Cancelling contract but keeping the iPhone 4

[humblehyper2]

If I cancel my contract for the iphone 4 and want to keep the device will they allow me or do I need to wait past 30 days? How much would the device cost?  I called CS but they are close already.  Thanks.

[sammyfree4u]

you would have to wait, and AT&T will charge you over $300 for the early termination

[lamar5559]

Early termination fee of $350.

16GB: $300

32GB: $400

AT&T might not let you keep the phone even if you pay for the rest of it. 

[humblehyper2]

hmmm then its like buying it at retail price then.  I thought the termination fee is only $150 or $175?

[humblehyper2]

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lamar5559 wrote:

Early termination fee of $350.

16GB: $300

32GB: $400

AT&T might not let you keep the phone even if you pay for the rest of it. 

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Why won't they let you keep it?  $300 termination is a lot, they should let you keep the device.

[dwill05]

If less than 30 days, you have to give the phone back, but don't pay the ETF.  After 30 days, you pay the ETF, but keep the phone.

[BrianfromNO]

I think the new ETF is actually $325.  If you cancel the contract within the first 30 days, you either have to give back the phone or pay the full retail price (the $599/$699).  After 30 days, you keep the phone but pay the ETF, as others have said.

[Bloodkip]

$325 to cancel and that one month of service and activation fees.

[humblehyper2]

OK thanks all for the reply.

[AudiRob]

I am still upset about their plan change.  I can't trust myself not to use over 2 gig of data...  No more using it for golfing or even listening to pandora..  This is really stopping I-phone sales or any smartphone with this plan.

[josephz2va]

Unfortunately changing to a droid or another carrier would be out of the question. Droids use more data, and all carriers are removing their unlimiteds, etc.

AT&T will eventually come around and spruce up the plan.

AT&T, Verizon Wireless join Wi-Fi interoperability group

[satchev]

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AudiRob wrote:

I am still upset about their plan change.  I can't trust myself not to use over 2 gig of data...  No more using it for golfing or even listening to pandora..  This is really stopping I-phone sales or any smartphone with this plan.

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What are you basing "stopping iPhone sales" on?  The record breaking sales of the iPhone 4 in the first week of release?

Apple sold 1.7Million iPhones on the release weekend. http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/iphone-4-sales-3-million-and-counting/

Apple sold 1 million iPhone 3G units in the first weekend it went on sale in 2008, and 1 million iPh...

Please show us why you think AT&T's data plans are limiting smart phone sales and growth.

[x2x3lit3x2x]

iagree with him. They arent stopping sales on the phone, but MORE on ATT itself. Apple is doing fine, everyone is buying the phone because of APPLE. . ATT is just there for the service, and to be honest its pretty bad. Now if u compare it to another service, like H2O Wireless, they offer $40 every month for unlimited call and text, and soon they are going to add unlimited data, and im sure thatll be 10 or 20 dollars more, which is a pretty good deal if you ask me. And the coverage is the same as ATT AND T-mobile. The only reason why everyone is stuck on ATT is because of their phones and they are stuck in the contract. If other providers had good phones like Verizon and T-Mobile, i would more than gladly switch. They have good coverage and good service. Most people just buy the phones from ATT, unlock it, and pay w/e fee they have to pay or fight the fee to get out of ATT. Honestly, this company was a WHOLE LOT better when it was Cingular, ATT fails to keep a costumer happy and just likes to trick or lock people into their services. Hopefully once Verizon gets the iPHone and more than every iphone owner at ATT moves to Verizon, they will sure enough make a better deal, but thats just my opinion.

[mai_lilystar]

Why would you want to cancel yet keep the iphone 4?  i mean..  if you cancel then you really couldn't use the iphone 4, at least i don't think you could..

[x2x3lit3x2x]

he wants to keep the phone to use it at another provider (Tmobile...or out of the country)

[mai_lilystar]

oh i didn't think you could do that?  that's cool though.  good luck!

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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mai_lilystar wrote:

oh i didn't think you could do that?  that's cool though.  good luck!

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you can't unless you hack the phone - sorry it is called jailbreak

[Irish Rose ACE - Guru]

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BrianfromNO wrote:

I think the new ETF is actually $325.

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It is. And the fee goes down by $10 per month, for the remainder of the contract.

[caloris]

Jailbreak is the term for hacking the phone to use Apps besides Apple App Store. Unlocking is the term for hacking so it can be used on another carrier. The smartphone ETF used to be $150 and went down $5 a month. Starting June 1 it went to $350 for smartphones. Goes down $10 a month.  When you buy an iphone for $199 from ATT they are paying another $200+ to apple for the phone. It's called Subsidizing. They will make their money back on your wireless service over the next two years. If you cancel they need to recoup their investment via the ETF.  You think $350 is 'too much'. Your not talking about a regular cellphone. The iphone 4 is a mini computer that cost Apple $300+ to manufacture, more to deliver.  They sell it for $500 to carriers and $599 to the public. The ETF is not unreasonable for what your getting. This 2010, not 2000 or even 2005. Theses new phones cost a lot to manufacter.

[Irish Rose ACE - Guru]

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caloris wrote:

 Starting June 1 it went to $350 for smartphones. Goes down $10 a month. 

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AT&T's ETF is $325, not $350. But yes, it does go down by $10 per month for the remainder of the contract term.

[josephz2va]

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Irish Rose wrote:

AT&T's ETF is $325, not $350. But yes, it does go down by $10 per month for the remainder of the contract term.

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I think the downsize formula is off though. That would be 33 months.

The general contract is 18 months in variance of credit standing. It would be $18.05 if 18 months.

33 months if you are in very bad credit standing?

edit: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20005684-94.html

Unfortunately it still is $10 a month which would be my mistake, but it's odd that it's $10 a month of $325 ETF fee. And C|NET stated "Which means that at the 23rd month of a two-year contract, AT&T subscribers must pay $95 to leave the carrier."

[Irish Rose ACE - Guru]

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josephz2va wrote:

I think the downsize formula is off though. That would be 33 months.

The general contract is 18 months in variance of credit standing. It would be $18.05 if 18 months.

33 months if you are in very bad credit standing?

edit: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20005684-94.html

Unfortunately it is $10 a month which would be my mistake, but it's odd that it's $10 a month of $325 ETF fee.

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Look, there is no "formula", and why make this complicatated.... It's simply $325, minus $10 per month on the remainer of the contract period.......

[South_Garden]

@caloris

You seriously need to check your facts and sources, the Iphone had never cost APple anywhere near 300+ bucks to make, the manufacture fee for Iphone 4 including the slave labor fee is 176 in total.

[Please keep it courteous]

[shub8050]

hey dude if i buy iphone 4s with 2 year contract by paying $199 and get it unlocked through gevey ultra s in other country, then will it work properly on local gsm carriers???? plzzzzzz help me out.....

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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shub8050 wrote:

hey dude if i buy iphone 4s with 2 year contract by paying $199 and get it unlocked through gevey ultra s in other country, then will it work properly on local gsm carriers???? plzzzzzz help me out.....

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no idea if that will work, but if you buy get a iphone for 199, and you want to use it in another country you will be required to pay the etf on the phone, 325.00 - (10 * each completed active month), at that point you can request it be unlocked rather then dealing with a 3rd party company that may or may not work, or just go to apple and purchase a unlocked version at full retail price

[shub8050]

but how will they charge etf if m not in US?????

[youngjm ACE - Professor]

You probably put down a deposit and remember the phone is locked to AT&T and if you do not pay the ETF, they will never unlock it. You will have a very nice iPod touch then.

[dwill05]

I get the impression that he doesn't care about whether AT&T unlocks it or not since he thinks he can use something called a gevey SIM to unlock it.

[youngjm ACE - Professor]

I think you are right. It just adds to the costs for the rest of us and makes things harder for those we really do need some relief.

[stclair49]

I'd venture a guess the OP would have to put down a $500 deposit, just to get the ball(account) going. At that point, he will have paid $199 or more for the phone plus they have his $500 deposit, so AT&T won't be out any money if he takes the phone out of the country and doesn't pay the ETF.