Does anybody have experience with early upgrade at 3rd Party Seller (Best Buy/Radio Shack)?

[maerlim]

My official upgrade date at AT&T is May 2nd. HTC's deadline for the $100 "rebate/trade-up" is April 30th. I'm signed up for Best Buy's $50 back when you buy a cell phone deal.

If I want to buy from Best Buy, would they be able to call AT&T for me and get them to let me upgrade a few days early? Could they get them to let me upgrade a couple weeks early so I could get it on the 19th?

I've called AT&T, and the guy I talked to said that he can let me upgrade early because I've been a loyal customer, blah blah, but they aren't taking phone pre-orders for the One. He offered to make a note on my account saying I can upgrade early. He said a corporate store would be able to see the note and let me upgrade early, even pre-order today for release-date. He even said he'd put a note in to waive my upgrade fee. But he couldn't guarantee Best Buy could let me upgrade early.

So, does anybody have experience with this? Can Best Buy handle this situation, or should I take AT&T's offer of the waived upgrade fee ($35) instead of Best Buy's $50 gift card?

 

[prissysox]

Go into BB, after making sure there is a note on your account, and they should be able to call in for you. They want the sale. They usually go out of their way for me. I've bought 8-10 phones from them in the last 2-3 years

Sent from my HTC One X+ using Android Central Forums

 

[maerlim]

I'm starting to think that if I preorder with AT&T, I can get the activation fee waived AND get the free media link HD. And I can either use or ebay the media link.

 

[EggoEspada]

You can definitely give Best Buy a try. I work for Best Buy and the carriers usually work with us in situations like these. Whether the Best Buy you go to will see the note, I'm not sure. But they'll gladly call AT&T and ask them for the okay to pursue getting you an HTC One on launch day.

As far as the activation fee, that's all with AT&T and Best Buy can't waive that -- only AT&T can. BUT, I've personally had lots of luck helping customers get their activation fee waived. Besides, $50 savings upfront is nicer than saving $35 later.

 

[maerlim]

Ooh, you work for Best Buy? Is the $50 a gift card to be used later, or is it a straight $50 off the price of the phone?

 

[Hush Martin]

My upgrade date was 5-9. I called, and after a huge mess and hassle they ended up telling me they couldn't preorder it, but I could in a *corporate* store. Not authorized dealers...I dunno if that's entirely accurate...but whatever. I ended up at the cor store, they called customer care and got the ok to do an early upgrade for me. They also put the link promo on the order. No big deal... once I finally got into a store, that is. I should have it in hand on the 19th at the latest, just like everyone else.

 

[EggoEspada]

Ooh, you work for Best Buy? Is the $50 a gift card to be used later, or is it a straight $50 off the price of the phone?

I'm assuming you mean the "Phone Freedom" promotion? Its a gift card that will be used right away. You only get the $50 if you're upgrading and its going to go towards the phone.

 

[Dramer77]

i got a manager at att to over ride my upgrade (may4) so i could preorder an get the media link and i can do the htc $100 rebate now

 

[lucidlyseen]

if you have any grandfathered deals on your plan now (unlimited LTE, text plans that aren't available anymore) I would stay away from third party sellers. When I got my One X I first went to Radio Shack and they almost (I was about to sign the dotted line) tossed out my unlimited data and my current text plan which you can't get anymore. They could not figure out how to do it, so I went directly to AT&T where everything was salvaged. Maybe just my experience, but from now on I deal with AT&T directly...

 

[EggoEspada]

if you have any grandfathered deals on your plan now (unlimited LTE, text plans that aren't available anymore) I would stay away from third party sellers. When I got my One X I first went to Radio Shack and they almost (I was about to sign the dotted line) tossed out my unlimited data and my current text plan which you can't get anymore. They could not figure out how to do it, so I went directly to AT&T where everything was salvaged. Maybe just my experience, but from now on I deal with AT&T directly...

That's pretty surprising to hear considering at Best Buy we can easily grandfather your AT&T plan. If for some reason our system can't get it through, a simple 5-10min phone call to AT&T easily fixes it.

 

[maerlim]

I walked into the AT&T store today to pre-order and they wouldn't do it. It's apparently up to the individual store manager whether they'll override and upgrade you early and this particular store's manager wouldn't do it. I guess I'll have to hit Best Buy on the way home.

 

[maerlim]

Update: A couple hours later I went to the Best Buy by my work. They refused to even call AT&T to check on the early upgrade. I guess I just work in that part of town where people aren't interested in being helpful. I called AT&T after that, explained my plight, and the guy was super helpful. Despite the first 2 people I talked to on the phone saying they can't do pre-orders over the phone, he offered to do it anyway and even got me a free Media Link HD. Just goes to show once again that if you don't like what somebody at AT&T tells you, talk to somebody else. "I can't" usually means "I don't know how" or "I don't give a damn".

 

[Brynne Garver]

i bought my phone from a best buy mobile store. I received a call a few months ago that I was eligible for an upgrade. When i go online it states I am not eligible and my upgrade date is September 2013. Is there anyway they can do an early upgrade I so hate my current phone?