AT&T gives me loophole for upgrade elibibility.

[cpljwlusmc]

I cannot believe what happened. I called AT&T because my phone number was ineligible for a hardware upgrade (which meant, no iPhone for my phone number). However, my dad's phone number, because he was the first phone number on the account, is eligible for a hardware upgrade right now. However, I wanted the iPhone on my phone number, not my dad's, even though he was willing to give me his number (my parents are cool like that). So I called AT&T Wireless to ask them what options I had. I'm not going to give you the whole conversation; instead I'll give you step by step instructions on how to become iPhone eligible if you're on a family account.

Go to an AT&T or Apple Store and purchase your iPhone, and have it activated for the phone number eligible for the hardware upgrade. The SIM card in the phone that was originally for that number is now deactivated by AT&T, so you can throw it away when you get home.

When you get home, open up your iPhone SIM card tray, and open up your other phone. Take the SIM card out of the iPhone and put it into the phone you originally had. Then, take the SIM card for the other phone number (the phone number that wasn't eligible for the hardware upgrade), put it into your iPhone, and TURN YOUR iPhone off.

Finally, call AT&T and ask to transfer the iPhone data plan from the phone number that you bought the iPhone with, to the phone number linked to the SIM card that is in the iPhone.

The final result: an subsidized iPhone on an account where it should have cost a lot more.

PLUS: because you're purchasing it with the primary account on a plan with more than one phone number, AT&T will waive the $18 upgrade fee.

I can't believe it, AT&T just did something that didn't suck.


Any questions, just ask me.

Joe

 

[tobyg]

I did the same thing, only did it the harder way.
Wifes phone was elligible, mine wasn't, same family plan.
Bought it with her phone # at the Apple store, her phone/sim was dead as it was now tied to the iPhone.
Went to the AT&T store and they switched it all around by giving us 2 new SIMS.

Net of it is I now have an iPhone and that's all I care about. She didn't want a new phone, so that's good for me!

 

[ChrisN]

My dad did the same thing and now im sorta mad that he stole my upgrade eligibility:/

ChrisN

 

[tobyg]

My dad did the same thing and now im sorta mad that he stole my upgrade eligibility:/

ChrisN

Your dad created you, the least you could do is give him your upgrade eligibility!

But now you can at least tell him you're all squared up. Him giving you life and you giving him your upgrade eligibility... I'd consider that a wash.

 

[Neo110503]

Yea i plan on doing the same thing. Does anyone have any info on the rates for the plans in the family plan situation. I still don't know how much i'm going to be paying in terms of monthly to my parents once i get the iphone.

 

[cpljwlusmc]

I still don't know how much i'm going to be paying in terms of monthly to my parents once i get the iphone.

Just add $30 to the bill you pay now.

 

[grimreaper1377]

Will it work if I can't switch phone numbers?

 

[cpljwlusmc]

Will it work if I can't switch phone numbers?

This really only applies if you're on a family plan and one phone number isn't eligible for a hardware update, but another line is. If you're the only line on your AT&T account, then the $18 upgrade fee still applies to you, but you can still get the phone for the subsidized price.

 

[Hdu123]

My mom was wanting to join my family plan. Will it work if she buys one when she joins my plan?

 

[cpljwlusmc]

My mom was wanting to join my family plan. Will it work if she buys one when she joins my plan?

She won't be eligible for a hardware upgrade, and you can't start her off with a subsidized iPhone because you're only adding another line (it would be different if it was a new account), and you'll have to pay the unsubsidized price of $399.

If your phone number is eligible for a hardware upgrade, and you haven't already bought an iPhone using that hardware upgrade, you can purchase an iPhone for her. But you cannot use your mom's new line to purchase an iPhone right away, you'll need to wait until her phone number becomes eligible for a hardware upgrade.

My parents have been AT&T customers for a year now (back when it was still Cingular), and, excluding my dad, because he is the primary number on the account, my mother and I aren't eligible for hardware upgrades until 11/05/08.

Imagine how long you'd have to wait.

 

[ubersalad]

I cannot believe what happened. I called AT&T because my phone number was ineligible for a hardware upgrade (which meant, no iPhone for my phone number). However, my dad's phone number, because he was the first phone number on the account, is eligible for a hardware upgrade right now. However, I wanted the iPhone on my phone number, not my dad's, even though he was willing to give me his number (my parents are cool like that). So I called AT&T Wireless to ask them what options I had. I'm not going to give you the whole conversation; instead I'll give you step by step instructions on how to become iPhone eligible if you're on a family account.

Go to an AT&T or Apple Store and purchase your iPhone, and have it activated for the phone number eligible for the hardware upgrade. The SIM card in the phone that was originally for that number is now deactivated by AT&T, so you can throw it away when you get home.

When you get home, open up your iPhone SIM card tray, and open up your other phone. Take the SIM card out of the iPhone and put it into the phone you originally had. Then, take the SIM card for the other phone number (the phone number that wasn't eligible for the hardware upgrade), put it into your iPhone, and TURN YOUR iPhone off.

Finally, call AT&T and ask to transfer the iPhone data plan from the phone number that you bought the iPhone with, to the phone number linked to the SIM card that is in the iPhone.

The final result: an subsidized iPhone on an account where it should have cost a lot more.

PLUS: because you're purchasing it with the primary account on a plan with more than one phone number, AT&T will waive the $18 upgrade fee.

I can't believe it, AT&T just did something that didn't suck.


Any questions, just ask me.

Joe

Out of all the loopholes I have discovered and trying to find...this has to be one of the least worthy loopholes. FYI, this is hardly considered a loophole.

 

[cpljwlusmc]

Out of all the loopholes I have discovered and trying to find...this has to be one of the least worthy loopholes. FYI, this is hardly considered a loophole.

Thanks. Would you like to say that again without the negativity?


You shouldn't have said anything. It's obviously worth something if people are asking me how to do it and other types of questions. I know this loophole doesn't make iPhones fall out of the sky like you want, but I thought it was worth sharing. And if you don't think it's a 'worthy' loophole (because apparently you find yourself important enough to deem what is useful to others and what isn't) then keep your opinion to yourself.

 

[ubersalad]

Thanks. Would you like to say that again without the negativity?


You shouldn't have said anything. It's obviously worth something if people are asking me how to do it and other types of questions. I know this loophole doesn't make iPhones fall out of the sky like you want, but I thought it was worth sharing. And if you don't think it's a 'worthy' loophole (because apparently you find yourself important enough to deem what is useful to others and what isn't) then keep your opinion to yourself.

Switching sim card from one phone to another is NOT a loophole.

 

[cpljwlusmc]

True, that in itself isn't. But finding a way to purchase an iPhone for the subsidized price and waiving the upgrade fee for a line not even eligible for a hardware upgrade seems to be a loophole, doesn't it.

Try not to generalize a whole process based on one step.

You must think making and decorating a wedding cake is easy because "whisking eggs is hardly cooking"

 

[ubersalad]

True, that in itself isn't. But finding a way to purchase an iPhone for the subsidized price and waiving the upgrade fee for a line not even eligible for a hardware upgrade seems to be a loophole, doesn't it.

Try not to generalize a whole process based on one step.

You must think making and decorating a wedding cake is easy because "whisking eggs is hardly cooking"

You're just making it more complicated than it is. Your dad is the primary user and he's eligible for upgrade. He purchased the phone as upgrade and remove the upgrade fee. You switch the sim card with him, and now you are using the phone he purchased with his eligibility.

Where is the loophole? I am sure AT&T doesn't care!

 

[jrbdmb]

She won't be eligible for a hardware upgrade, and you can't start her off with a subsidized iPhone because you're only adding another line (it would be different if it was a new account), and you'll have to pay the unsubsidized price of $399.

I believe this is incorrect. Adding a new line should qualify you for a subsidized iPhone for that line.

 

[cpljwlusmc]

You're just making it more complicated than it is. Your dad is the primary user and he's eligible for upgrade. He purchased the phone as upgrade and remove the upgrade fee. You switch the sim card with him, and now you are using the phone he purchased with his eligibility.

Where is the loophole? I am sure AT&T doesn't care!

Actually...

Even if I put my SIM card for my phone number into the iPhone, the iPhone Data Plan is still linked to my dad's phone number. So, even if I put the SIM for my old phone into the iPhone, I would have to pay standard rate for connecting to the internet and using visual voicemail and all the other cool connectivity based features of the phone, which would put massive charges on my bill. I have to call AT&T to transfer the iPhone Data Plan from my dad's phone number to my phone number.

If you don't want to call it a loophole, since you appear to be the Lord And Master of Loopholes, then you can call it a workaround.

Happy now?

 

[cpljwlusmc]

I believe this is incorrect. Adding a new line should qualify you for a subsidized iPhone for that line.

I did look further into this, and you can get the phone for $199 price when adding a new line.

 

[jrbdmb]

My mom was wanting to join my family plan. Will it work if she buys one when she joins my plan?

YES. Adding a new line qualifies you for a subsidy on that line, including a subsidized iPhone.

(as just noted above )

 

[ubersalad]

Actually...

Even if I put my SIM card for my phone number into the iPhone, the iPhone Data Plan is still linked to my dad's phone number. So, even if I put the SIM for my old phone into the iPhone, I would have to pay standard rate for connecting to the internet and using visual voicemail and all the other cool connectivity based features of the phone, which would put massive charges on my bill. I have to call AT&T to transfer the iPhone Data Plan from my dad's phone number to my phone number.

If you don't want to call it a loophole, since you appear to be the Lord And Master of Loopholes, then you can call it a workaround.

Happy now?

You can just cancel your dad's data plan by calling them, and I am sure AT&T won't mind if you want to add either. So loophole, no...far from anything that qualifies as such.

 

[cpljwlusmc]

Wow, you won't even acknowledge the fact that this is still interesting information. It may not be a loophole as you would like to call it, because you've written the dictionary entry for the word loophole, but it's still information that people didn't have before. I'm just trying to help people who want the iPhone 3G to get the phone in any way possible.

I went onto my dad's account (they trust me with the password) and saw that my line wasn't eligible for a hardware upgrade. I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to get the iPhone until my line was eligible, and that was a very long time from the date I am supposed to get my iPhone.

So, I found a way to purchase the iPhone for the advertised $199 (because I would have had to pay the $399 due to my ineligibility), and I found a way to transfer the Data Plan over to my account as to not incur any extraneous charges.

But you come along and just dash everything I said, as if I came on the forum touting my loophole to make this device make phone calls or something. You're basically saying my information is useless.

I didn't misinform anyone; every step I gave is exactly what to do. Nothing I said was wrong, and yet you still feel the need to correct me.

And have an internet argument to prove the fact that what I submitted wasn't a loophole.

Wow.

 

[ubersalad]

Wow, you won't even acknowledge the fact that this is still interesting information. It may not be a loophole as you would like to call it, because you've written the dictionary entry for the word loophole, but it's still information that people didn't have before. I'm just trying to help people who want the iPhone 3G to get the phone in any way possible.

I went onto my dad's account (they trust me with the password) and saw that my line wasn't eligible for a hardware upgrade. I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to get the iPhone until my line was eligible, and that was a very long time from the date I am supposed to get my iPhone.

So, I found a way to purchase the iPhone for the advertised $199 (because I would have had to pay the $399 due to my ineligibility), and I found a way to transfer the Data Plan over to my account as to not incur any extraneous charges.

But you come along and just dash everything I said, as if I came on the forum touting my loophole to make this device make phone calls or something. You're basically saying my information is useless.

I didn't misinform anyone; every step I gave is exactly what to do. Nothing I said was wrong, and yet you still feel the need to correct me.

And have an internet argument to prove the fact that what I submitted wasn't a loophole.

Wow.

I was quite disappointed after reading about your "loophole", let's put it that way.

 

[cpljwlusmc]

Well, I'm sorry that I didn't make your eyes roll back in your head when I posted what I thought was useful information.

You don't like what I post, jog on. Don't waste my time and post your opinion that no one cares about.

 

[ubersalad]

Well, I'm sorry that I didn't make your eyes roll back in your head when I posted what I thought was useful information.

You don't like what I post, jog on. Don't waste my time and post your opinion that no one cares about.

Didn't mean to spoil your party dude. I am just stating the fact, the fact that it isn't a loophole. I have 5 family line and I have 3 that are qualified for upgrade, does that mean I am using some sort of a loophole?

 

[cpljwlusmc]

It's the fact that you didn't need to state anything at all.

Loophole, workaround, shortcut, WHATEVER.

You don't need to correct me because I used a term that didn't follow the exact dictionary definition.

You're basically coming over here to tell me that I misused a word.

Big. Whoop.

You don't like the words I use, don't read my posts, pal, okay?

You don't need to correct me, because it makes you look like a Know it All, who feels the need to correct everyone's grammatical errors.

Now, if there's anything else you'd like to critique, I believe you have more people you need to needlessly point out their "pointless word usages", making MacRumors Forums so much more correct.