[Nodnarb]

We all know that AT&T is doing a credit check on everybody who buys a phone, but I have a few questions that I'm not sure about:

1) Do you get your credit checked at the Apple/AT&T store, or through iTunes when you activate it?

2) If you are required to put down a deposit when do you pay this?
If at the AT&T store, do I have to pay $1100 upfront if my deposit is $500?
If through iTunes, do I give them a credit card and they will charge me then?

3) When do I get the deposit money back?

I called an AT&T center, and after realizing they weren't talking about the iPhone at all, I managed to get one of them to check my credit trying to get the BAN number, and they said that I would be approved, but require a $500 deposit. I knew nothing of this until today, so does anyone have any more insight that may be able to clear this up?

Thanks a lot

[stevesnj]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb 

We all know that AT&T is doing a credit check on everybody who buys a phone, but I have a few questions that I'm not sure about:

1) Do you get your credit checked at the Apple/AT&T store, or through iTunes when you activate it?

If you go to an AT&T store they can do it there for you but you can do it through iTunes also AT&T is just another place to buy the phone, all activation is done through iTunes.

2) If you are required to put down a deposit when do you pay this?
If at the AT&T store, do I have to pay $1100 upfront if my deposit is $500?
If through iTunes, do I give them a credit card and they will charge me then?

3) When do I get the deposit money back?

What deposit? You buy the phone for $499 and $599, thats it...no deposit for anything from what I understand.

[Nodnarb]

Originally Posted by stevesnj 

What deposit? You buy the phone for $499 and $599, thats it...no deposit for anything from what I understand.

MacRumors forum---about half way down the page

They're all talking about needing to be approved by AT&T for service, and if you have little to no credit (I have almost none, i turned 18 a few months ago and got my first credit card one month ago) then you need to put down a deposit that will be given back to you a year or twoish later.

[::maroma::]

Hmm, I wonder what the lowest credit score they allow will be? I have no idea what my score is, but its probably not the best it could be.

[Mrjinglesusa]

If you are required to pay a deposit, YOU CANNOT PAY IT THROUGH THE iTUNES ACTIVATION! If you buy the iPhone and decline the in store credit check and get home to activate and find out you need to pay a deposit, you will have to GO BACK TO THE STORE to pay the deposit. Save yourself some time and if you are activating new AT&T service have them do the credit check in the store before you leave. You will get a "Pre-Approval Code" on your receipt to enter into iTunes.

[sanford]

Originally Posted by Nodnarb 

We all know that AT&T is doing a credit check on everybody who buys a phone, but I have a few questions that I'm not sure about:

1) Do you get your credit checked at the Apple/AT&T store, or through iTunes when you activate it?

2) If you are required to put down a deposit when do you pay this?
If at the AT&T store, do I have to pay $1100 upfront if my deposit is $500?
If through iTunes, do I give them a credit card and they will charge me then?

3) When do I get the deposit money back?

I called an AT&T center, and after realizing they weren't talking about the iPhone at all, I managed to get one of them to check my credit trying to get the BAN number, and they said that I would be approved, but require a $500 deposit. I knew nothing of this until today, so does anyone have any more insight that may be able to clear this up?

Thanks a lot

Almost anyone will be approved with a deposit. A $500 deposit however is outrageous and you should under no circumstances pay it, even if it means foregoing the iPhone. You'd have to go absolutely insane with the iPhone to even go over your plan rate by a $100 in one month, as data is not metered and flat-rate. The deposit should be enough to protect AT&T should you renege on the contract and just stop paying. This would be the cost of one month's plan plus the cancellation fee, or about $275. Really, enough to cover the contract cancellation fee should be a sufficient deposit, and that would be $175.

A $500 deposit is just an excuse to take your money and earn interest on it for two years. Most mobile phone carrier contract deposits run about $100 - $150 -- or enough to cover one month's unpaid bill, because of course when you don't pay your bill, they deactivate your phone.

Frankly, as nice a device as the iPhone may be, you don't want to be involved as a customer of a company like AT&T on any more than a cash-and-carry basis. They are draconian in their policies. Cingular was no better. Go to T-Mobile or Verizon, pay a $100 deposit for a contract and get a similar if not as hip smart-phone.

[msuper69]

Originally Posted by sanford 

Almost anyone will be approved with a deposit. A $500 deposit however is outrageous and you should under no circumstances pay it, even if it means foregoing the iPhone. You'd have to go absolutely insane with the iPhone to even go over your plan rate by a $100 in one month, as data is not metered and flat-rate. The deposit should be enough to protect AT&T should you renege on the contract and just stop paying. This would be the cost of one month's plan plus the cancellation fee, or about $275. Really, enough to cover the contract cancellation fee should be a sufficient deposit, and that would be $175.

A $500 deposit is just an excuse to take your money and earn interest on it for two years. Most mobile phone carrier contract deposits run about $100 - $150 -- or enough to cover one month's unpaid bill, because of course when you don't pay your bill, they deactivate your phone.

Frankly, as nice a device as the iPhone may be, you don't want to be involved as a customer of a company like AT&T on any more than a cash-and-carry basis. They are draconian in their policies. Cingular was no better. Go to T-Mobile or Verizon, pay a $100 deposit for a contract and get a similar if not as hip smart-phone.

All this applies only to deadbeats who have crummy credit (and those just getting started with credit-although perhaps they might not as no credit is better than bad credit). You pay me now or pay me later as the saying goes. Maintain a good credit rating and this is all moot.

[Nodnarb]

Ok. So would it work if I just bought it in the store (without asking for a credit check) and then came home, and say used my dad's name and social to activate it? Surely his credit is good enough not to require a deposit, does anyone see a reason why this wouldn't work?

[::maroma::]

That should work. At least in theory. The bills will be under your dad's name, I think that's about it.