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Walmart preorders are a joke, and always will be.

F

FlyingToaster

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 20, 2010
5
0
First, let me say that I have never been one to preorder anything, outside of Halo 3, of course. I’ve been a first adopter for new technology just once, and it was a terrible experience.


But this time, things were different. I could be heading out on a TDY any day now, for at least 5 weeks, and my faithful iPhone 4 was biting the bullet. Sometimes she wouldn’t hold a charge, other times she’d just turn off on me. It was time to upgrade, and so I was planning on staying up on Sept. 14th, waiting until my clock hit 1201, so I could preorder that beautiful new iPhone 5.

But then something tragic happened. For some reason, my ****** ISP, known as “Cox Cable” went all hay wire on me. I couldn’t connect, and then when I could, I’d get disconnected almost immediately. After staying up till 3AM, I still couldn’t get my internet to work. So I awoke the next morning in hopes of getting an order put in then, but nothing, nothing freaking worked. I was internetless…it was terrible.

Now, I had to do something, I couldn’t not preorder the iphone 5. I needed a new phone, and after playing with a friends SIII, I knew I didn’t want it.

So what did I do? Well, I made the biggest mistake of my life, and ordered an iPhone 5 from walmart. Perhaps the most messed up part of this story is how completely idiotic this system is…but I’ll touch more on that later…


I walked into the electronics department, and headed over to the wireless counter. “Can I help you”, the attended asked with a friendly smile. “Yes, I’d like to preorder the iPhone 5” I replied, “Sir, I don’t think we have the iPhone 5 in stock”

Now that should have been my queue, I should have GTFO, but alas, I continued to ask questions, and not too long after, I finally found someone who knew something about preordering the iPhone.

“Sir, you just buy this card, and then come back on launch day and pick up your iPhone”

“oh, they will be here on launch day?” I replied

“Absolutely sir” he said with a smile

So I gave them my $25, and was excited to see my new iphone 5 in just a short week.

After what seemed to be a lifetime, finally, the 21st of sept was here, and I awoke excited to go and get my iPhone 5…

Only it wasn’t there. They said there was a mistake and none of their iPhones had come in, but they would have them on Saturday, you best believe! So saturday rolls around and of course, there is nothing.

“We don’t know when they will get here.” One of the attendants told me. I shrugged, thought “Oh no big deal, my phone is still hanging in there” and left Walmart.

Monday rolls around, and I got a notification saying some walmarts are getting the iPhone 5 in, and that I should call my local store to find out more. So I gave them a call

“Hello, Electronics” the attended says

“Hello Mam, I’m just wondering if you have heard anything on when you are getting the iPhone 5 in?”

“I haven’t heard anything, but let me check with the manager”

At this point, I’m on hold for about 10 mins. No big deal, I’ve waited much longer for way more important things. I just want to get this phone before I have to leave for 5 weeks.

She comes back “Uh no sir, I’m sorry, but we have received information that the order was shipped, but we haven’t had anything arrive yet.”

“Ok, thank you so much!”

I hang up the phone… Oh well, I’ll call back tomorrow.

So today finally happens. I had a good feeling that my phone was waiting for me, sitting in a back warehouse, just waiting to be touched.

I call walmart, a lovely lady answers the phone “How may I direct your call?” she says, “Electronics please” I reply.


“Hello, electronics, how may I help you?” the attended says

“Hi, I’ve pre-ordered the iPhone 5 with you guys, and was wondering if you had gotten them in yet?”

“Oh yes, we have, but they aren’t in our system yet, we just opened up the wireless section, so let me get these put into the system and call back around 11”

It was 930AM, and I waited. Finally, I’m going to get my phone. Although I didn’t wait very long, but I was still excited none the less.

11AM rolls around, I totally missed it, and ended up calling around 1130AM.

“Thank you for calling walmart, how may I direct your call?” The attended says

“Yes, electronics please”


And then it rang, and rang, and rang, and no one answered. I tried back a little later, and no one answered.

“Crap”, I thought to myself “I bet they have all these iPhones in and everyone is so busy with it, they can’t answer the phone!”

“I better get down there!”

My wife needed to get a few things from walmart, so we loaded our two kids into the car, and headed out.

We get into walmart, I get the kids in the cart, and off I go to the electronics. Expecting to see a dozen people standing in line waiting to get their iPhones.

But, when I get there, I find the opposite. There isn’t one damn person. No one. So I wait, and wait, and wait…and finally someone comes out

“Sir, do you need some help?”

“Yes, I preordered an iPhone five, and was told they were here, and to call back at 11, but no one answered, so I just came in and was hoping it would be ready for pickup”

“Sir, we don’t have any iPhone5’s. But we do have the iPhone4S!” She said with a smirk.

“Mam, why would someone tell me you had my preordered iPhone 5, and lie?”

“Well sir, I don’t know, but I know we don’t have them. “

I walk off, shaking my head. Not sure as to what had happened, or what was going on.

And now I’m waiting. She said they will have them in by the end of the week, but I doubt that.
 
At this point I'd crawl up the managers ass and live there until I get my phone.


$25 or $.25 you paid money to receive this phone. Make sure they follow through on their end.
 
I'd preorder an iPhone X from my local non-chain gas station before I preordered from a Wal-Mart 'round here.

YMMV.
 
Honestly, I can understand going to BestBuy, Walmart or Radioshack to order the phone once they have them in stock but I can't understand why anyone would go there to pre-order the phone.
Second to BestBuy, walmart would be my LAST choice on phones (unless i was buying prepaid).
 
Was walmart you only choice? I would have hit a carrier or Apple, but you would at least known what you status was.
 
Sadly, yes. The At&T store wouldn't let me preorder an iPhone, they told me i could come out on launch day and wait in line to get a "golden ticket", and then pick up my iphone later that day.

But I had to work. Walmart was my only option. It was a giant mistake. I'm calling the manager now to try and get some more information.
 
I just walked into BB on the 21st and bought one. No preordering or anything. Hope this helps ;)
 
Well, I called them and talked to the manager. She said she had my iPhone. I was stoked! So I got up there, asked to speak to the manger, and she brought my phone. I noticed it was a white one, and I ordered a black one. "No big deal" I thought. I was just happy to see my phone.

Then she started the activation process. But for some reason, the serial was invalid.

Because it was a Verizon phone, and I'm on at&t. I checked the order log, and sure enough, I wrote down that I wanted a black iPhone with at&t. But they ordered a white iPhone with verizon.

So they refunded my money, and now I'm wondering how I will get a new phone. :(

This is the worst experience I have had. I've written them an email and we will see what comes of it.
 
FlyingToaster said:
Well, I called them and talked to the manager. She said she had my iPhone. I was stoked! So I got up there, asked to speak to the manger, and she brought my phone. I noticed it was a white one, and I ordered a black one. "No big deal" I thought. I was just happy to see my phone.

Then she started the activation process. But for some reason, the serial was invalid.

Because it was a Verizon phone, and I'm on at&t. I checked the order log, and sure enough, I wrote down that I wanted a black iPhone with at&t. But they ordered a white iPhone with verizon.

So they refunded my money, and now I'm wondering how I will get a new phone. :(

This is the worst experience I have had. I've written them an email and we will see what comes of it.
Click to expand...

Wow, I'm sorry. You just had bad luck in both ends... smh. Next time, just pre order in the first minutes of pre orders online at apple store and you wont have issues . Well, at least I didn't.
 
That is seriously insane! I mean, not for Walmart probably, but still! I would be writing corporate.
 
Bako-MacAddict said:
Wow, I'm sorry. You just had bad luck in both ends... smh. Next time, just pre order in the first minutes of pre orders online at apple store and you wont have issues . Well, at least I didn't.
Click to expand...

Didn't you see his first post? NO INTERNET ACCESS.

Although, the iPhone 4 using the Apple Store App might have been an option to try.
 
Dude I made the same mistake as you. Went in on Sunday morning after the pre order from appl sold out and found myself and my wife at the top of the pre order list. Slammed down $50 like there wa no tomorrow. Walked out feeling pretty damn good then realize this must be too good to be true. 2 days after pre order sells out and I'm at the top of another list.

Come on the forums and search walmarts. Users reported them gettin only one phone when 4s came out. Got nervous oh well. They said phones were coming in on the 19th and shows me the corporate memo to all stores. I go ok I'm at the top so ill chance it. Called on the 19, 20.. Phones haven't arrived yet. Called at 8am on the 21, still no phones. Says they now have no clue when they're coming in. Blames appl for changing the date on them.

I drive down to Walmart by 9am, return the worthless RSVP cards and head onto my local aapl store inside a mall. Walked out with two new phones by 11am. Done and never again Wmt. Waste of time an hope
 
So walmart refunded the preorder cards for you? Did they hassle you at all? I've had two cards myself since the Monday before release day and my store has no clue as to when the phones would be ready for pick up. I am tired of calling them and my email to corporate has gone ignored. I can understand the phone shortage but please don't claim to have the phones ready and create false promises by collecting $25 per phone when by the time the phones are available there will be plenty of stock. The other ridiculous part to this is that when I asked how the preorders would be filled the clerk told me they'll work off of a list and just go in order. When I bought my cards they started a new list and I was the first one on that list. It all seemed too good to be true and too easy. I should have known. Walmart needs to stay out the business of selling high demand items because they cannot manage their own stuff. I am planning to visit the store tomorrow and try returning these useless preorder cards.
 
Wow. That could be a lawsuit there?

First of all, for those who didn't know Walmart asked for a $25 deposit to pre-order the iPhone 5 and in return you also get a nice $10 discount on top of that plus a gift card for Vudu I think.

Yeah, I would be pretty furious myself if that happened to me. I actually suggested to a few of my friends to pre-order at Walmart because of that $10 discount (heck, it goes a long way with tax and all in the end).

I went to my local Walmart a few times already, they don't even have iPhone 5 cases up yet. I should've known they weren't a great source for cases because they never had much for the iPhone 4s to begin with. I basically wasted my time and efforts to fast-walk to the electronics section (always on the back of the store for some reason) in hopes for a decent case. I also noticed they have zero advertisements for the iPhone 5 set up at the store, nothing. And this was like long after the 21st.
 
I've preordered other phones at Walmart and Target and they always say, "oh sorry, the phone hasn't arrived" and I never ever have received a call to pick it up or even inform me of delay. Never trust these big box stores for preorders of anything. It's always better to either go to the manufacturer or the wireless carrier.

Also I hope you get your phone soon
 
ixodes said:
Steve Jobs personally set up the Walmart deal. As much as he's worshipped, I'm surprised theres so many haters bashing Walmart.
Click to expand...

Like I said, it is ok if you are going in there to buy an in stock phone with no weird account changes. If you are going to do a pre-order I would just wait until it is instock or just drive 4 hours to the nearest internet cafe and order it online !
 
I called my store again today and was once again told they didn't receive any phones. I asked if the preorder cards were in fact refundable and I was told they were. So after work I headed straight there, checked one last time with electronics and was again told no phones so I said I wanted to return the cards. The clerk asked if I was sure and I said absolutely, so he had me go to customer service where I got my $50 refunded with no hassle. There wasn't even a line at the counter!
The whole preorder topic has been a joke. I guess maybe its all part of the gimmick that Apple will announce the new phone yet won't have enough produced to meet the demand. How hard could it really be for them to have millions of phones ready to ship before making the big announcement?
 
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