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they have the best insurance though. $15 for 2 years of accidental damage protection. One time cost, that's awesome.

Huh? It's $15 a month for our protection plan, don't know who told you it was a one time deal.

As for my store and our shipment, huge disappointment. Had around a hundred pre-orders, and was only sent 40 or so. Didn't receive any Sprint phones at all. It's rough telling your customers that we didn't get many different models on launch day, and no idea when to expect their phone.
 
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.

I got my money back from my gift card. i had to call corporate, but they said it was no problem as long as I had the card and the receipt:D
 
Huh? It's $15 a month for our protection plan, don't know who told you it was a one time deal.

As for my store and our shipment, huge disappointment. Had around a hundred pre-orders, and was only sent 40 or so. Didn't receive any Sprint phones at all. It's rough telling your customers that we didn't get many different models on launch day, and no idea when to expect their phone.

Lmao their insurance is dumb. And their buy back program is too. The rep, who was also the mobile manager, had the nerve to say "In 18 months you'll get about $210 for the 32GB, which is the most you'll get considering it will be an outdated device..." I said "Really? Because I just sold my 16GB iPhone 4 for $350.." He shut right up. They are a joke.
 
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."

Then obviously those people ordered theirs before you did? I assume it isn't like, a human part being played into this. As the preorders get entered, they just fill up the stacks until they run out. Then they call people in to get the phones.
 
Then obviously those people ordered theirs before you did? I assume it isn't like, a human part being played into this. As the preorders get entered, they just fill up the stacks until they run out. Then they call people in to get the phones.

I was second pre order, first day.
 
Best Buy was great! Walked in about 10:30 AM and asked for a 4S. They then sold me one and ten minutes later I was out of there! AT&T rocks too cause they let me upgrade early every time and the activation is fast!!

So bought a 32 GB 4S without pre anything! BTW Apple controls what Best Buy gets in stock, not Best Buy.

Anyway VERY happy with my best buy and AT&T experience once again. I never preorder and NEVER go to the apple store on opening day that is just not the easiest way.

This is my method on the day of the launch, I sleep late. Usually get up around 7:30 am. Check my email making sure no one has pre-ordered jack on my account as a prank. Then I shower eat breakfast and get dressed to go out.

Then I drive and get there around 10:30, I do not want to get into any crowds, to the smallest out of the way Best Buy in the metro area and I walk in the store.

Now this is where it gets tricky. I ask if they have any iphones? They said "yes plenty!" Then the hard part was deciding if the 4S was a big enough upgrade for me? Apple gave us quite a yawn when they announced it. But since I got plenty of rest and a full stomach and no crowds I was able to think it through calmly and thought I would upgrade from my 16 GB iphone 4 to the 4S because I wanted the 32 GB version anyway.

So after another grueling ten minutes of chatting with the cute best buy girl, finding out there were 2 people waiting in line at 8 am at this store, and she had heard the apple store was way busy, and then getting my upgrade price, activation, and New Iphone 4S I have a big decision to make.

Was the upgrade worth the money? Well since I am an AT&T customer I have 30 days to reflect on it. Tough day but probably worth it! Let you know in 30 days.
 
Huh? It's $15 a month for our protection plan, don't know who told you it was a one time deal.

As for my store and our shipment, huge disappointment. Had around a hundred pre-orders, and was only sent 40 or so. Didn't receive any Sprint phones at all. It's rough telling your customers that we didn't get many different models on launch day, and no idea when to expect their phone.


Interesting, I asked if it was a one time payment or recurring and was told it was one time. Sounded to good to be true, lol.
 
screw best buy, I pre-ordered my iphone 4s from Best Buy last Friday. I was initially told that my phone would be in the 2nd or 3rd shipments, because the first shipment is first come first serve. That was a little hard to swallow. Then I was told Monday by the best buy mobile manager that I was wrongly informed. That they would be forming 2 lines. 1 line for pre-orders which would be fulfilled first then a second line for people who didn't. Well I showed up there first thing this morning and waited in line. 15 minutes before opening, the best buy mobile assistant manager and a sales rep came out. They informed us that it was on a first come first serve basis even if you had pre-order. So the guy in front of me was guaranteed to get a phone before me if they had it in stock. They then informed us they only received 9 phones total. 5 32gb white sprint and 4 32gb black for at&t, THATS IT. That place is a joke. I went to another best buy and just walked in and got one. That general manager asked me if I was sure I wanted to upgrade now, because the "iphone 5" is supposed to come out in the spring. After this experience, I will avoid best buy at all costs
 
I was second pre order, first day.

In store? Or could you also place preorders online?

And was it ONLY that store that placed preorders into the "pool"? Or did it go into an aggregate?

It's easy to assume your store was isolated and you were really 2nd, but if they just went into a larger pool of preorders you could have been 100th, 10000th, or whatever; if they took them online, then there's no saying what number you could have been, even if you had to specify what store you wanted the phone to go to.
 
As I posted in another thread, when I didn't get an email yesterday, I called BB customer service. They indicated they had received complaints that the stores were not filling by preorder, but on a first come basis. They also indicated I could order from their warehouse as they had 17 of the 16GB black in stock.

I called my local verizon store and they had plenty in stock. Went down there and walked out with a fully functional 4S 1/2 hour later.

I think BB was just trying to sell a ton $50 gift certificates; this is the first bad experience I've had with BB
 
Honestly, it's your fault for going through a middleman. Order it from Apple and get it shipped to your house or work - what can be simpler than that?
 
they have the best insurance though. $15 for 2 years of accidental damage protection. One time cost, that's awesome.

Read the fine print. It's horrible with lots of hoops and downtime with no phone.

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Huh? It's $15 a month for our protection plan, don't know who told you it was a one time deal.

As for my store and our shipment, huge disappointment. Had around a hundred pre-orders, and was only sent 40 or so. Didn't receive any Sprint phones at all. It's rough telling your customers that we didn't get many different models on launch day, and no idea when to expect their phone.

This. This this this.

If you DO NOT KNOW what models, colors, or carriers of iPhones you will be receiving, then you shouldn't be able to pre-order them. It's misleading.

Yeah, it probably says SOMEWHERE in some fine print or paper-signing that you are pre-ordering "not necessarily for launch day" but in a world that is run by the motto "the customer is always right" it sure makes it hard to run a successful word-of-mouth business when you're pissing off so many people launch after launch.

Why not just not do pre-orders? Even a corporate Sprint store I visited said they didn't do pre-orders. First come, first served.

If you can't guarantee shipments that's the only way it should be, IMO.
 
My experience with Best Buy was mixed. My wife and I pre-ordered AT&T 32GB 4S's on Oct. 7: a white for her and a black for me. On Oct. 13 we get the e-mails saying the items have been reserved, and to wait for the pickup confirmation. A few hours later, we get an e-mail saying my black 4S will be ready for pickup on Oct. 14. When I went to the store, I got my black 4S without a problem. When I asked about my wife's white 4S, the sales rep said they did not receive ANY white iPhones. As of today, we still have not received the pickup confirmation for the white 4S. I'm starting to think about going to an Apple or AT&T store since they should have better stock. It's frustrating. Is it Apple's fault, or Best Buy's fault?

For those wondering why I went to Best Buy. For the Reward Zone points. However, this may be one instance where I will forgo the points for my wife's sake.
 
Honestly, it's your fault for going through a middleman. Order it from Apple and get it shipped to your house or work - what can be simpler than that?

Was I asking whose fault it was? And I have heard plenty of horror stories or late delivery stories when it comes to ordering online.

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Why shop at the store? It's like shopping at Walmart.

Last year it was a simple process, but yes i can see that now

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Read the fine print. It's horrible with lots of hoops and downtime with no phone.

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This. This this this.

If you DO NOT KNOW what models, colors, or carriers of iPhones you will be receiving, then you shouldn't be able to pre-order them. It's misleading.

Yeah, it probably says SOMEWHERE in some fine print or paper-signing that you are pre-ordering "not necessarily for launch day" but in a world that is run by the motto "the customer is always right" it sure makes it hard to run a successful word-of-mouth business when you're pissing off so many people launch after launch.

Why not just not do pre-orders? Even a corporate Sprint store I visited said they didn't do pre-orders. First come, first served.

If you can't guarantee shipments that's the only way it should be, IMO.

agreed, unfortunately one of the first things I asked about was if I would be guaranteed the phone on launch day. The sales rep said "of course!".

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As I posted in another thread, when I didn't get an email yesterday, I called BB customer service. They indicated they had received complaints that the stores were not filling by preorder, but on a first come basis. They also indicated I could order from their warehouse as they had 17 of the 16GB black in stock.

I called my local verizon store and they had plenty in stock. Went down there and walked out with a fully functional 4S 1/2 hour later.

I think BB was just trying to sell a ton $50 gift certificates; this is the first bad experience I've had with BB

Yeah I ended up getting it Saturday from the apple store fifth avenue. Had to wait five hours in line with my girlfriend, but we made it a good time. Playing with the iPad, drinking hot chocolate, and talking with other people about apple products. I may camp out next year.
 
As said before, Best Buy should never, ever be used for preordering anything

It is a great place to pick up things that you need right away but that is it

Why anyone would go there with questions is beyond me
 
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!

I had a similar isue, I had pre-ordered 2 one black 1 white, while I got the black one i the white was delayed, my wife was none too happy that her phone was delayed, she had me hunt around nassau county looking for one and I actually found one at another best buy where the people were so much more helpful than the one that I had ordered mine at.
 
I didnt pre-order, but walked into bestbuy 2 hours after it opened. There were 3 people buying iphones and I was able to get 1 black 16GB verizon iphone 4s without having pre-ordered. I did check online the night before though to see if they would have iphone 4s available and only about 2 or 3 bestbuys out of about 7 or 8 had them available, so I had to drive a little bit further than the 2 closest best buys since they said they didnt have any available. When I got to best buy I asked how many non-preorders did they have and they said about 5. guess I was lucky.
 
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