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AT&T Family Plan & using another #'s upgrade

EarthDawn

EarthDawn

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 18, 2008
883
10
Long-eye Land, NY
OK

So on AT&T every year, except 1, I have used someone else's upgrade within our family plan. Every time I have done this before I have had to goto the AT&T store to have them fix/change the phones upgrades and get new a new sim card for the phone that had the upgrade to set my # in the new phone.

Someone told me they can do it over the phone and I called AT&T and they said that yes they can do it over the phone. I get the feeling I was getting customer service from another country and maybe they did not get what I really wanted to know.

Anyone confirm that you can update and account in this manner over the phone?

Short version: Im using another phones upgrade and want my # on the new iPhone, obviously, so do I have to goto an AT&T store and have them fix it???

All 3 phones on the family plane are iPhones fyi

EDIT... and I ordered the phone from Apple

Thanks... and please don't comment if your just looking to break balls ;)
 
Last edited:
Yup it's an upgrade swap. Just don't let them activate the new phone when you upgrade. Then activate it on your line. Done and done.
 
famous600 said:
Yup it's an upgrade swap. Just don't let them activate the new phone when you upgrade. Then activate it on your line. Done and done.
Click to expand...

I ordered it through Apple.

So when it gets here just call AT&T billing and tell them I need t do an upgrade swap?
Do I need any info from the phone the upgrade was for?

Thanks.... I can't believe they finally got this right!
 
Direct from AT&T

So here is the "official" response:

ATT: ok i am going to let you see what i am reading. it explains it better than i can. Its still so new to us.
ATT : Verify the customer has the pre-installed SIM in the new device.*
ATT: Verify the customer has powered on the device, but has not completed the device activation process (unbrick).
ATT: Power iPhone on.
ATT: After choosing desired network, iPhone processes the initial activation. This may take up to one minute.
ATT: iPhone asks to confirm the wireless number used to upgrade the device.
ATT: If the customer wants to activate on a separate wireless number, select No.
ATT: Selecting Yes deactivates the wireless number the order was placed on and results in a burnt SIM.
ATT: Enter the wireless number the customer wishes the iPhone to be activated on and proceed with the activation process.
ATT: Perform an ICCID and IMEI change on the line that is receiving the iPhone.
ATT: Add a qualifying iPhone data plan.
ATT: Swapping of Unlimited Data plans is not allowed. Customers must select from currently available plans.
ATT: Following departmental guidelines, attempt a test call.
ATT: *If the customer had already removed the SIM card that was pre-installed with the new device and attempted to activate with a different SIM, follow the process below:
ATT: Advise the customer that they must obtain a new SIM to complete the activation.
ATT: Place the new SIM into the iPhone and complete the activation steps listed above.
ATT: The customer may need an additional SIM to process.
ATT: Technically i wasnt supposed to do that so please do not put that out in public

Take it for what it's worth. I removed the rep's name from the chat to protect him since he was so nice.
 
jeffm5690 said:
So here is the "official" response:

ATT: ok i am going to let you see what i am reading. it explains it better than i can. Its still so new to us.
ATT : Verify the customer has the pre-installed SIM in the new device.*
ATT: Verify the customer has powered on the device, but has not completed the device activation process (unbrick).
ATT: Power iPhone on.
ATT: After choosing desired network, iPhone processes the initial activation. This may take up to one minute.
ATT: iPhone asks to confirm the wireless number used to upgrade the device.
ATT: If the customer wants to activate on a separate wireless number, select No.
ATT: Selecting Yes deactivates the wireless number the order was placed on and results in a burnt SIM.
ATT: Enter the wireless number the customer wishes the iPhone to be activated on and proceed with the activation process.
ATT: Perform an ICCID and IMEI change on the line that is receiving the iPhone.
ATT: Add a qualifying iPhone data plan.
ATT: Swapping of Unlimited Data plans is not allowed. Customers must select from currently available plans.
ATT: Following departmental guidelines, attempt a test call.
ATT: *If the customer had already removed the SIM card that was pre-installed with the new device and attempted to activate with a different SIM, follow the process below:
ATT: Advise the customer that they must obtain a new SIM to complete the activation.
ATT: Place the new SIM into the iPhone and complete the activation steps listed above.
ATT: The customer may need an additional SIM to process.
ATT: Technically i wasnt supposed to do that so please do not put that out in public

Take it for what it's worth. I removed the rep's name from the chat to protect him since he was so nice.
Click to expand...

This is the kind of service you unfortunately hardly find in AT&T stores. Post of the day right here for anyone wanting a solution.
 
He was very helpful. He said just DO NOT activate if you are unable to enter a different number or you will fry the card. He did recommend calling 1-800-331-0500 Option #2 first to make sure there are no issues on their end. I think they made it as easy as they could but very few AT&T employees have been as helpful as he was.
 
SWEET !!!

Thank you for that !!!

Best reply I have ever gotten here ! :D

Whats really nice is the upgrade that Im using and my line are both on the old unlimited plan... not that we need it ... but makes it easy to keep now.
 
I think he meant that you could not take the unlimited plan FROM the person you are taking the upgrade from. The plan is defined by the line not the device.
 
jeffm5690 said:
I think he meant that you could not take the unlimited plan FROM the person you are taking the upgrade from. The plan is defined by the line not the device.
Click to expand...

thanks for some clarification. I know ATT wants those unlimited plans to go away any way possible so it would not surprise me for them to pull tactics like that. I've never done an upgrade swap. By the sound if it - it should be a fairly simple process, however, I have a feeling tomorrow it will become a major headache.
 
NYY FaN said:
wait, what? We can't bring our unlimited plan when doing an upgrade swap? the hell is that all about
Click to expand...

I am pretty sure you keep the plan you have. i think it is written that way so that you can't get the unlimited plan on to another phone line. In other words this way everybody keeps the plan they had and avoid creating a loophole for activating new people with the unlimited plan.
 
EarthDawn said:
I am pretty sure you keep the plan you have. i think it is written that way so that you can't get the unlimited plan on to another phone line. In other words this way everybody keeps the plan they had and avoid creating a loophole for activating new people with the unlimited plan.
Click to expand...

I'm just going to swap cards at the store. They are free.
 
Macman756 said:
They don't have Nanos though
Click to expand...

Yes they do. Just left the store. Sales rep had a whole box of them. I had the same question. I currently have a 4s and am using the wifes upgrade to get the 5. Its being delivered tomorrow. At&t store rep says a new sim is not necessary now. They can do the upgrade swap over the phone and keep the existing nano sim in the Iphone 5. Sweet !!!!!!
 
crusher372 said:
Yes they do. Just left the store. Sales rep had a whole box of them. I had the same question. I currently have a 4s and am using the wifes upgrade to get the 5. Its being delivered tomorrow. At&t store rep says a new sim is not necessary now. They can do the upgrade swap over the phone and keep the existing nano sim in the Iphone 5. Sweet !!!!!!
Click to expand...

It's nice to see that AT&T is finally gotten a little more advanced.

I was dreading having to go to the AT&T store tomorrow with all the lines... chaos !
 
crusher372 said:
Yes they do. Just left the store. Sales rep had a whole box of them. I had the same question. I currently have a 4s and am using the wifes upgrade to get the 5. Its being delivered tomorrow. At&t store rep says a new sim is not necessary now. They can do the upgrade swap over the phone and keep the existing nano sim in the Iphone 5. Sweet !!!!!!
Click to expand...

Really? So do we activate the iphone 5 that's coming in or just call them?

Honestly though the store is not to far from me....i might just go in. I can imagine tomorrow ATT phones will be going off the hook.
 
Does anyone know how an upgrade swap would work on a line that doesn't currently have data. Would I be able to upgrade that eligible line, which would require having to add data, then do the upgrade swap and have them remove the data from that line. I wanted to know if anyone had any experience doing such an upgrade swap.
 
I have a question related to this. I'm using my husbands upgrade to move up from my 4S. He has a 4. I want to give him my 4S and keep the new 5. Can he just put the sim from his 4 into my 4S to upgrade his phone?
 
MSampson said:
I have a question related to this. I'm using my husbands upgrade to move up from my 4S. He has a 4. I want to give him my 4S and keep the new 5. Can he just put the sim from his 4 into my 4S to upgrade his phone?
Click to expand...

swap your sim to his phone and you will have to either call ATT and program the nano for your line either at the store or over the phone.
 
Markiie said:
swap your sim to his phone and you will have to either call ATT and program the nano for your line either at the store or over the phone.
Click to expand...

Is that backward? He currently has iP4 and I have iP4S. I want him to inherit my 4S and the iP4 will become an ipod touch for our kids. Can the sim from his iP4 go into my iP4S and make the iP4S become his phone number? Are the sims the same size? I know that for the iP5 I will have to arrange to change it to mine before I activate it to his.
 
MSampson said:
Is that backward? He currently has iP4 and I have iP4S. I want him to inherit my 4S and the iP4 will become an ipod touch for our kids. Can the sim from his iP4 go into my iP4S and make the iP4S become his phone number? Are the sims the same size? I know that for the iP5 I will have to arrange to change it to mine before I activate it to his.
Click to expand...
Yes the information was incorrect.

First there is a MAJOR Question that everyone has to Answer:

Where did you order the upgrade from, AT&T or Apple?

We expect different steps depending on where you ordered the upgrade from when doing an Upgrade Swap.

If you ordered from AT&T, it is a simple as following the instructions provided with your new iPhone 5 or reviewing this page http://www.att.com/esupport/iphoneupgradesupport.jsp?source=ECSAFBFAC00D1000S

In your specific case, as long as your husband's Micro-SIM is not deactivated by you or the AT&T rep not following the correct process. It will be as simple as him putting his existing Micro-SIM into your iPhone 4S. The number follows the SIM.

However, it would be best from your husband to backup up his existing data on his iPhone 4 so that he will keep all his current information.

Dave

----------
acrahm said:
Kinda dumb question here, but what's the AT&T phone number to call?
Click to expand...
Contact AT&T at 1-800-331-0500 or 611 from a different wireless device.

Dave
 
As per AT&T, this upgrade IS different than past upgrades and was told by AT&T that it does NOT matter whether it was Apple or carrier purchased.
 
thank you. I ordered from Apple. I have an Oct 5 delivery though so I may snoop around next week to see if I can get one locally since I am going out of town for a week on 10/1 and would love to have the new phone when I go.

I've heard that Apple will let you cancel an online order with them in the store and hopefully the eligibility reverts quickly. I wonder if going to an ATT store they would honor seeing you cancel an Apple order on your phone and then restore eligibility for you. I would imagine Apple will have more phones in store than ATT next week though.
 
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