No iPhones at Best Buy on Launch Day?

[Paul Daniel Ash]

According to a purported "mini launch guide" leaked by someone inside Best Buy, pre-ordering an iPhone 4 does not mean you'll get a phone on launch day: June 24. The "Employee News" bulletin also says that "inventory quantities are still being determined" in contradiction to reports that each Best Buy retail location would be getting 45 phones on launch day.

A poster on Howard Chui's HowardForums site going by the name of BBInsider put up scans of the bulletin, which was dated Monday, June 14: the day before pre-orders (or "pre-sales" in Best Buy jargon). The text of the bulletin notes that employees may have seen SKUs (stock-keeping units, i.e. inventory numbers) for the different iPhone 4 models and the new iPhone 3GS 8GB, and explains that "while this information is directionally accurate," (???) "it doesn't mean those are the quantities that will be available on launch day."

The news bulletin specifically instructs employees to "not make appointments or promises with customers relating to dates and product availability." This admonition is highlighted in bold, so it's a shame that the sales rep who promised me I'd get an iPhone on June 24 while taking my pre-order either didn't read that part or ignored it.

The bulletin seems legit, as it's full of sales jargon and features the punctuation-FAIL "Reserve Your's TODAY" signup sheet. And given how badly the iPhone launch has gone in general so far it makes sense that Best Buy would find a way to add to the screw-up.

[MooShoo]

More bad news!

With all the hype of the stolen iPhone, the major success of the iPad, the introduction of a new iPhone design and the debut of Video Conferencing for the device, ONE WOULD HAVE GUESSED THAT THE DEMAND WOULD BE OUTRAGEOUS!

I understand there was no definite why to determine the exact amount requested but you know that millions will be purchased by the end of the year. JUST MAKE THE DAMN THINGS! The iPad sold 2 Million Units in 59 Days. That is 3 per second. Isn't that a direct quote from Steve Jobs himself?

Get with it Apple! We are a bunch of idiots that want to give you more money....Hand over fist!

MAKE MORE iPHONES!!!!

[ownerofspam]

And this is why Wal-Mart will take over the world.

I see iPhone 4's going for over 2 grand on E-bay on the 25th. This will be...great?

[Blade600rr06]

Imagine that!

[thetoothfairy]

I have never seen such organized confusing in my life..... how sad

[PhoneLine]

Apple probably ended up over-selling what they allotted on their own site, now they are going to short the other retailers to make sure all the pre-orders which went in via apple.com do get processed.

[brant8624]

WTF. Best buy............ Seems like no where to pre-order a iphone 4 was the BEST place to BUY from. Well I did pre-order mine from best buy, and a white one too... N I got stormed on on the way home from best buy bc I decided to take my so I can get there faster. They Better come through with my white iPhone on June 24th

[wolverinemarky]

thank god the white ones arent out yet lol

[PhoneLine]

Not even anyone from apple is getting a white one on the 24th. Them taking orders was a goof on their part, which is why they were told to stop taking pre-orders on the white.

I wish you luck, but highly doubt you'll get a white phone. Maybe you can get them to give you some free accessories or something for messing up if you don't.

[ownerofspam]

WTF. Best buy............ Seems like no where to pre-order a iphone 4 was the BEST place to BUY from. Well I did pre-order mine from best buy, and a white one too... N I got stormed on on the way home from best buy bc I decided to take my so I can get there faster. They Better come through with my white iPhone on June 24th

I thought nobody was getting a white one for a long while?

[erawsd]

Ultimately, it doesn't matter. 99% of the people who were excited enough to pre-order is going to hand their monies over to apple no matter how bad this gets.

[jbreak23]

I hope Best Buy gets at least 45. I was number 3 for the pre-order, so my name should be at the top of the list.

[mj0528]

hopefully the store i pre ordered mine at gets at least 5 phones so mine can be fulfilled

[MooShoo]

WTF. Best buy............ Seems like no where to pre-order a iphone 4 was the BEST place to BUY from. Well I did pre-order mine from best buy, and a white one too... N I got stormed on on the way home from best buy bc I decided to take my so I can get there faster. They Better come through with my white iPhone on June 24th

I think you are going to get hosed on your notion of getting a white iPhone 4 on launch day. I'm gonna say 100% sure.

Apple Stores and Apple Online are not selling them on launch day so I am going to say that you need to go back to Best Buy, raise hell and make sure they get you a black one if you want the phone on June 24th.

[Bronxboy99]

I pre-ordered mine from Best Buy and the day when I pre ordered the sales rep specifically said "I can assure you that you'll get one on the 24th, you and your fiancé are 13 and 14. She ordered the white 16GB. The following day I found out about Best Buy not receiving word from Apple that they weren't selling white iPhone and I wanted to make sure that could exchange it for the black 16GB. The sales rep said yes and then I asked if I was still in the clear to make sure I do get one and she change her words from yesterday. Instead, she said "I can't 100% garantee you but I have a pretty good feeling you will" well, feelings doesn't cut it. She said she'll call me Wednesday, to setup an appointment for the following day(24th) to pick it up. If in case she doesn't then I going to camp out in Radio Shack and hopefully get my hands on it. I hope it's not going to go down like that people all of the mess is really taking a toll on people's perception on how Apple runs a business. Soon enough people won't trust what they say because they can't back it up with their actions and others will fall right aside of them such as AT&T and Best Buy. Only time will tell!

[erawsd]

On a related note, I wonder how many Radioshack will get?

[mvppadilla]

ill better join that guy camping in texas if i want an i4 on the 24th...walmart here i come

On a related note, I wonder how many Radioshack will get?

i asked and they said that there's no guarantee that they'll have any on the 24th

[darth2499]

this is why i reserved mine at Apple. AT&T GONE, Best Buy GONE, Walmart GONE (Maybe), what next? Apple stop selling the iPhone 4 at all?

[monchy36]

this is why i reserved mine at Apple. AT&T GONE, Best Buy GONE, Walmart GONE (Maybe), what next? Apple stop selling the iPhone 4 at all?

Careful what you ask for... Got mine from apple too, i receive my confirmation even on the Apple status site show my order, i paid with 2 cards but today one of it show the money back... so don't know what's going on but i think i'll be camping Wednesday night..

[wareagle5693]

You people are all crazy.. no reason to camp out for a freakin phone. Oh my God you might not get your phone the day it comes out. Big freakin deal wait a day or two....