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Upgrading to 3GS with my mother's line??

S

shvartsies

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 2, 2008
128
0
New Jersey, USA
Good evening all,

I'm all set to buy an iPhone 3GS tomorrow. I'm not upgrade eligible, but my mom (who is on my family plan) is. I sold my iPhone 3G today.

I plan on buying the iPhone on her line and somehow switching the numbers.

I am paying for a data plan right now for my 3G (which I just sold), and when I buy the 3GS I will be signed up for a second data plan.

I'm asking for advice on how to seamlessly port the 3GS to my phone number and how to make it so that THAT data plan is the only one active.

My original plan was call AT&T, tell them I sold the phone and I need to cancel the data plan. Then I would buy the iPhone from the Apple Store (AT&T sold out), go over to the AT&T store and tell them that I need the number switched to mine. Would this work?

This is in no way "frauding" Apple or AT&T. They both told me this was common practice and fine with them.
 
Just buy the 3GS with mom's line then call AT&T to transfer the data plan to your line because you are now using the iPhone. It'll only take about 10 minutes, just make sure you have another phone in hand to give them the imei of that phone to remove the data plan (or use whatever your mom has already).

It's not fraud because you are still going to pay the iPhone 3GS data plan anyway. It'll just me on a different line.
 
lavinci said:
Just buy the 3GS with mom's line then call AT&T to transfer the data plan to your line because you are now using the iPhone. It'll only take about 10 minutes, just make sure you have another phone in hand to give them the imei of that phone to remove the data plan (or use whatever your mom has already).

It's not fraud because you are still going to pay the iPhone 3GS data plan anyway. It'll just me on a different line.
Click to expand...

Let me make sure.

1) Call AT&T and cancel old data plan
2) Put MY sim card into the 3GS.
3) Transfer the data plan

Is this correct? Sorry if I'm being a bit slow.
 
lavinci said:
Just buy the 3GS with mom's line then call AT&T to transfer the data plan to your line because you are now using the iPhone. It'll only take about 10 minutes, just make sure you have another phone in hand to give them the imei of that phone to remove the data plan (or use whatever your mom has already).

It's not fraud because you are still going to pay the iPhone 3GS data plan anyway. It'll just me on a different line.
Click to expand...

Can't you just get the phones, cancel one her data plan saying you don't like the iPhone, then switch SIM cards?
 
If you go to an AT&T store, they will do all of this for you. If your mother isn't going with you, make sure you're an authorized user and you know the last four of her social security number.
 
Thank you everybody for all the replies. Much appreciated.

Are you sure I can go by myself? That would be absolutely fantastic.
I've heard many stories about being denied sale because the account holder isn't there.

I would probably go without her but I need to buy with an American Express Card (90 day accidental damage warranty FTW) and she won't let me have her card ahaha.
 
I did this very thing on Tuesday. Bought a phone with my wife's upgrade for my son. When the phone came, it was ready to be activated on her line. I called ATT and explained what I wanted to do and they walked me through. Activated the iphone on wife's line.... took off iphone data plan and put back her blackberry data plan, put the newly activated sim from iphone back into her blackberry... then put son's sim card in iphone and put iphone data plan on his line. It was quite painless and the ATT guys were VERY nice and helpful.

I'm not sure they will let you buy if you mother isn't there. Plus if you are using her AMEX, that might be a hangup if you try to use her card. Good luck.
 
Just as long as you have the right information and are authorized on the account, as previously mentioned, you should be a-okay.
 
Success! Quick, painless, and seamless as well.

Came to the Apple Store, bought it with my mom's AMEX, it took 10 minutes altogether.

Left the store, took my mom's phone and the iPhone, switched the SIM cards, and called AT&T to cancel the data plan on my mom's phone number.

I just have one question. The 3GS sim card was orange, while my 3G's sim was blue.
Does the orange one have a faster internet speed? Is there any difference between the two?
 
No faster internet speed. The new sim just has the capabilities to go up to 7.2Mbps
 
does AT&T send out a free txt to all the numbers on the line saying that the number has been extended for 2 more years?
 
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