Apple gives $30 iTunes credit for iPhone 3GS activation issues

Apple will begin emailing users experiencing issues when trying to activate their newly purchased iPhone 3G S phones a voucher for $30 worth of iTunes credit.

The issue, which has seen some users unable to use their phones for up to 96 hours, has seen Apple respond to complaints allegedly with a email saying that the recipient should expect to see an email sometime Monday with a code for $30 "We're sorry" iTunes credit. The same issue was seen last year when Apple was caught off-guard by the amount of iPhone 3G activations, causing their servers to become overloaded and were eventually taken offline. This time apparently the problem lies with the AT&T network, although Apple claims "system issues and continued high activation volumes" are to blame.

Dear Apple Customer,

Thank you for your recent Apple Store order. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delay in your iPhone activation.

We are still resolving the issue that was encountered while activating your iPhone with AT&T. Unfortunately, due to system issues and continued high activation volumes, this could take us up to an additional 48 hours to complete.

On Monday, you'll receive an email from Apple with an iTunes Store credit in the amount of $30. We hope you will enjoy this gift and accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this delay has caused.

Thank you for choosing Apple.

Sincerely,

Apple Online Store Team

This is just another blow to AT&T, which has so far struggled to cope under the strain of being the exclusive iPhone provider in the US. With no tethering options available yet, nor the capabilities to actually cope with the iPhone 3G S's speed, its hard to see the company staying the exclusive provider after the current contract runs out.