My big mistake
I preordered an iPhone 6+, 16GB ATT with a two year contract. I guess it didn't register when I clicked the 64GB tile and didn't realize my mistake until after submitting in a rush. I couldn't order another at contract pricing as I just resigned a contract for 2 years. I called the apple store and explained my situation. They said they would be able to swap out the iPhone for a 64gb but only if they have it in stock. I decided to wait in line to get one to swap with my pre order.
The wait, police, hysteria, mall security sucks.
3am I left my house to go to the apple store in the Towson Town Center Mall in Towson Maryland. Around 3:20 I arrived and saw a line of 20-30 people across the street from the mall. They were lined up, sitting in lawn chairs by the sidewalk in front of a shopping center directly across the street from the mall entrance. Mall security wouldnt let anyone on the property or on that side of the street. They wouldnt let anyone park in the mall parking garages or anything until 6:30am. If you walked over their they quickly pulled their mall security cars in front of you blocking you and told you to leave the property or the police would be called. I parked in the shopping center and staked my place in line. I was around 25-30th in line. Talked to some people for several hours, they said they tried forming a line at the sidewalk on the other side of the street but mall security threatened to call police if they didnt move, got starbucks at 5am in the shopping center when they opened. Many were worried about their cars being towed including me as the shopping center parking lot was packed all ready and no stores were even open yet besides starbucks. Signs specifically said no mall parking or you'll be towed. I placed my receipt and starbucks napkins on my car window to show I was a paying customer just in case lol but I was still worried.
Many people showed up, by 5:30am there was at least 200 people, shopping center lot was full, I was still around 25-30 in line as me and the people allowed each other to leave the line to go to starbucks and such to get things as they watched each others spots/ chairs. I made friends with several people in front and behind me. 6:00am. Police cars made several passed by, I guess to ensure order, never said anything to us about being on private property. People were getting nervous and expecting everyone to sprint across the 5 lane road to line up in front of the mall entrance when they allowed us on the property. Several people in the line started talking and going down the line asking if people would be respectful of the unofficial line when the mall allowed them on the property, most people agreed. In the shopping center parking lot, around 10 cars sat at the light to cross the street and go into the mall entrance. These people were going to jump the line, at 6:30am and beat everyone to the entrance. People were getting nervous and tried talking to them, especially those who were first and been waiting there since 7pm. 6:15am. We decided to cross the street so we didnt have to wait for traffic when the time came that allowed us onto mall property. As we started cross mass hysteria took place, next thing I know 300 people screaming, running, leaving their chairs and blankets behind ran across the 5 lane street.
We got to the mall entrance down the entrance road out of breath(about 1500 feet down a small road from the main street that lead to the garage and the main entrance was right there.) Mall security started screaming at us "LEAVE THE PROPERTY NOW, NOT UNTIL 6:30, GET THE ******* OUT." We started retreating, until we saw that the mall security started lining people up. Most people didnt listen, there was maybe 3-4 guards and 300+ of us. After several minutes they decided to let us stay since no one was listening. I was around 100 back from the front of the line. People were screaming that they were in line for hours and in the top 10 across the street, mall security said too bad, they dont care about the line across the street. They had nothing to do with it. Several people I was around made it to the front, me and the young girl and several others who were around me in the line across the street said screw it and started to walk the line to the front. Security told us to go back, some listened but we kept walking, ignoring them. We found the people who were in front of us, they were in the front group, around 20 people back. The line was suppose to be in a single file, but it was around 4-5 people wide bunched up the entire length of the line. They pulled us in and said huddle close or they will kick you to the back. We did, to the dismay of people behind us then explained that we were in this spot in the line across the street, several people up front vouched for us. Surprised how these people were actually being decent and fair and let us cut in. After all we were there since 3am.
For the next 20 minutes, mall security was screaming at us to form a single file line and to move back to form a single file, we couldn't move back, there were people practically getting intimate with my backside, you couldnt even get your phone out of your pocket. We had to tell each other when we need to pull our phones out so they could make room to pull our arms back up. Eventually they got the people at the end of the 1000 foot line to back up and we were able to form a single line after half an hour. Police were called to bring order and help enforce security's requests. They then began to divide the lines, apple, verizon, att stores. Only 10 people were in line for the verizon and att stores combined. Everyone wanted to stay at apple, all 400 of us. Best chance of getting the phone they wanted.
6:40am they let us in the mall, they had to stop and break the line in sections to stay in line with fire codes. I was in the second group, first 25 people got to line up in front of apple store, the second group including me lined up down the escalator from the apple store, right at the bottom. They made a quick announcement that they do not have any TMobile iPhone 6+s' which I found most apple stores didn't have. I talked to several apple employees. They explained the reservation pass and how I will be able to leave after guaranteeing my iPhone. I even explained my situation and they said once I get my iPhone that was shipped I can come back and swap no problem. Apple employees handed out bottles of water and granola bars to everyone in line. At 7:15 they finally got to me for reservation pass creation, asked what phone I wanted and how many, they had plenty so I could have gotten any 2 phones I wanted being around 30th in line. I got a 64gb, space grey iPhone 6+ ATT. The rep stayed with me until the text went through. I got my pass texted to me, said goodbye to my new friends who were getting 6+'s and made my way back to my hopefully non towed car. I walked the line, it was long. Made several loops in the mall and continued through the entrance to the street all the way to the main road.
UPS Store, more lines ugh
Went back to my car, drove 20 minutes back to my house. Got something to drink, used the bathroom, rested my feet. (should have brought a chair instead of standing for 4 hours.) 9am I left to go to the UPS Customer center. Since the delivery date was between 8am-7pm and I wanted to exchange I changed delivery to will call pickup to get my phone as soon as they opened. I got there at 9:10. Parking lot was packed, had to park on the street, luckily there was only 10 or so people in the small lobby waiting. The UPS place had two people up front, the one girl was new and kept messing up on the barcode scanner so it was 20 minutes before I got up there. Every person who went up was asked if they were picking up a phone as they set those aside in the back. Surprisingly some people weren't there picking up phones but just dropping off packages. As I left, several people in the growing line asked if that was the new iPhone I was holding. I told them yes and that I'm heading to the apple store to swap now and there was over 400 people in line when I left.
Driving back to the apple store after a break at my house, it was around 10:40 when I got there. I entered the mall from the other side and made my way to the apple store. The line was still there, I was told to go the the back....I got to the back of the line it was around 200 people and I was last. I was told by an apple employee that the wait time for my part of the line was 5-7 hours. They handed out snacks and water, I asked if they had enough phones even though I had one reserved I was curious if these people were waiting for nothing. She said she doesn't know but they were sold out of some options already. WTF....It hardly moved in the first 20 minutes but we finally got inside. I was the only person in line, clutching a plain box that held an iPhone 6, but was still in line. I felt dizzy, not eating yet and getting over a cold. We finally got inside the mall. Another 30 people lined up behind me. I then asked an apple employee if I could jump the line, since I had a reservation pass from earlier and was guaranteed a phone and the people in front and behind me weren't. He said he would be right back to find out. He came back and escorted my passed 100 or so people, booing as I walked by. He placed me behind the last person who had a reservation pass who had been there since the original line.
I just skipped around 4-5 hours of waiting so I was happy. The line moved maybe 10 feet per half an hour, there were only 40 or so people between me and the apple store, the line still continued outside the entrance. I fought off the urge to leave and accept the tiny 16Gb storage and open my new iPhone that I already held in my hands. After an hour they came out and announced they were out of iPhone 6+s' but had 6's left. Many people exclaimed their disappointment. They came down and started taking reservations just like earlier before they opened from those without reservation passes that started behind me. They were out of a few options of 6's from what I overheard, a lot of scalpers picking up 2 iPhones from what I heard. I'm not sure how far down that line they got, I mean it continued outside the mall entrance and headed towards the street as more and more people lined up in the early afternoon. Some people around me sat down in chairs they took from tables right next to us. Security kicked them out and said put the chairs back even though it was 3 feet away from the line and no one other customers in the mall were even using them. People complained that their feet hurt, and they have been standing for hours, they said that's not their problem, they are not forcing you to get this phone and sit on the mall floor. I let the women in front of me who hardly spoke English get food and use the restroom as I watched her spot.
Finally
I had around 20 people left in front of me when they announced they were sold out and only those with reservations could continue waiting. I'd imagine quite a few people in that massive line behind me were upset. After 4 hours I finally was paired with an apple rep, I explained my story, he said no problem. After getting some help from someone higher up we opened my UPS package, and started the process of swapping activation to my new phone. We managed to deactivate the pre orded apple online phone without even opening it so it could be put back into inventory I guess? They activated my new iPhone after I paid the difference and I walked out, with my apple bag and new iPhone 6+, the one I wanted. Thanks Apple!
Pic, I'm 2 people up from the guy in the red shirt in that big front group. This was before they sorted the line out to a single file and it stretched all the way several hundred feet to the main road and intersection. The one security guard with the hat in the picture pulled out his $20 prepaid phone and said "Yall crazy waiting for a phone that costs $600, this is all I need.":
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Local news story:
iPhone 6 Towson Launch
Any other waiting in line stories? Share them!
I preordered an iPhone 6+, 16GB ATT with a two year contract. I guess it didn't register when I clicked the 64GB tile and didn't realize my mistake until after submitting in a rush. I couldn't order another at contract pricing as I just resigned a contract for 2 years. I called the apple store and explained my situation. They said they would be able to swap out the iPhone for a 64gb but only if they have it in stock. I decided to wait in line to get one to swap with my pre order.
The wait, police, hysteria, mall security sucks.
3am I left my house to go to the apple store in the Towson Town Center Mall in Towson Maryland. Around 3:20 I arrived and saw a line of 20-30 people across the street from the mall. They were lined up, sitting in lawn chairs by the sidewalk in front of a shopping center directly across the street from the mall entrance. Mall security wouldnt let anyone on the property or on that side of the street. They wouldnt let anyone park in the mall parking garages or anything until 6:30am. If you walked over their they quickly pulled their mall security cars in front of you blocking you and told you to leave the property or the police would be called. I parked in the shopping center and staked my place in line. I was around 25-30th in line. Talked to some people for several hours, they said they tried forming a line at the sidewalk on the other side of the street but mall security threatened to call police if they didnt move, got starbucks at 5am in the shopping center when they opened. Many were worried about their cars being towed including me as the shopping center parking lot was packed all ready and no stores were even open yet besides starbucks. Signs specifically said no mall parking or you'll be towed. I placed my receipt and starbucks napkins on my car window to show I was a paying customer just in case lol but I was still worried.
Many people showed up, by 5:30am there was at least 200 people, shopping center lot was full, I was still around 25-30 in line as me and the people allowed each other to leave the line to go to starbucks and such to get things as they watched each others spots/ chairs. I made friends with several people in front and behind me. 6:00am. Police cars made several passed by, I guess to ensure order, never said anything to us about being on private property. People were getting nervous and expecting everyone to sprint across the 5 lane road to line up in front of the mall entrance when they allowed us on the property. Several people in the line started talking and going down the line asking if people would be respectful of the unofficial line when the mall allowed them on the property, most people agreed. In the shopping center parking lot, around 10 cars sat at the light to cross the street and go into the mall entrance. These people were going to jump the line, at 6:30am and beat everyone to the entrance. People were getting nervous and tried talking to them, especially those who were first and been waiting there since 7pm. 6:15am. We decided to cross the street so we didnt have to wait for traffic when the time came that allowed us onto mall property. As we started cross mass hysteria took place, next thing I know 300 people screaming, running, leaving their chairs and blankets behind ran across the 5 lane street.
We got to the mall entrance down the entrance road out of breath(about 1500 feet down a small road from the main street that lead to the garage and the main entrance was right there.) Mall security started screaming at us "LEAVE THE PROPERTY NOW, NOT UNTIL 6:30, GET THE ******* OUT." We started retreating, until we saw that the mall security started lining people up. Most people didnt listen, there was maybe 3-4 guards and 300+ of us. After several minutes they decided to let us stay since no one was listening. I was around 100 back from the front of the line. People were screaming that they were in line for hours and in the top 10 across the street, mall security said too bad, they dont care about the line across the street. They had nothing to do with it. Several people I was around made it to the front, me and the young girl and several others who were around me in the line across the street said screw it and started to walk the line to the front. Security told us to go back, some listened but we kept walking, ignoring them. We found the people who were in front of us, they were in the front group, around 20 people back. The line was suppose to be in a single file, but it was around 4-5 people wide bunched up the entire length of the line. They pulled us in and said huddle close or they will kick you to the back. We did, to the dismay of people behind us then explained that we were in this spot in the line across the street, several people up front vouched for us. Surprised how these people were actually being decent and fair and let us cut in. After all we were there since 3am.
For the next 20 minutes, mall security was screaming at us to form a single file line and to move back to form a single file, we couldn't move back, there were people practically getting intimate with my backside, you couldnt even get your phone out of your pocket. We had to tell each other when we need to pull our phones out so they could make room to pull our arms back up. Eventually they got the people at the end of the 1000 foot line to back up and we were able to form a single line after half an hour. Police were called to bring order and help enforce security's requests. They then began to divide the lines, apple, verizon, att stores. Only 10 people were in line for the verizon and att stores combined. Everyone wanted to stay at apple, all 400 of us. Best chance of getting the phone they wanted.
6:40am they let us in the mall, they had to stop and break the line in sections to stay in line with fire codes. I was in the second group, first 25 people got to line up in front of apple store, the second group including me lined up down the escalator from the apple store, right at the bottom. They made a quick announcement that they do not have any TMobile iPhone 6+s' which I found most apple stores didn't have. I talked to several apple employees. They explained the reservation pass and how I will be able to leave after guaranteeing my iPhone. I even explained my situation and they said once I get my iPhone that was shipped I can come back and swap no problem. Apple employees handed out bottles of water and granola bars to everyone in line. At 7:15 they finally got to me for reservation pass creation, asked what phone I wanted and how many, they had plenty so I could have gotten any 2 phones I wanted being around 30th in line. I got a 64gb, space grey iPhone 6+ ATT. The rep stayed with me until the text went through. I got my pass texted to me, said goodbye to my new friends who were getting 6+'s and made my way back to my hopefully non towed car. I walked the line, it was long. Made several loops in the mall and continued through the entrance to the street all the way to the main road.
UPS Store, more lines ugh
Went back to my car, drove 20 minutes back to my house. Got something to drink, used the bathroom, rested my feet. (should have brought a chair instead of standing for 4 hours.) 9am I left to go to the UPS Customer center. Since the delivery date was between 8am-7pm and I wanted to exchange I changed delivery to will call pickup to get my phone as soon as they opened. I got there at 9:10. Parking lot was packed, had to park on the street, luckily there was only 10 or so people in the small lobby waiting. The UPS place had two people up front, the one girl was new and kept messing up on the barcode scanner so it was 20 minutes before I got up there. Every person who went up was asked if they were picking up a phone as they set those aside in the back. Surprisingly some people weren't there picking up phones but just dropping off packages. As I left, several people in the growing line asked if that was the new iPhone I was holding. I told them yes and that I'm heading to the apple store to swap now and there was over 400 people in line when I left.
Driving back to the apple store after a break at my house, it was around 10:40 when I got there. I entered the mall from the other side and made my way to the apple store. The line was still there, I was told to go the the back....I got to the back of the line it was around 200 people and I was last. I was told by an apple employee that the wait time for my part of the line was 5-7 hours. They handed out snacks and water, I asked if they had enough phones even though I had one reserved I was curious if these people were waiting for nothing. She said she doesn't know but they were sold out of some options already. WTF....It hardly moved in the first 20 minutes but we finally got inside. I was the only person in line, clutching a plain box that held an iPhone 6, but was still in line. I felt dizzy, not eating yet and getting over a cold. We finally got inside the mall. Another 30 people lined up behind me. I then asked an apple employee if I could jump the line, since I had a reservation pass from earlier and was guaranteed a phone and the people in front and behind me weren't. He said he would be right back to find out. He came back and escorted my passed 100 or so people, booing as I walked by. He placed me behind the last person who had a reservation pass who had been there since the original line.
I just skipped around 4-5 hours of waiting so I was happy. The line moved maybe 10 feet per half an hour, there were only 40 or so people between me and the apple store, the line still continued outside the entrance. I fought off the urge to leave and accept the tiny 16Gb storage and open my new iPhone that I already held in my hands. After an hour they came out and announced they were out of iPhone 6+s' but had 6's left. Many people exclaimed their disappointment. They came down and started taking reservations just like earlier before they opened from those without reservation passes that started behind me. They were out of a few options of 6's from what I overheard, a lot of scalpers picking up 2 iPhones from what I heard. I'm not sure how far down that line they got, I mean it continued outside the mall entrance and headed towards the street as more and more people lined up in the early afternoon. Some people around me sat down in chairs they took from tables right next to us. Security kicked them out and said put the chairs back even though it was 3 feet away from the line and no one other customers in the mall were even using them. People complained that their feet hurt, and they have been standing for hours, they said that's not their problem, they are not forcing you to get this phone and sit on the mall floor. I let the women in front of me who hardly spoke English get food and use the restroom as I watched her spot.
Finally
I had around 20 people left in front of me when they announced they were sold out and only those with reservations could continue waiting. I'd imagine quite a few people in that massive line behind me were upset. After 4 hours I finally was paired with an apple rep, I explained my story, he said no problem. After getting some help from someone higher up we opened my UPS package, and started the process of swapping activation to my new phone. We managed to deactivate the pre orded apple online phone without even opening it so it could be put back into inventory I guess? They activated my new iPhone after I paid the difference and I walked out, with my apple bag and new iPhone 6+, the one I wanted. Thanks Apple!
Pic, I'm 2 people up from the guy in the red shirt in that big front group. This was before they sorted the line out to a single file and it stretched all the way several hundred feet to the main road and intersection. The one security guard with the hat in the picture pulled out his $20 prepaid phone and said "Yall crazy waiting for a phone that costs $600, this is all I need.":
Local news story:
iPhone 6 Towson Launch
Any other waiting in line stories? Share them!
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