Confirmed: iPhone 3G hack - buy, cancel contract, keep phone - sort of works
- September 17th, 2008
- 9 Comments
Reader Mike writes:
I recently sent you guys an e-mail about how I was going to try to get the iPhone 3G and then cancel the AT&T service within the first 30 day to avoid an early termination fee. Well, the [charming folks] got me. I tried canceling it and it turns out if you cancel within the first 30 days Apple AND AT&T want you to return the iPhone wherever you bought it from, PLUS pay a 10% restocking fee. So, luckily I bought 2 of them for $660 with tax included. I am going to pay almost $400 in termination fees but one iPhone is on eBay right now and it is racked up to $600 so far (4 days left). Hopefully it will go higher so some of my money will get paid back to me and I’ll eventually just be paying the normal $300 for the first iPhone that I’m keeping. To wrap everything up you will ALWAYS have to pay an early termination fee or turn in your iPhone no matter what. Can’t they just give us a break?
I bought a SIM card called iSmart. www.kuso8888.com sold it to me. My T-Mobile service shows up for a little bit then goes back to No Service. The SIM card goes right under my T-Mobile SIM and I insert them together.
So wait a second, Michael, you actually got what you wanted: you bought two iPhones, got out of the contract, and basically made back your entire investment in aftermarket sales. With a little elbow grease an know how you can easily get the 3G to run any GSM network. I’d say your experiment was a success. Anyone else try this?
Jay Gaignun (Who am I?)
2 months ago
Seems to me that he bought 2 iPhones, held onto them for 30+ days, then cancelled both lines. So, he got hit with the etf summing up $400. He’s selling one on ebay, but what is he talking about with the second $300 one?
I understand the T-Mobile bit, but hm… wouldn’t it just be easier to jailbreak the bad boy?
Michael Burke (Who am I?)
2 months ago
I only had them for 3 days now and still got hit with the early termination fee. They don’t allow you to skip on the early term fee if you bought the iPhone. If the one sells on ebay for about $700 you take my total $660 (2 iPhones) + $350 (etf) = $1,010 (total) - $700 (extra iphone sold on ebay) = $310 for 1 iPhone I get to keep.
That sums it all up for you.
Also, jailbreaking is only to get 3rd party applications, it doesn’t unlock the phone. There is no unlocking software yet for the 3G to work with any other network; only SIM unlocks are.
natalia (Who am I?)
2 months ago
i have a question i read that you can buy the iphone without contract and you will have to pay 400$ additional to the price is this option available? i do not care to pay more i just want the iphone
Flamingo Hotel Laughlin (Who am I?)
2 months ago
I think it took too much time to do this
Marc (Who am I?)
2 months ago
Cheapest way to legally aquire an iPhone 3G (aside from eBay)-
AFAIK, the ETF is a set $175.00 USD. If you cancel a 2 yr. agreement after the first 30 days, you pay the ETF and keep the iPhone - you have also already paid the 1st month’s (at least $70.00) worth of service as well.
Slightly more expensive legal way -
If you were permitted to purchase the iPhone 3G outright w/o contract(is a failed credit check still needed to do this?).
Also check out -
http://www.phonenews.com/iphone-3g-the-dirty-faq-3734/
camilo (Who am I?)
2 months ago
do u have to pay the monthly charge included… oh and does that ruin your credit.. i went into bestbuy the other day and they told me if u get the iphone with the 2yr contract and try to end it that it will eventually ruin ur credit …and they willl charge u 500 for the phone u didnt return that u have to return the phone when u end the contract,,,, idk what to do ? i was approved for no doposit but i dont want to ruin my credit but i like the phone alot!!!!!!!
anyone who knows write back thanks…
iCarlos (Who am I?)
2 months ago
Please explein me more about the sim you bought, i wanna buy one like that but im not sure. PLEASE.
jason (Who am I?)
1 month ago
I have 5 lines with AT&T, and get 5 iphones at different apple store. Before apple notice that, I have alreay got 50 iphones already. They don’t let me get no more. BTW, I bought all the unlock sim from http://www.kuso8888.com. They give me a pretty good deal on that. Those sims work great except a couple one don’t work. But they exchange them for me.
jason (Who am I?)
1 month ago
I have 5 lines with AT&T, and get 5 iphones at different apple store. Before apple notice that, I have alreay got 50 iphones already. They don’t let me get no more. BTW, I bought all the unlock sim from http://www.kuso8888.com. They give me a pretty good deal on that. Those sims work great except a couple one don’t work. But they exchange them for me.