Problems with the AT&T contract if buying iPhone from eBay?

[zebu84]

Hello there!

I'm in Europe and I'm just sitting around pressing the refresh button in forums all day long waiting for the phone to be unlocked...well not really..but almost 😛

Now to my concern.. I've seen a lot of iPhones around at eBay, so what would be a reasonable price to pay for a unpacked and unused phone? (I presume the phone will be unlocked in the near future..)

Doesn't everyone who's selling the phones have a 2-year contract to carry out?

So, my main concern still, if I buy a iPhone..can AT&T for example shut down the phone (which I'm using in Europe) with my phones IMEI number?
Or in some other way...
I don't know how these contracts are like in the US, but it wouldn't be too nice to pay that much for a non-working phone..

thanks for your time and replies!

//Sebastian

 

[fishkorp]

you don't buy the phone with a contract. the contract is set up when you open it and activate it.

 

[zebu84]

aah, I see 🙂
so in that case I easily could get one for $499 + shipping, and then "just" unlock it and use with my own carrier..

hmm..'cause I don't think I could order one from the Apple online store to europe..when they start selling them there..

 

[Diode]

aah, I see 🙂
so in that case I easily could get one for $499 + shipping, and then "just" unlock it and use with my own carrier..

hmm..'cause I don't think I could order one from the Apple online store to europe..when they start selling them there..

Considering no one has yet to unlock one your still SOL.

 

[fishkorp]

aah, I see 🙂
so in that case I easily could get one for $499 + shipping, and then "just" unlock it and use with my own carrier..

hmm..'cause I don't think I could order one from the Apple online store to europe..when they start selling them there..

if/when it's unlocked, yes, that's probably the way it'll work. if you bought one right now you'd have a nice $500 block that when powered on says "please activate via iTunes" and does nothing else 🙂 although once the phone is unlocked, i'm guessing eBay prices will probably go up because everyone outside the US will be trying to purchase them.

 

[zebu84]

i wouldn't buy one before someone has proved that it can be unlocked, i just didn't know about the contract..now i know..

and yeah..the prices would probably go up...for a while..but eventually everyone should have one..you could imaging..