AT&T caught me! what do I do?

[PDE]

I don't know what to do about the OP's issue. However, anyone saying AT&T or Apple bullied them is out of their mind. Apple designed the damn phone, if you like it then pay for it. They didn't come to your house, break your other phone, shove the iPhone in your pocket and hand you a bill. AT&T is a cell phone service provider and just like all other major carriers they require a 2 year contract for service. Any PDA or iPhone they sell is required to have the data plan, not to be a bully, but because that is the reason you are buying that type of phone. If you don't need the things offered in a PDA and the data plan that comes with it, then save money and buy a normal cell phone. Neither case is bullying because you have complete control over phone and service provider when choosing a cell phone.

I never said that I was bullied. On the contrary, I didn't allow myself to be bullied into downgrading my current plan to something more expensive with less minutes, nor did I allow myself to be bullied into using ATT roaming and paying thousands of dollars in roaming fees every time I go abroad. My point was that ATT, by allegedly( we don't know) disconnecting the OP's connection/sim because he is using an unlocked iphone - and maybe forcing him to lock it up or something - is a bully attitude.

I don't recall reading in any contract when I signed one a long time ago that I cannot use my own GSM phone on their network. They may have updated their agreement to state that an unlocked iphone cannot be used on their network, but I haven't seen that and definitely haven't agreed to that.

It just so happens that I really like the iphone and enjoy using it just like people enjoy using their locked iphones. I enjoy it more unlocked than locked actually, since I'm not enslaved to a carrier that wants to force me into doing things I don't want (roaming, data whateve). That's why I don't go out and buy another phone - because I don't want to and prefer my iphone. Does that answer your question?

 

[chr1s60]

I never said that I was bullied. On the contrary, I didn't allow myself to be bullied into downgrading my current plan to something more expensive with less minutes, nor did I allow myself to be bullied into using ATT roaming and paying thousands of dollars in roaming fees every time I go abroad. My point was that ATT, by allegedly( we don't know) disconnecting the OP's connection/sim because he is using an unlocked iphone - and maybe forcing him to lock it up or something - is a bully attitude.

I don't recall reading in any contract when I signed one a long time ago that I cannot use my own GSM phone on their network. They may have updated their agreement to state that an unlocked iphone cannot be used on their network, but I haven't seen that and definitely haven't agreed to that.

It just so happens that I really like the iphone and enjoy using it just like people enjoy using their locked iphones. I enjoy it more unlocked than locked actually, since I'm not enslaved to a carrier that wants to force me into doing things I don't want (roaming, data whateve). That's why I don't go out and buy another phone - because I don't want to and prefer my iphone. Does that answer your question?

The only thing I am confused about is your first part about being bullied into downgrading you plan for less minutes. I know 4 people, myself included that have purchased iPhones. Not one of us has had to downgrade or have even been offered a downgraded plan, so I don't quite understand what you are saying here.

As far as AT&T locking the phone to their network, it isn't really bullying. Apple has a deal with AT&T and AT&T pays for the rights to be the only carrier in the US with iPhone. Them locking his phone is just protecting their investment. If you owned a store or something and signed a deal in which you were paying money in order to carry the hot new product that no other store could sell, you would be pretty pissed off to walk down the street and see 2 other shops selling that product wouldn't you? This is where AT&T is coming from. They paid big money for the rights to this phone and are doing a reasonable thing in protecting it. Deals like this happen in business quite often, people just don't tend to notice it as much as they do with iPhone.

 

[PDE]

The only thing I am confused about is your first part about being bullied into downgrading you plan for less minutes. I know 4 people, myself included that have purchased iPhones. Not one of us has had to downgrade or have even been offered a downgraded plan, so I don't quite understand what you are saying here..

Sorry I wasn't clear. I have an old pre-cingular ATT family plan. ATT won't let me just add a dataplan to what I have and insist that I get a new family plan which is substantially more expensive than my old plan.

As far as AT&T locking the phone to their network, it isn't really bullying. Apple has a deal with AT&T and AT&T pays for the rights to be the only carrier in the US with iPhone. Them locking his phone is just protecting their investment. If you owned a store or something and signed a deal in which you were paying money in order to carry the hot new product that no other store could sell, you would be pretty pissed off to walk down the street and see 2 other shops selling that product wouldn't you? This is where AT&T is coming from. They paid big money for the rights to this phone and are doing a reasonable thing in protecting it. Deals like this happen in business quite often, people just don't tend to notice it as much as they do with iPhone.

I happen to believe that good service and good products, rather than chains and whips, are the best way to keep customers coming back for more. Why would Apple and ATT be so afraid of customers going elsewhere if they provide the best service?

 

[Sobe]

it's probably something much more innocent, like wanting to convert old cingular customers to new AT&T plans.

Doesn't do you any good, but it seems much less sinister when you put it into perspective of new ownership.

 

[Chakalaka]

Sorry I wasn't clear. I have an old pre-cingular ATT family plan. ATT won't let me just add a dataplan to what I have and insist that I get a new family plan which is substantially more expensive than my old plan.

That is weird. AT&T had no problem with me keeping my old plan from Cingular and just pay the extra $20 for each iphone activated per month. Either way, what ever works for you. Like I said, if you find a loop hole method and it works for you, go for it.

 

[PDE]

it's probably something much more innocent, like wanting to convert old cingular customers to new AT&T plans.

Doesn't do you any good, but it seems much less sinister when you put it into perspective of new ownership.

I don't think there's anything sinister about ATT wanting to convert old customers to the new plans. However, given that my old plan is better than what they are offering now (at least for my purposes), you'd think they would be willing to negotiate a little so that I don't feel that I'm suddenly paying more and getting less. Maybe I'll try asking them again, but last time they just started telling me how I'm missing out on new features by using my old plan and that paying more would also mean getting more.

I would still unlock though so there's not that much point...

 

[PDE]

That is weird. AT&T had no problem with me keeping my old plan from Cingular and just pay the extra $20 for each iphone activated per month. Either way, what ever works for you. Like I said, if you find a loop hole method and it works for you, go for it.

Because you had a cingular account. Mine is pre-cingular and I never changed it over to cingular .They wants us to move to a new plan.

 

[Gizmotoy]

I switched to a different phone mid-contract with Cingular, and they never figured it out. In fact, my account profile still gives information about the old phone. It doesn't seem like they're actively trying to keep track of the phone everyone is using as much as looking for iPhone users that aren't paying up.

I figured they'd pull some crap like this. I just wanted to use the iPhone with my current plan since I'm covered by Wifi probably 95% of the time I'm out of the house. I held off to let other people try it out first. Sounds like it's not going well.

 

[Chakalaka]

I switched to a different phone mid-contract with Cingular, and they never figured it out. In fact, my account profile still gives information about the old phone. It doesn't seem like they're actively trying to keep track of the phone everyone is using as much as looking for iPhone users that aren't paying up.

I figured they'd pull some crap like this. I just wanted to use the iPhone with my current plan since I'm covered by Wifi probably 95% of the time I'm out of the house. I held off to let other people try it out first. Sounds like it's not going well.

If you are talking about your profile on your account page on the AT&T website, its very inaccurate. Let me put it this way. I activated 2 iphones on my familiy plan. Added the $20 extra for each phone. My account page still showed my old phones until I changed it to iphone and that was after 2 months. They know what phone you are using once you power that sucker on. That web account page is just for us as end user only.

 

[PDE]

I switched to a different phone mid-contract with Cingular, and they never figured it out. In fact, my account profile still gives information about the old phone. It doesn't seem like they're actively trying to keep track of the phone everyone is using as much as looking for iPhone users that aren't paying up.

I figured they'd pull some crap like this. I just wanted to use the iPhone with my current plan since I'm covered by Wifi probably 95% of the time I'm out of the house. I held off to let other people try it out first. Sounds like it's not going well.

Well, I'm still up and running and I know a couple of others who are too. Who knows how much resources they are prepared to spend on these things, but I don't think they're going to start turning off service for those with unlocked iphones. I wouldn't worry too much about - there are lots of people still using their unlocked phones with older sims and this is the first time I've heard of something like this. Have there been other reports?

 

[JoeJITSU]

Im just going to go and exchange my iphone. whats the best excuse to get a new one?

 

[Sobe]

Im just going to go and exchange my iphone. whats the best excuse to get a new one?

You didn't want to pay the extra money so you unlocked it.

Then you solicit the best lie so Apple can replace the phone you deliberately voided the warranty on.

Do you have any internal moral compass whatsoever?

 

[PDE]

You didn't want to pay the extra money so you unlocked it.

Then you solicit the best lie so Apple can replace the phone you deliberately voided the warranty on.

Do you have any internal moral compass whatsoever?

moral compass???? We can talk about the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the hundreds of thousands dead there and the many more displaced, not to mention that a whole generation of Iraqis have had their lives ruined forever- that's where we need an internal moral compass. Getting Apple to fix problems that *most likely* (that's for you, since nobody can be 100% sure at this point and you seem to like to argue against this for the sake of it) have nothing to do with the unlocking has little to do with morality. Sorry, it just doesn't.

I'm hoping you're just joking.

 

[Sobe]

moral compass???? We can talk about the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the hundreds of thousands dead there and the many more displaced, not to mention that a whole generation of Iraqis have had their lives ruined forever- that's where we need an internal moral compass. Getting Apple to fix problems that *most likely* (that's for you, since nobody can be 100% sure at this point and you seem to like to argue against this for the sake of it) have nothing to do with the unlocking has little to do with morality. Sorry, it just doesn't.

I'm hoping you're just joking.

Excellent, so you're in favor of lying to avoid personal responsibility and dismiss doing so as having nothing to do with morality.

Glad we have that clear now.

 

[aristobrat]

moral compass???? We can talk about the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the hundreds of thousands dead there and the many more displaced, not to mention that a whole generation of Iraqis have had their lives ruined forever- that's where we need an internal moral compass. Getting Apple to fix problems that *most likely* (that's for you, since nobody can be 100% sure at this point and you seem to like to argue against this for the sake of it) have nothing to do with the unlocking has little to do with morality. Sorry, it just doesn't.

Respectfully, that's lame.

Morality is the distinction between wrong and right. The "compass" doesn't simply stop spinning just because one issue isn't of the same magnitude as another.

 

[PDE]

No more comments.

 

[acrafton]

Geez, how did we get to the Iraq war . . .

Anyway, for those who still think that Steve and Apple are benevolent Gods, read "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs" and you will see just what Steve thinks of us loyal, somewhat starstruck customers.

In a nutshell, his opinion is "fuc*'em".

 

[method525]

Odd story. As far as I know ATT isn't taking any kind of action against people who have an iphone on old blue plans. Maybe the code that gave you was a puk code. That is the only thing I can think of.

 

[vega07]

Excellent, so you're in favor of lying to avoid personal responsibility and dismiss doing so as having nothing to do with morality.

Glad we have that clear now.

man sobe, you are very adamant about making sure you give everyone on these forums a "moral" whipping. just worry about yourself, save yourself some energy and not post in any more threads regarding unlocked iphones.

please.

 

[Whotheheck]

I am a regular customer of AT&T and just didn't want to pay the extra monthly....SO I unlocked mine. Well today I noticed "no service" on my iphone. I then Ibrick and unlocked my iphone like I did before. Nothing! tried it again...Nothing! I then learned when I went on my AT&T account...THEY know that I have an iphone. WTF? now what? They are giving me a unlock code but I don't even know how to put that in. 8 digits. I tried to enter it like a phone # and even went to the settings...NOthing! HELP!

Try your SIM card on another phone. If it is asking for a code when you turn it on, it might be aa PUK code. Warning: If you enter it wrong a couple of time, the SIM card won't work ever again. AT&T will not ever give you an older SIM card so you might be foreced to "upgrade" to the newer plans. AFAIK, newer SIM cards don't work with the older at&t pre-merger rate plans. It's just the way the system is set up.

You can also try someone esle's sim card on your iPhone and see what happens. You have to find out if it is your SIM card or your iPhone first.

Morals? Work for what is now at&t. I had never worked with so many unethical people before.

 

[method525]

What's up fellow att employee

 

[megfilmworks]

The code they gave you could be the SIM PIN located in settings/phone

 

[JoeJITSU]

Odd story. As far as I know ATT isn't taking any kind of action against people who have an iphone on old blue plans. Maybe the code that gave you was a puk code. That is the only thing I can think of.

Yes its a PUK code. BUT I can't get it to work. Tried to dial it then I tried it in the Sim pin and i am now confused.

 

[JoeJITSU]

Try your SIM card on another phone. If it is asking for a code when you turn it on, it might be aa PUK code. Warning: If you enter it wrong a couple of time, the SIM card won't work ever again. AT&T will not ever give you an older SIM card so you might be foreced to "upgrade" to the newer plans. AFAIK, newer SIM cards don't work with the older at&t pre-merger rate plans. It's just the way the system is set up.

You can also try someone esle's sim card on your iPhone and see what happens. You have to find out if it is your SIM card or your iPhone first.

Morals? Work for what is now at&t. I had never worked with so many unethical people before.

Phone says no service. Even when I put in the go phone sim. Don't know what it could me anymore

 

[DSchwartz88]

so im not gunna lie i was an idiot and actually locked the sim once cause i had no idea was a sim pin was and obviously i played around with it. If his sim was locked it would say Locked SIM in the upper left corner instead of No Service. It would also give you the option to input the puk code everytime u powered down and up the phone (meaning push the red slider and turn it back on). And they will give u that code no problem.

And to the OP, i tried to unlock my phone once, and it also said it worked, but eventually i lost all service completely, where it got to the point my friend would hold his iphone next to mine and mine would say No Service while he had full bars with edge. And dont badger me about morality im really not in the mood.

Daniel