Need help buying the new phone from Apple

[douggoss]

Here is the story to date: My wife is a long time ATT customer and is eligible for an upgrade. She decided she wanted the iPhone 3G S. Here is the problem - there is not a damned ATT store within 100 miles of here (45 minutes north of Nashville) that has even ONE in stock and can't tell us when they will have any. SO..... we went to the Apple store in Nashville on Saturday where they have an abundance of any kind you want (this seems VERY odd to me that they are fully stocked and ATT has NONE ANYWHERE). Anyhow, Apple has a process to verify that you are an existing ATT account holder and eligible for the phone and here is where the problem came in. They asked for 4 pieces of information - 1. phone number, 2. last 4 digits of social, 3. email address, 4. billing zip. When we entered this information it repeatedly came back that the data entered into the Apple system did not match what was in the ATT system, so no phone for us (at the discounted price). We spent 2 hours at the Apple store with people from Apple there and people from ATT customer service on the phone trying to change the options (the four pieces of information asked) so the Apple store would sell us the phone. No go and it was closing time at Apple. We got home and went to the ATT web site and BINGO, the information matched and we could order the phone BUT they could not tell us when it would be in. We also went to the ATT store yesterday and got the same stoty. Anyhow.... all of this is maddening that Apple and their sole vendor for the phone could not get our FOUR pieces of information in sync. So, here is my question.........can anyone give ANY help of advice on how to get around this? Apple has the phone we want but won't sell it to us because the information does not match. ATT WILL sell us the phone but has none and does not know when they will. My guess is that the issue is somewhere in the ATT system but I can't prove that. There has to be a way to get this resolved though. Thanks for any suggestions.

[joliveria]

Have you tried to order it through the apple website?

[douggoss]

And it did the same thing it did in the store. I am beginning to think it has something to do with her corporate discount. We get and pay the bills but get a corporate discount.

[infenit101]

Go outside get some air and sun and realize there is more to life than an Iphone. After that remain patient, go inside and make love until your genitalia explode.

[shutter]

Originally Posted by douggoss

And it did the same thing it did in the store. I am beginning to think it has something to do with her corporate discount. We get and pay the bills but get a corporate discount.

Drop the discount....get the phone, if it will let you, call at&t and re-add the discount.

Try bestbuy, see if they have any and you have better luck.

Buy the phone from at&t and wait for them to get it in stock.

[douggoss]

So I discovered after searching the net that the problem could be due to the fact that my wife has a corporate discount and Apple could not communicate with the ATT system if that were the case. Some people have called ATT, takenn the discount off, went to Apple - verified and purchased the phone, then called ATT and put the discount back on.

So, I called ATT to have them do this only to be told that they would take the corporate discount off but it would be ONE TO TWO MONTHS before it would show back up on the rate plan. What kind of freakin service is that.

Anyhow, any ATT or Apple folks - any other ideas at this point or contacts high enough up the food chain to help me?

Thanks!

[chobbs1]

Order it from AT&T and just be patient. It will all work out. I know that isn't what you want to bear but after all that you have done that seems to be the option that will give you the least amount of stress. Why is it so hard to wait??? Just relax.