If you're over 55 and looking into AT&T’s famously budget-friendly “55+” phone plan, don’t be surprised if a rep suggests you add more than you need.
According to PhoneArena, staff at AT&T stores have begun reporting that corporate policy now encourages them to only offer the discounted senior plan when customers also sign up for an additional phone line or AT&T internet service.
This directive appears to have spread nationwide. Multiple retail employees shared on Reddit that managers were told to withhold the 55+ offering unless someone also commits to new services. One rep from Florida even said they'd been told the practice was a “downgrade” that hurt the store’s commission numbers.
For those who aren’t familiar, the plan usually costs about $60 for one line (or $55 per line on two lines). With current promos, it drops to $40 for one or $35 each for two. You get unlimited talk, text, and data across the US, Canada, and Mexico, plus 10 GB of hotspot per line, SD video streaming, and even AT&T's ActiveArmor security app.
However, if signing up for just one discounted line now requires adding fiber internet or another phone line, the true cost (and value) changes quickly. Reddit users suggested AT&T hadn’t expected such high enrollment rates, and the lost revenue prompted a push to bundle in extras.
It's worth noting that not every AT&T location is following this approach. Some employees say they're still free to sell the 55+ plan on its own. But anyone looking to switch should be alert: a salesperson might subtly push a more expensive bundle even if you didn’t ask for it.
This isn’t just an AT&T issue. Upselling is common across all major carriers, as the comments on the report remind us. That measly extra service could creep onto your bill without you noticing. The takeaway? Ask for exactly what you want, verify it’s reflected before you sign anything, and watch that final monthly charge.
Source: PhoneArena
