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Ordius's profile

Contributor

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2 Messages

Saturday, March 28th, 2015 4:03 AM

Transferring Upgrade Eligibility with Phone Bought from External Retailer

I have two phones on the same Mobile Share plan:

 

Phone A: Basic Phone, non-full upgrade eligible

Phone B: Basic Phone, full upgrade eligible

 

I would like to preorder a Galaxy S6 for Phone A and put it on AT&T Next, using Phone B's upgrade eligibility.  There would be no issue doing this via AT&T's store, either online or real.

 

The twist is that I would like to take advantage of Best Buy's offer of a free charger with preorder.  Best Buy's website does not support eligibility transfer.  It looks like I can order for Phone B using Phone B's upgrade eligibility only.

 

I have a hunch, which I'm looking to confirm here, that the general mechanics of the purchase and eligibility transfer are the same regardless of whether the phone is bought from Best Buy or directly from AT&T, i.e.:

 

  1. Buy new phone for Phone B
  2. Receive new Phone
  3. Contact AT&T, either by call or in store, to have the SIMs/phone numbers/plan type assigned as I want them (new Galaxy S6 assigned to Phone A and Phone B remains a basic phone)

Do you see any issue with purchasing the new phone for Phone B from Best Buy and then having the two Phones' eligibilities swapped when I receive the new phone?

 

Thanks in advance for insight or advice anyone can offer.

ACE - Expert

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13.1K Messages

9 years ago

If the SIMs are the same size all you have to do is swap the SIMs in the phones once phone b is active. If they are different sizes, take the phones to a corporate store and they will activate and swap the SIMs for you.

ACE - Sage

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117K Messages

9 years ago

However there isn't an change in eligibility. Line B will be out of contract and month to month after 30 days with installments on the Edge plan.
Line A will be uneffected. The contract will expire and will be upgrade eligible on its current schedule.

Contributor

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2 Messages

9 years ago

Thanks. Any issue foreseen with one phone becoming a smartphone and the other remaining a basic phone? Line B effectively would go from basic to smart, then right back to basic. So one line should remain at the current basic rate and the other gets the Next smartphone rate.


ACE - Sage

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117K Messages

9 years ago

That isn't how it works if you do

ACE - Sage

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117K Messages

9 years ago

@Ordius

HUH. My post got cut off.

I was writing....that isn't how it works with Next purchases. Next is a no interest loan for a phone. There is no contract after 30 days as long as you have service.
They don't care which line you activate your new phone on.
Line B will not change. It will be out of contract again in a month.
line A will be out of contract when ever it's 2 years is ended.
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