iPhone 5 AT&T preorder status thread

I was in the same boat as many of you, ordered via att 10:10 eastern, was told it would be delivered 9/21 during that process, in the order acknowledgement email, and again in the confirmation that the order had been processed. Nothing from them since. Checked my status all week, never moved and showed backordered. Not knowing how long it would take (1 week, 1 month???), i decided to head to the apple store today. Hit a couple of the retailers first hoping to miss lines but best buy and radio shack didn't have the model i wanted so finally ended up at the second apple store of the day which had PLENTY (Pentagon City Mall in Arlington for those of you who are close).

Line took 45 minutes, buying one took about 5 minutes. I was concerned they'd see my pending pre-order and deny buying one but i had no problem at all. I'm still under contract and so paying full price which i'm sure makes a difference. Now just to cancel my existing order from ATT.

Done!

They told me as long as the phone hasn't shipped then i could cancel. i preordered at the at&t store also so that might be why i could have.

THE LINES ARE NOT LONG AT ALL. IF YOU GO TO AN ATT STORE. THEY WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE 32 WHITE AND 63 WHITE.

never preordering again. unless on the apple site. do not go through att.

I think thats the real lesson here. Sorry AT&T but this is your consequence

I think the NUMBER ONE thing we are all asking for is CONSISTENCY. There are so many different stories that AT&T Reps have given many of us. I was first to pre order mine last friday (9am ET) in store. I wish the representative would have told me that this is not a "First Come First Serve" operation. I would have just waited in line this morning at an APPLE STORE. A lot of people are saying if you were to wait in line at an AT&T location today that chances were slim in getting a phone. The Apple rep I spoke to at my local store told me most likely people could come in at noon on the 21st (today) and still get one. She said APPLE STORES get tons. This is what I would have done had I known that pre ordering only GURARANTEED me getting my phone "sometime" after the release date. Lesson learned for me. I will NEVER purchase anything from AT&T from now on (accessories, phones, etc). Heres the best part, NOBODY pays APPLE for cell service but their customer service is light years ahead of AT&T's and they are able to supply more phones in their stores on release days (I know I know...it's because they manufacture them.) Continued "Best of Luck" to those like me who will try our best to wait patienty.

Lesson learned - no prordering thru ATT next time.

Don't know if stock is dwindling, but I encourage anyone who got shafted by ATT to call them and cancel their order and pick up their phones at the Apple store today.

Why wait 2-3 weeks???

I waited in line at the AT&T store this morning and got right in and got mine and then went home and came back and got one for my daughter. Very surprised

I like all of you am extremely frustrated with AT&T's system and how they are handling things. I work in a school so I get out around 2:45 PM today and immediately after hearing that my brother was just able to walk into an Apple store at 1:30 PM EST and get a phone, I got on the phone with AT&T and cancelled my preorder. I was still on backorder after preordering on 9/14 @ 12:10 PM.

The representative canceled the order and reset my upgrade eligiblity on the phone and it timed out that just as he finished it, I walked into the Apple store and walked out with an iPhone 5 AT&T 16GB black in 5 minutes.

I will never order from AT&T again, their system is horrible. Hopefully those who wish to do the same can cancel as I did. Good luck!

So after reading through most of this thread, I stopped by AT&T and asked about picking up a phone then and there and just cancelling my pre-order. They said they were out of the 16 GB iPhone 5 so I would have to wait the 2-3 weeks for the phone.

In calling Support, they said the same thing. To say I'm unhappy is an understatement.

If i'm hearing correctly, I can go to the Apple Store and pick one up now and cancel my pre-order. However, my original focus was to get the phone from AT&T so I couldn't have to drop the funds on a phone sans contract. I'm pretty sure, or at least I think, that folks are paying full price for the phone and not using the upgrade eligibility as they aren't going thorugh AT&T. The upgrade eligibility was nice as I have been waiting since purchasing my iPhone 4 for the 5 to come out.

I'm think I'm stuck. I'm really irritated about this, but not sure what, if anything, I can do.

I feel your pain! I'm in the SAME boat as you. I know if I would have gone to the AT&T store this morning I would have had a phone by now, but silly me thought pre-ordering would be the best way to get a hold of one ASAP.... I was on the phone with AT&T and ordering online at the same time last Friday morning and my status still says preorder processing. I've been waiting to use my upgrade eligibility on this phone too so I had to get purchase it from AT&T (my Crackberry has seen its day) I'm extremely irritated. I don't think there's anything we can do. So disappointing 😟 If you get a chance to see this let me know if you hear anything about your order or when you finally get the phone. Till then I guess we just have to keep our patience and just try and forget about it until it gets here.

I just got my 64Gb Black iphone 5 and my wifes 16GB white iphone 5 today.

Guys. if you haven't gotten your phone. You'll get yours faster if you wait in line. Just saying. Next time, I'm preordering from Apple. Sorry AT&T....... I think every carrier is having his problem so I think apple or waiting in line next time is your best best. Honestly, next time a phone comes out, there will be more traffic to the apple store. So, just make sure you're on at the right time if you /really/ want this phone.

I completed my preorder on Sep14 @ 4:45am EST for a 64gb Black iPhone 5.

As of now, my AT&T is still showing my order at:

processing/pending shipment /backordered/whatever

This is after calling them day after day to find out *** is going on.

I've been:

1) told I should receive my phone on time for ordering before the 9am cutoff.

2) told that I missed the cutoff, and AT&T doesn't know when they ship my phone

3) told that i have no idea what my place in the order line is (despite ordering at 4:45am EST), and that I cannot make any claim to AT&T being late with my order.

4) told that Sep21 delivery is only suggested. Apparantly, i didnt read the fine print when ordering.

5) my phone will ship Sep21

6) my phone will ship no earlier than Oct4-15

7) shipping my phone can take 14-21 business days

8) I dont need to accept terms and conditions

9) my phone is backordered because I did not accept the terms and conditions

10) hung up on by a nasty condescending manager

11) told that iPhone5 phone upgrade orders have priority over new line orders

12) told my phone is scheduled to ship "tonight" (on Sep20)

A nice rep did some digging for me and found that because I "added a line", which didn't process till 2pm(!), that I missed the 9am cutoff point.

I was so furious, I threatened to leave AT&T. I got a manager to credit my account for $90 (1 month), on top of the $36 activation-fee i got waived before. I told him I would only accept the $90 compensation if he admitted to me that AT&T screwed up. He apologized very politically about it (which is an apology in an unapologetic tone), and I was just so meh at that point, so I accepted.

I honestly still feel cheated only because AT&T won't be straight with us.

I can understand the logistical nightmare, especially for AT&T. But no other serious company today repeatedly lies so badly to its customers all the time, if not downright brush them off.

I encourage you all to teach this company a lesson. I doubt I or many others will stay with them in the long run. Especially now that Verizon iPhones come unlocked, and AT&T is still nasty about this too with its loyal customers!