I don’t know if there’s something I’m misunderstanding here. I bought an iPhone as a gift from Apple (T-mobile). During purchase you have to provide a phone number; of course I provide mine, not the gift recipient, since that person should not know about the gift. But the result is that the gift recipient gets my phone number when setting up the new phone. It happened when I bought a new phone for my wife at Christmas. We had to go through a lengthy process with T-mobile to switch back phone numbers. Now same thing is happening as I bought a new phone as birthday gift for my son. This seems so stupid that I feel there is something I misunderstand.
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Carrier Wrong phone number when buying new phone
- Thread starter ahostmadsen
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I believe when selecting the options you should always choose “Connect on your own later” if the iPhone is a gift. Rather than choosing a carrier. If you choose a carrier Apple will connect it to the carrier.
![E4A287EA-5671-4451-B147-3AFD3E863E31.jpeg]( "E4A287EA-5671-4451-B147-3AFD3E863E31.jpeg")
yep, that $30 is a carrier discount for connecting with them.
So, when buying an iPhone as a gift (for family) there is no other option than giving Apple your own phone number, unless you want to pay $30 extra?
And here’s something to by said for physical SIM cards: so easy to move phone numbers. I easily moved my son’s phone number to his new phone by just moving his physical SIM card. But then he had both mine and his phone number. Then I had to spend half an hour with T-mobile to move my phone number back to my phone’s e-SIM.
And here’s something to by said for physical SIM cards: so easy to move phone numbers. I easily moved my son’s phone number to his new phone by just moving his physical SIM card. But then he had both mine and his phone number. Then I had to spend half an hour with T-mobile to move my phone number back to my phone’s e-SIM.
Correct. You have to use the "Connect on your own later" option as already mentioned.
All phones purchased through Apple now use e-SIM when you upgrade (transfer your number). If you upgrade directly from the carrier, then you'll likely still get a SIM card. (At least I did when I upgraded through Verizon.)
Did you get a new service? If not, why not just swap out the SIM cards? Not sure what the process is for moving an e-sim.
Exactly as I wrote above: with the SIM, 10 seconds. With e-SIM, half on hour with T-mobile on the phone.
But just to be clear, then you have to pay $30 extra? You don’t get that back once you connect later, right?
Correct, it’s the carrier discount off the iPhone, because they are connecting your phone straight away. You won’t get it back connecting later.
Everyone on the same account? Just provide their number, as iirc, will only switch the number once the phone is activated. If you need to sign into the master account, you have that info (working off hazy memory here, since I have not bought a phone from Apple tied to a number in ages).
Basically what @hg.wells said, you're saving on the activation fee that carriers want to charge for the new phone.
But as far as I remember, once you give the number, some type of confirmation text is sent to the phone number. Not good for a surprise gift.
Have you ever considered just buying the gift phones directly from T-Mobile and actually talking to them about how to do this?
Making the mistake once was a learning curve. Making it multiple times is a lesson NOT learned. Instead of complaining, find a workable solution, or give your gift recipient a card saying I'm buying you a new phone lets get together to purchase it. I don't know about others, but I like to pick out my own phones rather than just receive whatever comes my way. So let them pick the color and the phone number.
Making the mistake once was a learning curve. Making it multiple times is a lesson NOT learned. Instead of complaining, find a workable solution, or give your gift recipient a card saying I'm buying you a new phone lets get together to purchase it. I don't know about others, but I like to pick out my own phones rather than just receive whatever comes my way. So let them pick the color and the phone number.