iPod Mini's-- amazon.com, Circuit City, is it real? (availablility)

[diehldun]

After enjoying my new PB 17" for a couple of months now, I have decided to get a nice, silver (to match the PB) iPod mini.

Naturally, I know of the "backorder" for all the mini's (almost everyone knows ) However, a quick search at amazon.com, showed that occasionally, Circuit City or Target would be the seller for a silver iPod mini. Is that really true?

What I am concerned about is whether or not the avaliability is refrehsed while buying it, and that after I buy it, it is determined that it is no longer in stock.

Also, under "17 new and used" under Amazon.com, it shows different sellers. Are they to be trusted, or should I just "bite the bullet" through Circuit City/Target?

The thing is, I need this iPod Mini by June 13 (roughly 3 weeks!)

Also, what are the odds of my local Apple Store (San Diego) of having any minis in stock? Are they all for wait-list customers?

Sorry for all the questions, but I am begining to get concerned as to whether or not I'll be able to order and eventually recieve a new mini by June 13, when I go on a LONG LONG trip to Europe.

Thanks.

 

[FuzzyBallz]

You're better off buying directly from CC online. If they ran out after you placed the order, just cancal it. All the sellers for mini ipod at amazon.com look flaky and try to rip you off. Pass.

 

[jimsowden]

I am kinda an expert in this field. I bought mine off Amazon marketplace, payed a little more, but got it next day. The sellers have ratings, and they don't get your money. Amazon gives it too them, so if they decide to rip you off, amazon gives you your money back and then goes after the seller with a legal team. I like that. Apple Flagships seem to have minis in stock, i was in SOHO on the 16th and they had lots of blues and silvers on the counter. My local store, King of Purssia and I guy i know that works at the Arizona Apple Store said they haven't seen minis come in in close to 5 weeks. Thats no fun. Circuit citys don't stock minis in their stores (like they could if they wanted to) so you have to buy it offline from them, and their stock indicator is usually correct. Hope this helps.

 

[diehldun]

So you got yours directly from Amazon? So i would assume that ordering CC through Amazon is perfectly safe...

I was concerned whether or not the "avaliablility" status was always refreshed. I wouldn't want to buy it if it was really out of stock!

The main problem I see though, is that on circuitcity.com, they show the status of the silver mini to be "not avaliable", while on Amazon.com, it shows at 1-2 business days (shipping). What is going on there? Should I wait?

 

[yoda13]

So you got yours directly from Amazon? So i would assume that ordering CC through Amazon is perfectly safe...

I was concerned whether or not the "avaliablility" status was always refreshed. I wouldn't want to buy it if it was really out of stock!

The main problem I see though, is that on circuitcity.com, they show the status of the silver mini to be "not avaliable", while on Amazon.com, it shows at 1-2 business days (shipping). What is going on there? Should I wait?

I went through the same process as you only to have my hopes dashed. It would either tell me that there was an error and the order could not be processed due to a lack of availability, or it would process and tell me the item would ship in October

So I would be forced to cancel. This is apparently a problem with the Amazon server or something. Sometimes I get it as available and other times they say in stock soon or they offer those other individaul sellers with the higher prices.

 

[Koodauw]

Circuit City has a few from time to time. I just happened to check out the wesbite site one day, and low and behold they had blue ones. So I ordered two and sold them on ebay. (this was last week) The Blue ones lasted about 20 hours or so. Within a few more days the had silvers one too. So yeah its real. Good luck. BTW the ebay market isn't as trong as it used to be. I only got 30 bucks over what I paid plus tax on two of them! I was hoping for more. Oh well. Still not bad for buying and reselling really.

 

[adamcoop]

hahaa... oh, funny.
Just tried ordering one from Amazon (they had Silver ones available), and the order went through fine.
Until Circuit City emailled me back, telling me they were in fact out of stock, and well, Amazon will give me my money back.

Smalldog had 4 blue ones... yesterday.
None today though.

 

[jbembe]

I was in a similar situation trying to get my brother a mini for his graduation. I placed an order online with Apple and waited 5 weeks with no change in order status. I checked regularly at my local target and they never recieved any shipments, I also heard Foley's was carrying them but did not get the chance to check with them. I also kept checking with the Apple store regularly and they finally convinced me to place my name on the waiting list. I was told that I was #115 on the list for the blue mini, but since I had an online order I didn't mind. A week and a half after placing my name on the mini list at the apple store, they called me at 10am and told me that they had the minis in stock and that I should call them back in 2 hours if I wanted blue. I didn't get the message until 7pm, and they only had 4 minis left, 1 green, 1 gold, 2 silver. I went and got a silver that day just in time for my brother's graduation the following day.

moral: put your name on the list at the local apple store and give them a good number where they can readily get a hold of you.

 

[diehldun]

Well then, should I buy it through Amazon.com, or Circuitcity.com? If both are avalible (I check quite often), does it make any difference?

 

[diehldun]

Also, what are the odds of having an ipod mini at the Apple Store? I, unfortunately, don't live near a flagship store (San Diego; just UTC or Fashion Valley). Last time I went to the UTC store, they had several mini (demos) on the counter. I remember even one saleslady was trying to sell me one, as they had some (not much) in stock. A pitty i didn't get it then...

 

[lasuther]

Also, what are the odds of having an ipod mini at the Apple Store? I, unfortunately, don't live near a flagship store (San Diego; just UTC or Fashion Valley). Last time I went to the UTC store, they had several mini (demos) on the counter. I remember even one saleslady was trying to sell me one, as they had some (not much) in stock. A pitty i didn't get it then...

I called an Apple store yesterday and they had silver minis in stock (novi, michigan). Thinking about getting one for a gift, but for some reason I'm hoping there will be a 10 gig mini by Christmas. I'd like to wait for that.

lasuther

 

[diehldun]

Well I will probably try the Apple Store here rather than on-line; already sold out on Amazon.com, Target, and CircuitCity.com

 

[diehldun]

Apple Store

I am going tomorow morning to the Apple Store (UTC and Fashion valley) to buy my iPod mini. Hopefully, it will be in stock (I will call). Otherwise...

 

[Kid Red]

Circuit City has a few from time to time. I just happened to check out the wesbite site one day, and low and behold they had blue ones. So I ordered two and sold them on ebay. (this was last week) The Blue ones lasted about 20 hours or so. Within a few more days the had silvers one too. So yeah its real. Good luck. BTW the ebay market isn't as trong as it used to be. I only got 30 bucks over what I paid plus tax on two of them! I was hoping for more. Oh well. Still not bad for buying and reselling really.

Wait, you're selling brand new iPods that are available down the street (when in stock) in several different places throughout the US and soon the world and online and because you only made $30 over the street price ebay is declining?

HAHA, why not try selling something used to gauge eBay's auction value. How do you expect there to be many idiots who will pay more then it's worth just to get it quicker? $30 over is too much to pay if you ask me and no direct correlation to eBay. Most use eBay to SAVE money, not PAY MORE.

 

[Kwyjibo]

A decent amount of people use ebay to find rare items or items you can't find other places. Over the last few motnhs ipod minis have gone for quite a bit on ebay because they were not avaible in other places. people were getting like 300+ at some points. Now that stock is coming into the channels it seems liek prices will fall to market value.

 

[Foxer]

Wait, you're selling brand new iPods that are available down the street (when in stock) in several different places throughout the US and soon the world and online and because you only made $30 over the street price ebay is declining?

HAHA, why not try selling something used to gauge eBay's auction value. How do you expect there to be many idiots who will pay more then it's worth just to get it quicker? $30 over is too much to pay if you ask me and no direct correlation to eBay. Most use eBay to SAVE money, not PAY MORE.

I don't think I understand what you're saying here. Are you surprised that eBay is used to sell things for above market? I sold two Minis on there a few weeks ago for $360 each. Why someone would pay that much considering that is almost the price of a 20 gig'er, I do not know. Twenty-something people on either coast are not people I understand (even though I was once one of them!).

 

[loubapache]

CC had the silver and blue available today for a few hours. I ordered one around 12:30 PM and by 6 PM, they shipped it. I have a tracking number showing a 3 lb package from HARRISBURG, PA.