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darkfusion · Sep 8, 2007, 11:52 PM

I went to AT&T today looking at the iPhone because I thought it would be just better then having to carry my cell and the iPod touch. So I went in there, getting ready to buy it when the AT&T rep. told me I had to put a $500 deposit down. WTF??!?!?!?!

I did the samething over at alltel and had to put nothing down. Damn this has been a bad day.

icruise · Sep 9, 2007, 12:33 AM

Sounds like you don't have good credit (or no credit history). That is a big deposit though. Did they say when you would get it returned to you?

darkfusion · Sep 9, 2007, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by icruise

Sounds like you don't have good credit (or no credit history). That is a big deposit though. Did they say when you would get it returned to you?

Well I worked some but dont have pretty much no credit. They said I would get it back in one year. Long time to wait for $500.

butterfly0fdoom · Sep 9, 2007, 02:25 AM

....That's why you go to the Apple Store.

icruise · Sep 9, 2007, 02:32 AM

It doesn't matter where you buy it. He might be allowed to purchase the phone at an Apple Store without a credit check, but he'd still need the deposit to start service.

butterfly0fdoom · Sep 9, 2007, 02:33 AM

Oh. Don't they have the goPhone option?

michaelb · Sep 9, 2007, 02:33 AM

Two solutions:

1. (free, available now)
Hack it to allow any AT&T SIM and use a pay-as-you-go card. With a small amount of hacking, it's possible to use any AT&T SIM card, including casual pre-paid cards.
http://www.hacktheiphone.net/iphone_..._mac_easy.html

2. ($40-$50, available next week)
Purchase the long awaited "software unlock" from iPhoneSIMfree.com that will allow an iPhone to be used on any GSM carrier, including T-Mobile and any of the 400 GSM carriers around the world. For background, read the articles here:
http://www.engadget.com/tag/iphonesimfree

It's fully legal to unlock your own phone.

zerock · Sep 9, 2007, 02:44 AM

you should just get the iPhone at the Apple Store. Activate it thru iTunes, if you cant cause of bad credit, it automatically goes in a goPhone plan.

btober · Sep 9, 2007, 12:36 PM

So, in regard to the iPhone "unlocking" methods mentioned above, is the first method effectively allowing my to use my iPhone with my existing AT&T service without an additional 2 year contract? Could I then add the $19.99/mo MEdia Max 200 bundle for the unlimited internet service and have the same functionality as the "official" service (will the MEdia packages work with the iPhone?

darkfusion · Sep 9, 2007, 07:38 PM

What about the data service? ie internet,email,sms,text does all of that come with a goplan?

butterfly0fdoom · Sep 9, 2007, 07:45 PM

GoPhones are pay-by-usage, I think.

darkfusion · Sep 9, 2007, 08:55 PM

I found the image of the gophone that itunes offers you during activation. Looks like I might just do that instead of doing the two year contract. The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

icruise · Sep 9, 2007, 09:24 PM

Just remember that you'll end up paying more for the pay-as-you go plan if you use your phone very much at all, and I don't think you get any SMS messages included with your plan.

darkfusion · Sep 9, 2007, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by icruise

Just remember that you'll end up paying more for the pay-as-you go plan if you use your phone very much at all, and I don't think you get any SMS messages included with your plan.

Well I plan on getting the $60 plan with 300 minutes per months plus the 1000 nights and weekend minutes. I dont really use my phone much except contacting family so that main reason would be getting the email and data transfer being unlimited. Instead of having to carry around my ipod, cell, and notebook. I can get everything all in one. As for the SMS messages its not something I'm looking to a lot either.

icruise · Sep 9, 2007, 10:56 PM

It might be the best choice for you, although $60 would get you 450 anytime minutes and 5000 night/weekend minutes a month with the normal plan.

darkfusion · Sep 9, 2007, 11:03 PM

Originally Posted by icruise

It might be the best choice for you, although $60 would get you 450 anytime minutes and 5000 night/weekend minutes a month with the normal plan.

If I had an extra $500 bucks to put down I really would, but seeing how I dont this is my only option that I can see.

BRussell · Sep 10, 2007, 02:02 AM

Someone has to say it: Maybe you should use the fact that you failed a credit check to see that perhaps you shouldn't be dropping all that money on an iPhone and the future bills that will accompany it?

darkfusion · Sep 10, 2007, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by BRussell

Someone has to say it: Maybe you should use the fact that you failed a credit check to see that perhaps you shouldn't be dropping all that money on an iPhone and the future bills that will accompany it?

I didnt fail because of my bad credit, its the fact I dont have any credit. I just started college like last summer so I dont have anything to pay.

butterfly0fdoom · Sep 10, 2007, 10:07 PM

Then build up credit history. Get a student credit card (Bank of America tends to happily give out student credit cards). Even if you don't use it, now you have credit!~