If your credit is so bad that you can't get an iPhone, maybe getting an iPhone isn't the right thing to do. Just a thought.
That was a general "your" not specific to you.Its not for me, I already have one.
There are lots of reasons someone's credit might not be good. Plenty of people can have less than perfect credit, and still be able to afford an iPhone. And we're talking about the credit check to get approved on AT&T, not talking about this person or his friend charging it, unless I'm missing something.
To the OP, I've seen some people put down a desposit as little as $50 up to $900.
Living in California I don't think I had one done when I got my phone...lucky for me!