AT&T and O2 have few iPhone 3Gs

Ordered White 16Gig iPhone 3G Late Tuesday afternoon at favorite AT&T Store in Allen, Texas (Dallas). Got Apple email of notification of shipment at 9:45 Thursday.
AT&T notice of arrival a little less than three hours later.
Picked it up about 4 PM on Thursday. Happy as pig in a poke.

Daughter was with me when I ordered, she wanted black 16Gig 3G for her birthday. No word on it yet, Friday afternoon. The store was running about ten days, so far they said, on black ones. (Daughter's husband finally broke down and ordered an iPhone a few days earlier. Ordered 8Gig --- ten days.)

New iPhone feels great. Heck of a unit. Some Apps have fatal errors. Almost killed my second iPhone the 16 Gig. Youngest daughter on honeymoon with first 8Gig unit. She missed the party.

Love my iPhone, get hives when it is not close. Just need a few extra batteries.

According to the AT&T store in DC 'direct fulfilment' means you'll be paying for the phone then, when you are added to their list. Not when you 'stroll in' to pick it up.

Ordering mine using DF on the 1st day, Friday evening, it was at the store on Tuesday.. Wish I had done that in the first place instead of wasting my time waiting on line for 4 hours..

I ordered from DF yesterday at lunch, and it shipped out today and should be at the store tomorrow.

I thought i ordered 16GB black, but my email says i was ordered a white one. Not a huge deal, considering it only took 2 days to get it and I didn't have to wait in line.

I just had a look at o2's list of stores that have iPhones in stock. Looks like most of them to me. What's the problem exactly?

"nobody's"

I ordered a 16 GB black model from AT&T last Friday. I was told there was a 21 day turnaround. Saturday (the next day) I got an email confirming shipment of a 16 GB White iPhone. I picked it up Monday, 3 day turnaround. I don't even care that it's white instead of black. From the front, it looks the same.

The wife picked my upgrade up at an O2 shop today, walked straight in at lunch time and got a 16GB Black, she said they seemed to have quite abit of stock and not many people about.

If you order it through direct fulfillment, does it arrive activated? Or do you do it at home via iTunes?

If they ship it to you with direct fulfillment, do you activate it at home with iTunes?