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Beware of the 'Business Account'
- Thread starter miguelq
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Enjoy your iBrick's. If I had the same problems with my n95 as you guys are having with iPhone I would have just returned it to the store get my money back. BTW how are you suppose to call customer support if your phone isn't working? I for one don't own a landline anymore. They didn't think about that did they. I feel abit sorry for you guys for buying something that you can't use right away.
Better Disclosure would have been nice
I checked the AT&T Premier web sit Friday morning, nothing on iPhone. This morning the message is there about no iPhone. The details talk about CRU and shared IRU.. I think my plan is just IRU but it is a family plan, so there still might be a chance I can do make this a best case scenario...
I checked the AT&T Premier web sit Friday morning, nothing on iPhone. This morning the message is there about no iPhone. The details talk about CRU and shared IRU.. I think my plan is just IRU but it is a family plan, so there still might be a chance I can do make this a best case scenario...
So those of you who get a discount because of your company's FAN # are completely losing you discount? I work for Fedex, and losing that 23% discount would hurt.
Also, do they re-run credit if they're just dropping the FAN discount off your line?
thanks.
Also, do they re-run credit if they're just dropping the FAN discount off your line?
thanks.
I'm in the same boat as all of you! But I didn't know I had a "business" account. 7 years ago when I bought my phone, I got a discount because I was an employee of a large company. Apparently when AT&T Wireless merged with Cingular, my account was flagged as a business account, and they didn't tell me. I sincerely thought I had a normal consumer account, so I had no idea this would even be an issue. I've been on the phone 3 times with AT&T for a total of 6 hours, and still don't have this resolved yet!
After reading this I just canceled my order on Apple.com. They've already posted on the business web site that you will lose all your discounts if you switch over. I'll bet there will be a ton of angry people when they get their next bill and see all the discounts gone. I don't trust them at all. Even if you get your phone activated I"ll bet there will be a ton of new charges and no discounts on your bill. Is this the first time a new phone has totally been basically banned from business accounts? This is totally unacceptable. They really dropped the ball on this one.
Well my bill has been EXACTLY the same price as a family of four, sharing minutes, just tied to my Fed Tax ID vs my SSN. I have never gotten in discounts on phones or plans, so I do not know the difference.
How much could the service discount be, you are paying $600 for the phone, so you might would save, what, 10% a month, who cares?
Just to share my problem; I had a business account at 6:15pm Friday when I got out of the store and realized I couldn't activate it in the car on my laptop because of it being a business account. I called up AT&T and they switched me over to a personal account within 10 minutes and I activated the phone right away with no problems.
My buddy on the other hand, had a personal account, and iTunes took over 4 hours to activate his phone.
CRAZY!!!!!! In the end, the phone is the hottest thing I have ever played with that's not female.
My buddy on the other hand, had a personal account, and iTunes took over 4 hours to activate his phone.
CRAZY!!!!!! In the end, the phone is the hottest thing I have ever played with that's not female.
My previous 2 phones were the Pearl and the Curve, both T R A S H compared to this. Let's hope we get monthly updates with new features and fixes (MOVIE TIMES/TRAILERS)!!!!!!!!
I care because I'm getting a 23% discount, add the 20.00 for the iphone plan and I'm looking at doubling my current monthly bill all for a new phone. We're paying enough to AT&T without them ripping us off more. It's a stinkin software change to flip a bit and let us just add on the iphone plan and not change ANYthing else with our account.
Update:
WEWW! After almost 24 hours of trying to convert my business account to a personal oneeverything is activated. However, they misspelled my last name on the new account. I'll save that phone call for another weekend.
Anyways, the iPhone was worth all the trouble.
Although I was not able to choose a new iPhone plan. Instead iTunes only offered to replace my current data plan with the new iPhone data package. Anyone know why?
WEWW! After almost 24 hours of trying to convert my business account to a personal oneeverything is activated. However, they misspelled my last name on the new account.
I'll save that phone call for another weekend.Anyways, the iPhone was worth all the trouble.
Although I was not able to choose a new iPhone plan. Instead iTunes only offered to replace my current data plan with the new iPhone data package. Anyone know why?
Will my account work?
Does anyone know how to find out if your account qualifies or not? I got hooked up with special reseller plan about a year ago and am dying to put my SIM chip in the iPhone, but don't want to pay the high rates. Does it say anywhere on the bill if your an IRU, SLB, or CRU account. When I signed up I didn't have to give any business information, but I also didn't have to sign a contract either. Just wondering if anyone is in the same boat. Here's a copy of my bill in case it helps.
Does anyone know how to find out if your account qualifies or not? I got hooked up with special reseller plan about a year ago and am dying to put my SIM chip in the iPhone, but don't want to pay the high rates. Does it say anywhere on the bill if your an IRU, SLB, or CRU account. When I signed up I didn't have to give any business information, but I also didn't have to sign a contract either. Just wondering if anyone is in the same boat. Here's a copy of my bill in case it helps.
He probably meant that he got switched from a business account to a personal account (hence losing the discount). You cannot get a discount from your employer on a personal account. I have a business account because I get a discount through my employer, and I knew about this before the iLaunch because it was publicized.
What I'm curious about is: If you add the $20 data plan and you had a $40 voice plan beforehand, do you just pay the full $20 on the data plan or do you lose the discount on the $40 also?
Zom 138 how did you get all that for $20 a month?! Does that include EDGE? Wow, I pay $70 for 550 minutes divided by three lines (but the third person (my niece) is not allowed anytime minutes, just M2M with her parents (who have their own Cingular account, but mom wanted to add her to ours)) and I thought THAT was good (especially since I pay $30).
It is very probable that you would lose all discounts... I would ask what my bill would look like BEFORE buying the phone (and get names).
Does that include EDGE? Wow, I pay $70 for 550 minutes divided by three lines (but the third person (my niece) is not allowed anytime minutes, just M2M with her parents (who have their own Cingular account, but mom wanted to add her to ours)) and I thought THAT was good (especially since I pay $30).It is very probable that you would lose all discounts... I would ask what my bill would look like BEFORE buying the phone (and get names).
I admit my ignorance...
All.
I admit my ignorance- i didnt pay any attention to the business krap... waiting in line for several hours to go home to the ibrick...
now how to we fix it? i think this is a serious flaw with ATT. I am sure many if you already had some type of pda device- 8525 here. So, I had a data plan with voice. Essentially exacty what I would need for the ibrick (plus i had 3g~).
On hold for several hours to find out what you are all posting....
Here is my question- I use my phone for business - probably 80%. So, do you all plan on expensing your cell blll every month? i am not even sure i can get my finance department into that....
this sucks...
All.
I admit my ignorance- i didnt pay any attention to the business krap... waiting in line for several hours to go home to the ibrick...
now how to we fix it? i think this is a serious flaw with ATT. I am sure many if you already had some type of pda device- 8525 here. So, I had a data plan with voice. Essentially exacty what I would need for the ibrick (plus i had 3g~).
On hold for several hours to find out what you are all posting....
Here is my question- I use my phone for business - probably 80%. So, do you all plan on expensing your cell blll every month? i am not even sure i can get my finance department into that....
this sucks...
Thanks for the number
Thank you very much for that number! After hearing about "employee discount" accounts being considered business acccounts, I went down to a local AT&T store around noon and had the employee discount removed from my account before even attempting activation. Yet, I still was getting the "current account cannot be used message" when attempting activation. I talked to two different people at the 877-419-4500 number suggested in the message and they looked at my account but didn't see anything wrong, but I still kept getting the same message.
After searching the internet, I found this forum and post so I called the number listed above. It was answered on about the 2nd ring, I explained the situation, then was put on hold 2 or 3 times while they made some changes to my account. Finally, they said try activating again while they waited on the phone. I then got a different message that my discount was going to be removed (even though it supposedly had already been) but was now able to proceed through the activation process. And, much to my amazement, my iPhone activation was complete in about two minutes!
I would like to add that despite their activation problems, everyone I spoke with at AT&T was very polite and professional.
Thank you very much for that number! After hearing about "employee discount" accounts being considered business acccounts, I went down to a local AT&T store around noon and had the employee discount removed from my account before even attempting activation. Yet, I still was getting the "current account cannot be used message" when attempting activation. I talked to two different people at the 877-419-4500 number suggested in the message and they looked at my account but didn't see anything wrong, but I still kept getting the same message.
After searching the internet, I found this forum and post so I called the number listed above. It was answered on about the 2nd ring, I explained the situation, then was put on hold 2 or 3 times while they made some changes to my account. Finally, they said try activating again while they waited on the phone. I then got a different message that my discount was going to be removed (even though it supposedly had already been) but was now able to proceed through the activation process. And, much to my amazement, my iPhone activation was complete in about two minutes!
I would like to add that despite their activation problems, everyone I spoke with at AT&T was very polite and professional.
Any Luck
Has anyone gotten anywhere with this this morning? I havent had time yet to "wait". I am still not sure what to do. I do not want to take responsibility for my line and I do not want a new number / second phone to carry around...
Has anyone gotten anywhere with this this morning? I havent had time yet to "wait". I am still not sure what to do. I do not want to take responsibility for my line and I do not want a new number / second phone to carry around...
I have a business account and I got my iPhone activated on Sunday. I think the key is to be really patient when you are on hold with at&t. I simply left my phone on speakerphone mode and got some paperwork done while I was waiting. I *think* I was on hold 45 mins.-1 hr?
Yep.....whatever they did it allowed me to transfer and existing number to my new iPhone. Same account and same number....just a different phone.
They don't get it! But neither do we
So after a coworker and I got ourselves into a fervor over the iPhone, we broke down, left work (skipping a meeting) and drove to the Apple Store. We had called ahead, and the iPhone guy said signing up with a Corporate Account was not a problem. We knew to ask, since even getting the most basic support from Cingular has always been a nightmare since we work for a BIG company and have thousands of phone numbers on the account, so we didn't want to get too excited.
So we drove to the store, bought the beauties, and went to a nice restaurant to sit across from each other, eat, and talk on our existing phones with Cingular/ATT. Of course, neither of us got where we wanted to go
The reps on the other end, ATT/Cingular, honestly didn't get it! I have worked for this company for 9 years, and have always had my cell service and the devices as a perk of my employment (instead of getting paid for 24/7 support). Now, Cingular wants me to pay $135.98 a month for service! That's what it would cost based on my historical usage! Oh, and I have to do the stupid Consumer account, and get reimbursed! Has anyone every dealt with a big company Accounts Payable department? I'd rather be shot in the kneecaps.
Besides, my company will happily pay whatever the bill is when on the Corporate Account, but limit reimbursements to $50 for those of us with Consumer Accounts, so I would go from paying ZERO to paying $85.98 to have the iPhone every single month. At over a grand a year to walk around with a phone that doesn't integrate with Microsoft's Exchange Server, that's insanity...
Beware folks - if you have a Corporate Account you CANNOT get an iPhone - don't believe Apple, don't believe Cingular/ATT. Getting a different/new account is like going for a new set of tires and being told you have to replace the car - but you can still get a new set of tires - no problem!
LIARS - I am so immensely disappointed (that they lied, not that this problem exists - I'm in IT, and know these things need to be worked out!!! but lying is lying is lying).
So after a coworker and I got ourselves into a fervor over the iPhone, we broke down, left work (skipping a meeting) and drove to the Apple Store. We had called ahead, and the iPhone guy said signing up with a Corporate Account was not a problem. We knew to ask, since even getting the most basic support from Cingular has always been a nightmare since we work for a BIG company and have thousands of phone numbers on the account, so we didn't want to get too excited.
So we drove to the store, bought the beauties, and went to a nice restaurant to sit across from each other, eat, and talk on our existing phones with Cingular/ATT. Of course, neither of us got where we wanted to go
The reps on the other end, ATT/Cingular, honestly didn't get it! I have worked for this company for 9 years, and have always had my cell service and the devices as a perk of my employment (instead of getting paid for 24/7 support). Now, Cingular wants me to pay $135.98 a month for service! That's what it would cost based on my historical usage! Oh, and I have to do the stupid Consumer account, and get reimbursed! Has anyone every dealt with a big company Accounts Payable department? I'd rather be shot in the kneecaps.
Besides, my company will happily pay whatever the bill is when on the Corporate Account, but limit reimbursements to $50 for those of us with Consumer Accounts, so I would go from paying ZERO to paying $85.98 to have the iPhone every single month. At over a grand a year to walk around with a phone that doesn't integrate with Microsoft's Exchange Server, that's insanity...
Beware folks - if you have a Corporate Account you CANNOT get an iPhone - don't believe Apple, don't believe Cingular/ATT. Getting a different/new account is like going for a new set of tires and being told you have to replace the car - but you can still get a new set of tires - no problem!
LIARS - I am so immensely disappointed (that they lied, not that this problem exists - I'm in IT, and know these things need to be worked out!!! but lying is lying is lying).