Long waits for reserved iPhones...

[bmwhd]

5 hours in reserved line at Southlake, TX

 

[VeNoMiZeD]

Burlingame, CA Apple store- got in line around 5:50am for the reserves and got out around 7:45am. The walk in line was huge and they were letting them in very slowly.

 

[pilotError]

Arrived at Roosevelt Field Mall = 7:30 am
Waited on reserve line which bee-lined on the ground floor of the parking garage.
Got out of the parking garage & waited on a line inside of the mall= 11:30
Inside Apple Store = 12:15
Out of the Apple Store = 12:25

TOTAL = 5 hours

It was a great experience though. Apple reps were all happy, nice to answer concerns and generous with the snacks; and I got to befriend people around me in the line.

Went to Roosevelt Field at 5:30PM was out by 6PM.

The couple in front of me went this morning and saw the line up in the garage and gave up (had to go to work). We even got some italian ices.

The line got a little longer after I left, but it was very easy. Much easier than I anticipated.

 

[Blueline29]

We were told that no one would be permitted into the Mall @ Millenia parking lot before 6. I got there at about 5:45 or so, parked quickly, and saw that there were probably 300 people in line ahead of me. NOT pleased. Ended up waiting 6.5 hours before finally getting into the store, but once I was in it went pretty fast.

 

[kozlosap]

Got to parking lot at Arden Fair in Sacramento at 3 am and was given #180. Could not line up until 5 and then they started letting people in at 6. When we got upstairs near the Apple Store the line was split into reserved and walk-ins. I was #25! In store at 7:02 (it opened at 7) and out at 7:16 activated and charged! At Starbucks 5 minutes later doing iTunes!

 

[tigress666]

So the Columbia, MD apple store is turning me away even thugh I have a reservation... They sid that security has made them shut down the line at 8:00 EST... WTF

Would they hold your phone for tomorrow? I would have asked cause I would have pointed out I did try to come in before 9 p.m. and therefore should have a phone.

 

[schulzmc]

I arrived at the Naperville, IL, Apple store at 5:45am. The line for the "walk in" customers was huge - probably 400+ people. The reservation line was smaller, I'd guess 150 or so. About 6:30am an employee came down the reservation line to make sure we all were on the list. They must have thinned out some people (I was around a corner so I couldn't see) because by 6:45 we had moved enough that I could see the store. (Some of that could also have been that the line "compressed" as people folded up lawn chairs, etc.) I had great people around me in line, BTW - and the whole thing had a party atmosphere to it.

There was a cheer when the door opened and they immediately took about 20 from the reserved line in. From then on the line moved steadily and I was in the store and on my way to work by 8:15am. All in all it was a fun experience and worth 2.5 hours of my time to be part of the launch event!

 

[itoddm]

6 hours in Charlotte, NC (SOuth Park Mall). I was in the reserved line and waited from 6:15 am to 12:15 pm.

 

[herdinoh]

I can't believe anyone is seriously complaining about the reserved iPhone lines given how it was a ridiculously longer line for the standby phones... Normally I wouldn't have a problem with this but since I know a large number of these people tried repeatedly to BOTH pre-order and get a reservation, and it was a matter of luck as to who was able to get these reservations. Its not like the reservation people really did anything warrant themselves an iPhone, besides perform an eligibility check. Had they paid or done anything like that, I'd be more on board with it.

However, I think Apple treated standby people VERY poorly, given my experience at the Mission Viejo Mall in Orange County, CA. Besides the country-wide, ridiculously high ratio between the two and how fast their lines moved, the standby's were nearly treated like second rate citizens. For example, every time they passed out food or drinks, etc. they always went to the front of the reserve line first and finished the entire reserve line before going to the back of the bus... even when they did the breakfast and it was entirely clear that the people left in the reserve line had literally just gotten there and the people who "needed" the breakfast (those standby's who camped out from the previous day) got shafted. I even heard an Apple leader tell the catering people that the reserve line was "the priority." Yet again, I'd understand this if it wasn't totally arbitrary as to who was able to get a reservation. Some ladies in the reserve line were even getting upset that those standbys who "couldn't even be bothered to reserve online" were trickling into get the iPhone at all... once every 20 or so reservation people.

This is BS. I spent 12 hours online trying to preorder one. If I could go through the stupid preorder process, I would not waste my half day in the line. If reservation doesn't make difference, why Apple even bothers to do it?
I admit iphone is a good product. but I will not take the risk to spend hours waiting in a line without reservation.-there is possibility that they will not get the phone.

 

[drmorley]

6 HOURS to the minute. Arrived at the Apple in Old Orchard Mall just outside of Chicago at 6:30am this morning with a reservation.

There was a walk-in line and a line for those who reserved phones. Apple staff were letting them in at a ratio of 10:1 (reserved/walk-in) for the first couple of hours but then they moved to a 2:1 ratio. Needless to say that slowed things down considerably and ppl in the "reserved line" were incredibly pissed off.

I almost flipped out when my debit card didn't go through the 2nd time for my the 2nd phone on my family plan. My bank put a hold on the card since they thought there was fraudulent activity going down w/2 purchases back to back. Luckily we had another card w/us to use!

Wow, I almost chose the OO store, but opted to go a little farther to Northbrook Court. I got to the Northbrook Court store @ 6am and was out of there by 9:45am. The reserved line was long, but the walk-in line was considerably longer and didn't really move while I was there. They kept assisting reserved people about a 10:1 ratio up until I left. No clue if they continued that practice.

 

[Karnivore]

About 2.5 hours wait this afternoon in Louisville, KY. As I was about to enter the store the woman next to me waiting in "non-reserve" line asked how long I had to wait. After I told her she sighed and said: "I've been here since 5:30 this morning". It was right at 5:00 PM when the conversation took place. I really did feel bad for her and hundreds behind her.

 

[macfan881]

I went to the apple store located in legacy village,OH. got there at 6:50. I got my iphone at 12:45. I will never do the pickup from store again. what is the purpose of preorder? the only reason I chose to pick them at store was because Apple's system didn't allow me to order them online. 6 hours in line for the phone I reserved?!!! what a joke.

you do know there are other people who want the phone right Cry more please

 

[underblu]

Arrived at the Apple store at 7:20 AM and received my iphone 4 at 8:35 AM. A little over an hour. Not too bad. I think for the iPhone 5 I'll take advantage of the free shipping and skip the line altogether.