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For what it's worth, OP, i think all the posters in here are a bunch of jackasses. I would be just as fuming mad as you are if that had happened to me (and i'm sure everyone in here who is judging you and being generally condescending toward you - they'd all be pissed to).

As you said in your post, there's not much you can do but send your story to the BBB and consumerist.com. I'd also try calling apple customer care and telling them what happened. They might be able to do something for you. Doubtful, but possible.

This is unfortunately, the problem with Apple/AT&T essentially having a monopoly on the best phone out there with the best smartphone software. Somehow, I'm guessing that if the phone were sold by other carriers, everyone's customer service would start to improve.

I feel for you.

Apple has a monopoly on the best phone with the best software?

Well no ****, they made it! :confused:

What's stopping others from creating something similar? Oh right they can't.
 
I have to agree with you. Too often people on MacRumors will side with corporations. I don't think they understand that it isn't going to get them anything special. SJ isn't going to show up at your house and give you the next gen iPhone for free.

Stand by your fellow MacUsers and not Apple!

I also agree going to BBB and The Consumerist. As soon as I read this, I was thinking of a Executive Carpet Bomb! Send out a few emails. What's the worse that could happen?

Sorry, but someone doesn't get a security guard called on them for being a nice guy.

S-
 
I'm with the OP on this. He has every right to be mad for THEIR f*** up. The employees failed to sell him a phone that he pre-ordered AND they kick him out of the store? "Sorry for the mess up, but we're just going to kick you out and ignore your concerns. Bye bye!" That's sooooo fuct up.
 
Incorrect...

I have to agree with you. Too often people on MacRumors will side with corporations.

Pure speculation. From the post of many folks on this thread you may notice they are focusing on this guy's behavior (which he's contradicted himself now) and not the system error.

In fact, not one poster has indicated they think there wasn't an error in AT&T/Apple's system.

The focus of the posters is how the guy abused people. (Which he thinks is appropriate because he spent five hours trying to make people fix the problem immediately and they couldn't do so on launch day.)

Perhaps you should reread the thread before you side with your fellow Generation Immature.
:D
 
I had somewhat of a similar story, but much simpler. I went to the ATT store, told the manger I wanted to add a line and a new 32GB white. He said he'd have to check his stock.

An hour later I got to the ATT CSR who told me they were out of white 32 GBs. I noticed the manager had just sneaked back to the backroom. So, after realizing the ATT manager never went to check on stock and made me wait for an hour, I abruptly asked to see the manager. The CSR didn't like my tone of voice, but I got her back to "getting the manager". He creeped out from behind the door, never looked me in the eye and told me he was sorry that he hadn't checked. I just turned and walked away...to the Apple store where I was treated with the utmost professionalism. Best customer service this year.

I understand the OPs anger. The time involved, the pre-launch day work to have things in place, only to have it turn into a debacle. It would drive me nuts as well. I understand his anger. Hopefully all will be resolved after the mess that's happened for two days in a row.
 
You have to decide which lie you are going with. When you went off "haha" as you put it or now with your "perfectly calm" claim.

When you lie it's important to stick with the one and not change it.

A system error is a company problem. How you reacted to it is yours.
Grow up and LEARN THE LESSON.

Okay thanks for playing. Maybe this time you will GET IT.

Hey, Sigmund Freud, I think you're looking too far into this. Instead of going ballistic and attacking everyone with your "Mommy" theories, how about you calm down and drink a nice tall glass of shut the **** up. I explained my situation and I asked for contact information. What lesson do I have to learn here? That apparently in 2009 we can't manage to complete a cell phone transaction between AT&T and Apple. You're a ****ing joke.

To everyone else, thank you for the suggestions, at least we were able to enjoy my awesome situation and watch Leroy Jenkins. Mission accomplished! :)
 
That is terrible, I don't know if you have heard about a website called "The Consumerist" but they talk about stories like this all the time. They also post contact information to reach ATT executives. Good luck! If you do use the links bellow, I would cool down a bit before you use them and present your case calmly and effectively. You seem to have a very good reason to be upset, but be professional and straight forward with them and they will hear you out.

http://consumerist.com/5024553/reach-att-wireless-executive-customer-service
http://consumerist.com/289392/updated-contact-att-ceo-randall-stephenson
 
I didn't read through the whole thread so sorry if this was already asked. Out of curiosity, how and why did they activate your phone before you showed up? Did they sell your activated phone to someone else? If so, that is screwed up... And if not, what happened to the phone that you were suppose to receive?
 
Sorry...

Hey, Sigmund Freud, I think you're looking too far into this. Instead of going ballistic and attacking everyone with your "Mommy" theories, how about you calm down and drink a nice tall glass of shut the **** up. I explained my situation and I asked for contact information. What lesson do I have to learn here? That apparently in 2009 we can't manage to complete a cell phone transaction between AT&T and Apple. You're a ****ing joke.

To everyone else, thank you for the suggestions, at least we were able to enjoy my awesome situation and watch Leroy Jenkins. Mission accomplished! :)

I should apologize to you for revealing your lying contradictions here in a single thread. Sorry mate.
And for exposing your bad abusive attitude. Again.

Now why doesn't that surprise me. Or most of the people on this thread? :p

Try to work on that "ballistic" problem. It will lead to you getting your ass kicked. Apparently overdue.
If you haven't read the thread here and figured it out yet, you aren't going to be learning any lesson, anytime soon.
I see an ass beating coming. Get a lawyer now for your inevitable lawsuit.

Punk lives, but now it's not cool music. Hate when that happens.
 
Having worked at the Apple Store, this is where you're going off track.

Apple has "no system".

When an Apple employee goes thru the process of selling you an iPhone, everything they type into their handheld system gets bounced off of AT&Ts system.

It's AT&T's system that says if you can upgrade, how much it'll cost, etc.

Apple employees/managers have ZERO ability to directly do anything AT&T related to your AT&T account, other than call a special dealer number and talk to AT&T.

So I'm sorry that AT&T's got your account jacked up, but there's nothing Apple can do to get AT&T to unjack it. And honestly, it's almost always more effective for the customer to go to an AT&T store and talk to a manager there than it is for an Apple employee to try to work this out over the dealer number (because it happens so rarely).

Yea I should have just went with AT&T... I just figured the Apple Store would definitely have stock, and hey, who can beat an Apple shopping experience on launch day.
 
I still don't get what happened at the Apple store. :confused:

So yeah, like you said, it actually does activate your phone right before it asks for payment.

So if it did activate your new phone, why weren't you able to just pay and walk out with your activated phone instead of having to leave without it?
 
Having worked at the Apple Store, this is where you're going off track.

Apple has "no system".

When an Apple employee goes thru the process of selling you an iPhone, everything they type into their handheld system gets bounced off of AT&Ts system.

It's AT&T's system that says if you can upgrade, how much it'll cost, etc.

Apple employees/managers have ZERO ability to directly do anything AT&T related to your AT&T account, other than call a special dealer number and talk to AT&T.

So I'm sorry that AT&T's got your account jacked up, but there's nothing Apple can do to get AT&T to unjack it. And honestly, it's almost always more effective for the customer to go to an AT&T store and talk to a manager there than it is for an Apple employee to try to work this out over the dealer number (because it happens so rarely).

I worked at an apple store for six months (i was there for the 3g launch as well) and i can back up aristobrat here. But I can also back up the OP. I think the whole "system" thing was probably a misunderstanding. If something went wrong while I was going through the activation process, I would tell the customer (depending on what the situation was) that it wasnt showing up on our computer. I never said our "system" but i can see how the two could be confused. I suspect thats what happened here.

Employees definitely have no power to do anything. At first we were able to call ATT and try to work things out, then ATT sent up reps, but now its wither go to att to work issues out or no phone. The problem does suck though, hopefully all will be right. best
 
pattern of behavior....

I still don't get what happened at the Apple store. :confused:

So yeah, like you said, it actually does activate your phone right before it asks for payment.

So if it did activate your new phone, why weren't you able to just pay and walk out with your activated phone instead of having to leave without it?

Cause he's not able to keep his story straight. (cough he's lying cough)
:apple:
 
I should apologize to you for revealing your lying contradictions here in a single thread. Sorry mate.
And for exposing your bad abusive attitude. Again.

Now why doesn't that surprise me. Or most of the people on this thread? :p

Try to work on that "ballistic" problem. It will lead to you getting your ass kicked. Apparently overdue.
If you haven't read the thread here and figured it out yet, you aren't going to be learning any lesson, anytime soon.
I see an ass beating coming. Get a lawyer now for your inevitable lawsuit.

Punk lives, but now it's not cool music. Hate when that happens.

You are an angry, misguided idiot. No one is asking you to apologize for anything. Go beat your chest somewhere else, you're not contributing anything of value.
 
or else....

You are an angry, misguided idiot. No one is asking you to apologize for anything. Go beat your chest somewhere else, you're not contributing anything of value.

Uh sorry mate, I'm not the one with the anger problems. :rolleyes:

Maybe you'd be wiser to invest some energy in going to back to the Apple Store and apologizing to them.

Just a thought.:apple:
 
I still don't get what happened at the Apple store. :confused:

So yeah, like you said, it actually does activate your phone right before it asks for payment.

So if it did activate your new phone, why weren't you able to just pay and walk out with your activated phone instead of having to leave without it?


They told me a few people had the early upgrade issue. I bought my iPhone 3G July 29th, 2008, and was eligible for the early upgrade July 30th, 2009 as I did *639# ... The Apple employee told me they had to call AT&T to get it fixed to $199 / $299, as it was showing up at $399 / $499 ... AT&T apparently activated the iPhone 3GS that was scanned, in progress for checkout, before I had paid. They couldn't figure out how to fix the upgrade, the phone was activated, but Apple couldn't sell it to me.
 
They told me a few people had the early upgrade issue. I bought my iPhone 3G July 29th, 2008, and was eligible for the early upgrade July 30th, 2009 as I did *639# ... The Apple employee told me they had to call AT&T to get it fixed to $199 / $299, as it was showing up at $399 / $499 ... AT&T apparently activated the iPhone 3GS that was scanned, in progress for checkout, before I had paid. They couldn't figure out how to fix the upgrade, the phone was activated, but Apple couldn't sell it to me.

Was it that they couldn't sell it to your or you didn't want to pay the higher upgrade fee? If so, I thought att was suppose to credit your bill later. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
ahuh...

Pretty easy to say sitting behind your computer, not experiencing what the OP went through.

Yeah, he's a victim.

How many Iranians are dead, maimed or being tortured right now trying to get basic human rights?

Some people just don't get it. :(
 
Was it that they couldn't sell it to your or you didn't want to pay the higher upgrade fee? If so, I thought att was suppose to credit your bill later. Correct me if I'm wrong.

they flat out couldn't sell it to me because it was already activated before they finished the transaction? I have no idea why, I even mentioned that I could pay the $499 price as long as AT&T or Apple would reimburse later.
 
Yeah, he's a victim.

How many Iranians are dead, maimed or being tortured right now trying to get basic human rights?

Some people just don't get it. :(

I know this is a hard concept... this is the MacRumor's iPhone Forum, that's what we talk about here...
 
they flat out couldn't sell it to me because it was already activated before they finished the transaction? I have no idea why, I even mentioned that I could pay the $499 price as long as AT&T or Apple would reimburse later.
Hmmm. When buying at Apple, the process makes sure AT&T successfully activates the iPhone before they can accept customer payment.

My guess is that the Apple store wasn't sure that AT&T would definitely reimburse you, so they didn't sell it.
 
I didn't read through the whole thread so sorry if this was already asked. Out of curiosity, how and why did they activate your phone before you showed up? Did they sell your activated phone to someone else? If so, that is screwed up... And if not, what happened to the phone that you were suppose to receive?

They scanned it, saw it wasn't the right price, called AT&T, AT&T activated it before they sold it to me. I went back today and asked about the activated one, but they said it was cleared and my account was rolled back. I'm pretty sure they scanned a new iPhone, so I have no idea what happened to the original activated one. :/
 
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