The Story of my iPhone 4 Pre-Order

S

singerjonny

macrumors newbie
(note: I realize most of you don't give a flying **** about this, but there's a moral of the story, in the end that I think you might find interesting)
Hello.
So, the story of my iPhone 4 Pre-Order is a frustrating and crazy one. First and foremost, I will admit I am under the age of 18 and I live with my parents. I'm a teenager.

On the night of the 15th, I began checking if I was eligible for an upgrade with AT&T from my iPhone 3G, Black that I've loved for such a long time. Turns out I was. So I got immediately excited. Out of that excitement I kept following the steps to checkout. Soon, my iPhone 4 was in my cart on the Apple Store. I was so eager to click Check Out and pay with my mom's credit card without her knowing, but that would be a terrible, terrible idea. So I set out to ask her if I could buy it.

Being a completely broke and obviously unemployed geeky teenager, who wants new tech means PLEADING your parents every time you want the new brilliant gadget and gizmo. I asked my mom, she said immediately "Where are you getting the money?". I had no reply. I then went to ask my dad what he thought about buying it off debt, he replied "I don't believe in debt.". Both my parent's statements are true, and I acknowledged it.. So then I went to my room and pondered.. "I REALLY want this device. Now how can I get it.".

I went on to develop a, what I thought was fool-proof plan to get the $257 I need. I presented it to my mom. It was a plan that included debt, until I do these few jobs, and raise the $257. So apparently my family actually doesn't actually have the money to pay for the product I so desperately wanted. I somehow convinced my mom at the end of the night that I would buy it on debt.

--

The next morning, my dad hears about it. To be honest I didn't think of his perspective while I was talking to my mom. He's pissed. So, I have to show him the plan I had last night, which looking back at it really doesn't make any sense. I'm scared ******** to speak to him. I get to the matter and he barely has anything to say, he's so mad. We barely come to terms.

I now have to get $145 before or on June 1st, or I'm screwed to hell. I then have to pay the rest of the money before July 10th, as I promised.

I have music jobs I have to make sure I get money from, and video projects as well.

This all goes to show how dedicated Apple Fan-boys can be. I mean DAMN. This is the one device that I really want, I got it, and now I have to work my ass off for it. I'll pretty much do anything for this phone.

If you've had a similar experience or know someone this dedicated to Apple and technology, post away man!

I'm just glad the negotiating is over, and I'm getting an iPhone 4 for sure,

-Jonny
 
I believe in spending within your means. If you can't afford something then don't buy it. You could have saved up for a short while and bought the phone when you have the money. That is probably the lesson your parents want to convey, and why your dad is not too pleased. Obviously just IMO of course.
 
Wow! Your story reminds me of drug addicts wanting that high, and they’ll do anything to get it….LOL
It’s not dedication that you wrote about, it’s desperation dude. I liked you’re story too.
 
Opstech said:
Wow! Your story reminds me of drug addicts wanting that high, and they’ll do anything to get it….
Click to expand...
Wow that's right on the head of the nail.

wow, that's really sad, but I wonder how much of that is in all of us. I mean just look at how much some of these iphones on ebay are going for - 1,000 bucks.

Then there's the people who will be camping out at your local apple store just to be the first kid on the block with a new toy.

And of course is this forum, full of people who gleefully posted they got through, or the down right mad people who have to wait a couple of weeks.

Yeah to many of us (and I include myself) we seem to be tripped up by these high tech gadgets. The biggest difference between us and the OP, is he's a kid who couldn't afford one.
 
Opstech said:
Wow! Your story reminds me of drug addicts wanting that high, and they’ll do anything to get it….LOL
It’s not dedication that you wrote about, it’s desperation dude. I liked you’re story too.
Click to expand...

More accurately - the story sounds like a typical spoiled teenager who has a few lessons to learn if they want to live a happy life. These include discipline to live within one's means, priorities and respect for your parents - including the wisdom not to play one parent off the other.

If I was your father your iPhone would come AFTER you had the money, not before.

Believe me, your attitude indicates that your priority in life now is a new toy. This will not make you as happy as you think it will.
 
I love how everyone is ripping into the kid for wanting a product that yall are on a forum discussing and obviously have an above average affinity for. As guarantee most of y'all were making similar requests at that age. Hell, im still in college so im not that much older and i know how it feels to be a tech junkie without a source of income big enough to support my passion for electronics. I did the same thing, worked out deals with my parents to take as much of the finanical burden of them and did my best to earn my keep.

The the OP, just sell your 3g, youll break even if not turn a profit.
 
I can def feel your pain. But think how nice it will be when you pay him off early. I would go through the neighborhood and see if you have any neighbors who need yard work , or cars washed. Seriously anything to to make money. When I found out the cost a few weeks ago I stayed late at the shop picked up a few side jobs and wala...600 bucks in my hand in the matter of a few evenings work.

You will then have learned how to properly pay off a debt and not let interest build up. Then when you get older you won't be like the rest of America with huge floating credit card balances. There is nothing wrong with using credit as long as you pay it off early.
 
maflynn said:
Wow that's right on the head of the nail.

wow, that's really sad, but I wonder how much of that is in all of us. I mean just look at how much some of these iphones on ebay are going for - 1,000 bucks.

Then there's the people who will be camping out at your local apple store just to be the first kid on the block with a new toy.

And of course is this forum, full of people who gleefully posted they got through, or the down right mad people who have to wait a couple of weeks.

Yeah to many of us (and I include myself) we seem to be tripped up by these high tech gadgets. The biggest difference between us and the OP, is he's a kid who couldn't afford one.
Click to expand...

So says the guy w/ the $599 Nexus One.

Look I would not pay more than the regular upgrade price for any phone, I'm not that "dedicated," but I've been into electronic gadgets since I was a teen 25 some odd years ago. I can share the kids excitement b/c I remember, as a no cash, minimum wage ($3.xx/hr back then) high schooler, putting my first CD player on layaway at Circuit City, a $600 2nd generation Technics (hot brand back in the '80s).

I'd go in every two weeks after I got my pay check to pay it down. It was so exciting at the end of the summer when I finally paid it off and took it home. My first CD was Dire Strait's Brother's in Arms. Money for Nothing had a totally different meaning. I've been saving up for new toys ever since. To borrow from Steve Jobs, "it's a hobby."

To OP, glad you were able to learn a lesson from this and I'm sure your iP4 will be even sweeter now that you had to earn it.
 
"but there's a moral of the story, in the end that I think you might find interesting"

Sorry - what was the MORAL of the story? I must have missed it.
 
Sounds like my son. I have had success telling him to save the first 80% or so and I will help with the rest. A little carrot on stick never hurt. It has worked well on numerous occasions. A little cooperation and compromise on both sides and we both feel okay about the arrangement.

Kenal0
 
Chupa Chupa said:
So says the guy w/ the $599 Nexus One.

Look I would not pay more than the regular upgrade price for any phone, I'm not that "dedicated," but I've been into electronic gadgets since I was a teen 25 some odd years ago. I can share the kids excitement b/c I remember, as a no cash, minimum wage ($3.xx/hr back then) high schooler, putting my first CD player on layaway at Circuit City, a $600 2nd generation Technics (hot brand back in the '80s).

I'd go in every two weeks after I got my pay check to pay it down. It was so exciting at the end of the summer when I finally paid it off and took it home. My first CD was Dire Strait's Brother's in Arms. Money for Nothing had a totally different meaning. I've been saving up for new toys ever since. To borrow from Steve Jobs, "it's a hobby."

To OP, glad you were able to learn a lesson from this and I'm sure your iP4 will be even sweeter now that you had to earn it.
Click to expand...


If I can get even MORE '80s on you all, I remember saving for weeks to buy a Swatch back in the day. I babysat my ass off to scrape that cash together. :)

OP, that phone will mean so much more now that you've had to work for and earn the money yourself to buy one. This is going to make me sound colossally old (even more so than the Swatch comment), but kudos to your parents for sticking to their principles and helping show you that it's much more worthwhile to work for things you really want than be handed them on a whim.

Reminds me of when I was waiting in line for my 3GS last summer. Some kid behind me was complaining about how she'd just gotten a 3G like a month before but had dropped it off of a golf cart while out with friends. It ws run over and destroyed, but there she was in line with dad to pick up her unsubsidized 3GS on launch day because she "had to have it." Sigh.
 
1) get a job
2) collect paycheck
3) buy iPhone

Also, you said you need money before June 1st. So, you're already screwed. It's June 17th.
 
Sounds like you were “negotiating” with each of your parents until one of them said yes. It’s funny how you didn’t go to your dad to let him know your plan after “negotiating” with your mom.
 
I must be pretty dedicated to technology... I spend 40 hours a week working just to support my housing technology, car technology, food technology.... weird.

People work everyday...its not anything special.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
So says the guy w/ the $599 Nexus One.
Click to expand...

The hell does that have to do with anything? If you can afford it, great. I have a Nexus One too (btw, it's $530, not $599) and didn't go in to debt to buy it. I do well enough that I had the money to buy the phone. I would never beg anyone for something I can't afford, and unless it's something big like a car or a house, I wouldn't go into debt to buy anything.
 
Being a parent of teenage kids and a business owner I admire the OP's honesty, tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit.

Good for him, and good for his parents for trying to pass along their belief of no debt.

I believe debt can be very constructive but his solution of paying for it BEFORE he gets it solves everyone's problem. At least he is not sitting on his ass while his parents just get it for him. This does not sound like a spoiled or entitle person to me.
 
Rolvag said:
Being a parent of teenage kids and a business owner I admire the OP's honesty, tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit.

Good for him, and good for his parents for trying to pass along their belief of no debt.

I believe debt can be very constructive but his solution of paying for it BEFORE he gets it solves everyone's problem. At least he is not sitting on his ass while his parents just get it for him. This does not sound like a spoiled or entitle person to me.
Click to expand...

Entrepreneurial spirit? Has our country gotten so bad that actually WORKING to buy something is considered being an entrepreneur? That's ridiculous, he's just being a normal human being. You work to make money, and spend money on things you want. It's called Capitalism.
 
Daiden said:
Entrepreneurial spirit? Has our country gotten so bad that actually WORKING to buy something is considered being an entrepreneur? That's ridiculous, he's just being a normal human being. You work to make money, and spend money on things you want. It's called Capitalism.
Click to expand...

ENTREPRENEUR = CAPITALIST and vice versa
 
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ScubaCinci said:
I remember being a kid once
Click to expand...

As do I. I had a job since I was 12, to help pay for the things that I wanted.

To the OP; get a part time job, and sell the 3G iPhone that you have now. Best wishes.
 
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