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My iPhone 5 Pre-Order Nightmare Came True

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At this point, I have no idea whether or not I’ll be getting the iPhone 5 I pre-ordered through AT&T last Friday on release day. Like many of you, I am completely and utterly in the dark about what is going on with my pre-order and this point, I have resigned myself to the fact that I may not see my new phone until October.

I already briefly detailed my pre-order experience last week where I told you about the issues I had with AT&T’s website during my first attempt at pre-ordering the iPhone 5. But now, I want to get into a little more detail because I know many of you are having issues and I wanted you to know that I am right there with you.

Last Friday night, at midnight, I attempted to pre-order an iPhone 5. Due to AT&T website crashes and an unhelpful Apple website, I was unable to and went to bed.

Read: AT&T iPhone 5 Pre-Order Confusion.

ATT-iPhone-5-pre-orders-575x214

AT&T told me that my order would arrive on September 21st.

I awoke very early on Friday morning to make sure that I got my pre-order in before AT&T sold out of iPhones. Like many of you, I noticed that Apple showed a two week delivery delay on all models so I decided to go through AT&T’s website which proclaimed very boldly (you can see what I saw in the photo below) that my iPhone 5 pre-order would arrive on September 21st.

I really, really, really, really did not want to deal with AT&T based on past experiences and based on what our own Warner Crocker found on iPhone 5 launch day. So, against my better judgement, I proceeded.

AT&T’s website showed this to me again in the pre-order process so I figured I’d have nothing to worry about. Cue Monday morning. I received an email from a reader stating that he received an email from AT&T saying that his pre-order, which he too placed early Friday morning, would not arrived until October, specifically, 14-21 days from the release date.

Thus far, it appears that a few others received this email from AT&T.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xNsGNlDb6xY

So, because I pre-ordered through AT&T around the time that he did, I decided to investigate my own order. AT&T’s website, as expected, was no help. It didn’t show me anything in regards to an expected release date. It just said that my device’s order was processing.

Then, I decided to call AT&T directly. The automated portion of the phone call said that my order was on back order. Strange, considering I was told that my phone would arrive on September 21st. Agitated, I decided to talk to with a very friendly customer service operator who said that my order was still on track for September 21st.

I mentioned the email that others had received stating that they wouldn’t get their device until October and she said that if I hadn’t received any email indicating that something changed about my order, then I needn’t worry.

Fast forward to today and it appears that people are in the same boat as myself, wondering if they’re going to get the iPhone 5 on release day like they thought they would.

Some readers are saying that AT&T is saying that they over-sold their allocation. Some are saying that while their order is processing but still can’t track their device, AT&T has gone ahead and charged their card anyway.

Read: AT&T Pushing Some iPhone 5 Release Day Pre-Orders Back.

Screen-Shot-2012-09-17-at-2.10.21-PM-575x277

And by soon, it likely means October for many who pre-ordered last Friday.

At this point, I have no idea what’s going on. AT&T sent me a vague message that cleared up exactly nothing and it looks like AT&T customer service reps are giving a wide range of responses.

What’s clear though is that I am getting flashbacks to last year when a similar problem happened to editor Josh Smith. Verizon bumbled his iPhone 4S order in the days leading up to release day but he managed to get the device on release day after a ton of back and forth.

I am hoping that the same thing happens for me and the rest of you that ordered an iPhone 5 under the pretense that you would get it on September 21st.

Believe me, if AT&T’s website had told me otherwise, I would have just waited to order rather then deal with all of this nonsense.

How has your pre-order experience been? Let me know if the comments or shoot me an email.

78 Comments

78 Comments

  1. Gady

    09/18/2012 at 11:17 am

    I had a similar issue – At&t is practicing a classic “Bait and Switch” ! – I ordered mine 5 minutes after midnight on Friday – never received a confirmation email, but the confirmation web page said I will get my iPhone on Sep-21. When I called Customer Service on Monday, they told me it can’t possibly be delivered on 9/21, but only shipped at that date. They then told me they would actually ship my iPhone only between 10/4-10/15 !! I asked this to be escalated to their supervisor. He (Jimmy) called me within a day, and told me there’s nothing he can do to change the ship date. All he can do is take my cancellation order. I’m now worried that if I cancel, their system would not show me as upgrade-eligible, and I won’t be able to get it elsewhere for the discounted price. I’m screwed!
    Lesson to be learned – never trust AT&T !

    • John Chapman

      09/18/2012 at 6:18 pm

      I never order mine threw AT&T. I used the apple App and everything went smooth and my tracking says it will be here by the end of the day on the 21st.

  2. Max

    09/18/2012 at 11:37 am

    I ordered from At&t online at 6:56am et time and still have the deliver date of Sept 21 no other emails and my order states processing at warehouse

  3. GF811

    09/18/2012 at 11:50 am

    Ordered on the Apple Store iPhone app after unsuccessful attempts on the website. What a breeze…took 3 minutes, and I placed orders for 2 phones

  4. lp

    09/18/2012 at 12:05 pm

    AT&T canceled my Friday preorder without notification (I just happened to check the status) and when I called, they couldn’t tell me why it was canceled. But they could setup a preorder for the black 64gb for $700 ($50 more than my original preorder).

    • Maurice

      09/18/2012 at 1:20 pm

      This happened to me also. I ordered my iPhone 5 at 7am est on friday. The order went threw i got the email with the order confirmation number. Checked my bank account to see that AT&T took 211.99 off of my visa. Then 3 days later my money was given back to me and they changed my order number without notifying me. So i had my mom call for me because i was at work and she said that they told her its still being processed and will ship friday. AT&T sucks

  5. Gary

    09/18/2012 at 12:32 pm

    Bummer for you. Ordered my 32 GB Black from Verizon by phone around 7:00 AM on Thursday and already have my tracking number. Phone is currently in Memphis, scheduled to be delayed until Friday.

    • Rd

      09/25/2012 at 8:41 pm

      I’d kill for a tracking number.

  6. Julie

    09/18/2012 at 12:55 pm

    Ordered around 7 a.m. EDT, haven’t been able to get any info on what my status. At all. I am “processing” and that’s it. Credit card has been charged, no e-mail to indicate a different ship date. Sadly I can’t order through Apple because our phone account is in my husband’s name, so I am destined to wait.

  7. Jerrod

    09/18/2012 at 12:58 pm

    Had to order mine through the AT&T business center because I have a business account. They do not open until 8:00am EST. Called as soon as they opened to order 2 – 64GB Black phones. I was on hold for an hour before someone answered and the first question I asked him was “would I get my phones on launch day?”. he told me I would and stated they were processing my order and would place me on hold while they retrieved my confirmation number. Waited another two hours. The business advisor took my credit card number and told me my phones would ship on the 21st. I asked him, again if I would receive the phones on launch day and he said all phones are shipping on the 21st and I was in the same group with everyone else. Then, two hours later I got the 14-21 day email. The problem I have with this incredibly poor customer service is that if he would have told me that I would not receive my phones on launch day when he first answered the phone I would not have sat on hold for an additional two hours waiting for him to process my order!

  8. krissy

    09/18/2012 at 1:14 pm

    Well for me I ordered mine at 3am right when they started. I had no problem with the website got an email confirmation too. But after reading this I got concerned so I had a live chat with a representative and she said as long as I ordered on the 14th it wasn’t going to be a problem, but when I go on the website my order is still only processing so who the hell knows..

  9. i5wanted

    09/18/2012 at 1:25 pm

    I had the same experience as you. My thought is to cancel the order and purchase the phone from a retail store the day of release. I will never pre-order through AT&T again! I ordered the 4s last year through Apple and it arrived on the day of release. My phone was shipped from China and I had my tracking number a week in advance. Their operation was flawless. Live and learn!!!

  10. Michael

    09/18/2012 at 1:27 pm

    same as krissy, my order was done at 3:02am eastern time on the att website. i had no issues with the web site at all, still the order status page on att shows processing. i will wait till tomorrow afternoon. i recall the iphone 4 ordering process. i ordered on june 16 and on june 22 i got the message that it is shipped and it arrived on launch day.

  11. i5wanted

    09/18/2012 at 1:29 pm

    I hope you’re right!

  12. Bill

    09/18/2012 at 1:43 pm

    MY QUESTION IS : ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE IN LINE FRIDAY WHEN THE RELEASE DATE IS , ARE THEY GOING TO GET THEIR PHONE BEFORE I DO /? WHEN I PREOREDER IT ON THE 14TH???

    • chris

      09/19/2012 at 6:23 pm

      that what I am screaming… that will be some bull shit!!!

  13. 15wanted

    09/18/2012 at 1:48 pm

    O.K. ~ FYI… I was just told by an AT&T rep that the phones wont start shipping until 9-21. I was told that they can’t ship the phone prior to the release date like Apple can. :-(

    • Curt

      09/19/2012 at 12:06 am

      Don’t listen to them they said the same stuff last year. if your one of the ones who made the cutoff you will have it delivered on the 21st.

  14. Nancy collins

    09/18/2012 at 1:53 pm

    I preordered online at midnite but when I didn’t get email I called next day and they said there was no order. I then ordered on phone. I did get an email then. Today I noticed there are two charges pending on my visa. Thanks to AT&T I will not get my iPhone u til oct 3-14. Maybe I will get lucky and they will send two. Since I have over 400 in pending charges for a 16 gb. AT&T knew they dogged me by making me not get mine on sept 21 st so they gave me 25.00 and 2000 free minutes. I’m still disgusted with them

  15. Mark

    09/18/2012 at 2:35 pm

    OK, like many others, I ordered right at 0300 EST, so I figure, no way mine can be backordered, but the comments here concerned me. So I just called AT&T to a polite and helpful lady. She double checked all my info but the system showed me on possible a pre-order hold but asked me to hold while she investigated further. After 2 minutes she came back and told me the following: “Anyone who pre-ordered before 0900 PST on Friday while have their order shipped for delivery on the 21st. After that, it’s on back order”. My only question is…how did they time this “clean cut” at 0900 with the number of phones they were alloted to sell? I will remain somewhat optimistic but because my att wireless order status page tells me “processing”. I’ll believe it when I see it. My iPad 3 showed it shipping almost right away but on hold in a warehouse nearby.

    • Mark

      09/18/2012 at 2:36 pm

      I didn’t proofread that first, I’m lazy. Sorry. She told me I ordered at 3:05AM but I know it was before that (EST).

  16. Ray

    09/18/2012 at 4:55 pm

    My local AT&T store just confirmed what Bill feared. Those on line Friday will get phones while the supply lasts. I preordered from my local store where they were flawless in service for me, at least on the 4 and 4s release dates when I preordered.

    I am now told that I have to wait for my phone to be delivered and can’t get one if I wait on line Friday. One of my accounts isn’t due for upgrade for a year, and I could only preorder 2, anyway. I may pay list and wait out the contract for a year and think about changing. I am reluctant because I still have an old “unlimited” plan. I’ll post again Friday from the line in Brooklyn Heights

  17. Kurt B

    09/18/2012 at 5:56 pm

    Ordered early Friday morning ~12:12 AM Pacific. Received a confirmation saying 9/21, then another saying the same. I did not receive anything about a delay, but as of Tuesday evening, still just a “Processing” when I check on order status. Tried both UPS and FedEx with phone number trick and neither showed anything. Credit has the charge as pending.

    A little concerned this won’t arrive on time…is it coming from China?…a state side warehouse???

    • Curt

      09/19/2012 at 12:04 am

      You should be good mine last year said back ordered for a long time due to them not actually being in there shipping wear house yet. It didnt say processing until. 2 days before delivery and then finally it said shipped. You should have it the 21st. Don’t stress about it. FYI the status usually only changes 1 time a day. Have fun with it the 21st

  18. Krystal

    09/18/2012 at 7:06 pm

    I am canceling my AT&T account over the iPhone fiasco. I pre-ordered Saturday morning and got confirmation of delivery by Sept. 21st. Heard nothing after that so I checked my order status. They were unable to process my cc. I HAD auto bill pay for years. They just charged it last week for my monthly dues! Called an cancelled the order only to call back to verify cancellation (order status on website had not changed) and was told the customer service rep could not cancel. Requested supervisor who refused to talk to me after being on hold for several minutes. Rep canceled order and hung up while I was still talking.

    I’ve been a customer since Cingular days. AT&T clearly doesn’t NEED or WANT my business. I’m off to Verizon in a few days hoping to luck out.

  19. @cruzcontrol1001 (@cruzcontrol1001)

    09/18/2012 at 8:00 pm

    You can. check to see where your iPhone is at buy going on ups website track your shipment then click the track by reference and use the phone number that is associated with the apple iD you checked out with.

  20. lsbeller

    09/18/2012 at 8:41 pm

    I just received my email from AT&T confirming delivery on 9/21. This was my second email. It stil says processing on my account page.

    Steve

  21. i5wanted

    09/18/2012 at 9:02 pm

    After many hours of research on the Apple Forms, I have the following information to report. It’s quoted and highly believed that based on AT&T’s fulfilment process, if you show zero(0) as your status in the back order column by Thursday at 3:40 pm you will get your phone delivered on Friday.

  22. Brad

    09/18/2012 at 9:43 pm

    Ordered Friday through our rep and got no order details. He continuously told me that it would be received within the first week of release. I am heading out of the country on October 1st, so was set for this timeframe. Now they are telling me that it won’t ship till likely October 4th…when I am out of the country. They have given me the option to cancel the order & reorder which seems ridiculous.

    Its taken me two days of back and forth on the phone just to get my order number. My credit card was charged the first day. They are giving me no clear shipping timeframe and saying they can’t do anything. I am going to call them everyday and hope to get some leeway, cause it’s ridiculous.

  23. iPhone 5

    09/18/2012 at 11:56 pm

    When I ordered my iPhone 4S through AT&T last year on launch day. I was worried I wouldn’t get it. I check my order status and it kept saying back ordered. This is due to them not actually having them in there shipping wearhouse. I thought I wasn’t going to get it the first day. Mine didn’t say processing until 2 days before the actuall day I was suppose to get it. So all you that are worrying .I would just relax. I know how it is and it made it worse trying to figure out if I would get it on time. There is nothing you can do. And AT&T won’t know anything. Good luck and enjoy your shiny new 5. A Good place to check on the 21st or call before is Walmart. I got my iPhone 4 there. They had only 2 in at a time but not many people think to check there. I went in to get it at the end of the day on release day and both phones were still there

  24. James

    09/19/2012 at 8:04 am

    Like others i tried to order from both apple and ATT at 12am PST on 9/14/12. Both websites were down. At 1:33am pst i was able to place my ATT order for two phones. I thought i was in good shape with that order time. Who could have ordered from ATT sooner than I did since the order page went right to the countdown page for the first 1.5 hours.

    At 11:30am PST on 9/14/12 i received and email from ATT say the order had been processed. On 9/18/12 I spoke to a ATT agent online and was told that those that placed orders before 9:00am pst on 9/14/12 would ship ON 9/21/12 (not deliver). This was new. Their website said they would DELIVER on 9/21/12 not SHIP on the 9/21/12. Those orders after 9:00am would be 14-21 days after 9/21/12. Today i called ATT and was told that deliveries are based NOT on time of order but time of “processing”. This is something new from ATT (Again). Therefore my phones would not ship for another 14-21 business days. Since my order “processed” after the 9am pst cut-off I am limbo.

    I asked if i purchased them in the store on 9/21 if I would be able to cancel my pre-order. I was told that “i could call and cancel the order and they would attempt to cancel the order”. Knowing ATT that means they would not be able to cancel if I called. BTW, my credit card has not yet been charged.

    If I was a lawyer i would say this is an excellent opportunity for a major class action lawsuit. Sign me up for that!

  25. Desmond Michael

    09/19/2012 at 11:06 am

    I ordered my Iphone 5 last friday around 12:30 am pst and had the 21st shipping confirmation. I just called Apple and she said some did get pushed back but it looks like mine is still on track even though it has not been shipped and have no tracking number. She said it will ship today or tomorrow and get it on the 21st. We will see. Did anyone else order right from Apple?

  26. Ray

    09/19/2012 at 12:42 pm

    I have just been informed by an AT&T customer service rep that all customers who have pending orders and were given a 9/21 arrival date will receive a shipment tracking order between midnight tonight and tomorrow (9/20) morning. check both inbox and junk mail folders. The devices will ship overnight to their destinations in time for Firday 9/21 delivery. They will be shipping from FT. Worth TX. Fedex or UPS will be delivering them. Shipper depends on who can get it to the customer on promised date.

    • Denise

      09/19/2012 at 2:25 pm

      Perfect!!! Thank You

  27. Tina

    09/19/2012 at 2:10 pm

    I pre-ordered mine through verizon at 6:00am CST last friday and I have a tracking #. It is scheduled to be at my door step by 3pm CST Friday.

  28. Denise

    09/19/2012 at 2:11 pm

    Can someone help me! I ordered mine at the AT&T store Friday morning and i received an email friday evening saying that it would be 14-21 days before my phone ships and when i check my order on att.com it shows its backordered and it shows that its pending. Is ATT having an issue updating their system or ???

  29. nick cancilla

    09/19/2012 at 2:26 pm

    anybody get this e-mail:

    Thank you for your recent iPhone purchase at the Apple Online Store.

    While processing your iPhone order, we encountered an issue with your
    AT&T account. According to their records, the phone number associated
    with this order has been recently upgraded. As a result, your iPhone
    order has been canceled and you have not been charged.

    If you think you’ve received this message in error, please contact AT&T
    at 1-800-331-0500. Once the issue has been resolved, please visit
    store.apple.com to place a new order. If you reply to this email with
    your new order number, we will process your order as quickly as
    possible.

    Sincerely

    The Apple Online Store

    • nick cancilla

      09/19/2012 at 3:02 pm

      and then bitch and complain and get this e-mail after:
      Dear iPhone 5 Customer,

      The cancellation email you received recently was sent by mistake. Rest assured, we fully intend to get your iPhone 5 to you on 9/21. We do, however, need your permission to reinstate this order.

      Please reply to this email as soon as you can with your desire to reinstate your original order.

      To ensure a 9/21 delivery date, we must receive your email reply by 5PM CDT (Central Daylight Time), Tuesday, September 18.

      We know you’re excited about receiving your new iPhone 5. So are we. We apologize for the inconvenience and confusion.

      Sincerely,

      The Apple Online Store

  30. T

    09/19/2012 at 2:28 pm

    I got the email today saying it would be 2-3 weeks before it’s shipped even though the original order said Sept 21st. When I called to say I’ll just cancel and try to get one in a store sooner than that they told me I couldn’t cancel until I had the phone in hand. Because of this if I try to get one at a store I wouldn’t be eligible for and upgrade and have to pay the FULL price because when I preordered I accepted the terms and agreements of a new contract.

    • Stephen

      09/21/2012 at 4:38 pm

      Told me the exact same thing.. -.-

      • Stephanie

        09/22/2012 at 12:34 am

        Exact same thing happened to me!!!

        • Billy

          10/29/2012 at 5:31 am

          same thing happened with me….was told i couldn’t cancel my order, even though I hadn’t been charged for a phone, and i was still 2 weeks away from receiving it. Thankfully an att rep at the retail store near my house handled it for me. The only problem is i have to wait 3 business days to pick up my phone, even though I already paid $450 for it (64gb) unti l my claim with att has been resolved. their logic being that if i left with the phone, having paid the discounted price, i could flip it for 5x what it is worth and they would never have any idea of knowing. so I’m stuck waiting until Wednesday of this week~

  31. Bob

    09/19/2012 at 9:38 pm

    Just checked AT&T website now shows status as Shipped but with no tracking number. Looks like I will get mine Friday. AT&T still sucks with not releasing a Tweet or something on their website about this problem.

  32. Bobby

    09/19/2012 at 11:44 pm

    Look through your emails now! I just did after reading your comments, and coincidentally I received my tracking number! :) good luck!!!:)

  33. Kat

    09/20/2012 at 12:12 am

    I preordered mine mid-morning(CST) on 9/14 at an AT&T store. I did this to make sure I would still have unlimited data and so that they would waive the $36 upgrade fee they wanted to charge me. My husband was told that it would be here on 9/21 which I thought was weird because my dad’s phone that he ordered earlier in the morning from Apple said 2 weeks. As of right now, my order still says “Processing”. The only email I received was from the store with a guide how to use my new phone. No other emails at all about my order. I called AT&T to ask about my phone and they said since I ordered it from a store, I had to call the store. I did and got an exasperated, unfriendly salesperson who told me there was no way I would receive it on Friday. I told him I just wanted to make sure I was home when it was delivered since I had to sign for it, because that is what we had been told. He said I would not have to sign for it. I am still very much in the dark. I just wish I had an answer, whatever it was.

  34. geo

    09/20/2012 at 1:15 am

    I ordered my iphone at 2 am PST on Sept 14th. At first, the order stated that I would receive my phone on Friday, Sept 21st.. when the order was complete, it said my phone would not ship for another 2 weeks. I just logged in and the scheduled shipment won’t be until oct 5… it will most likely arrive to my house 5 days later… complete bullshit. I checked with sprint and I cannot stand in line on friday as my upgrade has been burned. Even if i cancel my order with apple, they will not reinstate my upgrade for another couple of business days.. which will be too late. Im effin PISSED!!

  35. Dan

    09/20/2012 at 3:33 am

    omg…why are you bitching about two weeks. I had to wait 3 freaking months before I could find a ps2

    • Brian B.

      09/22/2012 at 11:07 pm

      Dan, I think you’re missing the point…AT&T deceived its customers and did not communicate the back orders. I believe this was done out of greed and fear people would cancel their pre-orders. Now, AT&T is refusing to cancel our pre-orders — which is needed in order to purchase the phone from an Apple Retail store.

  36. amber

    09/20/2012 at 9:27 am

    look so cool

  37. Maurice

    09/20/2012 at 9:38 am

    Recieved my tracking number and my iphone 5 should arrive tomorrow by 3pm est im good 😎 bye bye iphone 4

  38. enw

    09/20/2012 at 9:56 am

    Ordered through ATT 3:40AM on 14th. No email confirmation, status shows still processing and back-ordered. 1 Hour on the phone with ATT today and a supervisor tells me that ALL pre-orders are back-ordered, like I’m stupid. I can’t cancel the order to buy on retail and I feel I will get this phone only in October. Definitely will not pre-order with ATT anymore, but apparently the same happened with people that pre-ordered with Apple. I’M ANGRY and FRUSTRATED!

  39. BM

    09/20/2012 at 1:05 pm

    At&T cancelled my confirmed ugrade order and said I wasn’t eligible for upgrade when I hadn’t purchased a phone on my number since opening account in 2009. I ordered my wife’s and my phone on Friday morning, she was not eligible for upgrade, but her phone has shipped and will be here tomorrow. Then the only thing the supervisor offered was free shipping when the phone is available. At&T sucks the big one. Very poor customer service.

  40. Chris3500

    09/20/2012 at 7:11 pm

    Ordered mine on Friday morning and it is still listed as “Processing.” Called AT&T today and the rep told me that the delivery date of Sept 21st seemed to be an estimation and that it probably would be closer to 14-21 business days. I think they really have no idea either. Really just seemed they wanted to get through all the calls they had holding. I should have just gone to the Apple Store. :(

  41. Spike

    09/20/2012 at 9:50 pm

    You are such a loser. This article is so overly dramatic. A nightmare? Really? Talk about a first world problem. With all you get for a few hundred dollars and you’ve gotta whine about not having a tracking number…immediately. Weenie. Brat.

  42. SSmith

    09/21/2012 at 8:23 am

    I pre-ordered iPhone 5 at an AT&T corporate store, September 14th @ 8am, CST. It was an upgrade from my iPhone 4. It was the first “pre-order” I’ve done, so I was unaware of issues related to pre-orders. When I walked in, I spoke with the “greeter” AT&T employee who told me pre-orders will arrive on the release date, and some might even arrive before that date. So with that information, I went thru with the order. The other AT&T employee handling my transaction never advised me of any delays or backorder issues. Also, she never discussed any cancellation policies. Sure, there is that agreement that we digitally must read and sign, but by then they must have known of the delays. I was never advised of any delays in shipments by anyone. Told me my card would be charged once shipment has been initiated. The iPhone launch is finally here, and I still do not have a shipping date, as my order still reads “pending”.
    On my way to work this morning, I tried to cancel my order this morning at the same AT&T location. Yea, stood in line, and was the 10th person in line. They refused to cancel it. So now, who knows when my phone will arrive?
    Why even go thru the hassle of pre-ordering? What’s the point? I will never, never, ever again go thru the pre-order process. It’s unreliable, unpredictable.
    Simply put it, not worth the hassle.

    • Stephanie

      09/22/2012 at 12:44 am

      You and I had the exact same experience. Never EVER will I pre-order. I stood in line and ordered within 5 minutes of the store opening its doors. Today I went to the same store to see if I misunderstood and had to pick it up. Waited an hour watching person after person walk in and walk out with a shiny new iPhone 5. What is the freakin point of preordering??? Seriously?????

  43. Stephen

    09/21/2012 at 4:33 pm

    I am in the same situation you are.. I preordered my iphone 5 at the AT&T retail store thinking that I was going to receive it today which I didn’t, now hearing that my iPhone will not be here til October 5,2012. What Apple should of done was made sure the people who pre ordered got there iPhone’s first not the people who waited in lines. Not fair whatsoever.. Thank you Apple for waisting my time.. Never again will I pre order a Iphone..

  44. jshiller

    09/21/2012 at 5:01 pm

    I predordered from AT&T. Today I decided to make the jump to Verizon. AT&T will not cancel my preorder even though the phone will not ship for weeks. I must wait to receive the phone then return it to AT&T. Then I will finally be able to switch to Verizon. I hate AT&T!

    • stu

      09/26/2012 at 10:13 am

      have you considered keeping the phone, paying the early termination fee and then switching to verizon. Then you can see your AT7T phone on ebay. I’ve seen some on there for as high as $1000 depending on the memory size

  45. Mickey

    09/22/2012 at 8:27 pm

    I pre-ordered my iPhone 5 at my local AT&T store on the 14th and was told it would arrive on the 21st. Then I got the same e-mail about taking 14-21 days. I just check the status and it has been shipped and is expected to arrive on Monday. While I was wanting it Friday, Monday ain’t so bad.

  46. Brian B.

    09/22/2012 at 10:59 pm

    I had the same issue and was told that Apple was “sold out” off iPhone 5 by AT&T. I placed my pre-order bright and early on launch day. Today, after sensing something was wrong when I didn’t receive a shipping notification on 9/21, as promised by AT&T, I called their customer service and learned that my order was back ordered 14-21 days. But my experience didn’t stop there…TONIGHT (just hours later) I was walking in the mall with my wife when I saw an open Apple Store. I asked the greeter at the front door if they had iPhones and he said, “oh, we have several hundred here”. Shocked (as AT&T LIED to me saying they were sold out) I got in line and sure enough, they gave me my White 32GB. BUT, when I went to pay, they said I wasn’t eligible for an upgrade since my pre-order was pending. I was told by Apple that I need to call AT&T to cancel my pre-order and “reset” my upgrade eligibility. So, while in line at Apple, I called AT&T. Get this, the rep said “you can not cancel your pre-order until Monday and it would take an additional 72 hours to reset your upgrade eligibility.”

    So, here I am…typing this comment on my iPhone 4S bent over a barrel with no iPhone 5. I spend $600-$900 on my monthly AT&T bill and this is how I’m treated?!?! No thanks. Verizon here I come.

    • Billy

      10/29/2012 at 5:40 am

      same situation here…original order was mysteriously cancelled by apple, so i decided to go with att. sure enough, telling me i wont receive it until NOVEMBER now! went to a retail store, POW! its in stock! bought the 64gb, paying $450 for it…however, have to wait 72 hours to leave the store with it…. reversing upgrades take 72 hours? you mean to tell me you don’t have the capability or technology to fix that sh!t? BS….now waiting for my iphone 5…i’ve been a customer since 2007, this is nonsense.

  47. Debs

    09/24/2012 at 11:28 pm

    Same here went into AT&T on the 14 of sept pre paid for the phone they told me it would be in my hands on the 21 of sept, I called them all day every day for 3 days finally called 800 number to find out that I won’t get my phone for 14-28 days never again.

  48. Jimbo

    09/26/2012 at 5:27 am

    I had the same experience with AT&T–I was told I would receive my order on Sept. 22 or Sept. 24 at the latest. As of today (9/26), their website has my order as “Processing.” And then I read and hear that Apple has sold all of their stock of iPhone 5s and more are being made as quickly as possible. I would have gone a different route to get my iPhone 5, rather than directly with AT&T (which has been a horrible experience), but due to all of the plan changes I needed to make at this time, the Apple Store told me to not even bother ordering one from Apple–I needed to go to the AT&T Store. Like others who have commented, the next time, I will wait for 2-3 months after the release of another Apple device before ordering. All of the hassle isn’t worth it to me. On my rating scale, AT&T gets 2 Thumbs Down. Apple gets an Epic Fail rating for not having enough devices available.

  49. stu

    09/26/2012 at 10:19 am

    i f*****g hate mother f******g at&t. blatant bold face liars with no regard for any sort of respect towards customers who they screw over. How about this, STOP TAKING PRE_ORDERS WHEN YOUR ALLOTMENT IS SOLD OUT YOU GREEDY F***S

  50. gdis

    09/26/2012 at 10:42 am

    I think iPhone 5s were readily stocked in all Apple stores and a small number of given to the carriers. We are screwed if you ordered from AT&T. If you walk into an Apple store they will have iPhone 5s for you. A neighbor walked in after the release and bought 4 iPhones! I tried to call and cancel my order but the idiots said its in process of shipping, not shipping but in-process… wtf? I was livid. The website says processing. So its processed but not shipped? And if you call the msg says your order is on back-order. AT&T really fails. But the chat-bot on their site says you can refuse the shipment when it arrives… and just go buy it in person. Well shall see.

  51. Ashee

    09/26/2012 at 2:07 pm

    Thanks for all these post. I was starting to think I was alone. I also preordered on the 14th and my order status is still “Processing”. My emial confirmation states deliver on the 21st that has come and gone. I have 3 pending authorizations on my credit card but no sign of phone. FYI… I only ordered 1. I am giving up and heading to Best Buy. Wish me luck

  52. Ryan

    09/26/2012 at 7:23 pm

    I had a horrible experience ordering my iphone 4 with Apple that AT&T actually helped me with. So i decided to go through AT&T this time. I live in Alaska so the preorders started at 11pm on 9/13. My preorder completed at 1118 pm according to the email i got from at&t. Recieved an email saying my 5 would arrive on 9/21. Account debited $300… Never received an email about shipping or about a back order. 9/21 no phone, today 9/26 order still says processing. I’m honestly more pissed about the lack of communication from at&t than anything else. My life isn’t inconvenienced by not having my new phone, but this is just horrible cutomer service. Been with at&t for 10 years… Really disappointed with them regarding this.

  53. Sven

    09/27/2012 at 4:35 pm

    Same here everyone.. I am a big AT&T and Apple supporter but this is just unbelievable. I too went into the store on the 14th to pre-order so I would get it quickly. Here we are end of day on the 27th and all it says is processing….. No ETA, no communication at all. So I call AT&T and I get the run around everywhere. They tell me to call the store, the store says I don’t know why they told you to call me… No one seems to know anything and who knows when I will see my phone?!?! The part that makes this so frustrating is I have many friends you have since went to the store and picked one up! So pre-order is a bad idea all around. I am very disappointed in AT&T and Apple…..

    • Sven

      09/28/2012 at 11:05 am

      Still processing……

      • Sven

        09/28/2012 at 6:06 pm

        Still processing……

        Has anyone heard anything or received their phone?

        • Sven

          09/29/2012 at 12:49 pm

          iPhone 5 shipped at 8:30 PM last night… So nothing will happen until Monday, So I am hoping for Wednesday.

          And for Terry below, It is about the lack of communication and false hope of getting the phone sooner from AT&T that was the issue. Next time I will just go to the store the next day and forget the pre-order.

          I did look and the Android with an open mind, and I must agree. I do not understand why people like them at all.. No comparison.

        • Becky Knipp

          10/02/2012 at 11:46 pm

          I got an email today that my phone shipped but it actually shipped on 9/30 per the tracking info. As of 12:30 AM today (10/3), it is about 50 miles from my home at the processing center. So hopefully it will be at the local store late today or Thursday at the latest.

          My 3Gs is really having problems recognizing and staying connected to the charger lately so I hope it will last just a few more days until this arrives.

          I preordered at the AT&T store on Sept 17. But when I went back to ask them what was happening due to no emails last week, I was told that the people in the store have no way of knowing anything about the status of the phones once it goes in the system.

  54. Terry

    09/29/2012 at 8:09 am

    I am just as anxious as the rest of you but this is the reality of our situation. There were 2 million iPhone 5’s ready for shipping on the 21st. There were 10 million iPhone 5’s on pre-order. This process has not been pleasant for 8 million of us but creating all this fuss is only going to create extra chaos and ultimately the cost of pacifying all of you whiners is going to be reflected in my phone bill somewhere down the line. My iPhone was broken 2 months ago and I have been using a cell phone since then waiting for this release. It has been a slow torture that very few of you have had to deal with. AT&T is not making these phones. I’m sure the poor Chinese assemblers are being worked around the clock in their sweat shops while we Americans are screaming “Woe is me”. There is something that just seems wrong about that.

    There are some of you that have a valid complaint… But most of you need to get a grip and accept the fact that your iPhone is not being held in some dark storage unit waiting until AT&T feels you have been sufficiently aggravated. When your new iPhone has been built, it will be shipped. Quit trying to cut in line. It is not very becoming and is certain to discourage some potential iPhoners and send them over to the “Droid” crowd where they will have to suffer for 2 more years knowing they settled for 2nd best.

    • Babs Young

      10/01/2012 at 1:55 pm

      Terry,
      I agree AT&T will ship when they have them. However their customer service “sucks”. You can’t talk to a person without an hour or longer wait and then they have no answers. What’s wrong with we had more orders than we have phones, we are trying to get yours to you ASAP. Here is our best guess instead of all this nonsense.

  55. Jane

    10/08/2012 at 9:29 am

    Has any one tried ordering the Iphone online at the Apple web site and clicking ship to Apple store at 10 PM EST??? The guy at the genius bar said it works. I tried and got unavailable. Something to try if you can’t delay your gratification a moment longer!!!!!!

  56. Tom

    10/08/2012 at 2:07 pm

    Let me start by saying I preordered mine on 9/19 so I knew I wouldn’t get it on the release date and I wasn’t worried about that but they said within 3 weeks I will have it its been 3 weeks so I called them up they told me it will be shipped between 10/9 and 10/18..

  57. rwh3

    10/15/2012 at 7:04 pm

    I ordered mine just a week ago. Today, the money has been returned to my bank account. However, my order status hasn’t changed.

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