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iPhone 11 Today I tried to buy an iPhone 11 at the Apple Store...

Schaufelmann

Schaufelmann

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 1, 2018
22
37
The store looked like always, it wasn't particularly crowded. I asked a sales guy for an iPhone 11. He told me that I need to wait in line, and that it could take some time. They have set up a belt barrier that could easily accomodate like 100 people but there were only 4 people waiting. Still, it was supposed to take 15 minutes. He told me that once it's my turn I can tell them which model I want to have and then, we would make an appointment for about 4 hours later where I can come again and pick up my phone. I asked him if that was supposed to be a joke, but he was serious.

What is going on? It should take like 2 minutes to go to the back and get the phone, and another minute for me to pay with my credit card. Can't they just hand their phones over the counter like they do with all the cases and headphones lying around?

Is this a "designed Apple experience" that is supposed to make me feel special to buy an iPhone? It's not like I'm buying a car, it's a phone. Wow, I remember when I actually enjoyed going to an Apple Store. Meh. Must have been decades ago.
 
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The same thing at my local Apple Store. It made sense the first day or so when the lines were out the door. The line was based on established appointments. I can see where this would be a good idea for people who bought and paid but when the tried to come in and pickup had to wait behind all the about-to-buy people. Those that bought had a pickup window.

The first time I tried to buy the iPhone a few days after launch they pointed at th line and I said no thanks. The second time I joined this process (ordered via app and made appointment) and picked my pickup window. When I went in there were only a few people in line and had I not called an audible on which iPhone I was buying the process would have taken very little time.

I don’t know what the purchased online vs purchase in-store ratio is right now but it would seem at this point they would staff the store so that appointments are not necessary. Heck, if you bought a non-iPhone product online you can walk right up to an Apple employee and pick it up... not not the iPhone. Not cool.
 
Similar experience here -- just asked a question about availability and the Apple Store employee told me I'd have to stand in line to get the answer. The people in the line had been standing there the entire time I was in the store and I didn't want to deal with that, so I left without buying a phone.

Business must be good if they aren't making reasonable efforts to sell to people who want to buy.
 
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There goes the idea that I had of going into the store to check out the colors and then make a purchase. If I had done this and was then told that I had to return at some arbitrary appointment time when I'm already there, I just wouldn't come back.

I have a purple 11 on order with T-Mobile but the delivery range is from 10/9-10/25. The closest Apple stores have the unlocked versions in stock. I wanted to go and check out the various colors to see if I actually liked the purple (haven't seen it in person) and either purchase it or another color. Not being able to purchase while I'm already there would be a hassle. So, maybe I'll just wait.
 
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I have a feeling they may be helping all online order pickups/appointments first and then pull from the walk in/standby line as employees become available.

(Not defending Apple, I agree- if phones are in stock it seems strange to have to wait 4+ hours... especially if you don't require personal setup help)
 
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I can understand waiting in line to walk in and buy it. But I can’t understand them telling you to come back 4 hours later. Maybe if you wanted personalized help setting it up...but most can just grab and go.
 
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I saw this in Cardiff on Saturday. I line set up outside to create some form of exclusivity it felt like. What’s wrong with sales assistants just serving you efficiently so you can get out of there ASAP. This is why I buy online. The least amount of time I can hang around in a shop the better! lol
 
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Reactions: martyjmclean and PeteS1963
I went over to the Apple Store at lunch to get a new case. The store was not busy and by eavesdropping on customer conversations, they had plenty of phone available.

With this annual product development cycle, I think the days are over with lines for days and people waiting for morning inventory. There is plenty of product out there. A new release is a big deal to us geeks, but not the general public anymore.
 
I think they go through a period from launch day until who knows when, to only accepting online in-store pickups. I remember when the 8/8+/X launched, customers wanted to buy the phone but were told to place the order online for pickup. Once things settle down they accept walk-ins.

They want to control the lines and prevent people from camping and so on.
 
Unfortunately you didn’t do the fight thing. If this was 6 months after the new iPhones came out you would have been good. However going into an Apple store a few days after launch without a reservation is suicide
 
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We had the same experience on Sunday. They were having everyone place orders and wait 2-4 hours
 
It's all for show... Its the same reason why the "Apple store goes down" when new products are being announced... A Trillion dollar company doesn't know how to update a website without taking it down completely for hours? That stupid little gimmick is getting so old. By the same token having people lined up outside of their stores well past release date is another stupid little gimmick. There are a bunch of pretentious little things that really annoy me about Apple... But android is horrible so I have to suck it up and buy their stuff.
 
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Thank you! You just saved me a two hour trip to the closest Apple Store. I wanted to view all the iPhone 11 colors in person and judge the size and weight before purchasing, but not this badly. This is ridiculous.
 
bluespark said:
Similar experience here -- just asked a question about availability and the Apple Store employee told me I'd have to stand in line to get the answer. The people in the line had been standing there the entire time I was in the store and I didn't want to deal with that, so I left without buying a phone.

Business must be good if they aren't making reasonable efforts to sell to people who want to buy.
Click to expand...

Apple is trying to limit in store trade ins. They want you to use the mail in option. They are just being Apple. :apple:
 
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If they sent me off for 4 hours for no reason I wouldn’t be using an Apple phone much longer. It’s fine if it’s necessary but that isn’t currently the case.

The Angela days put me off the Apple stores though so it wont be a problem. I went from browsing there for fun to avoiding them like the plague. My wife won’t even step foot in there when I do need something.
 
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Reactions: martyjmclean, Plett and Orangeman13
Had the opposite experience at my Apple Store. Very weird how different stores offer different experiences. Mine was quick and easy. I wasn’t in there for too long and there were at least 10 people ahead of me. There was a store rep going down the line pre-checking people in and asking what device we wanted. They seemed to have had a good organized routine of doing things to get things done faster.

My experience was nothing but pleasant. Was able to get a 5.8 Pro with zero issues or hiccups. All models and colors were in stock.

Edit: had no appointment. Just walked in.
 
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Reactions: m63mia, lykbutta, BigMcGuire and 4 others
Hello there

It is definitely a bad experience however there is no need to be impatient and do like all these people that literally pounce on a new product when released.

I think, unless you have a broken iPhone, I’d wait a month or 2 after release date, before buying a new one.

On the other side, Apple should communicate that due to high demand, it is preferable to pre-book it online to have an available time-slot.
 
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