Refuse shipment or return to store (AT&T)?

[Domino8282]

Well I hate that I put myself in this situation, but I still blame AT&T. I placed a direct fulfill order in-store on 7/2 for a 16GB iPhone 4. Well, within minutes of leaving I experienced the crushing buyer's remorse of not ordering the 32GB model.

Now, I come to find out that even though my order is still "backordered" and it's 4th of July weekend so chances are absolutely nothing has been done with my order, I can't change the order. The only thing they offered me is to place another order for a 32GB and then return the 16GB.

So my question is: Can anyone with a similar situation please tell me what is the most painless way to make this happen? I assume I have to go in-store for them to reset my eligibility so I can order the 32GB? When the 16GB arrives (to my home), should I refuse shipment, or take it to the store for the return?

My #1 concern is that the amount of time my credit card is charged for both be *minimized*.

It's such ridiculous thinking on AT&T's part that they would rather deal with paying additional shipping and restocking the 16GB then just changing my frakkin' order at this point, most likely before it has even been boxed.

 

[darkhunter139]

Wait they wont let you cancel your order....?

 

[wirelessmacuser]

I have a lot of experience with both AT&T and Verizon. You have two choices that work in your situation.

1) Refuse the delivery.
The drawback to this choice is significant. Since you won't have a way to track it's return and receipt date on their end.

2) Here is what I do.
I take delivery of the phone & do not open it. I call AT&T before it arrives, they issue an RMA number, and email the prepaid return label. I track it till it arrives at their facility. Then I wait 24 hrs. & call to confirm processing of my refund. It takes about a week afterwards to see the credit. Most of that is the processing time at VISA.

 

[jellybean]

I've ordered a couple of phones on new contracts in the past and changed my mind before they were delivered. In both instances I was advised by the customer service reps to refuse delivery so the phone would be sent back and contract voided. Assuming it's the same kind of process with AT&T, I'd definitely refuse delivery because otherwise they could possibly take a "tough, you accepted, you're locked in now!" stance.
Probably wouldn't hurt to call AT&T beforehand to clarify that if by refusing delivery the order for the phone and contract will be cancelled.

 

[mhdena]

I have a lot of experience with both AT&T and Verizon. You have two choices that work in your situation.

1) Refuse the delivery.
The drawback to this choice is significant. Since you won't have a way to track it's return and receipt date on their end.

2) Here is what I do.
I take delivery of the phone & do not open it. I call AT&T before it arrives, they issue an RMA number, and email the prepaid return label. I track it till it arrives at their facility. Then I wait 24 hrs. & call to confirm processing of my refund. It takes about a week afterwards to see the credit. Most of that is the processing time at VISA.

He can also refuse delivery with the driver and ask for a copy of the tracking number. This will save him a day or so.

 

[insidmal]

why are you asking a bunch of people on a forum who don't work for at&t? call them up, bro... I'll bet you one of those cheap $1 china cases that they can change your order

 

[nezzy]

In a similar situation myself with direct fulfillment. Just to warn you, I was told that your eligibility won't be reset until AT&T receives the refused/returned shipment, meaning one is stuck with that order even if you find one elsewhere.

Let us know if you find a way around the eligibility reset; this made it impossible for me to purchase the priority list pickup I finally received today (I wasn't dropping full price and hoping they'd refund me in a timely manner).

 

[Cottonsworth]

Another thought, don't open the phone and see if you can take the phone to an AT&T corporate retail store to return it. Make sure it is an AT&T corporate run retail store and not a third party one. You can find out by using the store finder option on AT&T's website.

 

[Domino8282]

Thanks for the input. I have called both the store and e-mailed AT&T support. The store rep said I could order the 32 and then return the 16, so I assume she has some magical way in the store to reset my eligibility. However, the corporate e-mail support said I would have to wait on the delivery and then return it, or ask in-store for other options. However, it sounded like an outsourced, form letter reply.

He also said that "even though my order says backordered it is still being processed" which was why the order couldn't be changed. Sorry, but that sounds like total BS... Sounds more like their company is so large and disjointed that the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing.

I guess I'll call 800-number support to see if they can't make this easier on me, otherwise I'll go to the store and place the second order. I think I can bring the 16 in to the store to return when it arrives. I'm hoping they can credit my card right then in the store, but somehow I doubt it.

 

[nezzy]

You're right it's definitely disjointed. "National" help number said only the store involved in the order had access to change it, but once they did eligibility would be reset.

Called the store who said they have no way of canceling the order once it's put in, and the only way is to wait.

Called back to the 1-800 number and they said they'd go by what the store said. FWIW, the actual store employee (one of the nicer and more knowledgeable folks) even said he wasn't surprised I was told differently, as at regional/national level customer service doesn't know what stores can and can't do. He said unfortunately they're the ones that have to deal with that misinformation on a daily basis.

That said, hope you have better luck with all this, canceling, and reset eligibility than I did (or I'd have a phone today).

 

[Domino8282]

Weird I wonder why the store rep told me they could put in an order for a 32 before my 16 had arrived if you were told that you had to wait... Now that I've heard about this "second launch" on July 7 I'm wishing I had just waited and could cancel my order completely, and just camp the Apple Store on the 7th. The only reason I missed the first launch is that I was out of the country.

If I'm lucky, maybe I can get the AT&T store to reset my eligibility, camp the Apple Store on the 7th for a 32GB (and perhaps get my wife a white one if that's the real purpose of the re-launch), and then return the 16 when it arrives, hopefully soon thereafter. A lot of ifs and maybes... Stupid thing is I went through the same type of BS with the 3G launch. Next time I'm just preordering from Apple to avoid all of this nonsense.

 

[Domino8282]

UPDATE:

I called the local store again, and this time the guy said he was able to delete my previous (16GB) order from the system (imagine that)! So I ran over, he deleted the first order and I placed an order for the 32GB.

The only issue is he said that the hold on my credit card for both purchases may remain there for awhile until the system sorts it out. I'm not too worried since I wasn't near my limit and since I used American Express, I'm confident it will eventually get dropped.

Only thing is that the order status site is now showing both orders (16GB on July 2 and now 32GB on July 4), both in progress and both backordered. Maybe it'll sort itself out on Monday or Tuesday...