Reserved a phone but couldn't wait in line 3 hours...options?

[trainfortyfive]

So, I reserved my phone June 15th for an in-store pickup, and today I arrive at the apple store to pick up my "reserved" phone, only to find out that the line is 3+ hours... Like many others, I have other responsibilities and can't wait in line this long, so it was kind of annoying to find out that I am now at the back of the queue for ordering another phone.

Is it just me, or am I the only one who thinks Apple should prioritize shipping (i.e. before July 14th) to those of us who pre-ordered a phone , showed up to try to buy it, and then had to leave because the line was too long?

Options/suggestions?

 

[scaredpoet]

Just order the phone online. The longer you dawdle, the long it's going to take before one ships to you.

Apple has no way of knowing you actually showed up, so no, there's no realistic way to prioritize your order over, say, someone who reserved and didn't even bother to show up. And what of the people who stood in line longer than you did only to be told the store was out of stock?