AT&T: Being Robbed At Knifepoint Will Not Help You Qualify For The Cheaper iPhone
Reader Anthony was robbed at knifepoint by a jerk with a 10" blade, but his real complaint is that he feels that AT&T is robbing him again. After he filed a police report and told AT&T that his new iPhone had been stolen, they told him that since he already bought an iPhone he no longer qualified for the subsidized price of $199.
Anthony writes:
My name is Anthony [redacted], and I was just robbed at knifepoint in Queens, NY, for my iPhone. I was walking home fairly late at night and a man walked up to me wielding a 10-inch or so blade and demanded my money and my iPhone.
I am writing you because after reporting the robbery to the police, I called AT&T – my service provider for 3 years – and asked if they could possibly work with the NYPD to track down my phone via the iPhone 3G's GPS. They said it was not possible to track any closer than the closest cell tower if the iPhone's functions were used, which kind of defeats the purpose of GPS in many ways. Given the Patriot Act and everything, I figured they can track down where we're taking a piss at this point.
But the big problem came when we started talking about replacing my iPhone 3G. Now I was an early adopter of the original 8GB iPhone and I just purchased the iPhone 3G in July. So when I asked if there would be a free replacement or a discount of sorts, the woman at customer service responded that since I just purchased the iPhone 3G that I would have not qualify for the discounted $199 iPhone 3G and I would have to purchase the phone at the higher price point of $399.
So after being such a long time AT&T customer and supporter of Apple's marquee product of the moment, I have been told that despite the fact that I was robbed by someone brandishing what was essentially a mini-machete I am now being robbed by AT&T.
I feel insulted as a customer, and appalled by the customer service at AT&T. This is beyond poor customer service; this is a lack of basic human compassion.
It's a shame that you're stuck in a 2-year contract because of a phone that you now no longer have. Ugh! AT&T is probably a dead end, but if you bought the phone with a credit card, you might want to call your credit card company. Many credit cards have 90-day "purchase assurance" or "purchase protection" programs that protect your recent purchases from loss, damage or theft.
Most people don't think to call their credit card company when something like this happens, which is a shame because they can be very helpful, and certainly more pleasant to deal with than your cellphone company. Don't delay, however, once the 90-days is over, so is the coverage.
(Photo: jetsetpress )
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Comments:
Would your homeowners policy apply for this item? Won't hurt to ask.
Can't he just pretend the old phone never existed and buy the new 3G one, effectively signing a new contract?
For something like that insurance on the item would seem like a good idea, just for this sort of situation or dropping the damn thing.
Although I detest the ridiculous ETFs, I'm with AT&T on this one ... the only way to qualify for the promotional price would be to buy out the old contract and/or pay the ETF on the old contract.
This would properly come under the theft coverage on your Homeowner's policy or Credit card purchase.
I'm also miffed that the cell phone company cannot permanently disable the stolen iPhone's serial number, making it 1.) Useless to the thief and 2.) reducing the motivation for future theft.
While I feel for the guy, this is kind of like asking Honda to give you a new car at a loss after yours was stolen.
@JN2: I agree it wouldn't hurt to ask, but I suspect the cost of the replacement phone (even at $399) would be less than the deductible on the homeowners/renters policy.
It sounds like the OP has only gone through one level of customer service. Why not take it to a customer service manager or beyond?
It doesn't sound like the iPhone actually has a GPS if the policeman was telling the truth.
I have a T-Mobile Dash (work phone...I don't have to pay for it) and when I use the google maps application to get directions. It has a feature where it can tell you where you are based on the last cell tower you registered with if you don't have GPS (probably even if you do).
Either that or with the iPhone it secures it so that the GPS is only turned on if someone using the phone explicitly uses is.
@JustThatGuy3: I'm sure that being robbed at knife point sucks but... Remind me again... How is it AT&T's job to replace his iPhone? Unless, of course, they have gangs of machete wielding, iPhone thieving thugs on the payroll as a part of their evil plot to sell even MORE iPhones. (I wouldn't put it past 'em!)
...I've said it before, I'll say it again: INSURANCE. It's there's for a reason.
@bikeoid:
If they were to disable to phone that would prevent them from being able to activate it on a new account belonging to the theif thus earning a higher profit!
@Fly Girl: RE: my tagging of "JustThatGuy3" in my comment-- I meant to also say "THIS." As in you, my friend, are spot on. Because you are. Or at least your analogy was.
@Fly Girl: Uh, if I am not mistaken, the iPhone is the only phone EXCLUDED from the Asurion insurance service AT&T offers.
And no; your homeowners insurance will usually NOT cover this. You need to add a personal article coverage to an existing insurance plan, it'll be between $20 and $40 a year.
AT&T didn't rob him. They shouldn't have to subsidize another handset because he got robbed.
The suggestion about the credit card is a good idea.
@scoobydoo: Some of the higher end PDAs are excluded from the insurance offered, also.
Many CCs have theft-based protection. Look into it ASAP.
@Audiyoda: ...even subsidized...
Verizon lets you replace a lost or stolen phone at a discount rate (I think it's the one-year contract rate, but I'm not sure). Sure, they don't have to and maybe it's rude to expect them to, but at least some giant, soul-less corporations have a little compassion.
@scoobydoo: You could be right about the AT&T insurance. I don't know. I don't have AT&T, never have, so I don't know what their insurance covers. I do know that my renters insurance covers personal electronics, like my iPod and laptop and digital camera, for up to $500 each and I didn't pay any extra to have that coverage. Although, the deductible makes it unlikely that I'd use my insurance *just* to replace one of those items.
My comment wasn't implying that the OP *had* insurance that would cover the phone, it was that if the OP wanted someone to buy him a new phone, or subsidize a new phone, after his was stolen, he should have an insurance policy to cover his phone. That's the point of insurance, isn't it? To protect your assets and valuables in the case of theft, destruction, loss, etc...
The point others have made about checking with the credit card company is a good one-- if the OP used an AmEx he's probably covered.
If that doesn't work... The OP can hope that they catch the guy, 'cause if they do he can press charges and they'll fine him for the iPhone and the stress he caused the OP and everything and then the machete-wielding iPhone bandit will have to pay the OP back through his restitution. It's a long shot, but it's probably the only real hope the OP has to getting money for the loss.
I agree it sucks, BUT when I was under contract and knew I couldn't replace my phone without adding another year or 2 to my contract, I sucked it up and paid $6/month of insurance so that I could replace the phone if anything happened without involving my contract. Be upset with the dude with the knife, not AT&T.
Anthony should request that the IMEI on his stolen iphone be blacklisted. That way the phone won't operate at all on the ATT network.
@LatherRinseRepeat: That's exactly what bikeold and jaydez were referring to. AT&T refuses to blacklist phones that are stolen (even though they have the capability) because then they cannot sell service on that stolen phone--which is what they care about.
I wish there was some way to FORCE them to do so, but I don't think it exists. Plus, with a popular phone there will be a way to change the IMEI (illegally) anyway, but it would possibly deter some casual theft (i.e. the script kiddies who steal them to unlock and resell on craigslist.)
I had a similar experience a few years ago with Verizon. I was on a business trip and while I was out to grab a bit to eat (and I came right back to watch the playoff game between the Red Sox and Yankees) someone stole everything but my clothes from my hotel room. I figured that Verizon could track the location since all theirs phones had GPS in them but I was out of luck.
On a side note, a girl I work with lost her phone and Sprint was going to charge her full retail to get a new one until she pointed out the vast difference between the ETF and full retail. They didn't replace her phone with the same one but they did get her another phone for free.
This is a bad situation, but ATT has never been my friend either. Don't make a claim on your homeowners' insurance for this. BAD IDEA! Your deductible is likely only a bit less than a new Iphone 3g, also it will raise your rates for the next 5 years as a loss on your insurance record (or at least disqualify your policy from some discounts).
If you have an iPhone 3G in the US you were required to pay for it with a credit card or a debit card and activate in-store. So, there's at least a 50% chance that Anthony can call his credit card company. His 90 days shouldn't run out until October 9th.
(October 9th at the earliest, assuming he bought the iPhone 3G on the release date of July 11th)
@JN2: Actually, it could hurt to ask if your homeowner's/renter's insurance covers this. Even if they pay out zero because it is below the deductible, they'll add a little note to your file that says you called and they are likely to jack up your rates or cancel your policy.
Think of all the screwy stuff credit card companies do and assume the insurance company will do something similar.
"Either that or with the iPhone it secures it so that the GPS is only turned on if someone using the phone explicitly uses is.
That's the way it is.
AT&T is wholly in the right here. It's pretty absurd of the OP to EXPECT a free or discounted replacement. Yeah, it would be nice if AT&T decided they wanted to offer such a plan, but I imagine the likelihood of abuse and the costs associated with subsidizing the iPhone were determined too much to handle. I just bought an iPhone, and fully understand that there is no insurance available for it (through AT&T at least) and that if I break it/lose it/get robbed, that AT&T will have no obligation to replace it for anything less than the full retail price.
It sucks that this happened to you, but if AT&T's policy were to give discounts for theft replacement, there would just be a huge spike in phony police reports so people can load up and cash in on ebay.
@JN2: I would really suggest against filing with the Homeowners' Insurance. the increase in rates after a claim will far outweigh the cost.
I filed for a $1500 theft. Allstate dropped me at renewal and I had higher rates for 5 years after the claim.
I have a friend that used to have a Verizon account and for some reason they pissed him off and he quit paying for his service and they shut his phone off. He had the exact same MotoQ that I had and when I had problems with mine I was just going to have his activated on my account while I was waiting for mine to come in for replacement. Verizon told me that I could no do that because his phone had once belonged to an account that had been disabled and the phone was no longer good.
SO...if Verizon can do this to a phone, why can't AT&T? I have an iPhone and I hate it. This phone is the second most disappointing phone I've ever had, the RAZR being number one. I keep hoping mine gets stolen or lost or dropped so I can buy out of my contract and go back to Verizon. THAT would make me really happy.
I say you tell AT&T to suck it and switch carriers.
I don't get being robbed at Knife point. Maybe it is just me but if there is room he is going to have to catch me first a good sprint and he wont catch up.
My understanding is that there is no insurance for the iPhone, that AT&T is not offering it. They also do not offer insurance on certain smartphones either.
I guess they were concerned that this would just become to big a problem to deal with in the future. Nice company!
I just stick with SPRINT! They have never **cough** let me down yet **cough**!
All modern phones have GPS for e911 compatibility, but they only send out the GPS coordinates when you call 911 or use an application with GPS capability. If you use an application, it explicitly asks you whether you want to allow your GPS information to be sent.
Lets not legitimize the Patriot Act by claiming cell carriers should be able to invade our privacy by tracking our location at their discretion. If you want to track your phone's GPS, there are services available that put it under your control.
@baristabrawl
Assuming AT&T is GSM, and Verizon is CDMA, that would explain why one could do it and not the other. GSM carriers (which is more common, worldwide) use SIM cards that can be easily transfered from phone to phone. When a phone is stolen, the SIM card can be deactivated, but if you put an active SIM card back in the phone, voila, it works.
With CDMA, the each phone has a unique ESN (Electronic serial number) or IMEI, which identifies the phone on the network. If the ESN is blacklisted, it cant be used later by the thief who brings it in to be activated.
There are exceptions to the above of course, but in general, that is the reason. Go to link for more details.
This would be a complete non-issue if AT&T would offer insurance on high end handsets like some of the other carriers do.
Not blaming the OP here but if the incident didn't want to make me poo, as I was handing over the phone I would have said: "My iphone, really? They'll just use the GPS to track you down." Maybe a bluff, maybe not.
If I did poo, I would have yelled it as he ran away. How did he know you had an iphone anyway?
@astn: That sounds like the basis for a class proceeding - something centered around AT&T having knowledge / aiding theft of property. If the IMEI CAN be disabled and they refuse to do it, it would seem that they could at least flag it for investigation if that IMEI is ever activated on their network again. It's still stolen property even if the new owner THINKS it's not.
To the OP - No Insurance? Sorry, about your luck but AT&T have fulfilled their end of the deal, why not look for a used iPhone and have it added to the plan?
@EmperorOfCanada: Apparently AT&T is GSM - So I'm wrong. Is there no unique identifier for GSM phones?
I agree that the OP isn't due a comp'd handset; however, if ATT and Asurion won't let you insure the phone, they should allow you to purchase one at the subsidized price. I'm sure there would have to be some rules as to how many times you could do this (maybe configure it similar to the limits that asurion has), so the policy doesn't get abused).
Maybe ATT and Asurion could have a sliding scale for the insurance premiums...we don't have one-price for all types of cars to be insured. I for one would pay $10 /month to make sure my little IPhone was replaceable
Wait, doesn't excluding the data-rich phones from Asurion's insurance make moot the only time that buying said insurance make sense? I dropped my insurance once I figured out that between the deductible and the replacement cost of my (lower-tech) phone, it'd only take six months before my premiums exceeded its value. I thought to myself, "I guess if I had an iPhone, it'd make sense. Oh well."
So AT&T removes the only tier that it makes financial sense to buy insurance? Leaving it only for the suckers that can't compute correctly?
That seems pretty darned anti-consumerist to me...
On the credit card side of it all. It depends on the level of your credit card ie classic, Gold, and Platinum level. That also might be a VISA OR MC insurance options. Check with them about it. Visa 1800-847-2911, MC 1800622-7747
@baristabrawl: because Verizon is CDMA and AT&is not. Therefore to use the AT&T phone all you have to do is change the sim card.
Honestly, the best way to try to get AT&T to replace would be to contact their retention dept - and just tell them that it is cheaper to cancel, and pay the $175, and get an iPhone knock-off elsewhere. They may be willing to work with you then...maybe not though, not sure how much they are willing to do for their customers.
So, after reading the comments, let me get this right...
ATT DOESN'T offer insurance on high-end smart devices? WTF? What kind of business are you running?!?!
ATT DOESN'T allow you to blacklist ESN's (or IMEI) if your phone is stolen? *note to self... steal all phones with AT&T logo, flash the phone and change ESN, then sell*
Why does anyone do business with these jokers? Oh right, the iPhone...
It'll be nice to see what happens once their exclusivity runs out on that phone.
A SOLUTION!!!
This exact same (well, similar) thing happened to me recently. A week after I purchased two iphones for my wife and I, our apt was broken into.
The iphones were stolen, along with lots of other stuff.
When I spoke to ATT, they refused to give us phones for the subsidized pricing (not free) based on the fact that shit happens, and why not help a long-time customer.
They said no.
They said no all the way up to executive customer service - even after I wrote an email to Steve Jobs and he forwarded it to the VP of Sales and Marketing.
They still said no.
Then - I went to my local Apple Store where I bought the phones and explained what happened to the store manager. He said it wasn't a problem and said he can over-ride the subsidy issue.
An hour later, I had two new iPhones and a newfound respect for Apple.
Oh yeah - we bought the phones on our American Express card, and because they have a 90 day retail protection plan, we won't be paying for the new phones.
@FoxBearDog: I've never heard of a mugging that happens the way you're imagining, though. They don't just point the knife at you like it was a gun.
They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends you to the hospital, you send him to the morgue.
I miss Sean Connery.
I don't know why you'd expect AT&T to subsidize the cost of another phone, they didn't steal his old one.
And definitely do NOT try to file a claim with your homeowners insurance provider.
Bad consumer!
At&t pays Apple several hundred dollars for each $199 iPhone. They have no responsibility to do that again just because one of the iPhones is "missing."
As many have mentioned, homeowners or credit card insurance the place to check. At&t is in the right for once.
@LatherRinseRepeat: AT&T does not blacklist phones unfortunately. But in other countries, they do blacklist it and render it "useless".
"So when I asked if there would be a free replacement or a discount of sorts..."
Spoken like a true Macaphite.
I'm truly sorry for the loss - getting robbed sucks at many levels. But to expect your replacement to be free or even subsidized is expecting a bit much IMO. Maybe your homeowners or renters insurance has a rider to cover such a loss?? And checking with your CC company can't hurt - maybe you are covered under a buyer protection policy they offer. But free...come on.