2 year subsidy phone upgrades early warning info

[dkyeager]

At some point Sprint may stop 2 year subsidy phone upgrades for existing customers.  Sprint gave no official warning or acknowledgement for the end of this program for new phone customers.  Now it is reactive, which means you must ask for 2 year subsidy phone upgrades if you received them on your last phone purchased through Sprint or Best Buy.  Many Sprint employees are not knowledgeable of all Sprint offers so you may have to try more than one employee or store.

 

Since past behavior is the best predictor of future performance, the most likely scenario is a change in the playbook  two or three days ahead of the change.  There have also been rumors that this might be done on a market by market basis or region by region.

 

This is a very narrow focused thread.  Only people on plans with two year phone subsidies should comment here, or those with specific inside knowledge of plan details in advance of changes.  We are looking for comments from those who are successful, run in to issues upgrading their phone using a two year subsidy, or those with access to playbook updates in advance.  The next playbook update may come before 2/10/2016.

 

Other threads are available for those who wish to debate wider aspects of 2 year subsidy plans.  There is not guarantee that we will be able to deliver an early warning but the more people watching the better.

[Ascertion]

I'm mostly curious about how the upgrades at BestBuy will be affected.  I really enjoyed picking up the latest phone for $1 on a 2yr agreement.  AT&T customers can't even do a 2yr upgrade there anymore. 

[bipbapbam]

I'm mostly curious about how the upgrades at BestBuy will be affected.  I really enjoyed picking up the latest phone for $1 on a 2yr agreement.  AT&T customers can't even do a 2yr upgrade there anymore. 

Yeah, Best Buy can't be beat when it comes to the deals they have on subsidized devices. Hopefully they keep them going for us for a bit longer. I feel like it's a slap in the face to take away subsidies from loyal customers, especially since the price of the subsidy was built into the plan to begin with.

[rolentz]

Couldn't agree more about Best Buy deals. I picked up a 64 gb iPhone 6 plus on Dec 24 for $1 on the 2 yr agreement.

 

 

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[AppleFanBoy]

Don't look for Best Buy to continue the great deals too much longer.  According to this article it may have hurt their holiday sales:

 

http://fortune.com/2016/01/14/apple-best-buy-sales/

 

I expected this to happen.  The general population of customers are not willing to spend, as an example, $400+ for a cellphone when they are used to getting it for $50. 

 

And even though the leases and easy pay programs are good deals, they look bad to the general customer because they increase their ongoing monthly payment. 

 

That effects the ability for retailers to sell phones and thus effects manufacturers need to build more phones, especially high end phones.

 

If foresee it leveling out like the PC market.  Brand and OS devotion will carry some to high-end phones, but the general public will opt for the cheaper models, like buying a $300 Acer PC from Walmart vs buying a $1200 iMac.

[nexuss4g]

I also upgrade my family phones at Best Buy on 2 year contracts as they offer better deals than any other place.

 

From experience, two years ago upgraded my bro's line from a iPhone 4s to an iPhone 5S for $125 bucks plus a $50 dollar Best Buy gift card,

 

Last year in Oct, added a new line, they offered me iPhone 6 under iPhone forever for $12 bucks a month plus a $100 dollar BB gift card that used to pay for phone insurance.  

 

In Nov, my bro was eligible for renewal with his iPhone 5S  which was already already failing due to battery issues and upgraded to iPhone 6s with the iPhone forever for $5 a month and got a $15 BB Gift Card for the trade in. At that same time his gf upgraded  to the 6S for $5 month. It was crazy...

 

Once again during Cyber Monday, added another line, an iPhone 6S for $99 with 2 year contract, plus a $200 dollar BB gift card that I used to pay the cost of the phone and have some change on the Gift Card for later use.

 

Now I'm waiting to upgrade my mom which is eligible in April, definitely will upgrade again at Best Buy and get her an iPhone on 2 year contract, she doesnt need a new phone every year. lol 

 

And lastly that leaves me, the only one in the family with Android, have a Moto X Pure and been eligible to upgrade since Nov 2014. My last 2 Moto X 1st Gens were bought from Swappa and re-sold on swappa. 

[dkyeager]

We are getting off topic. This is designed to be an early warning thread.

 

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[etirkca]

"Sprint will kill off two-year contracts for the second time on May 24"

http://www.androidcentral.com/sprint-will-kill-two-year-contracts-second-time-may-24

[lilotimz]

Androidcentral and their crappy watermark and picture of a monitor... smh

 

[dkyeager]

Just for new customers.

 

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[Fraydog]

Yes (reactive) seems to imply that 2 year contracts are only there if they are specifically asked for, right?

 

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[teeitup]

Yes (reactive) seems to imply that 2 year contracts are only there if they are specifically asked for, right?

 

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Yup, caveat still there for existing upgrade customers on a reactive basis. Probably won't be advertised but the option should still be available so not much has changed.

[mc_gusto]

I tried to open a new line on my family plan under contract at a Corp store yesterday and they wouldn't let me. Hmm. I guess I gotta call telesales or best buy.

 

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[Scott]

I tried to open a new line on my family plan under contract at a Corp store yesterday and they wouldn't let me. Hmm. I guess I gotta call telesales or best buy.

Yeah, it'll probably be hard to get in-store reps to let you do contracts because apparently they make a lot less for those than they do leases/installment billing. So when they tell you you can't do it, they really mean they're not willing to do it because they don't make enough money to make it worthwhile for them.

[sunmybun]

Ive posted on a different thread but i didnt get any replies

But can someone help me out with this question

Ive switched the liability of the account from personal to enterprise/business while ago. I still have the legacy ED 1500 plan for 3 of my lines. I was wondering is it possible to add another line of the same plan to the account

I remember someone posted that they added a new line with the same legacy plan..or maybe ive read it wrong

 

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[dkyeager]

Ive posted on a different thread but i didnt get any replies

But can someone help me out with this question

Ive switched the liability of the account from personal to enterprise/business while ago. I still have the legacy ED 1500 plan for 3 of my lines. I was wondering is it possible to add another line of the same plan to the account

I remember someone posted that they added a new line with the same legacy plan..or maybe ive read it wrong

 

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I believe you still can. You we need to have a knowledgable rep willing to do it.

 

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[greenbastard]

I believe you still can. You we need to have a knowledgable rep willing to do it.

 

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I always get mail promotion telling me that I get bill credit for adding a line. It's possible.

[Galaxyguy]

On the ED1500 plan, you can have up to 5 lines.

 

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[sunmybun]

On the ED1500 plan, you can have up to 5 lines.

 

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I do remember that but last time i tried to add a line. They said they cant do it since its an old plan so i would have to add one of the newer plans

 

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[Joey SR]

Just tweet it to sprintcare

 

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[sunmybun]

Just tweet it to sprintcare

 

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Will do, thanks. When the new note 7 comes out im gonna add a new line hehe

 

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[troyd96]

With the Note 7 coming out a full 2 months before my 2 year contract is up for my Note 4, you think I could sweet talk Sprint into letting me upgrade a month or two early on my two lines?

 

I have a legacy family plan, and before anyone tries to talk me out of it, I've done the math 100x times legacy plan with my corporate discount on full first line (vs data only on new plans) and a 2 year contract is cheaper than easypay/leasing with a new plan.

 

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Edited July 22, 2016 by troyd96

[greenbastard]

With the Note 7 coming out a full 2 months before my 2 year contract is up for my Note 4, you think I could sweet talk Sprint into letting me upgrade a month or two early on my two lines?

 

I have a legacy family plan, and before anyone tries to talk me out of it, I've done the math 100x times legacy plan with my corporate discount on full first line (vs data only on new plans) and a 2 year contract is cheaper than easypay/leasing with a new plan.

 

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They allowed me to upgrade two weeks before my contact was up on the iPhone 6s, but 2 weeks =/= 2 months. Try it and tell them your current phone is on its last two legs and you really need a new phone. Make sure you bring up offers from competitors and that you're just fed up with your current phone and don't want a lease.

[payturr]

They allowed me to upgrade two weeks before my contact was up on the iPhone 6s, but 2 weeks =/= 2 months. Try it and tell them your current phone is on its last two legs and you really need a new phone. Make sure you bring up offers from competitors and that you're just fed up with your current phone and don't want a lease.

Would this work if I'm trying to get a contract upgrade through Best Buy?

[greenbastard]

Would this work if I'm trying to get a contract upgrade through Best Buy?

No. Not at least when I asked since I was trying to buy the phone directly from Apple to avoid paying Sprint's shipping fee. As far as I know, Sprint will only allow you to buy your phone early if it is done through tele-sales and you have a good excuse (I.E., people can't hear you or your screen is broken beyond repair). They didn't even want to budge when I asked if I could buy directly from their website.

 

They did give me the option to go to one of their corporate stores, but they did advice me that it would be up to the store manager to decide if they'll let me upgrade early or not.

 

I guess calling and asking wouldn't hurt, but I doubt they'll let you upgrade early from Best Buy.