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Resolved So FRUSTRATED buying iPhone 6 Plus. PLEASE ADVISE

iRobby

iRobby

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 22, 2011
994
6
Fort Myers, FL USA
I live in Fort Myers, Florida. I have been trying to buy an iPhone 6 Plus 64GB AT&T Space Gray since Launch Day. My local Apple Store is Coconut Point in Estero, Florida between Fort Myers, FL and Naples, FL.

On Launch Day I happened to be too late I missed out on the iPhone 6 Pluses. They were sold out when the Apple employee reached my part of the line.

This is frustrating for me because I cannot buy online and pick up at the store I need to do a full transaction online and have it shipped to my house or buy at the store full transaction because I am purchasing with AT&T Next along with keeping my grandfathered unlimited data.

Since then I have been back to the store first thing in the morning arriving at 8 AM and waiting for a 10 o'clock opening on five other days since the launch.

Of those days, there has not been one iPhone 6 Plus available in Space Gray in my carrier. Even one day they had no iPhone 6 at all no 4.7 or 5.5.

I am going on vacation next week for 10 days. I was planning on going back to the store a couple more days this week before going away to check to see if my phone would be there.

After today I am so frustrated I am ready to just order online.

My ship date would be October 22nd through 29th. Delivery would be October 29 through November 5.

I am returning from my vacation on October 18 so that week I could take a chance and see if the phone is in the Apple Store at that time. That will be a week before the scheduled shipping.

Notice, I said taking a chance again which I have been doing since Launch Day.

Every time I've gone to the store including Launch Day.I have encountered scalpers at the store 5 Indian women bringing their three and four year old kids. And of course they purchased all they could each time.

There was actually a glimmer of hope this morning because I was first in line. However the only iPhone 6 Plus for AT&T was in Gold 128GB.

I actually was going to go up to 128 GB versus the 64 GB if they have it in Space Gray for AT&T but still no luck.

Through this process I have been trying to be as patient and understanding as possible given the stock and demand issues. But with the number of days that I've gone to the store only to be turned away along with the scalpers at the same time it's extremely frustrating.

So I was hoping that some of you would be willing to help and advise:

Should I give up going to the store and simply order online and go with the ship dates that were given to me before I was able to check out or try a few more times this week before I go away?
 
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Sorry to hear about no luck in getting a phone. Just do what I do, wait until the hype dies down and the supplies come up. I wait until the first week in Nov. to get my new iPhones. That way you don't have to waste time, deal with scalpers and the like. Just an idea.
 
mac.cali said:
Drive to Orlando and get them from best buy.
Click to expand...

Best Buy doesn't offer AT&T Next

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jca24 said:
Sorry to hear about no luck in getting a phone. Just do what I do, wait until the hype dies down and the supplies come up. I wait until the first week in Nov. to get my new iPhones. That way you don't have to waste time, deal with scalpers and the like. Just an idea.
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I was using that logic originally when I figured I wait til I return mid October. But wasn't sure if it die down by mid October.

Given your time frame that be he same time my order would arrive anyway without the tension I been going through.
 
iRobby said:
Best Buy doesn't offer AT&T Next

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I was using that logic originally when I figured I wait til I return mid October. But wasn't sure if it die down by mid October.

Given your time frame that be he same time my order would arrive anyway without the tension I been going through.
Click to expand...

Best Buy at my area offers AT&T Next.
 
Do what I did just a few hours ago:

When the apple store online shows it has stock, buy the model you want by signing up for a new AT&T contract. Then once the email comes that says your device is ready for pick up, go to the store and explain that you'd like to cancel the contract and pay full price for the phone. The Apple store employee will process the cancelation and return the phone, then turn right around and sell it back to you at full price.

I ordered my phone online, and 30 mins later it was ready for pick up. Pretty simple process.
 
in your situation why would color be stopping you?for mrice is the first so size is the limit then color. but if I wanted one bad color would not stop me.
 
SWMichael said:
Do what I did just a few hours ago:

When the apple store online shows it has stock, buy the model you want by signing up for a new AT&T contract. Then once the email comes that says your device is ready for pick up, go to the store and explain that you'd like to cancel the contract and pay full price for the phone. The Apple store employee will process the cancelation and return the phone, then turn right around and sell it back to you at full price.

I ordered my phone online, and 30 mins later it was ready for pick up. Pretty simple process.
Click to expand...

I was planning on doing just this, but this weekend while in the store midday I overheard them giving a guy bigtime grief over it. So this morning I asked about doing just this (I've been in line two days because I have to switch to Next and like you I've been blanked early in line). The manager said that the process was really throwing a wrench into the Apple store proceeses when they were even a little busy. When you do it as you explained, you have to wait once the contract is cancelled for eligibility to reset. This takes a few minutes and 4-5 minutes per customer can add hours onto a line. So, because AT&T doesn't want you doing it this way (otherwise they would offer it), they are starting to get really slow about resetting upgrade eligibility. So while this has worked for some, what you *might* be looking at is going in for your pick-up, processing the return, and then finding your eligibility for Next takes 24-72 hours to reset, and you have to give up the reserved phone and wait two days to try again. Sucks.

I'm in the same boat as you. I could order online, or pick it up if I get lucky one morning. Just go wait in line. That's half the fun, right? That's what going to give you all the childhood Christmas morning excitement when you get it, right? Personally, I can't pull the trigger on ordering online and waiting until mid-to-late October, because I am convinced that shortages will be done well before then. Every other iPhone release, there is a panic, the best models are short, and then, I just wait until October 8 and walk in and they have them. Supplies will catch up. Two weeks, they will make several million new phones and have them in US stores. Nothing worse than being locked into a mail order and supplies show up. :)
 
SWMichael said:
Do what I did just a few hours ago:

When the apple store online shows it has stock, buy the model you want by signing up for a new AT&T contract. Then once the email comes that says your device is ready for pick up, go to the store and explain that you'd like to cancel the contract and pay full price for the phone. The Apple store employee will process the cancelation and return the phone, then turn right around and sell it back to you at full price.

I ordered my phone online, and 30 mins later it was ready for pick up. Pretty simple process.
Click to expand...

First of all I using NEXT not buying full price up front. Also, it would cancel my Unlimited Data.

Also NEXT forbids purchase online pick up at store.
 
I keep refreshing the Apple Store for in store availability all day long. Saw stock become available around 2:15 today and was at the store within 20 minutes and the employee didn't even know they had stock available. I told him it said so online and he checked for me....sure enough they had one. I then was able to cancel my online order
 
iRobby said:
Given the headache with NEXT and my my Unlimited Data and no stock in store I'm most likely gonna do that. I'll see what more people say tonight and decide.
Click to expand...

Don't be so married to unlimited data. How much do you *really* use? At what point does your AT&T service throttle? 5GB?
 
iRobby said:
Given the headache with NEXT and my my Unlimited Data and no stock in store I'm most likely gonna do that. I'll see what more people say tonight and decide.
Click to expand...

Waiting is the best option here imo. I've been in similar positions and its not worth all the anxiety and chaos in the end. You will feel a lot better knowing that you are getting the exact phone you want, especially when you get a shipping date and tracking info. Thats the best part!
 
Stetrain said:
I got my 6 Plus at Target a couple of days ago. It seems they have some in your area but only 16GB:

http://idevicechecker.com/
Click to expand...

Target doesn't offer AT&T NEXT

Dandrews524 said:
Waiting is the best option here imo. I've been in similar positions and its not worth all the anxiety and chaos in the end. You will feel a lot better knowing that you are getting the exact phone you want, especially when you get a shipping date and tracking info. Thats the best part!
Click to expand...

Starting to feel the same way.

cypressc said:
Don't be so married to unlimited data. How much do you *really* use? At what point does your AT&T service throttle? 5GB?
Click to expand...

I'm a single line user. Right now my bill is plan $89 plus $20 taxes and fees. I use about 6GB my bill would go up Mobile Share Plan $95 + $20 taxes Fees + $43 phone installment.

If I kept Unlimited bill be $101 plan and taxes / fees + $43 phone installment.
 
just a thought. It has been said on here by several people, there is only one model of iPhone this year across all carriers. Meaning that an unlocked phone from any carrier CAN work on any other carrier. I would think about opening my options up to a verizon model as well since they are unlocked out of the box and you could then put your ATT sim in it and be off to the races. I know stock is still strained, but at least being able to take either carrier increases your odds.
 
jfyrfytr25 said:
just a thought. It has been said on here by several people, there is only one model of iPhone this year across all carriers. Meaning that an unlocked phone from any carrier CAN work on any other carrier. I would think about opening my options up to a verizon model as well since they are unlocked out of the box and you could then put your ATT sim in it and be off to the races. I know stock is still strained, but at least being able to take either carrier increases your odds.
Click to expand...

I asked that at Apple Store they said no. I was gonna switch the sim to T-Mobile. They not selling any other unlocked right now. And NEXT program forbid unlocked phones
 
iRobby said:
First of all I using NEXT not buying full price up front. Also, it would cancel my Unlimited Data.

Also NEXT forbids purchase online pick up at store.
Click to expand...

No, you'd buy it on a new line. Has nothing to do with your currently eligible upgrade.
 
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