Adding a 3rd line on an AT&T Family Plan? Here's how to save!

[csharpwv]

We added a 3rd line to our AT&T family plan today - I need to phone for voice only for work. (Really I needed an additional phone number so I can use that number for work calls, so I don't have to worry about getting work calls on my personal cell phone - work calls are urgent, and I don't often answer every call on my personal phone.... that's what voicemail is for - right?)

Anyway -

I ended up working over, and not realizing that ALL of the AT&T retail stores around where I am working right now close at 8:00pm - not 9:00pm like they do at home.

I REALLY wanted to get the phone number for the new phone to have it to give my Boss in the morning to get my new business cards printed (just started a new job - working remotely, won't have a land line... so all calls on this phone - hence the reason not wanting them on my personal line!).

But with all the stores closed, how in the world could I do it?

I called -

Little did I know, I was doing myself a huge favor by calling!

I got a free phone - and then was given an upgraded free phone, unlimited texting, AND they waived the activation fee (that was $40.00 alone!!!)

All told - the saving will be $10.00 a month (for the free unlimited texting) $145 for the phone upgrade, and the $40.00 activation fee - PLUS free 2 day shipping!

So - if you are an AT&T customer and you have been thinking about adding another line, do it over the phone! Not in a retail store!

The lady on the phone told me that another advantage of doing an upgrade or adding a line over the phone is that you can do a free upgrade to a refurbished phone - and she said you can even do some smart phones for pennies on the dollar! I'm not paying for a data plan on this phone, so I didn't upgrade to a smart phone - but she said that had several very popular refurbished HTC smart phones in stock, and the upgrade would only have been $19.00 for a phone that retails for over $200! She said retail stores rarely have refurbished stock on hand.

So - call in, see what they offer you when you go to upgrade! The lady I spoke with was VERY helpful, and she acted so surprised when I told her that, and thanked her for her very thorough knowledge of the process. She was very proficient and efficient! I think I heard her blush on the phone! HAHA

 

[boswellnakia]

Did it extend your contract on the primary phone?

 

[QuickRewardsBecky]

Thank you VERY much for this information! I'm paying for a prepaid T-Mobile for my daughter but have been considering switching her to be under my AT&T plan with me and my son. I wouldn't pay for her to have texting but if they'll give it to her for free, I'll take it! GREAT info and really appreciated - thank you!

 

[SandrA9810]

Did it extend your contract on the primary phone?

Technically, no. But yes in a way. Each line is it's own 2 year contract, so your primary account number has to be active as long as your other phone line is active. If you cancel your primary at the end of the contract, and there's still 6 months left on your other line, you'll pay a cancellation fee for the other line. But you can separate out a line to it's own contract.


Ex: Line 1 and 2 open 2009
Line 3 open 2010
Line 4 open mid 2010

If you want to cancel the primary line in 2011, Line 3 and 4 can go onto it's own contract, without extending it. They'll still expire 2 years from it's opening date.

If you never upgrade your phone, you're technically on a month to month basis. You can cancel any time. Each time you get a new phone for a line, it extends that phone line out for another 2 years. So if you keep all the lines on one contract, in mid 2012 you can cancel the whole contract without a penalty, as long as you don't upgrade.


I've also found calling or ordering online is much much easier for upgrades, and a bigger selection of phones to choose from. And when you're on the phone, you can ask for freebies or if there's any promos available to you. When you do it online, you have to search for that information, or might never know about it.

 

[jel0511]

Did it extend your contract on the primary phone?

No you don't. The contract for the additional line is for two more years, but the original line can leave at any time if needed. All the cell company will do is make one of the remaining lines the new primary line so there won't be any early cancelation fees. We did this when DH broke a phone and the only way to get him a new phone was to add another line. He kept the new number and when we could we cancelled the original line and just made my line the primary.