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Hey guys, first time on these forums and Im looking for a little help. Basically I want to know if Im doing the math right on the amount of money I would save switching from Verizon contract to Tmobile prepaid 30$ a month. I know it seems like simple math but math is not my strong suit. So here are the facts. 1. I pay 82 dollars a month to verizon. 2. My contract started in Nov of 2011 and ends Nov of 2013. 3. As far as I know the cancellation fee would be 270 or 260 at this point. 4. I would be buying a galaxy nexus from the play store for 360 after shipping with my states tax free weekend saving me 20 dollars. 5. I would be paying Tmobile 30 dollars a month plus tax or maybe without tax if I can buy the prepaid cards either in NH or online saving me tax. 6. I am currently trying to get my ETF lowered at least somewhat. Those are the facts and I would greatly appreciate any help determining my total savings if I cancel say next week. By my calculations after factoring the ETF and price of the phone it would save me 150 by next november while recouping the costs of the ETF and phone. Again thanks in advance to anyone who posts.
I've heard that if you call Verizon and tell them that you are moving to a specific location outside their service area they will wave the cancellation fee.. for scientific purposes of course.
You will also need to factor in $5 the first month for a VoIP app, so you will have more than just 100 minutes per month
With the service cancellation free and after buying the device you would be about $650 in the hole, but you would be saving ~$50 a month.
It seems that your total bill plus cost for 12 months of service would be (650 + (30*12)= $1010. Putting a 12 month payment plan at $84.10 per month on Tmobile.
That's with $300 for cancellation, $350 for phone, and $30 for monthly service cost.
To compare, your current $82 per month bill, after 12 months, would be ~$984. A difference of $26 over a 12 month period, or $2.2 per month.
Also, two years of Verizon service at $984 per year would be $1968.
Whereas two years on Tmobile (with paying cancellation and device) would be ~$1370. Saving you $598 over a two year period.
Note: for info setting up GrooVe IP and Google Voice, refer to this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1646755
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
At $52 savings per month, it would take you 12.5 months to recoup the $650 you paid upfront. That puts you even around the end of Aug 2013. So yes, by the end of Nov 2013, you would be up ~$150.
Just make sure you have good coverage with T-Mobile and can live with their so called 4G. Switching from Verizon can be tough if you are accustomed to their network coverage and speed.
With all calculations showing that you need 12+ months to break even, I would consider waiting till your contract expires and looking at options then. With new nexus just around the corner and the whole enigma surrounding Windows 8 and the next iPhone, the next 12 months are sure to be interesting.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Thanks guys. I think I am going to end up waiting. Who knows, I might get out early if verizon changes a fee or tries to change my contract.
I did just what you are thinking of doing. I paid Verizon their ETF, switched to T-Mobile prepaid $30 a month plan and will never be on contract again. The difference is, I was paying Verizon $104 a month. It was a no brainer for me.
I'm not sure what phone you have on Verizon, but once you pay your ETF, you can sell your Verizon phone to cover some or all of your ETF and in some cases can even get more for the phone than what your ETF is.
So I bought my phone a little over a month ago. In the process I specifically asked the T-Mobile rep. what hidden charges or connection fees I'd be hit with. Naturally she responded "None". I thought "O.k. $100 a month for unlimited everything isn't too bad at all.", seeing as where I live I have no problems with service whatsoever. Then my first bill just came in the other day............and I'm still in shock. It was a grand total of $296 and some change. I thought, "What in the hell am I paying for again?" I'm damn near willing to take the bad mark on my credit just because I'd feel like I was telling T-Mobile to shove it up their ass, but really with the breach of contract, I'd be the one getting screwed without any lube. Can anyone ,on a serious note, possibly give me a little insight as to what the heck that kind of money is supposed to be going to when it was agreed upon as to be $100 a month? I wasn't charged a deposit or anything of that sort and the minutes and text are unlimited and the monthly unlimited plan for data services is 200GB which I never even came close to. It's crazy! When T-Mobile is directly asked about this you get different answers from just about everyone you speak with it seems like. Maybe I'm just still amazed by the 200% increase and not hearing what I wanna hear so it all just sounds like different answers from everyone. Hell I don't know! All I can say is "LIARS! They're all LIARS!" Stick with pre-paid if it's not too late for you yet!
I suggest that you look at the details of the bill and see each thing that they charged you for. When I switched over to TMO from Sprint they told me that they essentially charge you for two months the first month so you are always a month ahead in your bill. I guess that means when you leave you have a month extra.
Sent from my GS3 via TapaTalk 2
Can't you see what's exactly being charged? There should be itemized charges on the bill.
Is it possible that the extra $ 200 is for the phone itself? Or maybe a migration fee if you recently change your plan while you still in contract?
If you can read. Look at your bill
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda app-developers app
Is there a "migration charge"?
When I got my first bill there was an activation charge even though the web page had said "limited time special, activation fee waived $0.00"
I called them up and told them waived means not charging in the first place and it does not mean "refund" three months later. The rep in the phone even said "I see how that could be misleading" I said either take that off my bill or cancel my contract because I don't want to be a customer of a company that's starting off our relationship with deception. The reversed the charge, but I still think they're scum for playing fast-and-loose with the meanings of words like that.
Other than that, I love my phone and coverage has been great, unlike 8 years ago when they had a tower down for more than a year....
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
How much did you pay for the phone? My first bill from tmo lumped everything together..... Did you log in to the website and look at a breakdown of the charges? Probably not.
AB33 said:
I suggest that you look at the details of the bill and see each thing that they charged you for. When I switched over to TMO from Sprint they told me that they essentially charge you for two months the first month so you are always a month ahead in your bill. I guess that means when you leave you have a month extra.
Sent from my GS3 via TapaTalk 2
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This is true for the value plan. Plus there are also connection and "set up" fees on the first month. It will be much less than that next time.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
use paint and black out all your sensitive info and then post it here for us and well be able to help you greatly from that point
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Post it up here because it is very likely the only way you have a first bill that high is if there is a deposit they didnt tell you about.
Value plan with eip
69.99 for plan with unlim 4g
7.99 for insurance
20.00 for eip
Tax & fees is roughly $10
107$ total
Activation fee is $35.and is taxed ro roughly $39
So 146$ for first month
Now... first bill will be a little higher than that 146 because of prorated charges becauase your first bill is for more than one month of service. BUT there is no way prorated charges are an additional $150.
Show a copy of the bill with your sensitive info blocked out so we cant see it. Also.. what day did you activate
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
For the first month of two you're likely to run into some additional charges...
Activation fee, insurance, etc..
I would definitely look at the bill.
If you're still unsure, call up customer service and ask them to explain what each individual charge this first month.
Switch to straight talk byop tmobile sim. $45 unlimited calls text and data. Still runs on tmobile network.
sent via galaxy s3 in boss mode @ 2.1ghz
AB33 said:
I suggest that you look at the details of the bill and see each thing that they charged you for. When I switched over to TMO from Sprint they told me that they essentially charge you for two months the first month so you are always a month ahead in your bill. I guess that means when you leave you have a month extra.
Sent from my GS3 via TapaTalk 2
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This has been the case for me in the past too. I would check to see if this is the reason your bill is so high.
tgamble160 said:
Switch to straight talk byop tmobile sim. $45 unlimited calls text and data. Still runs on tmobile network.
sent via galaxy s3 in boss mode @ 2.1ghz
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+1
This is my current setup, but I'm using an ATT sim. Better coverage for me in my area than TMO. I'll take paying $45/mo instead of $100
I just got this charge too. They said 100 $ for my bill. It came in and i have a 265 $ and its 150 $ for texting between sept.11-28. I got my phone on the 28th. How the hell are they gonna roll back my original plan when ive had unlimited for over 4 years. And im going to the actual guy that sold me the phone on monday.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Response from T-Mobile is.....
O.k., sorry for just now getting back to everyone. The bill actually states that $200 of these charges are for previous charges. What previous charges? This is a brand new account. T-Mobile told me finally that it's a deposit fee. Aren't deposits charged beforea service of any sort provided? Seriously?! I already got screwed out of an extra $70 for the T-Mobile pre-paid plan I had paid a day earlier because they wouldn't switch it over to the new contract. Also, everyone needs to pay close attention to the apps you download. I realize it's not much now but it could have been. I was charged an extra .20 cents for an app sending an international text message without permission from me. I'm in the wrong business is all I've gotta say!
Yeah, there's 2 sections. My regular bill and a "previous charges" section. Previous to what? This is my first bill.
Post the bill.. And if you had already paid for a month of service why not wait a month to sign a contract.. I don't get it.
I was just like you when this happened to me. I was in Flex Pay plan from T-Mobile for 2 years before making the switch to the Value Plan.
My bill is $131 which includes warranty and insurance plus $20 and $15 down payment for the phones plus taxes which would come to a total of $170 for two lines. Luckily they gave me a $276 in-store credit for making the switch and being a loyal customer who never missed a single payment while being with them. My first bill came out to be $256 but didn't have to pay it due to the credit but I still demanded answers and the in-store rep said they were fees that will always come in the first bill (activation fees + paying a month ahead, etc). I just payed my second bill in which I only payed $150.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Post your bill or call 611. Ur getting frustrated and no one in here can help solve your problem. We can see your account.
I love this thing!
My advice is to always ask the reps questions and call them as soon as you can see your bill online or in the mailed bill. Youre wasting time posting here because we cant change anything on your bill.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Check your text charges....they tried to pin me up for over $300 when I switched plans and turned out they charged me $.20 for every text during the transition cycle. Took 3 days of calling before I went into a store and showed them the error. They fixed it on the spot.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
There is an option on best-buy to do a 18 month financing on the Galaxy Note 2 I dont want to sign a contract so I'd be paying $47 a month for the phone, Is that a good idea I need some opinions Im new to this financing stuff
If you're looking for opinions, then no. It's not a good deal. Financing on a credit card rarely is. In the long run you'll probably end up paying more by financing, than if you signed a 2 yr contract and actually ended up opting out of the contract early. That's just my opinion
it's 18 month interest free financing. you just have to make sure you pay it off by the 18th month or all that interest over those 18 months will be put on your card. so try to not use the card until the interest free charge is paid off. if you happen to make further purchases your payments will be split among the purchases but i'm not sure what they use to determine which purchase get the bulk of the payment - each has it's minimum taken first then the rest goes to, possibly, the oldest purchase.
it's a good deal as long as you have self control. don't forget to have them do a price match before you buy. they count price matches as refunds and the retail equation may count that as a non-receipt return if it's an online order. too many returns will put you on RE **** list and you won't be able to make any returns to a lot of stores for 90 days.
Why would you be paying $847 for the phone interest free if its $649.99 + tax off contract?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
bmoreboy02 said:
Why would you be paying $847 for the phone interest free if its $649.99 + tax off contract?
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
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Because Best Buy charges $799 for the phone without contract.
thunderwagn said:
If you're looking for opinions, then no. It's not a good deal. Financing on a credit card rarely is. In the long run you'll probably end up paying more by financing, than if you signed a 2 yr contract and actually ended up opting out of the contract early. That's just my opinion
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I have to COMPLETELY agree!!! Here is the thing... I understand it sucks to sign a contract... BUT... Once you buy the phone after 6 months your Early Termination Fee (ETF) goes down every month that you keep the phone by $10 a month... After just one year your ETF is $240... Saying that you only kept the thing for a year... If you were to buy the Samsung Galaxy Note II at WireFly for an upgrade at the moment you would spend $249... A year from now you get pissed off at Sprint, say FU, and cancel paying the $240... That's still WAY FRIGGIN LESS That's $490 vs. $799... That's a savings of $309... Or $25 a month savings for that year... I think it's a no brainer...
DarkManX4lf said:
Because Best Buy charges $799 for the phone without contract.
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Bestbuy will pricematch sprint or amazon. I paid $649.99 + tax for my phone on launch day. Idk why it is so many people dont know this by now bc its really a secret they tell you in there commercials. Ive walked into bestbuy and paid $30 for otterbox defenders that they were sellin for $54.99 bc amazon had it cheaper
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ourprisonplanet said:
I have to COMPLETELY agree!!! Here is the thing... I understand it sucks to sign a contract... BUT... Once you buy the phone after 6 months your Early Termination Fee (ETF) goes down every month that you keep the phone by $10 a month... After just one year your ETF is $240... Saying that you only kept the thing for a year... If you were to buy the Samsung Galaxy Note II at WireFly for an upgrade at the moment you would spend $249... A year from now you get pissed off at Sprint, say FU, and cancel paying the $240... That's still WAY FRIGGIN LESS That's $490 vs. $799... That's a savings of $309... Or $25 a month savings for that year... I think it's a no brainer...
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you can only pay that etf to get out if you quit sprint. i don't want a contract nor do i want to quit since if i quit i lose my sero - $57 for unlimited data and 500 min. not worth it to do that if i ever decide to come back to sprint after quitting.
madsquabbles said:
you can only pay that etf to get out if you quit sprint. i don't want a contract nor do i want to quit since if i quit i lose my sero - $57 for unlimited data and 500 min. not worth it to do that if i ever decide to come back to sprint after quitting.
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Have someone else create a different account if you can. Family member, friend, anyone.
Or see if you can create a business account so you don't tinker with your current one.
garwynn said:
Have someone else create a different account if you can. Family member, friend, anyone.
Or see if you can create a business account so you don't tinker with your current one.
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you also have to maintain the account for 90 days (or 60, i can't remember). otherwise you have to return the phone or pay full price. so that adds a minimum of $140 for service not used (with everyting plus referral). add the etf and the cost of the subsidized phone and you're better off just buying the phone without any headaches.
T-Mobile announced that in the coming months they will end discounted phones with a contract and go the European way and make you pay retail for any phone yet your monthly bill will go down a lot in price. How do you guys feel about this.?
Sent from my SGH-T999
Some people will love it, some will hate it. Here in the states, we are spoiled, do the majority will hate it. If it goes too bad, then they'll go back to subsidies. To keep it during hatred, the other companies will do the same. I don't mind as I buy my own phones even when I was in a contract to try the latest phones. Hey, you win some, you lose some
Sent from my Rooted Gameboy
If they're doing it the way they generally have offered as of late, they may not do a carrier subsidy the way Big Red/Yellow/Blue do, but they'll allow you to do a "handset mortgage", where you can pay a "down payment" when you get the phone and then the loan will be a separate line item until you pay it off, which can be at any point.
I actually prefer this model because it allows you to pay more or less to decrease the amount still owed for your phone and potentially decrease your bill substantially once you're done paying the phone off. It will also allow for quicker upgrades because you won't have to wait two years until your contract rolls around again.
I'm not opposed to this model at all.
Joey
voyager529 said:
If they're doing it the way they generally have offered as of late, they may not do a carrier subsidy the way Big Red/Yellow/Blue do, but they'll allow you to do a "handset mortgage", where you can pay a "down payment" when you get the phone and then the loan will be a separate line item until you pay it off, which can be at any point.
I actually prefer this model because it allows you to pay more or less to decrease the amount still owed for your phone and potentially decrease your bill substantially once you're done paying the phone off. It will also allow for quicker upgrades because you won't have to wait two years until your contract rolls around again.
I'm not opposed to this model at all.
Joey
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If they offer that. Then I'll be okay with that. But I'm not OK with paying 5-600 dollars for a phone...I got more important things to pay for lol. But then again on the bright side the bill per month is gonna drop sooo much
Sent from my SGH-T999
I'm in Charlotte, and the store I went to has already gone through this transition. The plan price went down approximately $30. The down-payment was similar to the advertised price for the subsidized phones, and the monthly payments were $20, for twenty months. Overall, I'll pay $550 for phone retailed to cost $599, with a slight savings on the rate plan.
The big savings come after twenty months, when the phone is paid off. I'm not one to upgrade immediately, so I may save money on the rate plan for 6-12 months before buying a new phone. Where before, even if I didn't buy a phone, I was paying the monthly rate that included the subsidy.
zeekx4 said:
I'm in Charlotte, and the store I went to has already gone through this transition. The plan price went down approximately $30. The down-payment was similar to the advertised price for the subsidized phones, and the monthly payments were $20, for twenty months. Overall, I'll pay $550 for phone retailed to cost $599, with a slight savings on the rate plan.
The big savings come after twenty months, when the phone is paid off. I'm not one to upgrade immediately, so I may save money on the rate plan for 6-12 months before buying a new phone. Where before, even if I didn't buy a phone, I was paying the monthly rate that included the subsidy.
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So u can still get a new phone without paying retail?
Sent from my SGH-T999
ddizzy81 said:
So u can still get a new phone without paying retail?
Sent from my SGH-T999
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Yes and No. ** I do not work for T-Mobile, but this is how I understand things **
EIP has existed for a very long time now and will continue to exist. T-Mobile is simply being upfront with customers instead of building in a subsidy into a rate plan. In almost every case, the customer wins.
Here's one way to look at it. Value Plan + EIP = Classic plan Either way, the upfront costs are similar. In one case, you call it a downpayment, in another you call it a price w/ 2 year contact extension. EIP is typically 20 months, which is better than the 24 months a full blown 2 year extension will be. Again, as far as the initial cost of the phone, the downpayment is essentially equivalent to the previously advertised price of the phone with contract.
This model does a few things from the perspective of a customer. It gives you the option of purchasing phones outright, or opting to get what essentially is a 20 month interest free loan from t-mobile on up to $400 towards the purchase price of a phone. When that loan is paid off, you are left with a nice and small bill for just the services you use, the voice, data, and text services provided by T-Mobile. This opens the door wide open for people to bring unlocked devices over to T-Mobile, and enjoy a low price monthly rate plan. Previously, the best way to do this was to buy an unlocked phone, buy a carrier phone with a 2-year extension, and sell the carrier phone and put that towards the price of the unlocked phone.
This really is a win for pretty much all consumers. People who want a low initial cost can opt for the EIP, people who bring their own devices can choose to do so and enjoy a low monthly rate, and finally people who keep their devices for a long time will enjoy a low rate after they complete their EIP payments.
The only time this is NOT advantageous is if you decide to break the contract prior to the end of the EIP term + value plan contract. For example, if I buy a new phone, start a EIP plan for 20 months, and sign up for a 2 year value plan, I would have to pay a $200 penalty to break the value plan, and also $400 to close out the EIP. Of course, the way to get around this is to sell the phone to repay the EIP.
ddizzy81 said:
T-Mobile announced that in the coming months they will end discounted phones with a contract and go the European way and make you pay retail for any phone yet your monthly bill will go down a lot in price. How do you guys feel about this.?
Sent from my SGH-T999
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as far as i know, t-mobile has already offer $50 contract free service in NYC. that includes 4g network, unlimit calling, texing, web, etc.
I am current simple mobile user, $40 each month, and it is great!
I am sure if ATT, Verizon, don't take any action, most of their customers will walk way.
My contract ends in may...its gonna be a big decision whether I'm gonna leave T-Mobile or not
Sent from my SGH-T999
About a month ago a tmo rep told me they are doing this soon.
O well doesn't bother me lol
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Yeah its not all that new . Tmobile has been allowing people to break up their payments since they announced their even more plus plans. I think its a great option in present times for those that can't afford to fork out 500$ in one transaction.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
They already have offered this its called the "Value Plans", as apposed to the "Classic Plans" the value plans are only offered at t-mobile stores and since sept they have offered a truly unlimited data option on the value plan. thats the plan i have been on since i joined t-mobile in sept. the gs3 for me was 149.99 down with $20 for 20 months. (549.99) and my rate plan is 69.99 for unlimited everything. The one thing i dont like about the value plan is that even though you are paying full price for your phone in the end you are still on a 2 year contract with $200 early termination fee. and if you dont use all the minutes and want to lower your bill thats a whole new 2 year contract. T-mobile really shouldnt due that to its customers.
Chuckatron said:
They already have offered this its called the "Value Plans", as apposed to the "Classic Plans" the value plans are only offered at t-mobile stores and since sept they have offered a truly unlimited data option on the value plan. thats the plan i have been on since i joined t-mobile in sept. the gs3 for me was 149.99 down with $20 for 20 months. (549.99) and my rate plan is 69.99 for unlimited everything. The one thing i dont like about the value plan is that even though you are paying full price for your phone in the end you are still on a 2 year contract with $200 early termination fee. and if you dont use all the minutes and want to lower your bill thats a whole new 2 year contract. T-mobile really shouldnt due that to its customers.
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Well to be honest they kinda have to keep that early termination fee, because basically if they don't what's to keep you from leaving after you only payed 149.99 for a 800 phone. Even if you still decide to leave you only end up paying about 350. 200 fee plus the 150 you put down. This is coming from a guy who really dislike tmobile I'm just with them because I almost don't pay anything on a 5 line account. Really there's not much difference between classic and value when it comes to buying a phone both tie you to a 2 year contract and early fee.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Isn't this pretty much the same thing as their Value Plan they've had for some time now? I've been on that plan for a bit over a year now. For me, the plus side is that over the course of a two year period, I'll end up saving roughly $1200 for two lines compared to my previous plan with everything unlimited.
The downside is of course the unsubsidized pricing of all the phones...completely ineligible for any special promotions, as well. If T-Mobile keeps that same plan model, people may find themselves paying for multiple devices at a time if they run into mishaps (theft, damage, etc.). Even with insurance, you'll pay a pretty penny for a replacement but will still be responsible for paying off the original. This would be a big adjustment for a lot of people in many ways, not just financially.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Edit: Chuck beat me to it LoL. I'm so not used to typing novel-length msgs on a mobile xD
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So how the phone insurance will work, will tmobile offer this option I doubt. I'm not referring manufacturer 1 year but long term one.
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dito33 said:
So how the phone insurance will work, will tmobile offer this option I doubt. I'm not referring manufacturer 1 year but long term one.
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Good question
Sent from my SGH-T999
ddizzy81 said:
If they offer that. Then I'll be okay with that. But I'm not OK with paying 5-600 dollars for a phone...I got more important things to pay for lol. But then again on the bright side the bill per month is gonna drop sooo much
Sent from my SGH-T999
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LOL...pay now, pay later. do the math. if youre on a classic plan, you still pay full price for the phone, you just pay for it a little a time added onto your monthly bill. so, you are okay with paying 5-600 dollars for a phone...
dito33 said:
So how the phone insurance will work, will tmobile offer this option I doubt. I'm not referring manufacturer 1 year but long term one.
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Don't see why they would stop offering the extended insurance. If you're going to be paying for you're phone for 2 years you might as well have insurance that also extends the warranty for that long.
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LiquidGlow said:
The downside is of course the unsubsidized pricing of all the phones...completely ineligible for any special promotions, as well. If T-Mobile keeps that same plan model, people may find themselves paying for multiple devices at a time if they run into mishaps (theft, damage, etc.). Even with insurance, you'll pay a pretty penny for a replacement but will still be responsible for paying off the original. This would be a big adjustment for a lot of people in many ways, not just financially.
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Actually the promos DO apply. The last sale was a zero down sale, so you get your down payment back as a rebate. So instead of a $600 phone it's only $400. It's no different than a free phone with a higher monthly payment.
I haven't had a plan for years. If you look you can find a deal on craigslist sometimes ebay
So I haven't seen this type of thread yet, I was at my local Walmart and the tag was there but no phone, not even the dummy. It was listed for 198.88* and the * meant with qualifying upgrade or new agreement (2yr contract). I left there and dialed 611 and asked for retention to the bot operator. Once I got through, they wouldn't budge from 149 down and 20 bucks a month deal. I've been a T-Mobile customer since it was Voice Stream and the rep noted that, but still wouldn't budge. She suggested I go third party, but even at that route, I am not eligible for full upgrade until November. I have an old grandfathered family plan and I won't ditch it for the new plans just to get this phone, I'd buy a S3 before that happened. Anyway, has anyone gotten or found any better deals, Costco, Sam's (I didn't have time to stop in while on lunch).
gear79 said:
So I haven't seen this type of thread yet, I was at my local Walmart and the tag was there but no phone, not even the dummy. It was listed for 198.88* and the * meant with qualifying upgrade or new agreement (2yr contract). I left there and dialed 611 and asked for retention to the bot operator. Once I got through, they wouldn't budge from 149 down and 20 bucks a month deal. I've been a T-Mobile customer since it was Voice Stream and the rep noted that, but still wouldn't budge. She suggested I go third party, but even at that route, I am not eligible for full upgrade until November. I have an old grandfathered family plan and I won't ditch it for the new plans just to get this phone, I'd buy a S3 before that happened. Anyway, has anyone gotten or found any better deals, Costco, Sam's (I didn't have time to stop in while on lunch).
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Thanks foyer this I'm wondering the same thing!! Not even the tmobile stores have handsets yet and I'm not due for upgrade til next April and they would not even let me get the 149 down deal cuz of my plan and weve been with Tmobile for like 15 years
Sent from my Jedi injected Hercules playing Mind Tricks
style154 said:
Thanks foyer this I'm wondering the same thing!! Not even the tmobile stores have handsets yet and I'm not due for upgrade til next April and they would not even let me get the 149 down deal cuz of my plan and weve been with Tmobile for like 15 years
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In your case, since its a yera before you can upgrade, your best option is to buy off contract, waiting may have a drop in price, but how long to wait. At the rate Samsung has been releasing Galaxy series devices, it will be 6 months before we see the Note 3 or S5 lol. Wirefly may have deals, but third party seems to be an alternative. And if the sales rep is nice or want to make a sale, maybe there is some light at the end of the tunnel for you.
May I ask how much you are paying for your data now? Do you have any promotions on data, like loyalty/BtV?
I'm aware that the regular rates for data under the Classic is $20 for 2GB (cheapest one). If you were put on the Bridge to Value, I believe that goes down 50% ($10). If you also got a loyalty discount like me, it is $5; and actually, that is $5 for 5GB of 4G/LTE data for each line - this is the Preferred deal through the loyalty department.
I'm asking because when I tried to upgrade our phones (we haven't upgraded in 4 years), we would lose those promotions ($5 goes back to $20). If you already pay $20 and this won't affect you, then just buy it cheap at Walmart. If you do have those promotions like me, you should have the option online from my.t-mobile.com to do the EIP plan and keep your plans and services unchanged.
Hope that helps.
gear79 said:
In your case, since its a yera before you can upgrade, your best option is to buy off contract, waiting may have a drop in price, but how long to wait. At the rate Samsung has been releasing Galaxy series devices, it will be 6 months before we see the Note 3 or S5 lol. Wirefly may have deals, but third party seems to be an alternative. And if the sales rep is nice or want to make a sale, maybe there is some light at the end of the tunnel for you.
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Yeah gonna try Costco and see if they'll budge on price thanks I've been looking around
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style154 said:
Yeah gonna try Costco and see if they'll budge on price thanks I've been looking around
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Costco is $199.99 for 2 years. Unfortunately they don't have them in stock nor will they know when. My guess is May 15th, when all the 3rd party stores receive stock (keeping fingers crossed). I am actually willing to wait this time, save over $400!
Are you all on the old Classic plan still?
No more deals in phones from tmo anymore - period. Costco supposed to have by the 8th
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GG2012 said:
May I ask how much you are paying for your data now? Do you have any promotions on data, like loyalty/BtV?
I'm aware that the regular rates for data under the Classic is $20 for 2GB (cheapest one). If you were put on the Bridge to Value, I believe that goes down 50% ($10). If you also got a loyalty discount like me, it is $5; and actually, that is $5 for 5GB of 4G/LTE data for each line - this is the Preferred deal through the loyalty department.
I'm asking because when I tried to upgrade our phones (we haven't upgraded in 4 years), we would lose those promotions ($5 goes back to $20). If you already pay $20 and this won't affect you, then just buy it cheap at Walmart. If you do have those promotions like me, you should have the option online from my.t-mobile.com to do the EIP plan and keep your plans and services unchanged.
Hope that helps.
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Click to collapse
If you were asking me, my grandfathered plan is awesome, I got my wife with the $20 preferred android data plan which is unlimited data with no cap, mine was added later also at $20, unlimited with a 2gb speed cap. We have my faves still (free lol), unlimited text, 1000 family minutes shared between 5 lines currently, and after the wife and I added data for just us, our minute usage went from nearly 800-900 minutes use to maybe 100 give or take. Most of my connections and deals were always done via loyalty depart, back when all the reps spoke English and were easy to deal with.
gaww said:
No more deals in phones from tmo anymore - period. Costco supposed to have by the 8th
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T-Mo is strict with this new deal, $149 down, $20 for 24 months.... loyalty WILL NOT discount, it is what it is... :crying:
gear79 said:
If you were asking me, my grandfathered plan is awesome, I got my wife with the $20 preferred android data plan which is unlimited data with no cap, mine was added later also at $20, unlimited with a 2gb speed cap. We have my faves still (free lol), unlimited text, 1000 family minutes shared between 5 lines currently, and after the wife and I added data for just us, our minute usage went from nearly 800-900 minutes use to maybe 100 give or take. Most of my connections and deals were always done via loyalty depart, back when all the reps spoke English and were easy to deal with.
T-Mo is strict with this new deal, $149 down, $20 for 24 months.... loyalty WILL NOT discount, it is what it is... :crying:
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So am I. Contract was originally expiring this month (May 2013). Called them back early March and thinking of quitting early, but offered some great deals (almost fooled me!) and I extended my contract (now ending 2015). There were some hiccups along the way, concerning how I can upgrade my phone and what was offered. After multiple calls the next few days, we ended up with what I think is a good deal.
So I have 4 lines on my account.
Classic 1000 Whenever Minutes - $60 (Shared)
Preferred Unlimited Texting - $15 (Shared)
Preferred Android Web (Unlimited Data up to 5GB of 4G/LTE) - $20 ($5 Each Line)
Add a Line fee - $10 ($5 for 2 additional lines)
Loyalty Discount = -$10
Corporate Discount = -$15
_______________________ TOTAL MONTHLY BILL: $80 + taxes. Not bad huh?
I'm looking at ~$2600 (include taxes) for my T-Mo service for the next two years.
Then I have to factor the cost of the phones. All 4 of my lines were using crappy old dumb phones. We haven't upgraded in over 4 years! So we got a Nexus 4 ($350), S Relay ($250), S3 ($300 total), S4 ($650?) = ~$1600. Now I just have to figure out how to lower the cost of that S4.
GG2012 said:
So am I. Contract was originally expiring this month (May 2013). Called them back early March and thinking of quitting early, but offered some great deals (almost fooled me!) and I extended my contract (now ending 2015). There were some hiccups along the way, concerning how I can upgrade my phone and what was offered. After multiple calls the next few days, we ended up with what I think is a good deal.
So I have 4 lines on my account.
Classic 1000 Whenever Minutes - $60 (Shared)
Preferred Unlimited Texting - $15 (Shared)
Preferred Android Web (Unlimited Data up to 5GB of 4G/LTE) - $20 ($5 Each Line)
Add a Line fee - $10 ($5 for 2 additional lines)
Loyalty Discount = -$10
Corporate Discount = -$15
_______________________ TOTAL MONTHLY BILL: $80 + taxes. Not bad huh?
I'm looking at ~$2600 (include taxes) for my T-Mo service for the next two years.
Then I have to factor the cost of the phones. All 4 of my lines were using crappy old dumb phones. We haven't upgraded in over 4 years! So we got a Nexus 4 ($350), S Relay ($250), S3 ($300 total), S4 ($650?) = ~$1600. Now I just have to figure out how to lower the cost of that S4.
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That's a good deal, I think I pay 90 for the wife and I, I just added a line for $10 for my son, and I split the bill with my parents, they just have voice lines with text and myfaves. Buying the phones up front and having a plan that is grandfathered and technically out of contract is where you save in the end. Follow the unofficial tmobile blog, http://www.tmonews.com/ good intel there and updated often.
Nexus 4 and S Relay were bought in Best Buy off-contract. I got them to price match. The S3 was bought through T-Mobile, as a new added line on my account for the discounted Classic price of $149-$50 rebate. It's been over 30 days so I plan on cancelling that line and pay the ETF of $200, which brings the cost for the S3 to $300. I am planning on doing the same with the S4, but the trick here now is patience. To be able to profit, I would need to wait on the price to come down. It is still $299 with 2-year contract. I'm not even considering places like Amazon and Walmart because of other complications. They also charge their own fees if you cancel early - this is because they earn commissions when activating or upgrading a carrier's phone, thus they can give instant discounts. BB does not have this policy (as of today at least).
---------- Post added at 11:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:05 PM ----------
gear79 said:
That's a good deal, I think I pay 90 for the wife and I, I just added a line for $10 for my son, and I split the bill with my parents, they just have voice lines with text and myfaves. Buying the phones up front and having a plan that is grandfathered and technically out of contract is where you save in the end. Follow the unofficial tmobile blog, http://www.tmonews.com/ good intel there and updated often.
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Like I said, if buying the phones up front just to save a bit on the monthly bill doesn't save me a lot of money in the long run (over 2 years), then it's not worth it. Plus, it's not like everyone has $6-700 lying around to buy a phone for full price upfront. I had to find the cheapest good phones (Nexus 4 and S Relay). I am also adamant about keeping my current Classic plan and all the loyalty promotions and discounts. However, for my S4, I got them through the EIP. I paid the $200 down payment including taxes, and then $20 for two years. That brings the total cost to $680 for the phone.
I can't afford to pay that whole amount right now. It's too much. I gotta take the hit over 24 months. Now, I do have 14/20 days to see if there are better alternatives. one of which is that S3 approach.
gear79 said:
If you were asking me, my grandfathered plan is awesome, I got my wife with the $20 preferred android data plan which is unlimited data with no cap, mine was added later also at $20, unlimited with a 2gb speed cap. We have my faves still (free lol), unlimited text, 1000 family minutes shared between 5 lines currently, and after the wife and I added data for just us, our minute usage went from nearly 800-900 minutes use to maybe 100 give or take. Most of my connections and deals were always done via loyalty depart, back when all the reps spoke English and were easy to deal with.
T-Mo is strict with this new deal, $149 down, $20 for 24 months.... loyalty WILL NOT discount, it is what it is... :crying:
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I had grandfathered plan at $20 for 5 GB and one option in the order page was to retain your plan as is - which I did. Do not know if they would maintain the $5 - $10 plans if you select that option, but it stated that no change would be made to the extended plan.
If that was the case, you get the best of both - 2 more years at the low rates and the phone for $200.
gear79 said:
IT-Mo is strict with this new deal, $149 down, $20 for 24 months.... loyalty WILL NOT discount, it is what it is... :crying:
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Really ? T-Mo covered my taxes, overnight shipping and gave me a loyalty credit
KillaHurtz said:
Really ? T-Mo covered my taxes, overnight shipping and gave me a loyalty credit
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That don't say anything, what did you pay, final bill?