If consumers paid out of pocket for their phones then they would be more picky about upgrading and plan prices. It would also make upselling shitty plan features harder so the carriers would loose a lot of money.
Then I tell them they'd be better served by switching to an MVNO offering significantly better rates and they come back and tell me they're locked in for a while because they just financed new devices.
I'm souring on the ways we create systems where you have to be super savvy and walk on eggshells with how you use the service and utter the right incantations or else you get hosed.
AT&T’s prepaid plans start at is 25$/month for unlimited calls & text, “Unlimited” data (After 16GB it degrades to 1.5mbps) + 10Gb tethering. Meanwhile their cheapest regular plan is 50$/month for worse service (4GB data).
Sure they don’t offer the best plans prepaid, but that’s basic price discrimination.
With a prepaid plan, you credit the operator, because you pay upfront, and the service is rendered after it, and ceases if your balance goes below zero.
With regular plans, the operator credits you, and you can be late with your payment for many days before the operator ceases servicing you.
So it's a month worth if credit, plus a different risk profile.
Also, it's market segmentation: the prepaid plan is the gateway drug %)
These systems rely on intentionally leaving people in the dark to manufacture legitimacy under the guise that well-educated consumers can avoid the hidden fees and restrictions. It's the expected end state when these shady schemes are allowed to exist.
Never again.
I had three free phones, service for 3 lines was 120$/mo. Phones were paid for up front and got ~60$ off each that in bill credits for 24 months.
The math came out exactly right
I’m switching over to Lucky when I have the mindspace to do it.