I may need to modify the countdown sidebar thingy at right. AT&T has confirmed that, thanks to “the busiest online sales day in AT&T history,” they’ve already sold out of pre-ordered iPhone 4s, and thus “people who got their orders in after 4:30 [PM Eastern Time] are expected to get their phones any time between June 25th and July 5th,” rather than on launch day, July 24.
This “post-4:30” group almost certainly includes me, because although I “pre-ordered” at around 9:45 AM Mountain Time this morning (after waiting in line for almost an hour), I was forced by AT&T’s massive network FAIL to do so using the pen and paper method — and, as of 3:19 PM Mountain (5:19 PM Eastern), the sales rep who took my order e-mailed that “I will contact you as soon as your phones are ordered.” So in other words, although my order exists on paper at my local AT&T retail store, it didn’t exist in AT&T’s system at the cutoff time of 4:30 PM Eastern.
If I have to wait until June 25 or 26 or whatever, no biggie. But if I don’t get my phone until July, I’m going to be pretty annoyed, considering I could probably have “pre-ordered” with Apple — rather than with AT&T — later tonight or tomorrow, once all systems are fully operational again, and I probably would’ve gotten the iPhone on launch day or very shortly thereafter. For that matter, I suspect I could waltz into an Apple Store and pick one up, without having pre-ordered at all, within a day or two after launch. But instead, because I “pre-ordered” with AT&T, I could be waiting past the 4th of July.
Put another way: “Pre-ordering” does not mean what I think you think it means, AT&T.
UPDATE: My sales rep just e-mailed me: “AT&T is aware that there were a lot of preorders who were placed on papers before 2:30pm [Mountain Time] which includes you, and they are trying to work out something to make sure those people get their phones asap, I will let you know when I hear more. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hopefully everything works out!”
As Aragorn says: there is always hope.
I’m in Bart Simpson punishment mode:
“I will not revel in schadenfreude.”
“I will not revel in schadenfreude.”
“I will not revel in schadenfreude.”
“I will not revel in schadenfreude.”
“I will not revel in schadenfreude.”
“I will not revel in schadenfreude.”
“I will not revel in schadenfreude.”
“I will not revel in schadenfreude.”
“I will not revel in schadenfreude.”
“I will not revel in schadenfreude.”
“I will not revel in schadenfreude.”
😉
See, your problem was you went to an AT&T store. Go online and order them from Apple, then you will be sure you get them when you get them. Apple almost never pushes back their posted ship dates from when you place your order (later orders may not get the same ship date but they will ship when they say they will). You can then cancel your order with AT&T if you get through on the Apple side.
I tried that, actually, but couldn’t get through on the Apple side. I might try again this evening, but I’m reluctant to hit “submit” on the Apple side unless I get confirmation in advance from my AT&T sales rep than she can cancel my order (i.e., that she hasn’t entered it into the system yet). Though I suppose the worst-case scenario is, the order goes through, my credit card gets charged $600+ twice, then I return the extra phones for a refund.
I’d want to make sure teh Apple order worked before I canceled the AT&T order, but AT&T is obligated to cancel your order. If you have not recieved the goods they can’t claim you aren’t allowed to cancel your order can they? You could contest it through your credit card company for example.
P.S. The reason I went to an AT&T Store, as opposed going through Apple, is because Apple doesn’t offer the minimum voice plan (550 minutes) through their interface, whereas I was able to order it at the AT&T Store. The plan is available for the iPhone, but “not advertised,” per my rep — in other words, Apple and AT&T are misleading customers into believing 700 minutes is the minimum eligible voice plan. This pisses me off a bit, but all I really care about is getting that plan. This is another reason I’m reluctant to change horses now: although I should theoretically be able to order a phone through Apple with the 700 minute plan, then switch down to the 550 minute plan, I’m slightly concerned about some phone support person or whomever telling me I can’t, even though I know I can. Same with having the 200 MB data plan on Becky’s phone, rather than 2 GB on both. With the AT&T Store, I have confirmation in writing of the plan being set up exactly the way I want it. I’m reluctant to cancel that order, and take even a small risk of an Apple.com order costing more due to phone peons and/or corporate policies screwing me over, simply to get the phone an extra week or two early. (As much as I want it sooner rather than later.)
AMLTrojan – is that a case of your schadenfreudian slip showing ?
Myself in the earlier thread: Apple rapes its customers
Brendan in comment #5 of this thread: Yes sir, may I have another!
So the reason Apple consistently has the highest customer satisfaction, reliability, and loyalty ratings is what? The most MASSIVE case of Stockholm syndrome ever?
Yeah Apple really rapes it’s customers by providing highly reliable enjoyable easy to use products. Those BASTARDS!
Apple doesn’t provide phone device, they sell phones. My guess is that Apple isn’t trying to deceive anyone, they simply set up their system for the most common scenarios and kept it at that. More complicated/edge cases they left to ATT to deal with. Sure it’s possible they are intentionally misleading customers but I can’t recall previous behavior that gibes with that from them.
As for Google I’m sure they are very good to their customers too. Of course their customers aren’t you and me but the advertisers.
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