iPhones across the pond

GuyClapperton 0 Tallied Votes 268 Views Share

I have an iPhone on my desk. Don't get excited, though - you'll have read a number of accounts of difficulties getting hold of them in the UK, and they're right. I have one on my desk because mobile phone company 02's media relations department kindly sent it over so I could have a look at it before mine arrived as there seems to be some sort of delay.

They've taken the money from my bank account, I should add, which makes it just a little annoying that I don't have the phone itself as such. They've then been asking new customers for extra ID over the phone. My wife, who shares my address and surname, has been an 02 customer for over ten years but apparently that's not ID enough. They want the number of my drivers' license.

Forgive me for being paranoid but with all the concerns over ID theft here in the UK and no doubt in the US I'm reluctant to hand over a detail like that to just anybody who wants it. Particularly when they already have my money. Elsewhere I've heard people are standing in line for their iPhones then turning away as a succession of stores announces there are no 16 gig models left.

On Monday I'll post my thoughts on the phone itself. I'd do it now but I'd like to write it in the context of the MobileMe environment Apple's been pushing and that's kind of not working just yet.

Maybe this isn't their finest hour.

Dani AI

Generated

Useful, practical steps for anyone seeing the same early-rollout hiccups describes.

When a carrier asks for extra, sensitive ID after an order, treat it as an administrative request — not an automatic obligation. Ask them to put the request and the reason in writing, and ask what exact fields they need. Offer to verify in person at a store or to upload documents through a secure portal rather than reading numbers aloud on a call. If you must supply a photocopy, redact any information that isn’t strictly required and get a written confirmation of how long the copy will be retained and how it will be destroyed.

Keep tight records from the moment you pay: order reference, payment method, dates and times of calls, names of staff, and any tracking numbers. If delivery or activation slips, insist on written timelines and, where appropriate, request an immediate refund rather than open-ended waiting. If the carrier won’t cooperate, your card issuer will usually have a dispute/chargeback route as a fallback — keep the documentation you collected; it’s what makes those disputes succeed.

For the sync/service side (the new cloud services people are trying to use alongside the phone): make a local backup first, update the device software, and test syncing with a small set of contacts/calendar items before you switch everything over. Common fixes for early sync problems are simple: restart the device, sign out and sign back in, toggle the specific sync option, and re-add the account if necessary. If problems persist, collect error messages and timestamps before contacting support so the issue can be escalated efficiently.

Early launches are bumpy. Protect identity and money first, document everything, and use the in-store route or secure channels for verification when possible — that usually gets things resolved faster.

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