/dev/amro

So I buy an iPhone today; I’m happy, even excited to have dropped a wad of cash on my shiney new gadget.  I hurry home, get through the activation and am greeted with:  “Your activation requires more time.”  Ok, that’s cute — no useful information as to WHY or WHEN it’ll be resolved, just that it takes more time (riiiight).  So I call AT&T wireless’ customer service dept, wait on hold for 15 minutes to get some lame excuse (”the reason it takes so long to activate an iPhone is because so many people are calling in to activate them” <– yea, so every activation is processed manually, that’s as bright as a star) and am put on hold for another 5 minutes.  When the lady, whose name I couldn’t pronounced if you put a gun to my head, gets back, she gives me a random phone number: 480 055 9782 which is supposedly “iPhone activation support.”  Great, I’m thinking, this number looks hokey (why wouldn’t they use a toll free number?), but I’ll give it a go to get some help.  I call the number and it doesn’t work (dreaded “check the number and dial again” operator message).  Leave it to AT&T to bumble what is probably their biggest product launch ever.  What’s better is I’ll bet they’re already charging me for service, since they’re cool like that.