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Can I use someone else's upgrade at the Apple store?

T

tnisatard

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 1, 2008
447
0
Just wanted to know if Apple knows how to do this because I can't do it on their website

my second line is eligible for an upgrade and I used mines on the 3Gs, so I was planning to use their line for the upcoming iPhone

but I was wondering if apple knows how to deal with that, or should I just go to AT&T instead of Apple on launch day

Ive been reading about pre orders, so I was wondering if that was possible with my plan as well

thanks in advance
 
At launch day they have AT&T/Apple workers there to help you
basically when you buy the phone, you get to go through all the contract stuff and swapping numbers for upgrades at apple, they know what to do for the situation

it's all squared away in one store to prevent people running back and forth between shops
 
saadiq7 said:
I have before but you MIGHT have to be an authorized user on the account.
Click to expand...

i am the authorized user, so that shouldnt be a problem


so are you saying i should just upgrade my 2nd line and then go to the AT&T store and have them transfer the data plan over?
 
When I did it, I upgraded the line (non iphone) to the 3GS and then went home and put my own sim from my iphone 3G into the new 3GS and then put the sim from the new 3GS into a razr and called ATT and told them to take the data plan off the line i just upgraded. Sorry if this is a little confusing.
 
saadiq7 said:
When I did it, I upgraded the line (non iphone) to the 3GS and then went home and put my own sim from my iphone 3G into the new 3GS and then put the sim from the new 3GS into a razr and called ATT and told them to take the data plan off the line i just upgraded. Sorry if this is a little confusing.
Click to expand...

not at all

i guess i will do this

i hope AT&T isnt going off the hook on that day
 
I have a quick question that I dont really want to start my own thread with... how exactly does upgrading work on release day at an apple store? I have a 3g, and am due for an upgrade, but my iphone broke about 2 months ago, and have been using a back up phone with my sim in it. Am i going to need to bring my broken iphone for any reason (it doesnt turn on)? or do i only need my sim card?

Also what do they do about the micro sim thats in the new iphone, am i going to be able to keep my number (do they just update the phone from att? meaning the old sim card is not even needed?).

Final question.... does my name need to be on the contract, im on a family plan (am over 18 and plan on waiting out infront of the store by myself though)?

guess this was more then just a quick question... sorry, thanks for any answers though
 
OneHit89 said:
I have a quick question that I dont really want to start my own thread with... how exactly does upgrading work on release day at an apple store? I have a 3g, and am due for an upgrade, but my iphone broke about 2 months ago, and have been using a back up phone with my sim in it. Am i going to need to bring my broken iphone for any reason (it doesnt turn on)? or do i only need my sim card?

Also what do they do about the micro sim thats in the new iphone, am i going to be able to keep my number (do they just update the phone from att? meaning the old sim card is not even needed?).

Final question.... does my name need to be on the contract, im on a family plan (am over 18 and plan on waiting out infront of the store by myself though)?

guess this was more then just a quick question... sorry, thanks for any answers though
Click to expand...
you won't need to bring in your old phone. they have all your upgrade info in their computer already. you won't need your sim either.

you will get the new phone and they'll transfer your number to the new micro sim.

i don't have an answer for your contract question.
 
OneHit89 said:
Final question.... does my name need to be on the contract, im on a family plan (am over 18 and plan on waiting out infront of the store by myself though)?
Click to expand...

Seems I keep repeating myself.....you will have to be an authorized contact on the account. This does not mean that if your phone is on the account that you are authorized to make changes. There is an entirely separate process where the account holder calls in and adds you as an authorized contact. So say your dad is the account holder, he needs to call in and add you if he wants to give you power to make any change to the account such as an upgrade.
 
Geckotec, is this a new policy where you can upgrade at an Apple store being just an authorized person on the at&t account? I know in the past you had to be the actual account holder to upgrade at Apple because that was the only name that came up on their handheld pay system when they went to sell the phone...
 
patrick92260 said:
Geckotec, is this a new policy where you can upgrade at an Apple store being just an authorized person on the at&t account? I know in the past you had to be the actual account holder to upgrade at Apple because that was the only name that came up on their handheld pay system when they went to sell the phone...
Click to expand...

Honestly, I can't answer that. I may be incorrect re: doing this at the Apple store. I know it's at least the MINIMUM to be able to make any change to the account.
 
Hey just make it simple. Upgrade your second line. go home, switch the sim cards. Call att and tell them to remove the data on the line you don't want it and your all done.
 
AppleFreak89 said:
Hey just make it simple. Upgrade your second line. go home, switch the sim cards. Call att and tell them to remove the data on the line you don't want it and your all done.
Click to expand...

The new iphone uses a micro sim and the 3gs doesn't. So it won't be quite as easy as just switching sim cards.
 
LSUtigers03 said:
The new iphone uses a micro sim and the 3gs doesn't. So it won't be quite as easy as just switching sim cards.
Click to expand...

You can get an adapter for micro-sim -> normal sim and you can cut a normal sim down to the size of a micro-sim.

But yeah, just easier if you get then to activate the phone on the line you want it on.
 
ok well how about this scenario

if I am updating another line and then just switching lines, but I have a 3G and the line that is getting the upgrade has a 3GS, will all I have to do is get a microsim for my sim card?

Basically, if all the lines in play have iPhones already, will the data plans be the same and I don't even need to tell AT&T I'm switching the numbers?
 
cowsrus said:
ok well how about this scenario

if I am updating another line and then just switching lines, but I have a 3G and the line that is getting the upgrade has a 3GS, will all I have to do is get a microsim for my sim card?

Basically, if all the lines in play have iPhones already, will the data plans be the same and I don't even need to tell AT&T I'm switching the numbers?
Click to expand...

Correct.
 
Anybody get a new SIM from AT&T lately? I wouldn't be surprised if all they give out in the near future (if not already) is the hybrid SIM/Micro-SIM cards.
 
Geckotek said:
Anybody get a new SIM from AT&T lately? I wouldn't be surprised if all they give out in the near future (if not already) is the hybrid SIM/Micro-SIM cards.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about going down next week or something and seeing if they would give me the hybrid version, because it will probably be hell trying to get that on launch day
 
patrick92260 said:
Geckotec, is this a new policy where you can upgrade at an Apple store being just an authorized person on the at&t account? I know in the past you had to be the actual account holder to upgrade at Apple because that was the only name that came up on their handheld pay system when they went to sell the phone...
Click to expand...
This has been an ongoing issue / discussion since the original iPhone release. Many FamilyPlan add-a-line users were very unhappy when they were turned away just before they got their hands on the iPhone.

Some Apple stores in the past have enforced the Primary Account Holder name requirement and sometimes they just used the "Don't Ask, Don't tell" (DADT) approach.

In the AT&T COR stores you just need to be listed as a retail authorized user on the account and show a picture id. If you are going with the DADT, make sure that you know the last 4 digits of the Account Holder's SSN.

You can add or check retail authorized user status in OLAM, here is Answer Center entry that explains the process and you can read about the current Apple Store policy requiring the Primary Account Holder to be present.

http://www.wireless.att.com/answer-...yncharset=UTF-8&solutionId=KB90110&isSrch=Yes

Dave
 
dave006 said:
This has been an ongoing issue / discussion since the original iPhone release. Many FamilyPlan add-a-line users were very unhappy when they were turned away just before they got their hands on the iPhone.

Some Apple stores in the past have enforced the Primary Account Holder name requirement and sometimes they just used the "Don't Ask, Don't tell" (DADT) approach.

In the AT&T COR stores you just need to be listed as a retail authorized user on the account and show a picture id. If you are going with the DADT, make sure that you know the last 4 digits of the Account Holder's SSN.

You can add or check retail authorized user status in OLAM, here is Answer Center entry that explains the process and you can read about the current Apple Store policy requiring the Primary Account Holder to be present.

http://www.wireless.att.com/answer-...yncharset=UTF-8&solutionId=KB90110&isSrch=Yes

Dave
Click to expand...

Yeah that's what i thought. When I bought my 3G on launch day a genius actually called at&t to verify that I was authorized and then they sold me the phone. I wanted to go to Apple this year when the new iPhone comes out but I don't think it's worth the risk of being turned away so I'll probably just get it online.
 
I am on my parents family plan at the moment and my stepmom is the main person on the account. When I got my iPhone 3G on launch day, she had to sign because she is the only one authorized on the account. Now, how do I become authorized on the account as well. I am over 18 and I don't want to have to have my stepmom be at AT&T at 8AM to sign for something I can do myself. Could anyone be so kind as to tell me how to go about doing this?
 
Maverick1337 said:
I am on my parents family plan at the moment and my stepmom is the main person on the account. When I got my iPhone 3G on launch day, she had to sign because she is the only one authorized on the account. Now, how do I become authorized on the account as well. I am over 18 and I don't want to have to have my stepmom be at AT&T at 8AM to sign for something I can do myself. Could anyone be so kind as to tell me how to go about doing this?
Click to expand...
Well, you could start by clicking on the link I provided above since it explains how to add you as a retail authorized user on your stepmom's account. :eek:

Here it is again: http://www.wireless.att.com/answer-...yncharset=UTF-8&solutionId=KB90110&isSrch=Yes

Dave
 
OK, so forgive me if I'm not following, but my wife's 3G is currently eligible for an upgrade and my 3GS isn't eligible until November. I want to buy a 4G and give her my 3GS so can I upgrade her 3G to the 4G and somehow switch SIM cards so I can use the 4G while she uses my old 3GS? I know that would mean altering my SIM to MicroSIM (which I'm confident I can do based on some research) and I'll need to alter the 4G Micro SIM to SIM but do you guys see any problems with doing this that I'm missing? Thanks!
 
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