[George08035]

I totally Agreed with you. I contacted ATT and they admitted they don't like the policy but due to Apple Agreements etc, they can't make an exception. I believe this is totally untrue. ATT can do what ever they want with the equipment they offer. If they want to give it away they can it's in their ability to do so.

I have had 6 people on my plan since the first iphone emerged. I have upgraded every year and extended the plan for additional two years. I never had to pay a dime. My bill is over $800 per month and this is how they treat their valued customers. The price they are offering is almost the unlocked phone price. So why not buy the unlocked phone and then next year sell it for big bucks as this phone will still be stuck with ATT.

I too feel exactly the same you you do. Some bozo in ATT corporate needs to go back to business school and stop destroying his customer base. This is absurd and unblievable. When they say it's apple's fault, find give us a credit of $250 each and we can use that towards a new phone. 

I travel internationally alot and the iphone 5 really is useless. ATT's LTE frequency is only used in Canada and USA. If I buy an unlocked phone in Europe or Asia the LTE will not work with ATT. Apple messed up also.

The iPhone 5 is really a marginal product and like Jimmy Kimmel Live on YouTube showed everyone they showed a iPhone 4S to thought it was the 5. 

ATT fix this stupid policy and do what you have been doing for the last 6 years. Don't screw your customers.

This is simply not right.

[George08035]

You have to be kidding me. ATT makes huge money on these two year no cut contracts. This is why they are subsidising these phones. It's not to sell you a $70,000 car for $20,000. It's because they want $2400 and invest $500. They net a minimum of $1,900 with this strategy.

For people like me and many of you out there are, we have always been able to upgrade each year and extend our contract. Now all of a sudden, the company with NINE LTE sites in America want to make a fortune on upgrades. ATT can give these phones away and still make a fortune on our monthly committed bills.

It's amazing how stupid ATT is.

Finally this LTE service only works in USA and Canada. So if you try to access LTE anywhere else in the world they have the incompatible frequency and Apple didn't make the phone so it could switch.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

---

George08035 wrote:

I totally Agreed with you. I contacted ATT and they admitted they don't like the policy but due to Apple Agreements etc, they can't make an exception. I believe this is totally untrue. ATT can do what ever they want with the equipment they offer. If they want to give it away they can it's in their ability to do so.

I have had 6 people on my plan since the first iphone emerged. I have upgraded every year and extended the plan for additional two years. I never had to pay a dime. My bill is over $800 per month and this is how they treat their valued customers. The price they are offering is almost the unlocked phone price. So why not buy the unlocked phone and then next year sell it for big bucks as this phone will still be stuck with ATT.

I too feel exactly the same you you do. Some bozo in ATT corporate needs to go back to business school and stop destroying his customer base. This is absurd and unblievable. When they say it's apple's fault, find give us a credit of $250 each and we can use that towards a new phone. 

I travel internationally alot and the iphone 5 really is useless. ATT's LTE frequency is only used in Canada and USA. If I buy an unlocked phone in Europe or Asia the LTE will not work with ATT. Apple messed up also.

The iPhone 5 is really a marginal product and like Jimmy Kimmel Live on YouTube showed everyone they showed a iPhone 4S to thought it was the 5. 

ATT fix this stupid policy and do what you have been doing for the last 6 years. Don't screw your customers.

This is simply not right.

---

first - how do you have 6 people on a family plan - the max limit is 5

so it is a "stupid policy" to hold you to a binding contract that you agreed to when you got your previous toy and a greatly reduced price and are still working off the agreement that you would keep the device for the term of the contract? It may not be right in your eyes, but as a business is is perfectlly understood that you will adhere to the terms that you signed in return for a device to be sold to you for 199.00 instead of 649.00

What makes it so special that they should "give you a 250.00 credit"? Want ot get around the problem, just bite the bullet and pay full retail, then you can upgrade every month with no problem and no worries

[dwill05]

If AT&T is so stupid, why did their preorder for the first batch of iPhone 5s sell out in less than a day? People are complaining on the regular forum about having to wait weeks to get their phone. For all the talk about how wrong AT&T is, it doesn't seem to be affecting the number of people who are chomping at the bit to get a new iPhone and sign up for two more years with them. Just saying.

[George08035]

I have two plans. One with a single person and one with 5 others. Of course you are right dump their 2 year commitment. They are offering their plan at the same price of purchasing an unlocked phone which gives me the ability to switch, but to who, TMobile? That's a poor choice as 3G doesn't work. LTE, that only works in AT&T and Canada not Europe or Asia. Your accessories for the 4S aren't compatible such as alarm clocks which can see your play list or your smart car. iPhone 5 has too many restrictions and AT&T has compounded it with their NEW upgrade policy.

I guess with IOS 6 why even bother so the phone is thinner ( barely) and taller, barely.

This is too hard, ill just stay with my iPhone 4S and forget about LTE which is only available in 9 places.

Oh well what essentially happened is we all are used to upgrading for the past 6 years only to find AT&T got greedy.

Good luck to them.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

---

George08035 wrote:
I have two plans. One with a single person and one with 5 others. Of course you are right dump their 2 year commitment. They are offering their plan at the same price of purchasing an unlocked phone which gives me the ability to switch, but to who, TMobile? That's a poor choice as 3G doesn't work. LTE, that only works in AT&T and Canada not Europe or Asia. Your accessories for the 4S aren't compatible such as alarm clocks which can see your play list or your smart car. iPhone 5 has too many restrictions and AT&T has compounded it with their NEW upgrade policy.

I guess with IOS 6 why even bother so the phone is thinner ( barely) and taller, barely.

This is too hard, ill just stay with my iPhone 4S and forget about LTE which is only available in 9 places.

Oh well what essentially happened is we all are used to upgrading for the past 6 years only to find AT&T got greedy.

Good luck to them.

---

A unlocked Iphone 4S (no eta on a unlocked iphone 5 at this time) is 649.00, early upgrade price for a pre-order Iphone 5 is 199.00 + 250.00 or 549.00 a savings of 100.00, so it is not the same price, it is 100.00 less then a unlocked phone and probalbyt about 4 months earlier in availability.

Europe has little deployment of LTE as it stands, england's lte coverage is deplorable -

http://finance.sfgate.com/hearst.sfgate/news/read?GUID=22304317

Canada coverage is handled by Bell/Virgin, Rogers/Fido and Telus/Koodo provides woh are Apples partners there. Lets throw into the mix thare are actually 3 Iphone 5 international models to cover all the bands that are in use - so changes of your USA Iphone 5 working on LTE in europe or asia is slim

http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/12/apple_to_sell_3_variants_of_iphone_5_for_international_lte...

.T-Mobile since they did not get the iphone 5 is re-aligning their network bandwth and frequencies to insure thast their network complies with the required frequencies of the iphones. Your satetment of "LTE which is only available in 9 places" is a long time out of date, there are 66 markets now available.

If you go to verizon - don't expect early upgrades there either - the same complaints are the exact same thing at this time of no early upgrade ability. Seems like there are somethnig that are very interesting on the iphone 5 - http://gigaom.com/mobile/whats-att-planning-hidden-specs-unearthed-in-the-gsm-iphone-5/

As far as the change in the docking connector - joing the line of those that are attacking Apple for doing it, no carrier had anything to do with it. ATT did not "get greedy" they like version decided not to off the early upgrade policy that they offered on the 3GS to 4, if you do the due dilligence here on the fourms you will see that there where the same amount of complaints last year when they decided not to offer a early upgrade chocie from the 4 to 4S

[richfray]

---

wingrider01 wrote:

---

George08035 wrote:
I have two plans. One with a single person and one with 5 others. Of course you are right dump their 2 year commitment. They are offering their plan at the same price of purchasing an unlocked phone which gives me the ability to switch, but to who, TMobile? That's a poor choice as 3G doesn't work. LTE, that only works in AT&T and Canada not Europe or Asia. Your accessories for the 4S aren't compatible such as alarm clocks which can see your play list or your smart car. iPhone 5 has too many restrictions and AT&T has compounded it with their NEW upgrade policy.

I guess with IOS 6 why even bother so the phone is thinner ( barely) and taller, barely.

This is too hard, ill just stay with my iPhone 4S and forget about LTE which is only available in 9 places.

Oh well what essentially happened is we all are used to upgrading for the past 6 years only to find AT&T got greedy.

Good luck to them.

---

A unlocked Iphone 4S (no eta on a unlocked iphone 5 at this time) is 649.00, early upgrade price for a pre-order Iphone 5 is 199.00 + 250.00 or 549.00 a savings of 100.00, so it is not the same price, it is 100.00 less then a unlocked phone and probalbyt about 4 months earlier in availability.

Europe has little deployment of LTE as it stands, england's lte coverage is deplorable -

http://finance.sfgate.com/hearst.sfgate/news/read?GUID=22304317

Canada coverage is handled by Bell/Virgin, Rogers/Fido and Telus/Koodo provides woh are Apples partners there. Lets throw into the mix thare are actually 3 Iphone 5 international models to cover all the bands that are in use - so changes of your USA Iphone 5 working on LTE in europe or asia is slim

http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/12/apple_to_sell_3_variants_of_iphone_5_for_international_lte...

.T-Mobile since they did not get the iphone 5 is re-aligning their network bandwth and frequencies to insure thast their network complies with the required frequencies of the iphones. Your satetment of "LTE which is only available in 9 places" is a long time out of date, there are 66 markets now available.

If you go to verizon - don't expect early upgrades there either - the same complaints are the exact same thing at this time of no early upgrade ability. Seems like there are somethnig that are very interesting on the iphone 5 - http://gigaom.com/mobile/whats-att-planning-hidden-specs-unearthed-in-the-gsm-iphone-5/

As far as the change in the docking connector - joing the line of those that are attacking Apple for doing it, no carrier had anything to do with it. ATT did not "get greedy" they like version decided not to off the early upgrade policy that they offered on the 3GS to 4, if you do the due dilligence here on the fourms you will see that there where the same amount of complaints last year when they decided not to offer a early upgrade chocie from the 4 to 4S

---

Well Said!

[freelance_nyc]

@carolyn

The reason why your 4G on your Iphone 4s is so slow is because it don't exist.  4G LTE is only avaiable on the Iphone 5

[dwill05]

---

freelance_nyc wrote:

@carolyn

The reason why your 4G on your Iphone 4s is so slow is because it don't exist.  4G LTE is only avaiable on the Iphone 5

---

The OP said 4G, not LTE.  The iPhone 4S has HSPA+, which is considered a 4G technology, and displays with a 4G icon on the phone.  LTE, only on the iPhone 5, shows as LTE.