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Some AT&T Partners to Cease Selling Contracts

May 19, 2015, 4:21 PM by Eric M. Zeman
updated May 19, 2015, 4:27 PM

AT&T today said some of its retailer partners are going to offer only AT&T Next plans beginning June 1. These retailers, like Walmart, may have national footprints, but the change is only being made in some locations that AT&T would not name. AT&T itself will continue to offer contracts at company-owned stores, as well as via its web site, telesales, and most other third-party retailers. "We regularly consider any number of offers that might appeal to our customers," said an AT&T spokesperson to Phone Scoop, "but [we] can share that two year contracts remain a part of our portfolio of offerings." AT&T said it believes customers prefer to have choice. While many of its customers are moving to AT&T Next plans — which break up device payments over time — some of its customers still want subsidized handsets and don't mind signing contracts to get them. The change being made by some of AT&T's retail partners does not represent a change in strategy for AT&T. AT&T Next plans are the carrier's response to T-Mobile's Simple Choice plans, which forgo contracts and also break up device payments over time. Sprint and Verizon have their own device payment plans, too. The device payment plans have become popular with consumers because they don't require contracts and often allow people to upgrade to new phones at a faster rate.

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source: AT&T

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Comments

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This forum is closed.

thebriang

May 20, 2015, 12:31 PM

Contracts will never go away...

Although carriers do make more money selling phones on installment plans. People on installment payment actually pay more for phones than they would with a contractual $200 subsidy pricing, and they usually get tricked into trading in their old phone as well for pennies on the dollar. If you get into a plan where you have to trade in your old device you are paying them for to lease a handset, which isn't always a bad thing but lets be honest about it.
And the carriers might pump the freedom talk to anyone that will listen but when you talk to them on the phone, they are all about renewing your contract or getting you into one, because they are in the business of making money.
Contracts make more money for the carrier and if you dont pay...
(continues)

arox413

Right about that as well as there are a ton of people out there with poor credit that will never qualify for a next plan which leaves them in the dark.

netboy

May 20, 2015, 5:53 AM

so. it' true..

my coworker told me about this,
i thought her husband thinks she' dumb so he lies to her.
maybe he' the one that want to get the Next plan.

her husband works at bestbuy.
she said att dont offer contract plan anymore, only Next plan.

T Bone

Most customers are better off under a NEXT plan anyway. I know that I am never going to sign another contract unless I have absolutely no choice.

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