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ceeh156's profile

New Member

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3 Messages

Thursday, March 30th, 2023 5:41 AM

Trade in overcharging

I traded my cell phone for 800 dollars and I asked on the day of the exchange if I could wait the 6 months with monthly payments and pay the difference of 300…400 and unlock the cell phone and I was told yes.  6 months later I went there to pay the difference and they asked me 900 something to settle the debt, then I talked about how it was at the time of the sale and they told me that the employee who in this case no longer works there lied.

ACE - Expert

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64.6K Messages

8 months ago

So what’s your point? Whether they purposely lied or were just clueless, what they told you was wrong. Besides, you aren’t being overcharged anything. The only way to get your phone unlocked is to pay it off, that means the balance owed, not the balance owed minus the monthly credits. If you pay the phone off online, not through an agent and as long as you don’t make any other changes, you will continue to get your monthly trade in credit.

ACE - Sage

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113.1K Messages

8 months ago

Just because you don't understand how installments and trading deals work does not mean that somebody lied. It just means you have no idea how any of this works.

All of the carriers put you on an installment plan for the full retail value of whichever phone you purchased. Every month that installment is posted on your bill. A portion of the $800 credit  (1/36th) also posts on your bill every month for the full length of your installment term.

Sort of like at&t, or Verizon or T-Mobile pays a portion of your installment for you every month. If you pay off early, or upgrade early, cancel service, the debt is whatever is remaining of your installment in full. Whether or not the credits continue depends on whether or not you meet all of the requirements of the deal you participated in.

With Verizon if you pay off your phone early you forfeit any remaining Bill credits, even for the trade-in deal. AT&t and T-Mobile let you continue to get credits. The reason AT&t and T-Mobile provide an exception is they know you cannot unlock your phone until it's paid off. Verizon is required to unlock its phones after 60 days.   

(edited)

New Member

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3 Messages

8 months ago

My point is, that was not what I was told. Because I asked it before I make the deal.

The employee said that I would just pay the little difference, he also said an amount of 300 something. 
It’s totally unethical, he was trained to work there I believe, or at least he was supposed to.

ACE - Expert

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64.6K Messages

8 months ago

So again, what’s your point? Unethical or incompetence, that employee no longer works there. The fact you were given false information doesn’t change anything. What exactly are you hoping to accomplish or are you just venting? Again, go ahead and pay off the phone to get it unlocked, you’ll continue to get the trade in credits. As long as you keep your line active until you get all credits, it all works out the same money wise.

New Member

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3 Messages

8 months ago

Its not my obligation to know anything about trade in, I don’t know anything about medicine and if the doctor tells me something I’ll take it, he’s the doctor not me…

I wouldn’t cancel my line, I would just pay off the difference early 

its not just if you tell something to your costumer and then months later it was a lie, he was representing AT&T not me!

ACE - Expert

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64.6K Messages

8 months ago

Ok, all true but still doesn’t change anything. I guess you are just venting because I still don’t see the point. If you are expecting or hoping ATT will let you just pay off the difference instead of the entire balance owed because you were lied to, sorry, that’s not going to happen. Since you don’t intend to cancel your line, it all works out the same money wise anyway.

ACE - Sage

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113.1K Messages

8 months ago

You know what is your obligation, that is you are obligated to read any documents that you sign or esign because it is a legal obligation between you and someone else. And that's what you did. You signed a document saying you would agree to the installment terms and the deal which provides you $800 in credits over 36 months.

Very apparent you did not read it. But you signed it anyway.

Community Support

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224.8K Messages

8 months ago

We're here to explain how our trade in program works ceeh156.

 

This is not the trade in experience we want you to have.

 

As our ACES stated when you pay off the installment early, the remaining balance on the phone is owed. For your credits to continue you must remain on an installment agreement for the entire installment term.

 

You can view more information about how our trade in works. Click See offer details under the promotion you signed up for. Under Important notes will explain what will be owed when you pay off your installment early.

 

I hope this information gave you a better understanding on how our trade in program work. 

 

Marilyn, AT&T Community Specialist

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