Fixing Your iPhone Requires 3 Visits To Apple Store And 3 Visits To AT&T
Whose problem is it when your iPhone needs to be activated? Nobody seems to know. It is a mystery.
Reader Bryan's iPhone got stuck on ring and wouldn't vibrate, so he decided to make a Genius appointment. Little did he know that he'd be back and forth between the Apple Store and the AT&T three times in order to leave with a working phone.
Bryan says:
I dealt with 3 geniuses during my visit.
The first genius swapped out my iPhone (2g) with a refurb and told me that "because you have a discount on your account you have to take this phone to AT&T to have it activated."
So I walked across the mall to the AT&T store where they told me "we can't activate 2g iPhones only 3g. I've personally gone to the Apple Store and told them to stop sending us people."
So I returned to the Apple Store, where a 2nd genius told me "I can't activate your phone, there's a problem with your account, only AT&T can activate it." I then asked "Can I activate it with iTunes at home?" and the genius told me "No, it will create a second account in your name, AT&T has to activate it".
When I mentioned that I just left AT&T the genius told me "once I give you the phone it's AT&T's problem, my responsibility ends there"
I returned now the AT&T store where the clerk looked up my account and told me "everything looks fine, I see that you are have a premiere discount, I'll take that off and the Apple Store should have no problems activating."
I now returned for my 3rd trip to the Apple store, where a 3rd genius again tried to activate my phone. He told me a new story, I needed to activate my phone with iTunes at home and then come back to the mall and go to the AT&T store so that they could merge the new account into my old account.
I informed him that I didn't feel comfortable driving 10 miles home in the blizzard like conditions that were out side, with out a working phone none-the-less, just to get home and drive right back through the same conditions. So I asked if I could just use one of the many display computers, he told me no, it's a liability for my to hook my phone up to any of their computers.
He kept trying to tell me this is AT&T's problem, not Apple's. So I went back to the AT&T store where the manager had come in for his shift, I retold this whole story to him. He was nice and turned on one of their display computers and then gave me a USB sync cable to activate my phone. he even offered to download iTunes for me, but it turned out it was already on that computer.
All in all I had a very frustrating day of Apple telling me that it's not their problem and AT&T trying their best to help me out.
I think the moral of the story is that you should really tell people to always bring their laptops to a genius appointment, even if it's for an iPhone.
Bryan says he tried to tell Apple about his experience and in response, they sent him a survey. Sigh.
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1-800-APL-CARE
This is just another example of the corporate run around. Atleast Att did resolve the problem.
Odds are now that it's popped up here Apple will try to contact him and make this right
Paging Steve Jobs!
Genius? Where's a genius? not them two places..
I had a similar incident when I broke my first generation iPhone and decided to "upgrade" to the 3G instead of paying $200 to fix the old one. I had the craptastic 3G for all of a week before I was begging to go back to my first gen. Apparently I was the first person ever to think the 3G sucks?? I got the runaround until I was connected with some fantastic Apple employees and their above and beyond manager that actually walked with me over to AT&T and basically forced them to take responsibility. It actually turned out to be a positive experience and really renewed my love for all things Appley. I was actually going to write a letter to someone but never got around to it... Sorry! I have some time off during the holidays.
Just for the record, 2nd gen iphone is 3g
1st gen iphone is edge only.
The 3g is a protocol for the faster data network not the third generation iphone.
"...a very frustrating day of Apple telling me that it's not their problem and AT&T trying their best to help me..."
Apparently you can criticize Apple now without inciting a fanboy pile-on. Where did the love go?
I guess that's what a whole bunch of iPhone-related Apple hiccups can do. Even the Apple faithful have complained about (off the top of my head):
The Apple-AT&T marriage. Full-stop.
AT&T 3G network issues that seem to affect only the iPhone
The App Store developer terms
The MobileMe launch
@brandymb: It's a feel good title so you actually believe the employees have a clue what's going on.
Did anyone else find his first sentence amusing?
"I dealt with 3 geniuses during my visit."
Subtly implies they are the exact opposite of geniuses since it took three trips and three different people only to have the issue resolved... at the AT&T store instead of the Apple store.
I just want to point out that except for the "ATT can only activate 3g iphones" ATT *ACTUALLY* was helpful. They removed the discount indicater on his account, and then gave him a computer to use to activate his phone.
This is impressive. I used to dread dealing with the phone companies. But, while we're talking about ATT, I recently upgraded to the Blackberry Bold. My first one had some sort of hardware problems, and I went into the store and swapped it out no problem, no questions asked. THEN, I asked that they unlock my phone so I can use a local SIM card when I travel abroad, and they sent me the unlock code, no problem, no hassle! Holy crap- ATT actually helped me- twice in one week!
I have to say again, I'm just glad this technically shouldn't (but still does) happen here. If you buy it from O2 and have problems, it's their problem. Buy it from Apple and have problems, it's their problem.
And 60% of Apple customers are satisfied with their customer service?
Really...?
While Apple was not being helpful giving him the run around, this problem is the fault 100% of AT&T. Until recently, AT&T has completely disallowed Apple from doing any cooperate, military, or bulk discounts. Apple's systems simply cannot handle them. It's gotten a bit better recently, but if you're a "Special Case" account it's hard to get good service at either store.
I actually had a major battery problem with my 3G iPhone and made a genius appointment and had them replace the phone with a spanking new one that was activated on the spot no problems just an A+ customer service experience from the Boston Apple Store on Boylston Streen
The Jesus phone doesn't sound like it's worth having: 1) The mystique is gone: eveyone has one
2) You have to use AT&T
3) The minimum data plan is friggin expensive
4) The phone is locked tighter than....
5) Once you jail break the phone, forget it.
I'll use my plain flip phone w/voice only.
The real issue comes from the way that AT&T and Apple treat people with FAN's (Foundation Account Numbers). Apple is not permitted to activate a phone with an FAN, therefore they kicked him over to AT&T right away.
Since this also happened to me, they AT&T agent did what they have been taught to do....namely, remove the FAN, let apple do the connect and then re-enable the FAN. A nice work-around to the hands off my corporate customers attitude that AT&T Corporate has demanded from Apple.
The fact that the Apple store didn't realize that the first gen iPhone's are still activated through iTunes is another story altogether.
The OP is actually lucky the stores were in the same mall area. Otherwise this could have gone on for days.
I love Apple products but their store customer service is beyond trash. I dread going to an Apple store, 9 out of 10 times they treat you like your an inferior being. When I was going to buy my iphone (well after launch) I got so annoyed with the Apple store I ended up going to a Best Buy.
@koma3504: I'm sorry I don't think I heard your correctly, Corporate Run Around, or agents who aren't informed enough to be assisting customer's efficiently? I work for Apple, and I say the latter.
That whole situation could have been resolved if, 1: ANY of those agents ASKED FOR HELP instead of fobbing the customer off with what they "think" is the right answer. If any of those agents had taken the initiative to say "Hey, I don't know, but let me find out for you, would you mind waiting please?" could have saved Bryan, Apple and AT&T a big headache and this story.
@OprahBabb: Umm, If you work for Apple, you would know that you are not allowed to post ANYthing about Apple on the internet. This is grounds for termination. You probably don't want to go around telling people you work for Apple as they will hunt you down for it! Take it from a "former employee" who can now type whatever I want!
This could have been solved on the first visit to the at&t store. The rep should have just handed him a new SIM and told him to connect to itunes at home, it will act like when he first purchased the device. When prompted he just had to click existing customer and put in his number... it will activate on his account and update his number. All done.
Whoever this guy dealt with at the Apple store sounds like they didn't know what they were talking about- the docking port on my iPhone went out yesterday, so I bopped down to the local Apple store to get it dealt with. No dice in fixing it, so they had to replace the phone (a first-gen iPhone). The guy at the Genius Bar pulled out a new phone, plugged it in, had me type my existing cell number into iTunes, and about two seconds later, I was out the door with a fully-functioning phone (with all my contacts and stuff on it- thanks, Mobile Me!). We have a discount on our account, and that appeared to pose no problem whatsoever. I don't know why my account, which has a discount, would be any different than this guy's.
Ah, wait. I think EGBTMagus got it right in one- if they were trying to do it while salvaging the old sim card, that'd cause the problem. I used to work at an Apple store, and I've never seen anyone given a new phone, but retain their old sim. Probably for just this reason- sounds like the Geniuses screwed up.
the "free market" cell phone industry needs healing.
@CiroCoyote: holy crap. you must've been mighty annoyed to choose BEST BUY over...well anywhere really
Yep. Because when things work out all simple and clean, no one writes the internet sob stories about it.
In my experience, if someone's job title is an informal term of respect, run away. Very far, very fast. If they have to borrow a term of respect and name every employee that...odds are it's just a PR stunt. Run, don't walk. Calling a mere technician an engineer? Run. Calling average employees "genius" or "geek"? Run faster, the idiots are catching up to you.
RTFM, take a class...basic computer repair is not as complicated as they'd have you believe, and in these days of companies refusing to honor warranties for any desperate reason they can come up with, DIY skills will become more and more necessary...and really, unless you're dealing with some funky proprietary laptop design, there really isn't any excuse for not knowing certain basic things.
And yet, people keep learning to be helpless, and keep taking their precious belongings to people better described as nerd squads and morons; Why trust your data to someone who has to misappropriate a title of respect just to get by?
@vastrightwing: I happen to disagree with #2 - I think AT&T is great. The data plan is the same as the BlackBerry personal plan (right?). And as far as #1, that only applies if you purchase things as status symbols. Lots of people have Honda Accords, it doesn't make me love mine any less.
I can't remember if it was the 2g or 3g iPhone, but mine stopped vibrating one day. One good whack against the palm of my hand fixed it. Those little motors get stuck.
- You can activate any iPhone (2g or 3g) on anyone's copy of iTunes. All you need to do is sign in with your iTunes account before you connect the phone.
- Even a locked iPhone can use any AT&T 3G SIM. Changing the SIM will deactivate the phone, and you'll need to phone home to AT&T from iTunes to activate it. When I gave my 2g iPhone to my SO, we used the 3G SIM from her old phone. iTunes connected to AT7T, she chose an iPhone plan, and it worked. Even imported her SIM contacts.
- Apple doesn't want iPhones on discounted plans, so if you have any kind of discount or sponsorship on your plan, it will FUBAR things, but AT&T can remove it if you call. (Turns out the removal is more like a temporary suspension. My discount reappeared on the next cycle, and I didn't have to do anything!)
@Lewis: My Blackberry data plan is $30/month (on ATT). It's my understanding that my friends who have iPhones pay $70/month for their data--the main reason I didn't get an iPhone. It's absurd.
I call shenanigans.
Firstly, aside from members of the military, AT&T staff and Apple employees, getting a discount on a 1st Gen (2.5G) iPhone account is next to impossible, even now. (The 3G iPhone is a very different story, and very simple to apply a discount.)
Secondly, I've had my 2.5G iPhone swapped out at an Apple store without so much as a blink over my discount -- and it had no effect on my activation. So, either Bryan was doing more than just getting a replacement phone (fried SIM, changing rate plans or trying to score an upgrade).
Thirdly, non-AT&T-owned "AT&T" stores (most mall stores are 3rd party franchises) wouldn't touch the iPhone 2.5G with a 10 foot pole because they received no bonuses or incentives from AT&T, if they were even allowed to sell them. The 3G iPhone is a different story because of the subsidy/lack of subscriber payments to Apple.
Finally, if the "blizzard" was so bad, why'd he drive to the mall with a non-functioning iPhone, in the first place?
Personally, I think this was someone emboldened by Apple's rather generous replacement policy, hoping that complaining enough would get him a free 3G iPhone, not realizing that it doesn't work that way, due to the service provider subsidy.
@keith4298: You got it, I knew it as soon as he started talking about his "discount" I have a FAN code too, so I knew this was going to be trouble for him. They just need to train the employees a little better on how to deal with FAN codes.
You know, I keep hearing about how awesome Apple's customer service is, but then I keep seeing these stories pop up on Consumerist...
@ParkPlace: Either you, or your friends, are wrong.
iPhone data plan is $30. The exact same amount as BlackBerry. In fact, with the iPhone plan you can get Microsoft Exchange support, whereas the BB plan you need to pay an extra $15/month.
If you want texting, it's extra on top of that. I pay $5 for 200 texts.
HBK - why would stories about good service show up here? Consumerist is pretty much a tabloid blog about bad service.
"Bryan says he tried to tell Apple about his experience and in response, they sent him a survey. Sigh."
If you respond to the survey with bad marks, the manager is required to call you and make things right.