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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.
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