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Carrier Best Buy 2018 New iPhone Pre-Order Thread

Lightning Cable said:
Is there a way to preorder just an unlocked phone w/o getting it tied to a service carrier?

Even if I select one-time payment, it seems I have to get it tied to a phone number (and a $45 activation fee for AT&T).

I have $500 in BB GCs, so looking to go the BB route.
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I pre-ordered the 8+ last year. They didn’t have the pay full price option at all. I did the payment plan option, then I just showed up for in store pick up and told them I wanted to pay full price instead. They price matched Apple and cancelled the payment plan. Took a while, but seemed to work fine. Doing the same this year.
 
I just pre-ordered at Best Buy for a Space Gray iPhone XS Max 512 GB with 9/21/18 delivery for pickup at the store.
 
I've cratered, and decided to return my Note 9, and Galaxy Watch to Best Buy Friday morning when I go pick up my new iPhone Xs Max Gold 512gb phone. I will probably pick up a watch then or order it. Haven't decided on the color watch since I am unsure if the Gold Color would look right on a guy...I am use to Silver/Black watches.

The Note 9 started having issues recently, that I decided, while I can, to get out. Best Buy gave me 30 days so, I may just have to pay the return fee for $30, but that's it.

1. Camera constantly locking up. (Big issue among the Samsung/Reddit boards).
2. Battery drain suddenly.
3. My Insurance Drive Safe app will not work any longer on the phone and my insurance company is useless trying to figure it out. Either my rate goes up by $60 a month or I switch phones.
4. Everyone in my family has iPhones, so it only makes sense to stay with the eco system.

Figured, since I had to pre-order it, I used my AT&T next plan upgrade to get it, then once I get my money back from returning it, I'll pay it off or use it to get the watch and just pay the $50 a month on.
 
MICHAELSD said:
Every year Best Buy handles these pre-orders like unorganized chaos and even charges more than Apple in some cases then says they won’t price match after multiple reps confirm they will on launch day. Not sure why anyone would pre-order from here. Pre-ordered a 5s from Best Buy back in the day. Never again.
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I pre ordered my 5s from Best Buy and got an email on launch day to go pick it up. I lined up 30 mins before they open just to tell me my iPhone wasn’t available!? Needless to say, I got it two weeks later. I was so upset. Never again.
 
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Do not order iphones from best buy, They will be more costly, and locked to the carrier, even if u pay full price. You have been advised.
 
Any updates yet? Anyone? Mine still says preorder. My screen protector shipped out faster than lightning so Im sure phone will make it also.
I have usps informed delivery, fedex delivery manager, and ups delivery manager installed. They tell me the second a label is made for my address.
 
Beenblacklisted said:
Do not order iphones from best buy, They will be more costly, and locked to the carrier, even if u pay full price. You have been advised.
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That was last year. They are exactly the same price this year as Apple.
[doublepost=1537316943][/doublepost]Just an FYI everyone. I ordered my Note 9 pre-order through BB. They didn't update their system till Wednesday for Pre-Orders to start shipping to peoples houses by Friday. Some even Thursday shipped overnight for Friday delivery. Now pickup will be prepared on Thursday at the store for Friday pickup. That is how it worked for the Note 9.
 
I did in store pickup for Best Buy. I have confirmation emails stating my estimated pickup date is 09/21. AT&T is my carrier. Anyone have updates on in store pickup?
 
cleebrown93 said:
I did in store pickup for Best Buy. I have confirmation emails stating my estimated pickup date is 09/21. AT&T is my carrier. Anyone have updates on in store pickup?
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My order from yesterday also resulted in an email stating 9/21 as the pickup date.
 
I did have some activity from my AT&T account today. My AT&T Next offer has disappeared, but no email yet from Best Buy. I hope this is a good sign.
 
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mwhals said:
My AT&T account shows that I can pay about $725 for an early upgrade, which means the Best Buy iPhone XS Max 512 GB purchase is recognized by AT&T.
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Oh boy! This is exciting.
[doublepost=1537323608][/doublepost]
darrelldwllms said:
My AT&T account summary shows the iPhone installment on my account, but there’s no imei.
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I hope this changes for you soon.
 
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mwhals said:
My AT&T account shows that I can pay about $725 for an early upgrade, which means the Best Buy iPhone XS Max 512 GB purchase is recognized by AT&T.
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My AT&T account shows the same thing.

I also was at my local Best Buy on Sunday and specifically asked the mobile department if the September 21 release date was really valid for my iPhone Xs Max Space Gray 512GB online purchase and that I could actually pick up Friday. All 3 mobile employees said "yes" and further told me they are scheduled to get a large shipment of the Xs and Xs Max sometime this week before Friday for both on-site and online pre-orders and perhaps even more for walk-ins to buy.

While I'm optimistic this will happen, my fingers are crossed and I'm anxiously awaiting Friday to get here already to see how this plays out.
 
WillR21 said:
My AT&T account shows the same thing.

I also was at my local Best Buy on Sunday and specifically asked the mobile department if the September 21 release date was really valid for my iPhone Xs Max Space Gray 512GB online purchase and that I could actually pick up Friday. All 3 mobile employees said "yes" and further told me they are scheduled to get a large shipment of the Xs and Xs Max sometime this week before Friday for both on-site and online pre-orders and perhaps even more for walk-ins to buy.

While I'm optimistic this will happen, my fingers are crossed and I'm anxiously awaiting Friday to get here already to see how this plays out.
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I'm excited. I bet they got their shipment today.
 
Iusername20 said:
How is it going to work with returning my device to Verizon?
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This is important and I’ve had some experience with this.

They will send you a box to return your old device in. Look for it. As an aside you might wonder if you can just bring it to a store. The answer is NO! Even an official Verizon store will not take your old phone. They don’t handle that.

If you do not receive this box by Monday email or chat with Verizon and ask where is my box. Hound them until you receive your box.

The day you get this box read the directions carefully. Follow the directions that day. Not the next (if humanely possible). Go to the post office. Not “Joe”s iShip For Less” but the post office. Get a receipt and tracking number. Follow the package to make sure it gets to that warehouse in Texas where all the misfit and unwanted phones go.

Do all that as quickly as you can and you might avoid the bill that says you owe the rest of the payments on the old phone NOW!

If something goes awry hound them. The second time I received a credit for my returned phone. That’s cause I could track it because I went to the post office. And because they didn’t send me a box. I didn’t hound them for the box I never got until after a few weeks and so I had to pay and wait two months for the credit.

Somewhere my old iPhone 5s is out there. I paid the full price, I’d like to have it back ...
 
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blahatthat said:
I'm excited. I bet they got their shipment today.
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WillR21 said:
My AT&T account shows the same thing.

I also was at my local Best Buy on Sunday and specifically asked the mobile department if the September 21 release date was really valid for my iPhone Xs Max Space Gray 512GB online purchase and that I could actually pick up Friday. All 3 mobile employees said "yes" and further told me they are scheduled to get a large shipment of the Xs and Xs Max sometime this week before Friday for both on-site and online pre-orders and perhaps even more for walk-ins to buy.

While I'm optimistic this will happen, my fingers are crossed and I'm anxiously awaiting Friday to get here already to see how this plays out.
Click to expand...

Oh lord. I used to work at Best Buy in the mobile department and this was a big NoNo, specially with iPhone releases. We were never supposed to tell customers if we will have any in stock, because in reality we have no idea how many we will get. We’ll usually get them the night before! It would be a pain because we would have to stay after closing hours to get all the pre-orders ready. Of course this is an S model, so your chances of getting one on Friday are a bit higher than usual.
 
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