AT&T/Apple iPhone 4 Upgrade Swap Confusion! Anyone Have Answers?

[SiskoKid]

Ok, so I'm getting really irritated. I'm on a family plan, and the main line is eligible for the upgrade whilst I am not. So the main line will be buying the phone at discount and then give it to me (I say give, when I mean I'll be purchasing the phone, and then they'll let me swap it to my line just at discount price).

But the whole thing is stupidly confusing. I called Apple to see if we can purchase the phone and then activate it under a different number. They said no and would have to go to an AT&T store to do that. I called AT&T and spoke to two levels of consumer spokespeople, and BOTH said that Apple would have every ability and that Apple would and SHOULD be able to do the swap at the Apple store. I called Apple back and they insisted this isn't the case, and I would have to activate the number that has the upgrade eligibility only and then make the swap at an AT&T store.

Just wondering who's correct and what my next step should be. Anyone know?

 

[mb2008]

Apple can, but may not want to do switches on launch day. If ATT's servers are down (a definite possibility) they can't do it at all. I have activated on the upgrade line at Apple and then gone straight to an ATT store to switch. The ATT store runs out of phones fast so they have plenty of time to help you.

 

[SiskoKid]

Apple can, but may not want to do switches on launch day. If ATT's servers are down (a definite possibility) they can't do it at all. I have activated on the upgrade line at Apple and then gone straight to an ATT store to switch. The ATT store runs out of phones fast so they have plenty of time to help you.

Do you think I could just buy a microsim card at AT&T and just get home with the iPhone 4 and make the swap over the phone? I know you're probably not an expert, but you seem to know more than I do

 

[mb2008]

I don't know. Sounds doable. I've always been too anxious to wait.

I would just go to the Apple store, ask them to switch it if possible, and then go to plan B. Because it looks like the hardest part of the equation is getting the actual phone.

 

[cbruce76]

Apple can, but may not want to do switches on launch day. If ATT's servers are down (a definite possibility) they can't do it at all. I have activated on the upgrade line at Apple and then gone straight to an ATT store to switch. The ATT store runs out of phones fast so they have plenty of time to help you.

Apple does not have the capability to switch phone numbers from one family line to another. I know this because I worked at Apple retail for more than a year and we never had that capability.

You have to activate it with the upgrade eligible line first in order to get the discount pricing. Then you have to go to AT&T, or call, and make the switch.

 

[aristobrat]

Apple does not have the capability to switch phone numbers from one family line to another. I know this because I worked at Apple retail for more than a year and we never had that capability.

You have to activate it with the upgrade eligible line first in order to get the discount pricing. Then you have to go to AT&T, or call, and make the switch.

I worked at Apple until about two months ago and wanted to verify that what the poster above is saying is right.

Apple employees have zero ability to directly look at and/or make changes to your AT&T account.

When they sell you an iPhone, they are guided step-by-step by the software on their hand-held EasyPay devices. The software can do a few different things (open a new account, add a new line to an existing account, do an upgrade on existing accounts, ... even port numbers over from other carriers), but it can not activate an iPhone with a different number than was used for the upgrade.

 

[Armeniandave]

I'm doing the same thing and I just got the phone from AT&T and I will
bring down the other phone so they can swap information at the store.

I have heard that you can do it over the phone but I haven't tried. I don't see why they couldn't as it's all software related. Just have both phones in front of you so you can give them the info they need.

 

[pugnut]

Ok, so I'm getting really irritated. I'm on a family plan, and the main line is eligible for the upgrade whilst I am not. So the main line will be buying the phone at discount and then give it to me (I say give, when I mean I'll be purchasing the phone, and then they'll let me swap it to my line just at discount price).

But the whole thing is stupidly confusing. I called Apple to see if we can purchase the phone and then activate it under a different number. They said no and would have to go to an AT&T store to do that. I called AT&T and spoke to two levels of consumer spokespeople, and BOTH said that Apple would have every ability and that Apple would and SHOULD be able to do the swap at the Apple store. I called Apple back and they insisted this isn't the case, and I would have to activate the number that has the upgrade eligibility only and then make the swap at an AT&T store.

Just wondering who's correct and what my next step should be. Anyone know?

It is easy to do and not that complicated. The issue here is the fact that it is a Micro Sim. They can do a device swap over the phone or you can go into AT&T and ask them for a micro for you existing number. Nothing to worry about.

 

[SiskoKid]

It is easy to do and not that complicated. The issue here is the fact that it is a Micro Sim. They can do a device swap over the phone or you can go into AT&T and ask them for a micro for you existing number. Nothing to worry about.

I went to an AT&T store in person to clarify this situation. They told me that no walk ins will be available that day, but they did say I can buy a microsim right now and just activate that sim over the phone that evening and then voila all is well.

So I purchased a $15 microsim card and also grabbed a blank regular sim card (which was free) so that when I make the swap there are no issues with sim cards.

Hopefully that'll work out

 

[dagomike]

I'm doing the same but getting the phone from Apple delivered. I was planning on just calling AT&T and doing it over the phone, but I'm sure by time FedEx gets here the phones/system will probably be busy.

I might swing by the store if its late in the day and the hold time is long.

I'd be interested in hearing more about buying the sim ahead of time. Do you still have to call AT&T? Not sure the advantage, if you couldn't just swap.

 

[smash1031]

I went to an AT&T store in person to clarify this situation. They told me that no walk ins will be available that day, but they did say I can buy a microsim right now and just activate that sim over the phone that evening and then voila all is well.

So I purchased a $15 microsim card and also grabbed a blank regular sim card (which was free) so that when I make the swap there are no issues with sim cards.

Hopefully that'll work out

Did you get the micro sim from an At&t store? I'm doing the upgrade swap at an apple store and unless their itunes servers are down and can't activate, I'll have to do this after. The last thing I need is to go to an At&t store and they're all out of micro sims.