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T-Mobile Considering

I don't understand how this works, if they are getting rid of contracts and subsidies. Would you just end up with a higher monthly payment for the old and new phones, kind of like if you trade in a car and roll the balance up into the new loan?
 
tonetwo said:
I don't understand how this works, if they are getting rid of contracts and subsidies. Would you just end up with a higher monthly payment for the old and new phones, kind of like if you trade in a car and roll the balance up into the new loan?
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I have a similar question, particularly since they are apparently adding phone insurance as well. The way the Uncarrier plan has been described, to get an "upgrade" you just need to pay off the balance of your current phone. I suppose there could be limits as to how frequently you can get an interest free loan from T-Mobile, but the launch event information made it sound as if you could do it more than once a year.
 
Well since they are still "considering" it, I'm sure the exact details will be rolled out once it's official.

Still, I like T-Mobile's direction. I'm glad I switched last fall. My service has been great, so far.
 
So this may be offered by T Mobile, but it sounds like the option will not be extended to those who purchase their phone from T Mobile resellers.

Just a guess....
 
TallTravel said:
So this may be offered by T Mobile, but it sounds like the option will not be extended to those who purchase their phone from T Mobile resellers.

Just a guess....
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Probably not, but that makes sense. You have to realize, if people start returning phones twice a year and getting new ones, T-mobile needs a way to pay for all those phones if the customers aren't. Limiting this to phones directly purchased from them is one way of cutting their loss.
 
Any more details on this? This is slightly calming, as it sounds like an alternative to having to pay $700+ for the Galaxy S4.

I had found out today that T-Mobile got rid of subsidized phones and will no longer do heavily discounted phones with a two year extension. The extension doesn't bother me, I've been with them for over ten years and would have their service regardless of contract or not. The thing that really angers me is now I have to pay $700+ for an S4 instead of ~$250. Not to mention I have yet to see this "decrease in monthly rates" they promised as reason to why they eliminated subsidized phones. Needless to say, I'm pretty irate at the moment. I feel absolutely screwed and feel like I'm being punished by being a loyal T-Mobile customer at the moment over this upgrade fiasco.

I really hope this "club" works out. I'd like to get the new Galaxy phone every year if it is discounted fairly. Even if it were like $300 or so to upgrade and trade-in your last year's model, that would be something I'd be interested in.
 
bob60626 said:
But you always paid the full price (and probably more) for the phone.
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Are the fees "hidden" in the monthly rate or something? I just don't get how the monthly rate doesn't fluctuate as more or less upgrades are used across my family plan. The only time the price fluctuates is it always goes up, it never goes down even if no one has upgraded in years.

Even after the whole "lower monthly rates" when eliminated subsidized phones, my rates are still the same. Maybe it will take a while, but still not convinced that move was made to "help" customers but rather make more money.

Unless I'm totally missing how subsidized phones worked and are worked into your bill.
 
Do you still have the same plan as you had before the new plans came out and would a new plan be cheaper then your current plan?

The whole argument against subsidized phones is that you always paid more through being locked into a 2 year contract and higher rates then if you had bought the phone outright.

The monthly rate has nothing to do with using or not using upgrades.
 
Joshb101 said:
Do you still have the same plan as you had before the new plans came out and would a new plan be cheaper then your current plan?

The whole argument against subsidized phones is that you always paid more through being locked into a 2 year contract and higher rates then if you had bought the phone outright.

The monthly rate has nothing to do with using or not using upgrades.
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Gotcha. I get it now. I guess I was a bit naive to think that a company would automatically lower our rates when they start offering the same plan for lower.

We're on a very old Classic plan and got grandfathered into a bunch of stuff that used to be free. From the site's estimates it looks like our plan is about the same as the one offered on there. But I'll have to go in and talk with a rep to see what they can do to get our plan lower.

With that comparison versus their site's quotes, I think we still may get the short end with no more subsidies since we had a pretty good rate going for us that we kept extending. Eh, what can you do though...me crying isn't going to get subsidies back. Here's to hoping that "upgrade club" works out to help cushion the blow of upgrading now.

Thanks for the clarification though!
 
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