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Nice for those that are in the program, but, I don't feel that it should have priority over those users who opt to buy unlocked versions.

on top of us not having access to the same inventory as everyone else, we also can't just order the phone and wait for it (however long it would take). We are left hanging, the only way to get a phone is to wait for one to magically appear in a store one day. Having to check the website every day for a possible reservation on the model we are waiting for and be willing and able to drop our daily responsibilities to prepare our current phone for trade in and get to an apple store (not nearby for everyone) without any notice. Yes these are first world problems, I get that. But the IUP process is a mess and apple needs to be made aware so they can fix it going forward.
 
You have to ask to be transferred - front line support just tried to find the phone online thru the same tool you use. I got a promise of a response within 48 hours. They don't know what specifically is going to happen but I was asked my 1st and 2nd choice of models and which 2 stores were most best for me.
 
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Just waited 24 minutes to talk to an agent. Said I was calling about iPhone 7 and the iPhone upgrade program and problems I had on Friday placing my pre-order -

Basically said no guarantee of a phone at the end of this week and I would have to wait until Friday.
 
As most of us have said no one is asking for priority just the same availability to preorder as the rest of the options available

I agree, however the option to buy the Sim free, carrier independent iphone is not present again at this launch. Those wanting to pay full price are still without a direct unlocked option.
 
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I called yesturday morning and they were very helpful in assisting me with this issue. I also called Friday night and they filed a radar about this so I may have contributed to surfacing this issue haha. Hopefully everything goes good and they prioritize the iUP customers who were screwed in the preorder, myself included.
 
So, basically, anyone who called Apple and was transferred to their IUP group and complained was not able to secure their phone any faster?

That's what it sounds like, which is why I'm not gonna waste my time with it. Especially with the latest posts saying that they're just being told to go to the store on Friday.
 
You have to ask to be transferred - front line support just tried to find the phone online thru the same tool you use. I got a promise of a response within 48 hours. They don't know what specifically is going to happen but I was asked my 1st and 2nd choice of models and which 2 stores were most best for me.

Yup exactly my experience
 
I'm in the UK. Is it worth me calling as I'm looking to START the Upgrade Program but I can't find the model I want anywhere. Are they just dealing with people already signed up?
 
The AUP has no wording in it that states that participants can pre order a new model phone the moment pre orders go live. It's a program designed to allow users to get a new phone, in the store, WHEN ITS AVAILABLE.

I think there is a lot of misunderstanding and impatience here. AUP participants will get a new phone.... just not immediately.
I thought this too. But it appears that IUP customers were given a much smaller batch to order them that was different from normal customers. It's more that people are annoyed they were given a disadvantage, which is fair I think. Folk don't expect to be at the front of the queue, just to have the same chance as if they were a new customer.
 
I agree, however the option to buy the Sim free, carrier independent iphone is not present again at this launch. Those wanting to pay full price are still without a direct unlocked option.

This is what I'll be waiting for. I don't have one of the 4 major carriers so I'll be waiting until the SIM-Free option is available.
 
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The AUP has no wording in it that states that participants can pre order a new model phone the moment pre orders go live. It's a program designed to allow users to get a new phone, in the store, WHEN ITS AVAILABLE.

I think there is a lot of misunderstanding and impatience here. AUP participants will get a new phone.... just not immediately.

New thread, new wave of people that don't really understand what's going on. So let me try to summarize.

  • This is for people who signed up for the IUP last year and are trying to upgrade this year.
  • We're supposed to be able to upgrade after 12 months. Phil Schiller talked this up during the iPhone 7 announcement. Before everything went bad the Apple IUP page was still saying "First to join, first to upgrade."
  • And most importantly, this isn't about having to wait. Many of us could not even place an order. There were few to no phones available in the separate ordering system we had to use. It's not that we placed an order and are unhappy that we'll have to wait until after release day. We could not and still can't place an order. We can speculate on the nature of the system or planning failure that caused this, at the moment we don't really know. But that's why Apple is now having people call, they are gathering info and trying to figure out what they can do about all these upgrade customers that couldn't, and still can't, upgrade.
  • If we can't upgrade at 12 months, well will have to make extra payments on the current phone and extra payments on the next phone (or upgrade late).
  • Nothing in the contract would have lead us to believe we'd have to do the upgrade in store, in fact the language in the contract indicates we'd have 14 days to send in the old phone after receiving the new one. The contract was clearly written with the idea that the upgrade would, or at least could, be done by mail.
  • And finally, from the other thread, if you had this problem you need to call (not chat) to get help, and it's clear at least half of the front line Apple Support people are still clueless. Insist on talking to an iPhone Upgrade Program Specialist, as instructed on the web page. If they won't transfer you, hang up and call back.

In my case, I got into the store at about 12:03 and there were no phones available. There haven't been since. We watched everyone else ordering, and ship times slipping into October and November, and we couldn't (and still can't) place an order.
 
I'm in the UK. Is it worth me calling as I'm looking to START the Upgrade Program but I can't find the model I want anywhere. Are they just dealing with people already signed up?
I wouldn't bother. I rang to make sure I hadn't missed something, and whilst very nice the person taking the call basically confirmed your options are to queue up in store or keep checking the (annoying) website for availability.
 
Last week, on a whim, I had sent an email to Tim Cook about this issue and my experience. I just received a call from someone on the leadership team who got all my info, apologized about the issue and said they were working to make it right. He asked for a lot of information about my experience, what happened with the pre-order, what has happened since, etc. He said a brief was being prepared for Tim and the entire leadership team about the issue. He appreciated my comments and got all my information and said he would be back in contact with me.
 
Nice for those that are in the program, but, I don't feel that it should have priority over those users who opt to buy unlocked versions.

See my previous post. We're not asking for priority. Right now we're at the back of the line along with walk ins. We are walk ins. We can't place an order.

Edit: but I see you might be making a slightly different point. Yes, I agree, if I could pre-order a fully unlocked iPhone on launch day, I'd gladly do that instead.
 
I'm not on the upgrade program but think it's ridiculous that they don't have one for everyone on the program. That is the whole point of the program. You have 1 million people on the program you should have close to 1 million phones ready for them. It should make planning easier not harder.

Exactly. They know how many are signed up for IUP and that all those people will want a new iPhone. They should have taken model/capacity requests early and automatically reserved a device at the customer's local store. This is the whole point of the program.
 
I wouldn't bother. I rang to make sure I hadn't missed something, and whilst very nice the person taking the call basically confirmed your options are to queue up in store or keep checking the (annoying) website for availability.

So it's literally just people already in the program who they're reaching out to? It's a shame cause I'm ready and waiting to sign up it's just my local store has never had my configuration in stock and I'm not joking. They've released no reservations for the config. iPhone 7 Plus 32GB Black.
 
This is just ridiculous, from start to end.
First purposely creating low stock situations and now trying to fix their own system via sorry dear devoted customer we are trying bla bla..
 
See mine above too. Those wanting carrier independent / unlocked have absolutely no option at this point.

Yeah, I realized that's what you were saying (and edited my post) simultaneously with yours. I agree. My guess is that they do that to limit people buying with the intent of reselling.
 
Having enrolled for this in the wee hours before the scandal broke I am hoping they change it and allow online upgrading for next year.
 
73 minutes on the phone. Same as others have posted... they took all my info and preferred phone options, said they will try and locate a phone for me and someone will call me within 2 days. Rep was very appolgetic.
 
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