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Using Family Members Upgrade - ATT Store Only?

R

rapps

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 17, 2004
185
0
I know current 3g iphone users are able to use a family members upgrade if they aren't eligible for the 199 price. ATT Rep on the phone said I could order it online under the eligible account and then when it arrives call ATT to have it activated under my account.

Has anyone been successful doing this in an Apple store? I tried last night and they said they had to activate it in the store and that would active the eligible line. Therefore they couldn't active it under my number. Anyone have luck at Apple doing this?

Thanks.
 
.

Sorry for the bump, but I haven't found a definitive answer. If you've been able to do this at the apple store please let me know how. My main issue is the other family member is not in the same city so I can't have their sim deactivated bc it'll take too long to mail them a new sim.
 
rapps said:
Sorry for the bump, but I haven't found a definitive answer. If you've been able to do this at the apple store please let me know how. My main issue is the other family member is not in the same city so I can't have their sim deactivated bc it'll take too long to mail them a new sim.
Click to expand...
Unless you pay full price ($599/$699), anything you buy at an Apple Store has to be activated before you walk out of the store (which would deactivate your family members SIM). :(

Also, if the AT&T account isn't in your name, at Apple, you'll need to bring that person with you to Apple.
 
rapps said:
Has anyone been successful doing this in an Apple store?
Click to expand...
I did this on Saturday, at an Apple store, TWICE.

I upgraded my mom's Blackberry and my Mother In Law's regular phone to 3GS phones.

You just have to warn who ever you are upgrading that they will be without service for a bit until you can get them their new SIM card.

Then you have to do some SIM swapping and plan fixing at ATT.

What kind of phones are on the lines now?
 
Rat-Boy said:
I did this on Saturday, at an Apple store, TWICE.

I upgraded my mom's Blackberry and my Mother In Law's regular phone to 3GS phones.

You just have to warn who ever you are upgrading that they will be without service for a bit until you can get them their new SIM card.

Then you have to do some SIM swapping and plan fixing at ATT.

What kind of phones are on the lines now?
Click to expand...


Both are iphones. The only problem is that the other family member is not in the same state. I don't think she'll be too happy with not having service until I get her a new sim....
 
Rat-Boy said:
I did this on Saturday, at an Apple store, TWICE.

I upgraded my mom's Blackberry and my Mother In Law's regular phone to 3GS phones.

You just have to warn who ever you are upgrading that they will be without service for a bit until you can get them their new SIM card.

Then you have to do some SIM swapping and plan fixing at ATT.

What kind of phones are on the lines now?
Click to expand...

good to hear. i am doing this aswell.

m
 
rapps said:
Both are iphones. The only problem is that the other family member is not in the same state. I don't think she'll be too happy with not having service until I get her a new sim....
Click to expand...
Yea, that is pretty much a deal breaker for you.

Because they will activate it with her number.
 
i plan on doing this aswell using another line to upgrade --- but what happens to that line after we swap SIMs? does it still have the $30 data plan on it? :confused:
 
aristobrat said:
Unless you pay full price ($599/$699), anything you buy at an Apple Store has to be activated before you walk out of the store (which would deactivate your family members SIM). :(

Also, if the AT&T account isn't in your name, at Apple, you'll need to bring that person with you to Apple.
Click to expand...

Funny that at the Apple store I went to they let me buy the new phone, activated it and then swapped around the SIM cards. They did it, not me. I just asked them to.
 
Rat-Boy said:
Yea, that is pretty much a deal breaker for you.

Because they will activate it with her number.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Thats what I figured. I believe my only option is ordering it online at ATT or go to the ATT store and they can do the swap without affecting my family members sim.
 
Just to add to the OP's question, once we buy and activate (say 2 3GS) the phones on eligible lines....all we have to do is call AT&t (or go to the actual store) and tell them what you are doing.

Switch the iphone 3gs sims into the original non-phones and get your plan fixed? They won't prorate the data plan or anything for the short time it is enabled, correct?
 
neilp4453 said:
They won't prorate the data plan or anything for the short time it is enabled, correct?
Click to expand...
Not that I know of.

But if they want to on mine, so be it.

30$ a Month is 1$ per day. That is roughly 4.1 cents per hour.

They can have their 4.1 cents if they want it. :D
 
Well I went to the Apple store and upgraded one of the lines to a 3GS.

It was a pretty smooth process....been to the Apple Store once before and it was chaotic like before.

After buying it...I asked the Genius if I could pop out the sim card and use it another phone. I wanted to bitch slap her as soon as I heard "no..this sim is designed for the iphone and will not work in other phones." I bet they work off of commission as well which is why they give BS answers.

I got home...popped out the sim and put it in a old phone. Called ATT and easily removed the data plan and switched to the correct IMEI.

I'm gonna go do this with my other line tomorrow too and sell that 3GS.

But I was indeed prorated for the data plan.....she told me it would be prorated from when I bought the phone to when I took the data plan off. That is like what....2-3 hours...30bucks per month.

I'm gonna be getting like 900 back with the sale of this 3GS and 3G (that I currently use).
 
neilp4453 said:
I asked the Genius if I could pop out the sim card and use it another phone. I wanted to bitch slap her as soon as I heard "no..this sim is designed for the iphone and will not work in other phones."
Click to expand...
I am surprised she would just lie like that.

The person at the Apple store I worked with knew exactly what we were doing and assured me it WOULD work.

So completely opposite.
 
neilp4453 said:
After buying it...I asked the Genius if I could pop out the sim card and use it another phone. I wanted to bitch slap her as soon as I heard "no..this sim is designed for the iphone and will not work in other phones." I bet they work off of commission as well which is why they give BS answers.
Click to expand...
Although they do put people on the floor during iPhone launches that don't know the technical details as well as they could, nobody in the Apple Store works off of commission or gets spiffs.

A Genius would have known that answer, though. I think you spoke to a Specialist. Geniuses work behind the service bar fixing stuff. You almost never see them on the sales floor.
 
aristobrat said:
Although they do put people on the floor during iPhone launches that don't know the technical details as well as they could, nobody in the Apple Store works off of commission or gets spiffs.

A Genius would have known that answer, though. I think you spoke to a Specialist. Geniuses work behind the service bar fixing stuff. You almost never see them on the sales floor.
Click to expand...

Yea....it wasn't one of the people behind the counter.

Still....I just am not happy with a answer like that. Then people go around spreading bad facts after hearing about it.
 
fabianvs said:
i plan on doing this aswell using another line to upgrade --- but what happens to that line after we swap SIMs? does it still have the $30 data plan on it? :confused:
Click to expand...
You go to your nearest ATT store and cancel it, or call them on the phone and cancel it.

I canceled mine within an hour.
 
I don't want to be charged $30 for something I didn't use.. thats ridiculous I guess I'll just have to buy it in the AT&T store !
 
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