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iPad 2 Launch - A Complete CONSUMER Nightmare
- Thread starter Tones2
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No, you are wrong. I am not happy, and some other people on this messageboard aren't happy either. This is an epic failure on Apple's part, and just confirms what we've known all along - they are arrogant jerks.
So many people are quick to discount complaints that I see as valid. Apple missed when it came to predicting the demand, plain and simple. Now they are trying to keep up- however, this is a problem any company would love to have...I'm sure the other tablet makers would LOVE to run out in 45 minutes and have 5 week backorders!
The cardinal sin in retail is to promise something you don't physically have your hands on. Stores only know how many they have "on order." They don't know when they'll come in. Apple is shipping these things straight from the assembly line. The store may know roughly an amount to expect and roughly when, but you NEVER EVER tell that with any confidence to a customer because they will hold you to it no matter how much you tell them that it is just your best guess.
Also, shipments can be damaged, delayed and/or diverted, or a certain amount may need to be held for return fulfillments. No way in heck do you promise or announce a specific number of a specific item until it is unloaded.
Just curious, how do you know that Apple had the necessary time and capacity to make more than the million units they had available for launch?
2) Limit sales to ONE device per person, not TWO. I would guess that 90% of people buying two are either buying them up for the foreign markets or selling the 2nd one for a profit. If you have a friend that wants one, he needs to wait in line just like you.
I think this is the most obvious one. Lets face it there are thousands on eBay by scalpers to pay for their own iPads
This would prob leave a few 1000 iPads for genuine people to buy.
If you need to buy another one for family or friend then tough, make them queue too
I didn't say there weren't people who weren't happy. We know not everyone is happy. Did you even read what I typed?
I said there are people that are unhappy - but it's not the vast majority. The majority of people are happy.
We all have to remember, when people are unhappy they will make noise about it. Thus posting in forums, on blogs and such. It's much less common for those that are very happy to post about it.
While yes, there is a group of people who are unhappy, it in no way represents the majority or even close to the majority of those that are.
Please feel free to post how unhappy you are. It's fine. I'm not asking you to stop. I just think things need to be put into a little perspective here. This is in no way an epic failure by Apple. Selling close to 1-million devices in a weekend is FAR from an epic failure.
Again, for you and others, it was an epic failure. You have your reasons for believing so. That's fine. But for the vast majority it wasn't.
I hope my business endeavors end in "epic failure" if this launch is the litmus test...
Everyone that wants an iPad2 will get an iPad2. People are just upset that they aren't getting it the day they want to get it. Boo hoo.
It's as hilarious as the "I pay hundreds of dollars to be treated like this?!" argument. No, you're paying hundreds of dollars for a device that is worth hundreds of dollars. Apple will tender said device to you. They don't even charge your card until it has shipped. Unless you're paying a premium from a reseller you are in the exact same boat as the rest of us as far as expectation of what you're getting for the money.
I realize that you are very frustrated and I sympathize. However, I'll address your suggestions, as you state we "have to" agree with you, when I dont:
Hard numbers have not been released yet, but by all accounts so far it seems to have been a pretty successful launch. Unfortunately, demand outweighed supply. Speculation of over half a million ipads being sold in a weekend suggests to me that they also had a rather large supply of ipads to begin with.
I purchased my ipad from best buy. They limited sales to 1 per person. Your speculation for "90%" of all people buying two or more are just profiteering is just that: your speculation. I waited in line with 2 people who were hoping to buy one for both them and a spouse. I personally oppose draconian rules for making purchases. They aren't firearms. They are ipads.
Again, I don't agree. This would make people even more upset. Reserving your product online only to wait in line for another few hours just to get it would drive me insane, and I think many would question the purpose of reserving in the first place.
You make it sound like all 18 ipads are wildly different. You have 3 different storage options, 2 different colors and two different carriers. That's simply product flexibility. Market research suggests that the most popular ipad is the 16gb version. Given my very limited experience with other ipad buyers in line at Best Buy, I'd say that was reflected in the line I waited in. Although they didn't stagger the models releases, it was pretty clear to me that they had far more 16gb wifi ipads on-hand than any other model. Also, your slamming of the white bezel makes no sense as its behind glass. Some reviewers have even suggested it hides fingerprints better as well.
Ok, let me make sure I understand this: you want to increase supply by limiting the number of outlets a particular product can be had at? I'm sorry but that doesn't make much sense to me.
Apple doesn't have any obligations to let us know their stock. On their website, they disclose that you have the option to wait the 4-5 weeks for shipping, or not purchase one. Gambling with a retail outlet offers the "thrill" of being rewarded for your time spent. I call it gambling because there's of course always the chance that you'll lose that time and come up empty handed. I can't think of another company that can build this kind of hype for a product so far away from Christmas time, and I think thats exactly the way Apple wants to keep it. Your story is a win/win for them simply because it illustrates what people are willing to put themselves through to try to get their hands on an ipad. Ultimately, very few people will opt not to buy one due to the trouble. Again, exactly the way Apple wants it. I personally think its a stroke of genius to make someone who's just spent between $500.00 and $850.00 also feel like they've just won a prize for spending it.
Hard numbers have not been released yet, but by all accounts so far it seems to have been a pretty successful launch. Unfortunately, demand outweighed supply. Speculation of over half a million ipads being sold in a weekend suggests to me that they also had a rather large supply of ipads to begin with.
I purchased my ipad from best buy. They limited sales to 1 per person. Your speculation for "90%" of all people buying two or more are just profiteering is just that: your speculation. I waited in line with 2 people who were hoping to buy one for both them and a spouse. I personally oppose draconian rules for making purchases. They aren't firearms. They are ipads.
Again, I don't agree. This would make people even more upset. Reserving your product online only to wait in line for another few hours just to get it would drive me insane, and I think many would question the purpose of reserving in the first place.
You make it sound like all 18 ipads are wildly different. You have 3 different storage options, 2 different colors and two different carriers. That's simply product flexibility. Market research suggests that the most popular ipad is the 16gb version. Given my very limited experience with other ipad buyers in line at Best Buy, I'd say that was reflected in the line I waited in. Although they didn't stagger the models releases, it was pretty clear to me that they had far more 16gb wifi ipads on-hand than any other model. Also, your slamming of the white bezel makes no sense as its behind glass. Some reviewers have even suggested it hides fingerprints better as well.
Ok, let me make sure I understand this: you want to increase supply by limiting the number of outlets a particular product can be had at? I'm sorry but that doesn't make much sense to me.
Apple doesn't have any obligations to let us know their stock. On their website, they disclose that you have the option to wait the 4-5 weeks for shipping, or not purchase one. Gambling with a retail outlet offers the "thrill" of being rewarded for your time spent. I call it gambling because there's of course always the chance that you'll lose that time and come up empty handed. I can't think of another company that can build this kind of hype for a product so far away from Christmas time, and I think thats exactly the way Apple wants to keep it. Your story is a win/win for them simply because it illustrates what people are willing to put themselves through to try to get their hands on an ipad. Ultimately, very few people will opt not to buy one due to the trouble. Again, exactly the way Apple wants it. I personally think its a stroke of genius to make someone who's just spent between $500.00 and $850.00 also feel like they've just won a prize for spending it.
I strongly agree with this. I am tired to seeing people brag about how they got an iPad 2 for free after flipping their second one for 2x the amount.
Yup right in front of BeBe as well and somewhere around 100th in line. Red dress shirt, black slacks.
And fyi, there is a video on youtube that shows most of the green hills crowd in line, including myself and probably you.
Sorry, I know sarcasm does not come across easily through text
I totally agree with you. I agreed with you yesteday, when I didn't have an iPad 2, and I agree with you today, now that I own an iPad 2.
Sorry, I know sarcasm does not come across easily through text
lol
I of course agree.
I can fully understand people here saying they want to buy one for their wife or other loved one who for some reason can't make it to the line. My wife wants one as well. It's natural to think that the person YOU want to get one for is more important than the guy behind you that found a way to wait in line to get his.
And that's the point. There are a lot of people who wanted one and can't wait in line for one reason or another that don't have someone to wait for them. They don't get one. I don't see why another person who does have someone wait in line for them does. And someone who isn't there shouldn't take one from someone who made the sacrifice and is there.
Now if there was more supply no one would care, but given the severe limitation AND the fact that a lot of people are using the 2nd purchase to make a profit even here or overseas, it would seem prudent to limit the purchase to one device per person JUST until supply is enough to meet demand.
I want everyone's loved one to get one, it's just that they need to make the same effort as others to get it first. Of course, again, that's just my opinion. And this is mainly about trying to find a way to slow down the profitiers, not about taking it out of the hands of peoples spouses.
Tony
Yeah I editted and changed the wording a bit in the original post. I didn't mean it to be a strong a it came across. And again I really wasn't that frustrated - it just sounded that way.
Maybe. The million is speculation though. Either way, I can't believe that Apple couldn't somewhat predict this demand, although it's admittedly difficult.
Obviously 90% was an exageration - that was just me being toungue and cheek. But there were a lot, at least in MY line and from what I've been reading.
Here I totally disagree. This worked like a charm for the iPhone 4. I can't see a downside if you know what to expect and you get it in the end.
You misunderstood. I love that there are 18 different versions. That's great. But putting them all on sale the first day of release made supply for each version very low. Last year they staggered the WiFi and 3G version. I waited for the 3G version and the line was smaller. This year they maybe could have done color.
That's not what I said. I said limit outlet to increase supply in the OTHER outlets where there is the most demand and biggest lines. It''s more about focused and more predictable distribution.
Yeah, but I'm talking about the consumer experience here, not Apple's.
Tony
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No offense to all the fine New Zealander's, but do you really think that Apple spent a nano-second thinking about their NZ launch plans? Your market pales in comparision to other markets.
If someone wants to wait in line for 8 hours to buy an ipad or 2, and they happen be smart enough to get one for free out of it themselves, thats *good on them.*
That's a crazy sense of entitlement: To think that just because Apple makes an ipad and you have cash in hand, that you deserve one more than the person who was obviously willing to put in more work to get theirs first.
Keep blaming Apple for what *YOU* have clearly not planned on: A shortage of supply. Evidently, at least half a million (rumored) other people got the memo.
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That's funny! I was the wisea$$ right behind you - brown corduroy jacket, brown sweater. I assume since stock levels seemed good that you got what you wanted. I did, and I even went for a smart cover. I was reticent, but I love it so far. How are you finding your new toy?
I'd meant to get names of all that were around me there - you guys made the time go by fast. I did enjoy it thoroughly.
And I just watched the YouTube video...and there we were! We were also in the Saturday tennessean. One of my coworkers told me, but I can't find the pic online.
Two per person seems reasonable to me. Some will abuse the policy, some won't. Let's face it: people will game the system no matter what. If it was one per person, scammers would just gather up a bunch of friends and pay them to wait in line.
Yeah I editted and changed the wording a bit in the original post. I didn't mean it to be a strong a it came across. And again I really wasn't that frustrated - it just sounded that way.
Maybe. The million is speculation though. Either way, I can't believe that Apple couldn't somewhat predict this demand, although it's admittedly difficult.
Obviously 90% was an exageration - that was just me being toungue and cheek. But there were a lot, at least in MY line and from what I've been reading.
Here I totally disagree. This worked like a charm for the iPhone 4. I can't see a downside if you know what to expect and you get it in the end.
You misunderstood. I love that there are 18 different versions. That's great. But putting them all on sale the first day of release made supply for each version very low. Last year they staggered the WiFi and 3G version. I waited for the 3G version and the line was smaller. This year they maybe could have done color.
That's not what I said. I said limit outlet to increase supply in the OTHER outlets where there is the most demand and biggest lines. It''s more about focused and more predictable distribution.
Yeah, but I'm talking about the consumer experience here, not Apple's.
Tony
I'll certainly agree that it sounds frustrating, and wish you well on your journey to procure an iPad.
Hopefully my employer didn't pickup the Saturday Tennessean, lol.
Yeah the time went a lot quicker than I imagined, and I was pleased to see they still had plenty of stock when we got up there. I went ahead and sprung for the 64 gig which was overkill with home sharing, but it's all good. Also picked up a red smart cover which I'm loving as well.
On my way out, I noticed that the gentleman in front of us in line even had a smile on his face as he and his son were playing with the new iPad.
Couldn't agree more with the OP and all his points. Not only that but Apple is making this worse by still expecting customer to line up like lemmings on the hope they will get one. It smacks of arrogance and disregard for the customer. They are very lucky none of their Android competitors are worth a damn.
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Tony, some people just love to be pissed off. Sorry, but there is one thing that I can't agree with. There is just no way that I want or expect Apple to wait until they have enough stock for everyone to be satisfied on launch day. People just have to be reasonable and understand that there won't be enough to go around. Just wait. How would the result be any different from being forced to wait longer for the release? Except that you will probably get an iPad faster this way. Probably. No guarantees of course. It's not like you have a contract or something.
Tony, some people just love to be pissed off. Sorry, but there is one thing that I can't agree with. There is just no way that I want or expect Apple to wait until they have enough stock for everyone to be satisfied on launch day. People just have to be reasonable and understand that there won't be enough to go around. Just wait. How would the result be any different from being forced to wait longer for the release? Except that you will probably get an iPad faster this way. Probably. No guarantees of course. It's not like you have a contract or something.
I was going to ask that! I'm sure you'd know by now if anyone you work with/for noticed.
I was behind the two of them leaving the store, and they both seemed very pleased. Overall, so was I. Might even do it again for the right product release.
We're almost five years into iDevices and y'all STILL didn't know to get there early. Really???
Sent from my iPad2.
Sent from my iPad2.