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Posted on 07/03/2007 8:01:44 PM PDT by angkor
iPhone Activation Disasters
Three hours after getting my hands on one, I am ready to drop the thing from the 44th floor of the New York Hilton.
I was so excited flying from my home in Halifax to New York this morning--I was getting an iPhone! But three hours after getting my hands on one, I am ready to drop the thing from the 44th floor of the New York Hilton--and I probably would if I was sure it would hit someone from AT&T. Earlier this week I transferred my Macworld business account to an individual account solely for the purpose of getting an iPhone--I had to since business plans don't qualify for the iPhone. I know for a fact that I'm not the only person who had to do this--and judging from the wait time I'm having on tech support, I'm not the only one having problems.
When I tried to activate my account, I got an error message that said my account couldn't be used with the iPhone. I called AT&T and explained the situation--the service-provider checked the account and said I definitely have a qualifying account. The tech support person checked all kinds of other things and said I should be all set to activate.
No go.
AT&T then said I had to call Apple; I was transferred to Apple iPhone tech support. After explaining the problem, the Apple tech support person asked me to wait while he read some documentation and advised me he would be gone for about four minutes. Four minutes later, we were disconnected without speaking further.
When you get an error activating, a special number comes up. I called it and a recording said they were having technical difficulties and couldn't help me right now and to please call back later.
I decided to call AT&T back again. The person I got said that my account was still listed as a business account--well, that can't be, I changed it. She said I needed to be transferred to another person who would definitely be able to help me.
I explained my problem to the new person who said that my account was most definitely an individual account, not a business account and they didn't know why I couldn't activate it. They needed to transfer me to someone who would be able to help me.
Starting to see a trend here? I explained my problem to the new person who said it could be a business account, and they needed to transfer me. Apparently a password was set on my account when it was transferred and they needed the password in order to check things further.
"But I didn't set a password on the account," I said. AT&T said, for security reasons, it couldn't do anything else until the password was removed.
"OK, remove the password," I said.
Nope, that had to be done at an AT&T retail store where I had to show ID. OK, there is one across the street from the Hilton on Avenue of the Americas in New York.
So, off I went. I explained the situation and said I needed my password removed. The clerk said the store wasn't doing anything but selling iPhones today and that if I needed anything else, I would have to come back tomorrow.
I left in a huff and called AT&T support back again. I explained the situation and they said they needed to--yes, smart readers--transfer me to someone that could help me.
I have been on tech support for a couple of hours, been hung up on once and have been transferred no less than 12 times so far.
And I'm still on hold with AT&T.
If I see that guy from the AT&T Store across the street, this phone is going out the window.
And I see that my colleague Dan Moren is having problems getting his iPhone to work as well. So, Macworld is currently 0-for-2 when it comes to working iPhones; hopefully, our West Coast editors will have better luck.
I wonder if Steve Jobs will rue the day he chose AT&T only for its branding, but without sufficient due diligence on its atrocious customer and technical support.
IMO, there's a strong possibility if not probability that AT&T support problems could noticeably impede iPhone sales.
Anyway, here are some in-the-money August puts for AAPL:
120.00 QAATD.X 3.80 Down 2.20 3.80 3.90 11,108 23,067
125.00 APVTE.X 5.70 Down 2.90 5.70 5.80 4,047 3,002
Wouldn’t AT&T would love to screw Apple...
I would never use AT&T again. Absolute worst customer sservice I ever had. No way no how.
Yep.....marrying the iPhone to AT&T for such a long period of time, in my opinion, was a HUGE mistake.
Don’t throw it out the window. Sell it on EBay...I’m told they’re bringing thousands.
(Much as I would love would to type straight...)
AT&T... We sure did miss you!
Mark
Wahhh-wahhh-wahhh.
I work for MacWorld.
Wahhh-wahhh-wahhh.
I worship Steve Jobs like a god.
Wahh-wahhh-wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
I’m going to pout in my hotel room all weekened because my jesus phone won’t activate properly. Oh the humanity.
Wahhh-wahhhh-wahhhh
He should drop it on Paris Hilton.
With truly important topics to discuss, that there’d be a thread devoted to whining about iphones is, I suppose, a measure of the strength of our society.
I keep telling myself that.
I bet doing tech support for Mr. Dalrymple is an absolute joy...
No way would I go back to AT&T, Cingular, or whatever they choose to brand themselves next month. After they royally screwed up their billing systems then sent their customer NoHelpWhatSoEver desk to India, forget about it.
Funny. I had very similar problems when I got a blackberry. It worked fine at first, then 3 days later stopped accepting or placing calls. I called, they “sold” me a new package and said I needed it to make the phone work (BS because the phone worked fine for days without it). But I had to be transferred to the blackberry support. Call dropped during the transfer. Call back, transfer goes OK, but they say I need something else added. Then the phone starts to work after a hard reboot (which probably would’ve fixed the problem to begin with). Then, though, SMS stops working which I didn’t realize until a week later. Call again, the guy says “you bought the wrong package” but that the package I did need was cheaper. Great I said, but what about SMS? Oh, you need to add SMS.
Now, I had all this on my old PDA phone and never had a problem. Unlimited internet, unlimited SMS etc.... but those plans are not allowed on the blackberry. You need more expensive plans, to pay Blackberry a fee and AT&T a fee. We’re the suckers. I resisted a cell phone for so long, and I knew why I never wanted one. They allow complete intrusion into your life. Talking to someone face to face and someone’s phone rings. You real life is put on hold because you “have to answer the phone”. Happens all the time. I hate cell phones for that reason.
“Yep.....marrying the iPhone to AT&T for such a long period of time, in my opinion, was a HUGE mistake.”
Version 1.0, yes. I will not buy an iPhone as long as AT&T is the only carrier - not only did I fire them in rage, but their attitudes and policies about customer info when the Fed comes knocking seals the deal I will never give them a dime ever again. Most of my friends and coworkers feel the same - a lot of them are early adopters when it comes to Apple, and I usually see the new iPods and laptops and stuff within a day or two of them being released, or hearing people say they are saving for one, and I don’t know anyone that bought one.
I’m predicting huge first week sales, and a plummet after, based on AT&T and the stories that are coming out of activation woes and the horrific customer support. Apple has to find a way to open these phones up to other systems, or AT&T will kill it.
Now, version 1.5 or 2 of the iPhone, which could theoretically be released in October with Leopard...that might not be locked into AT&T. The minute they release one for another carrier, they have a sale from me. From what I see the hardware is rock solid, the software very good, and the integration with Leopard looks to be very, very cool.
I am still vastly disapointed with Verizon for not signing the deal for the iPhone, I love them, and their phone support is top notch. I understand that they felt their network could’nt handle it, but c’mon...you blew it...
I’m eligible for a new phone, my contract is up, but the new phones Verizon has are so...meh...compared to the iPhone...and I don’t want a Blackberry or Treo, because I’m Mac based. Everyone I know that has a razor hates it, and I don’t need a camera or TV or proprietary DRM music that doesnt work with iTunes.
Verizon, help me get an iPhone!
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I'd have thought some computer-guy columnist sort would have known that.
Who in the hell pays $700-1K for a phone and 1.5k a year for service anyway?
What does this thing do? A happy dance in yer pants?
Right now on eBay they are bringing $600-$900.
Everyone I know that has a razor hates it.
I thought I was the only one who didn’t like my razr. I will stick with it because it cost too much money and i was stupid enough to buy it. I do intend to go back to my old phone which is obsolete but uses the same sim card. I will miss the camera tho.
I believe it is 1.5 k for the two year length of the contract
It was my understanding from a WSJ article a month or two back that Apple was locked in with AT&T by time frame and not device. I’m by no means 100% sure, but it seems that the article went out of its way to point out the fact that Apple & AT&T were joined at the hip in the cell phone market for at least two years.
Ah...
I hate contracts
I haven't seen those percentages anywhere yet (and I've been looking for stats on iPhone issues). Can you provide a link/documentation for me?
Well, they’ve come down then.
AT&T?? never again, switched to Verizon a couple of years ago, company mandate, and have never looked back.
iPhone sales estimates as high as 700,000
Jim Dalrymple - MacCentral
Mon Jul 2, 6:46 PM ET
It will be a while before the official numbers come in, but some Wall Street analysts say that Apple might have sold as many as 700,000 iPhones over the device’s opening weekend.
That figure comes from Goldman Sachs analyst David Bailey, who had projected 350,000 units sold prior to Friday’s launch.
Other analysts also projected robust sales for the weekend. Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster put sales at about 500,000 units, more than double the 200,000 he forecast before the iPhone went on sale.
“Apple has really met expectations and delivered the product they promised to deliver,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director at JupiterResearch. “If the initial forecasts of sales are correct they have blown away everyone's expectations, except perhaps their own.”
Not every analyst saw the weekend as a success. JP Morgan analyst Bill Shope pegged sales at approximately 312,000 for the weekend and said in a note to clients that demand may have been a bit disappointing.
It’s clear that the iPhone generated a lot of interest on Friday’s launch day. Some shoppers reported delays in activation, which some analysts attributed to high volume; AT&T said most issues have been resolved.
Approximately two percent of users have reportedly been affected by activation issues. Analysts don’t see the problems over the first couple of days affecting the iPhone over the long term.
“This is a new process, but most of it was you had 500,000 people trying to activate their iPhones over one weekend,” said Gartenberg. “There is a certain frustration when you spend $600 for a device and want use it right away, but it’s not something that’s going to happen all the time.";
It’s not unprecedented for high digital sales to slow down service. Last December, busy holiday sales overwhelmed the iTunes Store as shoppers redeemed their digital gift certificates.
After using the device for the weekend and weighing the affects of the AT&T activation issues, analysts believe the iPhone itself and the launch events that took place around the country have been successful.
’It’s hard to sell 50,000 units let alone 500,000 — that means they really hit the consumer consciousness,” said Gartenberg.
“Clearly, the launch was executed very well,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at The NPD Group. “The iPhone design reflects the level of flexibility that lies ahead for the industry.”
Activation issues resolved
By Jim Dalrymple
So, to pick up from where we left off last night… After going from the excitement of flying to New York and getting my iPhone to the disappointment over being unable to activate, thanks to some troubles with AT&T, I am pleased to report that I now have a fully functioning mobile phone.
I flew home from New York Saturday morning with a new determination to get my iPhone working. I spoke with a nice gentleman, Peter, that had the knowledge to answer my questions and the know-how to implement whatever changes that needed to be made to get my iPhone working.
Thanks, Peter.
As compared to the frustrations of a day ago, the activation process that I saw today was incredibly easy and straightforward. I plugged in my iPhone and iTunes opened; I filled in my information; chose my data package; agreed to the terms and a two-year agreement; and clicked submit.
The iPhone screen said that it was waiting for activation, so I clicked continue in iTunes and named my phone—by the time I did that, the iPhone had been activated. That is the process I was expecting with the iPhone all along.
As for anyone out there still having problems getting their phone up and running, AT&T has several numbers that you can call including a number—877/419-4500—that comes up in iTunes.
I have had a little time to play around with the iPhone and will post my thoughts on the features soon, both here and at iPhone Central.
Thanks so much for your valuable input.
Not.
The product is misnamed. It should be called the “iDontActivate.”
Sounds like the problem was with AT&T, not Apple. They should have gone with Sprint.
Can anyone tell I am frustrated?
Live is hard for yuppie scum.
I haven’t been following every detail of the iPhone saga, but isn’t Verizon a CDMA network, and the iPhone GSM?
I can’t see how that would have worked.
Someone on an earlier thread argued that Jobs chose AT&T for its 60 million customers. I think that’s bogus. T-Mobile has 30 million customers in the US and who knows how many in Europe, where the company predominates.
I’d bet my last nickel that Jobs insisted on AT&T for the branding, which is normally one of his strengths as a marketig guy.
He should have taken some advice from JD Power or Consumer Reports.
T-Mobile has great customer service...their coverage is the pits, however. I had them when they were VoiceStream and loved the support, but the first time I REALLY NEEDED my cell phone in an emergency, I couldn’t make a call. My daughter and I were in a car wreck on the highway a couple of hundred miles from home and we couldn’t get a signal. Switched to Sprint after that. After 2 years of their nasty support, T-Mobile promised us they had better coverage than before. They do, but only a little bit.
My current contract runs out in a few months...I was going to go with AT&T, but not so sure after reading all of this. Maybe by that time, Verizon will have the iPhone and I’ll have my husband talked into springing for one. ;-)
I kind of have to laugh at all this, having been an early adopter in an earlier life (80s and 90s). Now I get by with my $9.00/month Tracfone and a 1999 Compaq Laptop. Never a bit of trouble with the Tracfone and I switched to Linux on the laptop when MSFT$hit got too bloated for it.
I love my razr. Of course I only use it for phone calls.
All well and good, but have you looked at the Consumer Reports or JD Power customer service ratings for AT&T, pre-iPhone?
In fact you can go to just about any site that reviews cellphones and you'll find tons of AT&T/Cingular horror stories.
I'm not anti-Apple, I'm just baffled that Jobs went with AT&T, which has a worse customer service rep than even Sprint. Sprint!!
That's saying a lot.
AT&T is the only IPhone carrier because they have put up a lot of their own money to get the IPhone up and running. IOW Apple made a large investment in it and so did AT&T. AT&T has provided lots of its cell phone expertise. I view it as a joint venture between the two though that seems to have a two year expiration date where IPhone will also be available on other cell phone providers
FWIW... If it was pre-2005 then it’s all new people. AT&T was bought out by Cingular. Which then was rebranded by AT&T when they bought BellSouth.
Chill, bro.
We took down Shamnesty last week, against all odds and with a huge amount of work.
Not till 2009. AT&T exclusive till then.
Apple's original preference was for Verizon... but they refused to make any changes in the voice mail. Essentially, if Apple had gone with them, one of the major improvements would have been missing. Cingular was willing to allow Apple to modify their servers to handle visual voice mail service. Ergo, they got the nod.
Actually, the Apple and AT&T agreement is a five year exclusive contract for iPhones in the US.
Ok, I heard 2 but I’ll admit I am only slightly alert to the AT&T/iPhone details.
Amen. I swore off of AT&T years ago. When they bought out Cingular I vowed to change service next time my contract is up. Hate 'em!
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