Thank you to everyone who's contributed to this thread, I've been reading it from the start and have been able to get heaps of useful info prior to deciding whether to get an Iphone or not.
I ordered mine (64GB black) on 28 October with what was supposed to be a 3 to 4 week turnaround but got a shipment notice last Friday and it got delivered yesterday

There was no sign of damage out of the box and am loving it so far. Gotta trawl this thread and look for a decent case now!