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Macman756

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 24, 2008
544
0
Atlanta, GA
OK, so I don't qualify for the $199/299 pricing since AT&T discounted my RAZR a year ago. So, How much would the Refurb iPhone 3G from AT&T's site cost? I'm fine with a refurb, how much would it be for me? THanks
 
OK, so I don't qualify for the $199/299 pricing since AT&T discounted my RAZR a year ago. So, How much would the Refurb iPhone 3G from AT&T's site cost? I'm fine with a refurb, how much would it be for me? THanks

Did you call and make sure anyway. One of my first gen iPhones was not a year old when they let me upgrade to the 3G.

Call and double check, they love nothing more than to lock you in for another year...
 
Did you call and make sure anyway. One of my first gen iPhones was not a year old when they let me upgrade to the 3G.

Call and double check, they love nothing more than to lock you in for another year...

+1

I had had my 1st gen for ten months when I upgraded to the 3G with the subsidized price. You should be fine.
 
+1

I had had my 1st gen for ten months when I upgraded to the 3G with the subsidized price. You should be fine.

This is because the 1st generation iPhone was never subsidized in the first place by AT&T. If they subsidized his RAZR, then he'll probably have to wait until the 18 month mark.
 
OK, well I've never had an iPhone, just the RAZR, so call and ask how much for refurb and reg iPhone 3G? Will do!
 
OK, well I've never had an iPhone, just the RAZR, so call and ask how much for refurb and reg iPhone 3G? Will do!

You are allowed one subsidized phone per every 18 months. Your RAZR used this up. So, you're right. Call them up and see - and threaten to change carriers, this may sway their minds.
 
Are you by chance a premier Customer? If so, go to the Premier website and see if you can upgrade there at "full price". A couple of weeks ago the site allowed me to upgrade my wife to an iPhone and she has only had her current phone for 6 months......I got her the referb 8gig for $199....(you don’t get the rebate since your not eligible for an upgrade :rolleyes:)
 
actually with att, depending on the rep you get, you only have to honor 10 months of your contract before you can get an upgrade, assuming you sign another 2 year contract.

its like at blockbuster, employees can remove late fees, if theyre in a good mood and youre not a dick to them.
 
actually with att, depending on the rep you get, you only have to honor 10 months of your contract before you can get an upgrade, assuming you sign another 2 year contract.

its like at blockbuster, employees can remove late fees, if theyre in a good mood and youre not a dick to them.

Really? Because I got my contract and phone on march 15 2008, so almost exactly 10 months! So what do I do? Just call CS and see what they say? They can't sell me an iPhone over the phone, would I then go to Apple or something? Thanks
 
Really? Because I got my contract and phone on march 15 2008, so almost exactly 10 months! So what do I do? Just call CS and see what they say? They can't sell me an iPhone over the phone, would I then go to Apple or something? Thanks

I'd suggest going to an AT&T store. That way you're dealing with a commissioned rep. who's itching to make a sale and couldn't give a toss about your current contract.
 
I'd suggest going to an AT&T store. That way you're dealing with a commissioned rep. who's itching to make a sale and couldn't give a toss about your current contract.

Nice, I'm heading to Apple tonight just to see what they say, then I will hit an AT&T store and whine! lol, I might pull this off!
 
Why is the ignorance on this topic so widespread?

AT&T has well-defined Upgrade Eligibility Requirements.

It's not 18 months. The original iPhone was never subsidized so please, please stop assuming you can upgrade from the 3G at any time you want because you could with the original. eedna may be right about getting lucky with a representative, however I doubt it will be very effective to threaten to switch to another carrier when inquiring about upgrading to an iPhone 3G :/
 
Nice, I'm heading to Apple tonight just to see what they say, then I will hit an AT&T store and whine! lol, I might pull this off!
You can't buy a refurb'ed iPhone in an Apple Retail Store, if that matters at all.

Also, Apple has zero leeway into giving you any sort of deal. The employees there simply ask for your information, type it into their handheld, then the handheld talks to AT&T's system and comes back with the price that it will cost you to get a new iPhone 3G. Apple has no ability to change that price.

If you want to see how much it would cost you to buy one in an Apple Store, surf over to http://www.apple.com/iphone/buy and enter all of your information there. That's the same process the Apple employee would have to do with you, so you save both of you time by doing it in advance.
 
Alright, I'm back form Apple and AT&T store and got a 16GB 3G. Its great, now just syncing stuff and emails. Thanks
 
So which store let you do it, and what is your secret? I tried 3 ATT stores and they all said they wished they could help me, but they were not allowed to do it under any circumstances.
 
Yup! $299 for the Black 16GB.
Glad it worked out for you. Care to post a few details for others that may want to try their luck with an upgrade?

Disclaimer: Any upgrade or exception that is outside of the AT&T Policy may or may not work for your individual situation. Just a guess here, but I would bet that the OP was assisted in an AT&T Corporate retail location. They are the only seller that has full access to OPUS, CARE and Telegence systems.

Dave
 
I just called another AT&T store and they said there is no way to override the system and AT&T has a strict agreement with Apple regarding the iphones. I would sure like to know how you did that.

Macman, you aren't in the Houston area by any chance are you?
 
Well I had 11 months remaining on my 1-year contract. One loophole may have been that I bought my own razr and never had the subsidized price, but I faced resistance and they said at one point I had to pay the 399 and wait two days for something to happend computerwize and then get credited the 200. At first I was told that I couldn't do it and then they found a way.

I heard the managers and asst managers talking about how they didnt' want to get in trouble for over-riding. Then they said that they could do it. There was a district manager in the store at the time. So maybe I lucked out.

My advice is to talk to the manager and sort of complain and threatened to go somewhere else or explain the ill-logic. The bottom line is that they increase revenue when they force you to take the iphone data plan. That is their ultimate goal and they sold a 199 phone. AT&T wants revenue and I'm sure the district manager and manager saw that the end of the day they come out of ahead by letting me buy the iphone at 199 and sign the two-year contract.
 
Well, what I did was my dad has an Original iPhone on his own contract, The AT&T guy used his upgrade for the 3G, and put my SIM in it. I'm charged the $30 per month, and his stays the same, but he used his Eligibility to Upgrade, so he upgraded to the 3G, and then they activated it on my line. Not the best, but a good work-around. Plus my dad likes the 2G better. So all in all, $299 is $299. Hope something similar works for you guys. Now I have no idea how upgrading to the next version of the iPhone will work for me, I think I can still get it since I didn't use my Upgrade, which comes do in August, so I can get the 3rd Gen then!! Idk, I'm happy.
 
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