Apple Community Discussion/Support

[#1]

Here is my question, if I am a new customer and sign a 2 year contract for the 3gS would I be able to keep the iPhone if I early terminate after a month or two? If I can what kind of fees would apply? My understanding is that I would pay $299 for the phone + activation fee + monthly service fee + early termination fee ($175). Is that correct? I just want to make sure I would not have to pay any other fees on top of that if I decided to cancel and still keep the iPhone 3gS. Also would this be the same calculation for the family plan with 2 iPhones or would it just be a double early termination fee? Thanks for your time.

[#2]

If you cancel within the first month, you have to give the phone back.  Not sure why you're looking to buy a phone and cancel a month or two in, unless of course you want to turn around and sell the phones for a profit.  You wouldn't be able to buy another phone at a discounted price from AT&T for at least six months.  The termination fee is per phone, so 2 phones means 2 ETF's.

---

Roadblaster wrote:
Here is my question, if I am a new customer and sign a 2 year contract for the 3gS would I be able to keep the iPhone if I early terminate after a month or two? If I can what kind of fees would apply? My understanding is that I would pay $299 for the phone + activation fee + monthly service fee + early termination fee ($175). Is that correct? I just want to make sure I would not have to pay any other fees on top of that if I decided to cancel and still keep the iPhone 3gS. Also would this be the same calculation for the family plan with 2 iPhones or would it just be a double early termination fee? Thanks for your time.

---

[#3]

So the calculation would be correct then if I did it after the 1st month right? And I would still keep the phone? If I do become a customer I am not planning on cancleing but if I don't like the service or somthing comes up I just would hate to be out the $299 for each phone I buy on the family plan.

[#4]

I don't work for AT&T, so I can't answer that question with 100% confidence.  That's the answer to the best of my knowledge.

---

Roadblaster wrote:
So the calculation would be correct then if I did it after the 1st month right? And I would still keep the phone? If I do become a customer I am not planning on cancleing but if I don't like the service or somthing comes up I just would hate to be out the $299 for each phone I buy on the family plan.

---

[#5]

You might want to get an official answer via a store or from ATT or by looking at the contract you sign. There IS a chance that if you cancel before a certain date (after 30 days) you'd also be liable for the full cost of the phone.  I believe that used to be the norm - not sure it still is....

[#6]

My understanding, but never did it, is that after the first month, you pay the EFT per line that you cancel minus $5 per month that you stayed in contract.  So, for example, if you purchased the iPhone on Friday for 299, you paid 299+18 activation + 18 setup.  2 month later you cancel your contract...I believe you would only have to pay any USAGE charges you still own for services + $165 (175-10(since you completed 2 months of the contract).  Now, don't quote me, but this is how I understand it. I have not read through the entire contract.

[#7]

Definitely check with ATT.

Not the same, but I know when you go to Best Buy - they have a "no plan" price and then a 2 year contract price. In the ad fine print it usually says something like the customer must remain a subscriber to ____  (att, verizon, whoever) for ___ months or be liable for for the balance of the phone.

I haven't looked at the fine print lately there or on ATT because quite frankly - I have no problem with a 2 year contract and wouldn't switch off att.  I was on Sprint for many years and switched (then) because I started to travel overseas and needed a GSM phone.  Now that I'm on ATT and it's international - no need to switch and have been quite happy with them as any issues I've ever had have always been resolved pretty quickly and painlessly.