from another thread:
this is pretty much SOP for verizon pre orders
don't worry, unless something drastic happens like apple suddenly saying no plusses for anyone, verizon will ship according to email.
you guys are forgetting, apple and these carries signed contracts. you don't think people do business any more by hand shake, do you? if apple causes verizon to lose customers by not providing the phones they promised, do you think verizon will just say "aw shucks" and move on? no, there will be serious repercussions to apple in a corporate way. apple would much rather screw over regular end users than big cell phone carriers by not providing apple.com pre orders to regular joes.
thats pretty much business 101
Let's compare initial shipping estimates between Apple and (all other carriers). From what I have seen, Apple seems to be the shipper that seems to be keeping its initial estimates for the most part. I think the 'regular joes' are, percentage wise, getting their phones at a higher rate on launch day than the 'special joes' who ordered on cellular carrier websites.
Just my personal example alone goes like this. I ordered identical phones from Apple and ATT about 20 minutes apart at about 3am. Apple promised delivery on the 19th, as did ATT. ATT then slipped to 7-10 days a few hours later, and another couple hours after that, delivery slated for November 9-27. Apple is still showing the 19th. This is definitely happening to many ATT customers that ordered online whereas Apple orders holding rather well.
So. The customers Verizon theoretically loses just decide not to get ANY cellular service and abandon the iPhone altogether and go live in a cave?? Lol. No. They go to another cellular carrier. But would they over a...phone not being available on day one? Not likely.
You have it twisted. Apple is going to have droves of people showing up at their stores. Business 101 would have you take care of people with faces on your doorstep first that shop in your stores, then customers that buy through electronic means and secondary sales entities.
As far as repercussions to Apple? The cellular carriers are more than happy to have Apple do these releases regardless of how it starts for them. They are making millions of dollars and especially with ATT, are getting some good convert customers onto the NEXT program which they have been pushing very hard.
Verizon may very well run things differently than ATT, but they are dealing with the same supply channel as everyone, including Apple, which is in China. If they aren't producing at Apple's expected rate, then fewer phones show up here, and shipping times increase. Simply put.
to solve their issues last night and eventually order from them. Made ordering at 255am on AT&T Premier a 1 minute breeze with a 9/19 delivery date.
