Switching from AT&T

[acsef]

I'm thinking of switching from my AT&T iPhone 4 to the Verizon GS3. Since I've been on AT&T for a long time and don't have any experience with switching carriers, I have a few questions.

1. Would it be a good idea to preorder the S III or just go into the store to purchase it when it is released? I want to keep my same number, so I'm not sure how preordering would work.
2. Will the S III be in stores ready for purchase on July 9th like when the preorders are shipping? I've heard that they might not be for a while.
3. If I'm not happy with the Verizon service in my area, will I be able to return the S III and go back to AT&T?
4. Will the new data plans affect me as a new customer at all?

These questions might be dumb, so sorry about that.

Thanks though!

 

[seanlongoria]

Coming off an iphone it might be best to wait until it's in the store if you're patient enough. That way you can play with the phone before you buy it.
As a new customer you'll be subject to the newest datatype plans which means a cap on usage. Depending on your timing you might be able to double your data - 4 gigs for the price of 2.
Verizon will give you a trial period - at least two weeks. It might be good to overlap your service - keep at&T while you're testing Verizon. Otherwise you could lose your current contract services with at&T if you cancel and try to resume.

I can't answer the questions about the S 3 availability, I usually opt for phones that I can try in the store first.

Good luck with your decisions and I hope I helped.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Android Central Forums

 

[FishMeetFish]

Whatever you do, DO NOT cancel your AT&T account before you have a working Verizon phone if you want to keep your existing number. Once you have a Verizon phone, call Verizon to have them port your AT&T number over.

 

[kjnangre]

Coming off an iphone it might be best to wait until it's in the store if you're patient enough. That way you can play with the phone before you buy it.
As a new customer you'll be subject to the newest datatype plans which means a cap on usage. Depending on your timing you might be able to double your data - 4 gigs for the price of 2.
Verizon will give you a trial period - at least two weeks. It might be good to overlap your service - keep at&T while you're testing Verizon. Otherwise you could lose your current contract services with at&T if you cancel and try to resume.

I can't answer the questions about the S 3 availability, I usually opt for phones that I can try in the store first.

Good luck with your decisions and I hope I helped.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Android Central Forums

As soon as the phone number transfer goes thru, AT&T will automatically cancel your service. You can't have service without a phone number.

Personally, I would find a friend with Verizon and try out the service in your area first. Switching to Verizon and then switching back to AT&T would be pretty messy

 

[acsef]

As soon as the phone number transfer goes thru, AT&T will automatically cancel your service. You can't have service without a phone number.

Personally, I would find a friend with Verizon and try out the service in your area first. Switching to Verizon and then switching back to AT&T would be pretty messy

I would do that except I live pretty far away from most of my friends. Verizon's coverage map says I'm covered by 3G and right outside of LTE territory, but I don't trust that 100%.

 

[Suntan]

One other thing to keep in mind. If you go beyond your 15 day trial period and then decide VZWs service is not good in your area, they will let you out of your contract without a termination fee (after much contact and diagnosing of cell receiption with VZW customer service) but they will not refund you the cost of the phone.

Although in reality you should be able to sell the GSIII for more than the $200/$250 contract price. But it is still an added hassle.

-Suntan

 

[Jace]

They let you keep the phone at the contract price with no contract? That phone should go for/cost them $500 easy, so that's a strange route for Verizon to take.

One other thing to keep in mind. If you go beyond your 15 day trial period and then decide VZWs service is not good in your area, they will let you out of your contract without a termination fee (after much contact and diagnosing of cell receiption with VZW customer service) but they will not refund you the cost of the phone.

Although in reality you should be able to sell the GSIII for more than the $200/$250 contract price. But it is still an added hassle.

-Suntan

 

[PJnc284]

Most of the time they're not going to let you out anyways. Contract states that they don't guarantee service so lack of service isn't really an excuse to get out etf free.

 

[Suntan]

Most of the time they're not going to let you out anyways. Contract states that they don't guarantee service so lack of service isn't really an excuse to get out etf free.

I'm just relaying info based on the experience of a coworker. He spent the better part of two or three weeks with tech support documenting dropped calls when using his phone at home. After being pressed to buy one of those home wifi signal adapter things, which he declined, they allowed him to cancel his contract and waived ETF.

Although he picked a Droid 2 about a month prior to the Droid 3 being released, I don't think they would have a different policy for phones that are more desireable/current.

-Suntan