UPDATE: Apparently, you can enter the SSN 141-11-1111 to bypass all the crap that I had to go through.
I bought Om Malik’s phone a few days ago, and, after some delibration, decided that prepaid was the way to go. Given the plan I was choosing, it would only be $5 more, but with no contract. Little did I know that I was embarking on a 24 hours of AT&T, Verizon, and Apple customer support hell trying to get my iPhone on a prepaid account. I now finally got it on a prepaid account, with my old Verizon number successfully transferred over.
It appears that the AT&T system has changed slightly, and the previous guides out there might be outdated. So, here’s the scoop on what happened, and how I finally got my iPhone activated with a prepaid account.
First Attempt: Try an invalid SS#
I followed this straightforward guide on TUAW. I put in a fake SS# and name, but I did put in my real credit card information into my iTunes account. I also put in my old Verizon number that I wanted ported over.
I hit the submit button on the 2 year contract plan, and expected to be rejected, so that I could choose a prepaid account. However, AT&T actually accepted my information and activated my iPhone! I was now the proud owner of an iPhone under the account name of “Wireless Person.” I was aghast, because now I was bound to the 2 year contract under a false name, but with my credit card.
I called up AT&T and explained the situation, and they immediately canceled my account with no repercussion. I was relieved.
Second Attempt: Try an invalid SS#, but this time, with an invalid credit card
After canceling my account, I discovered I needed to go to the AT&T store to get a new SIM card, since the one I had was burned. My iPhone was left in a zombie state where it could not be activated again.
Apparently, this happens often. I was actually charged $25 for a new SIM, but you’re NOT supposed to be charged. So, the next time you’re asked to pay for a SIM card for your iPhone, challenge them.
I returned home and decided to do the same steps, but this time, putting in an invalid credit card number. However, you can’t just choose any number, since CC numbers must satisfy the Luhn Algorithm. iTunes will check this, and will reject any number that doesn’t satisfy this constraint. Basically, look on this page to find a generated credit card number (I won’t provide this).
So, I went ahead with the same steps, but now with an invalid credit card number that would be rejected. I submitted my information again, and waited. And waited. Finally, a screen came up that told me that my activiation would require more time, and an email would be sent. Again, I was surprised, since I was expecting to be rejected immediately.
I called AT&T again, and told them my situation. The next few hours were spent trying to get another representative out of my account (presumebly, they were going to approve my credit?? Which is ridiculous). Finally, my account was rejected. I reconnected my iPhone, and chose a prepaid account. And I click submit. And, I waited. And, waited.
By this time, my patience was running out. I called AT&T again. Apparently, they were having trouble porting my number over from Verizon. The next few hours were spent talking to porting department. Apparently, since I had tried to port my number over earlier, it was conflicting with the current port. I had to actually wait until the next day to get this resolved.
Finally, after more chats with several AT&T reps, I was able to get my number ported, and my iPhone activated with a prepaid account. In total, it was about 25 hours after my initial attempt.
Summary of Steps to Prepaid Account
- Sign up for a 2 year contract with false information:
SN = 999-99-9999
Credit Card = find on this page OR put in a wrong address, security code, and date (although I haven’t verified this, it’s probably safer just to find a fully invalid #)
Name = Wireless Person
and everything else is arbitrary
If you have a number to port, make sure to put that in too. - Submit and wait. It may not reject you outright.
- If it doesn’t, and you get an email saying it will take more time, then call up AT&T and explain your situation. Also make sure to mention if you are porting a number, because an errant request may have gone through.
- They will reject your application.
- Unplug and replug in your iPhone. You should now see an option for a prepaid account.
- Choose a prepaid account and hit submit. You won’t be able to change your information, which is okay (you will fill it in later).
- Submit and wait. Your phone may not be activated immediately.
- If it isn’t, give it about 30 minutes. If it still hasn’t been activated (they will send an email if they do), call AT&T and once again, explain your situation.
- Hopefully, they will now be able to port your number, and activate the iPhone while you’re on the phone with them.
With respect to the original tutorial, this has become more complicated. The main reason is that AT&T seems to be more lax about the credit check, which in turn, will make it harder for people to get a prepaid account. Following the steps above, you should be able to get your iPhone activated within a few hours. In my case, it was worse, because I had created another false account, and my old number was being ported too many times in a day.
Alternate option with porting
Another option, if you don’t want to deal with all the porting issues while setting up a prepaid account, is to simply get a new number with the iPhone. Then, after you’ve activated your phone, you can call AT&T and port the number at a later time, which may be easier.
