Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Reserved at Apple Store; but am I guaranteed one?

Eggtastic

Eggtastic

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 9, 2009
1,066
730
NJ
I did the backdoor move and reserved my iphone 4 through the apple store app, got the confirmation email and it told me that it will hold my phone until the end of launch day.

but...

I remember previous launches that despite the reservation the phones are moved on a first come - first serve basis which to me is pointless to even have reservations if thats the case.

So what's the verdict... am i really guaranteed an iphone this time or should i plan to make a trip early to the store?
 
reservations are first come first serve out of reservations, but you will likely get one if youre there early. they will have plenty
 
I've called Apple two times and talked to 2 different people. Both said that if you have a reservation you will be guaranteed a phone. They will not sell your reservation until the next day if you dont pick it up
 
a little different

I checked on the apple site for my store here in Santa Clara and it shows that I don't have a reservation appointment, but my iPhone app says it will be there for pickup waiting until the end of the day.

Anybody know if this means I am gonna have one waiting?:confused:
 
Eggtastic said:
I did the backdoor move and reserved my iphone 4 through the apple store app, got the confirmation email and it told me that it will hold my phone until the end of launch day.
Click to expand...

Not True.

Read the email you received.. all of it. The email specifically tells you that you are _not_ assured an iPhone will be available to you, they are sold on a first come first served basis to those who make a reservation.

You have no money invested, they have no responsibility to hold a phone for you unless they have more than they can sell. Read your email it's clearly stated.
 
wirelessmacuser said:
Not True.

Read the email you received.. all of it. The email specifically tells you that you are _not_ assured an iPhone will be available to you, they are sold on a first come first served basis to those who make a reservation.

You have no money invested, they have no responsibility to hold a phone for you unless they have more than they can sell. Read your email it's clearly stated.
Click to expand...

Not true.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/941250/
 
As long as there is enough stock to cover the reserves which I'm sure there will be. It will be reserved for you. That is why they have the disclaimer.
 
Think about it - even the people who pre-ordered it for home delivery were supposed to be the most guaranteed, and they even got their orders cancelled!!!
 
wirelessmacuser said:
Not True.

Read the email you received.. all of it. The email specifically tells you that you are _not_ assured an iPhone will be available to you, they are sold on a first come first served basis to those who make a reservation.

You have no money invested, they have no responsibility to hold a phone for you unless they have more than they can sell. Read your email it's clearly stated.
Click to expand...

How do you know what his email states? Assuming he got the same email I did, he's guaranteed one until the end of the day, no matter what time he gets there. Here's the entirety of the email I received when I reserved mine through the Apple Store app. Nowhere does it state anything about first-come-first-serve.

EDIT: Sorry, the bottom of my email does have some fine print stating this:

"Pre-authorization does not guarantee iPhone availability at an Apple Retail Store. iPhone is sold on a first-come, first-served basis."

It's probably just a CYA thing.

Screenshot2010-06-20at44548PM.png
 
I called the Apple store where I reserved my iPhone 4, and spoke with the manager and said that as long as you have a reservation, you are guaranteed a phone.

wirelessmacuser said:
Not True.

Read the email you received.. all of it. The email specifically tells you that you are _not_ assured an iPhone will be available to you, they are sold on a first come first served basis to those who make a reservation...
Click to expand...

If you look closely it says pre-authorization. We are talking about a reservation. Pre-authorization is referring to those who weren't able to finish up on Apple.com during the pre-order and asked them to pick it up at the store. Reservation ≠ Pre-Authorization
 
For potentially the millionth time...

A reservation means that a physical, boxed, brand new, shiny, sealed iPhone 4 unit will be put aside for you on launch day. Each person who has reserved one will have a unit put aside for them. Therefore number of reservations = number of iPhones put aside.

HOWEVER.

Unfortunately errors happen and a reserved unit will, with all possibility, be sold to someone who hasn't reserved one. Humans make mistakes, it's not intentional, but it will happen. Also, some units may be faulty and so decrease the stock count.

This means that yes, all things being equal you will get an iPhone on launch day if you have reserved. But if you turn up near the end of the day, then there may be a possibility that something happened somewhere which means you don't get one. This isn't Apple 'screwing you' or some sort of conspiracy, it is just life.

Enjoy your new phone on Thursday, I will be....except if it gets sold to someone else........
 
People are entitled to their own opinion but not their own definition of words. Here is reserved according to the dictionary:

reserved |riˈzərvd|
adjective
1 slow to reveal emotion or opinions : he is a reserved, almost taciturn man.
2 kept specially for a particular purpose or person : a reserved seat.
DERIVATIVES
reservedly |riˈzərvədlē| adverb
reservedness |riˈzərvədnəs| noun
reserve |riˈzərv|
verb [ trans. ]
refrain from using or disposing of (something); retain for future use : roll out half the dough and reserve the other half.
• arrange for (a room, seat, ticket, etc.) to be kept for the use of a particular person and not given to anyone else : a place was reserved for her in the front row.
• retain or hold (an entitlement to something), esp. by formal or legal stipulation : [ trans. ] the editor reserves the right to edit letters.
• refrain from delivering (a judgment or decision) immediately or without due consideration or evidence : I'll reserve my views on his ability until he's played again.
• ( reserve something for) use or engage in something only in or at (a particular circumstance or time) : Japanese food has been presented as expensive and reserved for special occasions.
• (in church use) retain (a portion of the consecrated elements) after mass for communion of the sick or as a focus for devotion.
noun
1 (often reserves) a supply of a commodity not needed for immediate use but available if required : Australia has major coal, gas, and uranium reserves.
• a force or body of troops kept back from action to reinforce or protect others, or additional to the regular forces and available in an emergency.
• a member of the military reserve.
• an extra player who is a possible substitute in a team.
• ( the reserves) the second-string team.
• funds kept available by a bank, company, or government : the foreign exchange reserves.
• a part of a company's profits added to capital rather than paid as a dividend.
2 a place set aside for special use, in particular
• an area designated as a habitat for a native people.
• a protected area for wildlife.
3 a lack of warmth or openness in manner or expression : she smiled and some of her natural reserve melted.
• qualification or doubt attached to some statement or claim : she trusted him without reserve.
4 short for reserve price .
5 (in the decoration of ceramics or textiles) an area that still has the original color of the material or the color of the background.
PHRASES
in reserve unused and available if required : the platoon that had been kept in reserve.
DERIVATIVES
reservable adjective
reserver noun
ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French reserver, from Latin reservare ‘keep back,’ from re- ‘back’ + servare ‘to keep.’
Click to expand...

What on earth would be the reason to "reserve" the phone if it isn't a reservation to get a phone before people who just show up that day. It would be bad business sense and an even worse abuse of the english language ;)

Scenario: Apple Store has 200 phones and 500 people line up, 150 with reservations. Only 50 walk-ins are getting a phone.

I was at the first iPhone launch and they kept counting and at some point they told people they weren't going to be enough, which is why they were counting. They told us if you had a reserved phone you were fine and they would just hold it. i.e. you practically have your name on a phone.

Wanna blow your minds? They may sell out but there will be some phones still in stock you can't buy. Why? In case some people get DOA's. The one question I have for all the people who say that walk-ins can possibly get a phone in lieu of all the people who have reserved ones is why bother with the reservations at all if they are meaningless? Stocking the store is no excuse, they can just look at sales and other launch data they have.
 
I think people are getting hung up over the word 'guarantee.'

There's nothing that guarantees you a phone - Apple can't control the weather, acts of god, or maybe most importantly, every possible computer glitch, that can happen between your phone and your Apple Store. This is why there's disclaimers. There's disclaimers on everything, you just don't read them because they're not launch day iPhones. So, no guarantee, even if the manager tells you.

The fact that you have a non-100% chance of getting a phone on thursday doesn't mean that 1) Apple has accepted too many reservations and will be unable to honor them all or 2) Apple stores will not put aside their reserved phones for the entire day like the email says. I don't know how likely either 1) or 2) will occur, but I don't think it's very high.
 
jimi78 said:
I checked on the apple site for my store here in Santa Clara and it shows that I don't have a reservation appointment, but my iPhone app says it will be there for pickup waiting until the end of the day.

Anybody know if this means I am gonna have one waiting?:confused:
Click to expand...

How about calling the store and asking if you are on the list. Simple as that.
 
I tried calling to see if I'm on a list ( I have reservation email) and all they said was they will have me on their list. We'll see
 
If you have one reserved you should be fine as I've spoken to the store and numerous other people on the forum have asked apple and they've all said if you have a confirmation email then a phone will be waiting at the store for you on launch day, but there is a disclaimer on the email which questions whats the point of pre-ordering if its not guaranteed? but this is just to account for unforeseen circumstances.
 
Lauting said:
If you have one reserved you should be fine as I've spoken to the store and numerous other people on the forum have asked apple and they've all said if you have a confirmation email then a phone will be waiting at the store for you on launch day, but there is a disclaimer on the email which questions whats the point of pre-ordering if its not guaranteed? but this is just to account for unforeseen circumstances.
Click to expand...

Exactly. This. 100%.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back