Just wanted to share my AT&T horror story.
I ordered around 3:30am after not being able to get on the Apple site. Got the confirmation email, went to bed. Next day saw that it would take 14-21 business days. Okay. No big deal. I can wait. My estimated ship date went from 10/2 - 10/13 to 10/31 - 11/14 to 10/13 -10/21 before settling back at 10/2 - 10/13. Also noticed my card had been charged for the full amount, so I figured I was set.
Bored at work, I was reading these boards, figuring I'd either get my phone on launch day or not. I didn't bother calling because I didn't think they'd have better info than the site. This morning, when my status hadn't changed, I decided to give AT&T a call to see what was up. I explained nicely that I didn't mind waiting, but that it was odd that people who had ordered the same phone (6+ 64GB SG) were getting their tracking numbers and I hadn't. She reiterated the whole "14-21 days" thing, and I persisted asking why I'd ordered within 30 minutes of preorders going live but wasn't getting my phone while others who'd ordered the next morning were. Why I'd been charged the full amount when their email clearly says I wouldn't be charged until it shipped.
After a few times "checking the system," she came back and said that my order had been sitting in process all week and she didn't know why. She thought they might need more information from me. I asked what that could be. My card was charged, my shipping/billing address were the same, I was eligible for an upgrade, and my account was current. She said she didn't know, and would create a case. I asked how long it would take them to call me; she said 48-72 business hours. I said, "So sometime late next week?" and she said yes. I told her I'd rather cancel my preorder, wait for stock to replenish elsewhere, and move my account to T-Mobile or Verizon. I explained I had no intention of paying for something that I wouldn't be getting for 5 weeks.
The CSR (who was really polite and tried to be helpful) said someone would call me today. Then she transferred me to the on-line order department (I still don't know why), where I was promptly disconnected.
In the end, I definitely won't be getting my phone today...and that's fine. It's just a phone. But AT&T's absolute bungling of the pre-orders has finally pushed me over the edge. If they can't provide the product on launch day, they shouldn't be taking pre-orders at all. They charged me the full amount, then left my order languishing in limbo without ever trying to contact me to fix whatever "problem" they think my order had. I highly doubt I'll even be getting that call today. I suspect I'll have to call them back later, cancel my pre-order, and go see what kind of deal I can get with T-Mobile or Verizon.
Good luck to the rest of you
