A VERY disappointing day for Rogers, just absolutely EPIC FAIL! Hey guys…okay so I just got home from the Rogers store on Arbutus and Broadway. I got there at 5:45am, a decent hour compared to the guys who showed up Friday night at 5pm!
Anyways…I was 57th in line. As for breakfast it was a no-name juice box and a tiny granola bar (they went all out with President’s Choice, LOL). A lot of people and media were at the store, just crazy. I would say after I got there, 75 or so more people lined up behind me. Met a bunch of cool people in line that made the time pass by very quickly!
So the doors open at 8am, slight cheer…but that was the end of the happiness for the day. The first 5 people in line ran into some problems. Turns out the Rogers network is down, or something is not working and activations DID NOT HAPPEN! At 9am, the same people were in the store. I was not going to wait 1 hour for 3 activations…I’d be there all day and then some more! I had to leave due to prior engagements so I left 10 mins ago!
I can’t believe Rogers…well, I can actually. What a day for them to mess up big time–EPIC FAIL folks. Anyways, gonna cut this short cuz I gotta run. Rogers…here’s a line from Gordon Ramsay…WAKE UP!!!!!!!! Will post pics/videos later!
PS – If you were standing in line with me, let me know if you your iPhone 3G! Oh, and give me an update on knife guy, purple shirt guy, and pink lady. LOL!
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I was first in line at a store in Toronto. Waited from 8AM to open @ 10AM. I got my hands on the ONLY white 16gb they had in stock, but because Roger’s system was down, they could not give me the phone. Also, apparently they have not set up the Corporate system yet for the iPhone, so I will have to “upgrade” to a more expensive iPhone specific plan, and lose my Corporate rates.
EFF YOU ROGERS!
They promised it would be activated by the time I return at 5pm
I knew this would happen. Similiar to the launch of window’s first mobile device like.
My new 8GB was activated by Rogers before their system crashed, but I did not have that chance before the Itunes server failed to unbrick it! The Itunes server still doesn’t work, the only thing to do is to wait for them…..
It looks like this is also happening with AT&T in the USA, but over tehre they’re just buying them and taking them home.
Hahaha. Oh man.
What a spectacular failure.
It’s not Rogers this time, but Apple itself. Their servers failed in the UK and are now failing for us trying to activate.
I’d hate to be a sys admin for Apple today.
So we DONT need to buy a data plan correct?
so what happens to all those with a new 3G iphone in a 3 year contract ..when Apple comes out with a new phone in 1-2 years???
OUCH OUCH OUCH! ROGERS UR A MESS! WAY TO SCREW IT UP, AGAIN! LOL
Sorry to hear that iPhoneFan, waiting in line was just a waste of time…. There are so many ppl complaining right now about how they cannot purchase the iPhone and come back later next week, thats a killer when u waited all night to get a slap in the face.
Head over to the forums if u have something to say about Apple and Robbers (Rogers)
So much hate! lol
Hope everyone else has some luck and got to purchase there iPhone….
Then I guess I am fortunate that my HUP isn’t until next Thursday. I was all disappointed that there was no way I’d be able to get it before next week…or at least the week after since I will just order it over the phone. Hopefully they will have things resolved by then.
Toronto update: Chose to go to a Rogers kiosk here in sketchier part of town that opened at 10. Good plan. Kids gotta get to school. 9th in line! Knew meager offerings planned (10-20 phones per store) but after spending 1 hour in line found out this one had only two 16GB models and were already claimed. Asked if the guy being served first was the first customer of the day. Yep and still no activation (in-store only w/Rogers overlord!). Now 10:50. Quick calculation: 1st guy+>1hr activation-16GB modelx9 customers/2 Rogers reps(panicking)-activation=YIKES! Bailed. Me sad…freakin pissed too. This is going to blow up good in someone’s face.
Dude, this is Fraser from the line. I left in a rush so I didn’t say goodbye. Glad to have spent a disappointing morning with you!
i was the only person in line at the rogers store in pictou hahah so i got one no problems 60$ a month cheaper than my old bell phone 😀
Activation has been a problem around the world. We have had our fun, exposing the problems with Canadian cell phone service, but I think it is time to settle down a bit with “epic life fail” comments regarding a delayed cell-phone activation.
I am pleased by the results of the lobbying that resulted in a reduction in Rogers’s data rates, but, seriously, many posters make Rogers out to be an evil monster because we pay 50% more for cell phone services than a country with more than ten times the population density.
My sons gave me a hacked 1 Gen iPhone and I have payed way, way more than these rates for data and I have loved every minute. I am so pleased that the rates are dropping and that so many more Canadians will have as much fun as I have over the last year.
I say we leave the bitching in last week and celebrate the biggest product launch in Steve Jobs’s career. I just wish that Apple and/or Rogers would let me activate my 1 Gen phone so that I could upgrade today, but there will be a hack soon enough and then it’s Cro-Mag Rally for me and my iPhone. 😉
I was at the Toronto Yonge and Dundas event, which I am covering on my site http://www.rgbfilter.com….and was there at about 2am…what initially was a hopeful fun event quickly degenerated into a media scrum to talk to the first in line, a Rogers PR hype fest, a dissappointed people in line who either couldn’t get a 16gb coz they didn’t order enough or got none coz they ran out of the 100 phones for 200 in line (by selling some people 2!)….then the system went down….total chaos
It has nothing to do with Rogers. This is all Apple and the fact they require you to unbrick the new phone. It is supposed to be quick and painless but all the new unbrick requests crashed Apple’s unbrick service.
So I have a new 16G white iphone that doesnt work yet. I did manage to upgrage my iTunes before Apples download servers overloaded.
Oh well, I still have my first generation iphone.
Update… it’s Apples fault today it looks like. The activations are going awry all over the world. Sad times… sad, dark times.
good call Rob. there ARE more pressing world issues.
I think us waiting a day for our iPhones to be activated is pretty much the least of our worries!
the activation issue is related to apple not rogers, the server that unbricks the phones is having bandwidth issues. It is why when you try to sync the phone to iTunes you are getting a try later error.
A total mess for me… iTunes won’t unbrick my iphone… A REAL shame for Rogers and Apple… Can’t believe I’ve waited 3 hours (before the opening) and 1 hour (trying to unbrick my iphone) for nothing…
As I commented on the previous blog post here, I had the same activation problem with my iPhone. The iTunes store is still down but for some reason my phone activate anyway. The rep in-store had tried an activation earlier so maybe 1.5 hours later it somehow made it through the queue at Rogers or Apple.
I can make/receive calls on my iPhone, browse the web, etc. so all’s not lost. I even downloaded the AIM application. I just can’t sync it with my computer yet.
Oh yeah, I went to a WirelessWave kiosk in the mall and there was zero lineup. They only had 2 black 16GB iPhones (1 for Fido, 1 for Rogers) but I snagged one of them. I think it was because their location wasn’t listed on either Fido’s or Rogers’ web site.
– Andrew.
Yep, it’s apple, not Rogers. Although their system was very slow, like it was Christmas or something. Apple’s servers are gown around the world, and it will be several hours before they are back up according to Apple Reps. Just google it, you’ll find a bunch of posts about it…in all different languages which is kind of cool.
I was able to activate my phone (Unbrick) in iTunes, but I can’t sync it because iTunes is trying to connect to the Apple Store to register the device without success !
I got the 8GB one, but need to activate with iTunes… so I’m just waiting like everyone.
As of Rogers, the breakfast was the same cheap granola bar + juice here in Montreal. The salesmen didn’t have the same information between themselves about a rebate. And they ran very short on 16GB models, less than 40, I was number 80 unfortunately…
here’s the official response to the gong show from rogers
http://www.cyberbuzz.com/2008/07/11/rogers-responds-to-iphone-fail/
I am still in boycott mode. Anyone else?
happy i’ll wait until august or wtv
The store I went to in Calgary didn’t even recieve 16GB phones and only had like 15 8GB phones. Unfortunately they didn’t tell anyone about that until like 11 o’clock, 1 hour after the store opened. So I stood around for an hour looking like an ass for nothing! The Rogers people at the store didn’t even seem to know about 6GB data deal OR the Visual Voicemail Value Pack… talk about disorganization. At least I am on the supposed “list” and they said they would call me when they get the 16GB models in…
Now I am sad and iphoneless 🙁
Here are some photos from the iPhone launch in Montreal
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anirudhkoul/sets/72157606103139148/detail/
Funny thing to note, the electricity of the store went out for about 20 seconds right after the people started going in. Also, there was a Fido store right next to the Rogers, with more people in the line, but they didn’t get the crazy media love that Rogers got.
Rogers.com appears to be down. I’m not sure how we’re supposed to blame Apple for that.
Think you guys had it bad I had waited for an iphone (3hrs) couldn’t wait any longer as I had an appointment, got in my car, pulled out of the parking lot, then BAMM got rear ended by a city garbage truck. Now I am at work, iphoneless, busted up vehicle and company network has shit the bed.
Well…I got my iPhone… But now, apple store is not working. It’s not Rogers that’s down, it’s Apple. Just to make sure, is everyone getting ” WE COULD NOT COMPLETE YOUR iTUNES STORE REQUEST. THE NETWORK TIMED OUT.”?
Hopefuly, this will be resolved SOON!
was at fido store at duffering mall. First person got there at 715am about 25 people in line by 10am. First two activations worked took more time as staff was not used to the activation process. Itunes down not their fault. Then their Sales software went down. while waiting in line called CS and waited on hold for about 30 mins gbefore a message came up saying about 15 min wait time. Finally spoke to an agent ordered white 16gb to arrive by mail. time to order about 5 minutes.
overall not bad at the store level as not their fault.
Sometimes, I enter http://roger.ca// instead of http://rogers.ca/, and don’t notice the typo before 2-3 pages 😉
Nice “hup”date on the site iPhoneFan. I went to a roger store here in Montreal (corner St-Laurent/Castelneau) and they sold 5 in total (had still 7 under the counter). They were probably selling valliums before… both of them tried to put us to sleep instead of selling one. The news said there was about 200 ppl on St-Catherine though (the bigger roger store, where they were giving granola bars).
Well I’m not gonna buy one right now. Still interested in 30$/6gb, but right now I’m not ready to commit 100$/mth for 3 years (lets be real, that’s the minimum). I can buy a car for that much…
Still waiting to hear about buying an iphone without a data plan. I thought the whole point was that you had to get a data plan, no question. That’s one of the major reasons I wasn’t going to get one, even $30/6GB is still too rich for me every month. Well, and the whole stupid Rogers crap, of course. (And wow, still going on with stupid for release day too! 🙁 ).
I also heard from a Rogers CSR in e-mail support that you can buy the 3G outright, just not right away, of course. I’m still waiting to hear how much $$$! And when, yeah right, maybe next month. 😉
I was disappointed that I was the only person there protesting Rogers but at least I got a lot of media attention. I made sure to stop by a couple other Rogers stores with my anti-Rogers shirt. I’m really surprised at how many people still lined up for an iphone despite everything.
OK I won’t get my iPhone today but it took me all of 2 minutes by phone at 9am EST to order an upgrade. The longest delay was in determining what voice (not data) plan to get.
I can now just sit back and let you other folks, too eager to wait (actually how many hours did you have to wait?) work out the bugs in the system. These will all be sorted out before I get my iPhone in the mail !
“you can spend your money, you can loose all of it, but you can always earn it all back. but if you waste time, you aint never gonna get it back”
So I got the iPhone .. iTunes in the store was down. I was given the phone to take home and complete the process. Hoping is going to work !
I tried a couple of stores in Chinook mall. No luck with 16Gb,a and big lines as they couldn’t be activated. Went home called FIDO 1-866-569-8204. Answered on second ring by a real person. Set things up and it should be here Tuesday.
No real surprise about the activations, we saw the stories coming out of UK. People need to chillax. No system could be set up to deal with the volume that we’re seeing. Hopefully things will be worked out by Tuesday when mine comes via UPS. I’ll be less disappointed than those of you with iBricks. It will all happen in due time, so be disappointed but don’t blame anybody. As things settle down you’ll all get what you want. Patience and good humour.
With all due respect, were you assuming that Vancouver’s media centre for the launch would be empty?
There are plenty of Rogers Video stores in the Lower Mainland that would probably do the trick.
news from fido: for the one who can’t upgrade yet like me, the fido rep told me that i have to call the custumer service july 24th and a solution will be offer then…
is someone heard about this ?
thks
bg
You all got yourself into this mess.
I waited at a rogers video store in Brampton ,Ontario from 8:30 to find out at 2 pm that they would take our names for the people in line with a number and call us when the system was up and running. They wasted everyones time when that could of been done much sooner…..
I’m angry and i still don’t have my phone
Its the iPocalypse
People who stand up for Rogers are gross (Rob V). If you haven’t opened your eyes, the promotional data plan is still awful when you have to pay another $60 in voice and other fees for a decent plan. And what happens at the end of August? We go back to the complete crap iPhone bundles and Canada will again have the worst iPhone plans in the WORLD (Source: CBC).
By the way I didn’t get my iPhone today because I was 7th in line and they only had 6 iPhones.
Appartently I just paid $324 for a fancy looking paperweight.
When will this thing work?
Took 2 hours for the guys at the Rogers in Edmonton to get through to activate my 16gb (I got in line at 5:30, maybe the 8th person in). I skipped going home to unbrick it as I had a feeling the system might be down. As frustrating as it is, how much money do we want Rogers to put into servers to deal with what is essentially a one day event? The staff I dealt with were professional and apologetic and the people in line were patient. At the store level, I was happy with the service
But maybe that is just ’cause i got the phone i wanted!
yipeee! now off to work so I can get home and unbrick it!
I got to a Rogers Plus in Yorkdale Shopping Center at about 9.45AM and people were already there. I was 25th in line so it wasn’t too bad. Within 30 Minutes of opening ALL the 16GB were sold out/spoken for, for someone in the line. Everyone had a form stating plan, type of phone etc. Anyways Finally got into the store at like 11:50AM, stood around waiting for them to activate, I was a new activation so it wasn’t so bad. But a lady next to me had been in the store since 10AM trying to upgrade. Anyways finally left at 10 minutes to 1:00PM, and still currently trying to unbrick ~_~