Who do I pay off, and how much, to be rid of these thieves?

@Rethinker You thought a cellular company was going to give you a free electronic device and not require that you have cellular service?

It's a no interest 'loan', so no saving for paying off early.

If you're making Next payments on your phone (they show up on your AT&T bill), then I'd think T-Mobile would cover it. You technically got it through AT&T and it should show up on your AT&T final bill. BUT I'm pretty sure you'd have to PORT the line over to T-Mobile for them to pay you, but they'll make you by another phone and then you've lost what you've paid so far.

If you like the phone, the best thing would be to pay it off, unlock it and use it on T-Mobile.

Neither AT&T or T-Mobile prorate your final bill.

Riiiiiight, cause T-mobile is soooo honest (not)

Wake up and smell the java.  All reps from all carriers are under sales quotas, the tablet gambit is common.  Any education you got from Att will come in handy, cause it's just a matter of time before T-mo offers you a "free" tablet.

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@Rethinker wrote:
Nah! It's always somewhere between ignorance and downright meanness on AT&T's part. Like today. I phoned to start my iPhone unlocking process. "Oh no," said AT&T, "we don't unlock your phone so you can change carriers, Apple does."

Apple was flabbergasted. "They know better than that," said a high-ranking manager who conferenced me in with AT&T, read them his rank, and threw the weight of Apple into no-nonsense instructions to get it right. He stayed with me throughout the call and promised a callback to make sure AT&T lived up to promises — though AT&T threw one last wrench in at the last minute, doubling unlock time from 24 to 48 hours.

No high expectations for T-Mobile here, but sometimes the devil you don't know can be a refreshing change.

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Actually, that is true. Apple does unlock the phone after ATT tells them it is OK. The issue is you don't call ATT to get your phone unlocked. It is an automated process. All unlock requests must go through the unlock portal: https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/#/. The phone rep should have told you that.

Thanks. I arrived at the solution y6ou recommended on my own, but it wasn't the end of the pain inflicted by AT&T. 

When I phoned requesting that they unlock my phone for transfer, I was told that AT&T did not perform this function. They referred me to Apple which wasn't amused. "They know better than that," said a high-level executive I eventually reached. He phoned AT&T, conferenced me in, read one its [Censored by AT&T "You used a bad word," though it was far from obscene without naming anyone] reps the riot act, pulled his Apple corporate rank and demanded unlocking, and stayed on the call until this was done. Even so, the AT&T rep pulled one last "gotcha" by claiming the process would take 48 hours, double the company's posted time of 24 hours.  

I am more than happily with T-Mobile, whose phone tree offers direct contact with a human being as Option 1, slashing through the AT&T nightmare of talking to a computer and its annoyingly ridiculous sound effects of keyboard tapping. It's a whole other universe over there. They pushed AT&T for quick porting and got me up and running in record time. And, without ANY attempts at upsell.

Leaving AT&T has been like escaping from a Russian gulag. I'm free, man! My mobile data flow for live streaming in a moving vehicle is faster and far more reliable than AT&T here in my town. I highly recommend leaving this pathetic, ethically-bankrupt firm whose reps are ignorant of their roles, or worse, simply mean-spirited. 

Good luck!       

@Rethinker

The companies posted time is 2 days.  That is 48 hours.  

https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/wireless/KM1008728

It is as agreed with the FCC.  

The processes is automated.   You must confirm you email within 24 hours.   Att will respond within 2 days either way.   If you ported out already, your final bill must be paid, even if your phone was eligible.