Authorized Account User upgrading at non-AT&T store?

[samtr87]

Hi. I want to upgrade to a Captivate this weekend and I'm a authorized account user on my mom's AT&T account. The phone is cheaper at Walmart, but my sister told me that the sales person there said that they can only upgrade her line if the primary account holder is present, even though she is also an authorized user. We're both in college and it would be inconvenient to drive home.

Is the AT&T store my only option to do the upgrade without my mom present?

 

[thejdubb02]

Hi. I want to upgrade to a Captivate this weekend and I'm a authorized account user on my mom's AT&T account. The phone is cheaper at Walmart, but my sister told me that the sales person there said that they can only upgrade her line if the primary account holder is present, even though she is also an authorized user. We're both in college and it would be inconvenient to drive home.

Is the AT&T store my only option to do the upgrade without my mom present?

AT&T "Authorized" Resellers, like Walmart, Best Buy and others are the bane of my existence as an AT&T employee for various reasons. Authorized users are one major reason of this. Let me explain.

At an AT&T store we check photo ID and not SSN anymore. Therefore you have to be an authorized user or the account holder to access an account.

Authorized retailers use a system that is much more basic in the way it interact with our system because they only have limited access. Meaning most cannot even see that there is an authorized user at all, and they are SUPPOSED to check photo ID of the account holder since it is FCC law to do so on a wireless account, since the customer is in front of them.

Yes, the price is sometimes (most times) better, but it all depends on the rep you are dealing with at Walmart if they want to stick with the law's of account access or not. In this case they are doing what they are supposed to and you will need the account holder with you.

Oh and while we are on this topic I want to make something VERY clear to all you authorized users out there. There are a few things you CANNOT do on an account even if you are an authorized user:

1. As an authorized user you CANNOT, cancel a phone number, do a transfer of service on a phone number, or basically anything that removes that phone number from being on that account. Basically, you cannot remove lines. So please don't try and wine when you get the big N-O.

2. You cannot activate phone lines. This is a AT&T policy that is abused often. The reason for this is because to add a brand new phone line to the account it runs a credit check on the account holder. This is considered fraudulent activity because the account holder is not the person requesting the credit check and activation of new service. So, if we say now... please just know that this is the case.

Thank you.

PS Sorry for the novel. Just wanted to make it clear.

 

[mongstradamus]

AT&T "Authorized" Resellers, like Walmart, Best Buy and others are the bane of my existence as an AT&T employee for various reasons. Authorized users are one major reason of this. Let me explain.

At an AT&T store we check photo ID and not SSN anymore. Therefore you have to be an authorized user or the account holder to access an account.

Authorized retailers use a system that is much more basic in the way it interact with our system because they only have limited access. Meaning most cannot even see that there is an authorized user at all, and they are SUPPOSED to check photo ID of the account holder since it is FCC law to do so on a wireless account, since the customer is in front of them.

Yes, the price is sometimes (most times) better, but it all depends on the rep you are dealing with at Walmart if they want to stick with the law's of account access or not. In this case they are doing what they are supposed to and you will need the account holder with you.

Oh and while we are on this topic I want to make something VERY clear to all you authorized users out there. There are a few things you CANNOT do on an account even if you are an authorized user:

1. As an authorized user you CANNOT, cancel a phone number, do a transfer of service on a phone number, or basically anything that removes that phone number from being on that account. Basically, you cannot remove lines. So please don't try and wine when you get the big N-O.

2. You cannot activate phone lines. This is a AT&T policy that is abused often. The reason for this is because to add a brand new phone line to the account it runs a credit check on the account holder. This is considered fraudulent activity because the account holder is not the person requesting the credit check and activation of new service. So, if we say now... please just know that this is the case.

Thank you.

PS Sorry for the novel. Just wanted to make it clear.

just wondering what can authorized users do , upgrade phones ?

 

[thejdubb02]

just wondering what can authorized users do , upgrade phones ?

Here are the basics of what authorized users can do:

1. Upgrade phones and sign a 2yr contract of they are over the age of 18 and have valid ID to prove it.
2. Can add and remove both single line and family features.
3. Can change rate plans up or down for a family plan or single line.
4. Can discuss bill information and discuss the billing charges with the representative. However, they cannot request a bill reprint in store. Bill reprints are only available through customer care via mail. WE DO NOT PRINT BILLS IN STORE!

Those are the basic abilities. Again they CANNOT add or remove lines to the account.

Hope that helps.

 

[mongstradamus]

so basically change features of the phone and upgrade

 

[jackball10]

The know it all person is totally wrong....of course secondary stores such as best buy mobile can activate any at&t account to verify if you are a authorized user....you must give them your id and the permission to activate your cellular account....Im an authorized user and Ive added 3 lines in the last month at best buy...it depends I suppose on how badly they want to make sales....I will admit though that there is a rule(thats constantly broken) that auth. users are not allowed to add lines at stores such as best buy....radio shack....but Ive never had any problem....hope this helps.....

 

[nb_mitch]

Have you tried the online retailers? Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart.com (Wirefly isn't selling At&t right now).

 

[thejdubb02]

The know it all person is totally wrong....of course secondary stores such as best buy mobile can activate any at&t account to verify if you are a authorized user....you must give them your id and the permission to activate your cellular account....Im an authorized user and Ive added 3 lines in the last month at best buy...it depends I suppose on how badly they want to make sales....I will admit though that there is a rule(thats constantly broken) that auth. users are not allowed to add lines at stores such as best buy....radio shack....but Ive never had any problem....hope this helps.....

I am correct if you want to 'lawfully' work on someone else's account. Authorized retailers often break this rule of account access to sell phones, which from experience of a friend, can result in termination if caught.

You have to understand that an authorized user is not the account holder and that doing something on the account is in direct reflection of the account holder, and any subsequent negative affects that happen to the account holder for any reason are reflected on the account holders SSN.

These are just the facts form a veteran AT&T employee.

 

[gatorguy]

I am correct if you want to 'lawfully' work on someone else's account. Authorized retailers often break this rule of account access to sell phones, which from experience of a friend, can result in termination if caught.

You have to understand that an authorized user is not the account holder and that doing something on the account is in direct reflection of the account holder, and any subsequent negative affects that happen to the account holder for any reason are reflected on the account holders SSN.

These are just the facts form a veteran AT&T employee.

This guy is right...I work at an authorized retailer and can confirm EVERYTHING he has said!

And were not all bad!! We HAVE to check id of each person trying to access the account (my company can get fined 10k for each time an account is accessed without being verified if it goes into arbitration)...and we (my particular company) will never activate a new line for anyone but the account holder!

 

[gatorguy]

AT&T "Authorized" Resellers, like Walmart, Best Buy and others are the bane of my existence as an AT&T employee for various reasons. Authorized users are one major reason of this. Let me explain.

At an AT&T store we check photo ID and not SSN anymore. Therefore you have to be an authorized user or the account holder to access an account.

Authorized retailers use a system that is much more basic in the way it interact with our system because they only have limited access. Meaning most cannot even see that there is an authorized user at all, and they are SUPPOSED to check photo ID of the account holder since it is FCC law to do so on a wireless account, since the customer is in front of them.

Yes, the price is sometimes (most times) better, but it all depends on the rep you are dealing with at Walmart if they want to stick with the law's of account access or not. In this case they are doing what they are supposed to and you will need the account holder with you.

Oh and while we are on this topic I want to make something VERY clear to all you authorized users out there. There are a few things you CANNOT do on an account even if you are an authorized user:

1. As an authorized user you CANNOT, cancel a phone number, do a transfer of service on a phone number, or basically anything that removes that phone number from being on that account. Basically, you cannot remove lines. So please don't try and wine when you get the big N-O.

2. You cannot activate phone lines. This is a AT&T policy that is abused often. The reason for this is because to add a brand new phone line to the account it runs a credit check on the account holder. This is considered fraudulent activity because the account holder is not the person requesting the credit check and activation of new service. So, if we say now... please just know that this is the case.

Thank you.

PS Sorry for the novel. Just wanted to make it clear.

Your slightly incorect...our system absolutley shows us who the authorized users are and requires us to enter id information to proceed. (A bill payment is the only around entering id information)