AllTheseThingsIveDone.com

I have restrained myself from posting this for long enough.

I have an iPhone 3G, but it doesn’t work…yet. I had originally placed my order with o2 online but found out on Thursday night that an iPhone wouldn’t be arriving on my doorstep on Friday and I could cancel the order and join the crowds on Friday morning. Which is exactly what I did.

So, it’s at this point I have to admit that at 06:00 on Friday 11 July 2008 I got up made myself a cup of coffee and then made my way to Worthing’s o2 store. Where I arrived at 06:30 I joined the 16 people infront of me. It wasn’t long before I was joined by 18 and 19 and at about 07:00 number 20+ joined the queue. We all did the British queuing thing.

There was plenty of geeky chat, plenty of discussion about how a coffee stall would be most welcome and plenty of wondering whether everyone would get an iPhone (and if so, what size and colour but more on that later)

At about 07:30 things started coming to life, First one member of staff said that there would be enough 8Gb iPhones for all, but there were only eight 16Gb iPhones (with none in White). Then o2 staff started walking down the line handing out precious numbers and checking people knew which tariff they wanted. Number 17 - relief I would be getting one; it would just be a matter of time.

08:00 - From outside in to the store and then…stop. Outside we’d been told there’d be two express tills and we would be called by number. Numbers 1 and 2 got through quickly followed by a disaster, just like the online experience, the entire o2 retail system buckled under the pressure of so may new contracts, and upgrades, being set up.

08:30 - No one is going anywhere while the staff decide what’s going to happen. Except that is for those who’ve been waiting two hours and have to move their cars before they end up with a parking ticket. I’m one of those so cheekily fly into Carphone Warehouse to see if the situation is any better. It isn’t they’ve sold out of phones and are waiting for the last two credit checks to go through. Oh well, time to move the car. At least I can go straight back into o2.

08:40 - Car moved it’s time to wait again. Things really are completely stuffed, the system is down and isn’t coming back up any time soon. So after a frantic call to the area manager things started to move forward. Everything was going to be done manually and put through later.

09:20 - My processing finally begins. ID is taken and froms are filled in. By the time it gets to me all the 16Gb iPhone are gone - oh well I can cope with an 8Gb one.

09:30 - I’m now in another queue this time at the checkout ready to go through and pick my iPhone up. Activation will have to wait - And I’m warned it could take up to 24 hours. Great!

09:45 - Heading to the car park. I have my iPhone but I’m going to have to wait

10:00 - Am home. It’s going to be a long 24 hours!