Freg3000 said:
Mine left the FedEx ramp from Middleton at 11:39 PM, same time as you iGary. Since I didn't get a delay email, am I really supposed to believe that it will come today regardless? Apple says the FedEx info is wrong?
The reason this is such a problem for a lot of people, myself included is that Apple hyped the date. You know, Apple is pretty bad with shipping things on time, but generally "on time" is quite broad. The 17" PowerBook will ship in "February" and the 30" Display will be available in "August." Apple misses those dates all the time.
But when Apple gives you a date, like January 22 for availability of iLife '05, iWork '05, and the Mac mini, they meet that. It seemed like they would do the same for April 29. They said they would. They promised they would. But it seems like they just can't do it.
So whether you think we're being irrational because we didn't get out precious OS on time and we're demanding heads to roll, I'm sorry, but this is not your call. It's not up to you to say what my reaction should be. I think Apple dropped the ball on this one, plain and simple.
Hopefully, we'll all get our copies soon.
Our Fed Ex guy came, and he did not have anything, and we typically do not get any afternoon Fed Ex deliveries. So unless I get something before 3:00, I'm headed off to Clarendon to get in line.
I just e-mailed this to Apple, and sent hard copies to customer service, and to Steve, for what it matters. Probably won't mean a thing to them, but I did my duty as a customer.
To Whom it May Concern,
On April 12th I was happy to see the announcement for the release of OS X "Tiger" on Apple's Web site. At 8:58 a.m. EST I quickly and eagerly placed my order for a single-user copy, which was guaranteed to be delivered on the 29th, the release date for the operating system.
Today, April 29th, I sit here with a promised delivery date of May 2nd (empty handed), but have friends who ordered the software much later than me with the new software in their hands. Although I understand the complex logistics of shipping millions of copies of software, and I also understand that Apple picked up the shipping as an incentive, I have two machines that now sit without an OS that was promised to me on today's date.
I'm a huge Apple fan and supporter, but at this point, I have lost faith in the online store and will hesitate to do business there any longer. I certainly wouldn't recommend using the online store to any of my friends at this point, either.
So what does this mean for Apple? It means that I buy it from a reseller online, or I drive to the closest Apple Store to buy products when I need them. Let me guarantee you, the more difficult you make it for me to buy your products, the less of them I will buy. And I am one of your favorite type of customers; I tend to buy on impulse, and I'm lucky to have the means to do so.
I'm one person, a drop in the bucket I'm sure, but a customer who plans on making purchases with your company for a long time to come. Like many die-hard Apple fans, I've gladly referred many customers to you, and handed Apple at least two full-on Windows switchers. Incidents like this make me hesitate (even if just for a second) to promote Apple. This is where you lose out in the grand scheme of things. Word of mouth is your biggest asset. Losing this by not delivering on a promise is a big deal.
I understand that this is a one-time incident, and in the big picture, not so big a deal. I am however a customer, and I'm disappointed, which I'm sure is not your ultimate goal in doing business.
Best Regards,
Gary Reich
