Pre-ordering the week of 3gs release

[thinkTwice]

I tried to pre-order the 3gs yesterday through Apple's website and the credit check failed saying it could not be processed. Apple said they could reserve one for me at the Apple store. So I filled out everything- the info for the credit check, phone plan, which phone, which store, etc. I get a final page saying that I could show up on Fri. morning with all the details. I even created the Apple ID account. But when I log into the Apple ID account- there is no record of this transaction and I haven't received an e-mail confirming a reservation.

Is this normal?
I don't want to show up at 3am on Friday to wait for my "reserved" iPhone only to find out several hours later that the reservation is non-existant.

I'm going to call Apple today, but I just wanted to see if anybody else experienced this too.

 

[traylorc]

I tried to pre-order the 3gs yesterday through Apple's website and the credit check failed saying it could not be processed. Apple said they could reserve one for me at the Apple store. So I filled out everything- the info for the credit check, phone plan, which phone, which store, etc. I get a final page saying that I could show up on Fri. morning with all the details. I even created the Apple ID account. But when I log into the Apple ID account- there is no record of this transaction and I haven't received an e-mail confirming a reservation.

Is this normal?
I don't want to show up at 3am on Friday to wait for my "reserved" iPhone only to find out several hours later that the reservation is non-existant.

I'm going to call Apple today, but I just wanted to see if anybody else experienced this too.

When initially pre-ordering the 3Gs, I went through Apple.com just as you did. Apple could not finish my transaction because I was planning on signing up for the family plan. If I was simply purchasing an individual plan I would have been ok and the transaction would have gone through. Anyway I did receive an e-mail confirming my "reservation". However, I noticed the following in the fine print of that e-mail:

"Pre-authorization does not guarantee iPhone availability at an Apple Retail Store. iPhone is sold on a first-come, first-served basis".

So even if you did receive a confirmation e-mail, it does not appear that this "reservation" has any teeth. My guess is that your "reservation" is simply used by your local Apple store to assist them with ordering 3Gs phones for the impending launch. In other words, if your store can tell corporate we have 150 "reservations", then hopefully that store will receive 150+ phones.

Once I read the fine print in the e-mail, I went into an ATT store to pre-ordered and paid for two iphones (one for me, one for my fiance'). I have since received a confirmation e-mail swith UPS tracking codes.

I wonder if the reason you have not received a confirmation is that Apple has run out of its initial stash of phones for launch. I know ATT ran out a couple of days ago.

 

[thinkTwice]

When initially pre-ordering the 3Gs, I went through Apple.com just as you did. Apple could not finish my transaction because I was planning on signing up for the family plan. If I was simply purchasing an individual plan I would have been ok and the transaction would have gone through. Anyway I did receive an e-mail confirming my "reservation". However, I noticed the following in the fine print of that e-mail:

"Pre-authorization does not guarantee iPhone availability at an Apple Retail Store. iPhone is sold on a first-come, first-served basis".

So even if you did receive a confirmation e-mail, it does not appear that this "reservation" has any teeth. My guess is that your "reservation" is simply used by your local Apple store to assist them with ordering 3Gs phones for the impending launch. In other words, if your store can tell corporate we have 150 "reservations", then hopefully that store will receive 150+ phones.

Once I read the fine print in the e-mail, I went into an ATT store to pre-ordered and pay for two iphones (one for me, one for my fiance'). I have since received a confirmation e-mail swith UPS tracking codes.

I wonder if the reason you have not received a confirmation is that Apple has run out of its initial stash of phones for launch. I know ATT ran out a couple of days ago.

Hmm... I hope Apple hasn't run out...
I went to the Apple store today and they looked up my info and there was nothing, so they told me to just try to order again. And I got the same problem. I guess the first batch is sold out...

 

[Behshad]

Hmm... I hope Apple hasn't run out...
I went to the Apple store today and they looked up my info and there was nothing, so they told me to just try to order again. And I got the same problem. I guess the first batch is sold out...

Theyre not sold out. they are still taking pre-orders and any pre-orders by or before 17th will be delivered by the 19th.

 

[shakerpenguin]

I've gotten similar errors from apple's website. I've tried twice to pre-order, and both times it gives me a generic error message but lets me pick a store. Yet it doesn't garauntee anything.

So I went to the ATT store to pre-order there...And they can't garauntee that pre-orders taken this week will be available on Friday, either. You had to have ordered in store by last Friday, supposedly.

But apparently I can still pre-order at an Apple store and have it Friday for sure? Maybe I'll just head over there instead.

 

[shakerpenguin]

thinkTwice, you might want to try calling the Apple store you "reserved" at. I called mine, asking if I could pre-order and still get one friday. He asked my name, I told him I tried to do it online but it gave me an error message and said it wasn't gauranteed. He told me my name is on the list for "reserved" phones...and I even questioned the "first come first serve" wording in the email. He said he couldn't be exactly sure what the stock situation will be on Friday, but seemed confident that because I have one "reserved" that I should have no problem. We'll see. He did not say or imply that I needed to come in store and actually purchase/pay for it (as I never got to that process online, it errored out). So I'm just going to head over there Friday and see what happens.

 

[foster2380]

I just ordered black 32gb through apple.com. The order stated it will be delivered by June 19th. Looks like they still have an inventory. Although I haven't gotten an email, my credit card has been charged.

 

[traylorc]

thinkTwice, you might want to try calling the Apple store you "reserved" at. I called mine, asking if I could pre-order and still get one friday. He asked my name, I told him I tried to do it online but it gave me an error message and said it wasn't gauranteed. He told me my name is on the list for "reserved" phones...and I even questioned the "first come first serve" wording in the email. He said he couldn't be exactly sure what the stock situation will be on Friday, but seemed confident that because I have one "reserved" that I should have no problem. We'll see. He did not say or imply that I needed to come in store and actually purchase/pay for it (as I never got to that process online, it errored out). So I'm just going to head over there Friday and see what happens.

My name was on the list of "reserved" phones as well. Again, the Apple rep may be correct and you may not have an issue. However, Apple put the first come first serve language in the e-mail for a reason. When you have big launches like this it's not uncommon for certain stores to get short-changed or receive a smaller allocation than what was ordered.

Who knows you may walk in and pick up your phone with no issues. But if that doesn't happen, Apple has covered their butt with the language in the e-mail. You better believe the Apple salespeople will point to that very language in the event they are unable to provide you a phone this Friday.