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OK, AT&T folks, I'm finally done with Sprint, and switching to Ma Bell. We've got a semi-complicated setup involving 4 states, 5 people, and 2 carriers. My wife and I live in MA, and both own unlocked phones: 6P and a US model GSM S7. We're on Sprint, and want to port our numbers over. My Brother in Law lives in TX, is currently on a contract with AT&T with a $235 ETF, on a Galaxy S6. His plan is to pay the ETF, sell the phone, and get an S7. He wants to port his number over as well. My Mother in Law lives in CT, and is currently on AT&T on her son's account, but with a flip-phone and no contract. She's getting an AT&T Moto E LTE from her son, and wants to port her number over. My mother is in WV, and owns a 6P. She's currently on out Sprint plan, using an S4. She wants to port over as well. To complicate things further, my wife qualifies for a discount of 20% and no activation fees through her employer. How do we deal with SIM cards, activations, and porting? I've tried to start a BYOD plan several times on the website, but it won't take either my 6P's or the wife's S7's IMEI number without choking. This can't be that drat complicated.
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Jul 17, 2016 03:27
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sharkytm posted:OK, AT&T folks, I'm finally done with Sprint, and switching to Ma Bell. We've got a semi-complicated setup involving 4 states, 5 people, and 2 carriers. Ok, I think I know what you should do. 1. Plan has to go in your wife's name if you want the discount. No exceptions. 2. I would go into a store and have them do it. You'll have someone working for you, and they'll make good money on this so they will be incentivized to go the extra mile. Unless they really suck at heir job or something. 3. Port and activate your phone and wife's phone in store, that's easy and done. That will create an active account to work with. 4. Your brother in law is on ATT. He is not porting, you are doing a transfer of billing responsibility. Dial (877) 971-6092 and they speak to you and him and do the transfer. List him as authorized on your account and he can then walk into an ATT store and buy a phone. 5. Mother in law is not porting. She is on ATT, so she is a transfer of billing responsibility. Make sure her son is available to speak on the phone, dial (877) 971-6092 and tell them you want to accept billing responsibility. They call the son, who authorizes it. Then she goes in store and activates SIM. List her as an authorized user on your account so she can do this (you can then remove that if you want to). 6. For your mother, she just needs a SIM card. ATT should be able to mail a SIM card like option 4 for $0 dollars. Worst case is they "park" a SIM card port in store, which sells out the line but doesn't process the port, and you mail her the SIM. So yeah, make the store sales rep do all the work for you (they can do everything but the transfers). That's 3 new lines, if he or she doesn't help you they are loving retarded.
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Jul 17, 2016 04:06
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Duckman2008 posted:Ok, I think I know what you should do. Awesome, thanks for the info. We can go to the local corporate store, there was a knowledgeable, non-pushy rep who we talked to on Tuesday when she was checking out phones. I was actually surprised by his knowledge of the phone ecosystem. As for Sprint, will porting my number and my wife's number off the account make my mom's phone stop working? The account is in my name, she's an added line. I'll probably mail her the SIM, I assume if she's an authorized user on the account, she can call AT&T and have them do the port over the phone? Brother in law can just go to his local store and get a SIM for his S6 until he buys something new, right?
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Jul 17, 2016 04:26
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sharkytm posted:Awesome, thanks for the info. We can go to the local corporate store, there was a knowledgeable, non-pushy rep who we talked to on Tuesday when she was checking out phones. I was actually surprised by his knowledge of the phone ecosystem. Each number is technically a separate port, so you and the wife switching won't auto kill moms phone. And yes, both can call or go into store as long as you list them as authorized. Your brother in laws SIM just keeps working, so if he already has that S6 he won't notice a change in service.
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Jul 17, 2016 13:19
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Duckman2008 posted:Each number is technically a separate port, so you and the wife switching won't auto kill moms phone. In the continuing saga, they're saying in store that because the BiL is on a contract, they can't let him keep his number if he switches to our plan without having him pay $40/month for the next 14 months (until the end of his current contract). He could port out to a gophone, but they say he has to wait 60 days to port back to AT&T. Confirm/deny? sharkytm fucked around with this message at 01:13 on Jul 18, 2016 |
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Jul 17, 2016 21:44
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sharkytm posted:In the continuing saga, they're saying in store that because the BiL is on a contract, they can't let him keep his number if he switches to our plan without having him pay $40/month for the next 14 months (until the end of his current contract). He could port out to a gophone, but they say he has to wait 60 days to port back to AT&T. Confirm/deny? Yeah that's correct. 2 year contract is essentially paying off his phone. He hasn't paid off his phone. If he ports out he would have an ETF last I checked. So one way or the other he will have to either pay $40 a month, or pay an ETF, because he phone payment hasn't run its course. My recommendation: $40 a month plus however you split the bill will still be cheaper than an individual plan.
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Jul 18, 2016 13:03
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Duckman2008 posted:Yeah that's correct. 2 year contract is essentially paying off his phone. He hasn't paid off his phone. If he ports out he would have an ETF last I checked. So one way or the other he will have to either pay $40 a month, or pay an ETF, because he phone payment hasn't run its course. He has no problem paying the ETF. It's $235, versus paying an additional $25/month for the next 14 months, which is $350. The problem is they said that if he pays the ETF and cancels the line, he can't keep his number.
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Jul 18, 2016 16:04
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sharkytm posted:He has no problem paying the ETF. It's $235, versus paying an additional $25/month for the next 14 months, which is $350. The problem is they said that if he pays the ETF and cancels the line, he can't keep his number.
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Jul 18, 2016 16:13
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sharkytm posted:He has no problem paying the ETF. It's $235, versus paying an additional $25/month for the next 14 months, which is $350. The problem is they said that if he pays the ETF and cancels the line, he can't keep his number. Gotcha. The best work around might be to port him to T-Mobile (you can get a cheapo prepaid SIM for $10) and then port right back onto your account. That should work fine without the 60 day waiting period.
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Jul 18, 2016 16:15
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Endless Mike posted:Probably best to do the GoPhone port, then. OK, but the waiting period is the dealbreaker, if that's a thing. 2 months on a GoPhone/Tmobile prepaid isn't gonna work for him. It's kind of a dick move on AT&T to hold his number hostage like that. Duckman2008 posted:Gotcha. The best work around might be to port him to T-Mobile (you can get a cheapo prepaid SIM for $10) and then port right back onto your account. That should work fine without the 60 day waiting period. Perfect. So we can port out (paying the ETF then), then port back in the next day? No 60-day hold on the number? :edit: My mother just got back from her local store, all activated and ported over. She knew what to tell them, thanks to you folks. Thanks! However, they sold her monthly insurance on her 6P, which she bought from Amazon. Is that legit? If so, I'll probably add it on my wife's line to cover her S7 for a while. sharkytm fucked around with this message at 17:59 on Jul 18, 2016 |
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Jul 18, 2016 17:42
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sharkytm posted:However, they sold her monthly insurance on her 6P, which she bought from Amazon. Is that legit? If so, I'll probably add it on my wife's line to cover her S7 for a while. Legit as in can they do it, yes. Legit as in is it a good value... ehh. It's Asurion. Unless you drop your phone tomorrow, the monthly fees and ridiculous deductible add up to a bad value proposition pretty quickly. Covering your wife's S7 "for a while" is reasonable enough, but there will rapidly come a point it's cheaper to buy a used one yourself (which is usually what Asurion will send you anyway, though they'll pretend your gouged up piece of poo poo is "refurbished").
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Jul 18, 2016 18:53
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Molten Llama posted:Legit as in can they do it, yes. Oh, I know all about Asurion. For the first year or so, it's usually worth carrying coverage in case one or the other drops/loses their phone. $8/month, plus the $199 deductible adds up, but not as fast as a $700 phone broken in the first 12 months of release. I just wasn't sure if the coverage would be valid, since the phone wasn't purchased through AT&T.
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Jul 18, 2016 20:41
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Asurion is great. I found out they had been covering my wife's 2013 Moto X for the last 3 years. Oops. We replaced it with a 2014 Moto X about 18 months ago.
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Jul 19, 2016 02:22
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I bought a ZTE Maven Go Phone from a Family Dollar on to have as a backup to my iPhone 6. I never activated it and briefly used it as an iPod Touch before stashing it in a drawer. A few months later, I thought I should make sure it could actually make phone calls, so I used the ATT sim from my roommate's Galaxy S5 since my iPhone used a different size sim. I called my own number and it was fine. A few months after that, I figured it would make sense for a backup phone to be unlocked, so I went through the official unlock request web form but they said the phone was attached to my roommate's account. He couldn't remember his login details since he's on a family plan, so we eventually went to an ATT store to ask about the unlocking process, and they said the phone didnt appear on his account. What can I do at this point?
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Jul 19, 2016 05:04
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You could buy an unlock code on ebay for a dollar or two.
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Jul 19, 2016 08:56
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Josh Lyman posted:I bought a ZTE Maven Go Phone from a Family Dollar on to have as a backup to my iPhone 6. I never activated it and briefly used it as an iPod Touch before stashing it in a drawer. Call customer care. Store's don't do anything with unlocking. But honestly, just get his account login details and plug it into the unlock form website.
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Jul 19, 2016 12:05
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Duckman2008 posted:Call customer care. Store's don't do anything with unlocking. But honestly, just get his account login details and plug it into the unlock form website. My roommate's login situation is problematic because he doesn't think they ever created a passcode since his parents still pay for their bills by check (I know), but his sister might have created one as a backup, and he understandably doesn't want to try to contact everyone for information they may or may not have or remember. lazydog posted:You could buy an unlock code on ebay for a dollar or two.
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Jul 21, 2016 17:36
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[quote="Josh Lyman" post="462337133"] I called customer care. They said the IMEI was attached to a different number (my roommate's number) and that they could reset the IMEI history in their system and attach it to my account, but that it would have to be active for 6 months. Assuming they want me to pay for 6 months of GoPhone service, this is obviously not what I want. My roommate's login situation is problematic because he doesn't think they ever created a passcode since his parents still pay for their bills by check (I know), but his sister might have created one as a backup, and he understandably doesn't want to try to contact everyone for information they may or may not have or remember. If it's really just a dollar or two, I'd definitely do this. [/] The account almost for sure has a passcode, but yeah that's a hurdle you can't get over without calling the parents.
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Jul 21, 2016 22:00
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I busted the screen on my cheapo Android tablet again but it's still on a service commitment for a few more months. It would actually cost me more to get it repaired than to just buy a replacement on eBay or Amazon if I don't do the repair myself. Assuming I just pop the $95 for a new one and get it activated at my local store, is the old one good to sell even though I'm on a service commitment? I figure someone might want to pay a couple bucks for it and fix the screen themselves. Or maybe I'll try to fix it myself without the fear or being hosed over if I break it.
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Jul 22, 2016 16:39
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Caught Cubs Posting
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Devo posted:I busted the screen on my cheapo Android tablet again but it's still on a service commitment for a few more months. It would actually cost me more to get it repaired than to just buy a replacement on eBay or Amazon if I don't do the repair myself. Assuming I just pop the $95 for a new one and get it activated at my local store, is the old one good to sell even though I'm on a service commitment? I figure someone might want to pay a couple bucks for it and fix the screen themselves. Or maybe I'll try to fix it myself without the fear or being hosed over if I break it. Sure, it'll just be locked to ATT.
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Jul 22, 2016 22:06
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Duckman2008 posted:Sure, it'll just be locked to ATT. So the service commitment doesn't get moved to the new tablet even though I'm moving the number over to it?
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Jul 22, 2016 22:59
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Devo posted:So the service commitment doesn't get moved to the new tablet even though I'm moving the number over to it? The tablet is locked pending successful termination of the contract on that line (And even then, you gotta call.) It has nothing to do with with which filthy whore of a device you have that line stuck into, now.
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Jul 22, 2016 23:02
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Arsten posted:The tablet is locked pending successful termination of the contract on that line (And even then, you gotta call.) It has nothing to do with with which filthy whore of a device you have that line stuck into, now. That makes sense. I'm generally clueless to how cell phone plans work. I just pay my bill every month and keep getting service.
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Jul 22, 2016 23:06
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Josh Lyman posted:I called customer care. They said the IMEI was attached to a different number (my roommate's number) and that they could reset the IMEI history in their system and attach it to my account, but that it would have to be active for 6 months. Assuming they want me to pay for 6 months of GoPhone service, this is obviously not what I want.
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Jul 23, 2016 19:12
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I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 with a damaged charging port. The guy at the Cell Phone Repair told me that this particular model of phone has a waterproof sealwhich prevents access to the usb daughterboard without removing the screen, thus costing as much to replace the screen just for a port repair. I don't have a contract or anything - the phone is a hand-me-down and I'm on the StraightTalk network- so I assume it's not under warranty. How up-the-river-without-a-paddle am I?
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Jul 26, 2016 11:19
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Ezzer posted:I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 with a damaged charging port. The guy at the Cell Phone Repair told me that this particular model of phone has a waterproof sealwhich prevents access to the usb daughterboard without removing the screen, thus costing as much to replace the screen just for a port repair. I don't have a contract or anything - the phone is a hand-me-down and I'm on the StraightTalk network- so I assume it's not under warranty. How up-the-river-without-a-paddle am I? Pretty face up the river. Probably cheaper to just buy a Nexus 5x.
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Jul 26, 2016 11:31
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Wow, that really blows. D: Where's the cheapest place to acquire a phone like that? Should I order one from the internet or head on up to a carrier's store?
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Jul 26, 2016 15:12
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Carrier stores don't carry Nexuses, so that's not an option. Your best option is to buy it from Google Fi and cancel service immediately/after the first month (maybe try it out and see if it works for you!). Second best is to check Amazon/Ebay. They're generally slightly more than you'd pay from Fi, but less effort, I guess.
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Jul 26, 2016 15:16
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I'm staying in a hotel (Extended Stay America) for up to two months while I start my new job and look for a place to buy. While my hotel has the basics the wireless internet sucks; the transfer speed is horrible and while I can put up with it for a few nights for two months I want Skype to actually work and my Xbox One to be able to play games. I have an AT&T plan with my iPhone right now but with many devices that would want faster internet I'd be interested in a 4G modem and router combo with a monthly pay as you go option. Is such a thing available with AT&T? I am fine paying 100 dollars or more a month and figure I need 20-30 GB of data per month. Is a 4G modem the way to go?
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Aug 1, 2016 13:29
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Mr_Angry posted:I'm staying in a hotel (Extended Stay America) for up to two months while I start my new job and look for a place to buy. While my hotel has the basics the wireless internet sucks; the transfer speed is horrible and while I can put up with it for a few nights for two months I want Skype to actually work and my Xbox One to be able to play games. Relying on wireless providers for internet is always going to be a bad deal. Get out of that hotel ASAP.
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Aug 1, 2016 16:34
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Mr_Angry posted:I'm staying in a hotel (Extended Stay America) for up to two months while I start my new job and look for a place to buy. While my hotel has the basics the wireless internet sucks; the transfer speed is horrible and while I can put up with it for a few nights for two months I want Skype to actually work and my Xbox One to be able to play games. No, you're gonna get hammered: https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/gophone-mobile-hotspot.html Any other wireless ISP options in the area?
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Aug 1, 2016 18:01
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Wireless data prices are such bullshit cash cows, drat.
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Aug 1, 2016 18:06
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Mr_Angry posted:I'm staying in a hotel (Extended Stay America) for up to two months while I start my new job and look for a place to buy. While my hotel has the basics the wireless internet sucks; the transfer speed is horrible and while I can put up with it for a few nights for two months I want Skype to actually work and my Xbox One to be able to play games. $100 will only get you $10GB. It would better for you to just up your mobile data and use your phone as a wireless hotspot. Note: either way cell phone data kind of sucks for gaming.
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Aug 1, 2016 20:50
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I just had an issue where my Nexus 5X wasn't getting LTE. My IMEI wasn't provisioned, so I got on chat and had a dude fix it. When I was done, I said "what is the largest courtesy credit you can give me with out having to transfer me? Pretend I'm really upset." Gave me $10 bucks. Guess that's the max they can give.
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Aug 1, 2016 20:57
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Anyone having issues with wifi calling? I just got the Samsung S7 Edge, activated wifi calling, but when I turn it on, it stays connected to the cellular network, not wifi calling. I have one bar and barely any signal, but it won't switch over to wifi calling. I tried rebooting the phone and turning wifi calling on and off, to no avail.
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Aug 10, 2016 04:06
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Anyone know what the discount is for having direct TV and a phone line through att? Would my FAN work with the direct TV stuff?
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Aug 15, 2016 21:11
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grimcreaper posted:Anyone know what the discount is for having direct TV and a phone line through att? Would my FAN work with the direct TV stuff? No idea, but the FAN didn't work on direct TV last I checked. I would be surprised if they started doing that.
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Aug 16, 2016 05:53
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So, new Mobile Share Advantage plans: http://about.att.com/story/att_introduces_mobile_share_advantage.html I'm not really seeing a downside to these, I'm on the 15GB plan now and for $10 less I can get another gig plus no more overage fees?
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Aug 17, 2016 19:19
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Maneki Neko posted:So, new Mobile Share Advantage plans: Looks like the line access fee is $20 across the board for the new plans if you're not on contract, so it would only be a $5 savings.
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Aug 17, 2016 19:51
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nimper posted:Looks like the line access fee is $20 across the board for the new plans if you're not on contract, so it would only be a $5 savings. Plus you can probably get them to give you 20 GB for $100 with the $15 device fee, you may want to do that. I mean unlimited sounds nice but 128k is way, way too low, I wouldn't consider it unless it was more like 500k or 1Mbps. For $5 I can imagine a situation where I would prefer to deal with 128k speed after I blow through 16 gigs instead of just being careful with the remaining 4 gigs.
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Aug 17, 2016 20:21
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