The process for pre-ordering an iPhone 4 didn’t go exactly as planned. The entire day was a nightmare for everyone involved. Apple store employees couldn’t take orders through the AT&T site, so they were forced to write them down (and accompanying personal information) on pieces of paper to enter later. People trying to order from home via the AT&T website either couldn’t get their order to go through… or they are finding that several phones are being sent to them.

Jim Maurer is one of the people who ended up with extra phones, and he has no idea how. At last count, there are seven phones on their way to him. He had only ordered two – a 16GB for his wife and a 32GB model for himself. What remains to be seen is how many of these devices he will be charged for.

Even more horrifying are the reports that there may have been a lot of customer information shown to the wrong people yesterday. Hundreds of people are writing in to many of the major tech sites today, sending screenshots detailing the security breach. According to several people, credit card numbers and other personal information showed up when they attempted to buy their iPhone 4. However, it wasn’t THEIR information.

There are also reports of people finally getting their orders to go through only to find that AT&T somehow had the wrong name and shipping address attached to the order. How many people were so excited at finally getting an order to go through that they didn’t even notice that it was not their address and name?

God only knows at this point how many people will be receiving a “free” iPhone 4 on someone else’s dime. We have no way of knowing how many people are receiving multiple phones – or if they’re being charged for them – when they only tried to order one. This entire mess smacks of incompetence.

The only way I see of fixing any of this is to cancel every single order placed during the nightmare and starting over. I won’t be happy if I have to wait for my phone, but I’ll be a LOT less happy if my phone goes to someone else… or if I end up being charged for things I didn’t order.

Were you a victim of the AT&T iPhone 4 ordering snafu yesterday? Leave us a comment with the details.