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Which is more comfortable AT&T or APPLE store walk in?

FrauHasSpoken said:
It's the same process anyway.

Except at the Apple store they'll harass you to buy MobileMe or Apple Care or something. It can be very annoying. Especially with all their fake happiness.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Hard to believe they would try and sell you a product or service as a salesman.

Is it their fake happiness, or your real pessimism?

Blonde Buddhist
 
I was able to get the $500 deposit fee waived. That said, it may not be as easy for others to do so.

You see, I'm a traditional guy (but 21 years of age). I've worked a job since I was sixteen, moving my way up through a few jobs and have been able to manage my finances quite responsibly, without having to borrow money. This is why I have problems with today's world, where the folks who are able to save/invest their cash money are penalized for not borrowing or financing their purchases. Bad credit is one thing; the lack of need for credit is another.

While at AT&T, the manager of the store kept asking me "Any student loans?" "No, I paid cash." "Any car loans?" "No, I paid cash." So the girl that walks in right after me, with probably thirty thousand in student debt has no deposit fee, responsible me, I'm stuck with a $500 deposit. My problem with that is this: I'm giving them five hundred bucks and it's just sitting there for twelve months, accumulating NO interest or anything - it's a penalty, not a deposit. This is especially true to this case, where I'm paying for a monthly service. If I don't pay, shut the service off. It's a different story if I just walked into a bank with no credit history and wanting to borrow forty grand.

Anyways, I got it touch with a high level AT&T manager over the phone, and it took several weeks to get my deposit fee waived, with several well-drafted emails to several different higher ups in the company. I just got my refund a few days ago, since I ponied up and paid the deposit fee at the iPhone launch, very much anticipating on fighting to the last breath in getting the money back - which I did.

I wish we could all go back to the 1870's where a man carried his hard days work in a quantity of gold on his person.


Hi *******,

This email is in reference to our discussion over the phone, which pertained to the $500 deposit fee as a result of a soft credit check. I was able to obtain the "Credit Check Reference Number" from the ****** chain as requested, and have included any supplemental information you may need, below.

Requestor's Name: *************
Reference Number: *************

As for the justification required for such a waiver: as stated, I can provide you with a business which deducts funds on a monthly basis from an account of mine (non-credit). Additional, any income or employment verifications are specifics that I would gladly assist you with.

Please excuse my apprehensiveness with regards to the fee; that said, I'm sure our conversation on the phone was sufficient enough for you to grasp my views on the aforementioned "Deposit Fee." Your time and patience is appreciated. Feel free to call me if you need any additional details or wish to discuss the situation further. My cell phone number is *****.

Thanks again,


Hi ***********:

This letter is written to you in the capacity that you’re the store manager for the *********** branch. First and foremost, I would like to thank you for your assistance over the phone with regards to the credit-check aspect of my situation. You were very helpful, more so than other than reps elsewhere, and I’m appreciative.

The dilemma that I have is concerning availability: for my situation, I was present at the “iPhone-preorder” day, but I lost any reservation for a phone that may have taken place due to the credit-check issues that had arisen that day, albeit the fact that I was ready to purchase. My other option was to wait in line, early morning, at the store – which I don’t mind doing. I still plan on waiting, but have since heard through word-of-mouth that the Apple Store, being the subordinate retail store of the Apple Corp., will be receiving a larger quantity of stock that is allocated to “walk-in” customers (hundreds), as opposed to AT&T stores and other electronics-related chains. Therefore, it would make more sense to wait at the Apple Store in ***********.

After speaking with a rep from the Apple Store, however, it was made clear to me that their credit-check system is purely automated, and any subsequent credit-checks in addition to (***********) the existing will simply generate an addition report from one of the credit agencies, which will contain the previous deposit fee of $500.00. They would not be able to refer to my credit-check reference number, of where the $150 corrected fee is reflected. Now, I would have no problems paying the $500 fee on the iPhone launch day at the Apple Store, and heading to an AT&T store several days later for a partial-refund, but I was told this is NOT possible. Mr. ***********, the area manager, was extremely helpful in getting the fee waived to facilitate my problem.

My question is this: would it be feasible for your store to perhaps set aside one phone from the available “walk-in” stock? As stated, I have no problems getting at the store early – whether it be 4AM or 5AM; I would just like to be certain that I’ll be successful in acquiring one, since my Verizon plan will be null by this date. If this is plausible, I would be able to move forward in line as if I had a pre-order, with no situation to arise. The “run-around” has been quite exhausting.

As you know, my circumstances have been a bit of a debacle, so anything you can do to assist would be quite welcoming. My cell phone number is: ***********.

Thank you for your time and assistance,
 
The Bronx Bull said:
I was able to get the $500 deposit fee waived. That said, it may not be as easy for others to do so.

You see, I'm a traditional guy (but 21 years of age). I've worked a job since I was sixteen, moving my way up through a few jobs and have been able to manage my finances quite responsibly, without having to borrow money. This is why I have problems with today's world, where the folks who are able to save/invest their cash money are penalized for not borrowing or financing their purchases. Bad credit is one thing; the lack of need for credit is another.

While at AT&T, the manager of the store kept asking me "Any student loans?" "No, I paid cash." "Any car loans?" "No, I paid cash." So the girl that walks in right after me, with probably thirty thousand in student debt has no deposit fee, responsible me, I'm stuck with a $500 deposit. My problem with that is this: I'm giving them five hundred bucks and it's just sitting there for twelve months, accumulating NO interest or anything - it's a penalty, not a deposit. This is especially true to this case, where I'm paying for a monthly service. If I don't pay, shut the service off. It's a different story if I just walked into a bank with no credit history and wanting to borrow forty grand.

Anyways, I got it touch with a high level AT&T manager over the phone, and it took several weeks to get my deposit fee waived, with several well-drafted emails to several different higher ups in the company. I just got my refund a few days ago, since I ponied up and paid the deposit fee at the iPhone launch, very much anticipating on fighting to the last breath in getting the money back - which I did.

I wish we could all go back to the 1870's where a man carried his hard days work in a quantity of gold on his person.


Hi *******,

This email is in reference to our discussion over the phone, which pertained to the $500 deposit fee as a result of a soft credit check. I was able to obtain the "Credit Check Reference Number" from the ****** chain as requested, and have included any supplemental information you may need, below.

Requestor's Name: *************
Reference Number: *************

As for the justification required for such a waiver: as stated, I can provide you with a business which deducts funds on a monthly basis from an account of mine (non-credit). Additional, any income or employment verifications are specifics that I would gladly assist you with.

Please excuse my apprehensiveness with regards to the fee; that said, I'm sure our conversation on the phone was sufficient enough for you to grasp my views on the aforementioned "Deposit Fee." Your time and patience is appreciated. Feel free to call me if you need any additional details or wish to discuss the situation further. My cell phone number is *****.

Thanks again,


Hi ***********:

This letter is written to you in the capacity that you’re the store manager for the *********** branch. First and foremost, I would like to thank you for your assistance over the phone with regards to the credit-check aspect of my situation. You were very helpful, more so than other than reps elsewhere, and I’m appreciative.

The dilemma that I have is concerning availability: for my situation, I was present at the “iPhone-preorder” day, but I lost any reservation for a phone that may have taken place due to the credit-check issues that had arisen that day, albeit the fact that I was ready to purchase. My other option was to wait in line, early morning, at the store – which I don’t mind doing. I still plan on waiting, but have since heard through word-of-mouth that the Apple Store, being the subordinate retail store of the Apple Corp., will be receiving a larger quantity of stock that is allocated to “walk-in” customers (hundreds), as opposed to AT&T stores and other electronics-related chains. Therefore, it would make more sense to wait at the Apple Store in ***********.

After speaking with a rep from the Apple Store, however, it was made clear to me that their credit-check system is purely automated, and any subsequent credit-checks in addition to (***********) the existing will simply generate an addition report from one of the credit agencies, which will contain the previous deposit fee of $500.00. They would not be able to refer to my credit-check reference number, of where the $150 corrected fee is reflected. Now, I would have no problems paying the $500 fee on the iPhone launch day at the Apple Store, and heading to an AT&T store several days later for a partial-refund, but I was told this is NOT possible. Mr. ***********, the area manager, was extremely helpful in getting the fee waived to facilitate my problem.

My question is this: would it be feasible for your store to perhaps set aside one phone from the available “walk-in” stock? As stated, I have no problems getting at the store early – whether it be 4AM or 5AM; I would just like to be certain that I’ll be successful in acquiring one, since my Verizon plan will be null by this date. If this is plausible, I would be able to move forward in line as if I had a pre-order, with no situation to arise. The “run-around” has been quite exhausting.

As you know, my circumstances have been a bit of a debacle, so anything you can do to assist would be quite welcoming. My cell phone number is: ***********.

Thank you for your time and assistance,
Click to expand...

you don't have to be irresonsible to have credit or financing, it's easy to get a credit card and just spend $20 a month on it and then pay it off before interest is accrued and it will increase your credit, it just has to be semi active and have more then minimum paid each month and on or before the due date and your credit will go up with time...

To the OP: if you have a friend already on AT&T have them make a family plan and add a line for you, do that and split the bill and it will be cheaper for both of you for service
 
I've found that the ATT corporate store near me is quite efficient and the staff are very personable (I know, odd).
 
What's with all the hassle? I walked into Best Buy earlier this week, paid with my debit card and walked out with an iPhone in less than 20 minutes.
 
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