AT&T DENIES a Dying Man’s Wish for a iPhone 3G

Posted on July 16, 2008

My father has stage 4 lung cancer.  He called AT&T today to try and order an iPhone 3G.  After spending 1/2 hour on the phone figuring out his new monthly costs with a very nice lady, he was told he could purchase the phone online through “premiere service”.  After being connected to the premiere service representitive, we were told he could not purchase the phone online and that he would have to go to a physical location.  Again, my Dad has stage 4 lung cancer.  He leaves the house for radiation and doctor visits.  So he told the AT&T Premiere Service rep that this was his dying wish to have this phone.  The rep’s response?  ”Sir, I am sorry for the inconvenience, you will need to goto an AT&T or Apple Retail location to purchase the phone.”  My dad tried to explain that he was not physically able to goto the store, let alone stand in line.   We got the same response.  We escalated the issue and got a supervisor on the phone.  It became clear to us that they would not oblige a dying man’s request for the iPhone 3G, so here we sit.It is sad that these measures put in place to prevent the iPhone from being unlocked has also prevented my father from experiencing the joy of an iPhone before he doesn’t have that chance.  I guess AT&T doesn’t actually give a shit if my dad is dying or not, they aren’t coming off a iPhone over the internet or over the phone.   We were even willing to wait several weeks for the convenience of having the phone delivered.  We were told there was no way possible to do this, and that my father would have to goto the store in order to get the iPhone 3G.It was suggested that we get my father to notarize a document authorizing us to make changes on his account, so that we could goto the location on his behalf, but somehow I doubt that would work.  We are willing to go through that effort if need be, but it is just appalling that AT&T is not willing to honor a dying man’s wish for the iPhone.  They should accommodate his needs.  As my brother kindly pointed out to the supervisor, we consider this a form of discrimination, since my father is physically unable to goto the location and stand in line for the phone.So that’s that.  If anyone knows a way we can get my Dad a phone, please let me know.  

My name is Jim McNelis. This is my blog. There are many like it, but this one is mine. . .

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Comments

8 Responses to “AT&T DENIES a Dying Man’s Wish for a iPhone 3G”

  1. Eirc JohnsonNo Gravatar(new comment) on July 16th, 2008 3:32 pm

    can’t you just go to the store and buy the phone? Then give it to you dad?
    If you really want it to be ‘his’ phone (have him added to the account)

  2. Jim McNelisNo Gravatar(new comment) on July 16th, 2008 5:44 pm

    ya he is the head person on the a family account. he qualifies for the upgrade but he must goto the location in order to get the phone at the price. its not so simple

  3. eric JohnsonNo Gravatar(new comment) on July 16th, 2008 5:55 pm

    I see you’ve got two choices then. Both involve you going to the store.
    1. Goto the store and buy the iPhone and get a new contract as part of the purchase process. Cancel you Dad’s account if you don’t want to have to accounts. (of course with your father being terminally ill you might have more important things on you mind that having two cell phone accounts)
    2. Have your Dad make you the primary person on the account and then you go to the store and buy the iPhone.

  4. Jim McNelisNo Gravatar(new comment) on July 17th, 2008 10:58 am

    #2 i think required him to go into the store to make one of us such. i would happily stand in line for him if i knew we could get him a phone. i’ll look further into this though.
    #1 isn’t an option. we have 5 phones on his account (i’m separate). he is eligible for an upgrade.

    thanks for offering your advice!

  5. joeyNo Gravatar(new comment) on July 28th, 2008 12:15 pm

    dude,

    wait in line for your dad, then switch the account in his name.

    stop being lazy.

    -Jjj

  6. HarryNo Gravatar(new comment) on September 12th, 2008 5:42 am

    This post is very useful for me because my friends mother is suffering from the Lung cancer. This would help me to tell some important caution about Lung cancer.
    Thanks for your time to post this article.

  7. kermit johnsonNo Gravatar(new comment) on September 13th, 2008 9:12 pm

    Sorry I left a comment with an error in the name field on another one of your posts.
    –
    That’s incredible. You think they would do everything to get your dad the phone.
    –
    By the way, will Apple still sell the old iphones?

  8. Jim McNelisNo Gravatar(new comment) on September 17th, 2008 7:29 am

    well my father passed away…he never got his iPhone. My 1st gen iPhone’s screen broke and I had to go get a 3G model. This was 2 days before my dad passed away, and he was still trying to get himself an iPhone.

    For everyone saying I should have gone to the store to pick one up for him: It doesn’t work that way. I am an adult, on my own cellular phone account. According to AT&T, my father had to goto the location and stand in line with everyone else. Cancer or no cancer.

    Anyways, he died without an iPhone and AT&T did not and does not give a shit. Thanks you corporate assholes! Karma is a bitch.

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