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Apple Posts Details for iPhone 3G Launch
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Please summarize
I may have missed it in the past 10 pages.
Current iPhone ATT customers.
Do we still need to provide SSN and run credit check, pay first months and do this in store?
Or will it be as simple as show up, buy new iPhone, go home and activate in peace.
I am happy to give Apple/ATT my hard earned money but I am not going to go all gonzo in a public forum with my personal data for it.
I may have missed it in the past 10 pages.
Current iPhone ATT customers.
Do we still need to provide SSN and run credit check, pay first months and do this in store?
Or will it be as simple as show up, buy new iPhone, go home and activate in peace.
I am happy to give Apple/ATT my hard earned money but I am not going to go all gonzo in a public forum with my personal data for it.
Holy crap, you are like the 1000th person to complain about this!
Its for a credit check... AT&T requires it, not Apple...
Here is your summary:
1. Apple post info on what you need to get a 3g iPhone. This includes a SSN.
2. Some people moan.
3. Some other people moan about the people who are moaning.
4. Now I'm moaning about the people who are moaning about the people who are moaning.
It kind of reminds me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ3fNNfCsR8
Don't feed the troll, anyone
Anyways, PAKing, the LG has more features on paper. But who cares? It's benefits we care about, not features. Learn the difference. For example, more megapixels doesn't mean better quality pictures.
Yes, they can discriminate for other reasons. Even long hair or blue eyes would be acceptable grounds to discriminate *unless* they were only using those traits because they were proxies for something else (i.e. you say you're discriminating on the basis of eye color, but that's really a way to covertly discriminate against people of Scandinavian dissent).
You are right that it's "discrimination," but there's no law saying a business can't do it.
I'm not wishing ill on anyone, but there would be a certain poetic justice if your SSN got stolen some day. Call it paranoid if you want, but it happens every day all over America, and the more times you give it out to companies that don't need it, the greater your risk. I'm not about to put myself at greater risk for identity theft because of an extra 10 minute inconvenience to you. Maybe you should wait until the crowds die down if 10 minutes is that much of a big deal to you.
I wouldn't "complain," but I would politely and firmly ask to speak to a manager, and then the managers manager, and so on until I was either asked to leave the store or allowed to sign up without a SSN. As I've said, I think it's highly unlikely they would actually take a stand on this point because in the end, they know as well as I do that they don't need anyone's SSN.
So when I go to an Apple retail store to buy an iPhone, I'll be buying one that requires an ATT contract? That means two trips for me, one to Apple one to ATT? Also, I thought as a developer you needed to test your apps on an iPhone that is not associated with a phone number? Maybe I'm wrong about that, but if it's true, I am not sure how developers will obtain unlocked phones for testing.
Well yeah, I didn't spend the time to read all the posts. But it's nice to know I'm not the only one feeling this way.
As for an ATT credit check, I'll reiterate, why in the world should I give out my SS# at an Apple store for a new iPhone? I already have an iPhone and have been with ATT (and paying them) for about 10 years. They don't need to run a credit check on me. And if they do, someone at ATT and/or Apple should be fired.
Captain Obvious says, "if you already have an iPhone and making calls on it through ATT, your credit is good enough to get the 3g phone."
someone can correct me if i am wrong, but i believe your SSN# is only required for new customers signing up for At&T that need a credit check. Current iPhone customers should be able to just verify their identity with their account# and id and buy the new iphone.
Don't feed the troll, anyone
Anyways, PAKing, the LG has more features on paper. But who cares? It's benefits we care about, not features. Learn the difference. For example, more megapixels doesn't mean better quality pictures.
Oh dear, I'm afraid you dropped bread crust...
I have a question for others who, like me, have a non iphone device with ATT and are not eligible for an upgrade yet. Why would you consider going for the non-subsidized (399/499) price? Is there any possible advantage over just canceling your current account, pay the (lower) early termination fee, and then just going for a new iphone???? I'm just wondering what I'm missing here, and is there some hidden cost or trap? Will I be on the ATT sh*t list or something if I cancel my contract early? Would I lose my eligibility for a corporate discount or something nasty?
That is precisely the point. I too have been with ATT for like 10 years. Never been late. I am in the process of buying a house and the last thing I need is for some full blown credit check for a cell phone to be run. Most cell phone credit checks lower your score by a few points just for the check.
Any reason that when I click the link, it takes me to the NY times business page when using Firefox, but it takes me to the Apple web site when I use Safari?
WTF?
WTF?
wow some of you guys are idiots pardon my french.
ss# is for new let me repeat new accounts only. When you signed up prevousily you had to give it to them.
guess what people anytime you sign a contract to get something b4 paying for it. guess what people they'll ask for it.
ss# is for new let me repeat new accounts only. When you signed up prevousily you had to give it to them.
guess what people anytime you sign a contract to get something b4 paying for it. guess what people they'll ask for it.
Fair enough.
But just so you know, you are not required to give out your SS# to ANYONE other than a government agency. afaik, that is law. And even then, only certain government agencies, not all of them.
Companies use it because it is an easy way to uniquely identify someone. Of course, now they say it is for security purposes.
Same thing goes for writing your phone # on a credit card slip or check at a business, like a retail store. You should refuse to do so.
You should never volunteer sensitive personal information.
I think the biggest problem is that you'd lose your existing phone number in most cases. If that isn't important to you, you could go the route you're suggesting. For some its not worth the hassle to save $25 (199 + 175 = 374 versus 399).
Someone else has the same avatar as me and I see them all the time -- but I'm not sure who did it first. Anyway...
What I meant by my comment was that with the 1G iPhone you could buy it and then jailbreak at home to work on other carriers. if you now HAVE to activate in store...
Businesses can't discriminate if the discrimination is against a protected class, such as age, gender, sexual orientation, race, or disability. However, if a business chose not to sell to people over 6 feet tall (or any other non protected class), they could do that legally.
well as far as check at a store the store doesn't have to take it and i work at business and require a phone #. california tells us as business we have to. if a person bounces that check and doesn't have a phone # they won't go after that guy. if they go after that guy they will get us our money and make that guy go to a check writing school. and that is fact for california
You're right, you are not REQUIRED to give them your SSN. By that same token, they are not REQUIRED to extend you credit by selling you a subsidized iphone unless you pass their credit check which may include them asking for your SSN. Isn't the free market grand?
FYI..just called Apple store, the person who the contract will be under has to be there to purchase the iphone...my fiance is getting the iphone, she got pre-approved at att&t but can't get the day off on Friday...I called to see if I can get the iphone and set it up for her with the pre-approved receipt...they said nope...hopefully they won't sell out by the time she comes home!!
If your fiance is willing, she can add you as an authorized person on the account. I did it yesterday on the att website. My wife is the contract holder. I've added myself as an authorized individual. I called at&t a few minutes later and the rep verified that I am authorized to make any changes to the account, including upgrading phones. I just called my local Apple store and the person I got said that even if the computer doesn't show my name in their system (which it should), they can contact at&t at that time to work out any wrinkles or problems.
Hope this helps. I know it made me feel better about the process.
Exactly. They probably have more than they can sell and will decide on a daily basis where to make new shipments based on which stores are selling the most. I had no problem getting my first gen after launch and doubt I will have any problems this time either.
Hey guys. My situation seems like an amalgam of some of your situations... I just want to make sure before I go to the store, wait in line, bring my money, and get rejected!
Premises:
I am a current iPhone owner (first day, line-waiter).
I am under 18.
I am not the account holder, but I am an authorized user (the AT&T my account site says so, and I have changed text message plans with AT&T on the phone before).
I do not have a credit card. I do have the $100 Apple Store Credit from when Steve apologized for screwing us over.
Questions:
Do I need my SSN, account holder's SSN, or just the account holder's last 4 digits (like AT&T uses on the phone)?
Do I need a credit card, or can I purchase an Apple Store Gift Card with cash? (I read that the reason they are requiring credit/debit/gift cards is because they are checking out customers using the portable pocketpcs)
Can I use the $100 credit towards buying this iPhone?
Do I need a valid government photo ID? (My parents do not allow me to drive so I don't have a license, but I have an old, still valid driving permit and public school ID card)
One more question: How much is the dock?...I need one since they aren't including it anymore...
Premises:
I am a current iPhone owner (first day, line-waiter).
I am under 18.
I am not the account holder, but I am an authorized user (the AT&T my account site says so, and I have changed text message plans with AT&T on the phone before).
I do not have a credit card. I do have the $100 Apple Store Credit from when Steve apologized for screwing us over.
Questions:
Do I need my SSN, account holder's SSN, or just the account holder's last 4 digits (like AT&T uses on the phone)?
Do I need a credit card, or can I purchase an Apple Store Gift Card with cash? (I read that the reason they are requiring credit/debit/gift cards is because they are checking out customers using the portable pocketpcs)
Can I use the $100 credit towards buying this iPhone?
Do I need a valid government photo ID? (My parents do not allow me to drive so I don't have a license, but I have an old, still valid driving permit and public school ID card)
One more question: How much is the dock?...I need one since they aren't including it anymore...