Apple store vent :(

[DJ420a]

So a friend and I drive an hour away to the nearest Apple store, because my local AT&T dealers do not have any 3Gs's in stock. We get to the Apple store and (sweet) they have some in stock.

I start going through all the signing up to upgrade from my 2G to my new 3Gs. We get to the end to pay and come to find out that I can't complete my upgrade because I'm not the primary account holder on the account, my wife is.

To sum it up, even though I am on the account, I couldn't purchase my new 3GS because I wasn't the primary name on the account, even though I knew all of her info and had ID.

I called AT&T while still in the parking lot and the rep was very curious as to why this was happening. After being on hold for about 5 minutes, she gets back on and tells me, that unfortunately that's Apples rules not AT&T's and she couldn't help.

WOW

Im only posting this, so maybe this will save someone else 100+ miles worth of gas and time

[cpjr]

Hmmm, guess you got a bad Apple rep.

Im not the primary account holder on my ATT account and have upgraded 2 times, to the 3G and now 3GS without the primary account holder....no issues at all at the Apple store.

[danvicente]

interesting.. my sister and i purchased the 3G back in december for my father for christmas..They would not let us take the phone at first because he would have to upgrade first.. We ended up getting a very nice lady at Best Buy who (behind the managers back) upgraded our father's account (we gave her all of the info necessary) and let us walk out with the phone. It worked out perfectly with the billing cycle.

I guess it just depends where you go to to get the phone and who you talk to. If you find a nice person and treat them nicely you will be rewareded...with iphone 3gs

[DJ420a]

You guys suck lol

[jpeepers]

I went through something smiler last month when I signed up for AT&T. I signed up online using all of MY info, name, SSN, etc. but we used my wife's credit card to pay. A few days later I called to add a third phone and they wouldn't let do it! Every thing was in my name except the credit card we used for the original purchase.

.

[cpjr]

^^All they ask me for is the last 4 digits of the primary's ssn. Im an authorized user on the account like you.

[disisgustavo]

i had the same problem trying to get my 3GS at the apple in SF, i am an authorized user on my family plan but my dad is the primary. Every att in the city is sold out of 3GS's yet both apple stores have tons but wouldnt sell it to me no matter what even though i am authorized to make changes and sign contracts on our account (and this was after waiting about an hour in the hot sun)!!!! I am in Cincinnati now with my girlfriend to visit her family and was able to find a best buy with them in stock yesterday and got it without a problem. I truly dont understand why Apple, the people who make the damned phone wouldn't sell it to me but best buy would, it makes no sense other than they just wanna F with you.

[DJ420a]

^^All they ask me for is the last 4 digits of the primary's ssn. Im an authorized user on the account like you.

They asked for the same info from me and I gave it too them. I know the primaries info better than she does lol, yet they still wouldn't sell it to me.

[bobright]

^^All they ask me for is the last 4 digits of the primary's ssn. Im an authorized user on the account like you.

^same situation here, upgraded mine last week

[jpeepers]

^^All they ask me for is the last 4 digits of the primary's ssn. Im an authorized user on the account like you.

I am the primary account holder and it is under my SSN and name but because we used my wife's credit card they would not let me make changes to the account. They eventually called her and she had to give her permission. What a pain in the *****.

.

[cpjr]

Guess the only difference was I had my business debit card in hand for payment.

[Deserted1]

Try an ATT store that would not accept money for payemnt? Turns out nobody uses cash anymore, atleast not to ATT. But If i wanted I could goto the bank deposit said cash and come back with my debit card (ya right not worth my time)

[tyfly867]

I guess it just depends where you go to to get the phone and who you talk to. If you find a nice person and treat them nicely you will be rewareded...with iphone 3gs

Its a shame there are no standard rules or practices between apple, bestbuy, and AT&T. Its more like the luck of the draw than anything.

[ALL DAY]

I wasn't the primary account holder on launch day for the 3GS and I almost had a problem... Luckily the guy was nice and let me take the necessary actions to get my phone and not have wasted 2+ hours in line, which apparently he wasn't supposed to do. This was at an AT&T store however...