Help Want a cheap Backflip

[mikelbeck]

My wife has a crappy LG phone that she got last year so she's not eligible for an upgrade yet. I have an upgrade available for my phone, so I'd like to use that upgrade to get her a Backflip. Amazon has it for $49 (upgrade price), but when I try to order through there it automatically adds a $30 data plan. She already has a data plan on her phone so I don't need the second one.

So... can I buy the phone from Amazon as an upgrade for my phone, put her SIM into the Backflip and then cancel the 2nd data plan? I poked around on the Amazon wireless site and saw some text about being responsible for an ETF if I cancel the entire plan, but couldn't find anything about canceling just the data plan.

Anybody know?

 

[zanson]

it dosnt add a 2nd data plan... and you can call ATT to make sure of it.. it just makes sure the $30 plan is on your account.

 

[mikelbeck]

it dosnt add a 2nd data plan... and you can call ATT to make sure of it.. it just makes sure the $30 plan is on your account.

When I go through the ordering process it adds the data plan to my purchase. So I'll be getting a phone that was supposed to be used to replace my phone (which doesn't have a data plan) but will be used to replace my wife's phone instead (which already has a data plan). So as far as AT&T knows I have a new phone with a new data plan.

My wife's phone currently has the $30 Messaging & Data Unlimited plan, my phone doesn't.

The question is can I cancel that data plan immediately without triggering the ETF from Amazon?

 

[maerlim]

My wife's phone currently has the $30 Messaging & Data Unlimited plan, my phone doesn't.

The question is can I cancel that data plan immediately without triggering the ETF from Amazon?

There's your problem. ATT has 2 data plans. They have the "regular phone" data plans, called "Unlimited Data" or bundled in the $30 "Messaging and Data Unlimited" plan. They also have the "Smartphone Data" plan for $30, and if you want messaging with that you need the $50 "Smartphone Data Combo" (I forget exactly what it's called). For an android phone you need one of the smartphone plans. Why they charge an extra $20 for the smartphone plan + messaging instead of the $10 extra they charge for the regular data plan + messaging, I don't know.

If you have a family talk plan, you can get the "Family Messaging Unlimited" for $30, which covers messaging for you and your wife. Then you get the "Smartphone Data" for $30 for the android phone.

 

[mikelbeck]

Right, got that.

Maybe I'm asking the question the wrong way...

Is AT&T or Amazon gonna get bent of out shape if I order an Android phone for myself but have my wife use it instead? I would continue to use my phone (a RAZR, no data plan, basic messaging plan).

I don't want to wind up with a data plan for my phone (a RAZR that doesn't need it) plus one of my wife's new Android phone (which needs it).

 

[maerlim]

Right, got that.

Maybe I'm asking the question the wrong way...

Is AT&T or Amazon gonna get bent of out shape if I order an Android phone for myself but have my wife use it instead? I would continue to use my phone (a RAZR, no data plan, basic messaging plan).

I don't want to wind up with a data plan for my phone (a RAZR that doesn't need it) plus one of my wife's new Android phone (which needs it).

There are ways to go about this properly. What you can do is call ATT and tell them you saw the phone on Amazon for $50, but you'd rather not have Amazon mucking with your existing plan. Ask them if they can sell you the phone for $50 themselves. I've also had great luck asking them if they can credit my bill for the difference. So instead of getting the phone for $50, you pay $100 and get $50 off your next bill. The last time I upgraded phones, I talked the person into taking $75 off our bill for my phone and another $75 off for my wife's phone.

 

[hoodtrix]

this is what you do if at&t wont match the price. Its called an alternative upgrade, its done all the time. basically order your phone on your line and select the needs thing on amazon to get the order, amazon will send you the phone with a preprogramed sim, when you get the phone take out your wife sim card an thro it into the back flip, this will do to things, since they cant add the data pkg until you active the BF and they dont know this until you use the sim card that came with it. So by using your wifes SC in the BF the data pkg wont be added to ur line, second since ur wifes SC is already programed for web use you will get web on the BF with out needing to change to the Smartphone data pkg. This is assuming your wifes SC is a 3G card (to tell find it and if it has 3G on it your good, otherwise your boned)I know many ppl who are only paying the "regular" phone data pkg price of $15 and using a smartphone. And to answer maerlim about why theres a diff in pricing because PDA's use way more bandwidth and so are charged more, ever carrier has this tierd pricing. I work in the cell phone industry, this is whats called a industry standard

 

[mikelbeck]

this is what you do if at&t wont match the price. Its called an alternative upgrade, its done all the time. basically order your phone on your line and select the needs thing on amazon to get the order, amazon will send you the phone with a preprogramed sim, when you get the phone take out your wife sim card an thro it into the back flip, this will do to things, since they cant add the data pkg until you active the BF and they dont know this until you use the sim card that came with it. So by using your wifes SC in the BF the data pkg wont be added to ur line, second since ur wifes SC is already programed for web use you will get web on the BF with out needing to change to the Smartphone data pkg. This is assuming your wifes SC is a 3G card (to tell find it and if it has 3G on it your good, otherwise your boned)I know many ppl who are only paying the "regular" phone data pkg price of $15 and using a smartphone. And to answer maerlim about why theres a diff in pricing because PDA's use way more bandwidth and so are charged more, ever carrier has this tierd pricing. I work in the cell phone industry, this is whats called a industry standard

Ok, that makes sense. So I should just use the wife's SIM and never use the SIM that comes with the device... then keep an eye on my bill/account to make sure they don't charge me for the data plan that was ordered with the Backflip?

 

[maerlim]

Ok, that makes sense. So I should just use the wife's SIM and never use the SIM that comes with the device... then keep an eye on my bill/account to make sure they don't charge me for the data plan that was ordered with the Backflip?

I think what hoodtrix is saying is ATT won't charge you the data plan that you signed up for through Amazon as long as you don't activate the SIM they send you with the phone. I'm going to have to take his word for it as he says he works in the industry. By the way, if this works for you, let us know.

 

[mikelbeck]

I think what hoodtrix is saying is ATT won't charge you the data plan that you signed up for through Amazon as long as you don't activate the SIM they send you with the phone. I'm going to have to take his word for it as he says he works in the industry. By the way, if this works for you, let us know.

That makes sense, but with AT&T you never know what they're gonna do.

I'm gonna call them just to be sure and see what they have to say. I'll post back here in a day or so with an update.

Thanks for the help!

 

[mikelbeck]

Well, that was really simple.

I called AT&T, asked if I could use my upgrade and then have my wife use the phone instead of me. They said "of course!". Then I asked if I would be able to cancel the data plan that comes attached to the device after my wife starts using the device. They said that their system would only allow the upgraded device to be ordered or activated if there was a data plan associated with it, but it could be cancelled once the upgrade/activation process is completed with no penalties.

So there you have it.

If anybody else is interested in doing this, Amazon has the Backflip for $49 (upgrade price). AT&T's upgrade price is $199: AmazonWireless: Motorola Backflip Android Phone (AT&T). They also have a free activation promotion going on between March 9th and March 11th.

** update - it was $49 when I looked yesterday, today it's 1 cent **

 

[maerlim]

They said that their system would only allow the upgraded device to be ordered or activated if there was a data plan associated with it, but it could be cancelled once the upgrade/activation process is completed with no penalties.

When they said this, I would have said "Can you please write that in the notes on my account so that I can quote you when I call back later?" That part about cancelling the data plan after you activate sounds a little too good to be true.

 

[mikelbeck]

When they said this, I would have said "Can you please write that in the notes on my account so that I can quote you when I call back later?" That part about cancelling the data plan after you activate sounds a little too good to be true.

I did ask them to do that. But I've asked them to attach notes to my account in the past and they never have so I won't be surprised when I call and ask them to look up the notes and they tell me that there are none.

Keep in mind that after the device is activated it will have a data plan (the one my wife has already), the data plan that was ordered with the new device will be attached to my number - a RAZR that has no need for a data plan.

 

[marvin02]

Whatever SIM/phone number that is in a smartphone on AT&T WILL get the smartphone data plan. I tried out my daughter's old Blackberry with my SIM for about 30 minutes and got a text telling me that the smartphone data was required and then a few minutes later a text telling me that the smartphone data plan had been added for me. I called customer service and they deleted it (I had already put the SIM back in my non-smartphone).

Once you put a different SIM in the Backflip you need to get the Smartphone data plan for that number/SIM and then you can delete the Smartphone data plan for the SIM/number that you take from the Backflip and put into a non-smartphone.

As long as you are using a smartphone the Smartphone data plan is required.

If you have a family plan the family texting unlimited will cover the smartphone. We have four lines on our family plan, one smartphone, and use the Family texting unlimited.

 

[james27007]

If you have a family plan the family texting unlimited will cover the smartphone. We have four lines on our family plan, one smartphone, and use the Family texting unlimited.

I have 3 lines, and 1 smart phone. I have the PDA plan and the family unlimited messag plan. How does the message plan cover the smartphone data requirment?

 

[marvin02]

I have 3 lines, and 1 smart phone. I have the PDA plan and the family unlimited messag plan. How does the message plan cover the smartphone data requirment?

It doesn't cover the DATA requirement, it covers the phone for texting. You only need the $30 smartphone data plan not the more expensive smartphone plan that includes data and texting if you already have the family texting unlimited.

Sorry if my previous post wasn't clear.

 

[tae_254]

I work for att. All you do is order the phone from amazon after u get the phone call customer service and have them do an esn swap between the two phones. All necessary data will be aded or removed. And there u have it.

 

[BiGMERF]

I wouldn't want this phone, even if it was free and they paid me monthly

 

[mikelbeck]

I would want this phone if it was free and they paid me monthly

If you figure out how to get that sort of plan from AT&T please let us know.