Prepping for Preorder: Tips from a "seasoned vet"

[rockyroad55]

How can you just pop that sim out when these use Nano sims? I don't know how easily acquired those will be on launch day.

Insert a paperclip and the tray should come right out. I also never mentioned getting a new sim (AT&T should have them in stock anyway just in case issues come up). The sim in the phone you get in the mail won't necessarily be activated yet, it'll activate when you turn the phone on and go through the process on screen. But to be safe, don't turn it on.

 

[DENTNU]

Can anyone tell me if I will be able to pre-order more than 1 iPhone 5 ? As I would like to buy one for my wife also.

Thanks

 

[WonkyPanda]

Insert a paperclip and the tray should come right out. I also never mentioned getting a new sim (AT&T should have them in stock anyway just in case issues come up). The sim in the phone you get in the mail won't necessarily be activated yet, it'll activate when you turn the phone on and go through the process on screen. But to be safe, don't turn it on.

Sorry, I guess I meant that as rhetorical question.

What I meant was, do you thus just recommend calling ATT (or going to a store) the second you get the phone? I don't remember where, but someone around here said that when you activate through itunes, it'll allow you to choose the line to apply the activation to (which sounds false to me).

 

[dccorona]

Bit late now to change addresses and stuff... The stores been down for hours...

you need to change you address on your AT&T account, not your store account

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I've done an upgrade swap before, but it was in person with both phones present. Is this a necessity? For example, can I:

1. Preorder the iPhone 5 using the upgrade of another line on my family plan
2. Have it shipped to my home
3. Swap its activation for my phone number over the phone
4. Leave the family member's phone untouched (which is in a different state)
5. Jump with glee as I play with my newly activated iPhone 5

Presumably the first two steps are easy, but I'm not sure what to do about doing the device swap without my family's phone being present

P.S. FAN account, if that makes any sort of difference

Since we now know all the information about the iPhone 5, I can answer this.

Generally, you can do it on your own, just swap the SIM cards AFTER activating the phone with the SIM it shipped with. However, due to the move to nano SIM, you will have to do it in person this time around, or at least, you will have to go in in person to get a nano SIM issued with your number on it

 

[hockey17]

Question that someone may be able to help me with!

I currently am on my parents plan on AT&T and our contract runs out at the end of the month. We are planning on signing up for Verizon with the 5's and wanted to pre order to our house. Obviously we have no billing address for Verizon since we aren't customers yet. Will they send them to us?

Also, I live in Minnesota and my parents just moved to Charlotte NC. Will it matter if we pre-order to different addresses (separately, of course) and what would be the easiest way to sign up for Verizon this way?

Thanks for any help!

 

[dccorona]

Why?

The online store will straight up refuse to allow the phone to be sent to any other address. You can't change it after the fact, or during the process. The only option if the address is not correct is to exit the transaction, go into your AT&T account, change the BILLING address of the account, and then start the purchase over again on Apples website

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Sorry for the question but make sure the AT&T billing address is the same as where you want it delivered or the CC billing address?

Make sure it is the same as where you want it delivered. You can set the billing address for the ORDER separately (so there's no CC issues), but the billing address for your MOBILE ACCOUNT (the address where your statements get sent) needs to be the address you'd like the phone shipped to. I suggest leaving it this way until you receive the phone before changing it back to the actual billing address, just to be safe

 

[rockyroad55]

Sorry, I guess I meant that as rhetorical question.

What I meant was, do you thus just recommend calling ATT (or going to a store) the second you get the phone? I don't remember where, but someone around here said that when you activate through itunes, it'll allow you to choose the line to apply the activation to (which sounds false to me).

I'd highly suggest going into an AT&T store, which is what I did. Find a smaller store or one that will not carry the iPhone 5 since there won't be any lines there anyway. Just make sure it's a corporate store and not an authorized retailer.

I don't think you can do it on iTunes.

 

[dccorona]

Question that someone may be able to help me with!

I currently am on my parents plan on AT&T and our contract runs out at the end of the month. We are planning on signing up for Verizon with the 5's and wanted to pre order to our house. Obviously we have no billing address for Verizon since we aren't customers yet. Will they send them to us?

Also, I live in Minnesota and my parents just moved to Charlotte NC. Will it matter if we pre-order to different addresses (separately, of course) and what would be the easiest way to sign up for Verizon this way?

Thanks for any help!

you'll be creating the billing address as you sign up for verizon service as part of the preorder process. Though I'm not 100% sure that you can create new accounts during the preorder, I think you can. It likely becomes trickier because you're doing a family plan.

If verizon is like AT&T, you'll have to talk to a VZW rep to get the phones shipped to 2 different addresses.

I generally ALWAYS recommend buying Apple products through the Apple store (just because I feel safer that way, as the geniuses have everything including the receipt from purchase right in front of them tied to your appleID when you go in for service), but in your unique situation, I'd say go into a verizon store and speak with a sales rep in person. They'll be very accommodating, considering they'll be signing up 3 people on new lines of service with data plans (big commission for them)

 

[AttilaTheHun]

Question that someone may be able to help me with!

I currently am on my parents plan on AT&T and our contract runs out at the end of the month. We are planning on signing up for Verizon with the 5's and wanted to pre order to our house. Obviously we have no billing address for Verizon since we aren't customers yet. Will they send them to us?

Also, I live in Minnesota and my parents just moved to Charlotte NC. Will it matter if we pre-order to different addresses (separately, of course) and what would be the easiest way to sign up for Verizon this way?

Thanks for any help!

Just go to a Verizon store on the 21st and buy the iPhone by opening a new account,
your penance can do it too and you can pick up your unit in your state,
also i think that Verizon will start to take preorders too just go to the store and tell them the story they will be happy to take you from ATT

 

[The Mad Mule]

Okay I changed my billing address, thanks for the tip.

In terms of buying the phones, can you only do it one at a time? Like, do you have to buy one, configure it, finish payment, then go back and do it again for a second phone? Or if you're on a family/share plan, will it let you do both at the same time?

 

[benguild]

Yes they will be only sent to billing address and at least thru fedex a signature is required.

Well that's crap.
I live away from home right now. Guess I'll have to line up.

 

[dccorona]

Okay I changed my billing address, thanks for the tip.

In terms of buying the phones, can you only do it one at a time? Like, do you have to buy one, configure it, finish payment, then go back and do it again for a second phone? Or if you're on a family/share plan, will it let you do both at the same time?

It's one per line, but you can throw multiple lines into the same cart and checkout together. There may also be unlocked/full price units available (not sure), and if there are, you should be able to buy those like buying any other product, though I'm sure there will be a limit on how many you can get

 

[Blorzoga]

Yes they will be only sent to billing address and at least thru fedex a signature is required.

Do you mean the billing address for the credit card or for the wireless account? I ordered an iPad and had it shipped to my office. Is the iPhone different?

 

[makefunnyfaces]

It will only be shipped to the billing - not the shipping - on the Apple website? That's not cool. As of this year, I'm four hours away from home (address listed on my bank account) most of the time. Will it reject my debit card if I change my billing info to something other than what's on my bank account?

 

[whsbuss]

Can't I just walk into my local AT&T corporate store and pre-order this Saturday (since I can't make it this Friday)?

 

[KylePowers]

Yes, did that last year, whatever you do, don't turn the phone on. Pop that sim out and either give ATT a call or go into a store. I say go into a store since call centers will be swamped that day. The ATT rep will tie the sim card serial to your account and the other device is untouched.

Since we now know all the information about the iPhone 5, I can answer this.

Generally, you can do it on your own, just swap the SIM cards AFTER activating the phone with the SIM it shipped with. However, due to the move to nano SIM, you will have to do it in person this time around, or at least, you will have to go in in person to get a nano SIM issued with your number on it

Thanks for the replies. I don't think I'll be getting one 'til ~mid October, so I might just waltz into my local AT&T store and try doing it all there. But if I do decide to preorder it, sounds like the best option is to not even turn it on, and take it directly to the AT&T store for help. Makes sense.

Do keep me updated if anyone tries anything similar. I'm curious.

 

[terrimac]

Back up!

Do you recommend backing up to pc or will a back up to icloud be sufficient? My upgrade swap didn't go too well last year.

 

[The Mad Mule]

It's one per line, but you can throw multiple lines into the same cart and checkout together. There may also be unlocked/full price units available (not sure), and if there are, you should be able to buy those like buying any other product, though I'm sure there will be a limit on how many you can get

Thanks. I'm going to assume that a "line" is a phone number, and not the lead phone that heads the family plan.

 

[Darth.Titan]

For the record, I've gotten the last 3 iPhones shipped to me on launch day at my office. Apple had no problem shipping to an address different from my billing address every time.

Not sure why so many here are proclaiming that Apple only ships to the billing address.

 

[ramblapacifica]

if you go to the apple app store now you can set up for express checkout
you give your cc #, billing address for cc, and the shipping address
it gives you an option to ship to a business address differing from the billing address. i did this for the last iPhone and for my ipad.
you can preset all that information now before the preordering starts and that will shorten the amount of time keying in data when you pre-order

 

[dccorona]

Thanks. I'm going to assume that a "line" is a phone number, and not the lead phone that heads the family plan.

that is correct

 

[BuckeyeMac]

Can't I just walk into my local AT&T corporate store and pre-order this Saturday (since I can't make it this Friday)?

This?

 

[Blorzoga]

For the record, I've gotten the last 3 iPhones shipped to me on launch day at my office. Apple had no problem shipping to an address different from my billing address every time.

Not sure why so many here are proclaiming that Apple only ships to the billing address.

I just spoke to a rep at Apple and, take it for what it's worth, he said that, unlike other Apple products, the iPhone MUST be shipped to the billing address of th credit card. I have bought an iPad and had it shipped to my office. I don't know if he was correct, but he was fairly adamant. The solution we came up with was to buy an apple iPhone gift card and use that instead of a credit card. You would then be allowed to ship wherever you want. I'd rather do that than find out at 3am that I can only have it shipped to my (empty) house.

 

[grmatt]

Hey thanks dude. Denard sucks. Go green.

 

[rbf1138]

Two questions (I'm on Verizon):

1. Can I enter a billing address that is different from the one on file with my credit card, so that it'll be shipped to my work address instead of my home address (which is my actual billing address)?

2. I have an unlimited data plan on Verizon. I'm also not eligible for an upgrade (which I wouldn't want to use even if I had it, because then I'd lose unlimited data). I want to buy the phone unsubsidized. I should not have a problem preordering the phone at full price, correct? 2 Apple reps have confirmed this, but a third seemed confused by what "eligible customers" meant and couldn't confirm that the phone can be preordered without "upgrade eligibility."