A question for any VZW employee or anyone who has recently been in a VZW store

[chimpy]

Is the Incredible heavily backordered at all Verizon stores?

I want to pick this phone up on Tuesday next week (5/11), but I checked Verizon's website and it said that the phone is backordered until 5/21.

So I called my local Verizon store and the rep on the phone there said that normally the website's inventory isn't reflective of what they have, but for this phone, it's true and won't be at their store until 5/21.

However, I know that the programs retail employees use to go through their store's inventories are highly inaccurate, as they'll get a shipment in of something and they won't update their own inventory right away. So they'll tell me something isn't available when it's just sitting in the backroom and no one has gotten around to updating the SKU's yet. I've had several past instances at other stores where I'll call and a kid will tell me they don't have a product, and I'll go into the store later that day and it'll be sitting on the shelf.

So is this phone really backordered or not?

 

[jayjay1122]

Is the Incredible heavily backordered at all Verizon stores?

I want to pick this phone up on Tuesday next week (5/11), but I checked Verizon's website and it said that the phone is backordered until 5/21.

So I called my local Verizon store and the rep on the phone there said that normally the website's inventory isn't reflective of what they have, but for this phone, it's true and won't be at their store until 5/21.

However, I know that the programs that retail employees use to go through their store's inventories are highly inaccurate, as they'll get a shipment in of something and they won't update their own inventory, so they'll tell me something isn't available when it's just sitting in the backroom and no one has gotten around to updating the SKU's yet. I've had several past instances at other stores where I'll call and a kid will tell me they don't have a product, and I'll go into the store later that day and it'll be sitting on the shelf.

So is this phone really backordered or not?

I walked into my local store on Wednesday just to look at this phone and walked out with one 20 minutes later. My store had 10 left! I agree with your concern about what they tell you over the phone...

I would just walk in...

 

[chimpy]

I walked into my local store on Wednesday just to look at this phone and walked out with one 20 minutes later. My store had 10 left! I agree with your concern about what they tell you over the phone...

I would just walk in...

Ok thanks.

I'm planning on calling on Monday afternoon anyway.

 

[Saltedpeanut]

I walked into my local verizon store to get an incredible yesterday and they were sold out of them. Best buy had a couple, but they were charging $600 for them.

 

[seVer]

I walked into my local store on Wednesday just to look at this phone and walked out with one 20 minutes later. My store had 10 left! I agree with your concern about what they tell you over the phone...

I would just walk in...

as it goes- YMMV. The same thing happens with all sorts of different devices. How many people scoured an entire city (or 2 or 3....) for a Wii, just to walk in to some random Target and there were 10 sitting there??

Best practice- call store first, ask them to hold if they do, and get there before close of business.

 

[CRPercodani]

Best Buy in Amherst,MA had some but the VZW corp store across/down the road didn't. The authorized reseller near my house has 4.

 

[bogatyr]

I went to the store by my apartment and they were out last Sunday. They told me they were unlikely to have any anytime soon and other stores would have the same problem. I asked them to check with other stores in the area anyways, then a few minutes later I walked out with a list of 4 stores and their current count of phones in inventory. I called the first one on the list and they still had one that they held for me while I drove there.

Moral of the story: Ask your nearest store to check inventory at the other stores in the area and then call those and reserve one. Also Best Buy and other Verizon resellers may have them on hand too.

 

[DRW315]

Definitely go into the store and ask. I was in the store last Saturday morning, and they didn't have any in stock. I called around and was told the entire district wad sold out. Later in the day I went back to the same store to order two Incredibles, and they apparently got some in; I walked out with two. Like someone said in an earlier post, YMMV.

 

[JoePT]

I believe stores and "warehouses" are completely different inventories. I think the internet orders come from a completely different system than "in-store."

 

[jayjay1122]

as it goes- YMMV. The same thing happens with all sorts of different devices. How many people scoured an entire city (or 2 or 3....) for a Wii, just to walk in to some random Target and there were 10 sitting there??

Best practice- call store first, ask them to hold if they do, and get there before close of business.

YMMV Definitely!

 

[alison03]

I went to the store by my apartment and they were out last Sunday. They told me they were unlikely to have any anytime soon and other stores would have the same problem. I asked them to check with other stores in the area anyways, then a few minutes later I walked out with a list of 4 stores and their current count of phones in inventory. I called the first one on the list and they still had one that they held for me while I drove there.

Moral of the story: Ask your nearest store to check inventory at the other stores in the area and then call those and reserve one. Also Best Buy and other Verizon resellers may have them on hand too.

Agreed. In Seattle we called a couple Verizon stores asking about the silicone case. Nobody had em. Finally one helpful lady said she'd check the inventory for all of the local stores and told me which location had some in. So yeah, same applies for the phone itself. Have them look it up and I'm sure they can tell you where/how many.

I do know that all the stores we dropped by at (to look at accessories...had to check out the new car dock they had on display) the reps said the Incredibles sold out on the 1st day and they haven't got more in (as of Wed). A few of them said they regretted their Droid purchase

 

[jlb0305]

In Philly they had some at my local store, but they were all reserved units that were waiting to be picked up. (This was Wed 5/5 when I went to get a case).

They had even pulled the display unit and said they would put it back up when they had more in stock. The reps were pushing the Droid to make a sale since they didn't have any incredibles. The one rep answered the phone while I was at the counter and complained that she was tired of getting calls to see if they had any in stock.

Cases were even out of stock. Lucky for me the guy showed they had just gotten a shipment of them in so he opened the box to sell it to me.

 

[DroidPower]

From what i understand, stores do not know when or how many INCREDIBLES their getting, a friend who works at verizon whom i purchased my phone from, told me this yesterday when i took my cousin there to upgrade. When they receive a shipment and open boxes, then they discover their inventory.

Find out when the store gets shipments in, the store i went to gets their shipments/stock on tuesday, so tuesday morning tuesday afternoon would be a good time for me to call or stop by, check with your store. My cousin is in a holding pattern right now... and he said it sucks... lol.

 

[nekoki]

I walked into my local store on Wednesday just to look at this phone and walked out with one 20 minutes later. My store had 10 left! I agree with your concern about what they tell you over the phone...

I would just walk in...

You are lucky. Every store within a 15 mile radius of me is sold out. Going to try branching out farther today. Willing to drive up to an hour each way if I can find someone who has it in stock.

 

[ANDROID_LOVER]

In the Metro Detroit area, I called 14 corporate stores yesterday and NONE had them and wouldn't even receive shipments until 5/19 at the EARLIEST. Needless to say, yesterday was the day I finally got my $100 NE2 credit, and i couldn't use it because no one had it in stores, and the online store had it shipping by 5/21. No store within 300 miles had one, so I checked with one a little further out. I considered driving all the way upstate (5hrs away) to get the phone from a store which reportedly had 11 but couldn't ship them to a more local store as they had a radio promotion going on today and they want to sell them by today. So, I went to two bestbuy's in the area and they had PLENTY, but couldn't match my NE2 credit, and i wasn't willing to waste $100 just to have it then. So I come back home, and try to order online anyways, only to see they pushed back the date AGAIN to 5/29!! At this point I was furious, and called customer service. For the third time that day. The first two times they told me the same thing that stores did, "we don't have any to ship right now," but on my third try, the CSR told me they had them IN STOCK at 10:30PM EST, 30 min before they close! So I immediately told them to order me one and i don't care anymore about waiting for mail-in rebates. I just wanted my damn phone lol. So, they'll have it shipped by the end of next week they said, and I'll hopefully have one before 5/14. Moral of the story: be PERSISTENT!!!

 

[chimpy]

Yeah I saw that 5/29 thing too.

I still hope they have one on Tuesday.

 

[lmbgm]

I ordered online on 5/1 and it said 5/14 delivery. They screwed up the order. Fixed it 5/5 and I got it on 5/6. So its in stock in some places.

 

[Ralphmonster]

Is the Incredible heavily backordered at all Verizon stores?

I want to pick this phone up on Tuesday next week (5/11), but I checked Verizon's website and it said that the phone is backordered until 5/21.

So I called my local Verizon store and the rep on the phone there said that normally the website's inventory isn't reflective of what they have, but for this phone, it's true and won't be at their store until 5/21.

However, I know that the programs retail employees use to go through their store's inventories are highly inaccurate, as they'll get a shipment in of something and they won't update their own inventory right away. So they'll tell me something isn't available when it's just sitting in the backroom and no one has gotten around to updating the SKU's yet. I've had several past instances at other stores where I'll call and a kid will tell me they don't have a product, and I'll go into the store later that day and it'll be sitting on the shelf.

So is this phone really backordered or not?

Yes, the Incredible is backordered. No, your store won't be getting any on 5/21. As long as it's on backorder, there is no inventory to ship to stores. If you don't order online or have a store place an order to have it shipped to you, you won't get one anytime soon. Sorry.

 

[Brian_83]

I saw an inventory update dated a couple of days ago. It said the Memphis warehouse had very tight inventory. Obviously there is some there and they are shipping as they have them. I don't think they are going to stores. The notice did say they hoped to make some available for our indirect agent channel early this week.

 

[SoCalDave]

Went to VZW yesterday in Fullerton, CA, and was sold out, unknown when they would get more. Employee said there weren't any in a 40 mile radius. They had 4 on April 29, which were quickly sold out. I was lucky to pick mine up in Brea, CA on release day at 4 in the afternoon.

 

[zanza]

san diego verizons are out from what i checked. 1 day delivery ordered online though

 

[Espy]

My dad (in San Diego) decided to get an Incredible based off of all my gushing about mine. He first called the local store which said they wouldn't be able to get it to him until 5/26, and that ordering online he would get it on 5/30. They claimed all of Southern California was completely sold out of them.

I told him that's probably not completely true, so he ordered it by calling Verizon Customer Service/Sales and they said he'd receive it in the mail by this coming Wednesday (5/12). No shipping charge, no activation fee (since he ordered it on a weekend). Moral of the story: call or order online. Calling might even get it to you sooner.

 

[mahsan88]

Best Buy in Amherst,MA had some but the VZW corp store across/down the road didn't. The authorized reseller near my house has 4.

Nice to see a someone here from Amherst!!!
Go UMASSS!!!

 

[Saltedpeanut]

My dad (in San Diego) decided to get an Incredible based off of all my gushing about mine. He first called the local store which said they wouldn't be able to get it to him until 5/26, and that ordering online he would get it on 5/30. They claimed all of Southern California was completely sold out of them.

I told him that's probably not completely true, so he ordered it by calling Verizon Customer Service/Sales and they said he'd receive it in the mail by this coming Wednesday (5/12). No shipping charge, no activation fee (since he ordered it on a weekend). Moral of the story: call or order online. Calling might even get it to you sooner.

I called to order mine and the rep said that the phone would most likely ship out 5/29, but there was a possibility i would get it sooner

 

[barrister89]

They're scarce. When I went to corp. store last week the rep said they were sold out, but he looked at his computer and said they had 6 Incs at the VZ kiosk in the BJs wholesale store down the street. Burned rubber down there and got mine.