Contributor
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1 Message
150 deposit
I switched to AT&T 3 months ago for my family. We have 4 cell phones and 2 iPads on this plan that allows 10 devices. I just got an Apple Watch but was told because of my credit I must pay $150 deposit to add the watch to the plan, which is only $10 a month. I’ve always had good credit so I quickly checked wondering what could have happened. My credit score is 769 which falls in the very good range. What does it have to be at avoid having to pay 15 months cost up front as a deposit?
GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.9K Messages
6 years ago
@AtWrlesFAN
Thought I would check something out... I can add up to 2 more watchs to my account without deposits... ATT's own rating system is what is at play with these deposits nothing more nothing less.
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AtWrlesFAN
Teacher
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27 Messages
6 years ago
How did you check out?
In my experience it wasn't even a known thing there and took the AT&T Activation person about an hour to figure out why the activation wasn't working.
If it is just a rating system, it definitely is off... in that it is nickel, diming, insulting long time high paying customers with good credit... just for a watch, just for $150... and sending them to Verizon.
I think it is just some sort of racket they are running on Apple Watch customers - which makes the most sense. Because 150 deposit for a high paying customer is not really a meaningful deposit for anything really. And they just started this. And the Activation / Customer Support team doesn't even know about it.
I've called Apple to let them know AT&T is bilking their Watch customers.
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GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.9K Messages
6 years ago
I added 2 watches I had at the house... No deposit for either and then just called and said I made a boo boo and had them remove them from the account. If you don't like ATT's deposit rules then by all means LEAVE for Verizon... Then when they do something you dont like you can change carriers again.... Verizon is known for doing deposits for watches and tablets also... Just depends on there internal rating system which all carriers have by the way.
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AtWrlesFAN
Teacher
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27 Messages
6 years ago
> If you don't like ATT's deposit rules
I'm just pointing out that "deposit rules" serve no real deposit business needs (it's a service, not a rental), are based on no real credit factors and are most certainly a racket designed to extract some more money from randomly selected (probably high paying they know they can get the deposit from) Apple Watch customers, a racket they just started in December.
Glad to hear you didn't get assigned to the deposit pool, but question: why on earth did you get a Apple Watch Series 3 with Cellular if you didn't plan on activating it? You do realize you can get the one without cellular for less money?
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GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.9K Messages
6 years ago
@AtWrlesFAN
I have several smart watches laying around... Some are review units.... I only bought one apple watch 3 with LTE for the wife... It could be said you would want the LTE version because it has more storage 16gb vs 8gb. For 70 bucks its not a bad deal... The GPS can only hold 2gb of songs and the LTE can hold 8gb of songs.
Your theory still does not hold water... Each user is looked at different. Thats just how it works with all carriers... There were folks complaining of deposits when the watch launched.... You also had 2 accounts which puts you at risk of deposits if they were combined you may have not had that problem.
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Paranotary
Guru
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467 Messages
6 years ago
I understand that sometimes the deposits don’t make sense to some customers. In October 2017 I ordered the U-Verse bundle, then two weeks later I added three wireless lines, all without a penny deposit. The same day I added a fourth line, now I was asked for a deposit. The sales person was able to get it waived. I don’t exactly know how. If I had ordered it online I probably would have had to pay it if I wanted that line.
I understood it. Even though I had great credit, (that’s why until the fourth line I wasn’t asked for a deposit), in a very short time, I was given a few thousand dollars of equipment and services all for a promise to pay. Until then I had never had an AT&T account in my name. After a time period deposits are returned if your payments are made on time.
Other wireless companies wanted a deposit from me, not because of my credit score. One company said it was because I didn’t have a post paid wireless account within a certain period of time. Every company is different. I didn’t go with the others because I didn’t agree with their reasoning.
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AtWrlesFAN
Teacher
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27 Messages
6 years ago
If you only have one LTE, how did you activate two?
> Each user is looked at different. Thats just how it works with all carriers
So is this fair? Obviously it is not based on credit as shown by the other guy and myself who posted both with great credit scores.
And they won't tell you how they do it. What is it really based on? If not credit (which is what they say, but has been proven wrong) what do they use? Why don't they want to tell the real factors?
What is the deposit for really? I own the device. I can cancel at any time. Why do they need $150 for a $10 subscription? You are not renting anything. There really is no reason they need to hold a person's money... and they won't give any besides "credit check" which has been proven to be not the case.
If you have review units, and are a journalist, why not instead of accepting things as "well that is what they do" why don't you figure out for your readers why random Apple Watch people are having to hand over $150 "deposit"? It would be interesting to find out the real factors that determine who gets picked (I'm convinced at this point it is random) and the real reasons they have started doing this for Watch customers (I'm convinced it is some sort of revenue reason)
> You also had 2 accounts which puts you at risk of deposits if they were combined you may have not had that problem.
I do not have 2 accounts, I have 2 plans under one account. Yes, I send AT&T a good chunk of change each month. Why on earth they would think stupid $150 deposit demand would serve any real business or customer relations purpose other than to cause me to move one of those plans to Verizon, I'll never know. The only thing that makes sense is that there is a real revenue reason somewhere that is driving this. They are taking that money because they can, not for any specific reason.
And now, because I needed to get that watch activated (present for wife) they have $150 of my money for year, but it caused me to send much more of that to Verizon when I move over one of my plans.
I do hope more people realize that:
* These deposits are random and not based on credit.
* These deposits may target people who have multiple lines (aka those that can award to pay the deposit)
* These deposits serve no purpose like an actual deposit where you are getting leased devices, or lock into a length of time service.
* AT&T won't disclose the actual factors lead them to treat customers differently.
* AT&T won't disclose why they need a deposit for a service.
* AT&T seems to be targeting Apple Watch customers.
I dunno, I guess "all carriers do it" as an answer to these questions, doesn't seem like a good enough to me.
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AtWrlesFAN
Teacher
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27 Messages
6 years ago
> I was given a few thousand dollars of equipment and services all for a promise to pay.
Totally get the deposit in this case.
But for a watch I own, for a 10/month service I can cancel at any time?
Something's fishy.
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GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.9K Messages
6 years ago
@AtWrlesFAN
I have 2 apple watch LTE units and a gps the wife has her apple watch... Then I have a LG sport watch, LG urbane 2 LTE, Gear S3 classic LTE setting in my office... And no I dont right stories... I build apps..... I get test units all the time... Some I buy some I get from the OEM's... This marks the first time in history I am using a iPhone for anything... If it was not for the watch I would not be using it.
ATT is never ever going to tell customers what criteria they use for deposits... BUT you can ask for the reasons you had to give a deposit in writing... It will give you your internal ATT credit score...
As for having 2 plans its the same as having 2 accounts and that adds to the risk they look at. I have 6 lines and 2 smart watch lines and they didnt ask for a deposit...
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AtWrlesFAN
Teacher
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27 Messages
6 years ago
> BUT you can ask for the reasons you had to give a deposit in writing... It will give you your internal ATT credit score...
This is good to know. I will try that. Totally curious at this point what they come up with.
Anyone else who gets slammed by a $150 deposit for a stupid watch should do the same and post here.
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