Mobile Share Value Plans Questions and Discussion

 Do the math.  Signing a contract will be more expensive than either buying the phone outright or paying for it on the NEXT plan.  Consider the LG G2.  two year contract costs $100 for the phone, $36 for activation and $40/mo for 24 months or $1100 ($1096).  On Next 12 it is $23.25 for 20 months plus $15/mo for those 20 months for a total of $765!  Or pay for the phone outright and it's still $765 for the 20 months.  Add four months to make it a full 2 years and you're paying $825.   Much less than buying on contract in this one example.

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@urbhusker wrote:

 Do the math.  Signing a contract will be more expensive than either buying the phone outright or paying for it on the NEXT plan.  Consider the LG G2.  two year contract costs $100 for the phone, $36 for activation and $40/mo for 24 months or $1100 ($1096).  On Next 12 it is $23.25 for 20 months plus $15/mo for those 20 months for a total of $765!  Or pay for the phone outright and it's still $765 for the 20 months.  Add four months to make it a full 2 years and you're paying $825.   Much less than buying on contract in this one example.

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One correction - there is a activation fee on the Mobiel Value Share plans

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html#fbid=yKiX0roX6QJ

What is the smartphone activation fee if a customer brings their own device?

A $36 activation fee applies for customers bringing their own device.

So last night after sending a private message I got a call from AT&T about my billing problem.

As most people are thinking here, yes you are supposed to get that $15/line price immediately. However, there is a bug/glitch in the system that will not reflect it correctly if you future date the plan change. According to the man I spoke with that bug has since then been fixed, but probably impacted people who switched prior to maybe the last week or so. He went ahead and applied the overpaid amount from my previous bill as a credit on the next bill, so things should be correct in future bills.

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@ecmillan wrote:

So last night after sending a private message I got a call from AT&T about my billing problem.

 

As most people are thinking here, yes you are supposed to get that $15/line price immediately. However, there is a bug/glitch in the system that will not reflect it correctly if you future date the plan change. According to the man I spoke with that bug has since then been fixed, but probably impacted people who switched prior to maybe the last week or so. He went ahead and applied the overpaid amount from my previous bill as a credit on the next bill, so things should be correct in future bills.

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Good info. That would explain why it all went without a hitch for us as we made the switch on the first day of the billing cycle.

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@wingrider01 wrote:

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@urbhusker wrote:

 Do the math.  Signing a contract will be more expensive than either buying the phone outright or paying for it on the NEXT plan.  Consider the LG G2.  two year contract costs $100 for the phone, $36 for activation and $40/mo for 24 months or $1100 ($1096).  On Next 12 it is $23.25 for 20 months plus $15/mo for those 20 months for a total of $765!  Or pay for the phone outright and it's still $765 for the 20 months.  Add four months to make it a full 2 years and you're paying $825.   Much less than buying on contract in this one example.

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One correction - there is a activation fee on the Mobiel Value Share plans

 

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html#fbid=yKiX0roX6QJ

 

What is the smartphone activation fee if a customer brings their own device?

A $36 activation fee applies for customers bringing their own device.

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Hmmm, I just upgraded two lines using NEXT last week and the week before and wasn't charged an activation fee.  Thought that was just for contract renews.  Doesn't matter as the cost, at least for the G2, is still cheaper than a 2 year contract upgrade.  So, for me, I like the new plan as I did my homework and did the math before upgrading (as opposed to just complaining for the sake of complaining).

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@wingrider01 wrote:

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@urbhusker wrote:

 Do the math.  Signing a contract will be more expensive than either buying the phone outright or paying for it on the NEXT plan.  Consider the LG G2.  two year contract costs $100 for the phone, $36 for activation and $40/mo for 24 months or $1100 ($1096).  On Next 12 it is $23.25 for 20 months plus $15/mo for those 20 months for a total of $765!  Or pay for the phone outright and it's still $765 for the 20 months.  Add four months to make it a full 2 years and you're paying $825.   Much less than buying on contract in this one example.

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One correction - there is a activation fee on the Mobiel Value Share plans

 

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html#fbid=yKiX0roX6QJ

 

What is the smartphone activation fee if a customer brings their own device?

A $36 activation fee applies for customers bringing their own device.

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Activation fees are for new customers.  An existing customer who upgrades shouldn't have to pay an upgrade fee with the Next plan.

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@kdfederer wrote:
NEXT is not officially an upgrade, you are changing phones. An upgrade causes a new 2 year contract,NEXT doesn't. NEXT is just an agreement to buy a phone. As AT&T looks at it, it isn't really an upgrade.

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And?  It's still cheaper than "upgrading".   I changed phones because it's cheaper than an "upgrade". and I was ready to try a new phone.  Plus I'm not really in a contract.  I just was pointing out the NEXT plan is a nice option for people to save money contrary to what a lot of people are saying on the forums (people that complain just to complain and don't bother to research first).  Yes, AT&T cell service is still expensive but for me it's the cheapest option by far outside of T-Mobile (and T-Mobile isn't a real option in central Iowa...even if they were AT&T is neck and neck in pricing now). 

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@urbhusker wrote:

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@kdfederer wrote:
NEXT is not officially an upgrade, you are changing phones. An upgrade causes a new 2 year contract,NEXT doesn't. NEXT is just an agreement to buy a phone. As AT&T looks at it, it isn't really an upgrade.

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And?  It's still cheaper than "upgrading".   I changed phones because it's cheaper than an "upgrade". and I was ready to try a new phone.  Plus I'm not really in a contract.  I just was pointing out the NEXT plan is a nice option for people to save money contrary to what a lot of people are saying on the forums (people that complain just to complain and don't bother to research first).  Yes, AT&T cell service is still expensive but for me it's the cheapest option by far outside of T-Mobile (and T-Mobile isn't a real option in central Iowa...even if they were AT&T is neck and neck in pricing now). 

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I think that kdfederer was responding to my response to wingrider01's post. 

Everyone doesn't save money with the Next plan.  Each person has to do the math to compare the current plan and the Next option to see which works best for him/her.  For some, Next plus Mobile Share Value is cheaper; for others, the two-year contract with an old plan is cheaper.

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@urbhusker wrote:

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@wingrider01 wrote:

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@urbhusker wrote:

 Do the math.  Signing a contract will be more expensive than either buying the phone outright or paying for it on the NEXT plan.  Consider the LG G2.  two year contract costs $100 for the phone, $36 for activation and $40/mo for 24 months or $1100 ($1096).  On Next 12 it is $23.25 for 20 months plus $15/mo for those 20 months for a total of $765!  Or pay for the phone outright and it's still $765 for the 20 months.  Add four months to make it a full 2 years and you're paying $825.   Much less than buying on contract in this one example.

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One correction - there is a activation fee on the Mobiel Value Share plans

 

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html#fbid=yKiX0roX6QJ

 

What is the smartphone activation fee if a customer brings their own device?

A $36 activation fee applies for customers bringing their own device.

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Hmmm, I just upgraded two lines using NEXT last week and the week before and wasn't charged an activation fee.  Thought that was just for contract renews.  Doesn't matter as the cost, at least for the G2, is still cheaper than a 2 year contract upgrade.  So, for me, I like the new plan as I did my homework and did the math before upgrading (as opposed to just complaining for the sake of complaining).

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wait for your first bill after the upgrade and see what is there - the activation fees are on the bill