Hi guys, I would like to check if it is a requirement that one has to be a permanent resident or Aussie to buy an iPhone? My wife went with my daughter to an Allphones outlet at QVB today and was told that they cannot buy an iPhone as they are not permanent residents or Australian citizens. My daughter has been a student at UNSW for 4 years now, and we have subscriptions with Optus all this while. The funny thing was, first, the guy asked for a medicAid card, then a student ID and finally, a passport! After that, he said, nope...you are not a PR, no iPhone for you (ala the Soup Nazi in Seinfeld).

I do not know if the outlet was trying to be funny and if so, to me, it is not funny at all...

Anyone knows where I can get an iPhone with no hassle?

Thanks

You'd have similar bad luck trying to get an iPhone in the US if you don't have a social security number.

I believe there may be other ways to make up the '100 points' of ID required to get an iPhone, so perhaps you might like to check what you providd previously to become an Optus customer. I also thought that existing Optus customers needed to provide less points, for example, only a driver's licence.

Do you have any other types of ID that may be useful to them? Eg bank account, private health insurance, driver's licence etc - I'm not sure what weight they place on any of these, but anything is worth a shot.

You could always get an outright phone from Telstra and unlock it. I know it's not cheap, but if you absolutely can't get around the problem of not having sufficient ID, then that's pretty much your only option.

[EDIT] If they were at QVB, why not walk a block or two down the road and take your pick of all three (or four?) carriers at the Apple Store?

You could always try pre-paid. If you are an existing contract customer of Optus, you can simply call Optus sales and order one through them and they'll send you a shiny iphone via a courier. Else, pre-paid is probably your only option. The 100 Points of ID allows them to verify your identity and to ensure the credit check you authorise is against the right person. If you've not had credit in Australia before, it's difficult getting it if you are not a permanent resident. Companies are wary of people who have no credit and are not residents.

the allohones bloke was either nasty, lazy or not educated, all you should need is 100points of id, and you don't need a passport for that, when I got mine I used a credit card, Medicare and license, and away I went

I'm an international student, and had no problems signing up to a 12month contract on Optus... Originally used Optus prepaid on my first gen iPhone, and transferred the number to 59cap for the iPhone 3G... Got it done at My Mac flinders street within minutes :-)

AFAIK, the only requirement is your Visa has to be valid throughout the course of the contract... For instance, if your visa is valid for another 15 months, you could sign up to a 12 month contract but not a 24 month contract... 100 points ID used included my passport, electricity bill with name & current address on it, and a credit card...

I'm British and managed to get one no problem. Made my points up with Medicare card, British Passport and an Optus bill. Dude didn't seem to bothered and only gave them a cursory glance at best.

Thanks for the quick responses. The last time I subscribed to an Optus mobile (postpaid), all they asked for was my passport, a utility bill to verify my address and a credit card. That was it. I mean, if the Allphones guy needed further verification, we could always provide a bank statement or utility bill or whatever. What makes up 100 points for an ID anyway?

Talking about the US, friend I know from Singapore bought 3 iPhones (2G) at the Apple Store in NYC using just his credit card. He was not asked his social security no at all...

I get the feeling that the Allphones guy was just being nasty. Anyway, he can be sure he won;t be getting any future business from us.

OziMac, you are right, the Apple Store is just down the road, I think that will be the best place to go, after this, but this time, we will call first to check what documents they need!

As others said, 100 points of ID are all you need. I'm not a PR but was still able to get the iPhone by producing my drivers license and my ATM card.

As for the US, it's signing up to plans with AT&T that you need a social security number. In the happy 2G days, the decoupling of carrier registration and the purchase of the iPhone was what made it such a great experience.

As OziMac mentioned, you should have a better experience at the Apple Store. I wonder if the original store could be sued for discrimination...

I guess it takes all kinds to make up this world, and this Allphones guy is just a not-so-nice chap. He has this smirk on this face all the time! What a great contrast to all the nice people we met at a recent opening of an exhibition of Australian arts and crafts at a gallery near The Rocks.

My wife and daughter really felt very bad after this experience at that store. Anyway, I have already told them to go to the Apple Centre for all things Apple in future.

Really appreciate all the feedback I got at this forum.

Your residency status isn't relevant, does ur wife and daughter have a local drivers license?

If so just walk yourself into the next store and produce that + medicare + ATM card and that should be more than sufficient, bring a utility bill or bank statement just incase as a backup - That's more than 150 points there! No need to mention that your not a PR/Citizen.

When does your daughter's visa expire? If she has been at uni for 4 years, I would think she is finishing her degree sometime soon.

If her visa expires in, say, six months, I don't think she can sign a contract that goes beyond her authorized time of stay in Australia.

Of course, she could get her visa extended, but AllPhones has no means of verifying whether she can or not. They would have to go by what the passport says.

Just a thought. I'm non Aussie myself (permanent resident though). I hope your daughter can get the iPhone.

This is more likely the reason. Carriers everywhere are cracking down on international students who sign up for new phone contracts and get a free handset and then skip the country when their visa expires.

My experience at AllPhones in Broadway was such that I refuse to deal with them (although I never got around to lodging my complaint about the manager) and I recommend others to stay away.

Yes, it is true that my daughter's visa will expire in a year and a half time. The guy could have simply asked her to sign a one-year contract instead. The last time when I sign up a postpaid contract with Optus (I am not resident in Australia but I visit often and have an apartment here in Sydney), all they require was my passport, credit card and utility bill. No hassles there.

I am convinced the guy just refused to sell my daughter and wife iPhones for whatever reason and was just putting obstacles in their paths. No, Zen, she does not have a local driving license, but I am sure she has more than enough documentation. Worse case, the guy could have suggested other solutions like prepaid etc.

Friend just called to say he can get for us as many iPhones as we want at his local Optus shop. All that is needed are credit card, utility bill and our Optus bill, so we are keeping our fingers crossed. We will be going to pick up the phones tomorrow, no thanks to Allphones.

The NSW Roads and Traffic Authority use the following table to calculate points:

70 Points

Document

Birth Certificate
Birth Card issued by the New South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
Citizenship Certificate
Current Passport
Expired passport which has not been cancelled and was current within the preceding 2 years
Other document of identity having the same characteristics as a passport including diplomatic documents and some documents issued to refugees
Secondary Documents

40 Points

Document - Must have a photograph and a name

Driver licence issued by an Australian State or Territory
Licence or permit issued under a law of the Commonwealth, a State or Territory Government - (e.g. a boat licence)
Identification card issued to a public employee
Identification card issued by the Commonwealth, a State or Territory Government as evidence of the person's entitlement to a financial benefit
An identification card issued to a student at a tertiary education institution

35 Points
Document - Must have name and address on

A document held by a cash dealer giving security over your property
A mortgage or other instrument of security held by a financial body
Council rates notice
Document from your current employer or previous employer within the last 2 years
Land Titles Office record
Document from the Credit Reference Association of Australia
25 Points
Document - Must have name and signature on

Marriage Certificate (for maiden name only)
Credit Card
Foreign Driver Licence
Medicare Card (signature not required on Medicare Card)
Membership to a Registered Club
NRMA Membership
EFTPOS Card

25 Points
Document - Must have name and address on

Electoral Roll compiled by the Australian Electoral Commission and available for public scrutiny
Records of a public utility - phone, water, gas or electricity bill
Records of a financial institution
A record held under a law other than a law relating to land titles
Lease/rent agreement
Rent receipt from a licensed real estate agent

25 Points
Document - Must have name and date of birth on

Record of a primary, secondary or tertiary education institution attended by you within the last 10 years
Record of professional or trade association of which you are a member

I think you'll find if your daughter checks the list, she'll have multiple combinations of documents to meet the criteria. I suggest going to another store. If you think you have a valid complaint for discrimination, you could always contact the NSW Anti discrimination board. Alternatively, you may make a complaint about a retailer through the NSW Office of Fair Trading.

A better response would be to do what you've been doing: identify the store, describe your experiences objectively, and express your concerns. Then email them to everyone you know and ask them to forward it on...