You know I want an iPad. And I don’t just want it somewhere in April, I want it now, or at least as soon as possible!
A few days ago I tweeted out a request for help (shown on the right here). I received a few helpful replies from people who were willing to stand in line for me but also a suggestion (thanks @fashiontweet!) to talk to Linda Hemerik, the CEO of US Unlocked.
Her company provides people with a local address and credit card so they can shop locally in the US. Very convenient as a lot of ecommerce sites only ship to the US. I ended up signing up at the site and have now pre-ordered and paid for my iPad!
Linda Hemerik has published a post detailing how the whole process works of pre-ordering iPads on her blog. I’m copying her blogpost here, with permission, so you too can pre-order your iPad today:
Taken from https://www.usunlocked.com/blog/?p=425
After many speculations on the exact date the Apple iPad will sell, the official news todays is that the Wifi-only version will start selling April 3rd through Apple online and authorized resellers. Pre-orders are taken from March 12th onward on the Apple website, orders will have to be collected from the Apple store on April 3rd. Can you imagine the lines snaking around the block and beyond?! The 3G version will start selling late April.
No details are known in regard to the maximum number of iPads that can be pre-ordered per person and to be collected from the store on April 3rd.
The international online shopper who wants to be a proud owner of an iPad before the device becomes available overseas (late-April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK, coinciding with the release of 3G model) if even, will do best to buy the iPad through authorized dealers like B&H and MacConnection. All you need is:
- US Unlocked Card with enough balance on it
- US Unlocked shipping address
- VPN connection through Hotspot Shield
The US Unlocked Card can be applied for here by paying $10. It is a pre-paid virtual Discover debit card with your own registered US billing address. Cards are usually assigned within one business day. Once loaded with the desired amount it can be used to make online payments on websites that only accept US credit cards. The payments for card loads are done through Paypal and take 5-7 business days to clear.
To be ready to purchase the iPad on April 3rd, now is a good time to apply for the card and load it. Make sure you register your shipment on https://www.usunlocked.com/ship_it.php to receive your US Unlocked shipping address that you will use when placing the order. US Unlocked will receive your iPad on your behalf and send it to you in your home country after payment of the shipping cost
The use of a VPN connection when accessing the site where you will be purchasing the iPad, provides you with a US IP address: the finishing touch to a seamless transaction. Download the software for free: Windows Mac.
How are you getting your hands on your first iPad? Flying to the US in April? Having friends stand in line for you or are there more ways to pre-order online? Let us know in the comments…
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