Can't get an iPhone 3G ... cause my account is too old?

[essential]

I was buying an iPhone 3G last week, and I already knew I was upgrade eligible and everything.

The Apple worker looked up my account, and told me, literally ... my account was too old for the iPhone 3G, and i'd have to upgrade the account to get one.

I couldn't believe it. We have a 1000 minute family plan, which has been discontinued I guess, but that's not our fault. There 750 minute family plan which isn't enough minutes (and also costs what we are paying now for 1000), and a 1400 minute plan which is more than we need (and about $28 more a month before the iPhone data cost). We use right around 1000 minutes a month, and have about 1000 minutes of rollover saved up. AT&T sucks.

This happen to anyone else, any AT&T workers know if there is any way around this?

If I get my hands on an iPhone 2G and activate it with my number, is that a possible way to get the 3G on this plan?

 

[Diode]

Were you a former AT&T (before the merger) and haven't changed your plan?

There are some old grandfathered plans that AT&T makes customers change in order to upgrade phones. Regardless I would call AT&T to confirm.

 

[essential]

Yes, we were with Cingular and had this plan when AT&T bought them. We haven't made any changes to the account since like 2000.

I'll stop at an AT&T store on the way home from work, but if this is true, i'll be very upset. A $30 data plan doesn't bother me much, but $60 more a month would be my cost for an iPhone, and I don't know if that is worth it.

 

[Loonytik]

Its a way for AT&T to get you off of your old grandfather plan so you will pay them more money, thats all. I know several people that have old plans that are MUCH better than the plans today. One guy has 600 minutes that cost him $24.99 a month and his nights start at 7:00pm. Obviously they dont like it and will do what it takes to get you on the updated, higher cost plan.

Good luck with it, I hope it turns out well.

 

[stevin]

Yes, we were with Cingular and had this plan when AT&T bought them. We haven't made any changes to the account since like 2000.

I'll stop at an AT&T store on the way home from work, but if this is true, i'll be very upset. A $30 data plan doesn't bother me much, but $60 more a month would be my cost for an iPhone, and I don't know if that is worth it.

I added 1 iphone to our cingular fam. plan (well old cingular). 850 min for the same price as the 700 min plan.

Sounds like yours was even better. I had no problems doing it and you shouldn't have any either.

 

[essential]

If I got a iPhone 2G and activate it with my number through iTunes, would it work? Then I should be able to upgrade to the 3G without having to upgrade my plan?

 

[grokphone]

if there was an unlocked iphone available you'd be able to just pop the sim in and continue with your old plan...you'd get hammered for data usage though.

unfortunately though you're gonna have to give up the blue plan to get and use the iphone. had to give up an old unlimited text msging plan last year myself.

 

[essential]

I added 1 iphone to our cingular fam. plan (well old cingular). 850 min for the same price as the 700 min plan.

Sounds like yours was even better. I had no problems doing it and you shouldn't have any either.

Did you do this at an AT&T store, or an Apple store?

Also, we had an even better plan, we used to pay around $70 after taxes for the same thing we pay $110 for after taxes now (1000 min family plan). About 8 months ago AT&T called my parents and wanted them to upgrade their phones for free because they were still using old technology and they were upgrading their system. They told my parents nothing at all would change, then the next month our bill was $40 higher. My dad called and complained a ton, but as of now has still not resolved it.

We were originally with Cellular One, which was bought by Cingular, which was bought by AT&T. We've had out account 18 years are "blue" members.

 

[grokphone]

About 8 months ago AT&T called my parents and wanted them to upgrade their phones for free because they were still using old technology and they were upgrading their system. They told my parents nothing at all would change, then the next month our bill was $40 higher. My dad called and complained a ton, but as of now has still not resolved it.

thats so frickin lame - at&t/cing's been pulling the "upgrading the system" card since their merger. i hate the mobile duopoly.