Things I learned today about selling subsidized iPhones
- Thread starter Ns1
- Start date
midwestfisherman
Diamond Member
- Dec 6, 2003
- 3,564
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I sell a lot of iphones and I do notice something new that if you plug in a non data plan ie pay as you go sims, it never activates and prompts you to put in a sim that is for the network...
this never happen is ios 5 or prior..
this never happen is ios 5 or prior..
Rakehellion
Lifer
- Jan 15, 2013
- 12,181
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Well, yeah. That's how all phones are activated. The wireless company doesn't need to physically access your SIM.
But a better tip: AT&T will unlock your phone for you if you ask which should net you a few extra dollars on the resale. https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/client/en_US/termsAndCondition
But a better tip: AT&T will unlock your phone for you if you ask which should net you a few extra dollars on the resale. https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/client/en_US/termsAndCondition
MotionMan
Lifer
- Jan 11, 2006
- 17,124
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Koing
Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
- Oct 11, 2000
- 16,843
- 2
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most likely because he never activated the phone/SIM it never "signed" a contract, so he was charged the unsubsidized price since it was out of the 30 day return window.
That's kind of hilarious to think about.
Sucks though.
EDIT: Thinking about it though, if that did happen, shouldn't he then just be able to buy another for the subsidized price and sell it off? Might manage to break about even then.
- Jun 17, 2001
- 55,420
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Sorry, totally forgot about this.
To activate your NIB iPhone bought using a subsidy, you need the last 4 digits of the SSN used to purchase said iPhone to activate it. So, if you didn't activate it before selling it, the person who you sold it to won't be able to activate the phone without the last 4 digits of your SSN. I am not giving out that info, thus my sale is rendered worthless.
Moral of story: Get AT&T to activate your NIB subsidized iPhone, then immediately deactivate it.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1470946
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5091616
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1460965
To activate your NIB iPhone bought using a subsidy, you need the last 4 digits of the SSN used to purchase said iPhone to activate it. So, if you didn't activate it before selling it, the person who you sold it to won't be able to activate the phone without the last 4 digits of your SSN. I am not giving out that info, thus my sale is rendered worthless.
Moral of story: Get AT&T to activate your NIB subsidized iPhone, then immediately deactivate it.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1470946
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5091616
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1460965
- Jun 17, 2001
- 55,420
- 1,600
- 126
I don't know, I was looking for a silver one on swappa and the Gold ones are still going for a pretty nice premium.
- Jun 17, 2001
- 55,420
- 1,600
- 126
- Jun 17, 2001
- 55,420
- 1,600
- 126
Well things just got ridiculous.
today, 2 months after the initial sale (approx), the iPhone5s was automatically activated. So now somewhere out there in the world, is my iphone5s activated using my number ready to go.
Of course, I contacted someone from ATT yesterday (and apple) who said that this wouldn't happen.
So now, I had to suspend my current line to make sure the other phone doesn't receive my calls. I'm off to the ATT store to get a new SIM card for my current phone, in order to deactivate the other 5s. Goddamn I should just kept the fucking 5s.
today, 2 months after the initial sale (approx), the iPhone5s was automatically activated. So now somewhere out there in the world, is my iphone5s activated using my number ready to go.
Of course, I contacted someone from ATT yesterday (and apple) who said that this wouldn't happen.
So now, I had to suspend my current line to make sure the other phone doesn't receive my calls. I'm off to the ATT store to get a new SIM card for my current phone, in order to deactivate the other 5s. Goddamn I should just kept the fucking 5s.
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How does this happen? How can your buyer activate your line on a random SIM? Why would your buyer even know your number? If you gave your buyer the nano SIM that ATT gave you when you bought the phone, that SIM number may have been placed on hold waiting for activation on your account, so when your buyer called in and gave them that SIM number ATT just activated your line on it without asking questions. But that's just your stupidity for giving him a free SIM that was potentially attached to your account, waiting for activation.
Also just so you know, you don't need a new SIM card, just have ATT reactivate your old SIM again, the subscriber ID is the same no need to get a new one. The problem is your buyer now probably knows your phone number and may try to impersonate you again. Put a PIN on your account and warn ATT to always ask for any kind of change.
Good luck.
- Jun 17, 2001
- 55,420
- 1,600
- 126
First, ATT (and especially not Apple) doesn't care to activate your new SIM card. All they care is that you pay your bill, or pay the ETF if you cancel. They couldn't care less what you do with your phone. What you must have done is agreed to a plan change on the 2 year commitment which was put on hold until the new phone is activated. It's in ATT's best interest to move you to this plan (to collect your subsidy), so that's why they auto-activated. Next time make sure you clarify with your sales person, and make the new 2-year plan you committed to start right away on your current SIM. And you won't be bothered.
Second, no iPhones come sealed with a SIM inside (except for T-Mobile), so that is BS. The phone must either be opened by the sales person to insert a SIM, or if the phone is shipped it's up to the user to insert it. This is pretty much where you messed up, because if you were still in possession of the new SIM, you could have just popped that into your existing phone and be done (assuming your current phone also takes a nano SIM).
Third, ATT should be able to re-activate the SIM in your current phone. In fact the SIM that's in your phone is actually still in their system under your account as a previously used SIM. Generally speaking, giving them the last 4 digits of it is enough to identify it, and re-activating it will automatically disconnect the other one. Anybody telling you that you need a new SIM is misinformed.
I do this stuff everyday so I'm telling you the truth. Anyways good luck.
Second, no iPhones come sealed with a SIM inside (except for T-Mobile), so that is BS. The phone must either be opened by the sales person to insert a SIM, or if the phone is shipped it's up to the user to insert it. This is pretty much where you messed up, because if you were still in possession of the new SIM, you could have just popped that into your existing phone and be done (assuming your current phone also takes a nano SIM).
Third, ATT should be able to re-activate the SIM in your current phone. In fact the SIM that's in your phone is actually still in their system under your account as a previously used SIM. Generally speaking, giving them the last 4 digits of it is enough to identify it, and re-activating it will automatically disconnect the other one. Anybody telling you that you need a new SIM is misinformed.
I do this stuff everyday so I'm telling you the truth. Anyways good luck.
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- Jun 17, 2001
- 55,420
- 1,600
- 126
I never opened up the iPhone5s before shipping it off, so you tell me what happened when Apple automatically activated it. My current phone died (ie sim deactivated) and the ATT CSR said the other phone would start receiving my calls/txts.
The fact that I never opened up the box and it's now somehow activated tells me that there is a SIM inside the phone already when it shipped. They most certainly could not have expected me to put my current sim into the new phone (current meaning my phone at the time I upgraded using my subsidy), since my current phone (4s) has a different sized sim card than the new phone (5s).
I am 100% sure there was a sim card in it because I ordered 2 iPhone5's and did in fact activate 1. The one that I myself activated already had a sim card inside. I'm not saying that you're lying, I'm saying that you're wrong.
I'll update this thread after I stop by the ATT store.
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ControlD
Diamond Member
- Apr 25, 2005
- 5,440
- 44
- 91
So basically you guys are suggesting that for Verizon and ATT phones, they insert SIM cards in China during production (with severe issues if product volume needs to be re-allocated to another carrier), or that these two carriers go to the trouble of re-shrink wrapping all their phones?
Do you see how neither one adds up? I don't claim to be 100% right, but at least in Canada I have never seen a shrink wrapped iPhone with a SIM already in the tray.
ControlD
Diamond Member
- Apr 25, 2005
- 5,440
- 44
- 91
I was assuming my phone came from Verizon, not directly from China. I believe it was in a Verizon box when I received it so I was guessing Verizon put the card in there. I didn't even know I had a SIM in there until I needed to exchange the phone for a hardware defect.
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