here's my plan: to avoid 2-year contract

[chenyichung]

hey guys,

ok, here's my plan.
a lot has to do with what i discovered here:
http://www.gearlog.com/2007/06/ipho..._if_you_swi.php

obviously we all know now that all the iPhone features work except for the actual phone features as long as you activate it through iTunes.

this also based on the fact that i don't think cingular can charge you anything extra if you activate and cancel the next day.

this is also based on my theory that the iPhone phone features will only work with the SIM card that it was activated with

ok, so here's my plan:

1) i've already got my 8GB iPhone, so i'm just gonna plug it into my iMac and activate it by signing up with a brand new number/plan/contract. This will ACTIVATE my iPhone for good, meaning my iPhone is now activated forever no matter what happens.

2) i will then cancel everything the very next day so that i don't get charged the $175 cancellation fee. I'll also get my activation fee ($35) back since it's within 3 days. So all i'll pay for is the 1 day that i had the new number/plan/contract. but now my iPhone is activated

3) now i'll take the SIM card that was in the iPhone when i activated it to a cingular store. tell the store that i lost my current phone's (moto RIZR) SIM card, and have them put my plan on the iPhone SIM card.

4) then hopefully my plan will be linked with the SIM card that was in the iPhone when i activated it. and everything will work

what do you guys think?!?!

i'm just tryin' ta get out of signing a 2 year contract.
cause' i like the plan and price i'm paying now, month to month, no contract

 

[hunt577]

hey guys,

ok, here's my plan.
a lot has to do with what i discovered here:
http://www.gearlog.com/2007/06/ipho..._if_you_swi.php

obviously we all know now that all the iPhone features work except for the actual phone features as long as you activate it through iTunes.

this also based on the fact that i don't think cingular can charge you anything extra if you activate and cancel the next day.

this is also based on my theory that the iPhone phone features will only work with the SIM card that it was activated with

ok, so here's my plan:

1) i've already got my 8GB iPhone, so i'm just gonna plug it into my iMac and activate it by signing up with a brand new number/plan/contract. This will ACTIVATE my iPhone for good, meaning my iPhone is now activated forever no matter what happens.

2) i will then cancel everything the very next day so that i don't get charged the $175 cancellation fee. I'll also get my activation fee ($35) back since it's within 3 days. So all i'll pay for is the 1 day that i had the new number/plan/contract. but now my iPhone is activated

3) now i'll take the SIM card that was in the iPhone when i activated it to a cingular store. tell the store that i lost my current phone's (moto RIZR) SIM card, and have them put my plan on the iPhone SIM card.

4) then hopefully my plan will be linked with the SIM card that was in the iPhone when i activated it. and everything will work

what do you guys think?!?!

i'm just tryin' ta get out of signing a 2 year contract.
cause' i like the plan and price i'm paying now, month to month, no contract

I don't think your plan is going to work. What your trying to do is cheat the system, and I don't think it's right. Everyone else here getting an iPhone is required to sign a 2 year contract, why should you be an exception to the rule?

 

[Zak Forsman]

i say go for it.

 

[Sobe]

Odds are that you won't be able to use your iPhone without the iPhone data plan. By having them attempt to put a razr's plan on your iPhone SIM, your most likely going to run yourself into a dead-end.. But good luck, lol!

 

[soloudinhere]

Fatal flaw with your plan:

If you cancel in the first three days, AT&T's terms of service state that you're required to surrender any equipment you purchased with the contract. If you refuse, they will bill you a minimum of $175 for the early termination. If you cancel in the first 30 days you still may be required to surrender the equipment.

Pretty much the only way to keep the phone is to pay the ETF.

 

[chenyichung]

There’s a fatal flaw in your criticism of my plan. Please, everyone read the terms:
http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/articles-resources/iphone-terms.jsp

Do any of you see in there that the equipment MUST be returned?
It only says you have to return it within 14 days to get 90% of your money back.

I mean it actually says if you cancel between 14 to 30 days, YOU CAN’T RETURN THE PHONE for a refund.

Also, how the heck is cingular gonna know I didn’t return the phone to the Apple store?
I’ve paid full $599 retail price for the phone, I didn’t get a rebate of any kind, so they can’t tell to do anything with my iPhone.

Please, I’m serious about trying this plan, since I don’t think anyone has tried it yet.
And seriously, please someone let me know if there’s a serious flaw in the plan.

I’m also 100% sure the iPhone will only work with whatever SIM was in the phone when it was activated.

Does anyone know if SIM cards can be used again even after service was cancelled on them?

 

[Twinnie]

I'm not sure if they'd let you use the iPhone sim card. When I've been in they get a blank sim card from under the counter and write to it.

 

[Bender]

Sounds like a good plan to me.

As far as I know, a SIM card is a SIM card. I can take my SIM card and transfer from one phone to another without any problem. I don't know if the iPhone has a special SIM card. Maybe that is a question for AT & T to answer.

Give it a try and let us know what happens.

 

[david803sc]

Once you activate a Sim card on one account it cannot be activated on a differetn account, The part of the SIM that holds the account data can only be written once it will not physicall allow the account information to be over written, this is why sometimes when a problem occurs during activation they have to swap out the SIM card and try again.

David

 

[chenyichung]

Not harm in trying right guys?
I mean most I’ll pay is for the one day of service, heck I can keep it activated for 2 days if I wanted to right?
Cause’ as long as I cancel before 3 days, I’ll get my activation fee back, and not have to pay the $175 cancellation fee.
Also, worse come to worse, I’ll have a very expensive iPod video with cover flow and wifi, hehe.

I’m gonna call cingular to ask if I can use an existing SIM card I have that has “3G” printed on it that use to have service on it, but doesn’t have it anymore. If they say they can transfer my current plan onto my iPhone SIM card, I think this might just work. Of course they won’t know it’s an iPhone SIM card. The iPhone SIM card looks just like my friend’s blackberry SIM card, so…

 

[Marksman]

Sounds like a good plan to me.

As far as I know, a SIM card is a SIM card. I can take my SIM card and transfer from one phone to another without any problem. I don't know if the iPhone has a special SIM card. Maybe that is a question for AT & T to answer.

Give it a try and let us know what happens.

Other AT&T Sim cards do not work in the iPhone. This is known. This is why the original poster is jumping through all kinds of ridiculous hoops to avoid a potential cancellation fee that is likely never to even be an issue.

If only had the ability to time waste on such trivial matters. What a joy life would be.

 

[ColsTiger]

You can give it a shot, but I don't think it will work.

 

[Lheaxhuns]

hey guys,

ok, here's my plan.
a lot has to do with what i discovered here:
http://www.gearlog.com/2007/06/ipho..._if_you_swi.php

obviously we all know now that all the iPhone features work except for the actual phone features as long as you activate it through iTunes.

this also based on the fact that i don't think cingular can charge you anything extra if you activate and cancel the next day.

this is also based on my theory that the iPhone phone features will only work with the SIM card that it was activated with

ok, so here's my plan:

1) i've already got my 8GB iPhone, so i'm just gonna plug it into my iMac and activate it by signing up with a brand new number/plan/contract. This will ACTIVATE my iPhone for good, meaning my iPhone is now activated forever no matter what happens.

2) i will then cancel everything the very next day so that i don't get charged the $175 cancellation fee. I'll also get my activation fee ($35) back since it's within 3 days. So all i'll pay for is the 1 day that i had the new number/plan/contract. but now my iPhone is activated

3) now i'll take the SIM card that was in the iPhone when i activated it to a cingular store. tell the store that i lost my current phone's (moto RIZR) SIM card, and have them put my plan on the iPhone SIM card.

4) then hopefully my plan will be linked with the SIM card that was in the iPhone when i activated it. and everything will work

what do you guys think?!?!

i'm just tryin' ta get out of signing a 2 year contract.
cause' i like the plan and price i'm paying now, month to month, no contract

If you're buying an iPhone you're going to have it, hopefully, for at least a year and probably a few. I don't see the big deal with signing the 2 year contract.

 

[wjp09]

you need the iPhone data plan so I'm not sure it would work . But go ahead and try it

 

[chenyichung]

Well, I have two reasons.
I’m on a family plan with my girlfriend’s family right now.
I’m paying $0 a month cause’ it only cost them $9.99 more a month to add me to their plan, and they said don’t worry about it.

Other reason is because my company might send me to our division in China, so….

I just don’t wanna be tied down, also don’t want to add the extra $20 iPhone data plan, cause’ they’re already paying for my service.

 

[iJohn]

Not going to work.

You still need iPhone specific data plan.

Besides the face, that it is cheating the system and probably has already been thought about by ATT.

 

[chenyichung]

alright well, i'll let you guys know
i've confirmed that if i cancel the plan within 3 days, i'll receive my $36 activation fee back, and also not have to pay the $175 early cancellation fee. Also, i DO NOT have to return the phone.

 

[chenyichung]

Thanks for all the great info.
Just wondering, can you try one of your other 3G SIM cards in your iPhone?
I’m pretty sure it’s gonna say incorrect SIM

Also, you know how your friend gave you a new iPhone SIM card, can you ask if the original iPhone SIM card is useless now, or if you can still use it.

Basically, I want to know if you can use a SIM card that has had service on it already.
Like can I transfer my current plan and number onto the SIM card that was in my iPhone when I activated it?

 

[beley]

Well, I have two reasons.
I’m on a family plan with my girlfriend’s family right now.
I’m paying $0 a month cause’ it only cost them $9.99 more a month to add me to their plan, and they said don’t worry about it.

Other reason is because my company might send me to our division in China, so….

I just don’t wanna be tied down, also don’t want to add the extra $20 iPhone data plan, cause’ they’re already paying for my service.

Get an iPhone and stick to the contract or get a freakin Razr or Crackberry.

I got two iPhones and just added the $20/mo. data plans to our family plan. Worked like a charm, and I don't plan on going anywhere (since I've got $1200 invested in equipment) so I'm happy.

I understand you don't want to have to sign a 2-year agreement, but get over it. If you really need out, you could always get out of your agreement using something like this

 

[kneshoba]

it is not going to work, just talked to a Cingular customer service rep in person once another sim card is installed in the iPhone the Cingular servers will reconize that it is an iPhone and automatically sign you up for the 2 year term this is straight from a manager look into it.