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schemer

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 1, 2012
3
0
I wonder what will happen if I buy iphone 4s or ipad with a contract from AT&T and then leave USA? Will I have any problems if I want to come back some day and will a have to pay a big amount of money?
 

rjohnstone

macrumors 68040
Dec 28, 2007
3,896
4,493
PHX, AZ.
Depends on if you pay the ETF like you agreed to in the contract or you just bail.
If you simply bail, good luck trying to get AT&T service upon your return.
And they will put you into collection if you fail to pay the ETF. ;)
 

Ecoh

macrumors 6502a
Oct 30, 2009
653
26
USA
Your name is appropriate. :D
If you leave the country for 7-10 years you might be OK when you return. Depends on which country you go to and which state you return to. ;)
 

schemer

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 1, 2012
3
0
Well I don't have any contracts yet but I am just thinking... :D
 

falterego

macrumors 6502
Dec 28, 2008
280
0
Southern California
BTW, the iPad is contract free on both AT&T and Verizon. That's why it costs $629-$829 rather than $300 or so. No contract = no subsidized cost. The iPhone without contract is actually more expensive than the iPad.
 

reclusive46

macrumors 65816
Apr 14, 2011
1,120
62
Canada
Well I don't have any contracts yet but I am just thinking... :D

Well I know a lot of these networks share information. Like for example all the Vodafone networks share this kind of information in Europe (Probably includes Verizon). These companies often follow you around. (If you go to Europe or Australasia).
 

JAT

macrumors 603
Dec 31, 2001
6,473
124
Mpls, MN
I wonder what will happen if I buy iphone 4s or ipad with a contract from AT&T and then leave USA? Will I have any problems if I want to come back some day and will a have to pay a big amount of money?

Not as much as if you buy a house, then leave and don't take care of it. (financially)
 

andyx3x

macrumors 65816
Mar 1, 2011
1,349
137
Well I know a lot of these networks share information. Like for example all the Vodafone networks share this kind of information in Europe (Probably includes Verizon). These companies often follow you around. (If you go to Europe or Australasia).

I know for sure that they don't do this in the US.
 

DroidRules

macrumors 65816
Aug 10, 2010
1,006
1
I wonder what will happen if I buy iphone 4s or ipad with a contract from AT&T and then leave USA? Will I have any problems if I want to come back some day and will a have to pay a big amount of money?

So basically your asking how you become a thief?
 

Shadowbech

macrumors G3
Oct 18, 2011
9,038
5,894
Depends. I opened an account with AT&T around 2006-2007. I left the country for a year or so, but I had set up an automatic payment so that every month the money goes out of my bank. Also because one of my relatives were planing to visit U.S for a year, I let her use my phone for a bit while I was gone so it all worked well. She paid me the bill while she was using it.

I believe if you don't pay your bills for a long time, AT&T has the right to terminate your phone service?
 

Bear

macrumors G3
Jul 23, 2002
8,088
5
Sol III - Terra
I know for sure that they don't do this in the US.
Actually it happens in the US via the credit reporting agencies. If you don't pay a bill, it will hit your credit report and all the companies will know about it. And rental agents and bank loan officers.
 

andyx3x

macrumors 65816
Mar 1, 2011
1,349
137
Actually it happens in the US via the credit reporting agencies. If you don't pay a bill, it will hit your credit report and all the companies will know about it. And rental agents and bank loan officers.

Everybody knows that.

The statement made was that the cell phone companies trade information which doesn't happen.
 

Shrink

macrumors G3
Feb 26, 2011
8,929
1,727
New England, USA
Your credit rating will go into the toilet. Loans will become impossible, or if granted will be at usurious rates.

Also, when you try to return to the States, you will be stopped at the airport, stripped naked in public, and beaten severely about the head and shoulders. Your family will be publicly humiliated, and your friends will shun you. ;)

No, really, you will cause yourself problems far outweighing any money you save by skipping out.
 

Satnam1989

macrumors 65816
Nov 16, 2011
1,200
0
Illinois
If you get a iPhone 4S on contract its gonna be locked....AT&T won't unlock it so why you want to carry around paperweight for x # of years.....Gevey is great but without jailbreak you can't get iMessage&Facetime to work and if in the future you accidentally update and gevey doesn't support that baseband....again u will be out of luck....rest is up to you about how u want to scam....as for the iPad it is/will be factory unlocked so will work with any/all sim cards that run on the frequencies that the iPad supports
 

andyx3x

macrumors 65816
Mar 1, 2011
1,349
137
But the end effect is the same, which is what matters.

No it's not. Cell phone companies are much more lenient in giving credit than any other potential creditor. If they weren't, probably 30 percent of people who have smartphones wouldn't be able to get them.

I know people who have horrible credit who have been able to get an iPhone and not had to pay a deposit. I'm talking about people who have defaulted on 5 or more loans or credit cards.

Now the people who have to pay a deposit, their bad credit has to be through the roof. I'm talking obscene.
 
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