TL;DR: At least for AT&T, The Apple Online Store is using your AT&T billing address to ship your phone, and won't let you edit it during checkout. If you want it shipped somewhere else, you MUST log into AT&T's account page and edit your billing info to match your desired shipping address and THEN order. This may also work for Verizon and Sprint, not sure.
So, I'm one of those people who you know, has a job that I go to during the day, and so no one is home when a FedEx guy would likely stop buy to deliver my new iPhone, or any other package for that matter. So typically, I have all my stuff delivered to my work address when I can. This inclues Apple stuff, where the Apple Store typically lets you have separate billing and shipping addresses
This worked fine usually, but here I am trying to buy the iPhone 5, and I noticed that it's stubbornly listing my home address as my shipping address. Well, clearly this won't do. But, it won't let me change it!
I even tried going into my credit card account and changing the billing address there, then changing my billing address on the Apple store, still no dice!
Well, I discovered why: The Apple Store is pulling your account info from the carrier (at least it is for AT&T) and using that as your shipping address. If you want it shipped elsewhere, you MUST change your billing address on the AT&T account to match where you want your phone shipped. Then, go through the order process again.
At least for AT&T, the change appears to be pretty much immediate. In my case I have paperless billing, so this really doesn't change anything for me. And if I really want to, I'll just change my billing address back when the iPhone is safely in my hands.
Good luck, and happy iPhone hunting! I seem to have lucked out and barring any freaky issues, my AT&T 64GB Black iPhone 5 will be safely delivered to my work address next week.
So, I'm one of those people who you know, has a job that I go to during the day, and so no one is home when a FedEx guy would likely stop buy to deliver my new iPhone, or any other package for that matter. So typically, I have all my stuff delivered to my work address when I can. This inclues Apple stuff, where the Apple Store typically lets you have separate billing and shipping addresses
This worked fine usually, but here I am trying to buy the iPhone 5, and I noticed that it's stubbornly listing my home address as my shipping address. Well, clearly this won't do. But, it won't let me change it!
I even tried going into my credit card account and changing the billing address there, then changing my billing address on the Apple store, still no dice!
Well, I discovered why: The Apple Store is pulling your account info from the carrier (at least it is for AT&T) and using that as your shipping address. If you want it shipped elsewhere, you MUST change your billing address on the AT&T account to match where you want your phone shipped. Then, go through the order process again.
At least for AT&T, the change appears to be pretty much immediate. In my case I have paperless billing, so this really doesn't change anything for me. And if I really want to, I'll just change my billing address back when the iPhone is safely in my hands.
Good luck, and happy iPhone hunting! I seem to have lucked out and barring any freaky issues, my AT&T 64GB Black iPhone 5 will be safely delivered to my work address next week.