AT&T, O2 post updates on iPhone 3G stock situation, promise they don't have a secret cache
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jeff @ Jul 24th 2008 12:10PM
I know someone who works in the Business Channel of AT&T - they were told there were plenty of iPhones before the launch. I find it incredible that they are so badly out of stock.
Seems like this certainly was bigger than Apple expected. Stock Shortage, Server Problems, Activation Issues.... Apple was not prepared enough for this. I wouldn't say it was a flop or the downfall of Apple - but it certainly made them take a hit. They are known for getting things right and working - and that just did not happen as well as it should have this time.
Rich @ Jul 24th 2008 12:50PM
I think if you average all three phones 8gig, 16gig B and 16gig W you will get it in around two weeks but it is more like a couple days for the 8gig and 16gig W but three plus weeks for the 16gig B.
Veraxus @ Jul 24th 2008 12:54PM
I was in the AT&T store yesterday placing an order for a 16GB phone (I managed to secure an 8GB on launch day with promises I could exchange in a couple weeks when supply was back up), and was told that there was a 9-20 wait for a Black 16GB or a 4 day wait for a white 16GB. Since I didn't give a rats ass either way (as if my phone isn't wrapped in a sexy-sleek Marware Flip Vue case, anyway) I went ahead and ordered the white.
The moral of this story - if you aren't so stubborn that you absolutely MUST have a black iPhone, it can be yours in under a week. IMO, they're both equally as attractive, so whatevs.
Erik @ Jul 24th 2008 1:08PM
I don't know if I just got extremely lucky or what, but I placed a direct fulfillment order at my local AT&T store Sunday (7/20) and on Tuesday (2/22) afternoon I got a call telling me my iPhone was ready for pickup! I was totally expecting it to take 2+ weeks to come in based on what I read in the news, so I hadn't even backed up my previous phone yet.
I picked it up yesterday and am extremely pleased. Too bad AT&T screwed up and my voicemail is inaccessible right now. When a call goes to voicemail it says "This voicemail box has not been setup yet". I went to the AT&T store and they were useless. Told me I had to go to an Apple store. Hopefully I can get this resolved soon.
Jeff @ Jul 24th 2008 1:58PM
It's your visual voicemail. Nothing AT&T or Apple can do about it - but they should have warned you. Visual Voicemail on the iPhone is different than regular voicemail. It completely resets your old voicemail. It deletes all your old messages, resets all settings, and you start from square one.
AT&T is telling people 2 weeks to prepare you. It could be 2 days, but it could take up to 2 weeks.
youngcalihottie @ Jul 25th 2008 7:13AM
ya they should have told you it would reset your vm. but why did you go to the store? just follow the prompts on your phone and it will walk you through setting it up. you have to actually listen to what it says instead of just hanging up as soon as you hear the recording. theres nothing to resolve except following the setup prompts on your phone. and no, there is absolutely no way for them to get your greeting or messages back.
Erik @ Jul 25th 2008 1:53PM
The thing is it would not prompt me to setup my voicemail. It would just say "the number you have dialed has not setup it's voicemail box. Goodbye!" and hangup. Normally with AT&T you dial 1 and it connects you and prompts you for setup. But dialing 1 on the iPhone doesn't do sh!t. It just gives an error.
I ended up taking it to the Apple store and they told me I had to hit the star key real quick before it hangs up. After a few tries it worked and then I was guided through the prompts. The Apple Genius even gave me a free screen protector (he had removed the film that originally came on the phone, with my permission).
On another note, I forgot to mention that I think the reason I got my phone so fast is that I bought the 16GB White version. I like the white and when I ordered it I figured it is less popular so I should get it faster. Turns out I was right.
Nathan @ Jul 24th 2008 1:34PM
I ordered a 16 GB White and they told me it'd probably be about a week or two before I could see the phone, it came in the store in 3 days.
eman @ Jul 24th 2008 1:44PM
I find it interesting that the Apple stores are almost never out and have way more than the AT&T stores do.
David Robison @ Jul 25th 2008 12:06AM
I heard an AT&T salesperson say that the company was keeping the release attenuated because they wouldn't be able to afford the commissions to all their sales people if they dropped all the phones at once. This sounds a little fishy to me, but who knows?
I got my white one four days after ordering it (receiving it one week after the launch).
youngcalihottie @ Jul 25th 2008 7:13AM
umm what is there to be surprised about?
theres like 10 apple stores and 10 million att stores.
(exaggerating of course, but u get the point)
of course if you have fewer stores there will be larger quantities and if you have more stores there will be fewer quantities.
you would be surprised at how much of the general population doesnt even know there are apple stores! most peoples first thought would be "i need a new phone, i will go to the phone store to get it."
Mark Jenkins @ Jul 24th 2008 2:28PM
I am curious how many of those phones are "in transit".
Here is why I ask: I was put on direct fulfillment on day 1 (July 11th @10am), and told the phone was in the warehouse and would arrive in 3 to 5 days. 7 days later, with my direct fulfillment still on backorder, I walked into an Apple store and purchased one on the spot. There is no question that Apple kept the lion's share of the inventory for itself. When I tried to cancel my direct fulfillment I was told I had to wait until it arrived in the store to "return" it. So I waited. 3 days later, I got th call that my direct fulfillment had arrived. When I "returned" it, the guy next to me asked the store if he could buy it. He was told no because this had my name on it and had to be returned to the warehouse.
SO, at least one 16G Black was shipped from the warehouse to the store AFTER I tried to cancel my order. It rode the truck all the way to MN just so I could return it and have it get back on a truck and go to another warehouse. If this is happening one phone at a time, there have to be quite a few, maybe hundreds (more?) of iPhones riding around on planes and trucks for no reason. I know this isn't even remotely significant to AT&T or Apple, but hundreds of phones, thousands of dollars in shipping expense, and all the wasted paperwork are significant to a small business owner who wishes he could throw away that much money without having a coronary.
youngcalihottie @ Jul 25th 2008 7:13AM
lol! its crazy when u think about it, isnt it?
but thats just how "the system" works.
you now caused att to have a "returned" phone.
it is going to be re-born one day as a "refurbished" iphone thanks to you.
:oP
you wouldve been better off selling it to the guy for cash instead of returning it. got a premium for him not having to get a contract. on ebay theyre also selling for more than u paid + any etf. shoulda resold it.
Jeff @ Jul 24th 2008 3:19PM
This is sad, but true. Once a phone is shipped - it cannot be cancelled. The information is tied to your account, and the computer needs to recognize that the phone has been returned. You'd think a better system would have been developed by now.
youngcalihottie @ Jul 25th 2008 7:14AM
there has to be another way and they just didnt know how to do it.
because what happens if someone never comes to get it? they have to just cancel it out as never picked up at some point. seems like they couldve just done that.
Paco Loco @ Jul 25th 2008 8:55AM
There is no "other" way unfortunately once the DF has shipped to the store. Sad fact, the phone will sit in the store for 10 days then returned back to the warehouse. After that the customer again needs to wait up to 7 days for a refund.
Mark, the store could have agreed to activate the phone to the person who offered to buy it from you. Unless of course that person was NOT eligible for the discounted price YOU paid. Then of course they would have to deny it.
jcurran01 @ Aug 3rd 2008 9:29AM
I'm pissed because I can't get phone with the preferred pricing unless I "extend my upgrade"
The AT&T people said do that at the Apple store.
.....I waited in line.
Apple said "you have to go to AT&T for that. you cant do it here. I know we have Iphones but I cant sell it to you for that price."
Now, if I want one I have to wait for AT&T to get the phones, I might as just as well wait for my extention date!