Contributor
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2 Messages
AT&T lied about the Next plan
Back in May my Motorola Atrix was pretty much unusable. It had a cracked screen and I was no longer able to use the touch screen. My upgrade wasn't until October but on several occasions a representative from AT&T has allowed me to upgrade a little early. I usually upgrade and get a $50-$100 device. I went into an AT&T store in my neighborhood to see what they could do. The representative told me that he could definitely give me an early upgrade. He also told me he could make my plan much better for cheaper! He told me to pick out any phone I wanted and that I would only have to pay $50. I thought this was amazing that I could pick any phone and kept asking "Is there some kind of fine print I am missing?" or something along those lines. He said nope and that I only had to pay $50. Sweet! So I went ahead and got the device and a case and was on my way after paying. Three weeks later I get my bill and it's $352!!! My bill is normally around $130 for two lines with 4 gigs of data and 450 anytime minutes plus unlimited texting. I called AT&T to find out what the problem is and was told I was placed on the Next plan. I asked why my plan was changed and they said that I changed it when I got a new phone and explained the charges. I was put on a 10 gig plan plus unlimited talk/text and I was paying $25 for my device for 18 months. I explained that I had no idea I was having to pay in full for the device and that I was never told about the $25 monthly installment for 18 months for the phone. They said they were sorry and lowered my plan to 6 gigs and told me my bill would go back down to around $130. Well, the next bill comes around and it's $170... $40 more than I am used to paying. I called again and explained that I was put on this Next plan due to negligance of the worker at the AT&T store and asked if there was anyway I could get out of this plan and not have to pay for the device. They explained that two weeks had passed and there was no way I could get out of paying for the device. I told them that if I would have known I would be paying $25 a month for 18 months for a new device that I would have just gotten a crappy go phone and waited until October. I escalated this case to management and filed a case. The rep told me that management would be in contact with me the next day. Well, the next day comes and goes and four to five days later I finally call back for probably the 4th time. The person I spoke with this time told me that the case was closed because the 14 days had passed. I was infuriated! I was told to go into the AT&T store and speak with a manager about what had happened. I went to the store and the manager pretty much talked to me like I was stupid, explaining that I had the newest phone and that it was actually a great deal. I told him I didn't care if it was the newest phone and that if I would have known I would be paying $25 for 18 months for a new phone that I would have just gotten a go phone until October. He did absolutely nothing for me. I am so beyond frustrated with this whole situation. AT&T Next is a huge scam and now I am stuck with a ridiculously expensive phone plan for the next year and a half. I cannot wait until my contract is up so I can finally switch carriers after ten years of lies from AT&T!
Gary L
ACE - Expert
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16.5K Messages
7 years ago
The cost remaining the same and upgrading for free are two very different things.
I believe there is Next upgrade fee when upgrading, no?
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Anonymous
New Member
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25.7K Messages
7 years ago
https://www.theverge.com/2013/7/16/4528404/att-next-phone-upgrade-plans-a-huge-ripoff
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Anonymous
New Member
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25.7K Messages
7 years ago
The cost remaining the same and upgrading for free are not different to me. A one time upgrade fee of $25 does not bother me. A monthly cost increase DOES. I was told I would not have a monthly increase.
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David606
Employee
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3.5K Messages
7 years ago
Jul 16, 2013, 1:29pm EDT
You're posting a 4 year old article that is completely wrong about practically everything.
First of all, trade-in is not required.
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Anonymous
New Member
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25.7K Messages
7 years ago
Google from theverge.com AT&T's Next phone upgrade plans are a huge ripoff
AT&T unveiled its new Next plan today, which allows you to pay a small monthly fee for the privilege of upgrading your phone every year without a down payment. It's an obvious response to T-Mobile's Jump plan, which costs $10 a month and allows for an upgrade every six months. Both plans sound like a great idea: you'll get a new phone much faster than before, without having to pay full price up front or resigning your contract every time.
The big differences with AT&T's Next plan are that it costs anywhere from $15 to $50 a month depending on which phone you buy, and also that it's an absolutely clear ripoff designed to cheat customers into paying full price for their phone without actually buying anything.
Next is an absolutely clear ripoff
NEXT IS A CLEAR RIPOFF
Let's do the math: AT&T says that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will have a monthly installment fee of $32, on top of your existing AT&T service fees, which already include a device subsidy. The exact amount of that subsidy is unknown — AT&T declined to comment when I asked — but most industry estimates have put it at something like $20 per month. That's how you can get a GS4 for $199 with a new two-year contract, even though it costs $620 at retail: after two years, AT&T will have collected $680 in total device payments from you, and you get to keep the phone.
But the balance tips entirely towards AT&T with Next. Assuming that same $20 subsidy, after 12 months of Next you will have paid AT&T $384 in Next monthly installments and $240 in device subsidies, for a grand total of $620. Again, that's exactly the full retail cost of an unlocked Galaxy S4 — but you don't get to keep that phone, even though you just paid full price for it. You have to trade it in to get a new phone — effectively giving AT&T a free GS4 to refurbish and resell to its next unwitting customer.
Now, you do get to keep your Next phone if you pay 20 monthly installments, which will cost you a whopping $1,040 if you assume a $20 subsidy: $640 in Next payments, plus $400 in subsidies built into your AT&T plan. That's $420 in pure profit for AT&T, which just made you pay full price for a phone while charging you inflated service prices that include a subsidy specifically designed to lower the upfront cost of that phone.
AT&T's reaction to T-Mobile's transparency is to be more deceptive than ever
There simply isn't a scenario in which paying for Next is better than just buying an unlocked phone at retail — AT&T is fundamentally taking advantage of consumers trained to think new phones are a magical gift bestowed on them by greedy, controlling wireless carriers. And as a response to T-Mobile's Jump plans, it's as cynical as it gets: Jump may not be the best deal, but at least T-Mobile CEO John Legere is outspoken in his desire to transparently decouple the cost of wireless service from the cost of phones themselves. AT&T's reaction is apparently to be more deceptive than ever.
Next.
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Gary L
ACE - Expert
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16.5K Messages
7 years ago
@David606 You beat me here.
Yeah @Anonymous, that's a pretty old article. And besides being very wrong, it doesn't match up with any of your complaints.
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Anonymous
New Member
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25.7K Messages
7 years ago
Ah, yeah it is. I had to hand in my old phone.
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Gary L
ACE - Expert
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16.5K Messages
7 years ago
ONLY if you want to sell it to them for the value of the rest of the payments.
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Anonymous
New Member
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25.7K Messages
7 years ago
Trade in IS required. I had to hand in my old phone.
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Gary L
ACE - Expert
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16.5K Messages
7 years ago
Here's the plan. Read it.
https://www.att.com/plans/next.html
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