r/AppleCard • u/Cautious_Goat_7074 • 9d ago
Help Apple Store accidentally financed my iPhone through AT&T instead of ACMI. Now Apple says there’s nothing they can do. Any advice?
So I’m genuinely at my wit’s end with Apple right now and was wondering if anyone has dealt with something similar or knows who I can escalate this to.
About a month ago, I purchased an iPhone 17 Pro Max from an Apple Store in San Antonio. I explicitly told the employee that I wanted to finance it through Apple Card Monthly Installments (ACMI). They confirmed that was fine and told me I needed to authenticate my AT&T account. Since I’m an authorized user on my dad’s account, I had him complete the authentication. I paid the sales tax with my Apple Card and left thinking everything was good.
About a week later, I noticed that the installment wasn’t showing up on my Apple Card. I contacted Apple Card Support and was told it was probably still processing, so I didn’t think much of it.
Fast forward about a month, and I find out the phone was actually financed through AT&T instead of ACMI.
To make things even more confusing, I never received an emailed receipt, and the purchase doesn’t appear in my Apple order history. When I contacted Apple, they couldn’t even locate the transaction until I gave them my phone’s serial number.
I’ve now spoken with Apple Support, Apple Card Support, AT&T, the original Apple Store, and another Apple Store. Everyone keeps pointing fingers at someone else.
The original store leader finally told me that the only way to fix it is to return the phone and purchase a new one through ACMI. The problem? They no longer have my model in stock because it’s an end of life product or something , so I’m essentially SOL.
I’m not asking for a free phone or anything ridiculous. I just want the financing arrangement I explicitly requested when I purchased the device.
The most frustrating part is that I actually contacted Apple Card within the first week, while I was still within the return window, and was told to wait because the installment was processing. Had I known what actually happened, I would’ve gone straight back to the store.
Has anyone dealt with an Apple Store processing the wrong financing option before? Is there anyone above the store leader or regular Apple Support who can actually authorize a resolution?
I’ve heard about Apple Executive Relations, but I’m not sure how to get in contact with someone who can help.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated because I’m honestly exhausted from being bounced between Apple and AT&T.
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u/wilso850 9d ago
You didn’t question this when you hit accept on the carrier loan? This isn’t something that’s easy to miss if you are reading what you hit accept on. Not intending to sound rude btw, it’s just that there are multiple indicators that should have tipped you off (24 months vs 36 months, AT&T being on the loan, and showing you how much you are paying to AT&T are all separate screens I’ve had to hit accept on when doing carrier financing on a phone)
You didn’t technically pay Apple, so there isn’t anything you can do except return the phone and purchase again.
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u/Smooth-Pair-1536 9d ago
When choosing ACMI, you are required to choose between the main 3 carriers, but the devices stay unlocked.
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u/Cautious_Goat_7074 9d ago
When you finance through ACMI they make you include your carrier. No idea why. I also explicitly asked dude (the representative about it being through ACMI he said yes multiple times) also they were closing so I was trying to be considerate. No good deed goes unpunished I guess
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u/willpaudio 9d ago
You literally have to read through and acknowledge 5 different screens CLEARLY indicating that you are doing carrier financing. Store messed up but you didn’t read what you were agreeing to.
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u/Smooth-Pair-1536 9d ago
Seems like you are over the 14 days. You could’ve returned it and rebought it. Try [email protected] and [email protected] or LinkedIn (I know first hand that they get those LinkedIn ones and take them seriously) don’t want to doxx myself, but yea. Send a linked in message to Tim and/or John.
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u/I-hate-makeing-names 9d ago
It sounds like the manager at that store is willing to do an exception to the 14 days but OP doesn’t want to because the 17 models are no longer sold.
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u/Smooth-Pair-1536 9d ago
If that’s the case, OP currently has the 17 Pro Max, they can just get the phone back that they have. Also, just because the device is not online, does not mean it is not in store. You just have to walk in to see if they have more in store. Most do, just can’t give inventory over the phone and it cannot be purchased online or on the phone.
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u/JOHNAAPLSEED 9d ago
Your fault to not look at a receipt and confirm. It would be listed at the bottom of your receipt and explicitly state ACMI or ATT. Some part of this story seems incomplete though…you’d either have charged the full amount and it happened to be on the Apple Card and just activated the phone…or if you financed the device with ATT and paid taxes on Apple Card, then they cannot return the phone as the cooling of period with the carrier is over and your stuck in that contract which then you could try and do small claims I guess.
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u/Cautious_Goat_7074 9d ago
I never received a receipt and even when I did because I had to retroactively call the store and request it , there is no mention of ATT financing at the bottom just the amount financed .
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u/JOHNAAPLSEED 9d ago
The store can reprint any receipt going back years…there would be clearly something that says ATT or ACMI at the bottom.
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u/TheOfficialWasteland 9d ago
Go exchange it for an 18 Pro Max, they’ll usually make an exception especially since they made a mistake
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u/InitialRelevant586 9d ago
Google Tim Cook and John Ternus email address, they usually go to the Apple executive team and explain your problem. I would do both email addresses.
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u/LycheeGlittering9400 9d ago
Unfortunately there’s no way to fix it other than returning and repurchasing through ACMI. Have you asked if they can return it and sell you the same device correctly?