Ask a AT&T Rep!

ericUT

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This is what passes for "clarification" at AT&T. Imagine what they might do with the money that it takes to train reps to "clarify."

They cannot possibly wonder why their customers are frustrated and stay only for the iPhone.

In their defense, I did hear a report that it is now possible to complete a voice call in San Francisco. The report was silent on data.

To play devil's advocate, AT&T as it is right now is built from the remains of several telecommunications companies they've acquired over many many years. Each of these acquisitions brought it's own set of challenges. Existing union contracts, CEO and Executive transfers, equipment rights and management, current customer contract transfers, FCC regulations on bandwidth and spectrum allocations all add to a really confusing system. They've been making decent strides in recent months to try and make everything so cohesive, but some of these contracts and agreements are still carried over from acquisition. If you think it's confusing for you as a consumer, try being put on the spot every day for perceived inadequacies in your company that you and hundreds or thousands of people are aware of but not being able to do anything about it because of all of the red tape and regulations we have to follow. Most people at AT&T are completely aware that we don't have the most simple to understand system for consumers, but in most cases we have no choice because of the previously mentioned FCC and Union agreements as well as hundreds of state and local laws we must abide by. In my own area we have workers still on union contracts from PacBell, BellSouth, Dobson, and a host of other swallowed up telecom companies. It gets confusing for us too, trust me.
 

whmurray

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To play devil's advocate, AT&T as it is right now is built from the remains of several telecommunications companies they've acquired over many many years. Each of these acquisitions brought it's own set of challenges. Existing union contracts, CEO and Executive transfers, equipment rights and management, current customer contract transfers, FCC regulations on bandwidth and spectrum allocations all add to a really confusing system. They've been making decent strides in recent months to try and make everything so cohesive, but some of these contracts and agreements are still carried over from acquisition. If you think it's confusing for you as a consumer, try being put on the spot every day for perceived inadequacies in your company that you and hundreds or thousands of people are aware of but not being able to do anything about it because of all of the red tape and regulations we have to follow. Most people at AT&T are completely aware that we don't have the most simple to understand system for consumers, but in most cases we have no choice because of the previously mentioned FCC and Union agreements as well as hundreds of state and local laws we must abide by. In my own area we have workers still on union contracts from PacBell, BellSouth, Dobson, and a host of other swallowed up telecom companies. It gets confusing for us too, trust me.
I understand all too well how AT&T got where it is. I was here when a 300 baud modem was the standard. However, this should not be the customer's problem.

AT&T's uses business practices to transfer the burden of this legacy to the customer. Instead of having the most flexible business practices in the industry, they have the most rigid. When one talks to one's T-Mo rep, one is talking to someone with motivation, power, and discretion to make things right. Verizon's or T-Mo's legacy is no less torturous than AT&T's. They just deal with it differently. That is why there is such a measurable difference in customer satisfaction, loyalty, and churn.

If AT&T does not manage to turn iPhone customers into loyal customers before they have a choice of carriers, they will have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

(One has to use all three measures to see the difference because AT&T really serves two markets, iPhone and everyone else. iPhone customer's have low churn and low sat. Everyone else just has high churn.)
 

stixbc

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Also I realized that you might have been talking about if he wanted to activate in SF while you are in SD. In order to add a line, AT&T must talk to the account holder directly, no substitutions. Route #1 would be to go to your local store, activate an iPhone with a temporary number, ship the phone to him, then call 611 on a conference call with him to complete the porting process. Route #2 would be to order the iPhone from customer service and ask if they can send it to his address and have them set up a temporary number on it, then once it arrives, call back later on a conference call to port his number. The temporary number is only necessary if he wants to maintain his number while waiting for the phone to arrive.

There will be no way for him to go into a store and activate a line under your account.

Going the temporary number route is going to be faster than transferring liability from his name into your name after the activation due to the length of time it takes and all the paperwork involved, it would be a big mess that way.

When you do call in to set up the number port, make sure he has a copy of his bill.

Thanks for taking the time to respond - I appreciate it!
I understand that my brother cannot go into a store and activate under my account.
Luckily he'll be in town next week so we'll both go to an ATT store and see what they say. Stay tuned.....
 

ericUT

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Thanks for taking the time to respond - I appreciate it!
I understand that my brother cannot go into a store and activate under my account.
Luckily he'll be in town next week so we'll both go to an ATT store and see what they say. Stay tuned.....

Good luck, tell him to enjoy it.
 

stixbc

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Well unfortunately, ATT wouldnt let my brother keep his SoCal number and add him to my family talk plan which is based in NorCal.. My brother wound up getting the 3GS anyway and getting a new NorCal number so he could be added to my plan. They said that California is broken up into two regions billing wise, etc, etc. Oh well. But regardless he's really happy he got his new toy.
 

pmsst20

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I looked into this forum. You mentioned that a customer can upgrade within 30 days before the actual upgrade date at a ATT store. I went into one of them - they will not upgrade me. Could I call ATT Premier and ask for override to obtain a iPhone 3GS at 2 year pricing? I'm eligible on 12/24/09.
 

ericUT

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I looked into this forum. You mentioned that a customer can upgrade within 30 days before the actual upgrade date at a ATT store. I went into one of them - they will not upgrade me. Could I call ATT Premier and ask for override to obtain a iPhone 3GS at 2 year pricing? I'm eligible on 12/24/09.

Our market is still running this promotion. It can only be done after getting an exception form signed by our sales director. Your market may not be running this promotion or may only offer it to new iPhone customers. My suggestion? Go to another store or another rep and ask again. That seems silly.
 

turak_de

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Hi, I just relocated from Munich, Germany to San Francisco, so as you can guess I am quite a greenhorn when it comes to provider and plans for my iPhone

I have here a iPhone3GS factory unlocked (bought for a lot of money in Italy) , in germany i used it with a prepaid-card, including a phone flat for 20 eur/month, with 1GB of data for 10 eur/month (i know pretty awesome price).

I was considering signing up for AT&T, the company I work for give a 10$ discount for the Nation450+Data, but I actually wouldnt need aother iPhone.

So my question is: 1. Can I get the Nation450+Data plan without buying a new iPhone and 2. when a new iPhone comes out, lets say next year, can I then say I would like to buy the new one (cause I didnt buy one before and still pay the same monthly price as all the other that got one)...I hope you get what i mean, right now another 3GS wouldnt make so much sense for me, unless a new model comes out?

thanks in advance
 

turak_de

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Relocated from Germany with iPhone3GS (factory unlocked) AT&T plan without a phone?

Hi, I just relocated from Munich, Germany to San Francisco, so as you can guess I am quite a greenhorn when it comes to provider and plans for my iPhone

I have here a iPhone3GS factory unlocked (bought for a lot of money in Italy) , in germany i used it with a prepaid-card, including a phone flat for 20 eur/month, with 1GB of data for 10 eur/month (i know pretty awesome price).

I was considering signing up for AT&T, the company I work for give a 10$ discount for the Nation450+Data, but I actually wouldnt need aother iPhone.

So my question is: 1. Can I get the Nation450+Data plan without buying a new iPhone and 2. when a new iPhone comes out, lets say next year, can I then say I would like to buy the new one (cause I didnt buy one before and still pay the same monthly price as all the other that got one)...I hope you get what i mean, right now another 3GS wouldnt make so much sense for me, unless a new model comes out?

thanks in advance
 

whmurray

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Hi, I just relocated from Munich, Germany to San Francisco, so as you can guess I am quite a greenhorn when it comes to provider and plans for my iPhone

I have here a iPhone3GS factory unlocked (bought for a lot of money in Italy) , in germany i used it with a prepaid-card, including a phone flat for 20 eur/month, with 1GB of data for 10 eur/month (i know pretty awesome price).

I was considering signing up for AT&T, the company I work for give a 10$ discount for the Nation450+Data, but I actually wouldnt need aother iPhone.

So my question is: 1. Can I get the Nation450+Data plan without buying a new iPhone and 2. when a new iPhone comes out, lets say next year, can I then say I would like to buy the new one (cause I didnt buy one before and still pay the same monthly price as all the other that got one)...I hope you get what i mean, right now another 3GS wouldnt make so much sense for me, unless a new model comes out?

thanks in advance
It is hard to conceive that anyone with a choice and who has read this thread would choose AT&T in San Francisco.
 

JohnnyLivagi

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First time poster, and never have had AT&T before, so please be kind!

I'm out of contract right now on Verizon, going month to month. I'd like to switch to an iPhone, but I like the idea of not being locked into a contract. My cousin has a 3G that is inactive. (He cancelled his account when his contract ran out) I have a few questions:
1- Could I take this to an AT&T or Apple store and have it activated without getting signing a two year deal? (I may not be opposed to one year)
2- Would it be a new account or would I simply be re-activating his phone?
3- Would I be stuck with his old number or a brand new number? Could I port my number from Verizon?
4- Any other advice/tips/tricks for this situation?

Thanks in advance!
 

ericUT

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Hi, I just relocated from Munich, Germany to San Francisco, so as you can guess I am quite a greenhorn when it comes to provider and plans for my iPhone

I have here a iPhone3GS factory unlocked (bought for a lot of money in Italy) , in germany i used it with a prepaid-card, including a phone flat for 20 eur/month, with 1GB of data for 10 eur/month (i know pretty awesome price).

I was considering signing up for AT&T, the company I work for give a 10$ discount for the Nation450+Data, but I actually wouldnt need aother iPhone.

So my question is: 1. Can I get the Nation450+Data plan without buying a new iPhone and 2. when a new iPhone comes out, lets say next year, can I then say I would like to buy the new one (cause I didnt buy one before and still pay the same monthly price as all the other that got one)...I hope you get what i mean, right now another 3GS wouldnt make so much sense for me, unless a new model comes out?

thanks in advance

Yes you can. You won't be under contract either because you would be bringing your won device to the table. You will also be elligible to recieve the lowest price on the new iPhone when it comes in July since you have not received a subsidy from AT&T yet. Be aware that doing this will put you in a contract (which can be cancelled without the ETF if you're movign out of country)
 

ericUT

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First time poster, and never have had AT&T before, so please be kind!

I'm out of contract right now on Verizon, going month to month. I'd like to switch to an iPhone, but I like the idea of not being locked into a contract. My cousin has a 3G that is inactive. (He cancelled his account when his contract ran out) I have a few questions:
1- Could I take this to an AT&T or Apple store and have it activated without getting signing a two year deal? (I may not be opposed to one year)
2- Would it be a new account or would I simply be re-activating his phone?
3- Would I be stuck with his old number or a brand new number? Could I port my number from Verizon?
4- Any other advice/tips/tricks for this situation?

Thanks in advance!

It's important to note that equipment is not at all tied to an account once the accounts been cancelled.

1. Yes
2. New account. All you're doing is bringing his old equipment
3. Either a brand new number or you can port yours from Verizon at any time.
4. Don't do it at an Apple store. They have a tendency to mistakenly put contracts on whent hey don't need to be. Go to a certified corporate owned ATT store. Be sure to stress many times that you don't want a contract and then have them print off your CSS (Customer Service Summary) before you leave to make sure there is no mention of a contract. Do not sign anything on the signature capture device until you read it. (I only stress this because it IS possible to make a mistake and put a contract on the line unnecessarily out of habit). Corporate owned stores are required to have a sticker somewhere on the front indicating tha tit is corporate owned. Agent stores are required to have "Authorized Dealer" on the front of their store. Agent stores are known for pulling fast ones on customers.
 

JohnnyLivagi

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It's important to note that equipment is not at all tied to an account once the accounts been cancelled.

1. Yes
2. New account. All you're doing is bringing his old equipment
3. Either a brand new number or you can port yours from Verizon at any time.
4. Don't do it at an Apple store. They have a tendency to mistakenly put contracts on whent hey don't need to be. Go to a certified corporate owned ATT store. Be sure to stress many times that you don't want a contract and then have them print off your CSS (Customer Service Summary) before you leave to make sure there is no mention of a contract. Do not sign anything on the signature capture device until you read it. (I only stress this because it IS possible to make a mistake and put a contract on the line unnecessarily out of habit). Corporate owned stores are required to have a sticker somewhere on the front indicating tha tit is corporate owned. Agent stores are required to have "Authorized Dealer" on the front of their store. Agent stores are known for pulling fast ones on customers.

Thanks for the quick response. I walked over to an AT&T store and they told me that I HAD to sign a new 2-year contract in order to activate the iPhone. Even if I am bringing my own equipment. Location was an actual AT&T store (I believe) at 1330 Ave of the Americas in NYC.

Should I try another store? Call them up directly? Thanks again for the help!
 

whmurray

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First time poster, and never have had AT&T before, so please be kind!

I'm out of contract right now on Verizon, going month to month. I'd like to switch to an iPhone, but I like the idea of not being locked into a contract. My cousin has a 3G that is inactive. (He cancelled his account when his contract ran out) I have a few questions:
1- Could I take this to an AT&T or Apple store and have it activated without getting signing a two year deal? (I may not be opposed to one year)
2- Would it be a new account or would I simply be re-activating his phone?
3- Would I be stuck with his old number or a brand new number? Could I port my number from Verizon?
4- Any other advice/tips/tricks for this situation?

Thanks in advance!
One other non-contract option is to pre-pay, month-to-month. AT&T will automatically debit your account each month. Limitation is that you cannot accidentally exceed your minutes. However, you can start a new month with a short auto call.
 

whmurray

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Thanks for the quick response. I walked over to an AT&T store and they told me that I HAD to sign a new 2-year contract in order to activate the iPhone. Even if I am bringing my own equipment. Location was an actual AT&T store (I believe) at 1330 Ave of the Americas in NYC.

Should I try another store? Call them up directly? Thanks again for the help!

Definitely try something else.

The problem may be the use of the word "activation." Your phone has been "activated" and AT&T got their pound of flesh. You are just trying to open an account. You just want service on an already activated iPhone.

Also see my suggestion about pre-paid. I cannot remember the transactions exactly but when I got my second iPhone, after only a year, I was not entitled to any discount and paid full price to Apple in the Apple store. What I needed was a number for the second phone on my existing account. However, their rules were that for an additional number (new line) they had to do a credit check. I was not expecting that. I have a block on my credit records. Taking it off was going to cost money and time. Since I did not want to wait, I prepaid. I did not have to have a contract to activate that phone. When I got my third phone a year later, even though it got almost no subsidy, I signed a contract for it. The second one was still on prepaid month-to-month. I gave it too my nephew and continued to pay for several months. When they moved, his dad moved that phone to a family plan account and got a number in the new area code. No contract. As far as I know, that phone has never been on a contract.
 

ericUT

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Thanks for the quick response. I walked over to an AT&T store and they told me that I HAD to sign a new 2-year contract in order to activate the iPhone. Even if I am bringing my own equipment. Location was an actual AT&T store (I believe) at 1330 Ave of the Americas in NYC.

Should I try another store? Call them up directly? Thanks again for the help!

Try another store. There is no rule whatsoever that says you MUST sign a two year contract if you are bringing your own equipment. That's a flat out lie. If the stores still give you some hassle, call them up directly (800-331-0500) and set up the account.

I don't know why they would tell you that, the system will let you do it very easily and they even get paid commission on it.
 

turak_de

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Yes you can. You won't be under contract either because you would be bringing your won device to the table. You will also be elligible to recieve the lowest price on the new iPhone when it comes in July since you have not received a subsidy from AT&T yet. Be aware that doing this will put you in a contract (which can be cancelled without the ETF if you're movign out of country)

Thanks for the explanation, that was exactly what I was hoping for.

The only question remaining is: When I access the At&t homepage from my company I am automatically redirected to the at&t business homepage where I can see the benefits...does that also work, when I go to a at&t store???

cheers

ps: whats the problem with at&t in san francisco???
 

whmurray

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Hi...why? what is the problem with AT&T in San Francisco...and what other choice would I have, when I want to my iPhone with Data?
AT&T is notorious for poor service in SF. Data service is often completely unavailable. They need more cells but were building them in Vermont, where they are cheap but used only by cows, rather than in NY and SF where they are expensive. In their defense, for political reasons, it is difficult to invest in NY and SF.

I understand that your iPhone is unlocked. Therefore, you can go to T-Mobile. In theory, their 3G data coverage is not as good as AT&T's but SF is an exception. With an unlocked iPhone, it is cheap to get a couple of pre-paid sims and try both services where you expect to use your phone. Local service trumps everything, particularly my opinion.
 

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