Say hello to the Framily (inexpensive but potentially confusing new Sprint group plan pricing)

[The Dave]

It seems like a good hotspot option would be to build in a small cap and offer it to everyone as a part of their data service. Say, offer 200-500MB and either pay for more or it automatically deactivates until the next billing cycle. That way, it is another incentive offered by Sprint as a value add but it won't lead to crippling overuse.

[Terrell352]

This would be a great idea. Heck even 100MB of free hotspot would be enticing to me.

It seems like a good hotspot option would be to build in a small cap and offer it to everyone as a part of their data service. Say, offer 200-500MB and either pay for more or it automatically deactivates until the next billing cycle. That way, it is another incentive offered by Sprint as a value add but it won't lead to crippling overuse.

[The Dave]

Another question I would have is the down payment and fees. It looks like, from reading the fine print, there is a down payment+taxes on msrp+activation per device plus program fees when participating in the Framily plan and using Easy Pay.

[S4GRU]

It seems like a good hotspot option would be to build in a small cap and offer it to everyone as a part of their data service. Say, offer 200-500MB and either pay for more or it automatically deactivates until the next billing cycle. That way, it is another incentive offered by Sprint as a value add but it won't lead to crippling overuse.

I think this is an excellent idea. I thinking would encourage more revenue in the long run. Give people a taste of what it can do.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

[The Dave]

I think this is an excellent idea. I thinking would encourage more revenue in the long run. Give people a taste of what it can do.Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

It could open up a market for Sprint to sell wifi tablets, iPods, etc and maybe even extending their Easy Pay to them to make it painless to afford and keep your account with them and gaining revenue from being a great place for all of your tech needs. Just think of the business around the holidays that can be captured if you can pick up a few iPads, iPods touches, and all the respective Chargers, cases and headphones and Sprint can sell their network as being a easy way to connect them with free hotspot data to use them on the go and not having to add extra charges to your account.

[Rocket87]

Ive seen a few people say sprint is moving away from unlimited and ditching the unlimited guarantee. But it is clearly included in the FAQ

 

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

 

 

[WiWavelength]

If you try to use Framily and then pay MSRP for a new device (especially a flagship device), then this plan is not a winner.

 

Hold the phone.  Are you forgetting the plight of the S4GRU writer who does not have a wife and children from whom to pillage frequent subsidized upgrades?

 

Regardless of cost, I buy a new flagship device at least once a year so as to stay abreast of the latest processors, basebands, and RF capabilities.  As Kenan Thompson says on Saturday Night Live, "I do this for you, people.  For you!"

 

On my current Everything Data plan with volume pricing discount, I pay a base rate of $66 per month.  Over a two year period, which includes one $200 subsidized upgrade and one $600 full price upgrade, I shell out a total of $2384.

 

Now, compare that to a maxed out Framily plan.  I would pay a base rate of $25 per month.  The two year period would include two $600 full price upgrades, but my total out of pocket costs would be just $1800.  And the Nexus wildcard could lower the full price upgrades even further.

 

In other words, for an S4GRU writer who is frequently upgrading but not trading in his museum piece devices and not sucking Sprint "unlimited" data dry, a maximum discount Framily plan makes a lot of sense.

 

AJ

[MaxPower]

Just to be clear, there is no $10 Premium Data fee with this plan?

[newboyx]

Just to be clear, there is no $10 Premium Data fee with this plan?

Correct, just like there is no Premium data fee with the My Way plans.

 

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

 

 

[Rocket87]

Just to be clear, there is no $10 Premium Data fee with this plan?

There hasn't been a premium data on any of the new plans introduced over the last year.

 

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

 

 

[OhioCalling]

Okay I am trying to crunch the numbers as to whether this makes sense to switch from my current EPRP data plan.  Am I understanding this correctly?  With the effective date being January 10, I have 5 lines now and 2 are upgrade eligible.  If I upgrade them before the Jan 10 then convert all 5 to Framily, Sprint will wave the $15.00 per month, per line for the 2 lines I just upgraded and got new phones for the subsidized price of $199.00 each or so?

[JossMan]

This "Framily Plan" sounds just like what Sprint employees can get "Friends and Family."  Have a few friends that work for Sprint and they only pay 25.00 a month and anyone they add whether a friend or family member is an additional 25.00, I don't know exactly the data allotment they are allowed or how many minutes each line gets but they all have iPhone 5's.   

[afazel]

Ok, here's how I did the math.

 

Currently I'm on a 1500 Everything Family with a 23% discount and 2 lines

Line 1: 84.7 (110 -23%) + $10 Premium data + $4 insurance = $98.70

Line 2: 19.99 + $10 Premium data + $11 insurance = $40.99

Total before taxes and fees is $139.69

 

If I changed to a Framily plan with just my two lines and before I find anyone to share my discount with:

Line 1: $50 + $15.40 ($20 unlimited data - 23% discount) + $4 insurance = $69.40

Line 2: $50 + $7.70 ($10 3GB data - 23% discount) + $11 insurance = $68.70

Total before taxes and fees is $138.10

 

So I can come out better on the Framily plan, but just barely, but I get unlimited minutes which is useful for me. Then, if I find anyone else to add to my group, I can increase my savings any further.

 

After seeing some of the comments around the Internet, I think some people are forgetting that you don't have to be liable for the bill for everyone. I've seen people comparing it to the UMW plans which subtract $10 for each new line, but on those plans it's all under a single bill. In my case, if I were able to find 5 more people to join my Framily my bill would be $88.10, which is a very significant discount. I could even up my wife to unlimited data, which she doesn't use (but she's a wife, so if I have it she probably needs it) and only be at $95.80. This stomps the hell out of the competition for unlimited everything.

[twospirits]

Hold the phone.  Are you forgetting the plight of the S4GRU writer who does not have a wife and children from whom to pillage frequent subsidized upgrades?

 

Regardless of cost, I buy a new flagship device at least once a year so as to stay abreast of the latest processors, basebands, and RF capabilities.  As Kenan Thompson says on Saturday Night Live, "I do this for you, people.  For you!"

 

On my current Everything Data plan with volume pricing discount, I pay a base rate of $66 per month.  Over a two year period, which includes one $200 subsidized upgrade and one $600 full price upgrade, I shell out a total of $2384.

 

Now, compare that to a maxed out Framily plan.  I would pay a base rate of $25 per month.  The two year period would include two $600 full price upgrades, but my total out of pocket costs would be just $1800.  And the Nexus wildcard could lower the full price upgrades even further.

 

In other words, for an S4GRU writer who is frequently upgrading but not trading in his museum piece devices and not sucking Sprint "unlimited" data dry, a maximum discount Framily plan makes a lot of sense.

 

AJ

Excellent post.

 

This stomps the hell out of the competition for unlimited everything.

I too did the math and seems I'll be getting a tiny bit off if I stay with the two phone lines, gets better if I add the girls making it 4, but it would be sweet getting 7 in the group and bring it down to sero like amounts.

 

btw I want Samuel L Jackson to be the new spokesperson for Sprint and explain these plans for the common folk like he does with Capital One, but with a bit more aggression and slip in a curse word or two.

 

TS

[afazel]

btw I want Samuel L Jackson to be the new spokesperson for Sprint and explain these plans for the common folk like he does with Capital One, but with a bit more aggression and slip in a curse word or two.

 

 

"Get these mother lovin' friends into my mother lovin' Framily!"

[RichardXy]

Does Framily have the guaranteed unlimited for life or is that lost when you switch to a Framily plan?

[rdcrds]

Okay i am so confused. If someone wants to help me fine if not it is okay.

 

I have 10 lines of service with my Family. They give me money but for the most part i pay the bill. 5 of those lines are the OLD fair and flexable  plan. Which means you can not use a smartphone. The other 5 lines are on a ED1500 plan. I pay 400$ per month on average.

 

Now what i do is this. MY wife and brother plus the 3 other lines on the OLD plan never use a upgrade. I just get them a 25$ phone off ebay or a refurb from sprint.

 

So i have lots of upgrades that i use. What i do is when a really good high end phone comes out like the Iphone 6 ETC i use like 3 of the upgrades and sell the phones. This helps me pay for those lines of service.

 

So if i changed to this plan my bill would go down 25 times 10 BUT i would lose all those upgrades every 19 months correct? the way i see it. Since i have so many lines and i get to use the upgrades on 6 of the 10 lines i am better off to stay whjere i am correct?

[Vince]

 

So if i changed to this plan my bill would go down 25 times 10 BUT i would lose all those upgrades every 19 months correct? the way i see it. Since i have so many lines and i get to use the upgrades on 6 of the 10 lines i am better off to stay whjere i am correct?

 

Depending on the other lines' data usage, you could leave them all at the basic included 1 gig, then just put unlimited data ($20/mo) on your line and get a brand new phone every 12 months instead of 19 months like you're used to

[PythonFanPA]

Does Framily have the guaranteed unlimited for life or is that lost when you switch to a Framily plan?

 

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/5308-say-hello-to-the-framily-inexpensive-but-potentially-confusing-new-sprint-group-plan-pricing/page-8&do=findComment&comment=263399

[RichardXy]

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/5308-say-hello-to-the-framily-inexpensive-but-potentially-confusing-new-sprint-group-plan-pricing/page-8&do=findComment&comment=263399

Thanks for your help. There's so much information coming so quickly in this thread.

[jd777]

The economics of the Framily plan depend entirely on how expensive the unsubsidized phones are. The one year old Galaxy S4 is listed on the Sprint site for $599. Amazon (and Sprint) is selling the he subsidised G4 for $49. Given those numbers the monthly Family plan subsidy is $23 per month. Swapping unlimited data for the 1gb cap and losing the subsidy kills the deal...

By my calculations, after buying the overpriced $600 phones the cost of my 4 line EFP plan is the same (per line) as a 7 user Framily plan... and replaces unlimited data with 1GB caps.

 

The deal gets better if Sprint were to sell one year old phones for a more reasonable $400-$500

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

 

[Vette]

I'll be looking at Swappa for a slightly used phone if I switch later this year. I got my (Verizon) Note 2 for $550 off contract (to keep unlimited and not be locked into contracts which I despise). Phone was in 100% condition but the previous owner said it was too big. Gotta keep an eye on deals like that to make Framily more economical.

[afazel]

I'll be looking at Swappa for a slightly used phone if I switch later this year. I got my (Verizon) Note 2 for $550 off contract (to keep unlimited and not be locked into contracts which I despise). Phone was in 100% condition but the previous owner said it was too big. Gotta keep an eye on deals like that to make Framily more economical.

 

Well if you switch, let me add you to my Framily. We'll call you step-cousin.

[Vette]

I already have family on Sprint who's Framily I'll be with. If it weren't for that, I'd be totally up for it! Too bad Sprint doesn't allow merging existing accounts

 

Thanks for the offer though; it's stuff like this that makes S4GRU a great site!

[bitslizer]

I have 2 comments/question

 

1) Can we do a "change of ownership" in order to merge multiple existing accounts into 1 account to qualify for the Framily plan?

http://support.sprint.com/support/article/Customer_Instructions_for_Change_of_Ownership/2a4c5654-b645-4613-8262-a689a275e885

 

 

2) The Employee discount, i read that its apply on the data upgrade portion only, my question would be has anyone been able to confirm if its only apply on the FIRST line like it is currently, or is the employee discount applied to ALL lines with data upgrade 

Edited January 8, 2014 by bitslizer