In case you don't live in California where early termination fees are "illegal", this guy has a fool proof way to get out of your phone plan (and possibly into a iPhone plan with AT&T?).
I don't know why people don't just say they are moving out of the country. This has worked (legitimately) for me... twice. Goog luck!
This is exactly how I was released from my Verizon agreement (3 lines) several months ago without paying over $400 in ETF. I first tried to tell them that I was moving out of the country (which was true!), as you mention above, but they wouldn't waive the fee for that reason. But the "material adverse affect" argument worked -- but it took three phone calls and being firm but polite. Good luck, and be persistent!
3 Years ago I moved to Japan. I called Cingular(now at&t) and told them I was moving. They required a formal job offer letter(which I didn't have and couldn't get) and/or an apartment least in my name(which was not possible as my new apartment in Japan would not directly rent to a non-Japanese person). In the end I had to just say goodbye and let them send my account to collections. Maybe they changed after changing to at&t, but now that I am moving back to the US with bad credit I will have to stick to prepaid I guess. Thanks a lot Cingular.
truthfully your bad credit in this situation is your fault. you could have asked your apartment manager to show proof of your sublet. you could have sent them pay stubs from japan, you could have asked your manager to write a letter on company letterhead from japan that you were working there. or if you were not going to do that, then you could have just continued to pay your bill as you knew you were still under contract. you let them send your account to collections, and therefore none of this is cingular's fault, truth is you were just too lazy to go through the effort and now you have poor credit.
Well, try reading a little more closely. First I didn't have a job there for 2 months, so asking a manager for anything was out of the question. Second I never said I had a sublet, and I didn't. The apartment was not in my name whatsoever. Add to this that anything I could have gotten would have been in Japanese and I was told this was not acceptable by Cingular. Also try paying bills from a country that has no system of using personal bank checks. Cingular actually said that since I could roam internationally, then I was technically still in a service area. Oh and keep your personal judgments about whether I am lazy or not to yourself. You don't know me, or anything else about me. I guess judging someone by one post on the internet would make you an asshole.
welcome to the internet, bub. if you're that sensitive, you might want to think twice before putting yourself out there again. calling somebody YOU don't know an asshole sort of makes you the asshole.
When the iphone eventually goes to more than one carrier, it looks like you would be able to do the same thing to get out of AT&T:
CHANGES TO TERMS AND RATES
We may change any terms, conditions, rates, fees, expenses, or charges regarding your service at any time. We will provide you with notice of such changes (other than changes to governmental fees, proportional charges for governmental mandates, roaming rates or administrative charges) either in your monthly bill or separately. You understand and agree that State and Federal Universal Service fees and other governmentally imposed fees, whether or not assessed directly upon you, may be increased based upon the government's or our calculations. IF WE INCREASE THE PRICE OF ANY OF THE SERVICES TO WHICH YOU SUBSCRIBE, BEYOND THE LIMITS SET FORTH IN YOUR RATE PLAN BROCHURE, OR IF WE MATERIALLY DECREASE THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA IN WHICH YOUR AIRTIME RATE APPLIES (OTHER THAN A TEMPORARY DECREASE FOR REPAIRS OR MAINTENANCE), WE WILL DISCLOSE THE CHANGE AT LEAST ONE BILLING CYCLE IN ADVANCE (EITHER THROUGH A NOTICE WITH YOUR BILL, A TEXT MESSAGE TO YOUR DEVICE, OR OTHERWISE), AND YOU MAY TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT WITHOUT PAYING AN EARLY TERMINATION FEE OR RETURNING OR PAYING FOR ANY PROMOTIONAL ITEMS, PROVIDED YOUR NOTICE OF TERMINATION IS DELIVERED TO US WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE FIRST BILL REFLECTING THE CHANGE. If you lose your eligibility for a particular rate plan, we may change your rate plan to one for which you qualify.
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This is exactly how I was
This is exactly how I was released from my Verizon agreement (3 lines) several months ago without paying over $400 in ETF. I first tried to tell them that I was moving out of the country (which was true!), as you mention above, but they wouldn't waive the fee for that reason. But the "material adverse affect" argument worked -- but it took three phone calls and being firm but polite. Good luck, and be persistent!
Moving out of the country
3 Years ago I moved to Japan. I called Cingular(now at&t) and told them I was moving. They required a formal job offer letter(which I didn't have and couldn't get) and/or an apartment least in my name(which was not possible as my new apartment in Japan would not directly rent to a non-Japanese person). In the end I had to just say goodbye and let them send my account to collections. Maybe they changed after changing to at&t, but now that I am moving back to the US with bad credit I will have to stick to prepaid I guess. Thanks a lot Cingular.
truthfully your bad credit in
truthfully your bad credit in this situation is your fault. you could have asked your apartment manager to show proof of your sublet. you could have sent them pay stubs from japan, you could have asked your manager to write a letter on company letterhead from japan that you were working there. or if you were not going to do that, then you could have just continued to pay your bill as you knew you were still under contract. you let them send your account to collections, and therefore none of this is cingular's fault, truth is you were just too lazy to go through the effort and now you have poor credit.
Try actually reading the whole post
Well, try reading a little more closely. First I didn't have a job there for 2 months, so asking a manager for anything was out of the question. Second I never said I had a sublet, and I didn't. The apartment was not in my name whatsoever. Add to this that anything I could have gotten would have been in Japanese and I was told this was not acceptable by Cingular. Also try paying bills from a country that has no system of using personal bank checks. Cingular actually said that since I could roam internationally, then I was technically still in a service area. Oh and keep your personal judgments about whether I am lazy or not to yourself. You don't know me, or anything else about me. I guess judging someone by one post on the internet would make you an asshole.
settle down
welcome to the internet, bub. if you're that sensitive, you might want to think twice before putting yourself out there again. calling somebody YOU don't know an asshole sort of makes you the asshole.
you are both pussies
you are both pussies
they are both assholes
they are both assholes
When the iphone eventually goes to more than one carrier...
When the iphone eventually goes to more than one carrier, it looks like you would be able to do the same thing to get out of AT&T:
CHANGES TO TERMS AND RATES
We may change any terms, conditions, rates, fees, expenses, or charges regarding your service at any time. We will provide you with notice of such changes (other than changes to governmental fees, proportional charges for governmental mandates, roaming rates or administrative charges) either in your monthly bill or separately. You understand and agree that State and Federal Universal Service fees and other governmentally imposed fees, whether or not assessed directly upon you, may be increased based upon the government's or our calculations. IF WE INCREASE THE PRICE OF ANY OF THE SERVICES TO WHICH YOU SUBSCRIBE, BEYOND THE LIMITS SET FORTH IN YOUR RATE PLAN BROCHURE, OR IF WE MATERIALLY DECREASE THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA IN WHICH YOUR AIRTIME RATE APPLIES (OTHER THAN A TEMPORARY DECREASE FOR REPAIRS OR MAINTENANCE), WE WILL DISCLOSE THE CHANGE AT LEAST ONE BILLING CYCLE IN ADVANCE (EITHER THROUGH A NOTICE WITH YOUR BILL, A TEXT MESSAGE TO YOUR DEVICE, OR OTHERWISE), AND YOU MAY TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT WITHOUT PAYING AN EARLY TERMINATION FEE OR RETURNING OR PAYING FOR ANY PROMOTIONAL ITEMS, PROVIDED YOUR NOTICE OF TERMINATION IS DELIVERED TO US WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE FIRST BILL REFLECTING THE CHANGE. If you lose your eligibility for a particular rate plan, we may change your rate plan to one for which you qualify.