ISO personal experience returning and terminating then re-buying and re-signing

[island rider]

As a new at&t customer and iphone owner, will I have any problem cancelling my at&t service and returning my iphone only to re-buy the same, or latest and greatest, iphone on at&t in 4-6 months?

Edit - removed background information and cleared up title, hopefully to focus the discussion better.

 

[eawmp1]

1) If you are happy no, don't change.
2) If you fully contemplate purchases before purchasing, there will never be buyer's remorse.
3) I don't believe there is an iPhone education discount
4) No personal experiences as to if AT&T blacklists, but if I were a merchant/business, I would not look too favorably on people doing what you want to do.

 

[island rider]

1) If you are happy no, don't change.
2) If you fully contemplate purchases before purchasing, there will never be buyer's remorse.
3) I don't believe there is an iPhone education discount
4) No personal experiences as to if AT&T blacklists, but if I were a merchant/business, I would not look too favorably on people doing what you want to do.

Thanks for your post, but it is actually non-responsive.

1) Thanks for your input, but not really what I was asking. Happy now doesn't equal happy in 4-6 months.
2) Again, I take your point (although I disagree with it), but that's not at issue here.
3) Upon further research, I think you are right, thanks for the input.
4) I understand your point of view, and it is exactly why I am asking the question.

 

[IndustrialSpace]

There's no guarantee that iPhone will be made available through Verizon, although it is highly possible. It may or may not take place later this year. Also, expect Verizon to have some growing pains as well. If you like the iPhone, keep it and see how things progress on the Verizon side. I was in the same boat myself. Verizon from the get-go (NYC) but just had to have the iPhone, so switched. I'm extremely pleased with my mobile device but may migrate back over to Verizon if things look stable and positive.

Worse come worst, I would just eat an early termination fee. No biggie.

 

[IndustrialSpace]

Also, read this:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/845537/

 

[eawmp1]

My post was very responsive. If you are waiting for someone to report the same scenario you are posing, you may never get the answer you WANT. There are just not that many people who do what you are proposing. I doubt anyone can tell yo how AT&T will react.

The refresh cycles for Apple products are fairly predictable. iPhones are updated at this point yearly in the summer. The "chatter about the expected new offerings this year (verizon, new features on an at&t iphone, etc.)" began the day after the 3GS was released on June 19, 2009. You impulse bought and didn't do your homework. Will I crave the next iPhone incarnation in June...probably. Will I be "locked into" my 3GS until 2011, yes, unless I sell the 3GS and shell out for the new phone. Do I have buyers remorse, no (assuming I weighed all pros and cons of a purchase and made the best decision I could at the time).

 

[island rider]

There's no guarantee that iPhone will be made available through Verizon, although it is highly possible. It may or may not take place later this year. Also, expect Verizon to have some growing pains as well. If you like the iPhone, keep it and see how things progress on the Verizon side. I was in the same boat myself. Verizon from the get-go (NYC) but just had to have the iPhone, so switched. I'm extremely pleased with my mobile device but may migrate back over to Verizon if things look stable and positive.

Worse come worst, I would just eat an early termination fee. No biggie.

Yeah, I know, but that rumor, coupled with those of a few improvements to the iphone in the coming months gives me pause. Sort of wish I had seen this site's buyer's guide (which recommends waiting) a week ago. (Plus you would eat the termination fee plus the cost of the at&t phone, unless you could sell it, if you switched.)

On the Verizon front the best question I have seen is whether defections from at&t to Verizon, if a VZ iphone came out, would lead to VZ service issues in NYC and lead to corresponding service improvements on at&t through decreased usage.... but that is best hashed out on other threads here.

 

[island rider]

My post was very responsive. If you are waiting for someone to report the same scenario you are posing, you may never get the answer you WANT. There are just not that many people who do what you are proposing. I doubt anyone can tell yo how AT&T will react.

The refresh cycles for Apple products are fairly predictable. iPhones are updated at this point yearly in the summer. The "chatter about the expected new offerings this year (verizon, new features on an at&t iphone, etc.)" began the day after the 3GS was released on June 19, 2009. You impulse bought and didn't do your homework. Will I crave the next iPhone incarnation in June...probably. Will I be "locked into" my 3GS until 2011, yes, unless I sell the 3GS and shell out for the new phone. Do I have buyers remorse, no (assuming I weighed all pros and cons of a purchase and made the best decision I could at the time).

Read the title of my post. I am in search of anyone with experience with something like this. If it doesn't exist, so be it.

Feel free to stop reading this thread.

 

[island rider]

Also, read this:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/845537/

Yup, saw that earlier. Eh, it probably won't happen, but who knows.

Edit - I took the background out of my initial post, as it seems to have become the focus. I am really just curious if anyone has personal experience returning an iphone and re-buying one a few months later. Something several people on these boards seem to be considering.

 

[courtney.bella]

As a new at&t customer and iphone owner, will I have any problem cancelling my at&t service and returning my iphone only to re-buy the same, or latest and greatest, iphone on at&t in 4-6 months?

Edit - removed background information and cleared up title, hopefully to focus the discussion better.

I see no reason why you would have a problem as long as you know that 1) you will need to pay all fees, etc., that AT&T imposes on you, and 2) you won't be getting the same number back.

 

[IndustrialSpace]

Incorrect

I see no reason why you would have a problem as long as you know that 1) you will need to pay all fees, etc., that AT&T imposes on you, and 2) you won't be getting the same number back.

Several years ago, mobile number portabilty was codified. So yes, he CAN have the SAME number if he wants, regardless of carrier.