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Paying for iPhone 6s in full. Leave without activating?

A

Abs_p

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 15, 2011
897
422
Okay so i have reserved an iPhone 6s to gift to my mom on her b'day. She uses T-mobile prepaid so i reserved the T-mobile version ,paid in full for pickup on 25th. Her B'day is on 10/1 so the plan is to give her the sealed phone gift wrapped and then she can pop her sim in .

BUT,

I just came to know that they are not going to allow people to leave the store with unactivated iPhones even if its paid in full this year because of the scalpers (damn the scalpers) .

Anyone has any more info on this?
 
noobinator said:
Where did you hear this? I've done it before without having it activated.
Click to expand...

I did it with my iPhone 6. I bought it full price went home and used my cricket card. A few guys over the apple subreddit posted this.
 
Abs_p said:
Okay so i have reserved an iPhone 6s to gift to my mom on her b'day. She uses T-mobile prepaid so i reserved the T-mobile version ,paid in full for pickup on 25th. Her B'day is on 10/1 so the plan is to give her the sealed phone gift wrapped and then she can pop her sim in .

BUT,

I just came to know that they are not going to allow people to leave the store with unactivated iPhones even if its paid in full this year because of the scalpers (damn the scalpers) .

Anyone has any more info on this?
Click to expand...


If you pre-ordered as an ATT/VZW/TMO etc device pd in full or not for pickup at an Apple Store you will more than likely have to activate it. If you walk into the store cold when they are in stock for "open sale" and ask for a "DEVICE ONLY" they will not but since you PREORDERED for a specific carrier you more than likely will have to activate so the carrier can get their activation fee. It's always been that way. If you had it delivered to your home and it was PIF rather than picked up in store you MIGHT be able to get away with it.
 
Last edited:
noobinator said:
What do you mean might be able to get away with it? Is an Apple employee going to accompany the UPS guy into your home and make you open it up and activate it?
Click to expand...

No, what I mean is that ATT (or whoever) might not activate the Phone's ESN without the SIM they are including with it if that SIMs# is attached to the device. Once it gets activated it wouldn't be a problem. However believe the discussion is regarding INSTORE pickup and not delivery. But WRT to DELIVERY you are more than likely right.
 
TB07-NJ said:
If you pre-ordered as an ATT/VZW/TMO etc device pd in full or not for pickup at an Apple Store you will more than likely have to activate it. If you walk into the store cold when they are in stock for "open sale" and ask for a "DEVICE ONLY" they will not but since you PREORDERED for a specific carrier you more than likely will have to activate so the carrier can get their activation fee. It's always been that way. If you had it delivered to your home and it was PIF rather than picked up in store you MIGHT be able to get away with it.
Click to expand...

For tmobile, there are no activation fees if you bring your own device and SIM. You just put in the sim and go. You would never be able to buy a preorder pickup as a gift if this was the case
 
You can just walk about with the phone unactivated if you paid full price. You don't even need to break the seal on the box. Just pay and walk about with the phone.
 
I used to work for TMobile... I don't know the policies anymore but from a salespersons point of view, they don't make any commission on phones that are sold outright without activation. So they may be very apprehensive selling you one outright when you the stock is already limited as it is for their stores. It is essentially throwing away commission for them.

Just food for thought.
 
TB07-NJ said:
If you pre-ordered as an ATT/VZW/TMO etc device pd in full or not for pickup at an Apple Store you will more than likely have to activate it. If you walk into the store cold when they are in stock for "open sale" and ask for a "DEVICE ONLY" they will not but since you PREORDERED for a specific carrier you more than likely will have to activate so the carrier can get their activation fee. It's always been that way. If you had it delivered to your home and it was PIF rather than picked up in store you MIGHT be able to get away with it.
Click to expand...


I preordered it last year, picked it up at the Apple Store and I asked if I could activate it at home, they had no problem doing this. My wife did the same thing at an Apple Store in Florida (she was in Florida for work) and they didn't make her activate it at the store. (We have Verizon, we did a 2 year contract).
 
Seriously? If it's paid in full then you own it; they have no legal way of stopping you from taking your property out of the store. If they try to stop you then: 1) ignore them, 2) poilitely decline, 3) impolitely decline, or 4) inform them that if they prevent you from leaving you'll call 9-1-1 and report that you're being illegally detaind by store staff. If they refuse to give it to you until you agree to activate it then call 9-1-1 and report the theft.

(Likewise, one isn't required to allow store staff to inspect one's bags upon leaving a store, nor show them a receipt; however, if the store has a posted sign reserving the right to inspect bags one runs the risk of receiving a tresspass warning).
 
This is what I heard as well and for this reason I just decided to order it online through apple.com and have it delivered to my work so that I can unbox it at home and not at the store.
 
TB07-NJ said:
If you pre-ordered as an ATT/VZW/TMO etc device pd in full or not for pickup at an Apple Store you will more than likely have to activate it. If you walk into the store cold when they are in stock for "open sale" and ask for a "DEVICE ONLY" they will not but since you PREORDERED for a specific carrier you more than likely will have to activate so the carrier can get their activation fee. It's always been that way. If you had it delivered to your home and it was PIF rather than picked up in store you MIGHT be able to get away with it.
Click to expand...


Not true. I walked in same day and never had to activate.
 
To me it makes NO SENSE in having the phone activated, If you show ID and pay in full, why would they care what you do with the phone? I understand if you have installment plans, but paying at full price, why should they remove the shrink if you want to give it as a gift?
 
I bought the AT&T iphone 6S Plus at full price, contract free, to be used on my unlimited data plan. Do I simply put the currently active SIM in my new iPhone, or do I have to call AT&T? Or, do I just turn on the new phone, go through the steps, and it activates on my current plan without a sim swap?
 
Pipper99 said:
I bought the AT&T iphone 6S Plus at full price, contract free, to be used on my unlimited data plan. Do I simply put the currently active SIM in my new iPhone, or do I have to call AT&T? Or, do I just turn on the new phone, go through the steps, and it activates on my current plan without a sim swap?
Click to expand...


turn your old phone off and take out the SIM. Pop it in the new phone and then turn it on and just follow the set up.
 
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