[RANT] Availability

[Matth3w]

In light of the fact that Verizon has already stopped pre-orders because they ran out of their "reserve stock"...I have this to say about mobile devices in general (no matter the carrier or manufacturer):

Why do they NEVER have enough in stock? Big name devices ALWAYS get back ordered, and I simply don't understand this, especially for a device like the iPhone.

The issue my wife and I are at is this: her current phone is about to die and my Droid X is royally ticking me off, otherwise no rush....but her upgrade is the 19th and mine I am paying full price for. I wanted to pre-order mine at full price but you couldn't do that.

I complained to Verizon (even though I understand that they want the priority to go to upgrading customers renewing contracts) that I couldn't even pay full price and they offered to call us back on the 10th and potentially offer us BOTH upgrade prices. Great, if I believed that was going to actually happen.

By the time we can order a set of phones on the 19th I can only imagine how backed up the damn queue is going to be. And there isn't an Apple store here in El Paso.


/rant

 

[xRITE AIDEx]

Sorry but I think there was over 2 million if not more reserved. Its not verizons fault you jumped the gun late.

 

[Matth3w]

First off, I didn't jump the gun late (I can't order the phone from them even if I was willing to pay full price - please read the thread), and I never blamed Verizon specifically.

Furthermore, there was only about a 100,000 reserved, so you're way off on that number as well.

VERIZON STOPS SELLING IPHONE

Verizon found sales of its new iPhone so brisk that the company had to stop selling the phone because it ran out of inventory in less than a day.


Pent-up demand by Verizon customers meant the company sold out of its first shipment of around 100,000 iPhones within 17 hours on Thursday.

It marked the largest ever product launch for Verizon. The company exceeded its previous record within the first two hours of sales.

Pre-sales of Verizon's iPhone were limited to existing customers with orders pouring in until about 8 p.m., when Verizon exhausted its initial allotment of the phones.

Analysts say that first-day sales indicate that Verizon can probably expect to sell more than 11 million iPhones during 2011.

 

[xRITE AIDEx]

I did read and your blaming the wrong people.

Did you ever think that the pre-order wasn't for you and that either the 9th or 10th is the day for you. Or even just waiting is fine too

No need to hop down my throat

 

[aplfansince85]

Sorry but I think there was over 2 million if not more reserved. Its not verizons fault you jumped the gun late.

I was up most of the night trying to place the order.

 

[Matth3w]

I understand that as well, but what I was saying is, it's going to be backordered then as well. I'd bet a paycheck says it's going to be backordered at least a few weeks. This happens constantly with EVERYONE. I am blaming the right people because it's EVERY manufacturer.

 

[scrogg]

sounds like a bit of bad luck and bad timing. Just wait it out and push for the dual upgrade prices and maybe it will all work out. think positive about.

 

[Matth3w]

We shall see. But just like every other major mobile device, it will be sold out. Bet on it.

 

[rookhoe]

We shall see. But just like every other major mobile device, it will be sold out. Bet on it.

Thats why you shouldnt even get mad about it, cause you can guarantee that even though there is a chance, you still might be one of the other people that dont get it with first availability.

 

[Hanwei]

Mathew... Assuming you're a current VZW customer... I don't know where you got the idea that you couldn't pre-order an iPhone on the 3rd by paying retail.

This is exactly what I did for mine. I logged in at 3am (just a tad before) on the 3rd... and the order website gave me the (only) option of pre-ordering the iPhone by paying full retail as my account is not up for upgrade/renewal yet.

I'm assuming you were told you couldn't pre-order via paying full retail by a customer service rep? Sometimes they have no idea what they're talking about. Always get a 2nd opinion by calling again and talking to another rep.

Edit: If you read some of the threads around here you'll see that plenty of people pre-ordered their iPhone by paying full retail.

 

[Berber81]

I also preorded just before 3am at full retail with no complications. I now have my tracking number with expected delivery date on Monday.

 

[Hanwei]

Sorry man. I learned the lesson the hard way as well years ago. Never trust a Customer Service person to know what they're talking about.

These are the maxims that I follow when it comes to VZW CS:

1) When one says you aren't able to do something... You will find another one that says that you can.

2) When one says they can't do anything for you... you can almost always find another one that will go out of their way to help you out.

3) When it comes to new phone releases (what new phones will be released, release dates, Order dates, etc) call 3 different service reps and you'll most likely get 3 different answers.

So if you ever have issues that need to be resolved... and the first CS Rep isn't helpful... keep calling until you find a CS Rep that will help you out.

If you ever want information on future releases and details surrounding those releases... always take what they say with a grain of salt. Really, step 1 should be posting your question on a forum as most forums with heavy traffic have very knowledgeable people (industry professionals who actually know what they're talking about... or just really really geeky people who know where to look for the right info) who can give you the right answers.

Hopefully this will help you never miss another pre-order again

 

[Rocinante]

So if you ever have issues that need to be resolved... and the first CS Rep isn't helpful... keep calling until you find a CS Rep that will help you out.

Quoted for truth.

Seriously, I cannot tell you how many times I have experienced this.

 

[ictthunder17]

I am also in the same boat. My wife and I both want the iPhone but have to wait until late February to get them. I'm assuming they will be sold out by then.

 

[CalifJewls]

I never listen to a thing a Verizon rep from the retail stores say because the great percentage of them know nothing. Forum members always seem to know more, since many have gone through similar experiences.

No doubt you could have completed your preorder online paying full retail but at least you wouldn't have had to wait.

And I'm betting preorders were closer to 1,000,000+ according to articles I have read.