iPhone IMEI will not process in AT&T System

[keepitclassy]

I recently had my iPhone 3g stolen, and purchased a new one the following day after canceling the stolen phones IMEI, etc. The new phone was defective, so I had to return it the next day. After spending over 3 hours in the AT&T store they were unable to activate my data plan because switching iPhone to iPhone apparently there is a period of limbo transferring in the AT&T system. Now I have no data, thus email, and because voicemail on the iPhone is intertwined with the data plan, no voicemail. I can't even change my voicemail greeting to tell people that I cannot check voicemail for up to 2 weeks until they get this problem resolved.
Has anyone had this issue?
How long did it actually take?
I love the iPhone and have had no problems up until this switch and its driving me to the point of giving up. 2 weeks without mobile email for my work could be catastrophic.

 

[Flhusky]

I recently had my iPhone 3g stolen, and purchased a new one the following day after canceling the stolen phones IMEI, etc. The new phone was defective, so I had to return it the next day. After spending over 3 hours in the AT&T store they were unable to activate my data plan because switching iPhone to iPhone apparently there is a period of limbo transferring in the AT&T system. Now I have no data, thus email, and because voicemail on the iPhone is intertwined with the data plan, no voicemail. I can't even change my voicemail greeting to tell people that I cannot check voicemail for up to 2 weeks until they get this problem resolved.
Has anyone had this issue?
How long did it actually take?
I love the iPhone and have had no problems up until this switch and its driving me to the point of giving up. 2 weeks without mobile email for my work could be catastrophic.

You left the store with out the phone working properly?!
You can access your VM from any phone in the world, just call your phone wait till it kicks to VM and press the * or some key and it should prompt you to log in.
As for the other issues, AT&T owes you some serious credit for this. Totally unacceptable, you should have spoken to a store manager then a regional manager then up the line till your phone was working as intended. I would be on the phone daily till this issue is resolved.

 

[deimos256]

they flat out lied to you, when i had my phone exchanged, the IMEI changed and my phone was working fine right on the spot

 

[scaredpoet]

Has anyone had this issue?
How long did it actually take?
I love the iPhone and have had no problems up until this switch and its driving me to the point of giving up. 2 weeks without mobile email for my work could be catastrophic.

When you get down to it, all they need to do is unbrick the replacement 3G iPhone. You should then be able to pop in your SIM and it should work. Eventually, yes the system will catch up and update your IMEI, but it shouldn't immediately require that just to get things working. Once unbricked, the 3G iPhones are not as heavily locked down as the 1st gen versions were.

Someone screwed up your account and fed you a line.

 

[brwtopgun]

I am having the same issues as "Keepitclassy." It is very discouraging that this problem was posted back in October 2008 and it is now February 2009, and the proble has still not been resolved. I have spoke to several techs, the problem is not with activating a second iphone, the problem is activating a third iphone(3G) under the same number. Apparently there is a glitch in the switch preventing customer service or tech to enter a third imei under the same phone number. There system will not allow the change. The reason is not because of a policy or ATT trying to prevent customers from purchasing a 3rd replacment iphone, but instead a glitch or programming/coding problem in the switch. I cannot believe that in 4 months the problem has not been resolved. I purchased the iPhone the day that they it was available in my area. I loved the phone and was excited for the release of the 3G iPhone with more storage and GPS capability, so when the 3G iPhone was released, I gave my (gen.1) iPhone to my wife and purchased the new 3G iphone. Again, everything was working great and I had no problems with new iPhone. Last week I left my phone in my pants pocket and climbed in bed. My wife decided to do some laundry before she went to bed. The next morning, I asked my wife where my pants were that I took off the night before. I knew the answer to my own question before I asked. I went to the washer and pulled my phone out of my pants pocket. Completey submerged in water overnight, I did not bother trying any revitalizing techniques. I went straight down to ATT with full intention of paying full price for my replacement phone. I spent two and one half hours in ATT while the sales rep was trying to activate my phone. I did not really understand what the problem was, the manager even came over and told her that you cannot activate 3 iPhones within 18 months. She was very persistant and felt she had a plan to make it work. For the sake of not making this story any longer than it already is, I will leave out the rest of the details. She was able to activate the phone, however untill I got home I did not realize that my phone was not connecting to the edge or 3G network. For that reason I have no visual voicemail, sms, or email, internet, etc. I have only a phone and I have spoke to tech support reps. and the outcome is the same. Some reps are familiar with the problem and others spent nearly an hour to figure out what the problem could be. The problem apparently did not occur with the gen. 1 iPhone or prior to or shortly after the release of the 3G iPhone. I do not want another phone. I do however want my new iPhone to work. I have never unbricked an iPhone but if this is the only solution I will not have problem unbricking my iPhone and changing my imei to to the imei of my previous phone. If anyone knows any more about this problem or perhaps a solution, please let me know. I travel with my job quite a bit and depend on my iPhone tremendously for email, sms, and visual voice mail, not to mention internet. Please help. Also, if anyone has any feedback on which program works best for unbricking the 3G iPhone for the specific purpose of changing the imei associated with the phone.

Thanks,

 

[brwtopgun]

I was told recently by customer service that the store sales rep should not have sold me the phone and that I need to return it and purchase a different phone. This is absolutely rediculous to me. Surely there are others who are having this issue. Im sure Apple does not want ATT telling there customers that they have to purchase a different phone in order to have service with ATT. ATT and Apple, put your thinking caps on and resolve the issue!