I’m the proud owner of a new iPhone 3GS and here’s the story of my purchasing experience, specifically the difficulties I had, and my observations.
Yes, I could have ordered the phone. Many people did. But I wasn’t 100% sure I wanted to upgrade. I have the original iPhone and it’s worked well. I also wasn’t sure that I wanted to spend $30 more a month. $30? Yes…$10/month for the upgrade from my non-3G phone to the 3G data plan, then another $20/month so Trudi could have my old phone.
In the end, I decided that I really did want to upgrade, and I didn’t want to wait for the ordering process.
But did I have to go stand in line at the Apple Store at 6am? No. I knew they wouldn’t sell out, I knew that later in the day or even the next day there wouldn’t be any lines. There was no great reason to go early and stand in line – except I knew friends would be there and we would have fun waiting and anticipating and it would done and I could go home and get my new phone all set up.
I got to the store at 5:50am. Friends were there. Rachel went and got us Cinnamon Cruch Bagels from Panera and coffee from St. Arbucks. (Thanks, Rachel) We talked. We laughed.
The first warning I had that things might not go smoothly inside the store was when the store manager came outside about 6:30 and announced that the primary AT&T account holder MUST be present or you wouldn’t be able to upgrade your phone.
I have a family plan and as long as we’ve had it – ever since we first got cell phones years ago – we’ve struggled with AT&T to get me listed as the primary account holder. The bill is addressed to me, I am the primary user, we have been told at times that I am, indeed, listed as a primary account holder. Still, I wasn’t 100% sure it would go well.
I was right. Entering the Apple Store I went through the process of picking out accessories for the phone – something we were told would be done before we would be able to get and setup our phone. Then the Apple employee retrieved my new 32gb black 3GS and began the process of activating my phone.
I gave the last four digits of my social security number, my name, and cell phone number…and was told it didn’t work. I suggested that maybe I could give a different last 4 digits, knowing that my wife’s numbers would probably work.
No, that couldn’t be done, I was told. Once I began with my numbers, they couldn’t change it. I explained that sometimes AT&T gets it right with my status, and sometimes they don’t. The confused employee turned me over to their AT&T specialist.
I guess this specialist was there to work out any difficulties with the Evil Empire. Unfortunately, she said no one was answering the phone at AT&T. When she finally did get a voice, it said, “We’re sorry, due to unusually high call volume…” Huh. Imagine that.
I thanked the specialist and started towards AT&T. On my way out, the store manager explained that once they started the process with one set of social security numbers, their instructions were that they couldn’t change, and if I hadn’t told them the first numbers, but instead had used my wife’s numbers right off the bat, I would’ve been fine.
Fortunately, AT&T was just a block away. Though there were a few people inside, getting their iPhones, a pleasant, helpful young man was happy to help me. In about 15 minutes, I had my phone and a new case.
My thoughts about this whole process:
- The Apple Store was almost over-prepared. The lines weren’t that long and there was plenty of help. There was free water and snacks, but I’m sure, after the first half hour, it was probably totally unnecessary.
- The Apple employees were a little too concerned about the rules.
- The rules were ridiculous. What was the point, other than to make it harder to upgrade my phone? It was MY name on the phone, MY name on the account. So what if I wasn’t listed as the primary account holder.
- The AT&T employees were nice and very helpful and the experience at the AT&T store was pleasant. In fact, the efforts at the Apple Store to sell, sell, sell made that experience worse than the AT&T store.
But I have my phone. It’s nice. And Trudi has an iPhone now, too.
, go there through 
