Clean, untoachable iPhone needs replaced -- how?

January 5, 2009 6:34 PM

My iPhone is broken and not covered by warranty (water damage), what is my best option (b/c ATT won't let me just buy another iPhone)?

My iPhone was washed, it comes on but the touchscreen is still unresponsive after a week of drying.

The water sensor is clearly tripped and there's not an Apply Store within a few hundred miles (for "playing dumb"). ATT tells me I can't buy a new iPhone without adding a new contract. I can add a new number to my line, get a new iPhone, but for $20-30 extra per month and $300 for a new phone, the total cost is twice of that on ebay. Canceling my account ($150) and beginning another (I really love my iPhone) is cheaper than adding a new line.

1) What's the deal with iPhones on ebay? Pop my SIM card in, cross my fingers and it works?

2) Are there any other options I'm missing?

3) Theories on why it's a good idea for ATT/Apple to not let me simply buy a new iPhone?

posted by jacobjacobs to technology (12 comments total)

3) The price of an iPhone is subsidized by what they expect to collect from you over the course of your contract - in other words, they sell the phone below cost and make up for it after a year or two. So selling a replacement phone, at the same price as the original, with no new contract means they take a loss.
posted by zippy at 6:41 PM on January 5

could you go to walmart? they are selling iphones now
posted by edmcbride at 6:45 PM on January 5

AT&T is selling refurbished 8gb 3G iPhones for $99, and 16gb refurbished 3G models for $199. You can order one via the AT&T Wireless Web site... I'll see if I can find a link.

Buying one of these refurbished phones is probably your best bet. I was able to get a refurbished phone from the Apple store after I dropped mine (for $299), but would have ordered from AT&T if I'd known about the lower prices there.
posted by killdevil at 6:49 PM on January 5

Well, here's the link:

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phones/refurb-phones.jsp

However, it looks like the $99 deal expired at the end of December, and the phones are now going for $50 more.

Still not a bad deal compared to the alternatives.

Oh, and you probably know this already, but Apple stores check explicitly for water damage - there are visible water-damage dye indicators on the walls of the SIM card and USB cable ports - and will not sell you a phone at the subsidized $199 or $299 prices if you bring in a water-damaged phone (they can't refurbish it if it's water-damaged). So even if you had an Apple store nearby, playing dumb wouldn't work.
posted by killdevil at 6:56 PM on January 5

The refurb phones at $99 are only with a two year contract (or eligible upgrade to an existing account). Your best bet is to call up AT&T and work up the ladder to get them to sell you an iPhone at regular price - that will unfortunately be much higher than $99 or $199. If you can buy one on eBay, there should be no reason you can't get it to work with your existing plan/SIM card.
posted by shinynewnick at 7:00 PM on January 5

By a refurb phone and sell your water-damaged phone on eBay. You'll be shocked at the prices people will pay for water-damaged iPhones. You'll probably end up around breakeven.
posted by jeb at 7:23 PM on January 5

Also, for the record, Apple WILL sell you a new phone at a subsidized price to replace your iPhone, but it will not receive the full subsidy, and it will restart your contract. It's like $400 for a 3G 8GB I think (IIRC unlocked no-subsidy 3G iPhones are like $700?)
posted by jeb at 7:25 PM on January 5

Re: refurb deal
I tried this, it requires upgrade or adding another line -- I can't (early) upgrade until Jan 2010.
posted by jacobjacobs at 7:49 PM on January 5

I am (was) in the exact same situation, I dropped my iPhone 3G in a toilet on Christmas. After four months, living sans iPhone 3G wasn't really an option. I was clearly still in contract, so getting any of the "upgrade" deals wasn't possible.

Then I stumbled upon this Howardforums thread, which points out that through a AT&T Premier account, you can buy a contract-free iPhone. New ones are as expected - $400 for a 8GB, but only $200/$300 for a refurbished 8GB/16GB. This purchase won't extend your existing contract for two years, but Apple requires a two year commitment from the purchase date.

There were some problems on the AT&T side, claimed to be "computer problems" but I bet they were canceled due to people flipping the refurbs on eBay for an easy $150 - but after a lengthy phone call, I did receive my phone. It's actually syncing right now.

I'll also turn around and dump the damaged phone on eBay to recoup some of the cost. After taking it apart (!!) and drying it, it does work for the most part, but I got overzealous and after repeated disassembly/reassembly, I made it worse.
posted by meowzilla at 8:38 PM on January 5

Anecdote: I got a hand-me-down iPhone from my in-laws, and I did indeed just take the SIM card out of my old AT&T Nokia, and plug it in the iPhone, and then plug the iPhone into my Mac and walk through the steps iTunes told me to take. In my case it involved approving upgrades to my plan, etc. In your case it will probably be easier.
posted by librarina at 9:12 PM on January 5

I've bookmarked a place called IPodJuice.com and plan to use them if I ever need out-of-warranty repairs. I've read nothing but good things about them online and they only charge $9 to diagnose your phone.
posted by jluce50 at 7:34 AM on January 6 [1 favorite has favorites]

I decided to try the cancel/re-activate route at an ATT store. Although eBay may have been ~100$ cheaper in total, I felt better about the official route. When I came to the store, talked to a new rep and told him what I wanted to do, another rep suggested doing an "early upgrade". I'm not eligible for an early upgrade until 2011 -- but the reps have discretion to give them earlier. I did an early upgrade, $500 for the 16g, and this was about the same price as sniping a questionable iPhone on ebay.

Lesson learned: keep trying. Stay polite, but if you don't get results, come back later and talk to someone new.

And I'll sell my water damaged phone on ebay, probably $150ish.
posted by jacobjacobs at 7:15 PM on January 11