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Angry customers after iPhone 3G at Apple and O2 stores

By: Daniel Chubb | July 11, 2008 | 7 Comments

Angry customers after iPhone 3G

Today has seen more angry phone customers than in a long time and it’s down to their need for an Apple iPhone 3G, we have heard many reports first hand of customers leaving Apple and O2 stores feeling disappointed.

We knew that the iPhone 3G launching in 22 countries today would leave each country with less stock than needed, this is to the massive demand for the iPhone 3G and surely this is a good thing for Apple.

Who are these disappointed shoppers blaming for their need for an iPhone 3G not being fulfilled?

Can you really blame the stores like Apple, O2 and Carphone Warehouse for not having enough phones as these stores requested iPhone 3G’s and never got the amount they wanted thanks to demand.

Also could it be Apple’s fault really, they have launched in 22 countries and no matter how many iPhone 3G’s they make I cannot see them making enough to meet today’s demand.

As we reported before, O2 had 13,000 orders a second at one point on their pre-order day earlier this week, who can meet that demand?

Just like the Nintendo Wii before it, I feel Apple had an impossible task at meeting the demand for iPhone 3G and it will take some time before everyone who wants one, can go out and get the next generation iPhone easily.

Would these countries of waited for a launch date later this year so Apple could meet demand?

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  • Dan

    I was awake at 3am and outside an O2 store just before 5am to ensure I got my hands on one and I was 5th in the queue. The guy who was first was there at 11pm the night before!

    It goes to show if you were serious and realistic enough, you’ll probably have one by the end of the day. Another thing, alot of people after the 16gig will end up with an 8 for now because most people are opting for the 16. And the white one which looks pretty sweet doesn’t come out until later this year so your better off getting one at the end of the summer anyway!

    (I’ll be be very upset if I see any bids on ebay at £200+ for a 3G Iphone)

  • AM

    The main problem appears to be the O2 website – I’ve just got back from the local Apple store (without an iPhone) where they’ve only managed to process 6 (yes, thats right, six!) phones in 4 hours. Someone at O2 should hang their head in shame (and then get fired!). They must know how many stores they have, how many they can process in each store etc, etc – its not rocket science and they should’ve been able to predict how much traffic their servers would need to process. Absolute shambles….

  • Gary Y

    I don’t understand why we have this issue. It’s just a phone with some other gadgets built in!!!
    It doesn’t cure cancer, it doesn’t stop wars, it doesn’t save the planet (I think you get the idea). Don’t get me wrong, I love a good gadget but I can’t think of one that I would stand outside a shop for hours on end to buy and get really angry when they are sold out. GET A GRIP.

  • Adam

    I went to my local small carphone warehouse and was the first and only person in the queue. They had only two 8gb handsets for sale and no 16gb. I waited from 8:45 for an hour and a half while they tried to process my credit check. At that point I had to leave for work without an iphone. I got a call about 1pm saying my credit check had finally gone through. Surely they should’ve expected a rush and been able to cope with the extra demand on their systems.

  • Dave

    “Disaster” is too weak a word for what happened in London today.

    It was complete chaos in the Apple Store on Regent Street this AM; I entered the store at 8:10AM and didn’t leave until almost 1PM.

    O2 staff at the store were arrogant and argumentative.

    Apple staff were great, but couldn’t do much to address the failing of their “partner”.

    O2, I’m going to claim one month’s free service from you, otherwise I will take this to Trading Standards, OFCOM or whomever I can find that regulates you.

    I’ve seen startup that performed better on day one.

    Total BS.

  • JJ

    Gary Y, I totally agree. What moron would want to queue (in some cases overnight) to be the first to own a gadget? A GADGET. It’s no wonder the West is seen as materialistic. Those people were like vultures this morning!

  • Fabianne

    JJ, it is funny how you act in a discriminatory way when you say WEST! Well we are proudly the WEST. The part of the world responsible for the most important cultural and technological developments in human history. Most of these people you call “vultures” are “westerners” workers who provide the fuel for the everyday businesses, so then you can live and have a job here in the WEST. Wake up!

    By the way… I do think it is stupidity queueing for hours to get a hold of a mobile. Jeez… what is wrong with these people?