iPhone Users Angry Over AT&T Upgrade Policy

All is not sweetness and light in the wake of the Apple WWDC kickoff announcements, especially concerning the evolution of the iPhone. Reader Hugh Pickens writes: "AT&T will offer the new iPhone 3G S when it debuts later this month at a cost of $199 and $299 for the 16GB and 32GB models, but only to new customers and those who qualify for the discounted price. AT&T subscribers with an iPhone 3G who are not eligible for an upgrade — those not near the end of their two-year contracts — will have to pay $200 more — $399 for the 16GB model and $499 for the 32GB model. 'This is ridiculous and slap in the face to long-time loyal iPhone customers like me who switched from T-Mobile and the only reason was the iPhone,' writes one unhappy iPhone customer. 'We have to mount a vigorous campaign to change this policy. Call your local AT&T and ask for the manager and complain. Send e-mails and post in forums everywhere.' The issue is spurring heavy debate on support discussion forums, with some customers supporting AT&T. 'The option you have is to honor the contract you freely committed yourself to,' says one forum member. 'If you want to upgrade early then you will have to pay full price with no subsidy discount. You can't blame anyone but yourself for your predicament.'"

Comments

BooHoo

[Anonymous Coward]

You know Apple releases a new phone every year, and you know AT&T makes you sign a 2-year contract. Either pay the higher price for the upgrade or live through the horror of not having the latest shiny product until your contract runs out.

Re:BooHoo

[Skye16]

Or you could boycott the particularly onerous terms of your contract by paying your ETF and not giving AT&T your money any longer. You and I both know it doesn't cost them even remotely close to 95$ a month for your service - their profit margins are obscene. It's absolutely their right to request you pay that amount each month, and if you were suckered into a contract, that's a blow to you. Learn by your mistake by terminating the contract in the legal manner (and if that means waiting until they change the terms of the contract, so be it) and don't fucking enter another one like it again. Until you tell them you're not interesting in paying obscene costs or entering into their service with any contract (even forgoing your precious ball and chain for a while), they'll keep bending you over and blasting your asshole repeatedly. If you want to just lay there and take it, that's your prerogative, but kindly have the decency to shut the fuck up about how you're not receiving a perceived fair bargain from the entity you willfully signed your custom away to.

Re:BooHoo

[ScrewMaster]

You know Apple releases a new phone every year, and you know AT&T makes you sign a 2-year contract. Either pay the higher price for the upgrade or live through the horror of not having the latest shiny product until your contract runs out.

Absolutely. Besides, early adopters always get the shaft. That's the price you pay for being an early adopter.

Me, I bought a G1 a few months ago, and the G2 is coming out this month, I understand. I'll have to wait to see if I do, in fact, end up feeling screwed. If so ... I screwed myself and I did it willingly because I didn't want to wait.

Bunch of crybabies.

Re:BooHoo

[cgenman]

According to AT&T's announcement from 2008, their current early termination fee is 175 dollars minus 5 dollars per month that the contract was completed. For half-way through a 2-year contract, that's 115 dollars.

So if you are thinking of paying the extra money and upgrading your phone, first pay the 115 bucks and cancel your account. Then apply for a new account with the no-contract discount. Instead of paying 399 for the phone, you'll only pay 314, or a savings of 85 dollars.

Whoa! ATT sucks balls?

[Reality Master 201]

This is totally out of left field. It's a good thing the US is chock-a-block with better wireless carriers and the iPhone is portable between them.

iPhone Users?

[sthomas]

Looks like only one user was upset in that forum. The rest all saw the logic and understood what a subsidy is used for.

Re:iPhone Users?

[Anonymous Coward]

Really, I just bought an iPhone in February, and will be amazed if I can get a discount beginning February 2010 or even August 2010, and I understand completely. I could sell my phone right now for $400 easy, so it wouldn't make any sense for AT&T to sell me the better version of my phone for $200.

Stuff like this makes Slashdot look silly too, a massive jump to conclusions over a small minority shouldn't be news.

Really?

[Anonymous Coward]

'We have to mount a vigorous campaign to change this policy.'

A vigorous campaign? Really? I'm sorry, but in this context, the author simply sounds pathetic.

I am incredibly upset about this.

[Anonymous Coward]

Things I'm also upset about:

No more free lunches.
Gas costing more than $0.05 a gallon.
Having to walk more than three feet from my car to my local superstore.
The fact that I wasn't born in a time where peace was on earth, everything is free, and we're all immortal.

I'm so angry that I'm punching a wall and hoping someone will pay for its repair as we speak.

Holy Shit

[yerktoader]

The general consensus here on Slashdot so far:

1)"tsfroggy"(RTA) agreed to his/her terms in a contract and has to deal with the pricing like everyone else.

2)A past discount is not an obligation for a future discount.

3)"tsfroggy" is a whiner.

4)AT&T is clearly in the right on this, even if the pricing is too high.

I must say, Congrats gentlemen. I'll be interested in seeing how long this lasts in this particular thread.

Re:Slap in the face? WTF?

[Bloopie]

How does one user complaining about upgrade policies on a forum, with almost all the other users thinking the policies aren't so bad, qualify as a "collective sense of entitlement"?

Re:never should have given the retro price cut

[MillionthMonkey]

iPhone owners have been known to eat their young.

There's an app for that!

Re:anonymous coward angry over first post

[Trahloc]

This is perfectly normal, they give a $200 discount so people sign a 2 year agreement. A few give reduced discounts before the contract is up but a majority only give discount prices when your out of contract. Anyone who doesn't understand this and feels its a 'slap in the face' should grow up, it's not like they hide this fact at signup.