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Do you think the Apple Watch preorder and launch has been a complete mess/disaster?

Do you think the Apple Watch preorder and launch has been a complete mess/disaster?

  • Total voters
    531
Photography said:
Do you think the Apple Watch preorder and launch has been a complete mess/disaster for one reason or another? Vote in the poll and share your thoughts below.

Note that the poll question is broad (meaning if you agree for one reason or another it's been a complete mess/disaster, vote "yes"; if not, vote "no"), and can be applied to any of the following (or something else not listed here; this is just a list I've formulated based upon concerns expressed by others on this forum and is not a list of my opinions):
  • the failure/issues in the supply chain process to cause shipment delays to June (which is not early 2015 as Apple initially stated)
  • failure to produce adequate supply for launch, despite the fact that Apple had more than plenty of time to produce adequate supply, likely attributed to the supply chain issue
  • Apple severely underestimated demand
  • lack of watch availability on April 24th in the retail stores to order in person, and your average everyday person who doesn't keep up with MacRumors and doesn't know that the Apple Watch won't be available in the store April 24th will show up at the Apple Store to purchase a watch, only to be sent away disappointed/furious
  • shipping watches to those who ordered later than others, and not shipping in the order that they were received
  • lack of communication from Apple in general
  • editing the Apple website to remove the April 24th date and replace it with "the Watch is coming"
  • Apple didn't have the try-on in store process available before preorders launched, causing cancelled orders and further delays and frustration
  • other issue not listed here (post it in this thread)
Click to expand...

Sure. Many people aren't going to get a Watch on the 24th. Myself included.

Here a few of my takes on your points of disdain.

*There has ALWAYS been a shortage of every product at launches.

*Apple didn't underestimate demand, they just didn't have the supplies they were expecting to fulfill the demand.

*MacRumors is such a small cut of Apple's customer base. Your average everyday person is going to go to the Apple website and stores and unless they are one brain cell short of a real average person, yes, they will show up at a store expecting to buy.

*shipping earlier to some customers versus others probably has more to do with model availability, and the fact that an email confirmation time does not in actuality 100% define the time the order was actually put through Apple's system completely. I may have gotten a confirmation email 2 minutes, 1 minute, or 30 seconds after you, but I also may have actually clicked and put my payment through before you. emails and payment processing may have taken longer for some.

*lack of communication? I've seen videos from high up execs explaining some reasoning behind the process this year, and have seen corporate responses to some emails sent from MacRumors members.

*removing the 24th on the website was a responsible action considering they have been inundated with emails, calls, and in store inquiries centering on this date with very short supply. funny thing is, the TV commercials still end with 4.24.2015 or something like this. yes, this did cause confusion.

*Apple can learn from the try on process that the watch was a much more personal item than an iPad, iMac, or iPhone, and people need to see the product on themselves for the best buying decision.

I know a lot of people here let things like not receiving an actual launch day product eat at their souls, but one or two months from now when most people here will absolutely have what they ordered, it will all be a memory.
 
So let's see.

Ordered on-line with no connection problems at all right when Apple said it'd go live.
Received all of the order confirmation stuff pretty much immediately so no worrying about whether an order went through.
Had the chance to book and see if I liked my choice in advance of actual launch.
Received order updates several days in advance of launch.
Shipped the day before as expected.
Arrived trouble free from UPS nice and early in the morning (this is a rarity by the way as UPS route has us on the return leg to the depot so I suspect extra capacity is in play).
Received product seems to be fault free and is already up and running.

I'd say this has been the best launch I've ever seen which is remarkable for a product with so many variations and no previous guide to likely demand. Apple should be getting praised to high heaven for this one... but of course the whinging will echo unto the heat death of the universe because sadly that seems to be the way the geek world works these days.
 
bunnicula said:
I always remind people of that cluster of a launch. And, I swear, they either weren't buying iPhones back then or they're suffering from selective memory loss.
Click to expand...

I remember that I was on my honeymoon in Orlando that week and it took me a day to discuss with my wife whether we were in a place for me to buy it or not. By the time I ordered it I spent the next month hounding my local AT&T Store about if they had my phone yet. It was that launch that set my "stay up/set alarm to preorder" pattern for the iPhone 5 and 6, as well as my Watch.
 
bradl said:
While the websites for Apple, AT&T, Best Buy, T-Mobile, Radio Shack, and other sites around the world selling it completely crashed, orders that were confirmed were taken back as not confirmed, and a near immediate change from "available now" to 6 - 9 weeks estimated shipping, in less than 2 hours. And after advertising the White iPhone 4, none were available at launch. NONE.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/938211/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/939357/

The only people who were able to buy the phone in store on launch day were those who made reservations for it. Anyone walking in was waiting in line a long, LONG time.

Again, this is absolutely nothing in comparison to the iPhone 4 launch, and that one, hands down, was the worst launch.

BL.
Click to expand...

Funny. I arrived at my local Apple store around 6 am. Waited in line for a while. Was told that they had run out. Drove to another Apple store. Got one by the end of the day.
 
Nobody was given the 24th as THE date on their order. All initial orders had a range. Today is first day in the range. Let's see how order fulfillment goes from here until the 8th.

For all of those gobsmacked about the Space Gray sport not being in plentiful supply, I really do think that one caught Apple a bit off balance. From all the pre-order commercials and media the "black" was never really prominently featured that much. I was pretty surprised when it turned out in the various polls to be the number 1 most popular order.
 
bradl said:
While the websites for Apple, AT&T, Best Buy, T-Mobile, Radio Shack, and other sites around the world selling it completely crashed, orders that were confirmed were taken back as not confirmed, and a near immediate change from "available now" to 6 - 9 weeks estimated shipping, in less than 2 hours. And after advertising the White iPhone 4, none were available at launch. NONE.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/938211/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/939357/

The only people who were able to buy the phone in store on launch day were those who made reservations for it. Anyone walking in was waiting in line a long, LONG time.

Again, this is absolutely nothing in comparison to the iPhone 4 launch, and that one, hands down, was the worst launch.

BL.
Click to expand...

You forgot to mention that the white wasn't announced to not be available
 
vikingjunior said:
There is no good reason why a :02 confirmed does not get a watch today NONE! Total Fail!
Click to expand...

But we knew this 2 weeks ago when they gave date ranges to everyone. I think really what they should've done is removed the date range and just told everyone who ordered the watch first that it delivered by 5/8.
 
I wouldn't say it was a disaster but it's a bit messed up how there's some cases where people who preordered after others are getting their watches today, when the others don't. It's hardly a fair queue system when that's the case (unless people are trolling on here, also a possibility).

I'm disappointed that I won't be getting mine today but life goes on, it'll be here soon and I have plenty to do to forget about it. It would be nice for the delivery window to be narrowed, or some other form of communication from Apple, as I have to come home from university to get mine (don't trust getting a £500 watch delivered to a student building :D)
 
The watches and bands are in production so depending on which watch and which band will determine when it will be ready to ship.

I do not think that Apple did this just to piss people off.
 
leenak said:
But we knew this 2 weeks ago when they gave date ranges to everyone. I think really what they should've done is removed the date range and just told everyone who ordered the watch first that it delivered by 5/8.
Click to expand...

That I will agree with and don't start a small amount of deliveries on a Friday.
 
I said yes.

May I quote Angela Ahrendts:

The days of waiting in line and crossing fingers for a product are over for our customers. The Apple Store app and our online store make it much easier to purchase Apple Watch and the new MacBook. Customers will know exactly when and where their product arrives.

via BusinessInsider
 
leenak said:
But we knew this 2 weeks ago when they gave date ranges to everyone. I think really what they should've done is removed the date range and just told everyone who ordered the watch first that it delivered by 5/8.
Click to expand...

Agreed. They should have stated up front that the launch dates weren't definite and that there would be a range based on model, material, strap type, etc. Having different dates is a paradigm shift over the expectation of having them all available at launch,?albeit in small numbers.

They clearly weren't prepared for the logistics of all the product variations, manufacturing materials, combinations, etc., so that everything would be available out the gate.

On the plus side, at least their ordering systems functioned properly and were available when promised so that people were pretty much able to order what they wanted without a hitch, delivery date/availability issues aside.
 
What I find crazy is that they didn't even start producing them until the beginning of April....
 
mynameisjosh said:
The only thing I'm upset about is seeing people who purchased the same SKU as you at a much later time/date, already have shipping notices. Just does not seem like they are truly going in any order.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen much/any of this happening... since I got my confirmation at 12:20, maybe I'll leap ahead of everyone!

(I kid, I kid... well not really.)
 
Disaster? No. Do I think that it sucked that I woke up at 3:00am ET to place an order but the site was down and by the time I actually got to place the order it was 8 minutes later and already sold out... yeah, that sucks. SS 42mm with Black Sports Band.
 
JSRockit said:
Disaster? No. Do I think that it sucked that I woke up at 3:00am ET to place an order but the site was down and by the time I actually got to place the order it was 8 minutes later and already sold out... yeah, that sucks. SS 42mm with Black Sports Band.
Click to expand...

Same here, SS with black sports band. Got my email confirmation at 3:08AM. Still showing that my order is being "processed". Apple should have waited some extra weeks before launch if they cant even meet their preorders for day one to ramp up production. This is really annoying. Have been waiting such a long time for the watch and this crap happens. Every other purchase ive done has been smooth with the iphones. Its very disappointing.
 
I don't think its been a complete disaster. However I think Apple should have had stock in store on Day 1. They could have only stocked 2 sku's for each watch case. Perhaps a black band and a white band version. This way Apple wouldn't have to worry about how many of each sku they need for each store.
 
especialy when the sports with blue band,(they announced for devolopers) with a 2 day shipping was offered after launch day (was not evan on website)
 
A blockbuster launch in one channel is a strange choice. Especially one that omits one of the most successful retail spaces on earth. Whatever the reason it trumped customer choice and the customer is always right. Even the illusion of choice calms people when supply is constrained. Business 101
 
DirtySocks85 said:
I remember that I was on my honeymoon in Orlando that week and it took me a day to discuss with my wife whether we were in a place for me to buy it or not. By the time I ordered it I spent the next month hounding my local AT&T Store about if they had my phone yet. It was that launch that set my "stay up/set alarm to preorder" pattern for the iPhone 5 and 6, as well as my Watch.
Click to expand...

Same here. I had wanted the white one, so I waited. Then, I gave up. Then, finding one was an ordeal. I preordered every one after that (except the 5s, since they had no preorders...that was another screwed up launch... almost no phones but space gray).
 
It's a failure for Apple if this poll even registers 20% of respondents saying it's a disaster. The fact that it's over 50% says a LOT.

Apple botched this big time.
 
I don't know I think it depends on which watch you wanted. Some models clearly didn't have enough stock. Others has enough. For me personally it was a simple process. Ordered my white spots watch at 08.24 (UK time) using the Apple app. I got delivery slated for first window. On Tuesday my card was charged, on Wednesday it went to preparing for shipping, Thursday dispatched and delivered today.
 
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