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Need input/help from ATT Employees

I went to the store today and said I was a month off my early upgrade. I was told I could upgrade early for the $99 plus $18 fee today (the manager and saleswoman were so awesome about helping me I didn't bothering asking for the 18 off. Felt kinda rude to do that with all their help, especially since she talked me out of insurance due to the deductible). I have a 15% employee discount on my plan so adding the $25 data plan would bring me to about $65 a month where I am paying $40 right now. I didn't buy the phone (to which I thought the saleswoman was going to cry... literally), but she was nice about it and didn't hassle me. Here's the question I need help with. I am going to get this phone, but have 2 scenarios and need some help figuring it out:

Scenario A: I buy the phone using the scenario above. Pay $105, get $18 added to my bill and pay $65 a month.

Scenario B: I cancel my contract and my Mom adds me as a new line to her plan and I get the phone for the $99 price without the upgrade fee. Here's where this gets somewhat confusing for me and why I need an ATT person's help: My contract ends in July so I know I will have to pay an early cancel fee. About how much would that be? My mom and brother both have iPhones (the "i" stands for being an individual) and the unlimited iphone data plan and unlimited texting. Will adding me screw up their unlimited plan and make them take the family plan instead since I am getting a smartphone? Can I keep my same number even though my Mom's plan is based in PA and I live in KY? And, how much is it approximately to add a new line with taxes, etc per month. I have my employee plan, but doubt that can be added to my Mom's phone plan.


Which one of these makes better financial sense per ATT policy and such? I know I will have to pay the cancellation fee, but would I make that back being added to my Mom's plan and save in the long run?

Oh, and this phone is more amazing than I could have imagined. Pretty sweet. I think the one in the store may have water damage because I started drooling and crying at the same time.
 
this is how i worked it with my cousin. she had att with her boyfriend, they split and she couldnt afford the plan herself. so we went to an att store and they moved her line to my plan and let her get a new phone, so technically she didnt cancel her att line i just took it over on my plan but the store was nice enough to let her get a newer phone since she didnt really have an upgrade available and she got to keep her number. so instead of her paying the $75 it was going to cost her a month she pays me $38.

so maybe you can get the inspire and just have your mom move your number to her account. i think att calls it a change of responsibility or something like that

do your mom and brother have individual plans or do they have a family plan together?
 
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They are on a family plan together with unlimited text and unlimited iphone data.


you wont affect their unltd data by adding your phone. you will however benefit from the unltd texting on their plan. not sure what their voicetime is like you have to figure out how much time you use and what they use to see if a plan upgrade for talk time might be needed

i have 5 phones: a captivate with unltd and iphone with unltd. also a samsung something with unltd data (not android phone). and then 2 cheap razrs. unltd texting for all the phones is $30.
 
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To be honest, the reason I am even asking is because money is tight and I am trying to figure out the best deal for me.

I've been with AT&T a long time & have seen them help a lot of people make plans work for them. If you go in the store, explain your budget is tight, they will usually work hard to find a solution for you.
 
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well then i dont see why they would need to change their talk time plan just move your line to their plan which is 9.99 a month plus whatever data plan you choose ($15/$25/$30, depending on if you were grandfathered into an unltd plan for smartphones prior to the pricing change)

Adding a new line will have an activation fee. Also you can't keep the same number then. Do the first option.
 
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Adding a new line will have an activation fee. Also you can't keep the same number then. Do the first option.


its not adding a new line he is simply moving his line to his moms account. i have done it with 3 phones and all got to keep the same number. its considered a transfer of responsibility since his mom would be taking the phone over to her plan cancelling out his plan but since the number is still being kept with att service there is no etf and should be no activation fee.
 
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its not adding a new line he is simply moving his line to his moms account. i have done it with 3 phones and all got to keep the same number. its considered a transfer of responsibility since his mom would be taking the phone over to her plan cancelling out his plan but since the number is still being kept with att service there is no etf and should be no activation fee.

Dear god, I hope you are right. that would be awesome!
 
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Ok...... None of the scenarios are much different from the origional.

In scenario 1 you mention you are 1 month away from upgrade eligibility which means you are actually 5 months away from the end of your contract since you can upgrade at 20 months into the contract. They were still offering to give you the full promo pricing as a benefit to you. Had they not, you would actually have to pay $299 for this device as an early upgrade so I think paying the $18 upgrade fee shouldn't be a question.

However, if you are wanting to transfer over to your mothers account, you would run into the same situation but instead of having 1 $18 fee, you would have 2. You have one for the upgrade and one for the transfer of service so again I say, stick with your own account and swallow the upgrade fee.

As for your moms paln, it will not affect her unlimited data. She would still keep it.

I doubt you would be able to keep your number but I'm not sure. Depends if the two states are considered to be in the same market? I doubt you would be able to though.

Sounds to me like you are better off to keep your line where it is and do your upgrade. I know the $18 fee sucks but I bet you could recycle some cans or something :) (just playing about the cans. Just showing how insignifigant the fee really is. No disrespect meant :)
 
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Ok...... None of the scenarios are much different from the origional.

...
However, if you are wanting to transfer over to your mothers account, you would run into the same situation but instead of having 1 $18 fee, you would have 2. You have one for the upgrade and one for the transfer of service so again I say, stick with your own account and swallow the upgrade fee.
...

so i guess with the 3 lines i took over and didnt get a double or even a single activation fee added to my account i was just lucky that they over looked it...
 
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Can anyone confirm that I can merge my individual phone plan with my Mom's family plan without terminating my contract? I would assume paying my mom the $10 plus my data plan would be cheaper than $65 a month.

Yes, it's called a TOBR, or Transfer of Billing Responsibility. You pay $18 on the destination account to transfer, as a one time fee. It works by you authorizing the release of your phone number to your mom, then we simply just move your phone number to her family plan. The line's contract and service stay intact, and you just partake in her family plan/family messaging. Your individual data package and any insurance stays intact with your line.
 
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Yes, it's called a TOBR, or Transfer of Billing Responsibility. You pay $18 on the destination account to transfer, as a one time fee. It works by you authorizing the release of your phone number to your mom, then we simply just move your phone number to her family plan. The line's contract and service stay intact, and you just partake in her family plan/family messaging. Your individual data package and any insurance stays intact with your line.


Awesome! Thanks Oridus and 2manyphones for your help. I am so stoked that I don't have to cancel my contract and will get my Mom's unlimited messaging for a lot less than I was going to pay. Hopefully the store will still let me upgrade early despite the hassle of switching billing, etc.
 
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Awesome! Thanks Oridus and 2manyphones for your help. I am so stoked that I don't have to cancel my contract and will get my Mom's unlimited messaging for a lot less than I was going to pay. Hopefully the store will still let me upgrade early despite the hassle of switching billing, etc.

Do the upgrade before you do the TOBR, it'll save the REP some time and hassle of calling into CS to get the upgrade done after you do the TOBR (Puts a soft 11 month block on upgrading. They'll still let you upgrade, they just have to get the soft block removed). Helps prevent fraud.... nothing you did or att not trying to goof you over, just an extra step. So again, just try to upgrade before the TOBR.
 
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Do the upgrade before you do the TOBR, it'll save the REP some time and hassle of calling into CS to get the upgrade done after you do the TOBR (Puts a soft 11 month block on upgrading. They'll still let you upgrade, they just have to get the soft block removed). Helps prevent fraud.... nothing you did or att not trying to goof you over, just an extra step. So again, just try to upgrade before the TOBR.

Well, crap. My mom and I completed the TOBR today online because it waived the 18 dollar fee. Now what do I have to say at the store this weekend to make this happen??
 
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Well, crap. My mom and I completed the TOBR today online because it waived the 18 dollar fee. Now what do I have to say at the store this weekend to make this happen??


go to the store be real nice and explain you forgot you had an upgrade on the phone to do and meant to do it before the transfer to your moms account and as explained before i believe they will have to get the soft block taken off to do the upgrade.

although they didnt have to call and have anything removed with the last line i took over then upgraded, but i dont know if thats because i was at the corporate store??
 
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go to the store be real nice and explain you forgot you had an upgrade on the phone to do and meant to do it before the transfer to your moms account and as explained before i believe they will have to get the soft block taken off to do the upgrade.

although they didnt have to call and have anything removed with the last line i took over then upgraded, but i dont know if thats because i was at the corporate store??


Sometimes it won't put a soft block, but generally it does.

dwhip, go to the cor store and just say that you completed a transfer of billing responsibility online. Ask them to check your contract end date. Even though the soft block may be on the upgrade process, they should still see that your contract end date is the same. Then ask them to check your upgrade eligibility. If they say that you're not able to upgrade, and you really were supposed to, then just say that you did the TOBR and you need to get the soft block removed.

They will call to CS and have them submit a case. It may take up to 3 days to get the block removed, but then you should be good to go.

The other way is if you get a nice manager, they may be able to over-ride it in the store... but it really depends on the manager and the market that you're in (There are several different "markets" across the nation, each one with it's own policies that differ in some ways).

Let me know what happens... if you need any more help let me know.
 
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