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What if I don't activate my iPhone 4?

Y

yifanlu

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 29, 2009
64
0
I really don't want to use AT&T, but I will if Apple forces me to :(

Anyways, the last iPhone I bought was the 2G, where you had to activate it at your house, therefore, you can get away with not activating it (and eventually unlocking it). Now, when the 3G came out, I noticed they fixed the problem by forcing activation in store, or before shipment. However, this new iPhone 4 is shipped directly from warehouses (I suspect) in China. I don't think they went through and activated every single phone. So does anyone think you can get away with not activating the phone, and not getting into the 2 year contract?

I don't know if the 3GS launch was shipped pre-activated, or from China, so if you had a first day 3GS shipped to you, can you please tell me your experiences?

I'm suspecting that if you don't activate the phone, AT&T will come knocking at your door (bill in the mail maybe?).
 
RTiii320

RTiii320

macrumors 6502a
Aug 15, 2008
596
0
Long Beach, CA
To put it as simply as I can: When you paid for the phone at 199 or 299 you were agreeing to the 2-year contract. If you don't activate, you will either 1) still have to pay monthly for a phone u never activated, or 2) they will make you return the device / or pay the unsubsidized price for it
 
J

JCCL

macrumors 68000
Apr 3, 2010
1,915
4,309
The problem is that it is not SOLD to you unless you sign the contract. With the original iPhone, you bought the device and you activated your AT&T line and everything at home. SInce 3GS I think, when buying online, you first select your AT&T plan and all, then you get iPhone, at least if you but it in the US.
 
R

rolex54

macrumors 6502
Aug 20, 2007
418
0
Houston, TX
You will be charged the full 600/700 dollar price of the iPhone
They have your credit card number from when you bought it and they would simply charge that
 
Lifesuxsbad

Lifesuxsbad

macrumors regular
Jun 15, 2010
228
34
Cancel

rolex54 said:
You will be charged the full 600/700 dollar price of the iPhone
They have your credit card number from when you bought it and they would simply charge that
Click to expand...

Say you lost you credit card/debit card and get one reissued from your bank!!:D
 
Y

yifanlu

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 29, 2009
64
0
Thanks for the response guys, but does anyone know from experience? Because I chose a number transfer for my new iPhone 4, and if I don't activate it, I won't have a number, and if I don't have a number, how can AT&T bill me? Just a thought (that is likely wrong).
 
S

Sinfire

macrumors regular
Apr 23, 2010
222
0
When you ordered your phone and selected transfer my number, did you have to setup an account with AT&T ?



yifanlu said:
Thanks for the response guys, but does anyone know from experience? Because I chose a number transfer for my new iPhone 4, and if I don't activate it, I won't have a number, and if I don't have a number, how can AT&T bill me? Just a thought (that is likely wrong).
Click to expand...
 
wirelessmacuser

wirelessmacuser

macrumors 68000
Dec 20, 2009
1,968
0
Planet.Earth
You entered into a legally binding contract when you purchased the phone. You're an owner now, responsible for the monthly bill and the early termination fee if you choose to terminate the contract. No matter what, you're on the hook. Get out your wallet.
 
chrisperra

chrisperra

macrumors member
Jun 29, 2006
70
0
/dev/null
Apple scans the IMEI and serial number of the phone prior to leaving the warehouse, so it is partially activated at that point. Activation on AT&T's side takes place when Apple's system syncs after shipment, and ultimately finishes upon you syncing your phone with iTunes when you get it (if the SIM is still in the phone)
 
K

KingHuds

macrumors 6502
Aug 2, 2008
250
0
You can not activate it as much as you want, but you'll still get your phone bill every month, and thats all ATT cares about.
 
scwinsett

scwinsett

Suspended
Apr 21, 2010
672
382
Denver
I was wondering though, since they are shipping phones anyways and letting those people activate themselves, will they let me when I pick mine up at the store? I'd really like to activate on my own, because I make unboxing videos and such... i want my iPhone unopened until i get home
 
ARH1956

ARH1956

macrumors 6502
Sep 12, 2007
407
64
NE Alabama
yifanlu said:
Thanks for the response guys, but does anyone know from experience? Because I chose a number transfer for my new iPhone 4, and if I don't activate it, I won't have a number, and if I don't have a number, how can AT&T bill me? Just a thought (that is likely wrong).
Click to expand...
They have your credit card info: Billing Address, Phone Contact #'s, etc., they can locate you to send the bill. As with any other contract you can choose to not honor it, have your credit wrecked & possibly deal with collection agencies. There are probably easier ways to try & steal $400 though.
 
N

n8236

macrumors 65816
Mar 1, 2006
1,065
32
Ez.....just buy one off eBay or CL when it's unlocked (w/ no contract0...it'll cost u ur first born, but it's worth it. If it's a problem money can solve, it's not a problem :)
 
Eso

Eso

macrumors 68020
Aug 14, 2008
2,032
937
It doesn't activate service, it activates the device. So yeah, feel free to never activate (or plug into iTunes as that is all it takes to activate) as you pay AT&T every month for your iPod.
 
M

mysticbluebmw

macrumors regular
Jun 11, 2009
249
32
Not too sure, but AT&T will get what's due to them. They will either claim you did not follow their terms and conditions after a set amount of time, and just bill you for the ETF of $325 or they will just be sending you your monthly bill based upon the calling/data plan you ALREADY setup. The original iPhone was NOT subsidized by AT&T and therefore a 2 year contract was not required. The 3G was the 1st iPhone that AT&T started subsizing, I think $400 retail value.

To summarize, you will either be billed $325 or you will pay monthly fee for 2 years. If you don't pay, they take you through collections, and possibly eventually sue for a judgment against you.
 
Y

yifanlu

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 29, 2009
64
0
To be clear, I'm not planning to not pay bills or do any scamming, or anything illegal.
 
K

KingHuds

macrumors 6502
Aug 2, 2008
250
0
If you plan on paying your bill every month, then yes you are perfectly fine not activating, you will just have a 2-300$ iPod sitting there, so theres really no point in not activating it.
 
B

beamer8912

macrumors 65816
May 30, 2009
1,137
3
yifanlu said:
To be clear, I'm not planning to not pay bills or do any scamming, or anything illegal.
Click to expand...

You'll get a bill in the mail every month, just like you would if you had activated it. You sign the contract before you even walk out of the store. The people who pre ordered already signed their contract when they pre ordered, hence why they had to pick voice/text/data plans.

You'll just have a heap of metal sitting there, doing nothing, costing you $70 a month.
 
S

spicyj

macrumors member
Oct 12, 2007
57
0
If you don't activate the phone within 30 days, then Apple will charge you $400 on your credit card to make up for the subsidy that they're not receiving from AT&T each month.

You can also just go into an Apple store and buy the "no commitment" phone for $400 more than the subsidized prices (so $599/$699 for the 16GB/32GB versions).
 
reybart

reybart

macrumors regular
Aug 8, 2003
102
50
NYC
This is also my question. I already got my iPhone 4 unfortunately, I will be out for the whole summer beginning this Tuesday. Apple already sent me my phone number prior to arrival but not planning to activate it through iTunes.
 
IndianGuy

IndianGuy

macrumors regular
Jun 14, 2010
136
0
when you were ordering - you entered that 9 digit number called SSN - and that's how collection agency will come after you and/or crap out your credit history
 
L

LiveLoveDream

macrumors newbie
Feb 23, 2014
1
0
personal experience

this is my eexperience.
i have an iphone 4, verizon, non activated. if you bought it on amazon or ebay, you should not have to activate it. BUT if you had purchased directly from att, you may not have a choice. depending on the options they gave yoiu.
good luck! (this is 5 years later lol)
 
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