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Do you think AT&T Stores will follow the 6pm rule?

DVNIEL

DVNIEL

Cancelled
Original poster
Oct 28, 2003
949
579
Everyone said that Panther (or Tiger?) was released at 6:00pm, but that was at their Apple Stores. AT&T is different entity and Apple has no control over their Point of Sale machines, and AT&T is all about getting lines to meet their quota.

Do you really think AT&T will actually follow the 6pm fiasco? Or just start selling them as soon as they open the doors?

Oh btw, I'm getting in line at 0600am that morning=). There's a Corporate AT&T Store near my house that no one really shops at because its so secluded in a corner behind a chinese restaurant.
 
Generally stores with apple sales contracts do adhere to the specified release times. It's done to keep apple's own products from competing with their own retail business. However, apple has some of the most bizarre release times I've ever heard of...so I'm pretty sure the AT&T stores will grump a little bit about having only three hours on launch day to sell these things.

I am so tempted to go on launch day to buy a blackberry curve, just to annoy some iPhone loiterers and break the tedium for the employees.
 
Chances are, they will. Heres why ...

Each phone sent to each store has a serial number (duh :D ) which they keep track of. Lets say serial number xyz gets activated 2 hours before its released. Apple comes down hard on AT&T for it (Contract violation), AT&T may or may not be "fined" for it. However, the corporate store gets in serious trouble. Very good chance someone loses their job, maybe even subject to "fines" as well.

They take it very serious when products are released early. When it happens, the response is also just as serious.
 
They will definitely do whatever Steve tells them. However, I bet a lot of them will stay open later (even all night)
 
Okay. Here's a question. Do you think the iPhone will be on display prior to the 6pm time? Apple is saying it won't go on sale until 6pm. But they never said that it couldn't be functional and on display before hand. And in a way, that makes more sense, so people that are considering buying it have the opportunity to look at it up close and then just wait for 6 to roll around.

Oh, and I think 6pm will be inforced, unfortunately.
 
I'm sure a few will leak out pre-6PM.
I don't think all AT&T stores are going to be that respectful to a contract, unless it is one of their own. ;)
 
evanrousso said:
Is it confirmed that it launches at 6pm? I find that to be strange and pointless.
Click to expand...

In the "get ready for iPhone" email that Apple sent subscribers, if you look at the to-do list on the phone, at 6PM it says, "Pick up iPhone". So I'd say the time of 6PM is pretty official.
 
Wow, this should be interesting. It used to take my Cingular store about an hour for me to purchase a phone (after I've picked it out) and do all the paperwork.

Ok, here's my dream....

A few stores sell early, violating the contract. Apple is released and is then able to release iPhones on other networks well before they were originally allowed to.
 
Going to be interesting

However ATT and Apple do this, they had better do it right. I wonder if Apple will have a ATT rep inside of the apple stores and vice versa. If this is done wrong and you have to make multiple calls to ATT if you get your phone at the apple store to make the thing take calls, it could be a PR disaster for both companies.:eek:
 
davidg4781 said:
Wow, this should be interesting. It used to take my Cingular store about an hour for me to purchase a phone (after I've picked it out) and do all the paperwork.
Click to expand...

Just imagine with the number of people wanting them, with the really long lines ... an hour for the paper work. Ouch, this is really going to hurt.
 
Thats why you guys should do what I did, get your credit checked out already and see if you get approved for a line w/o deposit, or you must pay a deposit. It'll save you a good amount of time of having to look at your ID, type up your info and wait for the approval
 
when I bought my blackberry it took 20 minutes to get in and out, with credit check and brief discussion about plans.

You only run into delays if you don't have proper ID or you have no credit. That slows things down.
 
Stores can block SKU numbers from showing up in the checkout system.

If you can't check out you can't buy

Simple
 
feelthefire said:
when I bought my blackberry it took 20 minutes to get in and out, with credit check and brief discussion about plans.

You only run into delays if you don't have proper ID or you have no credit. That slows things down.
Click to expand...

I think it had a lot to do with the guy behind the counter. He wasn't very customer oriented. He would sit there quietly typing away at the computer while there was a room full of people. Once we waited an hour and when we got to him, the phone we wanted wasn't even available. Later, when it was, we got him again, and it took him forever to add it onto our account, extend the 2 year contract, and program the sim card.

Oh well, I don't have to worry about it. I'm with Sprint and don't plan on leaving, as much as I'd like the iPhone.
 
iMichael72 said:
I would think they would have to adhere to that policy, but you could always call the day before to check.
Click to expand...

They will be shutting down the store (just like the Apple Store) at 4:30pm. After pushing everybody out, displays will be installed. The store will then reopen at 6pm. The demo unit will not be available until the 6pm re-opening.
 
Rokem said:
Wirelessly posted (M600i: Apple iPhone Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; Safari; MAC OS; 306)[en])

no, they didn't even follow the june 29th thing. I mean here I am browsing mac rumors on the iphone...
Click to expand...

Fixed your post for you.
 
I know in some businesses, they restrict the register (or computer) from allowing the item to ring up until the specified time. They may be able to "get you ready" before 6pm but they can't put it in the system until the appropriate time.
 
*sigh* My plan of doing overnight seems down in the dumps more and more. I'm coming back from out of town on the 28th, and with getting settled and everything, I won't be able to stand in line until like 10:00pm the night before. You guys think I'll still be alright? In my part of california there are corporate AT&T's everywhere
 
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