Basically, my old man has a Cingular family plan dealie, and iv'e currently got a RAZR. I want to get an iPhone. I plan to camp out for one. My father will not be joining my camping adventure. Will I be able to purchase the iPhone and take it home for him to activate or whatever? Or will they require all that to be done right there in the store? My credit is pretty bad so I don't think I can sign up on my own?
Buying an iPhone - sign up contract on the spot?
- Thread starter Sonikku
- Start date
If your father is the decision maker on the account, then he'll have to be there for you to purchase the phone. If you buy from an At&t/Cingular store, they'll want to activate it on the spot and they won't do that without your father there. And according to Attingular's post on buying details, you'll have to add the data and voice plan for two more years which you won't be able to do without your dad.
Your best bet might be for dad to order it for you online and then activate it when it arrives over the phone which is the way all online purchases and upgrades are done.
I'm just worried that online will get hammered to hell and I'll miss out on it...I figured camping out would be the better bet, because I'm crazy enough to request time off from work and camp out as long as needed.
Most of the time no matter who the service provider is you must sign up for the service while you are in the store in order to get the cheaper price. Basicaly if you don't you will be paying for the phone out right ( which will probably be equal to purchasing the phone with the plan). By doing it the way you want to you and your father will most likely be dishing out more money than you have to.
I would suggest making him camp out with you in order to save $$$$$$$$$!
I would suggest making him camp out with you in order to save $$$$$$$$$!
Well you're wasting your time camping out unless you can get your dad there with you. They won't let you add any contract extensions without him there.
now remember, the iPhone commercials say "USE" requires a 2 year contract and activation.
my small but hopeful guess is that you may be able to buy the iPhone and come in at a later date to sign up for the 2 year contract/activation thing
but thats just my speculation
my small but hopeful guess is that you may be able to buy the iPhone and come in at a later date to sign up for the 2 year contract/activation thing
but thats just my speculation
Not from an At&t store. They'll want you to activate it on the spot. I don't think they get credit unless they do the activation in house. When you get service online, the online OLAM gets the credit for the activations. The store manager will want the credits for the few iPhones he gets in stock and if he let them go without the activation, then he wouldn't get credit.now remember, the iPhone commercials say "USE" requires a 2 year contract and activation.
my small but hopeful guess is that you may be able to buy the iPhone and come in at a later date to sign up for the 2 year contract/activation thing
but thats just my speculation
With the Apple store it might be different, but At&t/Cingular stores will want the activation done right there and right then.
Hah, that's exactly what I'm gonna be doing... I only hope the people in line behind me don't think i'm pulling some tomfoolery by having him take my place. I plan on being the first one there, which means everyone behind you has their eyes on ya... I'm 18, a little time off of work before college, and plan on sitting however long it takes. Anyone wanna recommend me a good book? Hahaha.
Man, I just realized how nerdy it is to wait overnight for something like this. At least it won't be 18º outside like it was for the Wii launch, 12 hours overnight in that weather'll destroy you.
They may not allow people to hold spots for others. It just depends on the rules they post for the line.Hah, that's exactly what I'm gonna be doing... I only hope the people in line behind me don't think i'm pulling some tomfoolery by having him take my place. I plan on being the first one there, which means everyone behind you has their eyes on ya... I'm 18, a little time off of work before college, and plan on sitting however long it takes. Anyone wanna recommend me a good book? Hahaha.
Man, I just realized how nerdy it is to wait overnight for something like this. At least it won't be 18º outside like it was for the Wii launch, 12 hours overnight in that weather'll destroy you.
I have almost the same problem. I went in to get a Blackjack back in December (before I knew the great details of the iPhone) and they said that because my mother was the primary account holder that I could not sign an extension or upgrade my phone. The sales rep then said that if I knew the last 4 of her social security number that I would be able to get access to the account and then could designate myself as a co-account holder. 5 minutes later I was walking out the door with the Blackjack in hand. Go to your local AT&T and do the exact same so your father doesn't have to worry about camping out.
I don't know that all stores will do this. It's definitely not the way it is supposed to be done.
Well I guess I should add that my mom was on the phone with the sales rep (who we had worked with numerous times before), but I would just recommend going up there with your father.
Then that makes sense. I was going to say if someone added my kids to my account without asking me first, I would be calling everybody at Cingular/At&t. The kids aren't on the hook for the bill. The primary account holder is on the hook.
Yeah, to be legal, at minimum you actually have to get the account holder on the phone, confirm the social from them and get verbal approval to extend the contract.
if you explain nicely what you're doing they will probably be kind to youHah, that's exactly what I'm gonna be doing... I only hope the people in line behind me don't think i'm pulling some tomfoolery by having him take my place. I plan on being the first one there, which means everyone behind you has their eyes on ya... I'm 18, a little time off of work before college, and plan on sitting however long it takes. Anyone wanna recommend me a good book? Hahaha.
Man, I just realized how nerdy it is to wait overnight for something like this. At least it won't be 18º outside like it was for the Wii launch, 12 hours overnight in that weather'll destroy you.
I definitely think that it would cut down dramatically on the people that just buy the iPhone with the intentions of reselling it at a higher price. I know that I need to sign a new 2 year contract but for some others that really want the iPhone and can't sign a new contract, I really hope AT&T is able to work something out.
That's a very good point marksman. I hadn't even thought of that. It sounds like it came right from the Apple braintrust.