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phearx

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 25, 2010
114
0
Pre-ordered my 4s on friday last week (second to pre-order). Today I go in to pick it up, and while on line waiting I'm talking to the kid behind me and he says he pre-ordered yesterday (thursday 10/13/11) and they let him know that his was in. I thought it was odd considering I had pre-ordered on the first day and didn't get any notification, except the initial confirmation email. As I'm waiting the girl who assisted me when I pre-order looks at me and tells me that they didn't get my phone in!! At this point I'm pretty pissed the kid who pre-ordered yesterday got his and left, while I was stuck there arguing with the employees. I look at the email originally sent to me and it states "pre-orders will be filled in the order they were received". I show this to the manager and he says "pre-ordering guarantees you'll get the phone, but it doesnt guarantee you'll get the phone on launch day." I was extremely pissed and can't believe I wasted a whole morning trying to get this phone, when if I would've known I would have made different arrangements. At this point I'm not sure what to do. I have work in a few hours and even if they get the phone today I would have to pick it up tomorrow. If they don't get the phone today, then I would have to wait until monday because UPS doesn't deliver on the weekends! Never shopping at fail buy again!
 

fjrabon

macrumors regular
Oct 22, 2010
149
0
yeah, that's the issue with carriers and partner stores, they never know what kind of stock they're getting in and when they'll get it in. Apple doesn't tell them when or what they're getting, it just shows up. I'm guessing they didn't have the color/GB configuration you ordered. Probably had nothing to do with people getting theirs before you, they just didn't have it.
 

phearx

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 25, 2010
114
0
yeah, that's the issue with carriers and partner stores, they never know what kind of stock they're getting in and when they'll get it in. Apple doesn't tell them when or what they're getting, it just shows up. I'm guessing they didn't have the color/GB configuration you ordered. Probably had nothing to do with people getting theirs before you, they just didn't have it.

Then they shouldn't allow you to pre-order.

----------

That sucks - can you try a different store?

I live in NYC so it's pretty much useless for me to even bother.
 

Young Spade

macrumors 68020
Mar 31, 2011
2,156
3
Tallahassee, Florida
Then they shouldn't allow you to pre-order.

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.


So... then they should just not have pre orders at all? That's why I always go to the source when ordering something that's in high demand. Either ATT/Apple; Apple's site wasn't working properly, so I ordered through ATT.

"other" stores and whatnot tend to slip up more often and cause unnecessary problems.
 

csjo00

macrumors regular
May 17, 2010
209
1
Arkansas
Same thing happened to me. I canceled my preorder. Got my $50 back, and went to Sam's Club. They had 30 left in stock.
 

iSaxon

macrumors 6502a
Jun 19, 2010
709
19
Pittsburgh, PA
I never received an email from them. So, at 8:45 I went to AT&T, waited in line for about 1-1.5 hours. They had plenty of stock. Picked up a 64GB White iPhone 4S, drove to Best Buy, and got my refund for the $50 preorder.
 

WorkerDrone

macrumors newbie
Oct 14, 2011
23
8
I left BB empty handed as well, but for a different reason.

Nobody in the phone dept except three employees. No customers, no lines of people waiting (11 am).

Sales guy: Can I help you?
Me: where's the mob? Are you out of the 4S?
Sales guy: no we have plenty
Me (getting excited): the Verizon models?
Sales guy: yes, but we are holding them for people who've pre-ordered. It looks like we have extras, but we can't sell those yet.

Oh well. No hurry. I'm glad they're honoring the pre-orders.

Atlanta
 

rkahl

macrumors 65816
Jul 29, 2010
1,021
0
Did BestBuy receive every size and color possible? Maybe they didn't get the model you wanted in, maybe the kid behind you ordered something different from you. If not I'd be extremely po'd!
 

qsoundrich

macrumors member
Dec 23, 2007
64
0
I went into BB at 8pm last night. Told the girl which one I wanted and she said they had some in stock (after pre-orders). She took my order, I came back in this morning and got my phone. Easy Peasy. BB did change their policy for distribution since last week. Preorders are being filled first.
 

Young Spade

macrumors 68020
Mar 31, 2011
2,156
3
Tallahassee, Florida
Did BestBuy receive every size and color possible? Maybe they didn't get the model you wanted in, maybe the kid behind you ordered something different from you. If not I'd be extremely po'd!

People tend to order the 16gb more than the other models, due to the price. I ordered the 32gb white (I would also think black would sell out more).
 

phearx

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 25, 2010
114
0
People tend to order the 16gb more than the other models, due to the price. I ordered the 32gb white (I would also think black would sell out more).

I pre-ordered 32gb black. They had other 32gb blacks, but they were all marked for other people... This is what it says in the email i received "pre-orders will be filled in the order they were received." When I asked about this they stated "there is nothing we can do."
 

Vitalogy

macrumors newbie
Jul 24, 2008
16
0
BB called me at 10pm last night telling me that no white iPhones came in.

BB called me again at 11am this morning your white iPhone is here for pickup.

some stores handled things differently then others and thats why i got in contact with the GM to make sure that pre-orders will be honored first before walk-ins.

i dont trust them and i never will but i had a gift card that needed to be used.

at the end of the day i took there word and they stood by there word until launch.
 
Last edited:

Paulshaqz

macrumors 6502a
Sep 10, 2009
905
174
best buy sucks they should't even have pre orders if thats how it's gonna be i walked out also empty handed and had my pre order since last friday.
 

truthiness

macrumors regular
Jun 10, 2008
193
33
they have the best insurance though. $15 for 2 years of accidental damage protection. One time cost, that's awesome.
 

Codepiink

macrumors regular
Jun 24, 2010
182
0
Westchester County, NY
Same crap happened to me and a lot of other preorders today. The only models they had in was black AT&T... And that was all the Best Buys in the area, which about four. I don't know if they were lying but they were being really rude about it. I knew I Shouldn't have preordered with them. I drove right down the street to AT&T, waited about ten minutes, and walked out with my white 32GB. Tomorrow I'm going to get my money back from that unused BB gift card. I'm not giving them a cent of my money. I hate them.
 

danlovaj

macrumors regular
May 9, 2009
203
2
Then they shouldn't allow you to pre-order.


I agree. They failed to mention that detail, that a preorder=a guarantee, but not necessarily a guarantee to get it today.

I feel they did the preorder process to get people to buy the gift cards, which then would look good on their margins. Then people will leave unsatisfied, buy phone elsewhere and be stuck with a gift card. Good luck getting your cash back. What I'd do is use it to buy a iTunes card there then.
 

MortalDays

macrumors regular
May 29, 2010
200
0
I am on the same boat. I pre-ordered through BestBuy in store as well on the 1st day but I left empty handed today. :( My local BB only had At&t and Sprint iPhones in stock and NONE for Verizon. Total BS. They blame it on FedEx and BB can't even provide an estimate of arrival for Verizon models.
 

Jason black

macrumors regular
Oct 12, 2011
178
0
Yup.. Same boat... Never again at best buy.. Im going to get my preorder money tomorrow... I already preorder from sprint..
 
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