My call to AT&T

[jrbdmb]

Just wanted to give everyone my experience with calling AT&T a few minutes ago. Spoke to a woman by the name of Jessica C. who pulled up the info that Apple sent them. She read off that:

1) Everyone will be eligible to purchase an iphone, whether or not you are upgrade eligible. Purchase of the iphone negates any existing contract length. A new 2 year contract will start from the date of purchase

Take a look at thr AT&T memo on boygenius.com:

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/06/09/iphone-3g-the-details-you-never-wanted-to-know/

Anyone with a 2G iPhone will be eligible to get the $199 / $299 3G iPhone. Other AT&T subs have to be eligible for an upgrade. No "non-eligible" price has been announced yet.

 

[ubersalad]

1) Everyone will be eligible to purchase an iphone, whether or not you are upgrade eligible. Purchase of the iphone negates any existing contract length. A new 2 year contract will start from the date of purchase

If that's the case, I am getting a free phone with upgrade before I buy the new iPhone, and that phone will truly be a free phone and sell it for profit!

 

[esvienne]

"Upgrade Eligibility and Qualified Upgrade Pricing
Upgrade eligibility will be determined based on standard upgrade eligibility rules. Customers must be upgrade eligible to receive the qualified upgrade pricing. However, not all customers will be qualified upgrades. AT&T has not determined the price of the 3G device for non-qualified upgrades."

There IS a qualified upgrade price; it's NOT the 199/299 price. If you are eligible for an upgrade I believe you can purchase a 3g phone for a new 2 year contract and something around $100.00. In my conversation with the ATT rep today he stated that there IS an upgrade price, BUT if you AREN'T eligible for an upgrade, you pay the full (199/299) price.

 

[ipodtouchy333]

What? ^ I think if Apple would sell an iPhone for $100 they would have definitely said something about that. I really think the price for the iPhones will be $199 and $299 strictly.

 

[aethelbert]

Why the hell would Apple advertise a $200 and $300 iPhone and they not cost that? People are saying the phones in actuality are $400 and $500... what in the world...

Because it's SUBSIDIZED and they're not selling for any other reason (in the US at least) other than to be used on the AT&T network. Therefore, they don't need to state the real cost as it's completely irrelevant.

 

[esvienne]

Sorry my post was kinda confusing.. I meant that previous iphone owners will have (according to the att rep) a cheaper 'upgrade' price if they're eligible for an upgrade, and those who are not eligible for the upgrade price pay the 199/299 prices. I asked him three times in different ways if there's going to be an unsubsidized more expensive version like the original iphone and he said certainly not, the prices are a flat rate of 199/299.

 

[Chrisrokc]

You guys are all just making up stuff or getting information from people that are guessing also. They put a bad spin on it and then you put an even worse spin on it.


Iphone 3g will be available for all.

 

[Cougarcat]

If that is the case, then they should be using an iPod Touch instead, no?

Last time I checked the touch doesn't make phone calls. Some people don't care about having access to the net 24/7 (certainly not at the cost of $30/month) but want the convenience of 1 device.

 

[esvienne]

I totally agree that they will be available to everyone also, and no higher than 199/299. I freaked out after reading the frantic posts on here and called for myself

 

[mntentman]

Sorry my post was kinda confusing.. I meant that previous iphone owners will have (according to the att rep) a cheaper 'upgrade' price if they're eligible for an upgrade, and those who are not eligible for the upgrade price pay the 199/299 prices. I asked him three times in different ways if there's going to be an unsubsidized more expensive version like the original iphone and he said certainly not, the prices are a flat rate of 199/299.

There will be no prices less than 199/299. Read the full AT&T memo. Those eligible for an upgrade will pay 199/299, not less. If the AT&T rep said that, he is directly contradicting the memo... not that that would be surprising.

 

[California King]

Just wanted to give everyone my experience with calling AT&T a few minutes ago. Spoke to a woman by the name of Jessica C. who pulled up the info that Apple sent them. She read off that:

1) Everyone will be eligible to purchase an iphone, whether or not you are upgrade eligible. Purchase of the iphone negates any existing contract length. A new 2 year contract will start from the date of purchase

2) You may activate the phone in store to add the data plan to accounts if you dont have one already, but you can also activate at home. So, it seems like in-store activation is not mandatory.

3) Price will be $199/ $299 for everyone!

I was worried after reading some of the other posts that I wouldnt be able to get one at all, or would have to pay a higher price, so just thought I would share my personal experience phone call.

Any word on having to sign a contract before leaving the store?

 

[saDeRmac]

Just wanted to give everyone my experience with calling AT&T a few minutes ago. Spoke to a woman by the name of Jessica C. who pulled up the info that Apple sent them. She read off that:

1) Everyone will be eligible to purchase an iphone, whether or not you are upgrade eligible. Purchase of the iphone negates any existing contract length. A new 2 year contract will start from the date of purchase

2) You may activate the phone in store to add the data plan to accounts if you dont have one already, but you can also activate at home. So, it seems like in-store activation is not mandatory.

3) Price will be $199/ $299 for everyone!

I was worried after reading some of the other posts that I wouldnt be able to get one at all, or would have to pay a higher price, so just thought I would share my personal experience phone call.

Don't get your hopes up. Everything is subject to augmentation. These are preliminary instructions and I'm not sure that the same memo is the one that was sent to all retail employees in the internal document. I work for AT&T and I've read the document through and through.

[1] Not true. Read the document: Here
[2] You cannot activate at home as of the information that was given to us. We have to unbrick the iPhone so it can be used at all. While we do that we are also activating it and allowing the customer to be able to leave with a working phone.
[3]Also not true due to the fact at&t is subsidizing the phone.

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I'm just trying to let you guys know that the document is real and that it can change at anytime.

Any word on having to sign a contract before leaving the store?

Yes you need to sign the contract in store stating that you agree to both at&t and Apple's Terms and Conditions.

 

[Sweetbike40]

Don't get your hopes up. Everything is subject to augmentation. These are preliminary instructions and I'm not sure that the same memo is the one that was sent to all retail employees in the internal document. I work for AT&T and I've read the document through and through.

[1] Not true. Read the document: Here
[2] You cannot activate at home as of the information that was given to us. We have to unbrick the iPhone so it can be used at all. While we do that we are also activating it and allowing the customer to be able to leave with a working phone.
[3]Also not true due to the fact at&t is subsidizing the phone.

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I'm just trying to let you guys know that the document is real and that it can change at anytime.

Yes you need to sign the contract in store stating that you agree to both at&t and Apple's Terms and Conditions.

Do you think it's possible that AT&T will allow someone to get the iPhone with just a voice and text plan? Like other phones? If i buy a Centro, i don't have to buy the data plan. Why not with the iPhone?

 

[soLoredd]

I don't understand any of this. What discount are you talking about? There is no discount, the 3G iPhone will be $199/$299 across the board, correct? And how could anyone, who bought the 2G iPhone, be eligible for an upgrade? You signed a 2-year contract, only 1 of which the iPhone has been out. So, to think there would even be a restriction on being able to simply buy a 3G iPhone and extend your current contract is crazy. Apple and AT&T are expecting current customers to want to get into the 3G craze, so to have any type of limit or restriction on people upgrading would be bad business.

In short, when the phone comes out, no matter what your current situation is, expect to go into the store, buy the phone for $199 or $299, sign the contract and be activated.

 

[soLoredd]

Don't get your hopes up. Everything is subject to augmentation. These are preliminary instructions and I'm not sure that the same memo is the one that was sent to all retail employees in the internal document. I work for AT&T and I've read the document through and through.

[1] Not true. Read the document: Here
[2] You cannot activate at home as of the information that was given to us. We have to unbrick the iPhone so it can be used at all. While we do that we are also activating it and allowing the customer to be able to leave with a working phone.
[3]Also not true due to the fact at&t is subsidizing the phone.

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I'm just trying to let you guys know that the document is real and that it can change at anytime.

Yes you need to sign the contract in store stating that you agree to both at&t and Apple's Terms and Conditions.

From the document you linked:

Note: When the 3G device launches, all active postpaid customers in good standing with a 2G iPhone will be eligible to receive the qualified upgrade pricing for a 3G device regardless of service tenure. (Customers that would not otherwise be eligible due to tenure will be made eligible at launch).

It says right there if you have a current contract with a 2G iPhone, you are eligible for the $199 or $299 price. Who, in this case, would NOT be eligible? Someone who just bought a HTC Touch and is only 6 months into the contract? I'm saying right now there's no way Apple or AT&T turn away someone from getting the iPhone at the subsidized price. Say you have 18 months to go on your contract, they tell you in order to buy the iPhone you have to pay the regular price ($499 or whatever it is). People back out and say forget it. By the time 18 months is over, that person has forgotten about the iPhone or a competing device caught their eye, and Apple is out of a sale.

Apple's whole plan is to push as many units into the mobile arena as possible. It will be the same as the 2G iPhone, in my opinion. No matter your status or current contract, you can get the iPhone for the same price as everyone else. It wouldn't make sense to NOT do that.

 

[jrbdmb]

"Upgrade Eligibility and Qualified Upgrade Pricing
Upgrade eligibility will be determined based on standard upgrade eligibility rules. Customers must be upgrade eligible to receive the qualified upgrade pricing. However, not all customers will be qualified upgrades. AT&T has not determined the price of the 3G device for non-qualified upgrades."

There IS a qualified upgrade price; it's NOT the 199/299 price. If you are eligible for an upgrade I believe you can purchase a 3g phone for a new 2 year contract and something around $100.00. In my conversation with the ATT rep today he stated that there IS an upgrade price, BUT if you AREN'T eligible for an upgrade, you pay the full (199/299) price.

Where do you people come up with this c**p? In the U.S. there will be no $100 iPhone 3G. The discounted upgrade price is $199/$299. Those who aren't qualified will have to pay more - but that amount hasn't been determined yet.

If you have a press reelase from AT&T stating that iPhones can be had in the U.S. for $100, please provide a link.

 

[freediverdude]

getting not happy

Well reading all the posts about the AT&T memo, I'm starting to get really upset that I will not be able to get one (at least from here in the US). Here's my story:

Last summer I purchased an iPhone at the local Apple Store. I took it home, plugged it in, got on iTunes, plugged in my real social security number (not the all 9's or anything)- well AT&T didn't like it for some reason (my credit was pretty good so I don't know why), and so I got redirected to the Pick your Plan (the prepaid where they take it automatically out of your bank account each month). I didn't really care at the time, since I don't use many minutes, and that plan is actually a little cheaper.

Well fast forward to now, after 10-11 months of $60 payments coming out each month without fail, I hear that I won't be able to get the new one?? This is not right. They are the ones who directed me to the plan I currently have, and told me I could still have an iPhone that way. So if I go in there and they tell me something like "sorry, but you'll have to give us a $500-1000 deposit" or something like that, I will be pretty upset, and some people like the AT&T CEO and Jobs will be getting letters.

If they make me pay the $399 price for the phone instead, then I guess I can live with that (still grumbling and feeling like I overpaid, but I understand the subsidy), but I'm not paying some huge deposit after already paying for the iPhone plan for almost a year with them, that should be my credit (and having over $200 worth of rollover on the account right now to boot).

So if they tell me "huge deposit required", I won't be purchasing from them, and get one from Hong Kong or something unlocked. Make no mistake, AT&T: I will have Apple's phone. But it's up to you whether you want me as a customer. If you don't want somebody who's willing right now to sign up for $70+ per month (willing to go on a contract if you would like, but not a humongous deposit), then I will certainly find another carrier who is willing to take my money (even if some of the functionality is lost).

 

[FarSeide]

Well reading all the posts about the AT&T memo, I'm starting to get really upset that I will not be able to get one (at least from here in the US). Here's my story:

Last summer I purchased an iPhone at the local Apple Store. I took it home, plugged it in, got on iTunes, plugged in my real social security number (not the all 9's or anything)- well AT&T didn't like it for some reason (my credit was pretty good so I don't know why), and so I got redirected to the Pick your Plan (the prepaid where they take it automatically out of your bank account each month). I didn't really care at the time, since I don't use many minutes, and that plan is actually a little cheaper.

Well fast forward to now, after 10-11 months of $60 payments coming out each month without fail, I hear that I won't be able to get the new one?? This is not right. They are the ones who directed me to the plan I currently have, and told me I could still have an iPhone that way. So if I go in there and they tell me something like "sorry, but you'll have to give us a $500-1000 deposit" or something like that, I will be pretty upset, and some people like the AT&T CEO and Jobs will be getting letters.

If they make me pay the $399 price for the phone instead, then I guess I can live with that (still grumbling and feeling like I overpaid, but I understand the subsidy), but I'm not paying some huge deposit after already paying for the iPhone plan for almost a year with them, that should be my credit (and having over $200 worth of rollover on the account right now to boot).

So if they tell me "huge deposit required", I won't be purchasing from them, and get one from Hong Kong or something unlocked. Make no mistake, AT&T: I will have Apple's phone. But it's up to you whether you want me as a customer. If you don't want somebody who's willing right now to sign up for $70+ per month (willing to go on a contract if you would like, but not a humongous deposit), then I will certainly find another carrier who is willing to take my money (even if some of the functionality is lost).

explain this to me. how is it that its at&t's fault that you have a bad or no credit ? why would they be responsible for your credit ?

I know your speaking out of frustration but common... are you gonna blame the poor economy on at&t as well ?

 

[djransom]

explain this to me. how is it that its at&t's fault that you have a bad or no credit ? why would they be responsible for your credit ?

I know your speaking out of frustration but common... are you gonna blame the poor economy on at&t as well ?

Honestly, I was thinking the same thing.

 

[iStefmac]

If you dont activate at the store they'll prolly force you to sign a paper or whatever to keep you from not activating at home.

Where do you get this from? Why is this what will PROBABLY happen?

It doesn't happen now. It hasn't for the entire year life of the iPhone.

Stop making crap up.

(reading on Gizmodo counts as making crap up)

 

[iStefmac]

explain this to me. how is it that its at&t's fault that you have a bad or no credit ? why would they be responsible for your credit ?

I know your speaking out of frustration but common... are you gonna blame the poor economy on at&t as well ?

Dude get over yourself.

Not everyone in the country qualifies for AT&T contracts with a click of button. Thats just fantasy. In fact, no one, not even my folks, were approved for an AT&T contract through iTunes. Everyone is on Pick Your Plan (10xxxx better than a BS contract).

Furthermore, I don't know what makes him think he won't be able to keep using Pick Your Plan for the iPhone 3G..........its not going to just disappear as an option. There are at least 1 million iPhone users in the U.S. on AT&T Pick Your Plan........

What do you think they're gonna do? Stop those 1 million people from buying new iPhones?

Get real. Pick Your Plan is not going ANYWHERE.

 

[freediverdude]

See, the thing is, which I tried to spell out in my post, I did not have bad credit at the time (high 600's which isn't considered bad). Now I hope we don't go into a debate on what constitutes a bad credit score, but I did not have bad credit.

And editing this to reiterate, that because of this, and because of the fact that I've already paid the iPhone plan for 10 months, I will not be paying a huge deposit. This will be up to AT&T if they want to keep me.

 

[AuroraProject]

So basically no one knows what I'm going to have to pay to go from my in contract, non upgrade eligible at&t Blackberry to a 3g iPhone.

 

[AboveTheChaos]

Just be patient

Wow. After reading this thread the only thing anyone knows is that we don't really know. There's a lot of reading into things and a lot of wishful thinking. I'm just going to wait until we have more clarification before I get upset or too happy.

 

[freediverdude]

And also, so what if I had not had the good credit to make an argument anyway? They still told untold numbers of people with bad credit that they could have an iPhone on the prepaid automatic plan, and now telling them that they can't have the next edition of the same phone, pulling the rug out from under them. Not right.