How to Walk Away From Your Contract with AT&T To Get a Verizon Iphone

Yes, it is finally true, Apple’s exclusive deal with AT&T is over, and the Iphone will now be available from Verizon.  Verizon is widely believed to be a much more reliable carrier (though, some question whether the Iphone will test Verizon’s system).  

What if you already have an AT&T iphone and you want to walk away from the contract so you can get a Verizon Iphone?  (The hardware in the phones are slightly different, so you cannot use your AT&T phone on the Verizon network).

The folks at LifeHacker have posted a how-to guide— that is, how-to efficiently breach your AT&T contract.  They discuss (1)  how to figure out the early termination fee owed to AT&T (here’s an ETF calculator) and then (2) how to eliminate or avoid that cost by, among other suggestions, reselling your old phone.  The advice is quite entertaining — with suggestions such as attempting to negotiate out of the early termination fee (described for some reason as “unethical”), challenging formation based on unilateral amendments, or assignment/novation. 

[Meredith R. Miller]