While we enjoy funny comments and scoff at useless comments, I hope you can provide constructive tips and experiences, so others can take it into consideration when they preorder an WATCH or any future Apple products. Consider this a post-mortem on the preorder process from a consumer standpoint.
For instance:
What other tips or experiences can you offer?
For instance:
- Despite any "immoral" perception, if you are really unsure of the version or model of the product and if you can afford it, order multiple versions and decide later.
- Be aware that abuse of the above tip could be misconstrued as scalping and cancelled without warning by Apple, so just because you have multiple credit cards with a lot of room, don't go crazy ordering everything.
- When the Apple Store website and app closed down and said, "We'll be back soon," neither the website or app automatically refreshed itself, despite people's beliefs. You need to refresh it or close and relaunch the app manually. People lost valuable seconds and minutes waiting for a prompt that didn't automatically refresh.
- Make sure that your credit cards' funds are or will be available by the time it is ready for "Preparing for Shipment."
- Have multiple cards ready for use in the Apple Store or app.
- If they tell you to set "favorites," don't wait until the last minute to set them up. The online Apple Store closed several hours before launch, preventing anyone making further additions or changes to their favorites.
- Contact your credit card company's fraud department in advance to make sure they don't deny or prevent the charges from completing successfully.
- Have multiple Apple IDs ready in case you need to order with an alternate account or to order beyond the 2-per-customer limitation. Never assume a 3+ quantity order on a single Apple ID will be successful during a launch, especially with known constraints of inventory.
- Make sure your credit card's billing address and your shipping address are correct as well as properly selected for your timed availability to receive and/or sign for the products upon delivery. If you're going on vacation or not sure you're going to be at work to receive it, think before you provide an address you might not be there for.
- Prepare to take the day off from work for the day of a preorder or in-store availability.
- The 12AM PT/3AM ET launch time may actually start minutes earlier (as did the iPhone 5 preorders) or start way late (as did the iPhone 6 preorders). Be prepared for anything, even to stay up until the morning.
- It doesn't hurt to visit the Apple Store on a launch day or weekend, as there may be inventory that is either delivered at random times during the day, an unopened return from a customer, or is a total surprise to the staff themselves. Apple is known for changing things up on the fly that a select lucky few could actually benefit from.
- The Apple Store app is usually much faster to access and navigate than the website. Uses much less overhead, too.
- Use multiple methods of internet connection (i.e. Wi-Fi, ethernet, cellular, work LAN)
- Despite the Apple Store app offering Push Notifications, no one received any push notifications of an update in their order status, even hours after it went from "Processing" to "Preparing for Shipment."
- After years of "overwhelming" and "blockbuster" product launches, always assume they will sell out on day 1, even within minutes of a launch. Unless you participate during launch time, it should be expected to experience long delays and backorders.
What other tips or experiences can you offer?
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