Today should have been a happy day for Best Buy customers who pre-ordered their iPhone 5s for a launch day pickup. Instead, (at least some) customers were sent an email in the wee hours of the night informing them that they will now have to wait up to 28 days to get their phones!
With what seems like disingenuous sorrow in their heart Best Buy responded to customer inquiries about pre-ordered iPhone 5s with a very revealing form letter that makes it sound like they were left out of Apple’s exclusive retail iPhone pre-order club.
…there is no doubt that the fact you pre-ordered a phone from Best Buy means you will be able to buy it before any consumer trying to find one on their own.
Trust us, we will be able to get you the phone you want – maybe not as fast as you might want, but likely as fast as anyone else at this point.
And with those words, Best Buy customers are left scrambling to try to find a new iPhone 5 on launch day….good luck!
The real question is, WHEN did Best Buy know that they were not going to be receiving any launch day iPhone 5s and WHY did they keep reassuring customers that their orders were on the way, when they obviously were not. Yesterday (before the letter) reps started giving customers the run around say that ‘things may be stuck in customs’ (red flags anyone?). There is no mention of the iPhone 5 in this week’s Best Buy sales flier leading me to believe that they were never actually getting it. Though, I suspect we’ll never know the truth.
As of right now, Best Buy hasn’t offered any sort of compensation for this major inconvenience, meanwhile they still have $50 of pre-orderer’s money. It is likely that pre-order customers will also see their trade-in value quotes on their current iPhones expire before they receive their new devices, leading to an additional $50 to $100 loss in the process, unless they go phone-less for a month.
I feel really bad for these customers (of which my brother is one) and I think before this is all over, Best Buy is going to have to do some more damage control.
Here is the form letter in full:
Dear John Doe,
I know that you’re excited to get your new iPhone 5 and you can be sure we are as excited to sell it to you. Unfortunately, as of the night before the official launch, Best Buy® has not received enough of the specific model phone you ordered, and we will not have it available on launch day. You can be certain that we are working very hard to get you, as quickly as possible, the exact iPhone 5 model you pre-ordered. It could take as long as 28 days to find the iPhone you want. However, there is no doubt that the fact you pre-ordered a phone from Best Buy means you will be able to buy it before any consumer trying to find one on their own.
Trust us, we will be able to get you the phone you want – maybe not as fast as you might want, but likely as fast as anyone else at this point.
I really appreciate your patience and willingness to shop Best Buy. We look forward to getting you the phone you ordered with us.
If you have any questions, please call 1-888-BEST BUY (1-888-237-8289).
Sincerely,
Shawn Score
Senior Vice President
Best Buy
