[AT&T Galaxy Note 3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] TerrorismSux:
I purchased the Galaxy Note 3 on the 3rd. Called every day for a week to the AT&T store that is roughly 1 hour from my house (90 minutes from my jobsite). I confirmed with them via the phone, that I could purchase the phone flat out, cash in hand with no problems. Just walk in, cash, phone, I walk out. Just to be 110% sure I talked to the AT&T website live chat, and told them that this ATT store told me i could buy it flat out with cash. Again, they said it would be no problem.

I called at 1330 (ups truck shows up between 1200 and 1500hrs) and they had it in, I asked the lady if they still had the White version, she laughed and said yes. I beat cheeks to my truck, and headed over to the ATT store. I walked in, told them I was the one calling. The gentleman knew what i was referencing to, and went and grabbed the phone. Asked me if I wanted a case and screen protector (i did) and proceeded to install the screen protector and case. Then asked for my Cell Number. I gave it to them, but heres the thing, I am with Straight Talk (walmart) and I only wanted the phone. Here they start telling me that I have to sign up for a new subscription that was going to cost me at least 70 smackaroos 50 for plan 20 data. I tried to remain calm, and told her that is not what was agreed upon on the phone. Then she took a few employees to the back, talked a bit, then came back out and told me in hushed tone, that they arent supposed to sell that phone outright, only with new plans, and new agreements, but would sell it to me since i called all week and was told the wrong information and drove all that way to get the phone on a work day (missing work). They said from now on, with new releases, I can only outright buy a phone from best buy, or walmart style retailers, not official ATT vendors. I nodded my head, in compliance.

So when the guy asked how to activate it, i grabbed it from him, threw my ST card in, and my SD card, and booted her up, she activated like a champ. Changed the MVNO and the MMSC settings so I could enable DATA and MMC SMSes after they did their verification call, and I was gone like the wind.

So far I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new phone. Been playing with it since the 3rd. The battery life is great, played with the HTC One blinkfeed and kinda liked the idea of flipping news when im bored, so the SGN3's magazine is a welcome (and unobtrusive) way to do exactly what I wanted. The new pen is nifty, and solves my "now which way does it go back in again?" dillema i would have in the dark. The dimensions are so similar that i could actually put the phone in my older SGN2 case and it fit (albeit a little akwardly on edges). Decided to go with the Incipio Folio case in white, and the "washable" screen protector that released along side the SGN3. I love the screen protector, does not distract from image quality like some of my other ones, and also has been far more scratch resistant. Also the pen touch feel is good, not dragging or slowing it down in any way. Almost fell the tactile slip of the grid as well, not sure how thats happening.

So how are you loving your new SGN3? Have you had any vendors tell you they couldn't sell a device outright?