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So I can upgrade at the Apple store ????

First post, great forum so please go easy.

I am currently on the O2 £30.00 a month contract (non iphone, Sony erikson actually) my 12 month contract expired on July 4th 2008. I have just left my contract to roll over as I am trying to upgrade (not sure if that is the correct term) to an iphone.

Would I be able to go into an apple store and sign up to an iphone contract (hence having 2 contracts), then come home and cancel my existing expired contract and have just the iphone one? My main priority being keeping my existing number from O2. Maybe I could even use my same sim card?

Sorry for my ignorance but does this sound feasible? I was one of those that qued up on Friday for 2 ½ hours for them to say they had sold out of 16g’s.
 
Hi Batfink and welcome :)

I think the sticking point is your number. As far as I know you'll have to get a PAC code to keep your number, which is a bit of hassle but as soon as you have that you can go ahead. If you didn't care about that then you just walk in and pick one up. Stupid considering it's o2 to o2 but there you go. :rolleyes:
 
April Dancer said:
Hi Batfink and welcome :)

I think the sticking point is your number. As far as I know you'll have to get a PAC code to keep your number, which is a bit of hassle but as soon as you have that you can go ahead. If you didn't care about that then you just walk in and pick one up. Stupid considering it's o2 to o2 but there you go. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

thanks for the reply.
How long to PAC codes last for. Maybe i could request one today and pick up iphone at weekend. I just don't want to be without a phone from now until weekend. When you request a PAC will that automatically cancel my o2 contract/account?
 
The PAC code lasts for 30 days and the account is cancelled once the new one is activated. So as soon as you activate your iPhone account and enter your PAC code, they'll move it over. Be prepared to wait a few days though, but you'll get a temporary number to use with your iPhone in the meantime.

Edit: forgot to say, if you request a PAC code and then decide not to use it, nothing will happen to your account. The PAC will just be invalid after a month and your original account continues as normal, so it doesn't hurt to get one.
 
April Dancer said:
The PAC code lasts for 30 days and the account is cancelled once the new one is activated. So as soon as you activate your iPhone account and enter your PAC code, they'll move it over. Be prepared to wait a few days though, but you'll get a temporary number to use with your iPhone in the meantime.

Edit: forgot to say, if you request a PAC code and then decide not to use it, nothing will happen to your account. The PAC will just be invalid after a month and your original account continues as normal, so it doesn't hurt to get one.
Click to expand...

Thanks a million for your informative input. May finally be able to get the phone now instead of the lottery that is O2
 
I have just 'upgraded' to a white iPhone 16GB in the Apple Store Regent St this morning! Here's how it went:

Rang O2 this morning, asked if it would be OK to do what I was going to do, (take out a new contract, cancel old one, transfer number) they said yes so I jumped on my bike to the Apple Store.

I am an existing O2 non-iPhone customer, my contract was due to end/be upgraded this month (ie. no termination fee etc.)

Took out new contract with O2, no PAC code, no existing user etc. just a fresh new contract.

I explained the situation to the (very good) Apple Store staff and they were happy enough to go through the process, I could cancel everything in 14 days anyway if it didn't work!

Got the iPhone, activated in store.

Got home, rang O2 again. Explained what I wanted to do and they did it all over the phone in 5 mins, someone from retentions is going to ring me in under 48 hrs to let me know that my number has been migrated to the new sim.

Done. After my saga with CPW (I have now cancelled my order through them, and had a full refund), I am a very happy man!

I'll report back once the number has been migrated to the iPhone...
 
VibrantGravy said:
I have just 'upgraded' to a white iPhone 16GB in the Apple Store Regent St this morning! Here's how it went:

Rang O2 this morning, asked if it would be OK to do what I was going to do, (take out a new contract, cancel old one, transfer number) they said yes so I jumped on my bike to the Apple Store.

I am an existing O2 non-iPhone customer, my contract was due to end/be upgraded this month (ie. no termination fee etc.)

Took out new contract with O2, no PAC code, no existing user etc. just a fresh new contract.

I explained the situation to the (very good) Apple Store staff and they were happy enough to go through the process, I could cancel everything in 14 days anyway if it didn't work!

Got the iPhone, activated in store.

Got home, rang O2 again. Explained what I wanted to do and they did it all over the phone in 5 mins, someone from retentions is going to ring me in under 48 hrs to let me know that my number has been migrated to the new sim.

Done. After my saga with CPW (I have now cancelled my order through them, and had a full refund), I am a very happy man!

I'll report back once the number has been migrated to the iPhone...
Click to expand...

Thats my plan of action although it sounds like i don't actually need to request my PAC code.
What number did you call, general O2 customers services or the iphone dedicated line?
 
I wish I could do this but the lady in retentions (0845 6060618) has just said "no, you can't do that".

I wish O2 weren't such a bunch of... This whole debacle has totally destroyed their brand for me.
 
sibruk said:
I wish I could do this but the lady in retentions (0845 6060618) has just said "no, you can't do that".

I wish O2 weren't such a bunch of... This whole debacle has totally destroyed their brand for me.
Click to expand...

The main issue I have with the O2 brand right now is the lack of a consistent policy regarding existing iPhone customers. I can probably forgive their shortsightedness on the online ordering, I pretty much blame Apple for O2's stock levels and availability of the white model; but the fact remains that the answer you get from O2 customer services is entirely dependent on who you happen to speak to. Not to mention the fact that, if one iPhone customer has successfully upgraded through Apple, we all should be able to... so why aren't they letting us do it?
 
hi everyone ! i haven't had a chance to get to the apple store yet (combination of work nightmare plus trying to fix my leaking roof before the next lot of rains).

however it sounds as though VibrantGravey is proving that you can end up with an 'upgrade' after buying at the apples store - you just need to reach a sympathetic O2 person
 
iSimon said:
As far as I know you should have no problems at all getting one from an Apple store - you'll just need a PAC (Port Authorisation Code) from CPW for your number (assuming you want to keep it). It's only existing iPhone customers (who want to take advantage of the offer to finish their old contract early) for whom this is an issue.
Click to expand...

Correct. I have just spoken to iphone specialist (call 2302 from an 02 number) who advises me to buy iphone (white) from apple store, request pac code from 02 for my existing non-iphone contract and then call the iphone specialists back and give them my pac for transfer of number. they have written this in my notes on my account so i cant see anything going wrong unless i fail the credit check or they dont let me transfer my number but i can always return the new phone within 14 days and get a refund.
 
I just rang O2 and was told that I could upgrade to a new iPhone 3G and cancel my old contract BUT I would be subject to a cancellation fee.

Why are we getting so many different stories out of O2!
 
O2's stock problems must be bad - I walked past an O2 store on the way home from work this evening, and their iPhone table, where the display models are, had 6 empty iPhone docks on it. No sign of any display models, just 6 empty docks :rolleyes:
 
hazdageez said:
Correct. I have just spoken to iphone specialist (call 2302 from an 02 number) who advises me to buy iphone (white) from apple store, request pac code from 02 for my existing non-iphone contract and then call the iphone specialists back and give them my pac for transfer of number. they have written this in my notes on my account so i cant see anything going wrong unless i fail the credit check or they dont let me transfer my number but i can always return the new phone within 14 days and get a refund.
Click to expand...

FYI, I didn't need a PAC, they just 'migrated' my old number to the new sim.

PS, O2 have rung me this evening to say that the number migration has been processed and my old number will appear on the iPhone sim in the next 24 hours.
 
Breathe in, breath out... Just been on the phone again to O2 (2302) to try and convince them to allow me to upgrade via an Apple Store purchase. Was met with another "no". Escalated to a team manager, and the answer again was "no, we have made a business decision to not permit upgrades via Apple".

"But I have jumped through all the hoops, pre-registering a month and a half ago, and was told that as a loyal customer I was going to be 'one of the first to own a new iPhone 3G'. I tried to upgrade 27 times last Monday and it's not my fault that you couldn't cobble together a system that can handle a few thousand people trying to place orders simultaneously..." etc. etc.

This has got to be the most frustrating thing. There is an Apple Store and O2 store literally three shops away from each other in Southampton. Apple have loads of stock of the 16GB, O2 have none.

When I eventually manage to upgrade, I am, in effect, going to be stopping my existing contract with no penalty and starting a new one. Why oh why can this not be done with one slight alteration - getting the new one from an Apple Store. We're talking about a slight deviation from the process and surely something that the staff at O2 customer services would be able to override.

I don't know who you spoke to, VibrantGravy, but it seems you were very lucky.
 
sibruk said:
Breathe in, breath out... Just been on the phone again to O2 (2302) to try and convince them to allow me to upgrade via an Apple Store purchase. Was met with another "no". Escalated to a team manager, and the answer again was "no, we have made a business decision to not permit upgrades via Apple".

"But I have jumped through all the hoops, pre-registering a month and a half ago, and was told that as a loyal customer I was going to be 'one of the first to own a new iPhone 3G'. I tried to upgrade 27 times last Monday and it's not my fault that you couldn't cobble together a system that can handle a few thousand people trying to place orders simultaneously..." etc. etc.

This has got to be the most frustrating thing. There is an Apple Store and O2 store literally three shops away from each other in Southampton. Apple have loads of stock of the 16GB, O2 have none.

When I eventually manage to upgrade, I am, in effect, going to be stopping my existing contract with no penalty and starting a new one. Why oh why can this not be done with one slight alteration - getting the new one from an Apple Store. We're talking about a slight deviation from the process and surely something that the staff at O2 customer services would be able to override.

I don't know who you spoke to, VibrantGravy, but it seems you were very lucky.
Click to expand...

Indeed, just wanted to confirm that my number has been ported to the iPhone sim. It's funny, no-one at o2 contested it all, and it sounded like this was a workflow they were familiar with. Just to reiterate, my contract was due to expire this month and I'm an O2 select customer. Anyway, I'm writing this on my iPhone so I'm living proof that it works!
 
VibrantGravy said:
Indeed, just wanted to confirm that my number has been ported to the iPhone sim. It's funny, no-one at o2 contested it all, and it sounded like this was a workflow they were familiar with. Just to reiterate, my contract was due to expire this month and I'm an O2 select customer. Anyway, I'm writing this on my iPhone so I'm living proof that it works!
Click to expand...

I'm not surprised. Your situation is going to work if your contract is going to expire.
 
Yeah, if you contract ends in the next 2-3 months then of course O2 are going to say yes, they will do that with almost any contract, never mind the iPhone. I think this thread is aimed at people (like myself) who purchased the original iPhone in late '07 and still have 12 months left on their contract. O2 have said you can upgrade to the new iPhone, but not at an Apple store (who are the only people with stock!)
 
my contract runs till April next year and they have still agreed to "upgrade" after i get a phone at Apple store

trouble is I dropped by to the regents street store twice today (whilst on errands from work), both times there were queues - first time about 10 people second time about 20 - and didn't have time to wait.

will try again tomorrow
 
Sanzu08 said:
my contract runs till April next year and they have still agreed to "upgrade" after i get a phone at Apple store

trouble is I dropped by to the regents street store twice today (whilst on errands from work), both times there were queues - first time about 10 people second time about 20 - and didn't have time to wait.

will try again tomorrow
Click to expand...

Was that an iPhone contract that expires in April '09?
 
just got my new white iphone from the apple store and have migrated my existing 02 number over. easy peasy
 
hazdageez said:
just got my new white iphone from the apple store and have migrated my existing 02 number over. easy peasy
Click to expand...

What was you old O2 situation? Did you have an iPhone and how long left did you have on your contract?
 
hazdageez said:
just got my new white iphone from the apple store and have migrated my existing 02 number over. easy peasy
Click to expand...

Nice one. Checking the apple store stock: apart from exeter (no 16's in black) every UK Store had everything for sale tomorrow.

Could i just ask in what order do you do what you did as im doing the same.

is this correct or is 2 and 3 the other way round

1. purchase phone from apple store,sign up to new contract, get it activated and be given phone number
2. Come home and plug into itunes to activate at home or whatever it does
3. phone up o2 and get current number migrated over, this canceling any old contract you had with them
 
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