This will be my first time buying a Apple product on launch and I was wondering How the pre-ordering works. If the ipad 3 is going to have the option to pre-order on Apple.com how does it work? Do you actually pay for it online than go to the store on launch and just pick it up? Or do you pre-order online than pay when you get to the store?
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How does Pre-ordering work?
- Thread starter Redrum509
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typically you pre-order at the online store and it is shipped to you with the delivery date being the same as the release date.
I doubt there wil be per-order for the iPad 3. Will go one sale online usually around 2 or 3 am local time on release day, and then it ships in approx. 2-3 weeks.
Really? I have some people saying it will be delivered on release and you saying 2-3 weeks? lol wtf
They took pre-oreders for the original iPad which delivered launch day (for many people), not for the iPad 2. I suspect they will follow the same ordering model as the iPad 2, and there was no pre-order, just online ordering starting in the early AM of launch day with 2-3 week delivery (dropped to 4-5 weeks within an hour).
I'm not so sure - I'm wondering if the lack of preorders for the 2 was because they knew there'd be shortages due to the Japanese earthquake, and didn't want to sell out before release day. How would it have looked if preorders had a 3-4 week shipping period?
Without any shortages this time, they might do preorders again. I wouldn't count on it, though.
FYI, every answer you see is someones best guess and not fact since Apple hasn't been consistent with their launch plans.
Midnight online preorder
2AM Online Preorder
5PM In Store launch
10AM In Store Launch
Delivery Day of Release
Delivery 2-3 weeks after release
No Preorders
In Store pickup
No In Store Pickup
Take a pick from the list and maybe you'll be right but most likely you'll be wrong because the world has changed a lot in the last two years and nobody knows how Apple will adapt to it.
Midnight online preorder
2AM Online Preorder
5PM In Store launch
10AM In Store Launch
Delivery Day of Release
Delivery 2-3 weeks after release
No Preorders
In Store pickup
No In Store Pickup
Take a pick from the list and maybe you'll be right but most likely you'll be wrong because the world has changed a lot in the last two years and nobody knows how Apple will adapt to it.
There is no guarantee that there will even be a preorder this year. Either way we'll all find out soon when Apple announces the iPad 3.
Wasn't the ipad2 announced on March 2nd and the earthquake & tsunami several days later on March 11th? That would be pretty amazing (and disturbing) if Apple had foreknowledge of the earthquake/tsunami...
Wasn't the ipad2 announced on March 2nd and the earthquake & tsunami several days later on March 11th? That would be pretty amazing (and disturbing) if Apple had foreknowledge of the earthquake/tsunami...
Ha, guess not then.
The earthquake did cause component shortages, but I have no clue why no preorder then. I guess just to ensure longer lines at release...
If you plan to order on line, be sure to contact your credit card company and let them know you will be placing the order and give them the amount. Some credit card companies may not allow the transaction to go through until they contact you to confirm it, especially if it is in the $600-$800 range.
That's precisely what happened to me when I ordered my 32GB/3G iPad 2. I have an excellent credit rating, but the company (BOA) would not approve the transaction because they thought it was fraudulent. Maybe the fact I got up at 4 a.m. launch day to place the order had something to do with it, but I was furious they didn't contact me because by the time I discovered it, the delivery time had changed from two weeks to four weeks.
I switched to a different card and fortunately Apple was quite terrific and kept my order in the original delivery queue.
Your other option, which will appear on the online order site, is to split the purchase amount between two credit cards.
That's precisely what happened to me when I ordered my 32GB/3G iPad 2. I have an excellent credit rating, but the company (BOA) would not approve the transaction because they thought it was fraudulent. Maybe the fact I got up at 4 a.m. launch day to place the order had something to do with it, but I was furious they didn't contact me because by the time I discovered it, the delivery time had changed from two weeks to four weeks.
I switched to a different card and fortunately Apple was quite terrific and kept my order in the original delivery queue.
Your other option, which will appear on the online order site, is to split the purchase amount between two credit cards.
As it seems that Apple is building up stock of iPad 3 I would expect that if you can order at the very start of the process then you will receive it in a week or so. Once those are sold out then orders are fulfilled as new ones are built which would likely mean a three or four week delay.