Complain about a product or service

iPhone Snags Reported

Customers Encounter Activation Problems

By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com

July 2, 2007

• Apple Hit With Patent Infringement Suit • MMS Goes Live on iPhones as Apple Faces Another Lawsuit • New iPhone App Locates Swine Flu, Infectious Diseases • Will Apple End Exclusive iPhone Deal With AT&T? • AT&T Relents On iPhone Upgrade Pricing — Sort Of • iPhone Users Bristle At AT&T Upgrade Policy • Apple Said to Be in Talks with Verizon over iPhone • AT&T Looks To Extend iPhone Exclusivity • Best Buy To Sell Refurbished iPhones • Wal-Mart to Sell iPhone Starting Sunday • Wal-Mart Reportedly To Sell iPhone • iPhone Wins Over Both Consumers and Businesses • Signal Problems Plague iPhone 3G • Internet Buzzing About iPhone Case Cracks • Glitches Plague iPhone 3G Intro • AT&T To Offer Contract-Free iPhone • NYC Cops Break-Up iPhone Craigslist Scam • Apple Unveils New Generation iPhone • New BlackBerry Will Take On iPhone • Group Hits Apple Over 'Toxic' iPhone • Apple Cuts Price of Most Expensive iPhone • Security Flaw Found In iPhone • Congress Slams AT&T Over iPhone Contract, Fees • Apple Denies iPhone Nano Reports • iPhone Snags Reported • Apple Readies iPhone For Release • Look For Early iPhone Price Cuts • Apple iPhone Wows MacWorld Audience --- • iPhone Complaints • More about Apple

Apple and AT&T grappled over the weekend with “activation issues,” as many consumers who stood in line to buy one of Apple’s new iPhones had difficulty in getting it to work.

“Your activation requires additional time to complete,” many consumers reported being told.

Normally, a mobile phone is activated by personnel in the retail store where it is purchased. But with the anticipated sales volume for the new device, Apple and AT&T devised a plan whereby consumers would activate the phones themselves, connecting the phone to their computers and using Apple’s iTunes to complete the process.

AT&T said the system worked as planned for the vast majority of consumers but conceded some customers experienced “activation issues.”

Postings on Apple message boards complained of the difficulty of transferring service from an existing AT&T account to a new iPhone. An AT&T spokesman said those attempting to transfer a corporate account to their new iPhone might have encountered extra difficulties.

“Ok so it’s been 24 hours for me and about 6 or 7 phone calls to various people. all saying the same thing, WAIT,” complained greenmachine246, a poster on the Apple discussion board. “They didn’t 'wait' to take my $600 or 'wait' to shut off my other phone.”

Meanwhile, most Apple stores and AT&T stores had run out of iPhones by late Sunday. Many locations said they were expecting additional deliveries Monday. Some industry analysts predicted 200,000 iPhones would be sold in the first weekend.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Share		Follow us on Twitter.

Back to the top |