iPhone Gift Card.

[Robby9279]

I just don't understand what is this? So does this mean you give somebody the gift card, and the recipient walks into the apple store, gives the person at the counter the card and walks out with an iphone?
If someone could please explain this thoroughly that would be very much appreciated!

 

[bassproguy07]

basically thats what it is. You pay for the card, give it to someone, they go get an iphone. Now they do have to have ATT service or whatever service your country has, and I think they must be eligible for an upgrade to get the phone for the subsidized price. If not they will have to make an att account and do all the phone bs.

 

[abijnk]

These days you can't just walk into an Apple or AT&T store and buy an iPhone to give as a gift. So, if you still want to give one then you go buy the iPhone Gift Card instead. This way the person who needs to be there to make the purchase and handle the account stuff is there, but they still aren't paying for the phone themselves, therefore making it a gift.

 

[Sky Blue]

If someone could please explain this thoroughly that would be very much appreciated!

A gift card is a restricted monetary equivalent or scrip that is issued by retailers or banks to be used as an alternative to a non-monetary gift. Highly popular, they rank as the second-most given gift by consumers in the United States (2006) and the most-wanted gift by women, and the third-most wanted by males. Gift cards have become increasingly popular as they relieve the donor of selecting a specific gift. In Canada, $1.8 billion dollars were spent on gift cards whereas in the United States, about $80 billion were paid for gift cards in 2006. The recipient of the gift card can use it at his or her discretion within the restrictions set by the issuing agency.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_card

 

[Robby9279]

These days you can't just walk into an Apple or AT&T store and buy an iPhone to give as a gift. So, if you still want to give one then you go buy the iPhone Gift Card instead. This way the person who needs to be there to make the purchase and handle the account stuff is there, but they still aren't paying for the phone themselves, therefore making it a gift.

Alright, so let's say I have ATT service (which I do), if someone were to give me this giftcard, Could I walk in and still get the phone. I do realize that this somewhat contradicts what you just said, but does this allow me to go and get the phone? or would I still have to buy the data package, and all that other crap.

 

[Robby9279]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_card

I know what a giftcard is, I'm not a moron. It's just standards for apple, and how they make it to be confuses me. I.E I can't just walk into the apple store give them 200 bucks and walk out with the iphone. So what I wanted to know what does the giftcard do? Considering you can't just pay for the phone and walk out.

 

[dZp]

http://www.apple.com/iphone/gift/buy.html

Receipt of an iPhone gift card does not automatically guarantee purchase. Purchase price of iPhone and required AT&T rate plan may be more than the value on the card. The iPhone Gift Card is good toward the purchase of an iPhone or any other eligible item in the Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store.

Bold and underline emphasis is mine.

 

[abijnk]

Alright, so let's say I have ATT service (which I do), if someone were to give me this giftcard, Could I walk in and still get the phone. I do realize that this somewhat contradicts what you just said, but does this allow me to go and get the phone? or would I still have to buy the data package, and all that other crap.

It doesn't contradict what I said at all. It is actually exactly what I said. The person either establishing the account or modifying the account (i.e. the current account holder) has to be the one to make the iPhone purchase. So, if you are the account holder then you would be fine. Of course you still have to add the data plan and stuff, that has to be understood between the giver and receiver.

One thing I don't really get is how the pricing structure would work. I mean, the structure is completely based on upgrade eligibility for new customers, so you would have to know that either a) the person would be a new AT&T customer, therefore making the pricing straight forward or b) whether or not the person is upgrade eligible. Seems like a huge hassle to me with absolutely zero surprise factor.

 

[Robby9279]

One thing I don't really get is how the pricing structure would work. I mean, the structure is completely based on upgrade eligibility for new customers, so you would have to know that either a) the person would be a new AT&T customer, therefore making the pricing straight forward or b) whether or not the person is upgrade eligible. Seems like a huge hassle to me with absolutely zero surprise factor.

Yeah this is the part that sucks, considering I'm not eligible for an upgrade, I would end up having to pay $400 for the phone + signing the 2 year contract. However my dad has his 10 year old nokia (which he praises highly) and he's been eligible for upgrade for the past 8 years. I would like for him to go in get the iphone and swap it for my phone the samsung slm and if anything, I give him my simcard let him put that in his nokia, and he gives me the iphone. A horrible trade I know but since he doesn't care for the iPhone or any other type of smartphone, it wouldn't affect him. But that's beside the point. All I want to do is to be able to walk in, simply buy just the phone and walk out, just like the first gen... But anwyay, thanks for your help.

 

[Sky Blue]

I know what a giftcard is, I'm not a moron. It's just standards for apple, and how they make it to be confuses me. I.E I can't just walk into the apple store give them 200 bucks and walk out with the iphone. So what I wanted to know what does the giftcard do? Considering you can't just pay for the phone and walk out.

It's a gift card. I don't understand what you don't understand. You go through the same iPhone purchase as usual, but instead of giving them your credit card you give them a gift card as full or part payment.

 

[Robby9279]

It's a gift card. I don't understand what you don't understand. You go through the same iPhone purchase as usual, but instead of giving them your credit card you give them a gift card as full or part payment.

No, I understood that part. What I didn't understand was what about the plan? For example, let's say my aunt gives me this gift card for the iphone. So I go in get the iphone and walk out forgetting about the plan? No, there's always a catch, and what I wanted to know was do I have to be eligible for an upgrade, do I have to update my current plan, etc. I've never owned an iphone before, so I guess this is why I'm confused.

 

[Love]

You do have to use an iPhone plan, but that's all external of the gift card, as it does not cover any monthly fee.

 

[question fear]

Yeah this is the part that sucks, considering I'm not eligible for an upgrade, I would end up having to pay $400 for the phone + signing the 2 year contract. However my dad has his 10 year old nokia (which he praises highly) and he's been eligible for upgrade for the past 8 years. I would like for him to go in get the iphone and swap it for my phone the samsung slm and if anything, I give him my simcard let him put that in his nokia, and he gives me the iphone. A horrible trade I know but since he doesn't care for the iPhone or any other type of smartphone, it wouldn't affect him. But that's beside the point. All I want to do is to be able to walk in, simply buy just the phone and walk out, just like the first gen... But anwyay, thanks for your help.

If you do that make sure your dad's phone takes SIM cards. If it's that old he might be one of the old TDMA holdouts.
Or you were exaggerating about how old the phone is, in which case disregard me.

 

[cWeems]

do it at an att store, jus tell em u want to use your dads upgrade so u can get the discount on the iPhone, apple doesnt have the system so change the serial numbers on the acct so that the iPhone is under your number. You can always swap sim cards and that will work, but without trading IMEI numbers the data plan will stay on his line.

 

[kjlrad]

i phone gift card not upgrade eligible

okay...you buy the apple iphone 3g gift card and you give it to that special someone...they take it and go to the apple store....and wow guess what....it only works if you are an upgrade eligible current customer of at&t or a new customer. however the apple employees assure the purchasers of these gift cards there will be no problem getting the iphone and establishing service or switching their current att service to the iphone HA whaat aload of hooey...and the purchaser is soo happy to bestow this gift...the recipient however who is not upgrade eligible must now fork over another nearly 200 bucks to get their iphone or sit on the gift card for months until they are upgrade eligible...clearly this is not what the giver of the gift envisioned and not such a great gift for the recipient, unless you want to forgo the iphone and get yet another ipod.

the problem here is the way apple marketed this gift card...they didn't market it as an apple store gift card usable toward the purchase of an iphone...they marketed it as an iphone gift card...there is nothing on the gift card regarding your current att service or upgrade eligibility....i think this is ridiculous and people out to start banding together here to get what was sold to them

 

[davyreins]

I don't really understand why they are pushing this iphone gift card. It seems kind of stupid. I don't know many people who would buy a friend an iphone, especially with the $30 data plan.

 

[Robby9279]

okay...you buy the apple iphone 3g gift card and you give it to that special someone...they take it and go to the apple store....and wow guess what....it only works if you are an upgrade eligible current customer of at&t or a new customer. however the apple employees assure the purchasers of these gift cards there will be no problem getting the iphone and establishing service or switching their current att service to the iphone HA whaat aload of hooey...and the purchaser is soo happy to bestow this gift...the recipient however who is not upgrade eligible must now fork over another nearly 200 bucks to get their iphone or sit on the gift card for months until they are upgrade eligible...clearly this is not what the giver of the gift envisioned and not such a great gift for the recipient, unless you want to forgo the iphone and get yet another ipod.

the problem here is the way apple marketed this gift card...they didn't market it as an apple store gift card usable toward the purchase of an iphone...they marketed it as an iphone gift card...there is nothing on the gift card regarding your current att service or upgrade eligibility....i think this is ridiculous and people out to start banding together here to get what was sold to them

Thanks for the answer, this is quite an old thread you bumped though!
Nevertheless you resolved my question, thanks!

 

[alphaod]

I don't really understand why they are pushing this iphone gift card. It seems kind of stupid. I don't know many people who would buy a friend an iphone, especially with the $30 data plan.

It's marketing and people buy it.