Experts: how can I make iPhone 4's into family plan?

[amitdoc2b]

Scenario:

My parents and sis are in Los Angeles with a 213 area code with an AT&T family plan. None of them have a smartphone, but my dad is upgrading his eligible line into an iPhone 4. Actually, all 3 of their lines are eligible because their contract ended in March of this year and they just have been continuing to pay it (but only dad wants to upgrade at this time).

I am currently residing in NY for the past 2 years, but have a 786 area code from my Miami days with my own individual AT&T iPhone plan. I am upgrading my eligible iPhone 3GS to an iPhone 4.

So basically my parents would like me to join their family plan so we can save some money. They want to keep their own 213 Los Angeles area code at home, and I want to keep my current 786 Miami number because I have had it since 2007 when the first iPhone came out. But I have been living and using this number for the past two years that I have been in NY.

How can we all end up on the same family plan, yet pre-order 2 iPhone 4's on Tuesday from Apple's website?

Thanks!

 

[Bloake]

I think the issue is more of merging your accounts, not preordering the iPhone. Preordering the iPhone, all you really have to do is give Apple or AT&T the phone number you would use it for. As long as you're eligible to upgrade, you should be ok. Doesn't matter if one or all of the lines in your family plan gets an iPhone. That's a nonissue.

The issue would probably be merging different area code numbers into one family plan, but in today's times that people move a lot, I don't see this as being an issue with AT&T. They should let you keep your miami number for convenience.

That's just me, I'm no expert. If you wanted true expert advice, you're better off calling AT&T or visiting the store (YMMV though )

 

[amitdoc2b]

So would I select an individual plan when preordering my iPhone4 and parents would select their family plan when preordering an iPhone 4, and then merge them into one later? Or would I have to have this settled before pre-ordering? Because wouldn't we be stuck with an individual plan (mine) and family plan (parents and sis) if we re-signed up for different contracts this Tuesday?

I think the issue is more of merging your accounts, not preordering the iPhone. Preordering the iPhone, all you really have to do is give Apple or AT&T the phone number you would use it for. As long as you're eligible to upgrade, you should be ok. Doesn't matter if one or all of the lines in your family plan gets an iPhone. That's a nonissue.

The issue would probably be merging different area code numbers into one family plan, but in today's times that people move a lot, I don't see this as being an issue with AT&T. They should let you keep your miami number for convenience.

That's just me, I'm no expert. If you wanted true expert advice, you're better off calling AT&T or visiting the store (YMMV though )

 

[Bloake]

I googled this for you:

I quote, "This is what I do everyday all day long is combine accounts for customers, so to answer your question, yes its possible, wether or not they are in the same market, keep in mind if they are in different markets, number changes are required, there will be a credit check (based on existing service) there will be an $18 Transfer of Service fee (Per Line) and there will be an 11 month contract required, upgrade elgibility will remain the same, our number is 866-901-9143 and anyone here will be more than happy to help you out."

http://forums.mobiledia.com/topic68476.html

Though an unofficial AT&T web forum, this guy seems like he knows his stuff.

 

[Bloake]

From what he's saying, you could either merge then upgrade or upgrade then merge with no difficulty. (except the number changing part =/)

 

[brdnboy]

I wanted to do this recently with my family plan with a few different "market" area codes. If you want to transfer your phone # from one market to a family plan from another market you have to convert the account to some national business account (typically reserved for large multi state or multinational corps). You are allowed to do this as a general consumer with no restrictions on being a company, but you loose a lot of account features (the one that prevented me from doing this was the fact i would have no online account access for billing or anything else). Like i said this was just a few months ago and i doubt that the policy has changed but its worth a call.

Edit: or what the poster above said, change your #.

 

[kkat69]

From what he's saying, you could either merge then upgrade or upgrade then merge with no difficulty. (except the number changing part =/)

I've had some relatives that tried this a while back. Merging isn't an issue, but they all had to have the same market/location phone numbers. Two ppl where in Arizona and one was in Georgia, someone had to give and either have all GA phone numbers or all Arizona numbers.

They opted not to do it because someone would have a long distance number either way (for sake of other ppl calling that number)