Not so happy iPhone 4 release day after all. It’s a long story…
Once upon a June 29, 2007, I got my first iPhone. Within a week, my parents and siblings all wanted iPhones too so I let them get on my family plan.
Fast forward to June 15, 2010. Mom and I preorder new iPhones. Dad and sis have iPhone 3gs phones and something is wrong with my brother who doesn’t want a new iPhone even though he’s still using his original iPhone and dad would be more than happy to pay for it.
June 16, 2010 now and dad gets a microcell for his house because they don’t get very good reception there (the neighborhood’s own fault for prohibiting a new cell tower to be put in, I live a few miles away and get 5 bars all the time). While at the AT&T store getting his microcell, he discovers that he can get a better deal on his existing home internet and home phone setup if he bundles them with the cell plan so we transfer the cell phone plan account ownership from me to him.
Little did we know that was a disastrous choice. Mom and I had preordered our iPhones with the last 4 digits of my social security number but now the account verification calls for the last 4 digits of dad’s social security number. And apparently AT&T is unable to verify that we’re eligible for upgrades based solely on our existing AT&T phone numbers which I think is lame.
Earlier this week, other people are getting shipment confirmations and even getting their iPhones early and mine still says not yet shipped but also still says delivers June 24.
Today rolls around and my iPhone still says not yet shipped. I go to my first session of radiation and come home. Still not yet shipped. At 11am, I call Apple and they tell me there is a problem with my AT&T account and I need to call AT&T. I call AT&T and as soon as they ask me for the last four digits of my social and I realize that they actually need the last four digits of dad’s social, I have the whole situation figured out. So I call Apple back and give them the new digits they need to confirm my eligibility (which again, I think they should be able to figure out based just on my phone number).
1pm, I’m burning inside and out from the radiation so I both really want to go to the Apple store and pick up an iPhone there and really don’t. We call the Valley Fair Apple Store and they confirm that they have tons and tons of stock and don’t expect to sell out (they were one of the few stores that didn’t sell out back on June 29, 2007 either and dad and I have thus assessed that it is one of the best stocked stores in the country). I’m still burning in discomfort so mom is now in line and will call me when she’s about half an hour from the front and if the line is so long that she doesn’t get to the front before they close today they’ll give her a priority number for tomorrow.
2pm, Apple just now sends me an email that there is a problem with my order. Yes we already talked about this on the phone 3 hours ago and it really would’ve been helpful if you sent me this email 3 days ago.
Lesson learned: if you have a pending iPhone order, absolutely do not change any of your AT&T account details because they can’t figure out if you’re eligible for a new phone or not based on just your phone number.
Related posts:
Apple & AT&T Still Can’t Figure Out my iPhone Order
Essential iPhone Apps
Happy iPhone 4 Release Day!
| Tweet |
 |  273 readers |  2935 followers |  490 fans |
Here at 
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Bummmmm!
That phone is a friday favorite. I hope you get your hands on one soon!
AWWW, that stinks! Apple is really going hardcore on this phone. I called to order one the other day and they wouldn’t let me because I’m at my summer house and my billing is not this address. Whatever. Guess I should have driven to the Bay Area this weekend afterall so I could have gone to Valleyfair.
Sorry to hear about your Radiation!
I enjoyed reading your Blog though…I can ALWAYS Appreciate when someone Expresses themselves about an experience Good or Bad!
I have had my own dealings with AT&T and that should be a BLOG site all in it’s own! Someday maybe I will!
Anyhow GOod luck on getting your phone and getting everything worked out…hope it is all they claim it is!
Hope you get better soon as well!
Lisa
That happened to my girlfriend. She had to order it twice and then just buy it from the store because she had so many problems!
I hope you get yours soon!
Sadly, it’s not just AT&T that can give you grief. My friend just went through HELL with her cell company when she switched plans. I think they do it just to squeak out more cash.
Visiting from Lady Bloggers!
Found you through the Lady Blogger’s tea party. My aunt and uncle once had a house in Sunnyvale, and I loved it because it also had a solar-heated pool
Anyways, I don’t read enough techy blogs and I need to, so I’m very glad I found yours. I can’t believe the grief AT&T is giving you. Actually, I can. Because I also have AT&T. But it still doesn’t make sense. Damn corporations!
Following your blog
I had the iPhone back in 07 when they first came out. But the plan got to be too expensive for me. I wish I had the money for an iPhone 4, that’s for sure! I hope you were able to get your phone, even with all the trouble you went through.
oh man, this post reminds me of all the different kinds of problems i used to have with at&t when i lived in the States and had them as my cell provider. of course… it isn’t just at&t now is it? i’ve had other providers and they’re all bad.