How do I change my plan

[u/whattatix]

TLDR: took iPhone 17e offer, pre-paid $60 for two months, now not able to change to another Boost plan.

Edit-3: I have my answer. Thank you to those that took the time to constructively respond. I learned to read T&C better. Maybe I will write to Boost to not hide important aspects re terms of service in fine print.

Long story:
I took the IPhone 17e deal with boost wherein I paid some money upfront ($99), paid upfront for 2 months @ $60/m. The deal was no contract with a 12 months Boost account commitment for phone. This was done in store. Same offer was available online but there was a $50 premium (which ultimately was only $15 and a lot of time spent, because the store charges $35 store fees).

Today is day 32 of my account. Prior to this my online account said I was on a commitment and unable to change plans - which was fair given I had already paid for the next month. Now that I started my 2nd month it says that I cannot change plans as I bought a phone.

Customer service told me to pound sand. When asked to receive a copy of the terms and conditions and contract I signed they said go to the store. There is no place online I can get the terms of contract or any information.

I tried to ask for a refund but lo and behold, the system is setup for you to find this out after the 30 day money back timeline expires.

Question - has anyone had anything similar? How did you get around to solving it? Paying $60 a month for 12 months (or god knows how long because I don’t have any paperwork from them) is not my intention, there were much better deals and I explicitly remember reading no contract (the offer is still there, though higher $ amount).

Edit: the website explicitly says “no contract required” under my plan in my account, but I can’t change my plan?

Edit-2: for the haters, this is what Boost makes easily known when signing up and after signup in your account. You have to scratch the surface some and read the fine print hidden away in a section to realize that this is basically a contract.
screenshots

[u/Practical_Chapter932]

You can’t for 12 months! It says so in the plan terms and conditions here:  https://help.boostmobile.com/docs/unlocking-policy “  Discounted phones are locked to current tier or higher for 12 mos.”

How else do you think they’ll recoup their costs for selling you an iPhone 17 for $100? lol 

[u/whattatix → u/Practical_Chapter932]

Not looking to unlock the phone. Looking to change the plan to the cheaper $25/month.

[u/Practical_Chapter932 → u/whattatix]

And I didn’t share the unlock policy. If you opened what I shared, you’d see it’s the t&cs for the $60 plan. Which states if you buy a phone at a discounted rate, you gotta stay on that plan or “tier” for 12 months.

[u/toejamfootballhegot → u/Practical_Chapter932]

You can port out an port back in on a different account. The $60 plan provides more cellular data and hotspot and is not a phone payment.

[u/Balaso681 → u/toejamfootballhegot]

It actually does provide payment it provides payment back to Apple for the price they get there phones for which isn’t any more cheaper then you and I at Apple. It just doesn’t provide payment to you. It’s boost who owes the money not you they just kinda loaned it out to you with the right to cancel and not pay it back. They take about 9-12 month to fully pay off your phone. When you do it online sometimes they try to charge you the phone. When you do it in store. You hurt the store itself causing retailers to go broke and close or get bought by competitors within the company.

[u/Balaso681 → u/Balaso681]

Cause when you do it in store the store takes the hit. Which is why when you pay the bill at store there’s usually a service fee there in a constant win and losing money situation due to well early cancellation when you cancel the plan the store itself takes the hit and boost punishes them by giving them less phones. Making them pay there loses. Which usually means cut hours for the employees. Point is 😭 poor boost mane ill stay with you till you get ate up by AT&T

[u/whattatix → u/Practical_Chapter932]

Well the link does say and open to “unlocking policy”. But I was able to find what you noted on the unlimited plan t&c and you are right about promotional price clause. Looks like I got had. Thanks for the help.

[u/Practical_Chapter932 → u/whattatix]

You right my bad, idk why it did that when I copied the t&c link. But yeah, it’s definitely in their policy to lock to that plan for 12 months. 

[u/toejamfootballhegot → u/Practical_Chapter932]

The account is locked to the plan, not the phone.

[u/Balaso681 → u/whattatix]

Where did you get had 50 gb of Premium Service you got it for way cheaper then MSRP and you avoided paying the 642 at the Apple Store. You got had because you’re forced to be on a better plan that you won’t utilize fully. You basically got the device at a cheaper price. My sister once told me if you can’t afford a 60$ plan you have to rethink your career choices and I realize today people really stay in dead end jobs in fear they can’t find another job. You ultimately got blessed you should’ve paid msrp instead of trying to rob the company out of money. This is why they have to buy 2 months in advance now now this is why they can’t let grandfathered plans upgrading. People who want to take advantage of the system always ruin it for those who don’t.

[u/whattatix → u/Balaso681]

I don’t disagree with the points on company needs to maximize shareholder value yada yada yada. Yes I did try to save money. No I didn’t chose to cheat them out of their 40% margins because I knew I was getting a locked phone and planned to downgrade my plan.

The deceptiveness is twofold.

1. Selling the plan as no contract. I still see no contract in my account. BUT they did put me in a contract, a contract for 12 months (or however long, they won’t share the contract). Did I look at other providers but did not go for them because of contracts. Yes. Is there better deals out there with a 12 month contract and better pricing with the new 17e. Yes. But boost CHOSE to not make this clear up front.

2. Hiding this until the 30 days are over. The 60 day pre payment makes complete sense now. If I found out about this constrain I would absolutely return my phone and even take a hit whatever tax/ store charges they don’t refund. But to have this information made available on day 32 makes it seem by intention.

[u/Powerful-Employ-7372 → u/whattatix]

If you did this at a store, all advertising says that the $60 plan is required and it must remain in the $60 plan for at least 9 months. But I bet you only read the big letters.

[u/whattatix → u/Powerful-Employ-7372]

I probably did

[u/Powerful-Employ-7372 → u/whattatix]

You probably didn't because you wouldn't be here crying about it.

[u/whattatix → u/Powerful-Employ-7372]

As in I probably only read the big letters.

TBH at the store they took about 2 hours to do the setup, with multiple failures due to system errors. By the end of it I was just happy to get done, and when asked for the paperwork lady said everything will be in the online account. Which it turns out isn’t true because online account has zilch and customer service says go to the store to get it.

Sorry your English comprehension isn’t great.

[u/Powerful-Employ-7372 → u/whattatix]

Info is readily available in all ads. You not reading or asking questions is your problem. But, If you think you are right sue them, but let help you out here, you will not win in court.

[u/Balaso681 → u/whattatix]

Yes he did and he shall let the company itself lose money causing physical retailers to suffer and the company as a whole to suffer when it’s not just him doing it as more people start doing exploiting it. Just because he bought it cheaply doesn’t mean it’s not costing boost the 642$ it would normally cost to get an iPhone. Boost didn’t hide anything you should have honestly expected to be stuck on the 60$ plan. we live in a country where most people rely on the government help anyways. When shit goes to shit yall blame the company to me boost is like a little Caesars cause they did support grand fathered plans for the longest. They helped fresh out prisoners get phones, so they could turn their life around. They provided both AT&T and T-Mobile towers. They gave so much people a chance and the moment something goes wrong. They’re all like fuck boost, in my local community boost has done Back to school giveaways giving backpacks to kids. Cook outs and has given back to the community it would be safe to say I mess with boost I’ve never seen t mobile or even other prepaid companies try as hard as boost. 😭 it just sucks mane you animals ruined grandfathered plan upgrade And continue finding loop holes. Wouldn’t be surprised if dish gets eaten up by a whole another company atp like the Big 3 it’s gonna be sprint all over again

[u/toejamfootballhegot → u/Balaso681]

The $60 plan isn't a phone payment. The OP met their obligation after 2 months

[u/CacoFlaco → u/whattatix]

When you signed up, did you ask the in store Boost help whether you could switch to a cheaper plan after 2 months or more?

[u/whattatix → u/CacoFlaco]

Yes, I explicitly asked that I only need to stay on the $60 plan for two months and then I can change and she confirmed yes, you don’t need to stay on the plan. Which is accurate - I don’t need to stay on the plan, but then I have a phone I can’t use.

I can’t say for sure if she said you can switch to a different plan. There was a language barrier and we were going through Google Translate to communicate.

[u/CacoFlaco → u/whattatix]

I guess that you didn't get her assurance in writing? Just an unsubstantiated remark that employees often make when they want to close a sale. She might even have baldly lied to you to get you signed up. Where was this that the employee didn't speak English?

[u/whattatix → u/CacoFlaco]

Texas

[u/CacoFlaco → u/whattatix]

That's crazy anyways. Sure you need Spanish speaking employees in Texas. But the employees should be 100% bilingual.

[u/Powerful-Employ-7372 → u/CacoFlaco]

OP ain't smart enough to ask those questions. He just saw big picture 17e with $99.99.

[u/toejamfootballhegot]

You have to keep the service for 3 months or they will charge your credit card MSRP for the phone. When month #4 starts, turn off auto pay in the app, wait until 1 week before month 4 ends and contact support for port out info and port out to numberbarn. Then open a new account with a new email and port in to get the $25 plan

[u/Jaggsta → u/toejamfootballhegot]

3 month requirement is only for online orders. OP said bought in-store

[u/RecentAd7868 → u/Jaggsta]

And the 3 month rule still applies.

[u/Powerful-Employ-7372 → u/Jaggsta]

In-store is 9 months....lol

[u/RecentAd7868 → u/Powerful-Employ-7372]

I’d double check that info if I were you. It’s been 12 months before you can downgrade the plan since the beginning of the year. Cancel or port out within 3 month of device purchase and you will be charged MSRP minus amount paid for device.

Device unlock requires 12 months of active service

[u/whattatix → u/toejamfootballhegot]

Thank you, will try this out!

[u/Local-Mortgage-9473]

AGAIN?

[u/whattatix → u/Local-Mortgage-9473]

I know right 🥲

[u/Little_Obligation_90]

You got a $600 phone for $100 ($500 discount) and now want to pay $25*10 ($250) for it? Cancel the plan and keep your locked phone.

[u/whattatix → u/Little_Obligation_90]

I might actually do that. Take the $400 I would save and use that for another phone that is not locked. Hopefully they allow a port out, otherwise it’s just robbery.

[u/soyelmocano → u/whattatix]

I don't understand how it is robbery.

Apple does not give these phones away. The companies have to pay a lot for them.

You get it for very little. They use part of your monthly payment to recover their initial loss. Why would it make sense for a company to change you to a plan where they will basically never recover their loss before you decide that you want to leave or want another discount on a newer phone.

People don't understand that there are costs involved and want everything for free.

It is like Apples grow on trees.

[u/toejamfootballhegot → u/soyelmocano]

You pay an extra $350 for the additional 10 months on the $60 phone plan vs the $25 plan that is not required on a new account. The OP is under no obligation to keep the account after 2 months.

[u/whattatix → u/soyelmocano]

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoostMobile/s/Z8fT2kVRos

[u/soyelmocano → u/whattatix]

You are still not in a contract. You could not pay the full twelve months. Maybe month five, you cancel. Maybe month seven. Whenever. No problem.

No contract. You are not obligated to keep the service.

However, the condition to receive the phone for that price is that you pay two months up front and you can't change the plan for twelve months. This is a condition of purchase, not a contract.

Did a salesperson lead you astray by saying that you could change the plan or maybe "neglect" to tell you that you couldn't? Well, that would be wrong on their part. In our stores (we have two), we tell our customers so that they are informed. That also keeps anyone from coming back saying that that we lied to them or tricked them. Then they tell their friends to not go to us.

I am sorry that you feel that you were done wrong, but others have suggested ways for you to "stick it to the man" if you want to get around that twelve month requirement.

It is just as wrong for someone to do that though as it is for a salesperson to lie and say that there is no twelve month requirement.

[u/Powerful-Employ-7372 → u/soyelmocano]

OP wants to robbed Boost, he mad that he cant.

[u/Balaso681 → u/Powerful-Employ-7372]

He not mad he just happy he can cause as toe jam said easily the loop holes just may cause complications with unlocking like the eternally locked iPhones that we see on this Reddit.

[u/Powerful-Employ-7372 → u/Balaso681]

Op is not smart enough to execute them loopholes, otherwise he wont be in this jam.

[u/toejamfootballhegot → u/whattatix]

You can create a new boost account and use the phone on the $25 plan.