Hello. I am currently studying in the USA for a couple years. I am an international student and I have a student visa. I brought my unlocked iphone 4 from back home with me to the USA and I got a prepaid simcard. However, my iPhone is giving up on me. It barely works anymore and i cant install any updates anymore. So i need a newer iPhone. So I went to AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon to ask if I could get an iPhone with a plan. However, since i dont have a social security number, they cant do a credit check and therfore they cant provide me with a plan. The only option I have is buy the phone for full price. But I am not a multimillionare, and i think it is ridicolous that just because i dont have a SSN i have to pay full price for a phone and cant get a plan. I have been told that I can get a temporary SSN but that that will take up to 1 year to get it and I really want a new phone. So my question is if there is an option where I can get an iPhone, with a plan, without a SSN.
Show more LessPosted on Oct 11, 2015 1:46 PM
Me too (387) Me too Me too (387) Me too Reply Question marked as Top-ranking reply User level: Level 10 80,388 pointsPosted on Oct 11, 2015 2:11 PM
When you get a phone with a plan, you are entering into a contract with the carrier. No commercial company will enter into a personal service contract with someone without certain assurances that you'll meet the terms of the contract, or at least that they have reasonable recourse to go after you if you break the contract That means a credit check with SSN for ID confirmation. They also won't give you a plan if you had a credit check run but had no bank or credit accounts from US sources in the credit record, if your score was too low, or other flags in your record come up (often, young people whose credit record is very short have to put down sizeable security deposits, for example, simply because they have not established a lengthy enough credit history to be considered for optimal service offers).
It's business and your interpretaion of what's fair has nothing at all to do with it. You need to meet minimal requirements for the carrier to enter into contract with you - if you don't they can refuse to do business with you which means no contract and hence no subsidized phone. Those requirements are the same for everybody.