new line or 'add a line' to family plan???

plumbly · ‎09-22-2004

I need to get a phone line for my son... if I add him to the family plan it seems this does not count as a 'new' line activation for pricing and rebates....

If I was to set him up as a 'new' single line activation... how long must I wait until I can consolidate his contract into the family contract??? Does doing that in any way affect the other family line contracts???

Thanks in advance...

hidden_dragon · ‎04-05-2004

Wouldn't it cost more to add a brand new, stand alone line than to simply add a Family Plan line?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Samsung Galaxy S3
Prev. devices: Galaxy Nexus, T-Mobile, G2x, iPhone4, HTC HD2, HTC Fuze, HTC StarTrek, BB Bold

plumbly · ‎09-22-2004

Yes and maybe no... when you add a line on the family plan the equipmant is maybe partial discounted on the right day at the right time... and rebates don't apply to 'new family plan lines' as these don't count as 'new activations' per customer service on the phone ... interestingly enough when I walk into an AT&T store-front (company owned btw) they tell me new lines ARE indeed new activation rebate eligible...

so depending on the phone and the pricing and the rebate... it could be better to pay a single line charge for some number of months and then switch the line to the family plan... depending on just how long you need to keep the line before combining it in...

thus my question of how long do I need to keep the line as a single line before combining it in, and does this in any way affect the other family plan lines???

hidden_dragon · ‎04-05-2004

If the device in question has a rebate, it could take up to 90 days to process. I still think it's cheaper to simply add a line...not to mention less troublesome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Samsung Galaxy S3
Prev. devices: Galaxy Nexus, T-Mobile, G2x, iPhone4, HTC HD2, HTC Fuze, HTC StarTrek, BB Bold

wilcre · ‎06-01-2004

plumbly wrote:
     Yes and maybe no... when you add a line on the family plan the equipmant is maybe partial discounted on the right day at the right time... and rebates don't apply to 'new family plan lines' as these don't count as 'new activations' per customer service on the phone ... interestingly enough when I walk into an AT&T store-front (company owned btw) they tell me new lines ARE indeed new activation rebate eligible...
     so depending on the phone and the pricing and the rebate... it could be better to pay a single line charge for some number of months and then switch the line to the family plan... depending on just how long you need to keep the line before combining it in...
     thus my question of how long do I need to keep the line as a single line before combining it in, and does this in any way affect the other family plan lines???

Activating a new line is the same no matter if it is a single line service or an additional line for a family plan.

AT&T's return policy has changed effective 10/07/12. You have 14 days to return the device & cxl without a ETF. Policy info HERE.

Where is Justin Timberlake when you need him?. I need him to billed me a bridge to get a cross all these tears from complainers.This post is protected under the laws of the United States & other Countries. Unauthorized duplication, Distribution may result in civil liability & criminal prosecution.The OP gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: The mods, Fellow forumites, Canada, The United States Of America, Mexico, USVI & Europe. As well as James Bond.

When the going gets rough, hide in a pillow fort and pretend you don't exist.

plumbly · ‎09-22-2004

wilcre... thats is NOT what they say when you call on the telephone... adding a new line does not count for new activation rebates per the telephone support staff... however in the store they claim differently... I don't know who to believe for rebate processing...

Smurfette27 · ‎08-13-2008

Hmm. THis makes me wonder if I did the right thing. I added a line to my family plan. I wonder if I would have gotten a better deal if I had put it on an induvidual plan then moved it to the family plan..

wilcre · ‎06-01-2004

plumbly wrote:
wilcre... thats is NOT what they say when you call on the telephone... adding a new line does not count for new activation rebates per the telephone support staff... however in the store they claim differently... I don't know who to believe for rebate processing...

The phone rep was wrong, a activation is a activation no matter what plan it is put onto.

AT&T's return policy has changed effective 10/07/12. You have 14 days to return the device & cxl without a ETF. Policy info HERE.

Where is Justin Timberlake when you need him?. I need him to billed me a bridge to get a cross all these tears from complainers.This post is protected under the laws of the United States & other Countries. Unauthorized duplication, Distribution may result in civil liability & criminal prosecution.The OP gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: The mods, Fellow forumites, Canada, The United States Of America, Mexico, USVI & Europe. As well as James Bond.

When the going gets rough, hide in a pillow fort and pretend you don't exist.

wilcre · ‎06-01-2004

kissyroo wrote:
Hmm. THis makes me wonder if I did the right thing. I added a line to my family plan. I wonder if I would have gotten a better deal if I had put it on an induvidual plan then moved it to the family plan..

No you would not of, it would of been the same deal.

AT&T's return policy has changed effective 10/07/12. You have 14 days to return the device & cxl without a ETF. Policy info HERE.

Where is Justin Timberlake when you need him?. I need him to billed me a bridge to get a cross all these tears from complainers.This post is protected under the laws of the United States & other Countries. Unauthorized duplication, Distribution may result in civil liability & criminal prosecution.The OP gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: The mods, Fellow forumites, Canada, The United States Of America, Mexico, USVI & Europe. As well as James Bond.

When the going gets rough, hide in a pillow fort and pretend you don't exist.

can32802 · ‎04-03-2008

Wilcre is right, it's still considered a new line whether it's on an individual plan or family plan, Secondary lines are eligible for rebates if the offer has a rebate. Even though it's a secondary line on a Family Plan it's still a seperate line with it's own 2 year contract. It's not going to affect any of the other lines' contracts.

plumbly · ‎09-22-2004

Well this is what I believed also, but after several calls to try to add a line I have consistantly bben told, even asking for a supervisor/manager, that no, adding a line does NOT count as an acitvation... even though yes it is a totally new contract.... Thus my thought that I may be better off buying a cheap new indeividual contract and then porting it over to the family after the rebates arrive...

hme83 · ‎11-01-2005

Unfortunately it sounds like customer service reps are probably confusing the eligibility for mail-in rebates on family plan secondary lines with at&t's
"Upgrade Advantage" terms. Secondary family plan lines are not eligible for the additional upgrade discounts based on average monthly spending.

=^..^=
There must be a happy medium somewhere between being totally informed and blissfully unaware.

- Doug Larson

Smurfette27 · ‎08-13-2008

This now makes sense to me. As I was in the same situation when I added a line to my family plan. And I did not understand why I wasn't eligible for more of a discount on the device. Thank you for your imput.

hme83 · ‎11-01-2005

It's just a guess on my part as to what may be occurring to cause the confusion.

It's unfortunate when customers receive conflicting information and have such difficulty getting the accurate specifics they need in order to make a purchasing decision. While there is a level of discomfort when the answer has not been clear cut/consistent between store/customer service personnel, I would always go by the terms and conditions/restrictions laid out on the rebate form itself. Family plan line additions are not excluded there, so I would rely on that, file for the rebate, and just be prepared to take your argument "up the chain" if the rebate request is denied by Young America. That's just me though.

The difference between adding a secondary line for $10/month and an individual plan for $40/month could easily be $90 - $120 by the time you receive the rebate.

And the problem is certainly exacerbated by the fact the rebate form is no longer readily available on-line; but I have seen it posted here recently.

=^..^=
There must be a happy medium somewhere between being totally informed and blissfully unaware.

- Doug Larson

wilcre · ‎06-01-2004

hme83 wrote:
And the problem is certainly exacerbated by the fact the rebate form is no longer readily available on-line; but I have seen it posted here recently.

You mean this on HERE....

AT&T's return policy has changed effective 10/07/12. You have 14 days to return the device & cxl without a ETF. Policy info HERE.

Where is Justin Timberlake when you need him?. I need him to billed me a bridge to get a cross all these tears from complainers.This post is protected under the laws of the United States & other Countries. Unauthorized duplication, Distribution may result in civil liability & criminal prosecution.The OP gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: The mods, Fellow forumites, Canada, The United States Of America, Mexico, USVI & Europe. As well as James Bond.

When the going gets rough, hide in a pillow fort and pretend you don't exist.

Smurfette27 · ‎08-13-2008

That's a great idea. If we look at the fine print more often than the words of the sales rep. Things can be a bit more consistent.

Now for a plan to tackle out of control automated calling systems...LOL..

hme83 wrote:
It's just a guess on my part as to what may be occurring to cause the confusion.

It's unfortunate when customers receive conflicting information and have such difficulty getting the accurate specifics they need in order to make a purchasing decision. While there is a level of discomfort when the answer has not been clear cut/consistent between store/customer service personnel, I would always go by the terms and conditions/restrictions laid out on the rebate form itself. Family plan line additions are not excluded there, so I would rely on that, file for the rebate, and just be prepared to take your argument "up the chain" if the rebate request is denied by Young America. That's just me though. The difference between adding a secondary line for $10/month and an individual plan for $40/month could easily be $90 - $120 by the time you receive the rebate.

And the problem is certainly exacerbated by the fact the rebate form is no longer readily available on-line; but I have seen it posted here recently.