I spoke to 4 different advisors yesterday and all but one said they are expecting more phones in on 13th November.
I asked them to explain to me what 'in stock' actually means as I was quite annoyed to be led to think the phone I wanted was in stock when I ordered. I explained it seems dishonest for an online shop to indicate an item as 'in stock', allow you to add it to your basket, and then quote you an estimated delivery time of 2 days from the order, all before comitting and paying for it. It is leading the customer to believe they are ready to go and getting them to sign up.
One advisor agreed that it how it could appear. He told me that alrhough it says 'in stock', it doesn't necessarily mean in stock for you, the buyer adding it to their online basket to buy. He said if the website says they are in stock then they probably are, but they will be going to people already waiting for them. So essentially they are in stock whilst they fulfil orders submitted already. I reiterated that this is dishonest - why bother putting them as 'in stock' at all if they are earmarked to fulfil previous orders still waiting?! It would seem to be a sales tactic - you order one and you essentially join the queue. The 'in stock' indication is completely pointless and no indication of anything. If they put 'reserve one' instead of that, I would respect it a bit more as you know where you stand.
Another advisor explained that when stock is delivered, some is apportioned to new customers, some for upgrading customers and some for o2 staff to stock the o2 staff shop. My local shop told me the phone I ordered is available and ready in the o2 staff shop but nowhere else. No good for me then as I'm not staff. I asked the advisor if new customers are given preferential treatment over existing customers upgrading. He said they try to do it fairly. I suggested they do it on a first come first serve basis, regardless of whether you are new or upgrading. Custom is custom after all.
I spoke to another advisor on live chat to see what his explanation of in stock meant. He wasn't sure but could only confirm they expect more stock oon 13th November though there is no guarantee I will get one of them if they are already distributed to people waiting. He offered to refresh my order to make it go faster (I found that funny...no amount of refreshing will speed up a delivery batch from Apple!) One of the other advisers said this was rubbish and he wasn't sure what that person was on about as my order hadn't been touched and refreshing it wouldn't have any effect.
At the end of the day it is just a phone. I am more annoyed at the way o2 are selling it though. It seems dishonest and, to me anyway, tricking people into thinking they will get their order sooner rather than later as it is 'in stock'. The time factor could be the decider of someone going to another network that does have them in stock, so it is also a customer retention method. Thry may struggle to get the phones from the manufacturer but o2 needn't trick the customer. Why not just be honest o2? Instead of 'in stock' say, 'reserve one now' that way we know where we stand.
I should add, I was courteous and pleasant to all advisors I spoke to. After all it isn't their fault o2 has chosen to sell things this way.
