Smartphones
- Thread starter Denamian
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Joeboo
Molten Core Raider
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Just keep in mind, there are basically no phone subsidies on Framily, but you also aren't on a contract.
If you buy your phone through sprint, they can put your phone on a 2 year/24 month payment plan, that is added onto your Framily bill. For instance, a new Galaxy S5 is $99 down then $22.92 a month for 24 months. Total cost of $650
So you basically have to buy your own phones yourself now, seperate to the Framily pricing, just FYI
The guy at the Sprint store I talked to today told me though that if you have unlimited data on your line (extra $20 a month) that you only pay on phones for 12 months, instead of 24, but same per-month pricing. So that S5 would be $99 down + 22.92 a month for 12 months = $375 total cost. So its a pretty decent deal if you actually need unlimited data. Not really worth paying $20 extra per month just for that phone perk, unless you just like upgrading every single year regardless. You really don't come out ahead much if you are still only upgrading every 2 years.
If you buy your phone through sprint, they can put your phone on a 2 year/24 month payment plan, that is added onto your Framily bill. For instance, a new Galaxy S5 is $99 down then $22.92 a month for 24 months. Total cost of $650
So you basically have to buy your own phones yourself now, seperate to the Framily pricing, just FYI
The guy at the Sprint store I talked to today told me though that if you have unlimited data on your line (extra $20 a month) that you only pay on phones for 12 months, instead of 24, but same per-month pricing. So that S5 would be $99 down + 22.92 a month for 12 months = $375 total cost. So its a pretty decent deal if you actually need unlimited data. Not really worth paying $20 extra per month just for that phone perk, unless you just like upgrading every single year regardless. You really don't come out ahead much if you are still only upgrading every 2 years.
Joeboo
Molten Core Raider
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All that being said, my current 4 phones (1500 shared minutes + unlimited data plan) were $185 a month before fees and taxes(got like a $22 a month corporate"discount" off the normal price) and the 4 phones on Framily are $160. So I save $25 a month but lose my unlimited data. Not sure it's worth it until I need to add more lines. I'm assuming the taxes and fees would be the same either way (about $25 a month currently for 4 phones).
Oh, and the guy at my local Sprint store said data overages can be handled 1 of two ways, you can set the phone to get completely cut off from data once you hit 1GB, or you can let it go into overages, but its $10 per GB that you go over. OBviously you also have the choice to permanently set you cap at 3GB for $10 more or unlimited for $20 more per line. But that adds up quick if you are needing to add it on several phones.
Oh, and the guy at my local Sprint store said data overages can be handled 1 of two ways, you can set the phone to get completely cut off from data once you hit 1GB, or you can let it go into overages, but its $10 per GB that you go over. OBviously you also have the choice to permanently set you cap at 3GB for $10 more or unlimited for $20 more per line. But that adds up quick if you are needing to add it on several phones.
Tarrant
<Prior Amod>
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That last paragraph is a half truth and kinda deceitful when described that way. If you have unlimited you can upgrade after a year to a different device and have what you owe on it wiped clean and a new installment billing is created for the new device.
If you don't upgrade you still have to continue paying on the device until it's paid off.
For a two line plan it's really close on savings, it's just so easy to fill your framily that there is no reason to only ever stay at two lines on the plan in terms of framily discounting.
Joeboo
Molten Core Raider
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Aah, thanks for clarifying that.
I always wonder about the people helping you in the stores. The dude today was sitting there answering & sending texts on his phone the whole time he was helping me at his computer terminal as he looked up various prices. Felt pretty unprofessional, I was wondering if he was telling me everything correctly. He basically had one hand on the mouse and his phone in his other hand typing on it the entire time.
I always wonder about the people helping you in the stores. The dude today was sitting there answering & sending texts on his phone the whole time he was helping me at his computer terminal as he looked up various prices. Felt pretty unprofessional, I was wondering if he was telling me everything correctly. He basically had one hand on the mouse and his phone in his other hand typing on it the entire time.
Vaclav
Bronze Baronet of the Realm
- 12,650
- 877
Depends how often all the units in the package upgrade largely with Framily, joe - if everyone is upgrading every 24 months to a top of the line device, not sure the savings are there. For one like ours - wife did almost 4 years comfortably with hers, 3 with mine and the in-laws have no plans to upgrade out of theirs (at 3 years currently) - it's a bit of savings with Framily vs. contract (I think $4/mo or something - negligible) until Y3+ when it will drop off sharply - with a 7+ person Framily it would become a slam dunk though.
And my thinking is, with how small the upgrades were this generation - got a feeling it's going to be at least comfortable sticking with this generation for 3 at a bare minimum - and past the point the phone is paid off it's obviously a "dreamy" rate. Honestly best case for a bevy of people that use it probably would be to upgrade 2 lines at a time, L1 - Y1-2, L2 - Y2-3, etc. upgrading every 4 years if it is slowing as much as I'm expecting/predicting. Always having 2 paid off and 2 being paid on. [Assuming you're financing - if you're paying it off rate's awesome from the get-go]
And my thinking is, with how small the upgrades were this generation - got a feeling it's going to be at least comfortable sticking with this generation for 3 at a bare minimum - and past the point the phone is paid off it's obviously a "dreamy" rate. Honestly best case for a bevy of people that use it probably would be to upgrade 2 lines at a time, L1 - Y1-2, L2 - Y2-3, etc. upgrading every 4 years if it is slowing as much as I'm expecting/predicting. Always having 2 paid off and 2 being paid on. [Assuming you're financing - if you're paying it off rate's awesome from the get-go]
Vaclav
Bronze Baronet of the Realm
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Depends how aggressive you are about it - I've had 4 straight through since we switched to it. I've never been aggressive about sales though. Always been the "market the item right and it'll sell itself" type, heh.
Frankly, if joe didn't mention seriously considering the Framily plan I probably would've still been lackadaisical about posting it. But for people that are more willing to "network" about it, the savings are potentially huge if you're not chain upgrading to top of the line. [All top of the line is still decent in a full Framily though - $27.09/mo is the most expensive I've seen over there with a $25/mo base rate is still ahead of the old family pricing of $55/line by a smidge - so you'd be almost $3/line ahead even upgrading every single line if you fill it up (note: it's possible there's something more expensive I missed - but M8 being zero down (besides tax) does give it close to the highest balances to pay off even if it's not the max)]
And even being lackadaisical about it I'm sure I'll find 3 more people eventually. Hell, come to think of it - wonder if there's a part of the Sprint forum appropriate for it, probably very easy to soft-sell there.
Tarrant
<Prior Amod>
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Easy and yes.
The max discount stops at 7 but it's nice to get 10 so if one person doesn't pay their bill and they fall off your Framily, you have a buffer and don't lose your max discount.
Vaclav
Bronze Baronet of the Realm
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Two questions, Tarrant:
Had to replace the one phone under TEP (if I'd rushed in day it started fritzing was still in 14 days - alas)... there's a limit of 3 replacements a year and there's supposed to be a deductible on it or something? [I didn't get charged anything at the store though...]
Wife had hers checked out for her reception problems under her insistence, that won't count as anything towards the limits or anything, since it's under the service side, right?
And for the non TEP question: is there a way to merge into another Framily and give up your own? Not seeing the method if so. Or would we have to back completely out to a normal non-Framily to join an existing one with slots?
Had to replace the one phone under TEP (if I'd rushed in day it started fritzing was still in 14 days - alas)... there's a limit of 3 replacements a year and there's supposed to be a deductible on it or something? [I didn't get charged anything at the store though...]
Wife had hers checked out for her reception problems under her insistence, that won't count as anything towards the limits or anything, since it's under the service side, right?
And for the non TEP question: is there a way to merge into another Framily and give up your own? Not seeing the method if so. Or would we have to back completely out to a normal non-Framily to join an existing one with slots?
Tarrant
<Prior Amod>
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If you're within your 14 days they are supposed to just give you a new device out of box right then and there.
With TEP you get two replacements a year for free, they are $25 after that.
If you break your screen or have water damage then it's an insurance claim thoughWelcome to Phoneclaim.comand you pay the deductible there, sometimes they let you apply it to your bill if you've been a customer for a long time.
And no, you can't combine into other Framlies, only new customers can join existing families. One way around that is if you trust someone to pay their bill to you, you can assume responsibility for their line and add it to your account. Also something you can do (I'm not supposed to tell people this) for people who are out of contract and want a new device, port your number to a burner phone and then port back into Sprint and then you could join someone elses Framily that way.
With TEP you get two replacements a year for free, they are $25 after that.
If you break your screen or have water damage then it's an insurance claim thoughWelcome to Phoneclaim.comand you pay the deductible there, sometimes they let you apply it to your bill if you've been a customer for a long time.
And no, you can't combine into other Framlies, only new customers can join existing families. One way around that is if you trust someone to pay their bill to you, you can assume responsibility for their line and add it to your account. Also something you can do (I'm not supposed to tell people this) for people who are out of contract and want a new device, port your number to a burner phone and then port back into Sprint and then you could join someone elses Framily that way.
Vaclav
Bronze Baronet of the Realm
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So I'm guessing for her, since they just verified it's fine on calling just that the tower near the house is sucking (80% capacity or something with no repair on the way because they've not figured out a precise cause yet - "underperforming" - sounds like a small update from the stuff you PMed me earlier - probably between you and others they started looking at it and found enough to be curious I'd think) it shouldn't impact the two a year thing since it's not a replacement, right?
Was giving her grief about "wasting a service call" on it, and if that part truly is unlimited, apparently I owe her an apology on it.
Was giving her grief about "wasting a service call" on it, and if that part truly is unlimited, apparently I owe her an apology on it.
Vaclav
Bronze Baronet of the Realm
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Up to $650 is their quote - up to $300 for the previous phone (my old Galaxy Nexus doesn't even register - the wife's older Nexus S actually holds more value at $13 oddly enough) and up to $350 for "contract breakage costs" - so the sting might be less than just the pittance they're offering for your phone.
[Also note, depending on the phone you might do well selling it to one of those phone buying websites, I've heard of those places sometimes offering $50-100 more than the phone stores themselves, but not tried myself yet (well did pricing with them for the aforementioned phones - was like $11 and $20 respectively I think - better than Sprint's offer, but not enough to be worth my time bothering)]
Siliconemelons
Naxxramas 1.0 Raider
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Am I just being an old codger not wanting to give up my unlimited data? only once did I break 10gig use (by 1.8 gigs) - 10gig is the size plan I would get, and with edge getting a new phone I would be saving 30$ a month, +40$ more a month once I am able to drop my 3rd line.... but that savings of the 3rd line would be the same if I could drop it now on my current plan... I just would be using the new phone I get on EDGE and sell my z10 to offset the ETF on the 3rd line
jeydax
Death and Taxes
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- 941
I got raped in March on my overages with Verizon. I was on a project site for a few days and ended up going over my data so far I got dinged for an extra $40 on my bill.
My plans blows dick though, I need to get that fixed at the end of my contract.