Can't figure out how to edit so I'm adding a new post.
Richmond, VA (Short Pump)
on the list / initial email 7/12
no moving up email
"iphone is here" email 7/21
I got the email as I was printing out a durable power of attorney to sign my property interests over to my friend (using a copy of the one she has for her daughter who's in the army, and getting it notarized by a coworker - easy for us to do). I figured if the store still wouldn't let my friend pick up my iphone while I was out of town, at least it would make an interesting story on Consumerist. But once I got the email we abandoned that plan.
I went to the store the night of Wednesday 7/21 around 8. After waiting a while to catch an employee who wasn't too busy to help me, I ended up with a guy who was bringing out a whole stack of them for people. He piled the stack crookedly on a table and scolded me for adjusting the pile to keep them from falling on the floor. That was worth it though, because I'm good at not dropping my iphone so I'd rather not have a pre-dropped one.
While this employee was ringing up the first two guys who had phones, the AT&T activation network went down so the sale couldn't complete. At 8:45 I was told I could wait in the store till 9 and he would keep trying, but it didn't look good. He said they could hold all our phones till tomorrow. Since I was going out of town, he agreed to hold mine until Monday and wrote a note with my name on it.
My boyfriend went to pick it up Monday, which apparently is allowed with just a printout of the email, no durable power of attorney required. 🙂 However, they couldn't find the phone and nobody had any knowledge of it. Jeff asked them to put me at the front of the list for the next one; no, they can't control the list, the emails are automatically sent to the people at the front when iphone arrive. Jeff asked them to add me to the list again to see if it would beat my online order; no, the priority list is going away and all phones will be available first-come first-served. The manager said they don't normally hold phones, but if we call every day, and we happen to call while they have them, the manager will personally hold a phone for me. Jeff asked him to hold the first "up for grabs" one that comes in without a phone call; sorry, he won't.
Jeff went home and called a bunch of AT&T stores but couldn't find a phone. Jeff called the same Apple store and started over, asking if they had a phone they were holding for me till Monday. The employee found the phone and said for him to come in and get it. I don't know how this happened...there was something about it being in a pile of phones that supposedly needed new SIM cards, but when they activated it, it didn't need a new SIM card.
Throughout this process, I tried to be understanding and be an easy customer, but I was made aware that Apple really doesn't care about individual customers. We are completely replaceable - if I don't want that iphone, there are plenty of people willing to buy it and be treated like they don't matter. I don't really mind not mattering, because Apple doesn't really matter to me either. I do love my new phone though. Trading up from the first gen to the 4 is a huge difference on processing and internet speed, and somehow the screen feels buttery soft compared to the old one. Very pleasant to use.
