AT&T's open letter to customers explains ETFs

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ATT Open Letter

Yesterday, we mused about AT&T’s adjustment to their ETF pricing as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Late yesterday, AT&T’s PR department decided to put their own spin on the termination fee tweaks with an “Open Letter” to their customers. The open letter confirms that the new ETFs, now $325 for smartphones and $150 for feature phones, will depreciate monthly at a rate of $10 and $4 respectively. We’ve got the full letter queued up for you after the break. Let us know what you think.

An Open Letter to our Valued Customers

May 21, 2010

At AT&T, we work hard every day to provide you with a great wireless experience at competitive prices.

One of the ways we do this is to offer you the industry’s leading wireless handsets below their full retail price when you sign a two-year service agreement. In the event you wish to cancel service before your two-year agreement expires, you agree to pay a prorated early termination fee (ETF) as an alternative way to complete your agreement. Of course, if you prefer not to enter into a term commitment, we offer the same great selection of devices at their full retail price with no term commitment or ETF, as well as prepaid GoPhone options.

We are now making changes that will lower the ETF for many customers who agree to new term commitments, and will increase it for others. Current AT&T wireless customers who are within their two-year consumer service agreement or have an existing enterprise service agreement will see no change to their current terms.

Beginning June 1, 2010, we will reduce the ETF in new and upgrade two-year service agreements for all customers who are buying basic and quick messaging phones. Whether you are new to us or upgrading handsets, the ETF will decrease to $150 from $175, and be reduced by $4 for each month that you remain with us as a customer during the balance of your two-year service agreement. After the term commitment is completed, the ETF will no longer apply.

For customers who enter into new two-year service agreements in connection with the purchase of our more advanced, higher end devices, including netbooks and smartphones, the ETF will increase to $325, and be reduced by $10 for each month that you remain with us as a customer during the balance of your two-year service agreement. After that, the ETF will no longer apply.

Thank you for being an AT&T customer. We hope you enjoy your AT&T wireless device and service. We appreciate your business and we will continue to work hard to earn it.

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115 Comments
  • http://celebrityblackberrysighting@gmail.com Eric W

    Does this mean we can get out of our contract ETF free?

  • Zoe

    $325 feels steep and, not to just do 1/24th is not optimal. If I want to move a bit early and get stuck with a huge charge sucks. Will not make me more likely to stay or come back.

  • red allen

    I don’t know about other states, but i’d like to bitch about the fact that if you buy a phone for $199 (and the retail price is $500), you pay sales taxes on $500, not $199. Total BS!!!!

    • red allen

      In California…

  • Jeff

    Hopefully this means VZW is getting the iPhone and ATT is trying to rip off a few more dollars from the customers they dont provide service to.

  • Tony Miller

    AT&T’s poor customer service is the reason I started looking at the competition last week and decided to go with Sprint. That’s when I found out about this ETF change.

    My iphone contract ends in Aug and my standard phone contract ends Feb of next year.

    Should I use this change to try to get out of my contract or should I ride it out?

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