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Busy Bee fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Mar 30, 2014 |
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Mar 30, 2014 22:06
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Is anyone using AT&T in the DC area? If so, how is it? Importantly, how is it in the Metro? I had it a few years ago but switched to Verizon and now I'm thinking of switching back since it looks like I can save a decent amount of cash a month on my monthly bill, or spend roughly the same but get more data. I'm currently on Verizon EDGE, so while I wouldn't have to pay an ETF, I'd have to pay off the phone, but the remaining balance is just about I could get selling it, so it's more or less a wash. My regular phone is an iPhone 5S, so it's fully unlocked and I can just use that on AT&T with the appropriate SIM. Currently my bill is: $50 More Everything (unlimited minutes/texts/2 GB data) -$7.50 (15% employer discount) $40 Smartphone line $16.66 Edge device payment -$10 Edge discount $12.12 taxes/fees/surchages -------- $101.28 total ($84.62 just for service, though paying off the device would remove the Edge discount, as well) If I switch to AT&T I'm looking at: $40 Mobile Share Value (unlimited minutes/texts/2 GB) OR $70 (4 GB) -$6 OR $10.50 (15% employer discount) $40 Smartphone line -$15 BYOD/no contract discount ~$10 taxes/fees/surcharges -------- $69 (2 GB) OR $94.50 (4 GB) Is there anything I'm missing here (specifically where does the employer discount get taken from)? Any ideas on service quality in my area? I kind of feel like saving $32 a month is worth slightly degraded service, if that's the case. I'm on wifi all day at work, so data signal isn't terribly important there, but it would be nice to be able to stream music while out and about, which the jump to 4 GB would likely let me do (I tend to use under 2 GB a month otherwise). The other alternative, of course, is just getting the $60 Aio plan. Endless Mike fucked around with this message at 15:38 on Mar 31, 2014 |
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Mar 31, 2014 15:33
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Endless Mike posted:Is anyone using AT&T in the DC area? If so, how is it? Importantly, how is it in the Metro? I had it a few years ago but switched to Verizon and now I'm thinking of switching back since it looks like I can save a decent amount of cash a month on my monthly bill, or spend roughly the same but get more data. Wait, they drop the edge discount when you pay off the phone? What a scam! Assuming you are not getting another phone and BYOD, you are correct. The only thing you are leaving out is the activation fee on the first bill. But otherwise, you are correct.
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Mar 31, 2014 16:08
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Endless Mike posted:Is anyone using AT&T in the DC area? If so, how is it? Importantly, how is it in the Metro? I had it a few years ago but switched to Verizon and now I'm thinking of switching back since it looks like I can save a decent amount of cash a month on my monthly bill, or spend roughly the same but get more data. Live in Rockville, commute to DC and NoVa every week. Coverage is top notch, LTE everywhere. With Verizon I noticed I would go into buildings or basements and the network would switch from LTE to 3g pretty easily. On AT&T the coverage is good even indoors.
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Mar 31, 2014 16:44
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Beefstorm posted:Wait, they drop the edge discount when you pay off the phone? What a scam! Santas Ainol Elf posted:Live in Rockville, commute to DC and NoVa every week. Coverage is top notch, LTE everywhere. With Verizon I noticed I would go into buildings or basements and the network would switch from LTE to 3g pretty easily. On AT&T the coverage is good even indoors. EDIT: Another question: If I order service online with a number port, will that happen immediately or not until I activate the SIM in my phone? EDIT 2: The website says my number will work until I activate, so that's that. EDIT 3: I went to the AT&T store and they got me set up no problem. The rep was surprised my Verizon iPhone 5s just took a SIM swap to work. LTE data speeds at my house are roughly three times faster than I usually got on Verizon and 4G is in the same ballpark as the Verizon LTE speeds. Not that data at home is terribly important, but it's interesting to see, anyway. Endless Mike fucked around with this message at 14:28 on Apr 1, 2014 |
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Mar 31, 2014 16:45
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Our family plan switched over to the Mobile Share Value Plan back in February, all our lines staying on contract but getting the $15 off-contract price. Just today my brother got a new phone via Next, which should've kept our bill the same except for the $25/month charge for the phone. For some reason, that line has gone up to $80/month instead of $40/month (before the $25 off-contract promotion). What the heck? Edit for more details: We have the 10gb data bucket for $100. The document he got from a non-COR store is what's showing the $80 price, but the correct $40 for all the other lines. All with a disclaimer up top that our lines will get the $25 off-contract discount. direspoon fucked around with this message at 00:45 on Apr 2, 2014 |
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Apr 2, 2014 00:38
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direspoon posted:Our family plan switched er to the Mobile Share Value Plan back in February, all our lines staying on contract but getting the $15 off-contract price. Just today my brother got a new phone via Next, which should've kept our bill the same except for the $25/month charge for the phone. For some reason, that line has gone up to $80/month instead of $40/month (before the $25 off-contract promotion). What the heck? Yeah ignore that paper. Its never right. Wait until you actually get a bill to make sure the discount is still there. But otherwise you should be fine.
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Apr 2, 2014 04:23
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Beefstorm posted:Yeah ignore that paper. Its never right. Wait until you actually get a bill to make sure the discount is still there. But otherwise you should be fine. Phew, thanks. The paper is outrageous in a few other ways too, with crazy taxes and fees all added up.
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Apr 2, 2014 04:48
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Beefstorm posted:Yeah ignore that paper. Its never right. Wait until you actually get a bill to make sure the discount is still there. But otherwise you should be fine. I always loved printing 8 pages of paperwork for nothing and then telling the obviously surprised customer that the book I just bound for them, "Oh don't worry the stuff in here isn't ever correct." Really went a long way to reinforce your rapport with the customer. Everything I told you was right this paper here, this legally binding paper you just affixed your signature to, nahhhhh don't worry about it! It's always wrong!  Oh and multi-line upgrades? 
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Apr 2, 2014 05:06
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SeaborneClink posted:I always loved printing 8 pages of paperwork for nothing and then telling the obviously surprised customer that the book I just bound for them, "Oh don't worry the stuff in here isn't ever correct." Really went a long way to reinforce your rapport with the customer. I never give the CSS (service agreement) to the customer. It gets emailed either way and as everyone mentioned, it's always inaccurate now.
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Apr 2, 2014 05:09
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I received a text from AT&T the other day about a new plan that features unlimited talk/text with 2gb data for $65 a month. Right now I'm paying in the area of $91 a month (small fan discount) for 450 min, unlimited text and unlimited data (old grand fathered iphone plan). Checking online, it shows that I use about 1.5 gb of data a month so making a change would certainly save me some money a month. My question is, will they ever completely remove my unlimited plan and force me to use a small package in the future? I like the security of the unlimited data but saving $25 a month does seem worth it, especially if I'll have to make the change regardless.
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Apr 3, 2014 15:13
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Just as a data point, I switched our plan to Mobile Share Value and everything seems to have worked out properly. All four of our phones are showing as $40 (for being in contract) with a $25 discount (for switching over now). Our old bill was $245 a month, and our new one should be $160 or so until the contracts expire, so that's a sizable savings.
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Apr 3, 2014 16:07
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Rod Flanders posted:I received a text from AT&T the other day about a new plan that features unlimited talk/text with 2gb data for $65 a month. Right now I'm paying in the area of $91 a month (small fan discount) for 450 min, unlimited text and unlimited data (old grand fathered iphone plan). Checking online, it shows that I use about 1.5 gb of data a month so making a change would certainly save me some money a month. My question is, will they ever completely remove my unlimited plan and force me to use a small package in the future? I like the security of the unlimited data but saving $25 a month does seem worth it, especially if I'll have to make the change regardless. Unlimited plans became unavailable in June 2010. 4 years later with no initiative to remove them seems safe, but youre asking a question no one here could realistically answer. poo poo changes. Save money in the mean time instead of paying for something you don't use. I never understood the "security" feeling. With all the money you save, you can afford any overages.
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Apr 3, 2014 16:22
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Rod Flanders posted:I received a text from AT&T the other day about a new plan that features unlimited talk/text with 2gb data for $65 a month. Right now I'm paying in the area of $91 a month (small fan discount) for 450 min, unlimited text and unlimited data (old grand fathered iphone plan). Checking online, it shows that I use about 1.5 gb of data a month so making a change would certainly save me some money a month. My question is, will they ever completely remove my unlimited plan and force me to use a small package in the future? I like the security of the unlimited data but saving $25 a month does seem worth it, especially if I'll have to make the change regardless. To elaborate on the point, what I have been telling one is you can keep the plan as long as you would like to, but more and more you will start paying a premium to do so. Do keep in mind whenever you next upgrade the plan goes from $65 to either $80 in contract or add the Next plan. Or buy a phone outright (ala Nexus 5). For you plan should be $65, discount goes off of the $40 base plan.
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Apr 3, 2014 19:45
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Duckman2008 posted:I never give the CSS (service agreement) to the customer. It gets emailed either way and as everyone mentioned, it's always inaccurate now. Yeah I used to just leave them on my printer and shred the stack at the end of my shift. It did nothing but confuse people anyways.
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Apr 4, 2014 00:24
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EbolaIvory posted:Yeah I used to just leave them on my printer and shred the stack at the end of my shift. It did nothing but confuse people anyways. Same here. Except my manager recently promised a customer who called in that I would send them a CSS. I asked him why he did that. He said, "You're supposed to be going over them with the customer." To which I replied, "I am well aware. I will do that as soon as they are remotely accurate." It was an awkward phone call when I told them I was not going to send it to them because it was wildly inaccurate. The customer then lost all trust in me.
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Apr 4, 2014 01:59
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Beefstorm posted:Same here. Except my manager recently promised a customer who called in that I would send them a CSS. I asked him why he did that. He said, "You're supposed to be going over them with the customer." To which I replied, "I am well aware. I will do that as soon as they are remotely accurate." I go over mine everytime with no issues. Explain its not a bill or calculation, just an estimate based on standard rates before discounts. Then I talk about their discounts. I get almost zero people returning to me for not understanding their next bill. Easy stuff.
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Apr 4, 2014 13:11
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obeyasia posted:I go over mine everytime with no issues. Explain its not a bill or calculation, just an estimate based on standard rates before discounts. Then I talk about their discounts. I get almost zero people returning to me for not understanding their next bill. Easy stuff. We probably have a different customer base. Because everyone in my store has stopped explaining it. It has turned into SO MANY reversals that it isn't worth it. We would rather just take the angriness of proration and calm them down over that. I know that isn't very AT&T like.
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Apr 4, 2014 14:16
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Beefstorm posted:We probably have a different customer base. Because everyone in my store has stopped explaining it. It has turned into SO MANY reversals that it isn't worth it. We would rather just take the angriness of proration and calm them down over that. I know that isn't very AT&T like. It's my understanding that explaining the CSS is non-negotiable, but some store leaders let their reps get away with murder. To date I've gotten great feedback (always a 90+ WTR), no one backing out of a next, and people appreciating the break down of the pro-rates. I work in the south where people really seem to appreciate the extra time spent to make sure there are no surprises on that next bill.
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Apr 4, 2014 14:21
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obeyasia posted:It's my understanding that explaining the CSS is non-negotiable, but some store leaders let their reps get away with murder. To date I've gotten great feedback (always a 90+ WTR), no one backing out of a next, and people appreciating the break down of the pro-rates. I work in the south where people really seem to appreciate the extra time spent to make sure there are no surprises on that next bill. Its kind of ARSM wide for me. There's four different stores I work at and none of them present it anymore.
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Apr 4, 2014 14:45
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Beefstorm posted:Its kind of ARSM wide for me. There's four different stores I work at and none of them present it anymore. I would agree that whether you present the papers or not, you should be setting the right expectations. Make sure people know what the bill is, what to expect, etc. in theory you shouldn't need the CSS to make sure people know what thy are getting, it's just a tool to help on that. This is why East PA > West PA btw. Yeah, I went there.
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Apr 4, 2014 15:57
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Duckman2008 posted:I would agree that whether you present the papers or not, you should be setting the right expectations. Make sure people know what the bill is, what to expect, etc. in theory you shouldn't need the CSS to make sure people know what thy are getting, it's just a tool to help on that. From a customer perspective, I got papers with bill estimates when I transferred 4 lines from Sprint to AT&T. The rep at the store told me the estimates were higher than I would actually pay and then sat down with a calculator to go through how the bill should actually look (with a margin of error for taxes). Everything looked great until the bill came and the "porting discounts" he said we would get didn't show up. Guess it would've backfired on him either way, but through the sales process I did really enjoy spending time and setting expectations rather than walking out clueless. It helped reduce the shock of a $450 bill the first month for sure.
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Apr 4, 2014 16:50
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Ok so my wife is on AT&T with a contract since Sep. It has some awful 250 MB of data plan. I'm on Verizon. We just got married. My contract ends in 10 days. She wants me to join AT&T because Verizon treats Puerto Rico like an international call and she has family there. I'd like to jump us both on a Share plan. 2GB of data is probably enough for me, more than enough for her. so maybe 4GB plan just to be safe? They'll let her out of her contract right? Or does she have to get a new phone with NEXT to do that? I was thinking of just buying the Nexus5. Help me make cost effective choices! Thanks! edit: It looks like I sometimes use 3GB of data. So for a 6GB plan, with two smartphones, no contracts, is 130? But with a 10GB plan it's also 130? TheReverend fucked around with this message at 20:49 on Apr 4, 2014 |
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Apr 4, 2014 20:40
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obeyasia posted:It's my understanding that explaining the CSS is non-negotiable, but some store leaders let their reps get away with murder. To date I've gotten great feedback (always a 90+ WTR), no one backing out of a next, and people appreciating the break down of the pro-rates. I work in the south where people really seem to appreciate the extra time spent to make sure there are no surprises on that next bill. I was one of those reps that went to reach for the top a bunch, 200% accessory goals 98-100% customer feedback etc. The CSS is the worst loving document we had. Even with just a single upgrade. With no feature changes it estimates a future bill. When really it should just add upgrade fees. Or new customers with multiple lines. Ha ha ha. You get 5 CSS that have the full rate on them. Its just a stupid system.
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Apr 4, 2014 21:42
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TheReverend posted:Ok so my wife is on AT&T with a contract since Sep. It has some awful 250 MB of data plan. Yeah just do the 10GB plan, she will get the no contract pricing immediately so it's $130 for call, text and 10GB of data, buying the nexus 5 outright is a good idea, it will be less than other phones and you just get the lower plan. FYI you will have an activation fee of $36 for activating your line, but you will also get a $100 port credit. Also check and see if either of you get a discount on ATT via where you work.
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Apr 5, 2014 03:16
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I work for a 5 person tech startup. She works like 4 jobs for a 3 person sized martial arts studio, a local photographer, the books for an independent medical billing lady, and Target (as well as go to school*). So maybe Target? *Athens Technical College (if they qualify). TheReverend fucked around with this message at 03:29 on Apr 5, 2014 |
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Apr 5, 2014 03:25
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Duckman2008 posted:I would agree that whether you present the papers or not, you should be setting the right expectations. Make sure people know what the bill is, what to expect, etc. in theory you shouldn't need the CSS to make sure people know what thy are getting, it's just a tool to help on that. I do go over the numbers and present the facts about proration and do a bill estimate myself. But I just don't give the CSS anymore. It has caused too many headache than is worth it lately.
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Apr 5, 2014 03:54
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If someone came in and wanted a non-smartphone, is there any on AT&T that is better than the rest? My girlfriend has some kind of ancient Nokia for work, and it's held together by tape and good wishes, but she can't use a smartphone with that SIM. I'm probably better off just buying the same one she already has on eBay.
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Apr 5, 2014 15:10
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smackfu posted:If someone came in and wanted a non-smartphone, is there any on AT&T that is better than the rest? Why can't she go through her employer to get a replacement?
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Apr 5, 2014 15:16
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Because it irritates me a lot more than it irritates her.
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Apr 5, 2014 18:53
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I'm not entirely sure if this is the correct place to post this question, so if not, then please point me in the right direction. My girlfriend has MetroPCS and really needs a new phone. She wants an iPhone 5 of course and metro doesn't sell them, although they do officially support the use of iPhones on their network provided it is unlocked. I bought an AT&T phone from craigslist thinking I could unlock it myself. Come to find out, the IEMI number must be unlocked by AT&T, which requires an account on their website. The problem is, I have t-mobile. I have talked to a bunch of customer support people and sales reps trying to figure out way to unlock this drat thing and have gotten no where. Any insight would be awesome.
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Apr 8, 2014 16:42
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I'm pretty sure only the original owner can request an unlock. Better contact that seller. If they're still under contract (which is likely with an iPhone 5), it probably hasn't been paid off such that AT&T will unlock it yet.
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Apr 8, 2014 17:39
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zomblake posted:I'm not entirely sure if this is the correct place to post this question, so if not, then please point me in the right direction. Yeah, ATT won't unlock it unless it's the account holder calling in and unlocking it (and the contract has to have been completed). And if you don't have ATT at all it'll be really hard to get anywhere. It's a combo of certainly wanting to keep customers but also an anti fraud/theft measure, so it's one of those "sucks but that's the way it is" scenarios.
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Apr 8, 2014 21:40
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Endless Mike posted:I'm pretty sure only the original owner can request an unlock. Better contact that seller. If they're still under contract (which is likely with an iPhone 5), it probably hasn't been paid off such that AT&T will unlock it yet. drat. I was hoping to find a friend that has AT&T and have them do it with their account info. I have asked a few people, but everyone I know is a lazy rear end in a top hat and no one has followed through. Thanks for your responses though. I tried to get a hold of the seller last night and he didn't respond so it looks like I may be putting it up on SA Mart fairly soon. Maybe I'll have better luck with a t-mobile device. zomblake fucked around with this message at 16:19 on Apr 9, 2014 |
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Apr 9, 2014 16:06
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You will because T-Mobile iPhones 5 should all be unlocked (not sure about LTE). If she can get by without LTE, a Verizon one will work, also.
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Apr 9, 2014 16:31
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I'm walking in to my local att corporate store tomorrow intending to grab an s5 + gear. I'm not under contract right now. I want to get it for a discount by signing a 2 year contract, as no other company can really give a significantly better deal for my plan. My question is how much of a chance do I have in convincing the reps in store to give me some kind of a discount on my plan or device in return for signing a contract? Would I need to say anything special or just straight up tell them I'm willing to sign a contract and ask for a discount? I figure that offering to buy the gear and maybe a case will make them want my sale even more. Would I have better luck on the phone than with a cor store? As a follow up... About Next - I know it's a big push they're making, but I don't see the benefit. Can I get any input on my math here... If I get next 12 with my 6gb plan, I save 15 bucks a month on the plan and pay 32.50 for the phone, which is a 20 month payment plan. 32.50 - 15 = 17.50 a month increase on my plan. If I keep it for the whole 20 months, I pay $350 for the phone, plus tax on the base price of 650, which is 54 bucks. That sounds like a poo poo deal compared to the contract for $200. Even if I upgrade after 12 months, I've still paid $210 plus 54. I would get a new phone for about the same price, but I'd be stuck doing the Next plan infinitely until I decided to stop getting new phones, which would mean I'd pay off the whole phone balance anyways. If I got the phone under contract, I could sell it in a year for probably 2-300 anyways, so I don't see any apparent savings to me. Am I missing anything?
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Apr 10, 2014 21:25
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Well, it depends on your current plan. If you take a subsidy, your monthly rate will INCREASE by $15 since at least data share plans (not sure about pre-data share ones) automatically drop by $15 when the contract ends. As such, you'd be paying $200+$15*24, which is $560, a bit more than the $404 you calculated Next would cost you.
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Apr 10, 2014 23:01
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I'm on an older minutes-based plan with data and texts added on so I'm not getting the $15 discount anyways. I'm still hoping I'll be able to somehow eek out a deal for a small discount or credit by getting a contract. I don't know how reps are judged by management but I'm hoping that having a phone + accessory + contract sale on their sheet for the month will be a nice incentive to reach into the ol' bonus bag.
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Apr 10, 2014 23:42
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Richard M Nixon posted:I'm on an older minutes-based plan with data and texts added on so I'm not getting the $15 discount anyways. I have bad news for you: that not only is almost literally $0 in commission but it actually hurts reps numbers, so no you won't get any special deals for that (a few chuckles sure). Overall, in general, special deals are over with anyway. That being said, unless you have unlimited data (or don't need texting) the new plans are less. Old plan: $40 + $20 + $30 = $90. Pay $200 for phone upfront. Plan is 450 mins, umlimited call, 3GB of data. New plan: $40 plus $25 for plan (call text and 2GB of data) = $65. Phone is $25 a month with next 18 so plan adds to $90 including phone, and I guess add $15 if you ever use close to 3GB. So considering it includes the phone it's not a bad deal. If you want to do next 12 to get the phone quicker go for it, most people do 18 since it's lower monthly. Edit: I just reread and saw you are on a 6GB plan? What plan are you on exactly? My point stands though that unless you have unlimited the plan is better, just add the pricing difference to have more data.
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Apr 11, 2014 01:31
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| # ? May 15, 2024 11:37 |
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Richard M Nixon posted:I'm on an older minutes-based plan with data and texts added on so I'm not getting the $15 discount anyways. As a retail COR sales rep all I can say about that is: "lol nope" Nothing is going to pissoff a COR RSC more than come in to a store and do a 2 year contract. You'll get no freebies or bonuses on that in my store. You want free poo poo? Call telesales.
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Apr 11, 2014 01:37
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