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Were any "Authorized Users" able to buy an iPhone from an Apple store?

essential

essential

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 8, 2008
255
153
I went to an Apple store on launch day. I went about 45mins before the mall closed so the line wasn't too bad. When I got in line, there was some guy in his early twenties extremely pissed and talking loudly on a first generation iPhone. He was pissed because Apple wouldn't sell him a 3G because he was only an Authorized User, not the main account holder, and he was having a conversation with someone about this (sounded more like venting actually).

Anyway, that was the situation I was in, I was only an Authorized User on my account, not the account holder. So after I heard him talking, I asked one of the Apple employees who were talking with the people in line, and he verified that as an Authorized User I wouldn't be able to purchase.

So I went to the AT&T store in the mall and did a direct fulfillment (stupidly thinking i'd have a phone within a couple days). I then went back to the Apple store because I figured I'd look at cases for the phones since the line was short. Low and behold the kid that was bitching from earlier was in the check out line with friends, looking very happy, talking on a white iPhone 3G.

Now, this all took place within 25mins or so. His parent wasn't with him, so he either started a new account, which I doubt, or got Apple to sell him the phone as only an Authorized User.

That annoyed me, cause I had just did direct fulfillment with AT&T, but I figured i'd have my phone in a couple days. Now, with all the rumors that it'll take 10-21 days before AT&T gets any phones, combined with the fact that there seem to be a lot of issues with the phones (meaning a possible exchange for a new phone when AT&T isn't going to have any to exchange for), i'd much rather being dealing with an Apple store, not an AT&T store.

If anyone else was able to buy a 3G iPhone as an Authorized User, and not account holder, let me know how you did it (I have my account holders SS#, etc). I could drag my father to the mall, but he's older, and it would really be an inconvenience for him (he's not as mobile as he used to be, and I pay the monthly bill anyway).

I want to buy a phone from the Apple store as soon as they get stock, and then just cancel my order with AT&T if anyone knows how to purchase as an Authorized User.

Thanks.
 
I've not heard of any Authorized Users having problems at Apple, I was at 2 different stores this weekend and overheard a number of people who were Authorized Users ask if they'd be able to upgrade and the Apple employees told them sure as long as they're on the account and have the details of the account and proper ID..
 
I took my wife with me as she was the main account holder. She had to put her SSN in the PDA to get the phone so I'm guessing I wouldn't have been able to do it without her.
 
when apple pings the ATT database to enable the phone, all they can see is the primary account holder. They cannot see the names of authorized users. The only name that pops up is the primary account holder.

I know this for a fact.
 
ClemTiger0408 said:
when apple pings the ATT database to enable the phone, all they can see is the primary account holder. They cannot see the names of authorized users. The only name that pops up is the primary account holder.

I know this for a fact.
Click to expand...

Do you think if I had my primary account holders drivers license and SS# that would be enough, or do they literally need to be there in person?
 
I was the 12th person in the apple store on launch day and when they figured out I wasn't they account holder, they guy in the turquoise shirt who was selling me the iphone took me over to the genius bar. The genius then called 611 and verified over the phone with at&t that i was authorized and then he let me finish buying the phone.
 
I am an authorized user on our account. My wife is the primary. I went in by myself and had no problems. You will need the last 4 of the primary account holders SSN and make sure you know her phone number (do nto remember if I needed that or not), and a picture ID. Thats all I needed to get mine done.
 
I entered myself into my Dad's account as an Authorized User the night before and purchased a 3G iPhone at my local AT&T without any problems. I was quite nervous during the long wait in line, though, that it wouldn't work..

Anyway, they asked me for the account password and my ID and that was it.
 
Bring 16, can I go to the Apple Store with my mom's social security number, ID and account number to get the iPhone 3G? I am an authorized user.
 
DamFu said:
I am an authorized user on our account. My wife is the primary. I went in by myself and had no problems. You will need the last 4 of the primary account holders SSN and make sure you know her phone number (do nto remember if I needed that or not), and a picture ID. Thats all I needed to get mine done.
Click to expand...

Did you buy your iPhone at an Apple store or an AT&T store? Authorized Users have no problems at AT&T stores, but are being told they can't purchase at Apple stores without the primary account holder there.

HenMaster6000 said:
I entered myself into my Dad's account as an Authorized User the night before and purchased a 3G iPhone at my local AT&T without any problems. I was quite nervous during the long wait in line, though, that it wouldn't work..

Anyway, they asked me for the account password and my ID and that was it.
Click to expand...

As I just said, there should be no problem for Authorized Users at AT&T stores, my question was to Authorized Users who successfully purchased at an Apple store. If an Authorized User successfully purchased at an Apple store, how did they do it. If DamFu did, then that's easy, cause I know my fathers SS# and phone #. A poster above said that a genius had to call AT&T and verify he was an Authorized User. That was probably just a nice worker, which I doubt I can count on.

If several Authorized Users were able to purchase with just their primary account holders SS# and phone # like DamFu, then i'm looking good.
 
i'm an authorized user on my dad's account and he was at work while i was waiting in line with my mom at an apple store for an iphone. we had his social and everything and we waited for a few hours until they told us we couldn't buy a phone without my dad. my mom got upset and spoke to the manager but she wouldn't budge so we had to leave without an iphone.

i came home and read how a lot of people were able to get an iphone as an authorized user from apple on these forums and i called to complain to the apple store. the same manager apologized and said "i don't know who you talked to but you were given wrong information" and she offered to hold one for me and come in to the store and buy it without standing in line. and i did.

i'm a happy iphone owner now. good luck with your purchase!!
 
The line I was on today at an Apple Store on Long Island was told that the Primary Account Holder MUST be present in order to purchase the phone. The person purchasing could NOT just be an authorized user and MUST be atleast 18 to purchase the phone.
 
Authorized user here, and I bought my iPhone just fine.

In fact, I might be the kid you talked of in your post ;) (I'm 18)
 
I was at two Apple stores on launch day. First I spent about two hours at the Santa Clara store when an Apple employee announced that the primary had to be there and that there were no exceptions at all. So me being the Authorized User decided that because I live four hours away (where my father, my primary lives) that it wasn't worth it, that and My girlfriend and I had to be home soon, so I just hopped out of line and drove home disgruntled.

Fast-forward to that night and I call my local Fresno Apple store to find out their take on it and the give us the same line about the primary HAVING to be present for purchase. So I say screw it, call my father and tell him I'll meet him down there later so we can make the purchase. My father was PISSED. He didn't want to waste his time down there so I can, as he calls it, "buy a stupid phone". I told him that I agree that it's complete crap that Apple is doing this and tell him to be the biggest jerk he wants to anybody and everybody between now and the time I have my phone.

Well the Fresno line ends up being about two hours so I told him I'd call him closer to the front. He ends up coming down about an hour in because apparently he was at a point where he could come down and wait. Well something I failed to mention thus far is that my father is a crippled old man, and by crippled I mean having one foot. So standing and walking is not easy for him so I wanted to get out of there ASAP. Well, like the trooper he is, he held out the rest of the way but kept bad-mouthing Apple the whole time about how stupid it is for him to be there.

After finally getting into the store, I ask for my 16GB black and inform the employee checking me out that the angry old man next to me is my primary. After that the employee never spoke to my father or asked him for ID. When asked for the last four digits of the social I provided the info and signed for my iPhone myself. My father was none too pleased with this and was sure to inform the Apple guy, which caused the Apple employee to keep his eyes pointed at his feet until we left the store.

So the moral to this story was that having the primary was not necessary and would have been nice to know before having to drag my father down there so I can purchase a damn phone when I knew all his info and handle all AT&T related issues with our account. But oh well, such is life and I got the choice of activating my phone at home so I was happy and I'll make it up to my old man by buying him lunch. :D

EDIT: Sorry, turned out longer than I thought; feel free to skip it if you desire.
 
I actually had a problem getting purchasing my iPhone from the Apple store. I talked to the guy and girl from Apple that were giving out refreshments and those cards, and they said that I would have no problem since I am on the account as an authorized user (my husband and I were both getting iPhones and the account is in his uncles name since we opened it a long time ago) and we have his last four digits of his social security number.

When we got into the store, they asked us all of these questions and then proceeded to get our phones. After they got them and we told them that we were not the account holder, he asked us if we had his last four digits of his social security number, picture identification, and a credit card. We told him that we did and he tried to put it in. He told us that the EasyPay thing was not letting him put it through since the account holder was not there. We told him that are on the account, and he went to talk to a manager.

When he came back, he told us sorry, but we can not purchase and activate them because we are not the account holder. We told them that that is crap since we have seen online (with reliable sources) that we were able to do it and I even took out the piece of paper that I printed online stating that we are both account holders. He told us he believed us and then the manager that he was talking to came over (we were not loud, but mad since we waited on line for two hours). He told the guy that was helping us to add a line to the account and try it that way, since the problem was we were not able to upgrade without the account holder there. I am not able to upgrade, but I can add a line? That makes no sense!

So he did that and I guess it ported the numbers since he asked us for our phone numbers (and it replaced our old iPhones). We walked out of the store with our new iPhones and relieved that we did not waste time.

But here is a funny story to share:
There was one person in front of us that was not an authorized user or the account holder, and he wanted to purchase the new iPhone. When he overheard one of the Apple workers saying that he would not be able to purchase one, he got all mad. Basically saying that it was unfair and that he waited so long to not be able to purchase one. Well, he called his mom and he was waiting for her to come when we entered the store.

The thing that gets me is how did he not know that you need to be an authorized user (in some cases) or have the account holder with you? It was all over the news!
 
Called about 4 Apple stores in my area and talked to about 5 Apple store employees who all told me I needed to be the PRIMARY ACCOUNT holder and not just an authorized user to be able to buy at the apple store.

Reading up on MR, I found that many instances where authorized users were able to buy an iphone at an apple store.

Being impatient and all the ATT stores being sold out, I got in line at the Apple store and took my chances.

The entire time I was in line at the apple store, about 2.5 hours, I was wondering what I would do if I were not able to buy the phone because I was not the account holder.

Anyways, I was able to buy it with no problems, and am a bit pissed with all the uninformed employees I spoke with.
 
newyorksole said:
The line I was on today at an Apple Store on Long Island was told that the Primary Account Holder MUST be present in order to purchase the phone. The person purchasing could NOT just be an authorized user and MUST be atleast 18 to purchase the phone.
Click to expand...

I'm an authorized user and 17 years old.
Looks like I beat the system :D
Way to go Apple Store Lincoln Road, Miami Beach!
 
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