AT&T Stores Expecting iPhone Lines Friday

Anticipation is building in advance of the big iPhone (video) launch this Friday. AT&T, which is selling the service plans for the new phone, is telling its retail stores to expect lines of hopeful iPhone buyers. The company actually sent letters to its retail stores last week advising them on "crowd control" methods, including the use of (oh my God!), stanchions! (You know, those things that form the lines at airport ticket counters.)

You can read the memo here (thanks to boygeniousreport.com). AT&T employees will also be armed with tear gas and water cannons. Just kidding.

(Illustration courtesy of Washington Post)

Judging by a number of listings at Craig's List, plenty of people are planning on buying, or at least trying to buy, an iPhone on opening day. Seems not all of them have time to wait in line, though. I found more than 10 ads on Craig's List posted by people looking for "iPhone line waiters," like this one:

I can't stand in line on Friday but I will pay you to hold my spot until I get there. Terms: -You start standing in line at noon until my arrival (between 4-5) -You need to give up your spot to me (you can't be buying your own iPhone, you can't just let me but ahead of you) -$20/hr Contact me and we'll work through specifics

AT&T retail stores plan to close from 4:30 PM until 6 PM Friday, then open until 10 PM. Are you planning on laying down $600 (plus the cost of an AT&T service plan) for an iPhone this Friday? If you need someone to wait in line for you, I'm available.

Comments

I'll be there buying a couple. My local store confirmed 4:30PM close, 6pm-10pm iphone-only sales. First come, first serve mega-linup. We will all be at Starbucks iphone party using our iphones on wifi and showing off until sbux close.

rogerbly

June 25, 2007

1:52 PM PT

Wow JOBS and AT&T have apparently created a whole new job marketing opportunity...iPhone Waiters...or is that Waitors?
:)

techmonk

June 25, 2007

5:34 PM PT