can't get around plan change fees

[gr8belief]

this is text from my chat with TMO tonight:


Me: what would the fees be individually for switching to the new $49 unlimited family plan? i have heard that they are very high. we do not need new phones or sim cards

~Eb E: I just want to go over how the Value Plans are set up and what it would take to switch. The Value Plans are no upgrade plans. So if you wanted to get a new phone on these plans you would have to pay full price for the phone, you would get the option to do an installment on a new phone.

~Eb E: As four of your lines are in contract until 04/2xxx the current fee would be $200 per line for the four lines that are still in contract to switch.

Me: $200 x 4= $800. TMO would charge a 5 yr customer $800 to switch plans? really?

~Eb E: Unfortunately yes, as time goes on the amount wuld drop.

Me: i am speechless

~Eb E: I do apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, unfortunately we are not able to change this.


So if you are a new customer, you will be treated better than an existing customer in this case. I will keep my grandfathered (very nice) plan, but this would have worked well for my family. Guess we'll see what ATT has to offer next spring.

[D_March]

I'm out of contract with the even more plus plan. The only plan TMO will let me sign up for is the value plan. They do have interesting upgrade rules. So I'll have to buy the phone but I did the math and it will essentially be $64.99 a month before taxes for unlimited text and data and more.minutes than I'll ever use plus the subsidized price of the phone down. I compare it to signing up with verizon and getting the phone at the subsidized price on contract and I still save about $1,000 over a two year period. So I'm in....just have to wait for the damn phone to release.

[NorrisCell]

Originally Posted by gr8belief

So if you are a new customer, you will be treated better than an existing customer in this case. I will keep my grandfathered (very nice) plan, but this would have worked well for my family. Guess we'll see what ATT has to offer next spring.

I'm not sure you understand the point of the value plans.

It has nothing to do with your tenure. The plan is very different from what you have now, but would most likely save you a ton of money. A new customer isn't getting treated better, they're just out of contract, so to speak. If you were in the last 6 months of your contract, there would be no fee. You don't even have to be out of contract. As the rep mentioned, the fees go down as time goes on too. Are you prepared to pay 20% more than your current setup with AT&T?

[Armando175]

I would love to switch over to these new plans from my already grandfathered plan but I refuse to pay ETFs and sign another two year contract on my lines even if I'm not wanting new phones. So regardless, you have to pay the fees plus new contracts.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[bigtime2]

Originally Posted by Armando175

I would love to switch over to these new plans from my already grandfathered plan but I refuse to pay ETFs and sign another two year contract on my lines even if I'm not wanting new phones. So regardless, you have to pay the fees plus new contracts.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

If you're in a grandfathered plan you won't have to pay ETFs. Well, how long have you been on that plan?

I was on a grandfathered plan, but out of contract, last time I renewed was back in January 2008 and this worked out perfect for me. My bill is almost half of what it was before, assuming the agent didn't make any mistakes.

[Armando175]

Originally Posted by bigtime2

If you're in a grandfathered plan you won't have to pay ETFs. Well, how long have you been on that plan?

I'm not sure since when I've had the plan but it's been at least two years. I tried doing it online and it said I had to pay $300 to changeover so I cancelled. If I signed another two year contract, then I didn't have to pay that. It seems it was only $75 per line since I have four lines at the moment.