AT&T Internal Apple iPhone document leaked. Prepaid iPhones, unboxing, credit checks, and more!
For anyone that thought we’d actually stop running iPhone coverage, you’re crazy! Now, on to the good stuff. Thanks to an exclusively obtained leaked document, we’re prepared to take you on a journey to iLand. Wondering how the lines will be handled for the Apple iPhone launch tomorrow? What accessories will we be able to buy? Perhaps the most important information is how these usually unorganized, release-date-slippin’, and sometimes downright obnoxious AT&T employees will handle all of this in a four hour time frame. Well here we go! When you arrive at your local iSpot, you will be formally organized by a member of AT&T management. Once you pass the first obstacle and actually get to the cash drawer, the sales rep will then attempt to perform a credit check on you before they sell you the phone and send you packin’. Want to know about the accessories, deposit, prepaid options and more? Check ‘em out after the jump!
According to the document, all AT&T reps have to at least offer to do a credit check to try and get you pre-approved for service, before they sell you the device. This is actually a kind-hearted gesture to make sure that when you get home to try and activate your iPhone, you won’t have to pony up $250 as a security deposit. And it helps AT&T track the devices to receive sales compensation. Sneaky sneaky! The problem is you can’t make that security deposit through iTunes, so you’ll have to come back to the store to give them that $250. Worse is the 10% restocking fee if the box is opened and you decide you don’t want it. If you do a credit check to get pre-approved and pass, or fail and give AT&T the security deposit, you will receive a authorization code you can enter into iTunes to speed up the activation process. AT&T employees are not allowed to so much as stare at that shiny seal on your iPhone box — you don’t have to worry about some freak unboxing your baby! In fact, they literally put the iPhone into an Apple bag (classy right?), scan it, seal the Apple bag with the phone inside, and then give it to you.
Assuming you actually make it into the store, be prepared to get offered every iPhone accessory in stock. But what accessories will be available? We gotcha’ covered. Apple’s Bluetooth headset will be in stock tomorrow (14 day return policy as opposed to the normal 30 days for accessories) as well as extra docks, travel chargers, headphones, USB cables, and a host of 3rd party solutions which you can find below in the document. So let’s say you make it home, unbox your brand new iPhone, but wait…it’s defective and DOA. Oh no! You cannot bring defective iPhones back to the AT&T store. You will have to send it to Apple directly. Regular returns can be returned to the point of purchase.
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What happens if your credit isn’t up to snuff? Well, after and only after you fail the iTunes credit check (or the one in the store for that matter), an option will show up on screen to activate the iPhone as a Go Phone. Huh, Go Phone? Prepaid? You’re damn right, we called it! No contract required whatsoever. Mind you this is not a PAYG deal, rather it’s the Go Phone Pick Your Plan option. But still, you don’t have a contract! The last thing we’ll touch on, is the fact AT&T stores will start selling $25 and $50 iTunes gift cards. Ain’t that genius! We got a lot more info out of this 60-some page document below for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy everyone!
UPDATE: The entire 65-page Apple iPhone Launch Guide is now posted below!
Apple/AT&T iPhone Participant Training Guide Key Points [PDF link]
Apple/AT&T iPhone Participant Training Guide Full 65-page docment [PDF link]
Any way to force your credit check to fail? I have good credit but don’t want any stinkin contract!
And also…..just read through the PDF
A few things of Note:
“MMS and IM messages are included in the customer’s iPhone Data Plan” (!!!!!!!!!) WTF?!?!?!
I have nothing else to give to the iPhone. I am ready for Friday to come and go so we can move to phase two, how is it working for people.
Forgive my bluntness but this is the internet but I need to know:
Which BG staffer is sleeping with a (male or female, hey its 2007 you never know) Cingular (I dont call it AT&T) staff members for all this information?
BG is it you my dude?
BGR = THE SHIT EVEN ON APPLE NEWS!! HATERS
Why are you so critical of the business practices at ATT? It’s getting old.
Constant clamoring about how they are trying to trick us, sneak around us or screw us is useless. Is it quite possible that they do things because it makes it easier for customers or drives customer satisfaction? You are not every customer.
Give the bashing a rest…
Any indication of how the data portion of the prepaid service is handled? The prepaid voice portion is a lot cheaper because I really don’t use the phone as a phone much – I plan to use the data portion heavily but the phone hardly at all.
I don’t see any data plans listed when I visit the AT&T web site and visit the prepaid plan site.
It seems almost like I should hope I flunk the credit check … but only if I can get the data plan added to the monthly fee.
D
“Why are you so critical of the business practices at ATT? It’s getting old.”
What is with your love of them? Just as a good patriot always questions the motivations and actions of his government, I good consumer is always skeptical of the methods employed by huge semi-monopolistic corporations who love to screw over customers in any market they have little competition so as to make their shareholders (and executives) richer.
/Yes, I AM an AT&T hater, and I have ten years’ worth of negative experiences to draw from.
David – you can’t break the two apart and pay for only data.
Roger – welcome to America dude. I have no love affair, but I’m sick of everything being tilted on this site as “whoa is us” and “we get screwed.” Everything from ATT is pretty much on par with competition and they are just as concerned with churn as any other service revenue business in this country. They obviously aren’t trying to “screw” everyone.
yeah at&t is not doing anything out of the ordinary here.
BG, i retract my previous criticism, good find here. Although i think your insulting the employees who likely gave you this info seems harsh. They dont really get paid enough to really car ein my opinion.
Anyways good info and I will atleast go to see the device if i dont get one.
Data plans are available on the apple website.
So much for the two days of no iPhone, and to think people were b**** about not getting any news and whatnot. Boy, as my kids would say, “they were salted”. LOL
Haha. Did everyone check out the full 65-page one that just went up?? Got a LOT of info in there!
Does anyone know what this means (Voice Dial!)?:
If you cannot pass a credit check @ at&t you don’t need to be getting an iPhone. But if you still really want one you could try using your baby’s momma’s SSN I guess.
You can force the credit check to fail by transposing a digit in your SSN
Notice how BG didn’t answer my original question!
Transposing?
So, if I fail the credit check, which I wont, but if I take a friend and have him fail it, then when they offer the prepaid plan, would that be like the monthly 59.99, 79.99, etc plans with the data voice and SMS?
Would I still need to give 250.00?
And if I wanted to cancel the plan at any time do I still have to return the phone?
I got in a fight last week with an AT&T rep about him not recieving commission for iphone purchases, I told him “I’m leaving the store without activating.” he said “No you’re not.” Guess who’s right? Cell phone reps are worse than used car salesman, they’re dishonest and sneaky. I’ve been a salesman, I know. I don’t understand why you want to defend them.
It sounds silly since the iPhone doesn’t support IM or MMS at this time, but that’s the way that AT&T’s messaging plans work regardless of what phone you have.
Marvin, i dont think they have to sleep with anyone. I think all it takes is either a good friend or some $$ and its done. This site thrives on NDA being broken and employees leaking info, if you were right BG would be one tired guy and i dont think it would be “Boy” Genius.
No you cannot transpose because it will instead send your credit to “Analyst Review.” Once we talk to the AR rep and give them the correct SSN, THEN we will get a response on whether there is a deposit.
The “Pick Your Plan” plans suck though compared to regular plans. They are the same price as the regular plans but you get less minutes and only the highest plan has free M2M and the two highest have free Nights and Weekends.
Yeah, that is right, the data is in the all inclusive plan for the iphone. actually he phone itself needs to have voice and data to work at all. which means that if you want your iphone to work for the next 2yrs you have to have the voice and data plan. which means that if you get the prepaid option, well if you want to have your iphone orking for the next 2yrs well you have to have the voice and data plan which will mirror the post paid plans prices!
VoiceDial – *8 it is a 4.99 feature that lets you dial phone numbers, names by your voice. It is a high end voice activated system. You can ask for weather, stock, sports, jokes, time… even send voice notes to other callers without calling their number. You never have to hang up the phone just keep saying phone numbers or tell it to time that you want it to call you back for an important meeting.
you can leave the store if you want but the rep still gets paid! sounds like he actually wins. He sells you the phone and gets you outta his face, when you go home thinking that he is not getting paid you are wrong. when you activate the phone itunes sends at&t your activation which part of that is the IMEI number(the phones serial number) being that he sold you that phone with that IMEI number he then gets paid, with you doing all of the work! HAHAHA easy money