2 year subsidy phone upgrades early warning info

[greenbastard]

Bitch, I have a spreadhseet.

 

 

Nice.

 

I called to see what my buyout is and when they asked why, I told them it was due to 2 year agreements ending. The guy said they could offer me an installment for a new phone that was as competitive as 2 year agreements. I laughed and helped him do the math as to why installments aren't comparable to my old 2 year agreement.

 

Unless they got my installment payment down to $8.33, anything else was a waste of my time. T-Mobile and at&t with installments are a better value than Sprint would be with installments. The only advantage Sprint had is now gone.

[Wiley_11]

If you have to pay for a phone on installment, you cannot afford it.  You are in over your pay grade and instead should look at less expensive options.

 

AJ

Did you pay cash for your house or do you live under a bridge?...........

[greenbastard]

Did you pay cash for your house or do you live under a bridge?...........

To be fair, a phone ≠ house.

 

 

But point taken.

[WiWavelength]

Did you pay cash for your house or do you live under a bridge?...........

 

False equivalence.  Paying cash for a phone and paying cash for a house are not on the same level.

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

If the installment doesn't include any interest, can you blame people for passing up on paying a phone in full and instead paying a monthly fee?

 

Reread my post.  If you HAVE TO pay for a phone on installment, not if you choose to do so for other reasons.  If you cannot afford to pay in full upfront for a phone, then you cannot afford that phone.

 

AJ

[Wiley_11]

If you cannot afford to pay in full upfront for a ITEM, then you cannot afford that ITEM.

 

AJ

Your logic sucks!...........

[dedub]

Reread my post.  If you HAVE TO pay for a phone on installment, not if you choose to do so for other reasons.  If you cannot afford to pay in full upfront for a phone, then you cannot afford that phone.

 

AJ

 

The very base of capitalism!

[WiWavelength]

Your logic sucks!...........

 

Please do not misquote S4GRU staff.  That does a disservice to everyone.

 

Now, do you have anything of substance to add to this discussion?

 

AJ

[greenbastard]

Now, do you have anything of substance to add to this discussion?

 

AJ

The opinion of not being able to afford a phone because you buy on installment didn't really have anything to do with the ongoing discussion.

 

It's all fair game at this point.

[jamesinclair]

If you will, show me where I accounted for leases or installments.  I doubt that I did -- because I want the operators out of the consumer electronics retail business.

 

This is not popular with many here at S4GRU and elsewhere, but if you have to pay for a phone on installment, you cannot afford it.  You are in over your pay grade and instead should look at less expensive options.

 

AJ

 

I guess the issue is that I was operating based on real world situations - how mobiles were/are sold in Europe and Latin America, and you were operating out of an impossible desire.

 

As for installments, if the only option is to pay $800 or to pay $800/24 then the most financially prudent option is ALWAYS the installment. Its not about being able to afford something or not, it's about basic money management strategies.

[WiWavelength]

As for installments, if the only option is to pay $800 or to pay $800/24 then the most financially prudent option is ALWAYS the installment. Its not about being able to afford something or not, it's about basic money management strategies.

 

What do you not understand about the phrase "if you have to"?  That means the only possibile way, not just an option, prudent or otherwise.  Too many cash strapped consumers -- people who do not have $800 free cash flow -- are buying $800 phones on installment.  They cannot afford those phones.  They are one minor mishap away from being on the hook for the entire sum on an accelerated basis.

 

AJ

[Jones]

I think there are 2 different arguments here.

James is saying for those that can afford $800 to choose the interest free installment as that allows more flexibility in repayment.

AJ is saying for those who can't afford $800 a cheaper alternative is financially more prudent.

[jreuschl]

Part of the problem too is there is a large difference in the phones Sprint offers and nothing in between..  the affordable ones are the $50 pre-paid special types, and the next level jumps way up to flagship pricing.

[jreuschl]

FYI-Someone on Reddit noticed and it seems to work.  If you set FireFox to Private mode the 2 year contracts show up on Sprint's website.

 

Now do I wait and see if it still works when the new phones come out in a month or two?

[travismheim]

FYI-Someone on Reddit noticed and it seems to work. If you set FireFox to Private mode the 2 year contracts show up on Sprint's website.

 

Now do I wait and see if it still works when the new phones come out in a month or two?

They may show up, but does the billing system allow an order to go through with 2 year option?

 

Sent from my 2PYB2 using Tapatalk

[greenbastard]

They may show up, but does the billing system allow an order to go through with 2 year option?

 

Sent from my 2PYB2 using Tapatalk

I don't believe it will.

[jreuschl]

You can still do 2 year contracts on Apple's website, that is known, so it may very well go through.

 

I think at this point I'll still not do anything, if I was looking to get an iPhone I'd be all over it.

[davidtm]

So, I just realized that, with the $10 discount/mo on phone upgrade for loyal customers, the $15-20/mo installment for phone is a little more than the upfront discounted price of a phone the old way with 2-yr contracts.  That discount works out to $240 over the 2 yrs. Helps me feel a little less angry about losing 2-yr contracts, but still not happy.

[davidtm]

I just had a somewhat enlightening conversation at BB. Turns out that switching from ED1500 that we're currently on to a new Sprint unlimited plan costs exactly the same. Given my observation above, seems like a few dollars more in either case to upgrade devices. So, I now see no reason to change until they force the issue somehow. BB does offer the temptation of a $200 gift card toward the account or a second device.

 

Sent from my HTC One M9

[teeitup]

I'm wondering if anybody else has seen this happen? On the Sprint Zone app there is a place where you can check your upgrade eligibility. Some of my lines show the future day when a two year contract will be available and some don't.

[dkyeager]

2 show 2 year agreement dates 1 does not, but is byod, although there is a subsidy phone obtained on that line.

 

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

[teeitup]

The screenshot from the post above that shows two-year upgrade eligible on 9/1/2018 was taken last night. Today my billing cycle renewed and now it is not showing as eligible (new screenshot from today added to this post ). I just had a 6th line added to my ED 1500 plan and somehow it seems to have messed up my upgrade eligibility on my other five lines.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dkyeager]

It is very likely an academic question as two year upgrade subsidies were not recently available, however given Verizon going after these Sprint customers who knows.

 

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

[teeitup]

I spoke with the retentions rep earlier today about my two-year eligibility disappearing. She stated they're getting an overwhelming number of calls with the same question and implied they are reevaluating their decision as it is resulting in losing customers. Without subsidy on ED1500 the new Verizon and T-Mobile unlimited plans are looking very good.

 

 

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[ase500]

I spoke with the retentions rep earlier today about my two-year eligibility disappearing. She stated they're getting an overwhelming number of calls with the same question and implied they are reevaluating their decision as it is resulting in losing customers. Without subsidy on ED1500 the new Verizon and T-Mobile unlimited plans are looking very good.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah the retention rep I talked to seemed a bit frazzled. I told them straight out they just need to pull the plug on ed1500 plan and just forgive the contracts. Just convert everyone to the new plans and forget the 25 sub charge. But, they just don't seem to get it. Either give me the subsidised phone or let me move off the plan either one.

 

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