Selling on ebay

[jmorgans#IM]

I have an iPhone 3G on order and am planning on bringing my two lines over to AT&T. Wife wants a basic phone. However, it occurred to me that if we're signing two contracts anyway, why not get iPhone 3Gs for both lines? She can sell hers on eBay and buy her basic phone on eBay, netting a significant profit. Am I missing something here?

 

[cjvitek]

Well, presumably you will still be paying for the data portion of the iphone contract (unless it can get cancelled - I don't know if it can or not). That is $30 a month in addition to the normal cost of the lines. So over 2 years, that is $720. Plus the $199 you paid for the iPhone. Can you get more than $919 for an iPhone on Ebay?

Chris

 

[supermum]

This brings up an interesting thought:

I my iPhone is lost/stolen/broken and I cannot afford to replace it (as the unsubsidized price is too high) am I still charged $30 a month for a plan I am not using???

 

[trevor#IM]

Well, presumably you will still be paying for the data portion of the iphone contract (unless it can get cancelled - I don't know if it can or not). That is $30 a month in addition to the normal cost of the lines. So over 2 years, that is $720. Plus the $199 you paid for the iPhone. Can you get more than $919 for an iPhone on Ebay?

Chris

In my experience, with Verizon, and At&t seems to be setup the same, data is an account feature and therefore not subject to a contract. You should be able to cancel the data portion if you are not using the iPhone.

 

[WilliamC]

You won't be charged the extra 30 for data if you don't have an IPhone. The Iphone is just like any other phone out there you get a voice plan and they tack on Data afterwards. Only difference is that with other phones you aren't required to get data, but with IPhone you are. The moment you stop using an Iphone you can remove data.

 

[trevor#IM]

You won't be charged the extra 30 for data if you don't have an IPhone. The Iphone is just like any other phone out there you get a voice plan and they tack on Data afterwards. Only difference is that with other phones you aren't required to get data, but with IPhone you are. The moment you stop using an Iphone you can remove data.

Yep, that's what I thought. Thanks for confirming.

 

[cjvitek]

So, out of curiosity, what is to prevent someone from saying their iPhone was stolen/lost/broken, using another phone, getting the $15 mediaMax plan (unlimited data), and then using the iPhone with it?

And since the phone has been activated, is there any issue with someone else using "your" iPhone? I wouldn't think so, but you never know.

Chris

 

[iLoveiPhones]

I don't think mediaMAX would work with the iPhone. I think once you have your SIM card is in the iPhone, AT&T recognizes it. So you couldn't get away with mediaMAX.

 

[cjvitek]

Well, I had mediaMax with a Treo 680 (shhhh, don't tell anyone), and everything worked fine - unlimited internet. But maybe the iPhone is different.

Chris

 

[iLoveiPhones]

Well, I had mediaMax with a Treo 680 (shhhh, don't tell anyone), and everything worked fine - unlimited internet. But maybe the iPhone is different.

Chris

Really? And you didn't get caught? Wow! I think with the iPhone 3G it's gonna be hard!

 

[Meh_whatever]

AT&T has the system set up so it knows when you're on an iPhone and when you are not. Or rather, it knows when you are supposed to be on an iPhone.

Sooo... if you got an iPhone, but didn't tell AT&T and you tried to put your SIM in and use it, it would not work.

I have tried this with other sims... one that is part of my account (but not designated for an iPhone... it is designated for a Blackjack, actually)... and one that is not (my boyfriend's sim... he's got a Sony Ericsson media-type phone).

Can't even make a phone call on my iPhone.

So... nope. It does work for other types of phones, like the Treo, for example. But not the iPhone.