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I have AT&T and they quoted me $500 dollars higher than my last Phone the 6. 8th was the last deal date for contracts. Basically one way or another they want $850..
All these phone company stocks are going down as people upgrade half or less as much as before IMO.

Were you on the NEXT program or on contract? If you were on NEXT, they would not have quoted you a price like that. I was on the NEXT Program, took my iPhone 6 in, gave it back to them, and walked out with my new iPhone 6s. My payments did not change. Done.

Image grabbed January 8, 2016, 12:12AM from AT&T Website.

The current NEXT minimum monthly pricing of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus on AT&T

So, if you had been on the NEXT program you could have upgrade at a reasonable price instead of having to pay an early termination fee, which you agreed to do when you signed the two year contract when you paid your downpayment for paying full RETAIL for your iPhone 6. . . which is what you did. You did not "buy" your iPhone 6 for $199 or $299. That was merely the downpayment on the phone. The contract specified if you terminated the contract early, you had to pay it off.

You could have paid the difference, kept the iPhone 6, had them unlock it as it would now be yours free and clear, and sold it on eBay where 16GB models are going for anywhere from $400 to $550 depending on condition.

I was off contract and have been with them since they were PacBell +18-20 years ago when they only had beepers.
A while ago I called the retention department because I wanted to go to a data plan.
They matched the Verizon loyalty plan cost of $60. So I have at least gig of data with up to an additional 3 gig of roll over data. I think they call it share.
Through the company I got the prior IPhone 6 for $399 total price.

Before the 8th I was offered at most $499 up front with a raise in service cosy of $15 a month for 24 months. Basically $850 for the iPhone 6+ 128.
Do I have something wrong or do I get a better deal elsewhere?

The Next plan (or Verizon’s version) is a financing plan that is actually funded by 3rd party lender. If you pay out the full financed contract - you have essentially paid the full retail price for the device over that time.

But also with this plan - you have an early “termination” date where you can just turn the phone back in and upgrade, often (as Swordmaker posted) at the same cost. At that rate, it is much like leasing.

If you figure the higher cost associated with plans using the “free” or otherwise subsidized plans/phones over the locked-in contract months - it really works out to be not much different in the long-run. At least with the Next plan - I’m not really under a contract - I can end my service at any time (though I will have to continue to pay the finance contract on the phone/device).