Your iPhone doesn't belong to you.

[TheSpaz]

I just noticed... if you bought an iPhone 3G... it's not your iPhone at all... it's AT&T's iPhone. If you cancel your service, you HAVE to give the Phone back... that's like canceling your Cable TV and giving your TV back. What the heck, I thought that if I bought an iPhone, it's mine... guess not.... I'm just borrowing it for 2 years.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Only within the first 30 days; after that you can keep it.

And that's a pile of illegal crap, in my opinion, anyway.

 

[jcde7ago]

I just noticed... if you bought an iPhone 3G... it's not your iPhone at all... it's AT&T's iPhone. If you cancel your service, you HAVE to give the Phone back... that's like canceling your Cable TV and giving your TV back. What the heck, I thought that if I bought an iPhone, it's mine... guess not.... I'm just borrowing it for 2 years.

This is only if you cancel your service within 30 days. After 30 days, if you cancel, you get hit with an ETF, but you can keep your phone.

 

[milani]

I just noticed... if you bought an iPhone 3G... it's not your iPhone at all... it's AT&T's iPhone. If you cancel your service, you HAVE to give the Phone back... that's like canceling your Cable TV and giving your TV back. What the heck, I thought that if I bought an iPhone, it's mine... guess not.... I'm just borrowing it for 2 years.

It would only be like the cable company taking your TV if they subsidized the cost of the TV with the cable subscription. Don't forget that you pay a fraction of the actual cost of the iPhone, and your cellular provider (AT&T, Rogers, whatever) eats the rest of the cost.

 

[benflick]

It would only be like the cable company taking your TV if they subsidized the cost of the TV with the cable subscription. Don't forget that you pay a fraction of the actual cost of the iPhone, and your cellular provider (AT&T, Rogers, whatever) eats the rest of the cost.

Perfect explaination...

 

[slidetounlock]

I may be new here but the OP posts more useless threads here than anyone! This has been covered, and covered and covered...

 

[milani]

Perfect explaination...

Grazie! (And that's thank you in Italian, by the way.)

 

[benflick]

I may be new here but the OP posts more useless threads here than anyone! This has been covered, and covered and covered...

Fixed

Well you are new here, and while the thread may be useless to you, I think it was very neat

 

[superstrikertwo]

This is only if you cancel your service within 30 days. After 30 days, if you cancel, you get hit with an ETF, but you can keep your phone.

Unless you're in California then they can't charge an ETF it's illegal.

 

[CocoaPuffs]

Unless you're in California then they can't charge an ETF it's illegal.

Please cite your source, I doubt this is true.

 

[Manzana]

Unless you're in California then they can't charge an ETF it's illegal.

Yes, I would be interested in confirmation of this statement as well.

 

[SFStateStudent]

If they can pry it from my cold dead fingers (aka: death-grip), then they can have it...

 

[bradl]

Yes, I would be interested in confirmation of this statement as well.

IIRC, there was just a judgment in a lawsuit in California regarding ETFs. The cell phone companies/wireless companies lost (I want to say they were Verizon and Sprint). there's a huge thread in this forum somewhere on it, and it was within the past 2 months.

It's on /. as well.

BL.

 

[deannnnn]

Unless you're in California then they can't charge an ETF it's illegal.

I don't think that has passed yet...
If you cancel your contract today in California, you'd still be forced to pay the fee.

 

[CocoaPuffs]

This law cannot possibly be in effect. If it is, price of iPhones on EBay would be much lower.

 

[bradl]

It isn't a law, it was a lawsuit.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/533458/

So there's a precedent set. Defendant was Sprint.

BL.

 

[CocoaPuffs]

It isn't a law, it was a lawsuit.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/533458/

So there's a precedent set. Defendant was Sprint.

BL.

Yes, we're aware of that lawsuit. Poster gave the impression that subsequent legal actions took place, which was unlikely.

 

[bradl]

Yes, we're aware of that lawsuit. Poster gave the impression that subsequent legal actions took place, which was unlikely.

Ahh.. I see now. I'm not aware of any existing laws that have made that illegal.. however, There was talk on /. about there being hearings on ETFs in Congress...

http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/31/176251

BL.

 

[TheSpaz]

Sorry guys.. this is the first time I've heard of having to give your iPhone back if you cancel your subscription... I didn't realize it was just the first 30 days. My bad.

 

[deimos256]

As far as giving the phone back, I understand that an ETF fee is basically the other half of the price of the phone, thats why they charge it, just to eat up thier end of the phone.

As for California i think the lawsuits are ongoing, I know i got a letter in the mail from a law firm regarding getting back the 2 ETFs I have paid to VZW, and I dont even live in CA

 

[neesh0]

I think it's fair, if you decide to cancel your contract in 30 days they should take it back because that means that they subsidized the price for you for no apparent reason

 

[Clete2]

I think it's fair, if you decide to cancel your contract in 30 days they should take it back because that means that they subsidized the price for you for no apparent reason

It certainly is fair -- within 30 days. I don't think anyone would argue that (well some would).

I take that back: It is fair with the current standards of the industry.

 

[madfresh]

I'd like to see them rip it out of my hands first.

 

[Warbrain]

Sorry guys.. this is the first time I've heard of having to give your iPhone back if you cancel your subscription... I didn't realize it was just the first 30 days. My bad.

It's this way with ANY phone you purchase with a new contract.

 

[iphonecode]

This law cannot possibly be in effect.