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Buy Online, Cancel If Store Has It

A

applerocks

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 7, 2005
167
83
Hey guys,

Tried searching a bit, but can't seem to find anything recent. With the iPhone 5S, can I buy online at 12am PDT, and then go to a store Friday morning to check stock. I have no interest in waiting in line or anything, and at the same time, don't want to be waiting weeks to get the phone.

Ideally, I would buy online, see if the store has it, and if they do, cancel my order. Sometimes Apple purchases don't let you cancel that quickly though, I seem to remember. Still, I don't know if AT&T servers will register I've already bought a phone if Apple is still processing.

Thoughts? Thanks!
 
applerocks said:
Hey guys,

Tried searching a bit, but can't seem to find anything recent. With the iPhone 5S, can I buy online at 12am PDT, and then go to a store Friday morning to check stock. I have no interest in waiting in line or anything, and at the same time, don't want to be waiting weeks to get the phone.

Ideally, I would buy online, see if the store has it, and if they do, cancel my order. Sometimes Apple purchases don't let you cancel that quickly though, I seem to remember. Still, I don't know if AT&T servers will register I've already bought a phone if Apple is still processing.

Thoughts? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Cant cancel once it ships
 
I'm assuming it won't ship that same day? No way they can get them out within hours?
 
Now that you mention it this is a good plan, if there are no stores with it in stock.
 
It's a good plan only if you are buying it at full retail price. Once you make that order online, your upgrade date is reset and canceling the order doesn't reset it back to normal right away.
 
I wouldn't do it. Say you cancel the online order, you are going to have to call your carrier to "reset" your upgrade elgibility (assuming you don't buy unlocked at full retail) and that might take time (24-48 hours). Meaning when you go to purchase in store you might be greated with "sorry, you are not eligibile for an discounted upgrade". We have seen posters have that issue in previous years.
 
rockyroad55 said:
It's a good plan only if you are buying it at full retail price. Once you make that order online, your upgrade date is reset and canceling the order doesn't reset it back to normal right away.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, this.

There were threads about this before where if you went into a store and tried to cancel your were out of lock for this reason. So it works so long as you are not going after a subsidized price
 
applerocks said:
Hey guys,

Tried searching a bit, but can't seem to find anything recent. With the iPhone 5S, can I buy online at 12am PDT, and then go to a store Friday morning to check stock. I have no interest in waiting in line or anything, and at the same time, don't want to be waiting weeks to get the phone.

Ideally, I would buy online, see if the store has it, and if they do, cancel my order. Sometimes Apple purchases don't let you cancel that quickly though, I seem to remember. Still, I don't know if AT&T servers will register I've already bought a phone if Apple is still processing.

Thoughts? Thanks!
Click to expand...

That is a good idea and I even explored it. I did do this for the 4s launch, but was told that it will take anywhere from 24 hours to 72 to reinstate my upgrade eligibility. I am number 1 on a list at radio shack but who knows whether they will get any 64g phones... so I was hoping to order at 12 am and then cancel by 8:30 or 9 am if I got notified that they had the phone in stock.
 
Hmm okay makes sense. There's no way someone at an actual AT&T store or something could reset the date, if I show I cancelled my order?

All comes down to three questions I think:
1) How long, if you buy at 12:01am, until you get your phone?
2) How many phones will stores have?
3) If you wait to see the store's stock at 8am, how much longer will you have to wait if they're sold out and you buy online?

Target pre-order is looking the best right now...
 
applerocks said:
I'm assuming it won't ship that same day? No way they can get them out within hours?
Click to expand...

Doesn't have to ship to block you from canceling. Once the order is received and the status updates, "Preparing for Shipment" you are blocked from canceling. Be careful and make sure you can cancel before running to the Apple store.
 
applerocks said:
Hmm okay makes sense. There's no way someone at an actual AT&T store or something could reset the date, if I show I cancelled my order?

All comes down to three questions I think:
1) How long, if you buy at 12:01am, tuntil you get your phone?
2) How many phones will stores have?
3) If you wait to see the store's stock at 8am, how much longer will you have to wait if they're sold out and you buy online?

Target pre-order is looking the best right now...
Click to expand...

If I buy my phone on line right when it opens, I would imagine that I would get it by Wednesday at the latest??!?!

There is no way to tell how many phones radio shack will get - if they get a 64, I assume it would be mine since I am first on the list.

Either way I am gambling... but if we try both, and it does prepare to ship.. what is the worse case senario? I get my phone on Wednesday?
 
I would only order online from the carrier, then go to the carrier store in the AM to try to grab a phone and have them cancel your online order and reset eligibility right there. Confirm with carrier ahead of time, though.
 
applerocks said:
Hmm okay makes sense. There's no way someone at an actual AT&T store or something could reset the date, if I show I cancelled my order?

All comes down to three questions I think:
1) How long, if you buy at 12:01am, until you get your phone?
2) How many phones will stores have?
3) If you wait to see the store's stock at 8am, how much longer will you have to wait if they're sold out and you buy online?

Target pre-order is looking the best right now...
Click to expand...

1) Nobody really knows. Depends on many things...shipping method, where you live, when you get order in. I would guess 5 days minimum. Remember the phone wont ship until Monday the 23rd at the earliest.

2) Once again, nobody knows. Apple stores usually have the most for obvious reasons

3) Nobody knows. Depends on how many phones sell between 12:01 and when you order. Could be a week, could be four

As for Taget, I wouldn't trust them. Plenty of horror stories last year about stores not getting phones to people on the waitlist for weeks....after telling those same people that they would get on launch day
 
applerocks said:
Buy Online, Cancel If Store Has It . . .
Click to expand...

By taking this approach all you are doing is depriving someone else of getting their phone quickly

(and putting up the cost of sale for Apple and hence the eventual price for us if enough people do this)

If you want to buy online, buy online and if decide you can't wait queue with the other likeminded people at a store.
 
This is a risky approach because as others have mentioned, it is not exactly easy to get your upgrade back. Once you order online, your upgrade is used. Sometimes you can cancel and get your upgrade back right away, sometimes it takes a few days. Knowing how busy the carriers will be that day, I would guess it would take a few days.

I think your best bet is to go online and ordering time, you will see the estimated ship date, if you aren't happy with that date, don't order and try your luck in the store.

Also say you order at midnight, then you get in line at a store, and your order goes into Preparing for Shipment, then you can't cancel.
 
Last edited:
I"ll echo everybody elses comments in here, they are accurate. I ordered online and tried walking in to get a 4S two years ago and my upgrade was already "used". I had to use a different line on my family plan to upgrade to get the 4S, luckily I had an open line.

Don't do it if you want to walk in and get one.
 
I ordered online from both Apple & AT&T and Radio Shack came through on release day (IP5).So I cancelled both online orders and called both to verify cancellation.And received confirmations from both and of course,AT&T still delivered the phone.:confused:YMMV.
I had no upgrade issues,having ordered online from both AT&T and Apple and buying on release day from RS.Again,YMMV.

applerocks said:
Hey guys,

Tried searching a bit, but can't seem to find anything recent. With the iPhone 5S, can I buy online at 12am PDT, and then go to a store Friday morning to check stock. I have no interest in waiting in line or anything, and at the same time, don't want to be waiting weeks to get the phone.

Ideally, I would buy online, see if the store has it, and if they do, cancel my order. Sometimes Apple purchases don't let you cancel that quickly though, I seem to remember. Still, I don't know if AT&T servers will register I've already bought a phone if Apple is still processing.

Thoughts? Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
At this point, just do what your gut tells you. But don't come back and complain when your upgrade date was reset causing you to cancel your order online and not be able to snag one in store.
 
karmatourer said:
I ordered online from both Apple & AT&T and Radio Shack came through on release day (IP5).So I cancelled both online orders and called both to verify cancellation.And received confirmations from both and of course,AT&T still delivered the phone.:confused:YMMV.
I had no upgrade issues,having ordered online from both AT&T and Apple and buying on release day from RS.Again,YMMV.
Click to expand...

Was your experience with Radio Shack good? I am on a list to reserve one once they come in, but have no clue how long it will take to get a 64 gig.

Thanks!
Cori
 
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