WHEN can I get a new phone ??

[gglaze]

My wife and I have a 2 line plan with ATT and one of the phones, my Motorolla Z9, has issues with yellow screen, buttons needing to be pressed repeatedly, is out of warranty,and so on. I REALLY want to purchase a new phone.
I have talked with ATT about replacing it with a new phone but all they wanted to do was sell me a new phone from them for WAY ($100-200)more than the cost of a new phone at say, Amazon or similar place that sells new phones. I realize that Amazon sells them at the low price with a new contract.
I think this is ludicrous so...what I wonder is, is there any way out of this so I can purchase a new
phone for a low low cost from a dealer instead of having to pay hundreds of dollars. Do we have
to wait until the 2 year contract has expired(March, 2010)and then start a new contract with new phones ? Would this work ?
Here's the catch: we appear to be stuck with ATT due to where we live-rural NW Oregon.
We have tried Verizon and Sprint a few years ago and just did not get a signal here. With ATT
we get a signal varying from no bars to 2 bars or sometimes even 3 bars.

Thanks for any advice,
Gary in Oregon

[Jay2TheRescue]

With AT&T you can usually upgrade at the "new customer" price at 15 or 16 months. Maybe even sooner depending on your rate plan and your longevity with the company. If you call 611 or stop into your local dealer they can tell you your upgrade eligibility date.

[COtech]

Originally Posted by gglaze My wife and I have a 2 line plan with ATT and one of the phones, my Motorolla Z9, has issues with yellow screen, buttons needing to be pressed repeatedly, is out of warranty,and so on. I REALLY want to purchase a new phone. I have talked with ATT about replacing it with a new phone but all they wanted to do was sell me a new phone from them for WAY ($100-200)more than the cost of a new phone at say, Amazon or similar place that sells new phones. I realize that Amazon sells them at the low price with a new contract. I think this is ludicrous so...what I wonder is, is there any way out of this so I can purchase a new phone for a low low cost from a dealer instead of having to pay hundreds of dollars. Do we have to wait until the 2 year contract has expired(March, 2010)and then start a new contract with new phones ? Would this work ?

Perhaps you could ask what the replacement cost is, once your contract expires in March. If you still need a better operating phone for two months, try used. Check craigslist: oregon classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events for your area, and the local newspaper's classifieds. Best part, is you'd get to met the used phone seller and try before you buy.

By buying used phones as needed (or wanted), I've stayed out of contract for the last eight years.

COtech

[mframe]

Go into "My Account", on the website, and check upgrade (next to the phone icon). It will tell you if you are eligable for reduced pricing. My handset is eligable for upgrade at six months before my contract is up, and I am on their lowest-priced plan, with no add-ons.

[The Robot Devil]

Originally Posted by mframe Go into "My Account", on the website, and check upgrade (next to the phone icon). It will tell you if you are eligable for reduced pricing. My handset is eligable for upgrade at six months before my contract is up, and I am on their lowest-priced plan, with no add-ons.

Check eBay. Search for AT&T phones or unlocked GSM phones. You should be able to pick up a good phone at a reasonable price without having to renew your contract.

[hme83]

There are several options through at&t if you aren't comfortable with the eBay/CraigsList route:

1) As has already been suggested, check your current upgrade eligibility - you may be eligible for a discounted upgrade already if your contract expires in March 2010.

2) At least for a period of time, at&t was allowing users to upgrade for the standard two year agreement price + $75 (except for the iPhone). I'm not sure if this is still available or not, but it may be worth asking customer service about.

3) At&t postpaid customers can now purchase a GoPhone to use as a replacement for a postpaid phone if they are not upgrade eligible - it likely won't be a phone that will be a long-term solution for you; but it could provide a usable device for a few months until you are upgrade eligible, and then serve as a backup device after that. You would activate the new phone with your existing postpaid account SIM in the phone - and I believe you receive a 150 minute airtime credit by doing so.

ETA: The problem with trying to work something through a third party dealer is that typically their own terms state that no changes can be made to the line of service for a period of six months (generally) and that you aren't using the line to replace an existing line of service with at&t - all in return for their additional discounting (usually $250) and you subject yourself to the risk of a chargeback for the additional discount if you violate their terms. But if at&t does indicate you are upgrade eligible, you may want to at least check out the third party dealers for their ability to upgrade your line of service with a desired device. (Being a member of a family plan will preclude it with at least some of the third party dealers.)

And welcome to WA!!

[crood]

It's a little weird that AT&T told you that you had to pay full retail for a new phone. Did they actually look up your account and check your eligibility? You might just have to wait until later in January to reach 22 months. I believe that's when the upgrade pricing kicks in.

[deepcover421]

I work for at&t as a customer service rep. I can tell you typically you can upgrade around the 18th month mark. Now this does very from line to line with the primary line on any account being eligible earlier. Also having your line suspended to due non pay or even having late payments does negatively impact when you are eligible for an upgrade. If you are really bad off and inelgible for an upgrade most reps will work with you and help you get a new device. However no rep can get an iphone early for you at discounted pricing.