Going from GoPhone to post-paid for 3GS, can I keep my number?

[Marc4]

Hi everyone,

Been a while since I posted, been traveling around the world for the last year - at least had my faithful original unlocked iPhone with me (skipped the 3G last summer).

Now that I'm planning a move back states-side, I was wondering if I could port my number from AT&T's pay-as-you-go service (GoPhone) to a "traditional" post-paid account, where I would sign up for a 2-year contract in order to buy the iPhone 3G S at the $199 price (for 16 GB).

Both Apple's and AT&T's website claimed I was not eligible to keep my current number, as though I was an existing subscriber still on a contract.
Personally, I think it's a little inefficient of AT&T to disallow this - for example, I could port my number to another carrier (say T-Mobile), then port it back to AT&T by signing up for a 2-year contract as a "new" subscriber.

Does anyone know if it's possible to move straight from a PAYG account to a 2-year post-paid account, or do I necessarily have to go through this back-and-forth (or just lose my number)?

Thanks!
-Marc

 

[aawil]

When I got the first gen iphone I had a gophone plan on a razr and wanted to do the same thing. It was my understanding that it would be easier to move the number from another carrier than to move it from gophone to postpaid. It made no sense to me at all but I gave up and just got a new number. But that was 2 years ago, being at&t I'm guessing it's the same now.

But good luck with it.

 

[Marc4]

When I got the first gen iphone I had a gophone plan on a razr and wanted to do the same thing. It was my understanding that it would be easier to move the number from another carrier than to move it from gophone to postpaid. It made no sense to me at all but I gave up and just got a new number. But that was 2 years ago, being at&t I'm guessing it's the same now.

But good luck with it.

Thanks, I'll need it I'm sure...

Has anyone else had this experience more recently and can shed some light on staying with AT&T to achieve this?

 

[drawstring]

same issue here. however, I was also mildly skeptical of the the 3gs despite the fact that i was only using 2g; so I went to the apple site, scored myself a new at&t account and a new 3gs.

Now after having used it for three days, I'm ready to go fight out the number porting with at&t. while i imagine it will be a hassle, I think it should work out. People have ported gophone numbers to regular post-paid plans before on other phones etc. Indeed my gophone number started as a VZW number.

Basically, I plan to go over to an at&t store to do my hoop-jumping, on the assumption that real people are easier to deal with.

Honestly, the one thing I am sad to be giving up is super cheap overages (gophone you just paid the same prepaid rate as you refill/added minutes, postpaid is a $0.45/min. overage) and a 1000 texts plan for $10.

I'll let you know how it goes. If you have any tips for me as well, mucho appreciated! thanks!

 

[tbinmd]

I just did this on Sunday. Had to goto the store and have them move the number to an AT&T account. I then had to activate my iphone via itunes, after replacing it's sim with the sim from my gophone.

T

 

[slapguts]

It can be done, but you'll need to go into an AT&T corporate store. Be prepared to ask to speak to a manager.