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Well, what if I just give them the SIM I'm currently using?

I was told that the purpose of the forced activation is to make sure the upgrade of the account you're using gets recorded.

Since swapping SIMs would defeat that purpose, I'm going to go ahead and guess that they won't let you do it.
 
Just got my email to come pick it up. Thanks to first poster 16 gig silver, very happy, was dreading lines.
 
I agree - especially because they already charged my card and it won't be credited for 2-3 business days. :mad::mad::mad:

Yeah that happened to me as well. I'm not pissed--honestly I expected as much as hard as it was getting the order placed. I'll probably drop by an ATT store and save myself $100 as I'm paying full retail.
 
Anybody have any luck doing a price match in store on the no contract phone? Trying to figure out what to expect when I go to best buy later today.
 
picked my up at 10 am super easy i was there for probably around 7-10 mins they had my phone ready with my name on it, this was the easiest transaction I ever had picking up a iphone. op thanks for letting us know you are the best!

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also they gave me a $50 gift card
 
picked my up at 10 am super easy i was there for probably around 7-10 mins they had my phone ready with my name on it this was the easiest transaction I ever had picking up a iphone. op thanks for letting us know you are the best!

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also they gave a $50 gift card


How did you get the gift card?
 
Ordered online around 11:50pm last night... got confirmation email at 1:43am... pick-up email this morning at 9am... 20 minutes later, got a call from Best Buy confirming my purchase of a gold iPhone and to set up an appointment time. Quite surprised.
 
Just picked mine up in Salem, NH. 2x iPhone 5S Sliver 32GB

I ordered this morning at about 6am. I ordered the first phone (mine) and searched all the area BB. The NH store came up as the only one with pick-up in store availability so I snagged it.

I then went back to buy another for my wife and if you 'searched availability' the NH store was listed as "in store only". However, if I went back to the front page, and selected the phone as if I was ordering it online, at the very end of the check out, it allowed me the option of "Pick-up in store". Again, the only area store with any available was the NH Best Buy, but now it allowed me to "select" it for same day pick-up. Done.

When I got to the store, just like others stated, I had to go to the mobile department and wait in line (which took a little over an hour). However, they informed me they had my phones, and had set them aside and I just had to wait to get to the front of the line to get them activated and then I could take them... which I did! Saved almost $100 in sales tax by picking up in NH to boot!
 
If you are going to best buy. Be prepared l to wait. The store I am at has 5 people doing activations and wait time is over 2 hours. Thought it would be easier since I preordered the phone. But, I guess not. Have to be at work in an hour. Hope I can make it.
 
Good thing I placed an order at two separate stores.

The first store I went to did not have my phone, even though they sent me an email saying it was ready for pickup. When I arrived, they said it would not be in until later today, or, tomorrow and that they had called me.

Second store had my order, no problem.
 
Just ordered mine. Can pick it up at will tomorrow.

Hurry!

Just have to pass along my thanks to the OP...after receiving the pick-up email, I was in and out of my local Best Buy Mobile store in 15min! Said they had plenty of grey 16 and 32, all carriers, but nothing else.

Literally no one in the store (mall), but just upstairs, there were at least 100 in line at the Apple Store.

Anyway, thanks Maven1975!
 
Just got my "ready for pickup" email... Debating whether to go during lunch or not. I guess they could still mess this up, but thanks to OP in advance!
 
I got an email to pick and called to make an appointment to activate the phone and I was told that my phone was ready to pick up. I was then transferred to the mobile dept to make an appointment to activate. When I got to the mobile dept, they told me that there was an error made and they do not have any iphone 5S. And I am first on the wait list to pick up the phone when they get it which will be a while!
 
Successfully ordered last night online around 3:30am from Best Buy and had a confirmation email by about 4:20am. Got my second email for the pickup by about 7:00am and went in today around 10am and got it.
-Union Square Best Buy in NYC

They still had Verizon and Sprint models for people walking in to buy them and NO line at all. Sold out of AT&T models.

Canceled my apple store purchase so someone will get their phone a little sooner now. Going to go back to Best buy tomorrow or day after to pay the upgrade price rather than the full price.

Other thoughts: Red hot chili peppers rule, and the fingerprint reader is actually pretty impressive. Thanks uploader.
 
Has anyone walked out with a phone without them forcing you to activate? I bought a full price Verizon version but I'm planning to use it with my preexisting T-Mobile SIM.

My order is ready for pickup but I'm wondering if I should even bother heading down there.

I did not have any trouble not letting them activate the phone in store. I also got the Verizon version at full price.
 
Just got to the BB store and was pointed to the mobile area to pick up my phone. When I spoke to person running the area and told him I am hear to pick up a pre-order I could tell it would be an issue the when he asked which one and carrier. When I said ATT 64GB he immediately said did t someone call you those weren't suppose to be preordered and the order should be cancelled. When I asked him why did I then just get a pick up confirmation not to long ago he had me wait and looked to see if he had any and if they had already pulled my order. After a few minutes I was put in a line that has about a dozen people in front of me all trying to activate phones.
Basically it looks like I got the last ATT 64GB and all they have left are VZ 32GB here at the Sherman Oaks, CA store. Hopefully there won't be an issue actually buying the phone as my order is supposedly cancelled which sucks since I used a gift card I had lying around.
It does look like you are stuck activating the phone and they are trying to up sell people accessories and Zagg covered iPhones
 
I'm surprised anybody was successful at best buy. I can't tell you how many times I tried to order a pebble watch from them that they said was available for In store pickup but really wasn't.
 
Picked up at Glendale best buy. I did not have to activate because I get the non contract pricing. Thanks OP for the best buy tip!

Ugh. I just called the best buy that is holding my phone and they say they would still have to activate it in store even though I reserved it at full price/no contract.
 
I got an email confirmation to pickup at West LA. They just called to tell me they didn't actually have the stock and cancelled the order. FURIOUS. :mad:

Same here. Just got the call and they didn't even hold stock for people who ordered online. I didn't even get a time frame for a refund so that's probably money that's stuck in limbo over the weekend :mad:
 
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