14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, the closer we come to the launch of the iPhone, the more details are coming in. AT&T has started releasing information which is important to anyone planning to buy an iPhone when the doors open.
It was already known that the doors would open on June 29 at 6 p.m. sharp, but to help accommodate as much foot traffic as possible AT&T phone stores will stay open an extra hour on the first day. While the iPhone will be available in all AT&T and Apple Stores, Larry Carter, senior vice president of sales for AT&T said "we fully expect one or more of our stores to run out of stock on the first or second day - my guess is the first day." AT&T might sound overly optimistic, but from the preparations that are underway they are preparing for something really big. Over 2,000 extra sales people were added to stores, half of which will simply be there to help in handling the rush of early adopters. The other half is expected to stay long-term in order to help with extra customers the iPhone is expected to draw to AT&T's stores.
AT&T is expecting a lot of people, and crowd control is already a big concern. In some places, AT&T is working with local law enforcement on crowd-control plans. It also has alerted landlords at shopping malls and other phone store locations to make sure nobody is caught off guard. In terms of the actual devices, some stores will have bigger stockpiles. While exact locations were not named, areas that already have a big number of iPod users are the likely candidates. This includes New York City, Chicago and much of California. However, there are contingency plans in place and should stores run out, Carter says sales people will take mail orders and devices will be shipped in 3 to 5 days, inventory permitting. "Ultimately, we will meet every customer's desire to have one," Carter says.
As a last consideration, AT&T intends to limit the number of devices that each customer can buy. While the number has not been specified, this should help cut down on hoarding and reselling.