Will Sprint allow for early upgrades?

[andrewcweaver]

With Verizon, I could basically get 2 year pricing whenever I wanted. I was able to manipulate their supervisors, and they would always let me. Does Sprint do this as well? Anyone ever been successful?

 

[Mikey47]

With Verizon, I could basically get 2 year pricing whenever I wanted. I was able to manipulate their supervisors, and they would always let me. Does Sprint do this as well? Anyone ever been successful?

Won't say never, but practically impossible. Sprint now has a program called "Early Upgrade Buyout". Depending upon how long you have got until your upgrade, you pay a fee to br immediately eligible for upgrade pricing.

For me it was $85 to move from December to now (8 months).

 

[KSmithInNY]

My understanding of early upgrades is as follows:

- Any sprint rep, including retail location employees, can move your date up 2 weeks earlier.
- The Account Service Team (used to be called retentions) is the only team who can move it to any date.

Hope that helps.

EDIT - Probably worth adding this because I went this route myself once. Be open minded to, and possibly bring up, creative solutions. Maybe they will agree to bump up your upgrade date and reduce (not eliminate) the ETF to like $50 if you in turn agree to purchase your new device on the spot from the Account service rep during the call. They might go for options like this more often because they can justify to their management that they didnt dismiss the ETF but rather reduced it, but also got a new 2 year agreement which financially is profitable despite subsidizing the phone and reduced ETF.

True story. About a year ago account services bumped my upgrade up by 6 months or so. I didn't threaten to leave or slick talk in any way. I simply asked politely and explained I was going to buy the phone regardless if they subsidized the cost or not, and if they didn't I would just continue out of contract when mine was up in 6 months. The rep realized that I was more valuable in contract and bumped up the date without hesitation. Again no threats or deception and total call was like 5 min.

Cheers!

 

[Hvacmanjc]

I read something yesterday that Sprint is getting rid of all early upgrades in and putting the buyout program in its place. The early upgrade was moved from 6 months to 2 weeks (10 business days) a few months ago. I think it said that when LTE is in place, they are completely doing away with it. Essentially, the buyout program is the same as paying your ETF (early termination fee) but they them allow you to start a new contract.

Sent from my MB855 using Android Central Forums

 

[ajonesma]

From what I read the Early Upgrade Buyout seems to be cheaper then buying the phone at full price! Even at the $165 price range.