[Evolved]

intopieces - I can't reply to your comment so I'll post my reply here. There are different terms and benefits. They're not exactly alike. What you're saying is, essentially, "The salesman tried to sell me something I don't want and that's dishonest." This is patently false and not what I said or meant. What is the hustle about this is trying to persuade me that their deal is better when it is in fact, not.

Lots of people find value in the ability to upgrade their phone without having to pay the entire ETF, choosing instead to give back their phone. That you don't find this valuable does not make it dishonest.You would have a case if the two deals (2 year contract or Next) were precisely the same. They are not. In fact, you summarily ignore the main feature of the offer to make your point! My point is that the deals are as close as they can and they were trying to A. persuade me to pay more money, B. persuade me to give up my unlimited data and C. persuade me to pay full price for my phone when I normally don't.

In addition, I've never paid an ETF as ETF means Early Termination Fee and since I clearly stated I complete the full contract then there would not be any ETF.

Summary: AT&T Next is a hustle for most of their customers.

[intopieces]

>A. persuade me to pay more money >C. persuade me to pay full price for my phone when I normally don't.

Now we've gotten to the real hustle -- you think that when you buy your phone from AT&T on contract, that you don't pay the full price of the phone. You do, actually. Remember the fee they waive if you do AT&T Next? That's the part that pays for the phone.

http://m.att.com/shopmobile/wireless/next-calculate-the-valu...

>B. persuade me to give up my unlimited data Here's where we get to your real complaint. This whole time, you've been hiding this beef behind the AT&T Next Plan. Your actual issue is that they don't offer unlimited Data anymore -- fair enough, but that's not what we're talking about here.

[Evolved]

subsidy noun sub·si·dy \ˈsəb-sə-dē, -zə-\

: money that is paid usually by a government to keep the price of a product or service low or to help a business or organization to continue to function

: a grant or gift of money: as a : a sum of money formerly granted by the British Parliament to the crown and raised by special taxation b : money granted by one state to another c : a grant by a government to a private person or company to assist an enterprise deemed advantageous to the public

Remember the fee they waive if you do AT&T Next? That's the part that pays for the phone. What about before AT&T Next? I think what you're missing is the contract price doesn't magically drop after you "pay off" the phone if it is subsidized. Therefore if it doesn't drop then it was never really increased seeing as the plan prices are the same whether you buy a phone or not (at least they are/were every time I've upgraded). That is the subsidized part that I'm talking about.

In closing, the subsidized cost of my phone was not paid back by me to AT&T as evidenced by the fact that my bill is the same whether I signed a 2 year agreement and bought a phone or not.

This whole time, you've been hiding this beef behind the AT&T Next Plan. Your actual issue is that they don't offer unlimited Data anymore -- fair enough, but that's not what we're talking about here. I haven't been hiding any beef with AT&T about unlimited data since they still grandfather both of my unlimited data lines. My beef is with them trying to hustle me into a worse plan at a higher cost. Why would I care if they offer unlimited data any more if I already have it? Unlimited data or any amount of data for that matter, Next still, in the most literal sense, costs me more money.