Apple Restricts iPhone 7 Reservations to Upgrade Program Members

They didn't anticipate the demand because of Samsung's historic flub.

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That still doesn't change my idea about setting stock aside for specific purposes: IUP pile, pre-order pile, and then walk in if you want a rudimentary system.

 

OR ... how about just having a pile of phones for people to buy, and pay for them any way the customer chooses.

Does Best Buy have separate stock of new XBoxes or 75" 4K televisions - one pile for those who pay cash, one for VISA, one for American Express and one for Best Buy credit cards?

 

No maybe about it.

 

From the start is exactly right. Before the pre order even opened, Plus models were not unavailable until October which is ridiculous.

 

Just tell them you are considering the program but are reluctant for the credit check. That's what I did and they were fine with it. I don't think the people in store really care. Its a corporate/Angela A thing another botched "service" from Apple since she took over the store experience. The IUP program NEVER guaranteed a new phone at a specific time other then you are eligible after 12 months. I don't know where everyone is getting that IUP is some type of service. Its a loan that's it. Also trust me if Apple were using this program as some type of special pass to new phones they would be charging a handsome sum for that privilege this company makes money on everything.

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Im sorry but they did not pay for that preferential treatment the phone costs the same for all of us. The IUP is a loan program that is it. I don't understand how people completely misread this program.

 

Why on earth do you care? It's 400$, disposable income.

 

As one of the people that did this it was not restricted to IUP people. Apple just completely botched this deployment it is completely chaotic. Everyone is paying the same price for the phones the IUP is a loan program only it doesn't say anyone should get preferential treatment. I was up at midnight like millions of others and my date was extremely late for a product that was supposedly available for pre-order. So I used the link and got the phone. What's a joke is giving the IUP or any other program special treatment. Apple can do whatever but it is a very insincere way of running things if they want to give IUP priority then open up pre-orders early for them and be done with it. Apple is opening links and other avenues to get phones when pre-orders are sitting and waiting that is hardly good business strategy.

 

I did the deal yesterday... no questions asked... the rep didn't miss a beat when I told him I was purchasing it outright.

The whole attitude of entitlement is beyond amazing. Somehow those who joined the exclusive IUP club think they should be treated differently. I don't see it. You are correct... as I stated earlier in this thread, the price is the same for the same configuration (may vary from country to country)... regardless of how you pay for the device. End. Of. Story.

 

I'm literally laughing. No one gamed a system, we were smart enough to use the resources available to get what we want. Not ones fault but your own that you didn't.

 

After I couldn't buy the phone I wanted at full price, the Apple employee air dropped the link to the reservation page I should use. I didn't check until after I left, but it's the same IUP reservation page I used in the first place.

Why not make the phones available to everyone and let them pay however they like? IUP, carrier, in full, etc.

 

lol I don't think IUP people should get their hand held. If anything, people paying full price upfront should. They're getting all their money right away vs. dragging a few hundred bucks out over a year.

 

What I want to know is why they didn't siphon off resources into 7+ models at the expense of 7s? That seems easy enough but then again I'm not a logistical magician. Just saying.

And while they're at it, buy more black paint and less gold and rose paint. They really didn't get the product mix right on this launch. The new colors always do better.

Only 7+ seekers are having issues. You can basically walk into any store in the USA and get yourself a mini iPhone.

 

Agreed. Five colors, 4 US carriers (dozens more worldwide), 3 memory configs, two types of iPhones - then they divide those piles even further, with IUP, online pre-orders and walk-ins. No wonders there are so few phones averrable when they have to make all these little piles, and often guess wrong on what the most popular piles will be.

 

Actually nobody should get their hand held or get special treatment. Apple gets their money up front from everyone. If you pay full price, they get their money from the customer. If they use a carrier plan, the carrier's finance provider pays Apple full price for the phone, and if they use IUP, Apple gets the full price from Apple's finance partner.

As far as Apple is concerned, they get full price, up front, any way you spin it.

 

Apple is getting ALL their money upfront regardless of how you purchase the phone... IUP, carrier financing, etc. Anyone not doing the IUP is delusional. Someone further up in this thread already pointed out the fact that it's a 0% loan and releases you from the hassle of having to sell a year old phone in a flooded market place. Seems like a score of MR readers need a lesson in money management!

 

This article explains a lot
http://iphone.appleinsider.com/arti...y-oct-8-international-freight-logjam-to-blame

 

Why would that make one delusional?

 

Gotta laugh at all the people who called the reservation program people a bunch of 'whiners' and now look....the irony burns.

 

Another Internet Myth that needs busting. Samsung high end sales pale in comparison to Apple. Samsung only sold 2.5 million Note 7's worldwide. There's no evidence that Samsung's debacle impacted demand the first week/weekend. Indeed, we know that the vast majority of people still had their Note 7s, and there aren't enough Note 7 owners to have made that a material difference at this point. Even if all 2.5 million Note 7 owners switched to an iPhone 7, which they obviously didn't come close to, it wouldn't have changed the peak demand problem Apple new and planned for. Remember, with the iPhone 6, Apple sold around 13 million the first weekend. That's the scale Apple is dealing with.

Over time, the Samsung problem will likely add to the increasing trend of Android switchers (remember in the past 6 months Android switchers to iPhone grew at a record number) and may likely impact sales somewhat, but as a percentage of sales it won't impact production schedules materially because the trend already was underway and the number of Note 7 owners is so small compared to iPhones.

Finally, of course Apple has a good idea of what the initial demand will be. But no manufacturer would be insane enough to scale up factories and workers to meet initial peak demand only to have fire tens of thousands of workers the next month and idle billions in production capacity. Apple is shipping them as fast as they can reasonably be produced. While individual stores prioritizing inventory holds to deal with the IUP glitch is workable, but the idea of setting aside factory inventory doesn't make sense. Next year, what would make sense is simply to let them have priority in on-line ordering, maybe the day before everyone else. After that it is the usual FCFS.

 

Apple probably saw their SE buyers and said "we need to ensure the 7 has supply still?" At least they made a Matte Black. Takes away from potential JB purchases. The 7 probably got less buyers because of the spec differences and noticeable camera differences. Unlike the 6S vs 6S Plus, OIS isn't the only major difference.

 

zombierunner said: ↑
Why don't they make enough phones. Jeez every single year.

Exactly. The only option, and even that would not likely meet demand, would be to force the workers to work around the clock, sacrificing quality, worker safety, costs, etc., and be contrary to the code for workers that Apple has signed on to and expects its contract factories to adhere to. Aside from the financial issues, Apple is not going to abandon its principles on workers rights just so no one has to wait for their Jet Black iPhone.

 

http://bgr.com/2016/09/05/iphone-7-apple-galaxy-note-7-recall/

10% boost is a lot considering how much Apple sells. Just because 2.5 mill sold doesn't change the fact that thousands of new customers are coming into Apple's folds.

 

False, but I'm glad you feel justified.

 

I must have gotten suuuuuuuper lucky because just last night I ordered online and picked up in store this morning. Not part of the upgrade program, and paid in full!

 

Uh... yeah.

Not what happened for IUP customers generally. Like countless others I was shut out of pre-orders from the second the site came back on line. I joined the program last year and that act ended up limiting my access this year. That's the issue. Not that anyone get preferential treatment, but to not keep getting forced to the back of the line.

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Simply illustrating the continuing problem.