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Get a normal $59 line then cancel and have iPhone activated?

I

iPhonePhan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 26, 2007
173
0
Apple FanBoy Land
Since I am running into problems trying to get the iPhone to work with a Pay-As-You-Go-Plan, I was wondering....

Could I simply open up a normal basic line then cancel the service within the 3-day grace window via at&t over the phone? Do I need to return the iPhone or can I just cancel over the phone and then keep my iPhone? I would get a Pay as You Go plan later or just move it to my Corp. account when that becomes available.

Anyone know the rules on this?:confused:
 
iPhonePhan said:
Since I am running into problems trying to get the iPhone to work with a Pay-As-You-Go-Plan, I was wondering....

Could I simply open up a normal basic line then cancel the service within the 3-day grace window via at&t over the phone? Do I need to return the iPhone or can I just cancel over the phone and then keep my iPhone? I would get a Pay as You Go plan later or just move it to my Corp. account when that becomes available.

Anyone know the rules on this?:confused:
Click to expand...
Do you have good credit?
 
that is exactly what I want..get a 59 line and then cancel it for using my iphone the way I want.
I dont think that you need or must return the iphone at the end is yours
 
GusR9 said:
that is exactly what I want..get a 59 line and then cancel it for using my iphone the way I want.
I dont think that you need or must return the iphone at the end is yours
Click to expand...

TUAW.com seems to confirm this as well. If I can just keep the phone and then later on add it to my Corp. account, that's fine. I can wait. But at least I'll have it and that's enough satisfaction for me for now. Besides, I have wifi on my work campus grounds probably like no other place - it's everywhere so I'll be fine to use data and pull emails / surf the web. :p
 
in that case I'm ready to do it like you I can be very happy having the coolest iPod right now and an excellent web browser for a mobile device.
So if our idea works in the way we want I just caNt wait for buying it
 
GusR9 said:
in that case I'm ready to do it like you I can be very happy having the coolest iPod right now and an excellent web browser for a mobile device.
So if our idea works in the way we want I just caNt wait for buying it
Click to expand...

I let you know how it goes :) Hopefully, I can just get the damn thing activated. Hearing the nightmare stories from all the other people on this forum though makes me wonder if I'll be getting it tonight or tomorrow. It's late (EST) so I'm just going to bed and waiting until the morning to see if I can finish the dirty deed :) (that doesn't sound too good now that I wrote it...)

Anyway, while I was on the phone with @$$-T&T, they told me their system was now overloaded and they couldn't even bring up people's information.

Oh well...until tomorrow...:rolleyes:
 
Well please tell me everthing that happens it could be very useful 'cause I'm going to do the same steps as you and then cancel it
 
iPhonePhan said:
TUAW.com seems to confirm this as well. If I can just keep the phone and then later on add it to my Corp. account, that's fine. I can wait. But at least I'll have it and that's enough satisfaction for me for now. Besides, I have wifi on my work campus grounds probably like no other place - it's everywhere so I'll be fine to use data and pull emails / surf the web. :p
Click to expand...


If you read the AT&T TOS, which you agreed to when you signed a contract, if you cancel in the first three days you must surrender the phone, and if you cancel in the first 30 days it's likely you'll have to surrender the phone.

Doesn't matter if you paid "full retail" for it, the only way to keep it is to pay an ETF. They won't let you cancel service without returning the phone, and if you don't, they bill you $175, and in the case of subsidized phones, the difference between the price you paid and the retail price.
 
feelthefire said:
If you read the AT&T TOS, which you agreed to when you signed a contract, if you cancel in the first three days you must surrender the phone, and if you cancel in the first 30 days it's likely you'll have to surrender the phone.

Doesn't matter if you paid "full retail" for it, the only way to keep it is to pay an ETF. They won't let you cancel service without returning the phone, and if you don't, they bill you $175, and in the case of subsidized phones, the difference between the price you paid and the retail price.
Click to expand...
But that is for a contract post paid account. He is referring to prepaid. With prepaid there is no cancelation fee.
 
feelthefire said:
Doesn't matter if you paid "full retail" for it, the only way to keep it is to pay an ETF. They won't let you cancel service without returning the phone, and if you don't, they bill you $175, and in the case of subsidized phones, the difference between the price you paid and the retail price.
Click to expand...

I'm not so sure about that. The wording in the contract under the 30-Day Cancellation Period I think you're referring to states:

"Also, you may have to return any handsets and accessories purchased with this Agreement."

First, there's no statement that you must return the equipment. Second, unless activations are being done at the time of equipment purchase, the service agreement purchase is a separate transaction from the equipment. Third, my receipt from the Apple store makes no mention of a requirement to activate service. I say this because as a DirecTV subscriber for years, I'm all too familiar with their sales agreement that comes with every receiver sold. Basically, when you buy a new DirecTV receiver from standard retail channels, you acknowledge that you will activate service on that receiver within a certain period of time. If not, you give DirecTV the right to charge your CC for a certain amount of money (I think it's like $200 or something like that). Again, that is done at the time of purchase. Nothing like that was done when I bought it from the Apple store. So, I see a variety of ways that a customer could avoid being forced to return the equipment.

Also, forcing equipment returns within 30 days would be a processing nightmare. Why? Because the hardware return policy on the equipment is only 14 days. What the heck is an Apple store supposed to do with a customer who cancels after 3 weeks and is told by AT&T that they have to return the equipment? Seemingly they have to return it to the point of purchase. If AT&T didn't make the equipment sale, AT&T taking it back directly would make for a revenue problem. Obviously, the 14 day return policy is a contract policy instituted by Apple. They want their money for the hardware. I have a hard time seeing them instituting the policy but then working out some way of accommodating 15 to 30 day service cancellations.

I highly doubt that anyone would be forced to return hardware post cancellation.

Jeff
 
rgbyhkr said:
I'm not so sure about that. The wording in the contract under the 30-Day Cancellation Period I think you're referring to states:

"Also, you may have to return any handsets and accessories purchased with this Agreement."

First, there's no statement that you must return the equipment. Second, unless activations are being done at the time of equipment purchase, the service agreement purchase is a separate transaction from the equipment. Third, my receipt from the Apple store makes no mention of a requirement to activate service. I say this because as a DirecTV subscriber for years, I'm all too familiar with their sales agreement that comes with every receiver sold. Basically, when you buy a new DirecTV receiver from standard retail channels, you acknowledge that you will activate service on that receiver within a certain period of time. If not, you give DirecTV the right to charge your CC for a certain amount of money (I think it's like $200 or something like that). Again, that is done at the time of purchase. Nothing like that was done when I bought it from the Apple store. So, I see a variety of ways that a customer could avoid being forced to return the equipment.

Also, forcing equipment returns within 30 days would be a processing nightmare. Why? Because the hardware return policy on the equipment is only 14 days. What the heck is an Apple store supposed to do with a customer who cancels after 3 weeks and is told by AT&T that they have to return the equipment? Seemingly they have to return it to the point of purchase. If AT&T didn't make the equipment sale, AT&T taking it back directly would make for a revenue problem. Obviously, the 14 day return policy is a contract policy instituted by Apple. They want their money for the hardware. I have a hard time seeing them instituting the policy but then working out some way of accommodating 15 to 30 day service cancellations.

I highly doubt that anyone would be forced to return hardware post cancellation.

Jeff
Click to expand...

I've returned two blackberries to them within the first 30 days of service. The first time I went into the store to cancel service and they said "you are required to surrender the phone you purchased with this contract or we are not able to cancel service" so I did. The second time it was a BB8800 that i had paid FULL retail ($700) for and I cancelled over the phone. The person said "you will need to go to the store where you bought this phone and return it. if the phone has not been returned within 10 days AT&T reserves the right to pursue you for the unpaid termination fee."

So it has never mattered before the price paid for the phone. If you don't return the phone, they send you a bill for the ETF (I tried it.) If you don't pay it, it goes to collections, and once it goes to collections, it dings your credit report.

You'd be gambling against their policy if you cancel service and don't return the phone. Are there any AT&T reps reading this who can comment?
 
Now i know ATT customer service is a little unreliable, but i was told when i called in (before i activated), that if i dislike the service in my area i can cancel my account (and waive my right to the $36 + $59.99 that i paid) and will be able to keep the iPhone. I specifically asked her "What if i do not want to return my iPhone after i cancel my plan?", she told me that i could keep the iPhone with no penalty including the ETF (made sure i asked about that). So according to CS its possible, now the real story is prob different as they usually have no idea what they are saying. But if all else fails you can tell ATT if they charge you that you spoke to a CSr and they told you otherwise so you should not be charged, im pretty sure they have to abide by what their CSR's say. Kust my input

Daniel
 
I think the difference here is hardware subsidization. Usually, the hardware cost is being subsidized by the carrier. I don't think that is the case with the iPhone. There is no rebate price, no full retail price, etc. It's all the same with the 2-year requirement for service. Doing it that way makes sure that Apple gets their money for the hardware and AT&T gets the service fee. Without subsidization, AT&T isn't out any money if a customer cancels service.

I think the iPhone is a special case different from all other handsets that AT&T offers. Obviously, Apple was able to impose it's will on things like the return policy. I can't see AT&T going along with that if it led to problems like the one I outlined above. Sure, they could push people just to get the ETF, but if someone says I'll just return the equipment before 30 days but after 14, what then?

Jeff
 
This is the situation: An unactivated iPhone (basically a 911-dialing brick) is priced at $599. A fully functional AT&T activated iPhone is worth significantly more. Therefore, if you cancel service and want to retain your AT&T activated iPhone, you'll have to pay AT&T $175. To avoid the fee, you must return the activated phone. Of course, you will be welcome to buy another unactivated $599 brick at your leisure.

In a way, the iPhone is subsidized -- $775 w/o contract, $600 w/ 2 year commitment.
 
BTW, all of the non-cellphone related functions still work with no SIM in the unit. All of the internet related stuff still work via WiFi.
 
mashoutposse said:
This is the situation: An unactivated iPhone (basically a 911-dialing brick) is priced at $599. A fully functional AT&T activated iPhone is worth significantly more. Therefore, if you cancel service and want to retain your AT&T activated iPhone, you'll have to pay AT&T $175. To avoid the fee, you must return the activated phone. Of course, you will be welcome to buy another unactivated $599 brick at your leisure.

In a way, the iPhone is subsidized -- $775 w/o contract, $600 w/ 2 year commitment.
Click to expand...

but thats not the case, because its possible to get the iPhone as a GoPhone. So your logic breaks down there, because GoPhones are not subsidized.
 
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