Tutor
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5 Messages
AT&T next
I have been with AT&T for almost 7 years now. About 2 years ago I was forced into the AT&T next plan. I switched to the iPhone 6plus. I love this phone other than the fact it absolutely eats battery power. I can not get through even 1 day on a full charge. I really wanted to switch to the 7plus so I contacted AT&T. First I was working with a Gentelman that promised he could help me. He put me on hold after saying he would be right back. 52 minutes later and he never returned. I actually had to call AT&T back and spent another 50 minutes on the phone. In the end this is what I learned: if there are any smart AT&T employees on here I hope you can help. I can trade my iPhone 6+ in for the 7+. Only issue is that I haven't reached the end of my installment plan on the 6+. Therefore I pay $100 upgrade fee, give you the 6+ back that I have already payed $550 dollars into. You resell it or write it off whatever you do but clearly it doesn't go in the garbage so you make some kind of profit from it, then I purchase the 7+ (at full price) whether outright or next installments. Am I correct? So my understanding is that AT&T gets to keep me as a customer profits over $1700 dollars from me, and this is just for phones. This doesn't even unclude the $100+ a month I pay for my service. Hmmmmm. Can someone tell me how I benefit from this?
Ryan
Ryan
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117.1K Messages
8 years ago
Next is like a no interest loan. Either you pay it off entirely, and keep the phone, or trade in early to wipe all remaining payments.
Next has an upgrade point you must reach in order to wipe all remaining payments. It sounds like you are at the "pay to upgrade date". You may have 6 payments left after that which ATT forgives if you trade in the phone.
more on current Next options:
https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/next.html
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Ryanemlinger
Tutor
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5 Messages
8 years ago
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117.1K Messages
8 years ago
You still owe on the phone, which you can pay and KEEP the phone.
You can't pay 80% of a car and no more, AND keep the car. You either pay it off and it's yours, or you trade it in.
Not the best analogy.
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Ryanemlinger
Tutor
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5 Messages
8 years ago
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Ryanemlinger
Tutor
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5 Messages
8 years ago
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Ryanemlinger
Tutor
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5 Messages
8 years ago
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117.1K Messages
8 years ago
So don't trade in. Pay if off and sell it.
The option is yours.
But if you want to upgrade with trade in this is the option.
Not every phone holds its value as well as iPhone.
Back to the car analogy.... if you have a car loan, and want to trade in the car for a new one, you don't get the full trade in value either, because you have to pay off the loan.
Next usually allows you off of the last 6 payments, at an average of $25 each, that is 150. Trade in value may be $300. Resale on eBay may be $400-500.
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sandblaster
ACE - Expert
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64.7K Messages
8 years ago
The trade-in value is pre-assigned with the Next plan, regardless of what the phone is actually worth and that trade-in value is simply the remaining installment paments you don't have to make. For many phones, especially iPhones, that is not a good deal especially if you have passed your trade-in point and made more payments than required to trade-in. You of course could pay off the balance and use the traditional trade-in program where you get an amount based on the phone's value. For an iPhone, still likely not a good deal.
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Gary L
ACE - Expert
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16.5K Messages
8 years ago
Who said you're the one who's supposed to benefit from this???
Are you thinking AT&T should take a loss on your trading in a phone?
As you clearly see, they benefit on this option, it's your choice if you want to do it the easy way and skip the last 6 months or the hard way and sell it yourself.
AT&T probably doesn't care either way, they're likely just happy that you're committing to another Next plan 🙂
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