Contract Blues

Question

My last two year contract has ended. Do I have to sign a new contract? AND can I change my devise without renewing contract? A friend brought a unlocked Samsung and is not happy with it, so I am getting a free devise.
When I have chatted with customer service, I get three different answers (chat transcripts to prove this). Also in a chat transcript a customer service supervisor told me if I do not sign a Next plan contract, the phones I have will be billed an additional $40.00 a line each month. But why do I have to pay AT&T to use my own phones? Also I have seen the $25.00 access line fee each month and a $40.00 activation fee, but I have not seen any where there is a $40.00 a month for each line.

So can I stay an AT&T customer without renewing my two year contract?

sandblaster · Accepted Answer

No, you do not need to renew your contract to stay an ATT customer. In fact, ATT is trying to move everyone to no contract plans. You are only required to renew your contract if you buy a new phone at a discounted (I.e. 2 year contract) price. If you have a mobile share plan and buy a 2 year contract phone, you will lose the 'out of contract' discount on your service for the length of the contract. There is also a one time $40 upgrade fee. If you have a friend giving you a phone there will be no extra charges and your monthly bill will remain unchanged.

Busternutt · Answer

When your contract ends, you will be on month to month billing. Either you or ATT can terminate it at any time with no ETF.

If you don't enter a new 2 contract, your talk/txt will either be $25 (less than 10 gb data plan) or $15 (10 or more gb data plan) a month, plus your data plan, taxes & fees.

You can bring your own device (BYOD) and be on the month to month billing. You will be billed as explained in the paragraph above.

formerlyknownas · Answer

The chat information was based on you buying a new phone from ATT, which you are not doing. As Busternutt described, your bill will go down. You only pay for service in the form of a reduced line fee and data.

Bustedmom · Answer

So if I do not sign a new contract and go month to month I will my bill
would have the access line fees? $25.00 per phone line? Which just happens
to be the installment price of phones on the Next plan. I do not understand
why AT&T is putting the loyal customers in financial binds. I cannot afford
an additional $50.00 on this account nor the $125.00 on my other account.

formerlyknownas · Answer

You will not pay more.I should have asked if you are on the Mobile Share plan, or an older family plan?Everyone has a line access fee and a data charge.

Busternutt · Answer

@Bustedmom wrote:So if I do not sign a new contract and go month to month I will my billwould have the access line fees? $25.00 per phone line? Which just happensto be the installment price of phones on the Next plan. I do not understandwhy AT&T is putting the loyal customers in financial binds. I cannot affordan additional $50.00 on this account nor the $125.00 on my other account.I'm not sure what you're are even asking here.  Everyone pays for talk and text (and with EVERY carrier). You will pay $25 for an out of contract plan if you have less than 10 GB of data. This assumes you keep using your old phone or BYOD. If you buy a new phone from ATT on a new two year corntract, your talk and text plan will be $40. Every smartphone must have a data plan. The amount is your choice, from $20 to $375. Everyone must pay government taxes and fees.

Bustedmom · Answer

I have an older Family Plan. So then my best option is to stay month to month. And my plan won't change nor will my charges.

I chatted with customer service and the were giving me two options (really 3). Stay with month to month, go with the Next Plan, or sign a new 2 year contract and my plan will go up an additional $25.00 each line. Or go to the Next plan. I am so confused.

formerlyknownas · Answer

I will try to un-confuse you.Since you are on an older plan, as long as you stay on the plan your bill will stay the same. As long as it suits your needs, it is probably cheaper, so hang on to it.I can't confirm this, but I believe you can still upgrade every 2 years with a subsidized phone at ATT stores or online. 2 year subsidies are on the way out and will not be offered at retailers after June 1st.~~~~~~~The newer Mobile Share plan is ala' carte. Line fee, data and phone are separate charges.Next is just a no interest loan on a phone. The retail price is divided into monthly payments.

kdfederer · Answer

If you are on the old family plan, your plan will not go up if you get a subsidized phone, although they are doing away with subsidized pricing. Whoever told you that was wrong unless they came out with some new pricing for older family plans.

with the new, lower priced Mobile share data plans, if you get a subsidized phone, you lose the out of contract discount on your line access, $15 discount if your data plan is lower than 10 GB and a $25 discount if you data plan is 10gb or larger.

You may want to compare the pricing and see if it may be cheaper to change to the newer plan.

Bustedmom · Answer

I'm not sure what you're are even asking here.

Everyone pays for talk and text (and with EVERY carrier). You will pay $25 for an out of contract plan if you have less than 10 GB of data. If you buy a new phone from ATT on a new two year corntract, your talk and text plan will be $40.

Every smartphone must have a data plan. The amount is your choice, from $20 to $375.

Everyone must pay government taxes and fees.

Before my friend gave me her phone, I went to Best Buy to see what they had to offer. The clerk at Best Buy was trying to sell me on the Next Plan. I told her i would rather buy the phone outright. She told me there would be an additional fee of $25.00 a line.
So I went to Walmart to check on phones. They had a Samsung Active for $79.00 with renewing my contract. I asked the ATT agent if my bill will stay the same. I was assured there would be no changes because I was renewing my contract. I sign up with Walmart and the contract read as a renewal in my Family Plan, on the contract there was an activation fee (ok) but no other charges. I went back to Best Buy and asked why they were not able to do the same. The clerk told me to call ATT. So I did. And sure enough my charges were changing to an additional $25.00 per line Per month. Not only did the Walmart clerk had no idea of this nor was there any disclosure on the tag stating the conditions.

I promptly returned to Walmart, returned the devises and ending the contract.

So I am back were I started but I have my own devise and now I am trying to figure out how to switch my phones.

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