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Rumors that Canadian Apple Stores will NOT be selling unlocked iPhone on launch day?!

M

MikeNemat

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 6, 2006
155
3
All I have to say is WTF?!

http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/iphone...ill-not-sell-unlocked-iphone-5-on-launch-day/

I have owned every single iPhone since the original one which I painstakingly acquired from the US and unlocked, back in the day when software unlocks had a serious risk of permanently bricking the phone. I like the freedom that factory unlocked phones give you for traveling and SIM swapping, and the fact I don't have to deal with a single idiot cell carrier employee to get the phone. I'd also much rather get a little less sleep and get it in the morning before going to work, than have to fight traffic to pick it up from the courier after work.

If this is true, Apple is spitting in the face of their most loyal customers - the ones that line up over night to have the latest and greatest first thing in the morning. Also, the time it takes for a customer to actually buy the unlocked iPhone is a few minutes at most, vs. significantly longer for carrier contract purchases, possibly up to hours in length when the cell carrier servers crash (it's happened every launch day so far, this ones going to be no different). Would Apple stores really give up the customers who spend the most and take the least time to complete their purchases?
 
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Wow that really sucks. I can understand why if they are trying to cut down on scalpers but still it kinda screws alot of people over. Glad I pre-ordered on Apple.ca last night.
 
I'm really, really hoping that this is false news. I feel genuinely shafted as a loyal customer.
 
I spoke to a friend of mine that works at Apple. He told me that they will not be selling unlocked, off-contract phones over the first weekend.
 
ek9max said:
I spoke to a friend of mine that works at Apple. He told me that they will not be selling unlocked, off-contract phones over the first weekend.
Click to expand...

Also just confirmed it with a friend of mine at Apple. Raging so hard right now. I have nothing against pre-ordering IF THEY HAD TOLD US THIS BEFORE PREORDERS OPENED! The iPhone 4 and 4S were available unlocked on day one and everything went great with those launches...wtf? why now?

Just placed my preorder for 32GB Black unlocked from Apple.ca. If I didn't do iOS development and wasn't so deep in the Apple ecosystem I'd switch to android over this total betrayal of loyal customers. My shipping ETA is Oct 10 to 16th and I already sold my iPhone 4S on Kijiji a few days ago. **** everything about this.
 
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This is insane...I buy unlocked every year as well. Looks like I might be buying a locked one on launch day then returning it when the unlocked ones come out...
 
Well i called Apple and went to feedback section and expressed my displeasure with this news... I have no problem with purchasing unlocked iPhone only online, i have a problem with Apple not delivering the message to its clients in advance... If i knew this in advance, i would have gotten up at 3am to place the order to give myself a chance of getting it on the 21st.

I wrote something really good to Apple in feedback section, sucks i can't go back and copy it so i can send it to Tim Cook directly.

Not only is this decision not fair to its clients, but also employees who will be responsible of delivering the message to its customers who waited for hours overnight that they can't get the phone unlocked.... If I only found out about this after waiting in line for hours, I would be furious, unfortunately for Apple Canada, sept 21st, went from being a great day to possible big headache.

Apple should do the right thing, sell the phone unlocked at the store and put a message that going forward future unlocked iPhones cannot be purchased at the stores until further notice.

Delivers 10 Oct - 16 Oct via Standard Shipping FML!!!

----------

the word needs to get past around, and people need to send complaints to Apple, maybe the word might get strong enough that come the 21st we can buy it at the store unlocked and cancel our online order.
 
N-Y said:
Delivers 10 Oct - 16 Oct via Standard Shipping FML!!!

----------

the word needs to get past around, and people need to send complaints to Apple, maybe the word might get strong enough that come the 21st we can buy it at the store unlocked and cancel our online order.
Click to expand...

Me too man...Oct 10-16. The one shred of hope is that Apple is well known for overestimating shipping times for iPhone/iPad, at least according to some folks I've talked to. I highly doubt we'll see our phones on Sept 21, but maybe it won't be as bad as Oct 10-16. Maybe we can hope that ek9max is right and the unlocked ban is only for the first weekend.

I've emailed tcook@apple.com on the tiny 0.00001% chance that like you said, they'll change their minds and welcome our business on Sept 21st and we can cancel our online orders.
 
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dtbratt said:
This seems like a big joke. And Im hoping it is...
Click to expand...

its not trust me.... The Apple employee i spoke to is aware that they will have to deliver this news to waiting customers on the 21st who have been waiitng for hours, and they will be pissed off.
 
N-Y said:
its not trust me.... The Apple employee i spoke to is aware that they will have to deliver this news to waiting customers on the 21st who have been waiitng for hours, and they will be pissed off.
Click to expand...

This should be fun! Last year I was in line for atleast 6 hours till the Apple employees came out, so I could see a **** storm happening! I will be waiting in line either way.
 
Don't really know how things work there, but if you buy a locked version, can't you ask for an unlock from your provider if you showed them proof you paid in full?

Also, it's the same here with AT&T but in reality those that bought AT&T versions last year at full price actually were unlocked. You just had to provide them your AT&T account info.
 
You wont be able to buy a full price locked one either,
they are only selling new and renewal contract phones to make more money.

The GREED of Apple is amazing, 100 billion and they wont sell us a phone for full price.
 
woke up this morning, still very frustrated about this... very very annoyed they didn't inform the general public about this before pre-orders went live.
 
bidwalj said:
Don't really know how things work there, but if you buy a locked version, can't you ask for an unlock from your provider if you showed them proof you paid in full?

Also, it's the same here with AT&T but in reality those that bought AT&T versions last year at full price actually were unlocked. You just had to provide them your AT&T account info.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately that's not how it works here. I don't know about all of our carriers, but one of our biggest, Rogers, charges $50 extra to unlock your phone after your contract is up. They're also a lot harder to deal with than AT&T for this, it's not a website, you have to call in. To make it even worse, not all customer support reps know about the unlocking thing. You can waste hours and hours of time trying to make it happen.

One of the main reasons I'd buy unlocked phones is so I never had to deal with the carrier and could deal directly with Apple instead.
 
OSMac said:
You wont be able to buy a full price locked one either,
they are only selling new and renewal contract phones to make more money.

The GREED of Apple is amazing, 100 billion and they wont sell us a phone for full price.
Click to expand...

I called my local Apple Store and they said I can buy a retail priced locked iPhone 5. Just no unlocked ones.
 
MikeNemat said:
Unfortunately that's not how it works here. I don't know about all of our carriers, but one of our biggest, Rogers, charges $50 extra to unlock your phone after your contract is up. They're also a lot harder to deal with than AT&T for this, it's not a website, you have to call in. To make it even worse, not all customer support reps know about the unlocking thing. You can waste hours and hours of time trying to make it happen.

One of the main reasons I'd buy unlocked phones is so I never had to deal with the carrier and could deal directly with Apple instead.
Click to expand...

you can get it unlocked if you pay the full price of your phone in advance.

I also confirmed with rogers rep, if you pay full price for it at the Apple store, you can call rogers right away, pay the 50$ to get it unlocked
 
N-Y said:
you can get it unlocked if you pay the full price of your phone in advance.

I also confirmed with rogers rep, if you pay full price for it at the Apple store, you can call rogers right away, pay the 50$ to get it unlocked
Click to expand...

Well, at least that's a possible solution though far less than ideal. Some people might decide to go that route out of desperation. I flat out refuse to give Rogers $50 for nothing, and I flat out refuse to deal with Rogers anywhere near iPhone launch day because they go from their usual average level of incompetence to full-on braindead and their servers always crash.
 
N-Y said:
you can get it unlocked if you pay the full price of your phone in advance.

I also confirmed with rogers rep, if you pay full price for it at the Apple store, you can call rogers right away, pay the 50$ to get it unlocked
Click to expand...

Think the phone must be on your account for at least 30 days....
http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/iphone...authorized-iphone-unlocking-in-north-america/

Also, they often will only sell a in demand full priced locked phone with a new or renewal contract, but if your in the middle of a contract they will not, at least that is how Futureshop / Bestbuy handles hot Android devices.

Many resort to signing a new additional month to month contract just to get a phone full price, then cancel it paying only setup and 1 month of fees.
 
OSMac said:
Think the phone must be on your account for at least 30 days....
http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/iphone...authorized-iphone-unlocking-in-north-america/

Also, they often will only sell a in demand full priced locked phone with a new or renewal contract, but if your in the middle of a contract they will not, at least that is how Futureshop / Bestbuy handles hot Android devices.

Many resort to signing a new additional month to month contract just to get a phone full price, then cancel it paying only setup and 1 month of fees.
Click to expand...

I worked it out, and unlike the USA, our early upgrade/cancellation fees are so bad that it is possible to pay MORE to Rogers for an early upgrade than flat out buying it unlocked from Apple. Highway robbery!
 
MikeNemat said:
Unfortunately that's not how it works here. I don't know about all of our carriers, but one of our biggest, Rogers, charges $50 extra to unlock your phone after your contract is up. They're also a lot harder to deal with than AT&T for this, it's not a website, you have to call in. To make it even worse, not all customer support reps know about the unlocking thing. You can waste hours and hours of time trying to make it happen.

One of the main reasons I'd buy unlocked phones is so I never had to deal with the carrier and could deal directly with Apple instead.
Click to expand...

I think they all charge $50 (not like they would actually compete against each other) and the charge is unnecessarily high for all that it takes. I'm with Rogers too and I actually had no problem getting them to unlock my old 3G when I went to sell it to a friend overseas. Called in, asked for it to be unlocked, got transferred to another Customer Service Rep and done. After that I just had to restore it as new and the unlock was done.
 
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