[UK] iPhone 5 Trafford Centre Manchester Launch Day

[Erratic.]

Originally Posted by scb02

So after advising people what time to get there, I sold my iPhone last night, set alarm, went off 3 hours late, got there and huge queue already, there a few hours and guy comes saying no 16GB's left, so I talked myself into the 32. Half an hour later and along 64 left and I might not get one.

So just left. First one I've ever missed!

You should have went to the Arndale centre, I don't think it was as busy as the Trafford centre.

Thanks

[Totalkharnage]

Originally Posted by roblawton

What can I say, madness and mayhem and after nearly 8 hours in the queue, I got what I wanted.

Apple really should make it card-purchases only. I felt a lot was spoiled by the 'professionals' as I called them today.

Hope everyone else got what they wanted!!

Agreed. This was my first and possibly last iPhone launch event. The combination of no organisation by the Trafford Centre security and the 'professionals' meant the whole experience was ruined for me.

At times, I'm surprised people didn't get trampled or worse. They really need to take a long hard look at this. All it would have taken was some barriers and security staff outside the doors from midnight onwards to manage the queue. This would have meant peopled went into the centre in an orderly fashion rather than the staff opening all the doors and letting everyone run in.

I feel sorry for the Apple store employees who had to put up with grumpy genuine customers. It's a good thing the iPhone 5 is an awesome product.

One word to sum up the experience ? Shambles.

[2bFrank]

This whole day was an absolute joke. The scramble to the queue was utterly stupid, some poor kid was pushed to the ground and pretty much trampled on. There was, what seemed like a massive ****** fest in the middle of the queue, with people kicking off with each other, I personally got into two verbal arguments (close to fists flying) with the scalpers or professionals or c**ts whatever you want to call them. When I got in the queue I was at a respectable position, then we kept getting pushed back and pushed back, with no one policing the queue and the 'professionals' pushing in, started at 5am, got out at 12am. Never again.

At first I blamed the trafford centre staff for have no organisation whatsoever, however in speaking to a few of the guards (and I do not know how true this is), it was apples responsibility to make sure there were proper security guards at early doors, which there was not. And at first I felt sorry for apple staff, but they were in no way helping the situation, they ran out of 16 & 32gb phone tickets just as they got to us, then 5 minutes later they found some extra 32gb phones and went back to the queue, the professionals from behind us, charged up in front to the staff and managed to get the 32gb tickets before us even with us explaining that they pushed in, the response we got was "were not here to police the line" I was proper fuming. The whole day could have gone a lot better with just a tiny bit more organisation, however I jointly put Apple and the Trafford Centre staff to blame for what was the most major ****** up ive experienced.

[Brenster]

Originally Posted by 2bFrank

This whole day was an absolute joke. The scramble to the queue was utterly stupid, some poor kid was pushed to the ground and pretty much trampled on. There was, what seemed like a massive ****** fest in the middle of the queue, with people kicking off with each other, I personally got into two verbal arguments (close to fists flying) with the scalpers or professionals or c**ts whatever you want to call them. When I got in the queue I was at a respectable position, then we kept getting pushed back and pushed back, with no one policing the queue and the 'professionals' pushing in, started at 5am, got out at 12am. Never again.

At first I blamed the trafford centre staff for have no organisation whatsoever, however in speaking to a few of the guards (and I do not know how true this is), it was apples responsibility to make sure there were proper security guards at early doors, which there was not. And at first I felt sorry for apple staff, but they were in no way helping the situation, they ran out of 16 & 32gb phone tickets just as they got to us, then 5 minutes later they found some extra 32gb phones and went back to the queue, the professionals from behind us, charged up in front to the staff and managed to get the 32gb tickets before us even with us explaining that they pushed in, the response we got was "were not here to police the line" I was proper fuming. The whole day could have gone a lot better with just a tiny bit more organisation, however I jointly put Apple and the Trafford Centre staff to blame for what was the most major ****** up ive experienced.

Wow! I bobbed up there this morning to get a second Lighting cable and AppleCare for the new phone. 150-200 in line (mostly there to sell on, by the looks) - tightly kettled & roped in with both TC and Apple staff going up and down the line. Saw more than one person get to the front with no ticket and be asked to leave.

Such a shame. I was inline for the iP4 launch at 4am and had a grand old time of it with fellow queuers, coffee & donuts on Apple. Sounds like a bad combination of Apple not policing the queues properly and the number/proportion of scalpers/resellers going off the scale. I did kind of miss the whole cameraderie thing yesterday (waiting for a courier van all day is not the same), but it sounds as though there was little to be had.

[2bFrank]

Thanks for the update brenster, seems that they have improved upon yesterday, this is how it should have been.

There was no cameraderie at all yesterday, it was a shambles. I have heard a lot about the queuing experience in previous launches, if that is the experience everyone is talking about, then they are mad. Apple brought round some water, but didnt even reach half the queue, coffee reached the first 20 people then the poor guy retreated, donuts were not to be seen. however I did not really expect refreshments, I just expected a civilised queue, I didnt mind waiting the 7 hours, if they queue was kept organised, but the fact that 90% of the queue were pushing in, and then once they have the phone pushing in again to get more, ticked us all off.

Hope both Apple and the Trafford Centre learn from this.

[Nintendolinky]

Guys, Meadowhall was great.
A couple of people pushing in, which annoyed a few people (mostly me) but any "professionals" where clearly told "only two phones, even if your with a friend". And anyone without a ticket wasn't allowed to be seen.
They also seemed to have thousand of phones of variable quantity.

I was about 90th in the queue on launch, started queuing at about 1:30AM, and left Meadowhall about 9:30AM.
Starbucks gave the majority of the queue coffee, and Millie's provided cookies for anyone who wanted them, about 7:30AM Apple provided umbrellas and water, and everyone was getting on, just a tired experience but was worth it.
My 32GB White iPhone 5 is great,.

[Totalkharnage]

Originally Posted by Nintendolinky

Guys, Meadowhall was great.
A couple of people pushing in, which annoyed a few people (mostly me) but any "professionals" where clearly told "only two phones, even if your with a friend". And anyone without a ticket wasn't allowed to be seen.
They also seemed to have thousand of phones of variable quantity.

I was about 90th in the queue on launch, started queuing at about 1:30AM, and left Meadowhall about 9:30AM.
Starbucks gave the majority of the queue coffee, and Millie's provided cookies for anyone who wanted them, about 7:30AM Apple provided umbrellas and water, and everyone was getting on, just a tired experience but was worth it.
My 32GB White iPhone 5 is great,.

Think I might head to Meadowhall if I ever do the iPhone launch again. Did the iPad 2 at Trafford centre and it was brilliant. No scalpers and nice orderly queuing and great camaraderie.

Anyway, it's over with now and to be honest it's not something i want to experirnce again any time soon.

[Erratic.]

Anyone use their reservation system for tomorrow? Receive an email?

Thanks

[JASApplications]

Originally Posted by Erratic.

Anyone use their reservation system for tomorrow? Receive an email?

Thanks

I tried to reserve one today for pick-up tomorrow. No email unfortunately

I'm thinking of going anyway and just hope they have one! Anyone know what the Stock is like at the Trafford Centre?

[d123]

Originally Posted by JASApplications

I tried to reserve one today for pick-up tomorrow. No email unfortunately

I'm thinking of going anyway and just hope they have one! Anyone know what the Stock is like at the Trafford Centre?

Probably like everywhere else, virtually none for another 3 weeks or so.