AT&T's Server Problems Continue to Cause Problems for iPhone 4 Pre-Orders

[Teyla]

Just came from an AT&T store (Henderson Rd. Columbus, OH) and the agent next to me just said the phones are now on backorder.

I went to the AT&T corporate store in Heath, OH (nearby Columbus) at 10 am and they are taking orders by hand. I got a receipt and confirmation number from the sales rep there for my upgrade. Also, AT&T is also shipping pre-orders directly to your house, so if you like that option order from AT&T.

 

[WalterNeff]

couldn't even pay my att bill online

probably charge me a late fee

 

[AlphaAnt]

AT&T online ordering worked for me, on two lines, just under an hour ago. Though if it doesn't ship with the first batch, someone's getting stabbed.

 

[pointman104]

a nice new security twist

getting into your ATT account and seeing another customer's info?? another great step forward for ATT.

Steve must be in ORBIT....I HOPE!!!!

 

[kevinkt]

I reserved an iPhone this morning with the iPhone app. However when I got the confirmation email it said I bought the non contract iPhone $599 !!!!!!!! Hopefully I can just tell them I'm getting a contract.

 

[bdkennedy1]

I gave up trying on to order online. I went to an unpopular AT&T store near me and sure enough, hardly anyone there. But because the servers are down, they had to take my order manually.

I guess I got lucky.

 

[muncyweb]

I think I'll stick with my Treo 650 for a bit longer. No delays here.

 

[jmorrison0722]

Reserved or Ordered?

There is a BIG difference between reserving an iPhone and ordering one. To order one and pay for it, the system has to verify your eligibility, access your account, etc. To reserve one...not so much. The Apple Store app only lets you reserve one for a local store. The Apple Store online allows for either ordering or reserving.

That being said, has anyone been successful at ordering one, etiher through ATT.com or Apple.com?

 

[Tilpots]

I got to the very last AT&T page, entered my credit card information and everything, clicked order, and after a long while got a proxy error. I seriously doubt it went through... What if my card is charged but my order never entered the database? This is ridiculous.

Same for me, but I JUST got my confirmation email! So check your inbox, it may have gone thru...

 

[impakt1]

To all you guys telling us to use the Apple Store App: You do know that all that is doing is possibly reserving a phone on a first-come-first-serve basis, and that it's not even checking AT&T for any of your essential information like discount eligibility or data plans?

In other words, you're going to have to wait in a line as long or longer than the one for walk-in orders and have a very good chance of not getting your phone on launch day. Of course, even if you do get in before the cutoff, you're depending on the same sh*tty AT&T servers that failed today, likely under another massive strain, with the added problem that none of your information has been ported over.

If you realize this, more power to you. If not, just know that you will be mocked mercilessly when you come here bitch and moan about it, and deserve every bit of that scorn.

No. You're telling me people who are getting a new iphone who dont have any iphone creditials are going to have to wait longer than people who are upgrade eligible? How many lines do you think apple is going to make? One for walk ins, one for reserves who are upgrading, one for reserves who are new.

Plus you're mistaken because in the app itself it does ask me for my billing zip, social, and number like the webpage.

 

[Franktv415]

So you're saying that it'll cost the same price on the bill but lower data coverage or cost more with same data coverage?

if you have an iphone and you have and unlimited data plan already. You have the opition too keep the Unlimited plan or choose one of the new plans if it saves you money in the long run...

 

[puttputt]

I got to the very last AT&T page, entered my credit card information and everything, clicked order, and after a long while got a proxy error. I seriously doubt it went through... What if my card is charged but my order never entered the database? This is ridiculous.

It might have gone through. I had the same situation. Log in to AT&T and go to "check order status"... Mine says "In Process" (specifically listing iPhone 4...) so I think it went through. No confirmation email yet.

It's all good. Life will go on.

 

[Mactagious]

Best Buy is doing it different

I don't understand why people are able to pre-order from Best Buy? What's going on so good over there?

They aren't actually going through AT&T or Apple's order system. Just got 2 gift cards filled out a piece of paper with my info and the rep said I would get a call once the phones came in. They are doing it on a first come first serve basis. So when they do get the phones in stock they will be calling the people that came in first to get their iPhones.

 

[goobot]

after trying all morning on the website, the apple store app got through no problems. received my confirmation email.

+1

 

[6-0 Prolene]

Though if it doesn't ship with the first batch, someone's getting stabbed.

You need to get outside more.

 

[quiksilver1209]

I went to my local AT&T store and preordered mine no problem here in CA. Took me like 15 minutes.

 

[alhedges]

This is Apple's responsibility

This is Apple's responsibility because it is Apple's store. They have the responsibility to make sure that everything works, including whatever connection they have with AT&T.

It is amazing to me how many people on this forum bend over backwards to absolve Apple of any and all responsibility for, well, anything. I'm sure if there were some other issue on Apple's website, it would be the fault of the company that manufactured the chip on their servers, or the fiber optic cables, or the power company...

And having said all of that, my attempts to preorder have crashed: (1) multiple times before I got to the "checking with AT&T" screen; (2) most commonly on the "checking with AT&T" screen; and (3) on the one occasion I got past the AT&T check, on the attempt to actually order the phone. (And unfortunately no, it's not in my cart...)

This is an embarrassing (and very annoying) failure on Apple's part.

 

[nep61]

Reminds me of the day the Zune came out and basically brought the internet to a halt....
Like the AT&T server issues came as a surprise to everyone... I mean, if I order by Thursday, won't I still get my iPhone4 on the 24th?

 

[jimjoebob]

Plus One: Yeah! ordered in 2 seconds after hours of attempts

I had trouble all morning trying on Apple.com to get the new iPhone, but at around 9:30 PST I tried the new Apple Store iPhone App that Apple released today and it went perfect!

Several friends were able to confirm this as well, so if you got an iPhone, get and use the App!

Wow, that was easy, app store app just works.
THINK DIfFERENT! Don't use the web site. Download the app, actually, I cannot believe it worked! Took all of 45 seconds to reserve. WOW.

 

[Mliii]

My overall ordering experience was like finding a very large worm in your !
A couple of hours of waiting and getting the "infinite loop" of 'PROCESSING', only to be bumped with a 'YOUR SESSION HAS EXPIRED', a few 'OOPS' thrown in for good measure, and a handful of Safari Can't Connect messages.
Following that, my order went through, BUT, it didn't reflect the upgrade price, so when I got the confirming e-mail, I had to cancel.
Went through the whole process again multiple times and when I finally DID get the order to go through, it wouldn't let me pick the Apple Store near my work, (I wanted to do pick-up because I want to see the phone before I accept it) so had to start over again.
FINALLY got the order in with the correct price and settled on a store on my way to work instead of the one I wanted to use...
Overall, without question the most miserable online ordering experience I have ever had for any product any time.

 

[yiyopr]

I managed to pre-order from the AT&T website this morning, but I never received a confirmation email? Should I be worried?

They gave me an order number, but no email. Do you think the network congestion might be interrupting their outgoing emails? Did someone pre-order from the AT&T website and got an email?

 

[sumguyinfl18]

Was able to order new Iphone4 for myself and my wife through our account on att wireless website. I tried all morning with no success. But just now both orders went through. It was incredibly slow but it worked and I have both confirmation emails.

 

[goobot]

I reserved an iPhone this morning with the iPhone app. However when I got the confirmation email it said I bought the non contract iPhone $599 !!!!!!!! Hopefully I can just tell them I'm getting a contract.

I think that means you have to pay the 600 since I didn't get any 600 option.

 

[Island Dog]

So how is that AT&T exclusivity working out for ya!

 

[kas23]

I just reserved 2 (my wife and I) via the Apple Store App. Geez, what a godsend this app has been.

However, I did get my confirmation email and the price listed is the unsubsidized price. Is this normal?