I was a forum creeper, especially recently with the release of the iPad 2. I couldn't find any product in the Pacific Northwest over the course of the past week. I trolled the target inventory, the best buy inventory links and occasionally walmart. I visited my nearest apple store several times, and barely missed out on a shipment on Saturday the 12th. I was second in line for a reservation at best buy for my model (64 gb AT&T black).
Yesterday, I was at Southcenter mall in Tukwila waiting to go to Olive Garden for lunch. I stopped by the apple store at 10:45 and saw a line. I asked the apple employee if they had iPads in and she said no, they were waiting in case they got some in. I'm nit quite that hardcore, so I went to lunch at 11:00. About 12:15 while waiting for my 1:00 movie (Paul, enjoyed it) I went back to the apple store and noticed that the person at the front of the line had changed and that there was someone with a checklist. The line was small, maybe 15 strong, so I hopped in line.
There was a very nice guy with two girls in front of me, and I joked that with my luck he would get the last one. There were some resellers in line as well. Lo and behold, I ended up getting the last one, a 16 gb black Verizon. A far cry from the model I want, so I decide to get it, and then sell it to a friend when mine comes in (at my cost). End of story, right? Wrong.
That day I tried to get the data plan activated through the iPad, but kept getting an error message telling me to call customer service or to go to a Verizon wireless store. After several calls and a trip to the store, it was time to make a trip to the genius bar. As I suspected, the cell antenna was faulty and the iPad needed to be exchanged, they did not have my model in the exchange inventory, but did have white. I told the employee I actually wanted a 64 black AT&T, but would settle for a 32 if they could hold one off the next shipment for me. He then went into the back and came back with a 64 gb AT&T black iPad out of their exchange inventory! After paying the difference, I've now ended up with my desired model, just by being in the right place at the right time and getting a faulty model.
Thought you all might like to hear a good story about the often fruitless search for an iPad 2. Keep with it!!
Gavin
Yesterday, I was at Southcenter mall in Tukwila waiting to go to Olive Garden for lunch. I stopped by the apple store at 10:45 and saw a line. I asked the apple employee if they had iPads in and she said no, they were waiting in case they got some in. I'm nit quite that hardcore, so I went to lunch at 11:00. About 12:15 while waiting for my 1:00 movie (Paul, enjoyed it) I went back to the apple store and noticed that the person at the front of the line had changed and that there was someone with a checklist. The line was small, maybe 15 strong, so I hopped in line.
There was a very nice guy with two girls in front of me, and I joked that with my luck he would get the last one. There were some resellers in line as well. Lo and behold, I ended up getting the last one, a 16 gb black Verizon. A far cry from the model I want, so I decide to get it, and then sell it to a friend when mine comes in (at my cost). End of story, right? Wrong.
That day I tried to get the data plan activated through the iPad, but kept getting an error message telling me to call customer service or to go to a Verizon wireless store. After several calls and a trip to the store, it was time to make a trip to the genius bar. As I suspected, the cell antenna was faulty and the iPad needed to be exchanged, they did not have my model in the exchange inventory, but did have white. I told the employee I actually wanted a 64 black AT&T, but would settle for a 32 if they could hold one off the next shipment for me. He then went into the back and came back with a 64 gb AT&T black iPad out of their exchange inventory! After paying the difference, I've now ended up with my desired model, just by being in the right place at the right time and getting a faulty model.
Thought you all might like to hear a good story about the often fruitless search for an iPad 2. Keep with it!!
Gavin
