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o2 still has all models of space grey in stock, everything else is 3-6 weeks delivery.

Apple seriously needs to require proof of residence of whatever country they're selling in on launch day. Some may call that 'racist' or use other provocative terms, but the scalpers are basically all from the Indian sub-continent and China. Launches that I've been too are like 70% asian people with bags of cash (sometimes LITERALLY) talking amongst themselves while they buy 2 phones each and flip them on ebay.

Even though it's annoying they aren't actually doing anything wrong though. Nothing can be done at all.
 
Nothing racist about stating a fact. Unfortunately there are far to many politically correct types in this country who get offended very easily and live in fear of saying something that may offend others.

Not racist at all, just factual. I'm British born, Pakistani origin, and I'm absolutely ******** off with the scalpers situation. I'd say the queue made up of about 90% scalpers/resellers all from India/Pak etc. No idea what a 5S even is, just with orders to get as many as possible.

Started queueing at 12am last night at Westfield London, every silver/gold phone sold 15 mins after they started handing out tickets. Scalpers were sneakily jumping the queue and getting tickets from up-ahead.

If Apple has recognised this problem in China and put in a reservation system, it's high time they did it here too. I plan to email some big-wig at Apple about it, whether it does any good or not is a different matter.

Disaster, will never queue again.
 
cheers !!

Thanks to whoever found carphone warehouse selling them !

No longer listed online, but called them and will now have my 5s tomorrow. Has saved me 2-3 weeks without a phone !
 
I'm going to London next tuesday. What's the chance of getting iPhone 5S 32 GB space grey in Apple Store in London (Covent Garden e.g)? How many phones they have in stock?
 
If Apple has recognised this problem in China and put in a reservation system, it's high time they did it here too. I plan to email some big-wig at Apple about it, whether it does any good or not is a different matter.

Disaster, will never queue again.

Good point about Apple's mitigating scalpers in China - I do wonder if there is some legal issue that precludes similar actions being taken here in the UK. I have wondered if is possible to do credit/debit card sales only for these sorts of events, if for no other reasons that having tens if not hundreds of thousand of pounds in cash on the premises might make the stores themselves something of a target (more so than having huge stocks of high end laptops etc).
 
It's a free market, so resellers don't bother me. They lined up just like everybody else and followed the rules....
....Queue jumping on the other hand is just abhorrent, I would go mad if someone tried to queue jump me
 
My balance is the same, but my available balance is showing the cost of the iPhone taken off. I hope this helps.

Mine isn't showing as pending so went onto chat and was reassured all okay

"Hi

Hi there, thank you for contacting the chat team. How can I help?

I ordered an iPhone 5s at 0.03 this morning and nothing is showing as pending on my credit card yet. Can you check if everything okay with order. I don't anticipate any problems but would hate to have order cancelled!

I have order number

Once you have your order number that is perfect

The funds will not debit until your iPhone ships

W**********

Perfect its all gone through so you have nothing to worry about

The funds will debit once the iPhone ships

Happy days .......not to just wait patiently :)

sorry NOW to just wait patiently

Your lucky you ordered early...

Dates have been pushed back a lot

Do Apple anticipate the early/first orders being dispatched any early than 7-10 days?

I honestly don't think so, as I tried myself last night just looking as we can't order in Ireland and the date you were given was the date I saw so I would say this is the first batch

Okay - thanks. Am happy to wait for the gold 64gb! Many thanks, bye!

Have great weekend!
 
First time i've not had the new iphone on launch day, clearly some supply issues this year.

Vodafone rang me this morning because I'd registered on their website for information. I told them I wasn't eligible for an upgrade for another 9 days but they agreed to waive that.

Switched to the Red 4G plan and im getting 12GB data, unlimited calls and txts for £57. As i'm currently paying for Spotify that's effectively £47 so i'm happy

and my first choice gold 32GB arrives monday :)

Thanks for the info - 32Gb Gold on Voda is what I'm after, am going to swing by the store on the way home and see what their chat is.
 
It's a free market, so resellers don't bother me. They lined up just like everybody else and followed the rules....
....Queue jumping on the other hand is just abhorrent, I would go mad if someone tried to queue jump me

I suspect it's the queue jumper/'place holding' that irks. It's the notion that a group can have one representative in line from the early hours, then have the rest of the group be let in line ahead of everyone else that has been queueing - who then get phones denied to those further back.

Whilst Apple are not the police, the early morning lines do play to their advantage when shown and talked about in the media. If the story turns to stories of professional scalping gangs or, as it did in Manchester last year, fisticuffs and police intervention then the lack of control being exerted could wind up being a very public liability.

In many ways this is similar to ticket scalping for sports and concerts; there is no easy, one stop solution. Strict per person limits, possible card on transactions (in the name of combating fraud) and better/more comprehensive queue management could arrest the worst effects of it far more than hoping that queues can police themselves.
 
I ordered online, no problems at all. They're still selling them on their website sim free, with varying delivery dates for some models and colours

Yeah, I saw the online ordering but I couldn't (still can't) see where you could ask for Saturday delivery. I know the initial screen says free Saturday delivery but then other help screens say it costs £7.50. So i just wasn't sure from the website if Saturday delivery was guaranteed
 
Regent street Apple store was out of stock of all 5S's this afternoon.

Phones4u refused to sell for a week unless it was on contract.

O2 shop out of stock.

So far having no luck in london finding any sim free. Lots of 5C's though.
 
Yeah, I saw the online ordering but I couldn't (still can't) see where you could ask for Saturday delivery. I know the initial screen says free Saturday delivery but then other help screens say it costs £7.50. So i just wasn't sure from the website if Saturday delivery was guaranteed

One of their customer service people confirmed over the phone that I would receive it tomorrow, I haven't had a tracking number though, so I'll wait and see and post back here if I receive it.

----------

Carphone warehouse still have 16,32 and 64gb space grey sim free models in stock for saturday delivery. Although with a slightly inflated price over Apples own.
 
Anyone had any further e-mails from CPW confirming their SIM free order will def ship today? Have called as there was a fraud check by my CC on the order and they claim the payment has now gone through and I should get it tomorrow but they seemed very confused that there were sim free orders. :confused:

As far as I know at a store level, CPW online and direct sales can't sell the phone sim free at all, and only certain stores are allowed to. Could be a glitch, but they should honour the order if that's the case.
 
Have just placed an order via Carphonewarehouse for 32GB white 5S. Says pre-order with delivery for Saturday.

Will see if it ships today.

Will just cancel my Apple order if it goes through, otherwise I'll cancel CPWH order if nothing ships over weekend.
 
Have just placed an order via Carphonewarehouse for 32GB white 5S. Says pre-order with delivery for Saturday.

Will see if it ships today.

Will just cancel my Apple order if it goes through, otherwise I'll cancel CPWH order if nothing ships over weekend.

I think they only have the black version left in stock. All other colours are now pre order.
 
Was thinking about CPW but £50 premium on already overpriced goods is a bit much plus it'll be sim locked too.

Still if CPW have units to sell for sat delivery you have to wonder wth is wrong with Apple.
 
Was thinking about CPW but £50 premium on already overpriced goods is a bit much plus it'll be sim locked too.
Also, if you have an issue, you'll probably need to fiddle about with their customer service whereas I'd rather know that I can go straight to Apple.
 
Also, if you have an issue, you'll probably need to fiddle about with their customer service whereas I'd rather know that I can go straight to Apple.

I don't see the problem in ordering one from both, and cancelling whichever last.

If you're willing to throw £50 down the drain of course (- Quidco).
 
Same in Bristol

I was inline at 5am and loads came of people came in squashed into cars

Got out and jumped the line. I was in a dark car park without any security guards when I moaned to the guy about 15 came over and i felt I was going to get knifed or something

I've queued inline for most Apple products and the last 2 iPhone launches I've not had any real conversions with Apple Fan boys.

Today they were all calling their mates to come down and join the queue using Samsung's, no iPhone, their don't care for the product.

I then saw one guy ask his mate to take a picture and then posted his position in the queue onto eBay saying he was inline and call him now and come down and take his place for £350 WTF ??????

When near the shop I saw a group come out and each time hand the credit card down to the next guy. When all completed the ring leader was holding about 20 iPhones....this is terrible

They surely don't want queues of this going on. I honestly felt uncomfortable in the line this morning and nearly walked off gutted, feeling it wasn't worth the risk
 
I suspect it's the queue jumper/'place holding' that irks. It's the notion that a group can have one representative in line from the early hours, then have the rest of the group be let in line ahead of everyone else that has been queueing - who then get phones denied to those further back.

Whilst Apple are not the police, the early morning lines do play to their advantage when shown and talked about in the media. If the story turns to stories of professional scalping gangs or, as it did in Manchester last year, fisticuffs and police intervention then the lack of control being exerted could wind up being a very public liability.

In many ways this is similar to ticket scalping for sports and concerts; there is no easy, one stop solution. Strict per person limits, possible card on transactions (in the name of combating fraud) and better/more comprehensive queue management could arrest the worst effects of it far more than hoping that queues can police themselves.

There was a group of six Asians behind me at 1am and by 6am, that group had swelled to twenty with their buddies and family queue jumping in front of people behind them.
They all ordered gold 5s phones which meant there were no more available for anyone else behind them. It's just so unfair.
At 7am, two more of their family tried to join them but the Apple team were on site by then and sent them to the back of the queue. Happily, they didn't get any 5s phones as stock had run out by then
 
I dunno whats worse. Queue jumpers. Or the ones who choose a 5s in several colours til they decide what ones to send back, never intending to keep all handsets. No wonder theres a shortage for some folk.
 
I don't see the problem in ordering one from both, and cancelling whichever last.

If you're willing to throw £50 down the drain of course (- Quidco).

There isn't. In fact its a very strategic thing if you have the extra £50 to spare and don't mind the temporary simlock.
 
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