iPhone Upgrade Program Causes Headaches on Launch Day Due to Limited Stock

[MacRumors]

While the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus became available for pre-order at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time this morning, some customers enrolled in the iPhone Upgrade Program were unable to select the model, carrier, color, or storage capacity they desired due to limited stock seemingly as soon as orders began.

MacRumors reader Pbrutto of Allentown, Pennsylvania said that there were no iPhones available for him to pre-order, while many other existing iPhone Upgrade Program members were unable to order the specific model they wanted from Apple retail stores in their local areas, even immediately at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time.

My experience was logging in the moment that the Apple Store app was working only to see no availability and no way to pre order an iPhone. Seriously, Apple did not let their most loyal customers even place a pre order.

MacRumors reader Markarian421 shared a similar experience:

Same experience. Existing iPhone Upgrade Program member, but the only color available the instant the store opened was Rose Gold. My iPhone 6s Plus is Rose Gold, and I love it, but this is a black bezel year for me and I lust for the Jet Black. So, I reserved a Rose Gold for pickup Friday, but also ordered a Jet Black full price. By the time I got around to that, delivery dates had shipped to November.

The underlying reason appears to be that iPhone Upgrade Program members were placed into a separate stream than regular pre-order customers, and forced to reserve a new iPhone from a local Apple retail store -- many of which were sold out. Some customers were not even able to access the reservation system at all, and instead received the following message just minutes after pre-orders began:

We're not taking any more reservations to upgrade your iPhone right now. Reservations will reopen at 8:00 a.m. on September 17. Please come back then to make a reservation.

Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program lets customers upgrade to a new iPhone after just six months, as long as they have made at least 12 payments towards their current smartphone and trade it in upon upgrading. The leasing program is financed through Citizens Bank in the United States.

Today's experience has left many iPhone Upgrade Program members frustrated, and questioning whether they will enroll in the program in the future. In the meantime, Apple's in-store pickup reservation system for regular customers resumes September 17 in the United States, and select other countries, or customers can attempt a walk-in purchase on a first come, first served basis.

Article Link: iPhone Upgrade Program Causes Headaches on Launch Day Due to Limited Stock

 

[kingofwale]

100% of all iPhone lease members will want to get a new iPhone, Why not? they already paid for it.

so it's gonna be messy. Apple should've predicted this and start its production months before.

 

[alinefx]

Apple sucks man - this is no way to promote an upgrade program. cant believe the nasty carriers had a better way

 

[A MacBook lover]

Mine was estimated Sep 29. I'm sure it will come earlier. I ain't trippin.

 

[matty.p]

Same problem here. Got in at maybe 1203 am, app only listed a few models for pickup and basically now just have to check daily starting next Saturday to upgrade. Let's hope I don't get billed again before I get the chance to upgrade.

Next year too it may mean having to fork out some cash to satisfy the requirement for a yearly upgrade as you have to make 12 payments.

 

[SMIDG3T]

Someone said "most loyal". No, just no. Anyone who buys an iPhone is allowed one as much as the next person. First come, first serve. Get over it.

 

[macsrcool1234]

You would think Apple would learn by now how to properly manage a release.

Guess not.

 

[noah82]

Way to treat your most loyal customers apple. This was a most unmagnificent experience.

 

[killawat]

I'm not an upgrade customer but they did ya'll dirty.

Apple May or may not have known that supplies would be constrained this much, ok maybe, but if you guys can't get your phones till October, November for some...
What happens if the iPhone 7S /8 is released in September. Can you still upgrade then too?

 

[macsrcool1234]

Someone said "most loyal". No, just no. Anyone who buys an iPhone is allowed one as much as the next person. First come, first serve. Get over it.

The problem is those people were not given an equal chance. In fact, they were given worse chance.

 

[mikes63737]

Why can't the upgrade process be done fully online? Mail me the new phone, and take the first payment. Simply keep billing me for the old phone each month until it's returned in a pre-paid envelope sent to me with my upgrade.

Seems like this process definitely could have been streamlined.

 

[budselectjr]

Should be given priority. Figured this was going to be a mess though. Oh well, I can wait. Can't wait to hear about the horror stories with trading the actual phone in on launch day.

 

[noah82]

Someone said "most loyal". No, just no. Anyone who buys an iPhone is allowed one as much as the next person. First come, first serve. Get over it.

You are missing the point. These users were "lining up" right with the others during preorder time. They were not allowed the same opportunity to purchase the phone.

 

[Stratus Fear]

100% of all iPhone lease members will want to get a new iPhone, Why not? they already paid for it.

so it's gonna be messy. Apple should've predicted this and start its production months before.

Not only that, but they shouldn't be limiting these people to in-store reservations either. That's just a huge hassle for some (probably even a lot of) people. If these folks were allowed to upgrade via online pre-order for shipment, like everybody else, this wouldn't even have been a major issue.

 

[rwilliams]

Thanks for the explanation. I'm not sure how much sense it makes to put people in the Upgrade program in a separate queue that's limited to store quantity. Why couldn't Apple simply put everyone in one queue and ship what was pre-ordered to the corresponding stores? If they can ship to people's homes scattered all over the world, surely they could ship additional units to their own stores.

 

[Silver Idaten]

People who got screwed during the iPhone 7 pre-order:

Pretty much everyone, except for the people that didn't want it.

 

[nvjusme]

Horrible experience but at least I was able to get 2 Rose Gold iPhone 7 plus's but one I have to pick up and one is being shipped. This was probably the least smooth reservation process ever.

While the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus became available for pre-order at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time this morning, some customers enrolled in the iPhone Upgrade Program were unable to select the model, carrier, color, or storage capacity they desired due to limited stock seemingly as soon as orders began.

MacRumors reader Pbrutto of Allentown, Pennsylvania said that there were no iPhones available for him to pre-order, while many other existing iPhone Upgrade Program members were unable to order the specific model they wanted from Apple retail stores in their local areas, even immediately at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time.MacRumors reader Markarian421 shared a similar experience:The underlying reason appears to be that iPhone Upgrade Program members were placed into a separate stream than regular pre-order customers, and forced to reserve a new iPhone from a local Apple retail store -- many of which were sold out. Some customers were not even able to access the reservation system at all, and instead received the following message just minutes after pre-orders began:Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program lets customers upgrade to a new iPhone after just six months, as long as they have made at least 12 payments towards their current smartphone and trade it in upon upgrading. The leasing program is financed through Citizens Bank in the United States.

Today's experience has left many iPhone Upgrade Program members frustrated, and questioning whether they will enroll in the program in the future. In the meantime, Apple's in-store pickup reservation system for regular customers resumes September 17 in the United States, and select other countries, or customers can attempt a walk-in purchase on a first come, first served basis.

Article Link: iPhone Upgrade Program Causes Headaches on Launch Day Due to Limited Stock

 

[SMIDG3T]

You are missing the point. These users were "lining up" right with the others during preorder time. They were not allowed the same opportunity to purchase the phone.

Okay, in this case, there should have been separate piles...

 

[pika2000]

First world problem, times 7.
Seriously, people are frustrated for not giving Apple money?

 

[rwilliams]

Not only that, but they shouldn't be limiting these people to in-store reservations either. That's just a huge hassle for some (probably even a lot of) people. If these folks were allowed to upgrade via online pre-order for shipment, like everybody else, this wouldn't even have been a major issue.

I guess the problem with shipping to your home (if I understand you correctly) would be getting your current iPhone back from you.

 

[matty.p]

Mine was estimated Sep 29. I'm sure it will come earlier. I ain't trippin.

If you have one shipped to you then you aren't upgrading through the Apple program. They require the trade-in in person.

 

[Stratus Fear]

Why can't the upgrade process be done fully online? Mail me the new phone, and take the first payment. Simply keep billing me for the old phone each month until it's returned in a pre-paid envelope sent to me with my upgrade.

Seems like this process definitely could have been streamlined.

This is precisely what AT&T does with Next, even ordering via apple.com. It works great.

 

[nagromme]

Three years has become a nice time to wait between upgrades. Used to be two years when smartphones were new.

EVERY year? I love me some new tech, but no way!

I feel for everyone who was ready to buy this year though... or any year! Making enough iPhones quickly is rarely possible. Headaches are the norm I fear.

 

[ryan.lister]

This was me. I was up and ready, finger on the refresh button... only to find out that basically there were no black iPhone 7 Plus's available at any store even remotely close to me. Very frustrating.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

For a phone that 'everyone' says is going to flop, it sure sold out quickly.