AT&T purchasing iPhone before contract is up?

[EdiePA]

My son (age 23) only wants an iPhone for Christmas. Unfortunately, he's not due for a new phone until next October. Do you think if I went to the store and talked to them I might be able to get one for him? (Tears could be involved.) I feel so badly, because it's all that he's asked for.

Any thoughts, schemes, etc., to accomplish this?

Thanks,
Edie

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

are you all on the same family plan? if not do you have ATT as your cell phone provider also?


If you do and your phone can be upgraded maybe they will let you get it on your account and give it to him and upgrade his acct with Data.

 

[Justsyd2]

If you have AT&T, you can go to your online account, click on his phone number, and it will tell you the discount he'll get if you upgrade to an iPhone. I did this hours ago to check the price of upgrading to one for my DH.

 

[msmayor]

Most cell phone providers will ALWAYS let you buy a new phone regardless of when your contract is up...the difference will be the upgrade price you pay.

Waiting until the contract is actually due for renewal gives you the best price on the upgrade. You are looking to upgrade almost a year early, so you'll pay more for the iPhone than if you were at the end of your contract.

Expect to have to sign an NEW 2-year contract at the time you activate the iPhone. Basically, your 'old' contract that was ending next October gets cancelled and the new one takes over.

I just did something like this for my daughter with T-Mobile. Her contract wasn't due to expire until next April, but she needed a new phone. She went from a Sidekick to a Blackberry, and it was a seamless move. The only thing that really 'changed' was the end-date to her contract...instead of April 2010 its now October 2011.

 

[RitaE]

I've seen it go both ways. There have been people that have talked their way into the discounted iPhones months in advance and people who have been told no way.

I'd go to a Corporate store and not an authorized retailer and be prepared with the "please please please" and "I've been a customer of your since (hopefully a long time) and sure would like to remain a customer."

 

[ms1031]

Another option is to add another $9.99 Family Talk line to your account. Use the new line to buy the iPhone, but use it on his existing line. At&t will add the $30.00 per month Data Plan for iPhone to his existing line, so he won't have to change phone numbers.



Or, if another line already on the account is eligible for an upgrade, you could use it for him. Again, At&t will put the Data Plan on his line, so he can use his existing number.

 

[jel0511]

Your options are limited. You could do as the PP suggested, but that will cost you 240+the price of the phone (which for the 3GS is 199), so total is 439, then cancel the new line when the contract is up on it. Or you can pay 599 for the phone without a contract and have it programed for your son's line. The 599 is the no contract price. Another option is if ANYONE on your plan (you, spouse, etc) has an upgrade available, you can use that upgrade and get the iPhone with the contract discount and have it programmed for your DS's line. You have to do this at an ATT store, they can't do it at an Apple store.

 

[RangerPooh]

Another option is to add another $9.99 Family Talk line to your account. Use the new line to buy the iPhone, but use it on his existing line. At&t will add the $30.00 per month Data Plan for iPhone to his existing line, so he won't have to change phone numbers.



Or, if another line already on the account is eligible for an upgrade, you could use it for him. Again, At&t will put the Data Plan on his line, so he can use his existing number.

This is what we have done in the past.

 

[Mickeefan]

I want an iPhone, too, but my contract is not up until next year. What would it cost me if I bought a refurbished iPhone online and then took it to the AT&T store to have it programmed and stuff. I already have the data package on the phone I have now. Would it just be the activation fee? What does everyone think of refurbished Apple products?

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

I want an iPhone, too, but my contract is not up until next year. What would it cost me if I bought a refurbished iPhone online and then took it to the AT&T store to have it programmed and stuff. I already have the data package on the phone I have now. Would it just be the activation fee? What does everyone think of refurbished Apple products?

If you purchase an iphone from someone other than ATT make sure before you take it to the ATT store it has not been Jailbroken, while that is not illegal I think they frown on that.

I think all you will have to do it get a new sim card and they may charge you for that.

Apple refurbs are excellant from what I read but I do not think you can go thru the Apple store to buy an iphone because it will be connected to your ATT account thus subject to ATT pricing, not sure about that but I think they do that to keep people from buying iPhones jailbreaking them and using them on other Carriers.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I want an iPhone, too, but my contract is not up until next year. What would it cost me if I bought a refurbished iPhone online and then took it to the AT&T store to have it programmed and stuff. I already have the data package on the phone I have now. Would it just be the activation fee? What does everyone think of refurbished Apple products?

I don't know a thing about iphones, but I bought a refurb ipod from Apple 3 years ago and it's still kicking! You'd have no idea it was ever used.

 

[SandrA9810]

Does any one know of any good free phones stores are offering with a renewal on the contract (AT&T)??
We were in best buy the other night and they had an LG touchscreen for free with new contract/renewal. I've always used nokia, so I'm used to their predictive texting, which is what my phone gets used the most often for. I'd love a blackberry... but that's probably not going to happen, even refurbished.

We have two lines ready for phone upgrades on the 8th (I'm the only one that needs a phone though), and I'd really like to get something better than a cheap-o free one. They seem to last shorter and shorter each time we get a new one.