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

Want to get an iPad locally - how early should I get to the store?

J

jpsimon

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 1, 2002
36
0
Hey guys, the other night I ordered an iPad (32gig, black, wifi) online thinking I could deal with the "2-3 week wait" but the next morning I was already dying to have it. I've decided to get one at a local apple store seeing as they get a shipment in each day.

On the way to work today I called the one I'd be going to at 930am just to see what the deal was and they said they were all sold out already... Clearly I need to get there before their opening time of 9...

... so my question to you guys who have done this is: what time should I arrive? What kinds of lines are still forming this far in to April?

thanks!
 
jpsimon said:
Hey guys, the other night I ordered an iPad (32gig, black, wifi) online thinking I could deal with the "2-3 week wait" but the next morning I was already dying to have it. I've decided to get one at a local apple store seeing as they get a shipment in each day.

On the way to work today I called the one I'd be going to at 930am just to see what the deal was and they said they were all sold out already... Clearly I need to get there before their opening time of 9...

... so my question to you guys who have done this is: what time should I arrive? What kinds of lines are still forming this far in to April?

thanks!
Click to expand...

early early
 
I'm looking for actual numbers from people who went through this process... sort of looking for an average.
 
jpsimon said:
I'm looking for actual numbers from people who went through this process... sort of looking for an average.
Click to expand...

try 5'sh in the morning, i was able to get one when i went at 5, but it also depends on your location. Anywhere near NY, forget it. people stand in line from last night. other locations 5 shuold be fine. Also, it would be good if you call that store ahead of time to find out if they are getting a shipment and see if they are expecting a shipment of the model you want. it was hard to find the 16gb wifi models when i went as those Apple guys were only trying to push the more expensive ones... call ahead, maybe you will get a good manager who will answer your questions
 
First off, as I'm sure you know or have heard - don't go on Mondays, since the stores don't typically get shipments on Sunday.

I went to a mall (inside and warm) Apple Store last Friday at 7 AM and was about 30th in line, out of about 80 people by the time vouchers got handed out. Ended up with nothing. Went again today at 5:15 AM to an non-mall Apple store (standing outside in the cold) and was 6th in line (with only about 20 in line by time vouchers were handed out) and got what I went for.

Of course, depending on locale, YMMV.

Good luck!
 
Go as early as possible & watch out for the resellers. I waited in line last week for an hour & a half only for 6-7 people to jump to the head of the line (they had 2 people placeholding on line) when the apple guys came to hand out tickets. Naturally I got screwed out of the model i wanted since they each got 2 (14 total) so I ended up ordering online. The sad thing is apparently this same family has been doing the same thing everyday for the past 2 weeks (I work in the same mall & the morning security guards filled me in), Apple should really re-think there 2 iPads per person policy imo.
 
I actually just got my iPAD2 today. I honestly thought there would be like 20+ people in line. I went to an outdoor mall in my area (Simi Valley Town Center). There store didn't open until 9:00am. I arrived there around 7:45-8:00 am. There were like 5 people ahead of me. The first guy in line informed me that they only had 16gb a& 32gb wifi models. There was a total of like 20 ipad2's (five 16gb and fifteen 32gb)

Around 8:30 one of the apple employees comes out and hands us these:

25z0514.jpg


Try going on a weekday (Mon or Tues). I think if you're trying to get one on the weekend you might have to to go really early. Luckily this mall is very secluded. Alot of people came around 845-900 but they were too late and had to do the walk of shame.
 
Jasperjax said:
Go as early as possible & watch out for the resellers. I waited in line last week for an hour & a half only for 6-7 people to jump to the head of the line (they had 2 people placeholding on line) when the apple guys came to hand out tickets. Naturally I got screwed out of the model i wanted since they each got 2 (14 total) so I ended up ordering online. The sad thing is apparently this same family has been doing the same thing everyday for the past 2 weeks (I work in the same mall & the morning security guards filled me in), Apple should really re-think there 2 iPads per person policy imo.
Click to expand...

yea resellers were at the apple store I went to, 2 asian women and a little girl. They bought a total of 5 pssssh. The two women said that the other ipad's were for their husbands. I'm surprised they didn't get the little girl a 2nd ipad2
 
Jasperjax said:
Apple should really re-think there 2 iPads per person policy imo.
Click to expand...

I think this is perhaps Apple policy, but the store manager can override. This morning the store manager at the Bridgeport Apple store (Tigard, Oregon) said that since he didn't have many to hand out, he was only allowing 1 per customer.

May have made some people in line upset, but it was the right decision.
 
Earlier the better!!

Also depends on how much you want a specific model or color.

Look at it this way, do you want to wait an hour or two only to be offered a model you do not want or none at all or wait 2 - 3 hours and be more likely to get what you want. No pain no gain.
 
jpsimon said:
I'm looking for actual numbers from people who went through this process... sort of looking for an average.
Click to expand...
I think it's going to depend a lot on the store and the region.

Just go place an order w/some other well known resellers here such as J&R, MacMall and/or Mac Connection but probably not http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ (due to their upcoming Passover closure). If they're out of state, at least you'll save on sales tax. Do it now.
 
jpsimon said:
Hey guys, the other night I ordered an iPad (32gig, black, wifi) online thinking I could deal with the "2-3 week wait" but the next morning I was already dying to have it. I've decided to get one at a local apple store seeing as they get a shipment in each day.

On the way to work today I called the one I'd be going to at 930am just to see what the deal was and they said they were all sold out already... Clearly I need to get there before their opening time of 9...

... so my question to you guys who have done this is: what time should I arrive? What kinds of lines are still forming this far in to April?

thanks!
Click to expand...
Three weeks ago I got to my normally opening at ten apple store at 8:55. I was about 50th in line. They started selling early, just after nine and I got one.
 
Hit and a miss. I casually strolled into an Apple store when I took an early lunch (10AM) couple of weeks ago and I saw that there was a guy handing out vouchers. I asked if there was any white iPad 2 left and they had a Verizon 3g 16GB. It was close enough to what my fiance wanted to I snatched one. I visited the same place a couple of days later and they said that they opened the store at 9AM with lines starting at 8:30AM...
 
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