[cowboy6201]

An AT&T store rep told me this trick
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Here is how you can get the new Nokia Lumia 1020 @ the upgrade price even if your not eligible for and upgrade yet?
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walk in 2 an AT&T store tell them you want to add a line for $10 a month then tell them you want the Nokia Lumia 1020.
O
kay now have the sales rep swap your old number to the new phone He said they can do this, and put the new number on the old phone volia there you go! you got the new Nokia Lumia 1020


for your new phone # let the old phone sit for 2 yrs once the contract is up on that line dump it.
it will only cost you $10 extra a month and you get the new Nokia Lumia 1020 for $299.99 instead of $659.99 - $699.99 not bad Huh!

[photobriangray]

Cheaper than ATT Next...

[troylytle]

It's like 240 for the two years and then another 48 for tax and charges on that line. And 36 for your new line.

[tractionx]

Um, you get the 1020 for $299.99+$240 for the other line.

Do you're paying $550 for it. If you're a year into your old phone, the ETF would be about $240, also... so you could upgrade for the exact same price with no shenanigans.

[camaroguy]

Its actually 299 + $240 you are paying for the phone in this case. Its only $10 cheaper than doing an exception upgrade. Going the exception upgrade path, you wont have an extra line laying around that you have to remember to cancel either.

[Lawrence Crecy]

Or complain to tech support that you don't receive picture SMS unless they send it twice, get really mad that they can't figure out the problem and demand to swap out your phone for a different one (say can I swap out for a GS4 or iPhone 5) they'll put a note on your account and you can walk into the ATT store and pick your new 1020 up.

[walter1832]

Dumbest idea yet. A for effort, though.

[petersun21]

Don't you need data plan for a smartphone?

[cowboy6201]

It's like 240 for the two years and then another 48 for tax and charges on that line. And 36 for your new line.

yes your right but if your like me and are not eligible for an upgrade till nov 2014 that works. the rep suggested this to me.

[strikeIII]

I find this hard to believe. You can't get the 299 price unless you have a qualifying voice and data plan. Nice try.

[prjkthack]

Actually, this is a very common thing.

Add a line to your account for $10 (as long as you are not on the newer Share plans). Choose whatever phone you want, the required features automatically get added to the line you added (hence, you qualify for the pricing of a new line). Swap the SIM cards with the line you want your shiny new phone on, and put a dumbphone on the new line (which means you don't need a data plan). You are of course stuck on a contract for 2 years on that new line, but you only pay $10 a month, so its kinda like a payment plan of sorts.

[koopiskeva]

I just called Att and asked them nicely for an early upgrade. :P

[John20212]

Don't you need data plan for a smartphone?

No you don't, if you don't use data. I have an ATT GoPhone sim on pay per use, no plan just 10c per min, on the website they have that its only for dumb phones, but I tryed the sim in my Samsung Focus (with sim adaptor its a micro sim) and also on my new 1020 and it works fine for call, texts, etc. I always left the data connection off in the settings while using this sim.

[prjkthack]

No you don't, if you don't use data. I have an ATT GoPhone sim on pay per use, no plan just 10c per min, on the website they have that its only for dumb phones, but I tryed the sim in my Samsung Focus (with sim adaptor its a micro sim) and also on my new 1020 and it works fine for call, texts, etc. I always left the data connection off in the settings while using this sim.

Data is definitely required for smartphones on a contract/postpaid account.

GoPhone is totally different. And typically it is also required for smartphones, but its not as heavily enforced or tracked.

[John20212]

Data is definitely required for smartphones on a contract/postpaid account.

GoPhone is totally different. And typically it is also required for smartphones, but its not as heavily enforced or tracked.

And that is the whole problem with carriers, not allowing people to use their phone how they want and forcing them to pay for unneccesary crap. If I just want to use voice and SMS on my smartphone, why the hell should I pay for data?

[Yangstax]

This is exactly what I have planned to do with my wife's L900 contract which will expire in 6/2014. But it didn't work out since the AT&T rep told me that I couldn't add a smartphone to the family phone plan without a data plan. The price of $299 has figured the data plan in. He did however reduce $50 off the L1020 phone price and took the old L900 back for $100. He will also give me a free wireless charging cover when it arrives. So I paid a total of $399 to get a L1020. But my wife also got an upgrade by using my L920. We are both happy with the transition. After two days of intense use of L1020, I think it all worths it. With a little bleeding, of course. :)

[kabel_mk]

No you don't, if you don't use data. I have an ATT GoPhone sim on pay per use, no plan just 10c per min, on the website they have that its only for dumb phones, but I tryed the sim in my Samsung Focus (with sim adaptor its a micro sim) and also on my new 1020 and it works fine for call, texts, etc. I always left the data connection off in the settings while using this sim.

1. There is no way how you can buy a smartphone without adding data plan
2. Once you commit to a data plan (sign a contract for adding a line), you can increase the data limit, i.e. go to 3GB/month from 300MB/month, or decrease (3GB /month to 300MB/month), but definitely you can't remove the data plan once you jump into contract. To have AT&T remove your data plan, you HAVE to return the phone, or AT&T will charge you the retail price of the phone the day you've signed the contract.

Those are the rules, and you certainly could get lucky with some dumb representative, who may not keep his/hers job after such a thing

[cowboy6201]

Actually, this is a very common thing.

Add a line to your account for $10 (as long as you are not on the newer Share plans). Choose whatever phone you want, the required features automatically get added to the line you added (hence, you qualify for the pricing of a new line). Swap the SIM cards with the line you want your shiny new phone on, and put a dumbphone on the new line (which means you don't need a data plan). You are of course stuck on a contract for 2 years on that new line, but you only pay $10 a month, so its kinda like a payment plan of sorts.

That's what I'm saying it's just like going to rent a center but without all the BS.
if someone wants the phone bad enough there you go.
Thanks for seeing my point I was trying to make.

[kabel_mk]

That's what I'm saying it's just like going to rent a center but without all the BS.
if someone wants the phone bad enough there you go.
Thanks for seeing my point I was trying to make.

I'm in the same situation. Once you add the data plan, AT&T is not going to remove it, even if you put the sim card on a dumb phone. You HAVE to return the phone. I have to lines (wife and me) and after my wife passed away, a wanted to give her line to my mom, but take the data plan, since my mom can't handle a smart phone. I've tried several times to remove the data plan without success. I am using a dumb phone on that line, and that doesn't make any change. AT&T wants the phone back to remove the data plan.

[rchillin]

This is exactly what I have planned to do with my wife's L900 contract which will expire in 6/2014. But it didn't work out since the AT&T rep told me that I couldn't add a smartphone to the family phone plan without a data plan. The price of $299 has figured the data plan in. He did however reduce $50 off the L1020 phone price and took the old L900 back for $100. He will also give me a free wireless charging cover when it arrives. So I paid a total of $399 to get a L1020. But my wife also got an upgrade by using my L920. We are both happy with the transition. After two days of intense use of L1020, I think it all worths it. With a little bleeding, of course. :)

Was this at the store or 611?

[prjkthack]

I'm in the same situation. Once you add the data plan, AT&T is not going to remove it, even if you put the sim card on a dumb phone. You HAVE to return the phone. I have to lines (wife and me) and after my wife passed away, a wanted to give her line to my mom, but take the data plan, since my mom can't handle a smart phone. I've tried several times to remove the data plan without success. I am using a dumb phone on that line, and that doesn't make any change. AT&T wants the phone back to remove the data plan.

Yeah this doesn't make sense. AT&T shouldn't be doing this. If you actually change the phone to a dumbphone (call in and tell them you want to put a new phone on the line, they'll ask for the IMEI and change features appropriately, not just swap SIM cards), then you can drop the data plan. There should be no reason why you can't do it unless you just have a silly rep that isn't be nice or doesn't know the rules. They system should automatically recognize that type of phone on the line and suggest the appropriate features. It shouldn't even offer smartphone data plans for a line that has a dumbphone.

I have 2 extra lines on my account which I use just to upgrade to get new phones, then put the dumb phones back on them and drop any data plans. I do this all the time, for myself, and for my customers. If one rep won't let you do it, talk to another rep.

The contract says nothing about keeping the same features and/or device on the line for two years. As long as you are signing that contract, there is no obligation to keep the same phone and the same data plan on that line (unless you bought the phone through a different service that requires it, such as Amazon.com).

[trandz]

ATT asks me all the time if I want to do this instead of buying it outright. I refuse.

[kabel_mk]

Yeah this doesn't make sense. AT&T shouldn't be doing this. If you actually change the phone to a dumbphone (call in and tell them you want to put a new phone on the line, they'll ask for the IMEI and change features appropriately, not just swap SIM cards), then you can drop the data plan. There should be no reason why you can't do it unless you just have a silly rep that isn't be nice or doesn't know the rules. They system should automatically recognize that type of phone on the line and suggest the appropriate features. It shouldn't even offer smartphone data plans for a line that has a dumbphone.

I have 2 extra lines on my account which I use just to upgrade to get new phones, then put the dumb phones back on them and drop any data plans. I do this all the time, for myself, and for my customers. If one rep won't let you do it, talk to another rep.

The contract says nothing about keeping the same features and/or device on the line for two years. As long as you are signing that contract, there is no obligation to keep the same phone and the same data plan on that line (unless you bought the phone through a different service that requires it, such as Amazon.com).

As i've said, i've tried several times (calling and chatting). Maybe is different in my case since iPhone 5 was on that line. How long do you wait to drop the data plan, after a month, same month?

[prjkthack]

As i've said, i've tried several times (calling and chatting). Maybe is different in my case since iPhone 5 was on that line. How long do you wait to drop the data plan, after a month, same month?

Same day. Right after buying the phone with the exact same rep (or I do it myself a few hours later since I can). This is a really common thing at any AT&T retail store. If someone on the account wants to steal an upgrade, they do this exact thing, swap devices, and put back the original features on the newly upgraded line (whether it be with or without a data plan), while putting the new phone on another line that wasn't upgraded (or is not even eligible for an upgrade).

I'd take it into a store and just tell them to swap it. Talking to AT&T online or calling their tech support is usually a big waste of time. And most of the time going into the store can be as well, but there is better success in store than over the phone/online.

Heck if you were in my area I'd do it for you.

[kabel_mk]

Same day. Right after buying the phone with the exact same rep (or I do it myself a few hours later since I can). This is a really common thing at any AT&T retail store. If someone on the account wants to steal an upgrade, they do this exact thing, swap devices, and put back the original features on the newly upgraded line (whether it be with or without a data plan), while putting the new phone on another line that wasn't upgraded (or is not even eligible for an upgrade).

I'd take it into a store and just tell them to swap it. Talking to AT&T online or calling their tech support is usually a big waste of time. And most of the time going into the store can be as well, but there is better success in store than over the phone/online.

Heck if you were in my area I'd do it for you.

I'll try at store then ... And see what happens ... Thanks