All my past Apple purchases (Ipods, Ipads and Iphones) have been directly from the Apple store. I like the stores, the sales people are friendly and sometimes knowledgeable and they are generally good with returns and exchanges. I live near one store and work near another in NY so it is also pretty convenient for me.
Buying the Iphone 4s though has been a pain. I was fortunately able to snag mine the first or second week using the online reservation system but it was still a lengthy process waiting on line to actually purchase and set up the unit. I have had no luck trying to buy a White Iphone for my wife though. I had a reservation the other night but before I could complete the online resrvation process the site crashed and when I went back in the unit she wanted was no longer available.
Anyway, my local Radio Shack seems to have pretty much every phone and most importantly the one she wants (Verizon, white, 16G). They also have 30-day return policy like Apple. My wife is going on a trip this week and we really want to have Facetime so she can see our two-year old while she is away for 4 days, so I am running out of time trying to deal with the Apple store.
The only reason I could think of not to just buy from the Shack is that the may be less good at doing the intial setup than at Apple, but I would hope that having been selling Iphones since at least the Iphone 4 they would know enough to complete the sale and initialize the phone.
Another thing I like about Apple is that if your product was say DOA it would be easiest to go to them for an exchange. But with the lines at Apple for the Iphone 4s, it might actually be easier to get an exchange at RS which seems tp have sufficient units and no lines.
I guess the other thing is what happens if there is a future problem when the phone is under warranty (like the head phone jack no longer works as was the case with my old 3Gs). I assume you can then take it into Apple even though it was not the original point of sale.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Buying the Iphone 4s though has been a pain. I was fortunately able to snag mine the first or second week using the online reservation system but it was still a lengthy process waiting on line to actually purchase and set up the unit. I have had no luck trying to buy a White Iphone for my wife though. I had a reservation the other night but before I could complete the online resrvation process the site crashed and when I went back in the unit she wanted was no longer available.
Anyway, my local Radio Shack seems to have pretty much every phone and most importantly the one she wants (Verizon, white, 16G). They also have 30-day return policy like Apple. My wife is going on a trip this week and we really want to have Facetime so she can see our two-year old while she is away for 4 days, so I am running out of time trying to deal with the Apple store.
The only reason I could think of not to just buy from the Shack is that the may be less good at doing the intial setup than at Apple, but I would hope that having been selling Iphones since at least the Iphone 4 they would know enough to complete the sale and initialize the phone.
Another thing I like about Apple is that if your product was say DOA it would be easiest to go to them for an exchange. But with the lines at Apple for the Iphone 4s, it might actually be easier to get an exchange at RS which seems tp have sufficient units and no lines.
I guess the other thing is what happens if there is a future problem when the phone is under warranty (like the head phone jack no longer works as was the case with my old 3Gs). I assume you can then take it into Apple even though it was not the original point of sale.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
