Frustrated with AT&T! (iPhone related)

[reubs]

I'm sorry if this isn't in the right place, but it has to do with ATT and the iPhone. I hope this is alright here.

Anyway, here goes.

In June of 2007 wife and I signed up with ATT, knowing we didn't want/couldn't afford iPhones for the plans at the time. In October of 2008 we moved out of state, and we had to transfer our Georgia number to Alabama numbers. Meanwhile, ATT never billed us for our final bill on the Georgia number, and then they disconnected our Alabama number at the first of January of this year. All of that has been resolved, and under ordinary circumstances we would both be eligible to upgrade our phones.

This is not to mention that my wife's phone has been non-operation for at least two months, and I've been paying for a bill for a plan that they wouldn't let me extend in order to get a new phone for her (didn't want to go used; needed a warranty).

As it turns out, when we transferred our numbers from GA to AL, ATT signed us up for an 11 month extension that pushed our upgrade eligibility into 2010. After filing a request to have our upgrade options restored to the original date (which would have been 2/09) I was told that we would not be eligible to do an upgrade to an iPhone and that my only option was to go to a store, pick out a phone, and then call them back in order to have them SHIP one to us.

Needless to say, I'm pretty unhappy with ATT right now. I'll be headed to the retail store tomorrow to try to work this out and probably get my contract axed altogether and stay away from them for a good long while.

Thanks for listening!

 

[Primejimbo]

I have never heard unable too upgrade like that before. I might move to at&t and they said I can upgrade every 18 months and we can change out plan anytime we want w/o extending the contract.
I personally would have gone with the used. I believe you can get Apple care on it so you would get the warranty. I gotten used cell phones before and the funny part they lasted longer than the new ones lol

 

[SFStateStudent]

Definitely work it out at the AT&T Corporate Store. I'm not sure if the retail stores can resolve everything...

 

[The Governor]

...In June of 2007 wife and I signed up with ATT, knowing we didn't want/couldn't afford iPhones for the plans at the time...

Why/how did you sign up for the iphone and plan if you couldn't afford it at the time?

 

[reubs]

Definitely work it out at the AT&T Corporate Store. I'm not sure if the retail stores can resolve everything...

What do you mean the corporate store? How is that different from the retail store?

Why/how did you sign up for the iphone and plan if you couldn't afford it at the time?

Sorry, that first part wasn't clear. We signed up with ATT despite the fact that we couldn't afford iPhones at the time. I was fresh out of school, we were moving to a new place, and there was no Verizon coverage in the place where we were moving. Turns out, Verizon ended up putting a tower on the land of the place where I was working within a few weeks of my getting there, but of course Verizon never told me that when I was getting out of my contract with them b/c of living in a no coverage area.

We got the cheap, free, intro phones with our plan when we signed up in 2007. Those both died after a year, and we both found friends with phones they were willing to give us since they no longer used them. Her phone died, and I've been paying for a plan that can't be used b/c we can't get our hands on a decent, well-cared for second hand phone for a good price w/o paying ATT ridiculous refurb prices.

I want to upgrade her to an iPhone (b/c she carries her iPod with her everywhere, but her phone is frequently uncharged...don't ask), and that would solve the problem completely.

 

[bruinsrme]

A corporate store is owned by ATT and a retail outlet is a franchise.

I am more familiar with verizon but the level of service at the corporate stores is a step or two higher. They tend to have a repair suport center, and have bill paying services.

For instance you can go to a Verizon retailer with a broken phone and they may tell you it will take 3 to 10 business days to receive it back. Where a corporate store will either fix it or replace it on the spot.

 

[dave006]

....
This is not to mention that my wife's phone has been non-operation for at least two months, and I've been paying for a bill for a plan that they wouldn't let me extend in order to get a new phone for her (didn't want to go used; needed a warranty).

You don't extend your contract with AT&T, you sign a new service commitment. You can always upgrade, you just can't get a subsidize phone. So for you it would cost $399 / $499 for an early upgrade to the iPhone 3G. Also most AT&T stores will allow you to purchase a basic phone for $29-$59, just not an iPhone 3G.

....
As it turns out, when we transferred our numbers from GA to AL, ATT signed us up for an 11 month extension that pushed our upgrade eligibility into 2010. After filing a request to have our upgrade options restored to the original date (which would have been 2/09) I was told that we would not be eligible to do an upgrade to an iPhone and that my only option was to go to a store, pick out a phone, and then call them back in order to have them SHIP one to us.

You committed to a new 11 month service commitment because you changed your phone numbers to another market. This is standard industry practice. This did not change your upgrade eligiblity unless someone made a mistake. Did you do this over the phone with Customer Care or in an AT&T store? You can always upgrade, you just can't get a subsidized iPhone price. So for you it would cost $399 / $499 for an early upgrade to the iPhone 3G. You also have a non-payment issue, this also impacts your upgrade eligibilty date but can't extend past the contract end date.

....
Needless to say, I'm pretty unhappy with ATT right now. I'll be headed to the retail store tomorrow to try to work this out and probably get my contract axed altogether and stay away from them for a good long while.

Thanks for listening!

Your 11 contract started. Based on your post stating a 2010 date, you woud have made the market / phone number change this year but you said you changed markets in Oct. 2008 that would put you at Sept. 2009 for a contract end date. Your upgrade eligibilty can't extend past your contract end date, something else is wrong.

Check your account online using this information and tell us what the system reports for a contract end date.

How to find contract end date: http://www.wireless.att.com/answer-center/main.jsp?solutionId=53605&t=solutionTab

Dave

 

[Mike2128]

You committed to a new 11 month service commitment because you changed your phone numbers to another market. This is standard industry practice.

No it's not.

 

[cWeems]

sorry if this has been said, but im just to lazy to read all the replies... basically there are two upgrade exception forms to be sent out to the override dept. one is just for the iphone, and another is for every other phone. one of the exceptions for the iphone, which is your case, is the Relocation excuse. so make sure u go to a Corp store, they use the RIGHT form, and select Relocation as the reason, then that dept usually says 72hrs to reply but never takes more than next day from what ive seen.

good luck!

oh and if they say they havent heard of that particular iPhone form, then tell them to search their internal site to get it!

 

[reubs]

You don't extend your contract with AT&T, you sign a new service commitment. You can always upgrade, you just can't get a subsidize phone. So for you it would cost $399 / $499 for an early upgrade to the iPhone 3G. Also most AT&T stores will allow you to purchase a basic phone for $29-$59, just not an iPhone 3G.

So signing a new service commitment before my current contract is up (even though I'm upgrade eligible by the original contract) exempts me from iPhone eligibility? That's ridiculous.

You committed to a new 11 month service commitment because you changed your phone numbers to another market. This is standard industry practice.

This is ridiculous. It seems like some sort of illegal practice that just hasn't been prosecuted. Forcing someone into an extended contract because a better job opportunity cropped up? That's a pitiful business practice.

This did not change your upgrade eligiblity unless someone made a mistake. Did you do this over the phone with Customer Care or in an AT&T store? You can always upgrade, you just can't get a subsidized iPhone price. So for you it would cost $399 / $499 for an early upgrade to the iPhone 3G. You also have a non-payment issue, this also impacts your upgrade eligibilty date but can't extend past the contract end date.

I tried to do it over the phone, and they sent the wrong SIM cards. I then went to a retail store, and they fixed the problem with SIM cards for a local number. We didn't upgrade; we though we were simply changing our number to a local Alabama number from our old Georgia number. We didn't expect new or subsidized phones at the time b/c we weren't upgrade eligible in October of 08. The non-payment issue has been resolved. When we changed our numbers we were never billed for the old account number (we even checked the in-store kiosk to see if we owed anything before changing things over). It wasn't a non-payment issue as much as it was a miscommunication issue between their sales and billing and us. It's taken care of though.

Your 11 contract started. Based on your post stating a 2010 date, you woud have made the market / phone number change this year but you said you changed markets in Oct. 2008 that would put you at Sept. 2009 for a contract end date. Your upgrade eligibilty can't extend past your contract end date, something else is wrong.

I was told yesterday that the contract extension (11 months) was tacked on to the end of the current contract (which is up in June). Maybe my upgrade is later this year by the extended contract. I don't know. I'll have to look into that.

Check your account online using this information and tell us what the system reports for a contract end date.

How to find contract end date: http://www.wireless.att.com/answer-center/main.jsp?solutionId=53605&t=solutionTab

Dave

6/11/2009 is the contract end date.

Thanks for your thorough response; I've been trying not to get angry at the reps I talk to b/c I know they are just drones in the hive, but it's incredibly annoying to be dealing with a company who won't be reasonable at all. It's like they want to make sure their customers won't be happy!

 

[bigchief]

If your wife is still going without a phone and she is waiting on her contract to end in June just buy her a cheap at&t Go phone ( I think you can buy one at Walmart for less than $30 with no contract) and stick her sim card in it and she is good to go until she can get her iphone in June.

 

[reubs]

Yeah, that's what we've ended up doing. Thanks for the info, though. I was going to surprise her with one, but it turns out she really doesn't want one, which really surprises me.

Anyway, I think it's the principle of the matter that's REALLY bothering me in all of this with AT&T.

I wanted to pick up an iPhone in June, but ATT is being so bizarre with all of this hoop-jumping because of a simple relocation that I don't even feel like it's going to be worth it at this point.

 

[bigchief]

I understand dealing with at&t and other huge corporations. I had a round with at&t about a year ago. It's a long story and it took a week to fix. It comes down to talking to the right person who is much higher up the food chain than the people you have been talking to. The people you have been dealing with have their marching orders and they go by them. Keep asking to talk to a higher person in the company until you reach someone who doesn't have follow all the rules as written. Be nice and explain the problems you have encountered. If your history with the company proves you have been a good customer you will get what your asking for. Good luck.