Buy for one line, activate on another?

[btr94]

I have a current 3GS. For some reason, somebody at AT&T screwed me over and activated me on a 24-month contract instead of the 18-month contract I should've been on, so it made me ineligible for an upgrade. HOWEVER, we have one line on our plan that is currently eligible for an upgrade. My plan is this:

1) Buy the iPhone online (as in-store requires activation, yes?), and use eligibility for the eligible line.
2) When I get it, go into iTunes and activate on MY line.

Is this possible - has anyone else had experience doing this?

 

[dudecati]

I just did that but had to go to the att store to activate it- I could not do it at home through iTunes. The guy at the store was VERY helpful and had me up & running in no time at all. No hassle, just helpful and courteous.

I have a current 3GS. For some reason, somebody at AT&T screwed me over and activated me on a 24-month contract instead of the 18-month contract I should've been on, so it made me ineligible for an upgrade. HOWEVER, we have one line on our plan that is currently eligible for an upgrade. My plan is this:

1) Buy the iPhone online (as in-store requires activation, yes?), and use eligibility for the eligible line.
2) When I get it, go into iTunes and activate on MY line.

Is this possible - has anyone else had experience doing this?

 

[btr94]

Out of curiosity, what was wrong with activating through iTunes?

And what did you tell the guy at the AT&T store?

 

[SpaceKitty]

It's my understanding that iPhone can only be activated through iTunes when using the number that was used to upgrade. This is why the OP had to go to AT&T. It will only activate in iTunes using the # that was eligible along with the last four of the social and the billing zip.

 

[MiRod407]

I have a current 3GS. For some reason, somebody at AT&T screwed me over and activated me on a 24-month contract instead of the 18-month contract I should've been on, so it made me ineligible for an upgrade. HOWEVER, we have one line on our plan that is currently eligible for an upgrade. My plan is this:

1) Buy the iPhone online (as in-store requires activation, yes?), and use eligibility for the eligible line.
2) When I get it, go into iTunes and activate on MY line.

Is this possible - has anyone else had experience doing this?

I did this exact same thing. I already had an iPhone 3G 8gb, but I needed more space so I bought a 16gb and gave my wife the 8gb. Well after buying it at the Apple store I went home swapped sim cards and set up the 16gb iPhone with a backup of the 8gb, then I just restored the 8gb to factory defaults. In your situation before you do any of this but after buying the new you're going to have to get either new sim cards or call and have AT&T switch the sim cards' numbers some how. Regardless, one way or another its possible.