Other ways of buying iPhone 3G at $199

[MBHockey]

That gives me an idea! If i can find current iPhone owners who do not want the iPhone 3G, but dont mind getting their contracts extended, could technically upgrade to the new iPhone 3G and transfer the device to my name!

Am i missing something here?

haha, good luck

 

[tritonj]

But they say all iPhone owners get to upgrade, all. And there are plenty of iPhone owners that have had a subsidized phone in the last 2 years before they got it. So what's the difference of starting an iPhone plan now compared to someone 6 months ago?

Someone in the last year could have got a free subsidized phone first, then bought the unsubsidized iPhone right after. If normal upgrade rules apply, they shouldn't be allowed to upgrade until that subsidized phone was finished off. Yet, some how all iPhone users are giving a free ticket to the next one despite their upgrade status.

And how does ATT tell if the iPhone was bought from them, or an Apple store, or ebay, or off craigslist, or a gift. I assume the decision is based off of having an active iPhone account done through itunes.

So back to my point, say you bought an iPhone before the 11th, just as they said, you are upgrade eligible. How can they tell the difference if you bought it off ebay or a friend lent theirs to you for a short time.

the difference is whether they extended their contracts when they got the iPhone or simply popped their sim into the thing

 

[ceiph]

well i think its obvious that u cant pop in your sim and just go, you need to load itunes and add the iphone data plan to ur att account, , than remove sim restore and than give phone back but i thought that was an obvious step.

 

[okayjustin]

OK.

So I can either add a new line of service and get that new iPhone - then probably cancel it and keep the iPhone? Or is it adding the new line of service and transferring information and killing another line?


or

buy an iphone right now activate it (canceling my other phone) then buy the new 3g for 199.99 and then just resell the old iphone?

(note i am not eligible for upgrade yet )

 

[prady16]

I spoke with an at&t rep and found out that if i buy an iPhone from craigslist/ebay/wherever and activate it on my account, i will still not get the $199 price. Apparently it is noted whether or not you have taken advantage of a subsidy with whatever phone you bought.

 

[TimothyB]

I spoke with an at&t rep and found out that if i buy an iPhone from craigslist/ebay/wherever and activate it on my account, i will still not get the $199 price. Apparently it is noted whether or not you have taken advantage of a subsidy with whatever phone you bought.

That doesn't make sense, then not all iPhone owners can be eligible since a huge amount were existing ATT customers who already had subsidized phones before they bought an iPhone directly from AT&T. Why do they get to upgrade? How would ATT keep track of iPhones bought from Apple stores and given as gifts, those people would be upgrade eligible after activating it. I don't understand what she is saying.

They give three categories in their video, if what she said is true, then there's not such thing as a all iPhone owners are eligible to upgrade category, but only two. You are eligible existing ATT customer, or you are not eligible.

Maybe they haven't got the word out yet to all the employees.