iLounge

iLounge editor Jesse David Hollington is on location at the Apple Store in the Eaton Centre in Toronto for the launch of the iPhone 3GS, and reports that technical difficulties on Rogers’ end have slowed down the proceedings considerably. Hollington writes, “the Apple Store here at the Eaton Centre opened at 8:00 a.m. with about a dozen people in line with appointments, and about a dozen in another line who didn’t make or couldn’t get appointments. My appointment was for 9:00. The Apple Store began processing only NEW activations around 8:15 due to problems on Rogers’ end. Apparently, the just-announced promotional pricing is so new that it isn’t in Rogers’ systems, so the Rogers computer will show all existing iPhone owners as ineligible for an upgrade (as would be the normal policy).”

He continues, “as a result, they have to physically telephone a Rogers Customer Care rep for each upgrade to confirm eligibility and billing (purchase price goes on the Rogers bill). Telephone hold times are running from 30-40 minutes just to talk to somebody. I’ve been told I’m next on deck at this point, one hour late for my original appointment (there are four people being processed for upgrades right now).”