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AtWrlesFAN's profile

Teacher

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27 Messages

Sunday, December 31st, 2017 12:22 AM

Scam Alert - Apple Watch 3 Credit Check, $150 Deposit Demand

So I bought an Apple Watch from Apple. 

 

Went to to activate it. Was ready for the 25 “activation charge” and the 10/month.  Both seem a little high, but hey, what are you going to do?

 

But of course, that wasn’t enough for AT&T, now they are demanding to run a credit check? For a Watch that I paid for?

And then they come back with... you’ll need a $150 deposit?!?

 

Wait... For a watch? That I bought? That I'm going to pay you $10/month for "service". Attached to my current number. And... the kicker, I have a very good credit rating. 

 

Oh and get this, and I’m a customer with multiple devices on multiple plans that yes, sends AT&T Wireless a very good chunk of change each month. 

 

I think some bean counter must have though that a customer having to activate a watch on a plan they already have, attached to a phone they already have, means they are pretty much stuck unless they want to move their phone over so came up with the "hey, why just do $25 dollars to activate when we do a "credit check" and then make them put down $150 deposit"  Which we can then pocket for a year, invest, make some interest and then send them a paper check next year that they will probably forget about or lose and not even deposit. Ha, we win!

 

And also I have space in my other plans to add a device, but of course, they make you buy a separate "Unlimited Wearable Plan" for some reason.

 

Time me to send a letter to Congress. This is just a plain old scam. 

 

Contacting Apple tomorrow as well. Just to let them know how AT&T Wireless are bilking their Apple Watch customers.

  

$150 deposit. For a 10/month plan. For a watch, I own. A deposit? What on Earth for? So wrong. 

 

Oh and the first Apple Watch Series 3 I activated in Sept didn’t have this deposit requirement. So this must be a new racket they are running. 

 

I’ll be starting to move my devices over to Verizon based on this experience. 

 

For all others here. Watch out... when you activate your watch... because AT&T is going to watch your deposit money going into their account... and have a good ol' laugh. 

 

 

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

6 years ago


@AtWrlesFAN wrote:

This is totally AT&T looking at Apple Watch customers and thinking, "lets get money upfront from them because... because we can, they are already locked in with their phone and it is pain to switch. And a year later after we've taken money from their credit card when we send them a paper check they probably won't even cash it"

I disagree, I think if you had added just one more line you would have gotten the same deposit request. They are stories all over the forum for people getting requested it for the 5th or 8th or whatever line (no watch involved).

 

 

I can guarantee you this is what this about, because there is no actual real reason to demand a deposit on a 10/month service that can be cancelled at ay time where there is no physical device being loaned out.

You can't guarantee it, but thanks for using words that make it sound like you are certain.

 

Total scam... because... because they can get away with it.

It's not a swindle or a fraud. They accurately told you everything before you committed to the plan (wait, there is NO commitment, so not even anything you are stuck in).

 

 

 

 

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

6 years ago


@AtWrlesFAN wrote:

I had two plans - one with phones, one with iPads. 

I am curious why you have two plans. If you didn't have more than 10 lines, I'm wondering why?

 

 

 

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

6 years ago

@Gary L  I can totally understand that.  Unlimited data plan on phones, $20 line fees.  Limited plan on tablets, $10 line fees.   Of course it would be cheaper to tether Wifi only ipads which sell for less to...

 

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

6 years ago


@lizdance40 wrote:

 I can totally understand that.  Unlimited data plan on phones, $20 line fees.  Limited plan on tablets, $10 line fees.  

It's not going to be just $10 a line.

 

Let's say you have 4 iPads.  A 3GB data plan is $40 plus $10 a line, now you are at $20 a line and you could be sharing that unlimited plan instead of sharing data.

 

More importantly, I want MORE data on my iPad. NOT less...

 

 

Of course it would be cheaper to tether Wifi only ipads which sell for less to...


Exactly.

 

 

ACE - Professor

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1.8K Messages

6 years ago

@AtWrlesFAN I don’t understand part “ No, not paying bill on time, payment goes out with auto deposit.” You have enough money in account with your bank? Even if you switch to Verizon, they will do “credit check” and may or may not have issues with paying deposits.

Teacher

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27 Messages

6 years ago

@AtWrlesFAN I don’t understand part “ No, not paying bill on time, payment goes out with auto deposit.”

@MR_SMiT Sorry, worded wrong. I meant, not paying bill on time was not a problem, as someone had asked if that was the reason for the deposit. As I use auto deposit for years, payment goes out right on time. My point was I'm a high paying customer, always on time, no big deal to get it paid. 

 

I am curious why you have two plans. If you didn't have more than 10 lines, I'm wondering why?

@Gary L  I did get up over 10 devices. With family and line of work, easy to go over. So I had to split up the plans.  Which I then discovered is good so you can separate phones and iPad  because as you said, you can then fine tune the plans for each.  But now I'm also using it to separate devices I'm moving from AT&T to Verizon, so I can just turn off the one plan when all the other devices are turned on with Verizon. I do think it is good to split carriers, and this experience has really shown me it is good to have flexibility and accounts with both.  

 

So when AT&T says "Deposit now" you can answer with "No thanks. I'll head over to other guys."

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

6 years ago


@AtWrlesFAN wrote:

I do think it is good to split carriers, and this experience has really shown me it is good to have flexibility and accounts with both.  

I saw more than a few people post that when they had the $20 connected car option that having AT&T for that, while they had some other carrier was great when hitting dead zones for one carrier they were often connected with another.

 

I've had a few people with work phones from other carriers mention benefitting from the same thing.

 

 

 

Tutor

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6 Messages

6 years ago

Well, I too got an Apple watch series 3 and just went in to the AT&T store to sign up for the data plan so that I am not tethered to the phone to use the watch.  They told me that I had to pay $150 to run a credit check to add a new phone line to my account.  I've been a customer for almost 20 years and have always paid on time.  On top of that, they ran a credit check just yesterday to change billing responsibility to my husband (who has been on the same plan for the same 20 years).  (We were transferring responsibility to be able to get his military discount).  I am very disheartened that they want $150 for a credit check to add another line to use the Apple watch.

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

6 years ago


@RobertaG wrote:

 On top of that, they ran a credit check just yesterday to change billing responsibility to my husband (who has been on the same plan for the same 20 years).  (We were transferring responsibility to be able to get his military discount).  


So he just added a line yesterday and now you're adding another line today.

That's not a deposit for just a watch line, it's a second line added in two days.

 

They told me that I had to pay $150 to run a credit check to add a new phone line to my account.

I am very disheartened that they want $150 for a credit check to add another line to use the Apple watch.

That does NOT sound right. You make it sound like they are charging you $150 for the credit check.  It's just a deposit.

 

I've been a customer for almost 20 years and have always paid on time. 

You have or your husband has? (Your history isn't relevant since it's on your husband's plan)

 

Teacher

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27 Messages

6 years ago

I've been a customer for almost 20 years and have always paid on time. 

 

I've been a customer for this long as well, and on autopay, always on time. And still... $150 for watch. 

 

Based on the posts, so far we know:

 

Credit score has nothing to do with it.

On time paying customer has nothing to do with it.

Long time customer has nothing to do with it.

 

Apple Watch may have something to do with it. 

 

Other than that, very random.

 

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