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gui888

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 22, 2010
7
0
So, ordered a 13 Mini 128gb on day one (17th) ATT credit was $700 at that time. Like most people got that email from ATT stating that the trade in amount/promotion was now $800. For that I could have gotten the 256gb model with the offer, pretty crappy if you ask me for people that ordered over that first weekend. So here is the question; will they apply the remaining $100 to the monthly instalment credits or am I out that extra money. Or, do I have to cancel/return the first order and go to the back of the line to repurchase a 256gb model? Not sure if it's worth the hassle...
 

usagora

macrumors 601
Nov 17, 2017
4,869
4,451
So, ordered a 13 Mini 128gb on day one (17th) ATT credit was $700 at that time. Like most people got that email from ATT stating that the trade in amount/promotion was now $800. For that I could have gotten the 256gb model with the offer, pretty crappy if you ask me for people that ordered over that first weekend. So here is the question; will they apply the remaining $100 to the monthly instalment credits or am I out that extra money. Or, do I have to cancel/return the first order and go to the back of the line to repurchase a 256gb model? Not sure if it's worth the hassle...

Why not simply contact AT&T and get the answer from the proverbial horse's mouth? That way they also have a record that you called/chatted about it so if something doesn't go right, you have a "paper trail" of what they told you. That's what I did the other day with T-Mobile with some confusion I had about their offer.
 
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EricNau

Moderator emeritus
Apr 27, 2005
10,728
281
San Francisco, CA
I’m in the exact same boat, and not too happy about it.

You’re (we’re) out the $100, essentially. From the offer terms:

  • Credits start within 3 bills after trade-in is completed and will be applied in equal amounts over the term of installment agreement. You will receive catch-up credits once bill credits start. Credit will not exceed the lower of the device cost or the max credit amount as defined above.

I’m also not too happy with Apple. The email they sent out is demonstrably false. It’s just a lie. They know which phone I bought, and they know it costs $700—so they know I won’t be given the better offer.
 

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kellte2

macrumors 6502
Jul 10, 2005
294
80
I’m in the exact same boat, and not too happy about it.

You’re (we’re) out the $100, essentially. From the offer terms:



I’m also not too happy with Apple. The email they sent out is demonstrably false. It’s just a lie. They know which phone I bought, and they know it costs $700—so they know I won’t be given the better offer.
I don’t understand your position on this. I received the same email and my interpretation is that if my device clear the trade-in check for full value, I’ll receive the AT&T bill credits for $800 over 36 installments. The trade-in value bump of $100 should be reflected on those individual bill credits (approximately $2.78 more than you were quoted at the time of order when you indicated that you were trading in your device).

Given that your device on order is now less value than the trade in device, there’s nothing stopping you from exchanging the device on order or cancelling and reordering so you can take advantage of the full trade-in value.
 
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EricNau

Moderator emeritus
Apr 27, 2005
10,728
281
San Francisco, CA
I don’t understand your position on this. I received the same email and my interpretation is that if my device clear the trade-in check for full value, I’ll receive the AT&T bill credits for $800 over 36 installments. The trade-in value bump of $100 should be reflected on those individual bill credits (approximately $2.78 more than you were quoted at the time of order when you indicated that you were trading in your device).

Given that your device on order is now less value than the trade in device, there’s nothing stopping you from exchanging the device on order or cancelling and reordering so you can take advantage of the full trade-in value.
As you said, the issue is that the device I ordered costs less than the trade-in value of my phone. But I won’t receive the $100 difference—it’s use it or lose it.

And I can’t cancel my pre-order. So, we’re looking at a scenario where I have to wait for my new phone to arrive, go through the hassle of returning it, and then starting all over again—with delivery dates of mid to late October (best case scenario, but those could slip even later by the time I’d be able to re-order).

Plus, given the complexities involved… the likelihood that Apple or AT&T mess something up along the way increases with every step. I don’t have that level of faith (they couldn’t even get this promo right, could they?)
 
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kellte2

macrumors 6502
Jul 10, 2005
294
80
I hear ya. For those who tried to line-up trade values with new device purchases, this trade in valuation change really causes a big inconvenience. Like you, I wouldn’t want to lose value on my trade. Perhaps you’ll be able to exchange quickly without having to get back in line.

Still confusing to me that AT&T made a last second change to the trade in values, especially when they planned to run these promos to incentivize new, three year contracts masquerading as trade-ins - and ya, I took the bait, too! ?
 
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tis

macrumors 6502
Dec 8, 2020
310
413
I don’t understand your position on this. I received the same email and my interpretation is that if my device clear the trade-in check for full value, I’ll receive the AT&T bill credits for $800 over 36 installments. The trade-in value bump of $100 should be reflected on those individual bill credits (approximately $2.78 more than you were quoted at the time of order when you indicated that you were trading in your device).

Given that your device on order is now less value than the trade in device, there’s nothing stopping you from exchanging the device on order or cancelling and reordering so you can take advantage of the full trade-in value.
Wow. These so called “deals” are turning into three year contracts now? There is no way I’d sign up for that.
 
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OrneryTaurus

macrumors newbie
Sep 19, 2021
10
16
California
Wow. These so called “deals” are turning into three year contracts now? There is no way I’d sign up for that.

This is exactly why I broke free from AT&T this year in terms of their AT&T Next / Next Up crap. I'll sell the phone myself or do the trade in with Apple going forward haha.
 

EricNau

Moderator emeritus
Apr 27, 2005
10,728
281
San Francisco, CA
Wow. These so called “deals” are turning into three year contracts now? There is no way I’d sign up for that.
To be fair, it’s not a contract in the traditional sense.

It’s a 36mo 0% loan, and AT&T simply covers your monthly payments for as long as you stay a customer. Seems like a pretty good deal to me. (Except for the fact that they announced an even better deal right after I purchased.)
 
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tis

macrumors 6502
Dec 8, 2020
310
413
To be fair, it’s not a contract in the traditional sense.

It’s a 36mo 0% loan, and AT&T simply covers your monthly payments for as long as you stay a customer. Seems like a pretty good deal to me. (Except for the fact that they announced an even better deal right after I purchased.)
"In the traditional sense"? How about the exact definition of what a contract is. You are entering into an agreement that has specified terms that you need to uphold for a length of time. If you don't uphold those terms, you have to pay for the phone they give you, and you lose the excess trade in credit you are being afforded. You are in a 3 year contract.

Not to mention, anyone who is not on a multiple line deal that decreases their monthly service costs, are also paying $40+ more a month for the same service they can buy for half the price on prepaid. You aren't getting a deal. You are paying more in the end, and you are indebted to them for 3 years.
 

EricNau

Moderator emeritus
Apr 27, 2005
10,728
281
San Francisco, CA
"In the traditional sense"? How about the exact definition of what a contract is. You are entering into an agreement that has specified terms that you need to uphold for a length of time. If you don't uphold those terms, you have to pay for the phone they give you, and you lose the excess trade in credit you are being afforded. You are in a 3 year contract.

Not to mention, anyone who is not on a multiple line deal that decreases their monthly service costs, are also paying $40+ more a month for the same service they can buy for half the price on prepaid. You aren't getting a deal. You are paying more in the end, and you are indebted to them for 3 years.
So, the “punishment” for breaking the “contract” is… paying for the phone? (And not even the whole phone, just the portion remaining.)

Considering I paid full price for my last iPhone… that sounds pretty good.

According to Apple, my trade-in phone is worth $200. So, purchasing through Apple, this iPhone would cost me $500. Whereas AT&T is willing to give me $700, so the phone costs me $0.

And all I have to do is keep the same phone plan I had anyway? Again, doesn’t seem like much of a problem.

For people who already had a qualifying phone plan, there’s literally no downside (as long as they stay with AT&T long enough to at least recoup the trade-in credit they would have gotten from Apple). But to each their own.
 
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