1) I desperately want to call b/s on this, but guess that it's possible. Seriously, power cords are on the shelf in every Apple Store I've been too (over thirty, at this point, including a half dozen international stores). Using the Store app on your phone you can checkout without a human involved. Most don't know this I agree, but there is no way I'd wait that long if it were me. I'd be in someone's face in under a half an hour saying "either take my money or I'm walking out".
2) I've run into this before (with iPads rather than MBP), so I know you're likely factual here. The business sales person said if I'd ordered from him, wouldn't have been an issue, but consumer orders live by consumer rules. He did at least tell me that it was two per person, not two per order, so I called my friend who lived near Valley Faire Mall at the time and had him bring four of his kids. Yes, it was stupid, but myself, him, and each of the four kids walked out with two iPads each in our arms.
3) pro-tip: check out Apple VPP. Very easy to sign up for and trust me, it's everything you need and more to make this a smooth process to handle.
Not all stores have anything but the most recent inventory on the shelves. My local one has the old style MagSafe 1 power adapter and iPad Air 2 leather cases, but they are in the back. Worse yet, when I asked about these things recently, an employee said "sorry, we don't have those anymore." I didn't believe him, so at that point I had to wait another 15 minutes for a manager to become available who knew where these things were.
iPad Air 2 leather cases, but they are in the back
I have to chime in "me too" here; it's hard to believe that Apple is this stupid, but they are. No iPad Air 2 cases in the front of the store!
Here's my story, not that it matters much but maybe when Apple eventually goes bust someone will chronicle the litany of stupid decisions they made along the way.
I bought an iPad Air 2 over Black Friday weekend, good price from an authorized seller. A few days later I received it.
I go to the Apple store to select a case. I can't find any. Some sales drone says the cases are in back, since they only have a "limited" amount of display space.
Directly in front of us are a bunch of pegs on the wall. Each peg is capable of holding quite a few cases. But each peg has exactly 1 iPad Pro grey case. There are six pegs next to each other, two rows of three. Each of the six pegs has exactly 1 iPad Pro grey case. Right next to these pegs are a bunch more, each with exactly 1 iPad Pro case, just a different color. Overall, literally dozens of pegs on the wall, each with exactly 1 iPad Pro case.
Yes, the display space is "limited", but they could get a wee bit more inventory out front if they didn't deliberately act like idiots about it. It must make sense to someone but not to me.
I walked out. I wasn't about to stand there while he rummaged around back for something to show me. I went to a local department store and got a decent case for a lot less than I would have paid Apple for one.
It would be understandable if the iPad Air 2 was discontinued. But as of 30 seconds ago I can still go to the Apple website and buy one. So, WTF???
Mind if I ask which store this is? Genuinely curious as even the smallest store I've been to had all types of power cables on the wall. Really wondering why your local store is so different.
Des Moines, Iowa, at the Jordan Creek mall. The MagSafe could have been temporarily out of stock on the shelf for all I knew, though. They've shuffled things around a few times and I don't visit often - around once a year to replace a frayed power cable.
2) I've run into this before (with iPads rather than MBP), so I know you're likely factual here. The business sales person said if I'd ordered from him, wouldn't have been an issue, but consumer orders live by consumer rules. He did at least tell me that it was two per person, not two per order, so I called my friend who lived near Valley Faire Mall at the time and had him bring four of his kids. Yes, it was stupid, but myself, him, and each of the four kids walked out with two iPads each in our arms.
3) pro-tip: check out Apple VPP. Very easy to sign up for and trust me, it's everything you need and more to make this a smooth process to handle.