@matigo
- I ordered online using credit card and gift card (issued from another iPad trade-in). The submission went through. I never got an email notification, but I logged into my Apple account and it showed as a confirmed order.
- Out of curiosity this morning and for lack of email notifications regarding anything, I went to check the order status just to see shipping date. All 3 items (iPad Pro, engraved Pencil, Otterbox case) were marked as cancelled.
- Called Apple support and they blamed it on the credit card company — something about "the credit card number was valid so the order went through, but then got cancelled afterwards because the charge failed." — despite me having received the SMS from the bank confirming the charge.
- They suggested I try again and possibly use another card, or buy at the store and pay in cash (ha!), not acknowledging that you can't have products engraved if you buy at a store.
- I'd thrown the gift card away after using it but they said I'd have to go back to the same store physically, since it was a physical gift card and not an electronic one; she could confirm that the gift card hadn't been charged so I still have the full value, but she had no ability to issue an electronic replacement — which is kind of mind-boggling considering Apple's overall approach to a seamless experience.
So next steps are to go to the Apple store, (hopefully?) get the gift card reissued, then try purchasing again…and again…and again…and ideally not end up with 3 more iPads than I need.