Re: Frustration with Verizon not making expected ship dates
EndersRapture
Enthusiast - Level 2

Finally got an email just now, at 7:30 pm 9/24 (the 'ship date') moving it to 10/7. I ordered at 12:20AM, and saw on the message board of people getting phones that ordered theirs at 12:30 or after. I have no idea how Verizon is choosing to ship their iphones, or how they somehow miscounted their inventory when scheduling shipping dates, but I am not happy. Thanks for telling me 4 days later Verizon, ensuring I didn't go to Apple or Radioshack last friday to have a chance to buy one.

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Re: Frustration with Verizon not making expected ship dates
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Hello Marie_St
Congratulations on the purchase of your new iPhone!  I know you are going to love this phone!  As you can imagine, the demand from this phone is so great that it has cause some unexpected shipping delays.  I’m so sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you.  I know how excited you must be to get it!  I want to assure you that you will receive your phone just as soon as possible, and you will be receiving a new email with the correct shipping date.


JoeL_VZW

Please follow us on twitter @vzwsupport

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Re: Frustration with Verizon not making expected ship dates
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

Congratulations on the purchase of your new iPhone!  I know you are going to love this phone!  As you can imagine, the demand from this phone is so great that it has cause some unexpected shipping delays.  I’m so sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you.  I know how excited you must be to get it!  I want to assure you that you will receive your phone just as soon as possible, and you will be receiving a new email with the correct shipping date. -Tamara

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Re: Frustration with Verizon not making expected ship dates
Marie_st
Enthusiast - Level 2

I am glad that you know I am going to love this phone, because right now, I certainly do not. 

These shipping delays are not unexpected.  You knew about them before you ever sold me the phone.  I will not be getting the phone as soon as possible, because all of your reps have reported different information, and one of them mistakenly cancelled my order.  When I called back, they had to reissue the order, and although they claim that I have been put back in at that time, the new order is dated 9/24, not 9/20.  The shipping person recommended that I change colors to receive the phone earlier, yet you claim that my original order of the 16 gb gold phone would have shipped by 10/4, and my new order of a silver phone says shipping by 10/15. 

I have been given no compensation for this delay, and I received a bill today for service that is $40 higher than before, as I had to change my plan to accomodate the phone that I do NOT have.  I'm not happy at all. 

If I find another phone available prior to shipment, I will be purchasing it elsewhere, although that is unlikely.  Had I known that my phone was not going to be shipped as promised, I would have purchased it at 3 am through APPLE, who have shipped their preorders from that time.  I trusted you, and you broke that trust for me, and for thousands of others.  You claim that it will be shipped as soon as possible, and blame APPLE, but the blame is yours, and yours alone, for selling phones that you did not have in your possession.  This was not a preorder, but a sale.  Shame on you.

Re: Frustration with Verizon not making expected ship dates
Marie_st
Enthusiast - Level 2

Okay - end update. 

I ordered my phone at 3:00 am on Friday, received confirmation email at 3:16 EST.  I ordered a gold 16 gb Iphone 5s.  Ship date reported was 9/24.  My card was never charged, and I never received an email or updated website to indicate anything different.  Talked to a rep on 9/23 to verify that my credit card information was correct.  She said their order dept was processing and shipping orders and that it would be overnighted to ensure that I would have it, since it had already been 4 days, and processing usually takes 1-3 days.  Obviously, that's not what happened. 

On 9/24 at 1 pm, after verifying that the card had still not been charged, and the website still stated that it would be shipped by 9/24, I called to speak to a representative.  After half an hour, with no information, and no compensation, the representative told me that it wouldn't be shipped until 10/14.  I was angry and said I should cancel the order.  The rep actually cancelled  the order.  When I arrived home, I had an email that the order had been cancelled - still no email changing the shipping date.  I was given a phone number to call if this was in error.  I called, and they explained that the order was cancelled.  When I told them this was unacceptable, I was transferred to a shipping floor manager.  We had a long discussion, and he explained that they had NO phones in stock - they had all been shipped.  When I told him I didn't care about color (I use a case - would have chosen differently had I known they didn't have the phones.) he created a new order for a 16 gb phone in silver.  He said that the silver lead time was slightly shorter than the gold or gray.  I was concerned that I had lost my position in line, since my original order had been cancelled.  He assured me that he would ensure that it was placed back in my original order position at the front of the line.  Although the email confirmation for the silver order said it would ship on 10/15, he had told me 10/7, and to my great surprise, my card was charged yesterday, and I received shipping notification that the phone had shipped on 9/26.  Apparently the mgr. did follow through on his promise.  Sadly, it wasn't shipped overnight, so my 2 day shipping will become 4, due to the weekend.  I should have my phone on Monday, Sept. 30th, 1 week later than promised. 

While I am happy to have my phone on its way, I am very disappointed in the lack of communication and clarity that Verizon Wireless has shown.  I also think that my $30 upgrade fee should be waived (it was not).  They sold phones that they did not possess, and told multiple different false stories to cover up their wrongdoing.  They have lost the trust of many customers. 

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Re: Frustration with Verizon not making expected ship dates
Freakinwill
Newbie
Gee, climbing mountains. Well despite going through the gauntlet of misinformed reps and not getting your original order, I'm glad you're getting some type of device already!
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Re: Frustration with Verizon not making expected ship dates
jroeder
Specialist - Level 2

You guys can't blame this on Verizon. They don't say it will ship ON 09/24 or whenever it is. They say it will ship BY 09/24. Many people bought this phone and they are filling orders as the come in. You order it, Verizon tells Apple, Apple ships it to Verizon and then Verizon ships it to you. At least your not paying for shipping. It does become very frustrating that your told one date and get another. That always makes me upset. However delays happen, especially since this is the most ordered phone out right now. Once you get your phone it will be worth the wait and you all know it Smiley Happy thats why you haven't cancelled the order and bought a GS4 or a iPhone 4s. Just don't be to hard on Verizon, they are churning them out as quick as possible.

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Re: Frustration with Verizon not making expected ship dates
DB222
Enthusiast - Level 2

I'm pretty sure the $30 upgrade fee and the $199, $299, or $399 probably cover the shipping.  If we don't blame Verizon, who do we blame?  Blame needs to be placed somewhere.  Somebody screwed up.  If someone didn't screw up, I would have my phones.  Placing blame will make them try harder next time around.

Re: Frustration with Verizon not making expected ship dates
Marie_st
Enthusiast - Level 2

Actually, we can.  The shortage of phones was known to the companies from the beginning. 

Ship "by" means that is the latest date that it will ship, and that it may ship EARLIER. 

Ship "on" means that is the actual date it will ship. 

This was not a "preorder."  They did preorders for the 5c, beginning on Wed. the 18th.  Those were not available to ship until the 20th.  This was a release date. 

Verizon should have been selling phones they actually had in their possession.  As has happened with all prior launches, as the inventory is used up, they use a projected shipping inventory from Apple (or other manufacturer) to adjust the dates as the earlier phones are spoken for.  Yes, there is often a delay, which Verizon cannot control, but it should have been communicated to the customer at the time of the order. 

I ordered an HTC Incredible back in the early days of Android from Verizon.  I did have to wait, as supplies of that phone were limited as well.  The projected ship date was communicated to me AT the time of the order.  I chose to wait the 3-4 weeks until they were in stock, and I was okay with that, as it was my choice. 

Verizon is to blame for this misunderstanding - because of their inability to manage the inventory/computer system.  They certainly knew on 9/20 that they had not received the number of phones expected, as they did begin shipping that day.  They changed the dates throughout the day, but the early order people had every right to expect the phone to be delivered as promised.  This is not Apple's fault - it's Verizon's fault. 

Communication was difficult at every level.  Maybe they have grown too fast, but the departments aren't talking to each other, and the customer service reps may have made better use of their time updating inventory systems, and sending out automatic emails to the affected customers.  I know I was on the phone with reps for at least 4-5 hours in total.  That's a lot of wasted time, and I am just one of thousands of disappointed customers. 

Re: Frustration with Verizon not making expected ship dates
mpc8240
Enthusiast - Level 3

Good for you, finally.

So the squeaky wheel gets the grease, as always. My order confirmation was before you, and among the two I ordered one is silver. But black hole is all I got...

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