My iPhone 5s launch experience
UPDATE:
2:12pm Eastern 9/21
I sent a copy of my story to apple store customer care last night and today at noon I received a phone call from a polite man named Craig from apple. He was very concerned with what had happened and took my situation very seriously. He told me that he had already spoke to someone at my local apple store and had reserved an iPhone 5s for me in either the T-mobile or AT&T version under my name and I just to go and pick one up ASAP. So I did and I made sure to request the "Device Only AT&T" option. When I got home I plugged it into iTunes and guess what? iTunes popped up with the message "Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked". I am very happy they took my situation seriously, responded so quickly and were prepaid to remedy the situation. He thanked me more my input and said that this information will help to better the customer experience at their locations.
Short version of story:
I waited online at 6 am for over 2 hours to buy an Unlocked iPhone 5s 16GB at a new jersey apple store. I was mislead and or lied to by the staff multiple times about their inventory of what was in effect (unlocked) phones, where I could have purchased a 16GB 5s AT&T phone at an unsubsidized price that was suitable for my unlocked phone needs. But because they mislead me, I left empty handed.
I later traveled to a New York State apple store twice today, where I was mislead or lied to about the stock of t-mobile phones available. These events wasted my time, my patience and my long held confidence in the apple brand.
The Detailed version:
Today, I went to the (Tice's Corner) apple store location with a friend in Wood Cliff Lake NJ at 6am and spent over 2 hours of my time in order to purchase the new iPhone 5S 16GB unlocked. I wanted an Unlocked version so I could freely move to a new carrier at my choosing. My friend, on the other hand, needed a locked AT&T version because he was renewing his contract. While waiting online, an employee made her way down the line giving out information to help the process of buying a new phone easier and quicker. After her talk she asked if anyone had any questions to which I inquired if they would be selling any unlocked phones today? She then asked for a carrier and I said well T-moble I figure? She told me to hold on while she radioed inside to ask. She then told me that she was just informed that the would not sell any unlocked phones. Knowing that the T-mobile phones would not be locked I asked if they had any T-mobile phones for sale and she just replied with "No unlocked phones" then walked away. At this point I was ready to leave the line because I needed a phone that was unlocked but my friend still needed an AT&T model on contract so I decided to stay with him. Later while still waiting a different employee walked passed and seemed to be answering questions so I asked him if they were selling and T-moble phones today? He responded with "I can't speak about the inventory." I thought this was odd because I wasn't asking how many phones they had or if they can hold one for me? I just wanted to know if they were selling the product I was waiting online for? Around 8:30 or so we finally made it to the front of the line where they were giving out cards to each customer pertaining to the phone of the customers choosing. The man in front of me asked for two cards (one for each phone he wanted) and when asked about the carrier he said T-mobile. The employee said they only had 1 T-mobile phone left in 16GB which is the size I wanted as well. At this point I was relieved that I at least I had some kind of acknowledgment that they had t-mobile phones which meant they, in fact, have unlocked phones, but this also saddened me because they had just run out (giving the last card to the person in front of me) the last available model of the one I thought I needed. I asked the employee who was giving out the cards for the same model t-mobile 16GB 5S but he told me that I could only get a 32Gb now. I declined because I do not have the extra money for the upgraded version. We entered the store at this point for my friend to get his 5S. My friend was helped to get his AT&T phone by another employee. I asked that employee about the unlocked phones and told him that the last 16 GB t-moblie card was given to the man in front of me and I asked if maybe they could double check the inventory (perhaps one person choose to go with a different model or carrier and that might make one phone available for me) the employee declined saying that there was nothing he could do and it's a tight ship so if they are out then they are out and that there are no other unlocked phones.
At this point we decided to stop on the way home to another apple store (palisades center) West Nyack NY, perhaps they might have some T-mobiles (unlocked) left? the line seemed to be only a few people at this time when I arrived. I went to an employee and I asked "do you have any T-mobile phones or Unlocked phones for the 5s?" He answered "We have no more T-mobile phones left" so at this point I gave up and went home. later In the day, I checked an apple forum and learned that the AT&T phones are unlocked if you purchase them at the unsubsidized price. People in the forum had done so and verified it after syncing with iTunes. At this point I felt mislead and or outright lied to. This information could have been very valuable to me, I spent all morning on lines and was inside the store surrounded by AT&T iPhones that I could have purchased at either store. So, with this new information, I called both stores and asked if they had any AT&T phones, the palisades store said they have 5s's left but said I would have to drive back over to find out if any were AT&T. I thought making me drive to see if they had any AT&T phones was a strange practice? But at this point I am very desperate and after spending so much time and energy it would be nice to finally find something. So we head back to Palisades center and wait on a modest line of 10 or so people in front of the store. There was an employee at the head of the line checking inventory for the customers a few people in front of me. The customer asks about a T-mobile 5s and the employee responds that they have T-mobiles left now, but only in 64GB. This is the same store (Palisades center) that I went to a few hours earlier and was told by an employee that there were no T-mobile phones left. Perhaps there might have been some 16GB models there earlier when I was there? but I would not know now because I was again mislead. Soon after an employee approached me on the line and ask what phone I was looking for to which I responded "do you have any AT&T phones?" She checked on her device in her hand and said "No". Finally, heart broken and with nothing left to do, I had no choice but to leave empty handed again.
