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Buy iPhone 3Gs in the US without Social Security-number?

E

egilaslak

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 10, 2007
13
0
[SOLVED]

Hi there!
I'm an international student that need an american phone number. And I want to buy an iPhone. The problem is that I don't have a social securitynumber, wich you supposedly need in order to buy an iPhone. Is there any was of coming around this?

(Without buying a hacked one at ebay and having to mess around with jailbreak an all that.)
 
Well if you buy one jailbroken. When you get it you can always do a restore on it. That will then restore it without the jailbreak.
 
I think California is one of the only states that doesn't require a social security number to get a cellphone.
 
I am assuming you have a Visa or some thing else they could run. That may be all they need. Just go to the store and ask
 
bobthecat23 said:
I think California is one of the only states that doesn't require a social security number to get a cellphone.
Click to expand...

I'm in NY and work indirectly for Verizon and if you bitch and moan enough to them, they will sign you up without a SSN.
 
Just go and buy contract free unsubsidized priced iphone 3gs and then grab a Tmobile togo card. That's it! :cool:
 
egilaslak said:
Hi there!
I'm an international student that need an american phone number. And I want to buy an iPhone. The problem is that I don't have a social securitynumber, wich you supposedly need in order to buy an iPhone. Is there any was of coming around this?

(Without buying a hacked one at ebay and having to mess around with jailbreak an all that.)
Click to expand...

It's complicated and requires a letter from your college's International Office. (I know because I am an international student also). You do that if you don't have a SSN. You might also have to leave a deposit with them.

However, if you get a student working position in your college, you can apply for a SSN and the Social Security Office will give you one. This way you can pay taxes on your income.

However, because its a new SSN, you will have no credit. That means that when AT&T runs a credit check, you will have to leave some amount of deposit. [I left $150, but I have heard of deposits going as high as $500] You get that deposit back after a year of being with AT&T and having paid all your bills.

Hope it helps.
 
Hi there, and thanks for many good suggestions. Unbelievable that it's so difficult to get this phone, but here's some more facts. I'm only staying this semester, and leaving a deposit sounds a bit messy.

I live in Berkeley, California, and the best would just to get a unsubsidized iPhone that would be guaranteed to work with 3G, GPS, etc. Would that work if I ordered some iPhone off eBay? There is an activation prosess involved, and that's the one I'm most worried about.
 
its not hard to get this phone.. walk into an apple store and pay $600 or $700 depending on the GB size you want and it will work just fine.
 
The Apple Store wasn't really keen so sell me one, so they sendt me to AT&T. Which said I should buy it online, and then get a AT&T service. Then I vent to Verizon that told me they did not have SIM-cards _at all_, and that I should choose T-mobile instead, since they are cheaper. So now I'm looking for an unlocked iPhone 32GBs. Or is it easy to unlock? And get it registered with this iTunes-registration?
 
Anyone? Especially wondering about the iTunes-activation here. That seems iffy if you have an unlocked iPhone, doesen't it?
 
I tried, but they said it wasn't possible. But if you confirm it, it's probably just complicated for them. Do you know what kind of letter I should ask my International Department for?
 
egilaslak said:
I tried, but they said it wasn't possible. But if you confirm it, it's probably just complicated for them. Do you know what kind of letter I should ask my International Department for?
Click to expand...

A letter that says you are an International Student in the US and don't have a Social Security Number. Also, the letter has to say that you are the person and that the University has records of you. Showing AT&T your college ID is a good idea. Basically that's it.
 
Have you talked to a manager at the AT&T store? I've found that often what people on the sales floor tell me is impossible is really just something they don't know how to do.
 
egilaslak said:
Hi there!
I'm an international student that need an american phone number. And I want to buy an iPhone. The problem is that I don't have a social securitynumber, wich you supposedly need in order to buy an iPhone. Is there any was of coming around this?

(Without buying a hacked one at ebay and having to mess around with jailbreak an all that.)
Click to expand...

You can sign up, but you need to pay a deposit. Usually it's $500; this deposit is not credited when you pay bills or anything. It is simply returned to you in the form of check after 1 year into your contract.

Even in this scenario, you can buy at the $199/$299 price points.
 
Solved

Solved!
Today I went to a different AT&T-store (The one in Berkeley) and he set me up right away. I said I had all papers neccessary (wich I did) but I only had to show my passport. Paid a $500 deposit, of wich I will lose 175 as I do not return the phone. It's apparantly important who's helping you in the shop.
 
1 year contract?

egilaslak,

What options did AT&T give you regarding binding times? I'm an international student moving to San Diego next week, and I'd like to get an iPhone with a contract. I will be staying one year, but as I've understood it you can only get the iPhone with a 2 year contract? What did you get?

Thanks
 
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