Wow the requirements for buying an Iphone are steep,

[Egnever]

To purchase and activate iPhone 3G, you need the following:*

* Credit card
* Social security number
* Valid government-issued photo ID
* Current wireless account number and password or PIN (if you’re new to AT&T)

http://www.apple.com/iphone/buy/

They need my social and a valid ID ? Seriously?

[cliffordu]

1. YEP: FISA wrecked it for everyone....

:sarcasm:

[Egnever]

2. LOL

[EFerrari]

3. How can they ask for a social security number?

I thought that was illegal?

[AlCzervik]

6. credit check through at&t, if you're an existing customer they'd already have that info.

[dysfunctional press]

9. they can't. it is. and i generally mention that to people who ask for it over the phone...

and i don't give it to them. but i'm guessing that they usually already have it, or have access to it one way or another.

[Mira]

4. I don't do business with AT&T and they know why. I don't care how great that phone may be.

[AlCzervik]

5. it's most likely for a credit check, i just looked up sprint and they also require

a credit check. Not that it makes it's any better but they will be asking for your info on any credit account.

[EFerrari]

20. T Mobile only needed a good credit card.

But that was before this meltdown started. I bet a lot of people are defaulting right now. :(

[Solon]

7. If you want to avoid all that, just get a pre-pay cell phone...

Hundred bucks cash, and some phone cards, and you are set. Not as fancy as an iPhone, but it gets the job done.

[Quantess]

18. I have a regular cell phone account, with a bill that needs to be paid afterward

and I never had to give out my SS#. Screw that! My SS# is none of their business.

[hendo]

8. whats wrong with requiring a valid ID?

They just want to make sure that you are who you say you are.

As far as the SSN, as everyone else has said, its for a credit check. Relax, Steve Jobs does not want to steal your identity.

[Art_from_Ark]

10. Why the hell do you need a credit check

just to get a goddam cell phone???

[alfredo]

13. It's probably AT&T that wants the SSN. Apple is just selling the hardware,

AT&T is the one that is taking the "risk."

[Art_from_Ark]

14. AT&T is also one of those companies that was just given immunity

I sense there's more to this than just a "credit check" to assess "risk"

[alfredo]

24. We need to start showing up a Public Service Commissions whenever

they ask for rate increases.

[krispos42]

22. It's the account, really

Although usually the cell phone company subsidizes your phone, so they're giving you a $150 chunk of hardware for free.


But you can run up hundreds of dollars in charges with it. If you can't pay, they're SOL. So before they extend you what is basically a line of credit, they check.

[hendo]

26. If you dont like it

you dont need to get an iphone. They just want to make sure that they can trust you to pay your damned bill. WTF is wrong with that.

[Wizard777]

15. I've never needed ID to get phone service.

Once I went to a pay phone and called the telephone company. When I got back to my new home my service was on.

[guruoo]

11. Hell, they can keep the piece of shit. I'll wait for Android...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FJHYqE0RDg
http://phandroid.com/

[Clovis Sangrail]

12. as long as it's an AT&T lock I won't have an iPhone /nt

[Wizard777]

16. I'm wondering, what's next? Sony plasma screen TV that only works with Comcast cable.

[gateley]

17. My best friend LOVES his unlocked one --

but just had trouble with the touchpad so he can't get it fixed @ Apple.

[Clovis Sangrail]

21. unfortunately I'm not rich enough to risk it

apple can't legally cook unlocked phones on purpose but they have no liability if a firmware upgrade cooks them 'unintentionally'.

[gateley]

25. Yeah - he's stuck too.

It's too bad that there's the AT&T mandate with it. It's a great phone (and more!) but there are several out there now with almost the same bells and whistles. I think this, and others like it, are our phones of the future. (Says me who doesn't even have a cell phone anymore.)

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. Today, for the first time ever, the pharmacy wanted my SS#

to fill a prescription.
For Loratab.
Not for the other 2 scripts.

I wrote down a fake #.
They are happy.
I am happy.

Government is scooping up everything it can any way it can.

Which is why 90% of the bills, forms, information gets put in my partner's name, cause he does not mind and I sure as hell do mind.

The dog has a couple of accounts too.

[Speck Tater]

23. AT&T never asked for my social for my cell account.

But I use a pre-paid plan since I never use more than $8 or $10 per month in minutes, so I never pay more than $10 per month at the most, and since it's pre-paid, no credit check.

[Jakes Progress]

27. Anyone can get it.

My son is one of those computer whiz guys. I was fussing one day about someone wanting my SS# here and someone wanting to store my credit card number when I order something. He just grinned. I asked him why and he shrugged. "Dad. Anyone who wants to know anything about you has can get it. It's all already done. They can get anything." A SS# may have started off as a private piece of info, but it is not too hard to get if someone wants it.

Still not a good idea to give it out, but don't think our congress is going to protect your privacy from corporations. Corporations want it, they got it. Courtesy of our Democratically controlled congress. Get your phone if you want it. AT&T already knows where you live, your office number, and what you had for lunch.