Apple REFUSED to sell me an iPhone

[andrewlgm]

Apple REFUSED TO SELL ME AN IPHONE 6 PLUS THAT THEY HAD IN STOCK.

I enjoy Apple and their tech. But what I really hate is the buying and shopping experience for an apple device. It is an absolute nightmare. Trying and attempting to shop for an iPhone 6 Plus for the past three weeks has been the most distressing shopping experience I have ever had. So much so, that I have given up for good.

1. First I paid ATT $200 to become eligible early for a NEXT upgrade. I placed an order for an iPhone 6 Plus that soon got an estimate of over 45 days. I cancelled the order, found two ATT stores that showed availability, called those stores multiple times to confirm availability and got NO ANSWER from them. Get there only to find out, their system shows availability for phones that have been ordered for someone else. How does that make any sense?

2. I check apple's 5th avenue store. A few days after constantly checking apple's stocks in NYC, I see they finally have them in. I go online to order and pick up in store, only to be informed ATT NEXT CANNOT BE DONE ONLINE. So I call the store's phone number to order via the phone and a representative (somewhere else in the US) tells me to go to the store since I can't do NEXT via the phone either. I travel 1 hour to Apple's NYC 5th ave store hoping they'll still have the phone in stock when I get there only to find out they're only selling to people who have pre-ordered online before coming in. I explain to two different blue shirts what I was told to do by an apple representative, and their only solution? Order online or COME IN AT 5AM NEXT DAY. WE CANNOT SELL IPHONES TODAY TO WALK INS. I ask both of them if they have the phone in stock, they say YES, but will not sell it to me.

I was looking forward to returning to iPhone after 2 years on android. I'm a long time Mac user, and wanted to complement my professional life with both an iPad Air 2 and an iPhone for easy document synchronization. But this experience has just ruined it for me. I just pre-ordered the Nexus 9, and will be pre-ordering the Nexus 6 at the end of the month. I'll continue to miss the iTunes store the most, but I can make it by without it.

These products cost a lot of money for customers to be treated this way.

 

[fuchsdh]

Apple REFUSED TO SELL ME AN IPHONE 6 PLUS THAT THEY HAD IN STOCK.

I enjoy Apple and their tech. But what I really hate is the buying and shopping experience for an apple device. It is an absolute nightmare. Trying and attempting to shop for an iPhone 6 Plus for the past three weeks has been the most distressing shopping experience I have ever had. So much so, that I have given up for good.

1. First I paid ATT $200 to become eligible early for a NEXT upgrade. I placed an order for an iPhone 6 Plus that soon got an estimate of over 45 days. I cancelled the order, found two ATT stores that showed availability, called those stores multiple times to confirm availability and got NO ANSWER from them. Get there only to find out, their system shows availability for phones that have been ordered for someone else. How does that make any sense?

2. I check apple's 5th avenue store. A few days after constantly checking apple's stocks in NYC, I see they finally have them in. I go online to order and pick up in store, only to be informed ATT NEXT CANNOT BE DONE ONLINE. So I call the store's phone number to order via the phone and a representative (somewhere else in the US) tells me to go to the store since I can't do NEXT via the phone either. I travel 1 hour to Apple's NYC 5th ave store hoping they'll still have the phone in stock when I get there only to find out they're only selling to people who have pre-ordered online before coming in. I explain to two different blue shirts what I was told to do by an apple representative, and their only solution? Order online or COME IN AT 5AM NEXT DAY. WE CANNOT SELL IPHONES TODAY TO WALK INS. I ask both of them if they have the phone in stock, they say YES, but will not sell it to me.

I was looking forward to returning to iPhone after 2 years on android. I'm a long time Mac user, and wanted to complement my professional life with both an iPad Air 2 and an iPhone for easy document synchronization. But this experience has just ruined it for me. I just pre-ordered the Nexus 9, and will be pre-ordering the Nexus 6 at the end of the month. I'll continue to miss the iTunes store the most, but I can make it by without it.

These products cost a lot of money for customers to be treated this way.

Sounds like your big issue here is AT&T, not Apple.

 

[ultravorx]

Lol!!

This is crazy! Same thing happened to me last night. Almost word for word! After being turned down at the store, 30 miles away, i went home, ordered with 2 year contract, when i go to pick it up today, i'll have them switch to the next program.

Frank

 

[maflynn]

Apple checks with ATT to see if you're eligible for the program. ATT is dropping the ball not apple.

 

[ucfgrad93]

If you are comfortable pre-ordering and waiting for the Nexus devices I don't understand why you just didn't do the same for the Apple products.

Anyway, enjoy the Nexuses when you get them.

 

[heisenberg123]

thats why I have started to buy phones off contract, carriers get in the way

 

[Arran]

Just do this. You may not get an iPhone, but you'll go viral:

 

[mercuryjones]

So, pre-ordering and waiting for the iPhone is too much, but you'll go ahead and pre-order the Nexus6 and Nexus 9 and wait? Sound reasonable. /s
Look, this is all about AT&T. Not sure why you think Apple has anything to do with the plan and how they can handle them.

 

[noobinator]

Nexus 6 is about 45 days away. My guess is you could have any iPhone you choose by that time.

 

[andrewlgm]

Sounds like your big issue here is AT&T, not Apple.

How is walking into an apple store to buy a product that they have in stock and being denied by them an ATT problem? Apple selectively denied to sell me a product they had at the time. It seems that these decisions to not sell a device are localized, otherwise a phone rep wouldn't have sent me knowinlgy to a store that would deny me service. They can do whatever they want at the end of the day, but it isn't great customer service.

 

[jim.hickman.777]

Sounds like you don't know how to order a phone I've ordered 2 without problem from ATT

 

[mercuryjones]

How is walking into an apple store to buy a product that they have in stock and being denied by them an ATT problem? Apple selectively denied to sell me a product they had at the time. It seems that these decisions to not sell a device are localized, otherwise a phone rep wouldn't have sent me knowinlgy to a store that would deny me service. They can do whatever they want at the end of the day, but it isn't great customer service.

From what I understand, the online inventory and in store sales inventory are different. So, if you see it online, that's strictly for people to pre-order and come in and pick it up. If you just walk into the store, you have no idea whether they have stock or not until they look it up for you.
And agin, the fact that AT&T Next can't be done online at Apple, is most likely by AT&Ts restrictions. So again, AT&T's fault.
That said, why is it okay to wait for Google to ship you a phone and tablet, but not okay with Apple?

 

[0000757]

How is walking into an apple store to buy a product that they have in stock and being denied by them an ATT problem? Apple selectively denied to sell me a product they had at the time. It seems that these decisions to not sell a device are localized, otherwise a phone rep wouldn't have sent me knowinlgy to a store that would deny me service. They can do whatever they want at the end of the day, but it isn't great customer service.

Because the stock was for people who already ordered? Apple keeps pre-orders in their store for I believe up to 30 days before turning it over for resale.

The phone reps can not know the situation of every single Apple store across the planet. They can't (and didn't) guarantee you'll get the iPhone, they just told you that you would have to do it in store. They didn't knowingly send you to a store that would deny you service.

 

[farmkittie]

Here is another troll thread trying to make Apple look bad and Android phone look good. Andrewigm's history of posts seem to all be negative toward Apple.

Like everyone else said, this is an AT&T problem not Apple.

 

[0000757]

Here is another troll thread trying to make Apple look bad and Android phone look good. Andrewigm's history of posts seem to all be negative toward Apple.

Like everyone else said, this is an AT&T problem not Apple.

While the poster is spewing some BS, I currently fail to see how it's AT&T's problem, but rather Apple just not having the stock for walk-ins.

 

[andrewlgm]

So, pre-ordering and waiting for the iPhone is too much, but you'll go ahead and pre-order the Nexus6 and Nexus 9 and wait? Sound reasonable. /s
Look, this is all about AT&T. Not sure why you think Apple has anything to do with the plan and how they can handle them.

Your point is valid. I didn't know the iPhone 6 Plus was going to be as good as it turned out to be. That's the reason for not pre-ordering. As far as the wait period, why wait when apple stores have the device? That's the disheartening situation. They had the product and chose not to sell. And as far as pre-ordering goes, I have no problem with it. I was pre-ordering a new iPad today, but decided against it since this whole experience. They should have told me on the phone "you can't do it at all" instead of wasting an hour traveling. If I'm going to stick with an android phone, might as well stick with an android tablet.

 

[aristobrat]

How is walking into an apple store to buy a product that they have in stock and being denied by them an ATT problem? Apple selectively denied to sell me a product they had at the time. It seems that these decisions to not sell a device are localized, otherwise a phone rep wouldn't have sent me knowinlgy to a store that would deny me service. They can do whatever they want at the end of the day, but it isn't great customer service.

In NYC, if they sold iPhone 6 Pluses to everyone who walked in off the street like you did, there'd be an organized line of scalpers in front of you, and you'd still not have one.

So what's the solution?

 

[mercuryjones]

While the poster is spewing some BS, I currently fail to see how it's AT&T's problem, but rather Apple just not having the stock for walk-ins.

How dare Apple sell all the iPhones that they have available? They should have told someone else that that the iPhone was already spoken for by the OP? Then, there would have been one iPhone in store for him?
Sarcasm off. All that said, OP still hasn't replied as to why waiting for Google pre-orders are fine, but not Apple pre-orders.

 

[0000757]

Your point is valid. I didn't know the iPhone 6 Plus was going to be as good as it turned out to be. That's the reason for not pre-ordering. As far as the wait period, why wait when apple stores have the device? That's the disheartening situation. They had the product and chose not to sell. And as far as pre-ordering goes, I have no problem with it. I was pre-ordering a new iPad today, but decided against it since this whole experience. They should have told me on the phone "you can't do it at all" instead of wasting an hour traveling. If I'm going to stick with an android phone, might as well stick with an android tablet.

Once again, the rep did not send you or guarantee you'd be able to walk in to get the iPhone, but rather just told you the upgrade purchase had to be done in store, and like I said, the stock they had was not walk-in stock, they were phones that people had already bought.

You should have called the Apple Store at 5th Ave. and confirm you'd be able to beforehand if you're going to travel that far for a store, if you understand the extremely high demand for this product, as you should with any store. I've never just driven an hour or two to go to a store to buy something without first confirming it's worth my time to.

 

[JoJoCal19]

thats why I have started to buy phones off contract, carriers get in the way

This. After my preorder debacle with AT&T (order went to a black hole apparently) and then moving to VZW but not being able to order directly from Apple due to Edge and having to deal with VZWs long wait times, and especially with VZW Edge going to now require 75% of the phone paid off, I'm going to just buy outright from here on out.

 

[andrewlgm]

Here is another troll thread trying to make Apple look bad and Android phone look good. Andrewigm's history of posts seem to all be negative toward Apple.

Like everyone else said, this is an AT&T problem not Apple.

Haven't been a fan of iOS for a while and my history shows it, but it doesn't detract from my love for Apple or Macs. Doesn't detract from this bad experience one bit either. Go ahead and call it "trolling" if it makes you feel any better.

 

[TechnicallyTee]

I dont see what the problem is. Everything you said seems like regular rules and regular ways that the inventory works.....shrugs..

 

[mercuryjones]

Haven't been a fan of iOS for a while and my history shows it, but it doesn't detract from my love for Apple or Macs. Doesn't detract from this bad experience one bit either. Go ahead and call it "trolling" if it makes you feel any better.

I still fail to see how Apple refused to sell you a phone that they didn't have. Just because you presumed they had a phone, doesn't make it so.
I'm sorry that it happened, but sometimes when demand is too high, some people won't get what they want. Just remember, it's only a phone.

 

[andrewlgm]

Once again, the rep did not send you or guarantee you'd be able to walk in to get the iPhone, but rather just told you the upgrade purchase had to be done in store, and like I said, the stock they had was not walk-in stock, they were phones that people had already bought.

You should have called the Apple Store at 5th Ave. and confirm you'd be able to beforehand if you're going to travel that far for a store, if you understand the extremely high demand for this product, as you should with any store. I've never just driven an hour or two to go to a store to buy something without first confirming it's worth my time to.

I called the apple store on 5th ave. They don't answer it directly. The "national" apple call center does. And they don't transfer you. I tried.

 

[Arran]

Go ahead and call it "trolling" if it makes you feel any better.

I think your approach is wrong. It would've been better to ask here for advice on how to get a 6+. People would've responded better.

I mean, what was the point of your original post? What response were you expecting?