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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Apple Store Lead times

Apple Store Lead times
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TimCor
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Nov 15, 2006, 11:19 PM
 
Am I the only one who finds the Apple Store shipping times to be deliberately misleading?

I ordered a maxed out Black Macbook on the 8th when they promised "1 to 2 day shipping". I checked the $18 "Shipping method" which states 2 days "after shipping". This all seems to me to indicate a 4 day delivery time... which allowing for the weekend would have been 13th. The eventual invoice showed a shipment date of Nov 13th-15th with delivery Nov 15-20th. Now that's an awful lot of padding for what was billed as "1-2 day shipping". I consider that misleading at best a lie at worst. However I was stupid enough to accept it so I guess I can't object. I SHOULD have bought at a local Apple Store but I didn't think they'd have machines sooner... lesson learned.

So, why am I steamed? Well because this evening I called Apple to ask why my order status on their website has not changed from "Not Shipped Yet" since Nov 8th? I speak with an agent who says that it is actually "in prep" and may ship by midnight... He then launches into a speech about "I know it's exciting to order online. Especially a shiny new laptop! but you must be patient. Please realize that many things have to happen to fulfill your order and not everything goes as planned". You can imagine how I (a 47 year old professional) responded to being treated like a child... What an arrogant little twerp! So much for their "superb customer service and regular order status updates". In 10 years of purchasing from Dell I have NEVER been left in the dark, patronized and frankly lied to like this.

I'm cancelling my order and saying to hell with arrogant twerps at the Apple Store, I will never shop there again. From now on it's bricks and mortar for me.

Anyone else have similar experiences?

Tim
     
ibook_steve
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Nov 16, 2006, 12:34 AM
 
You don't mention if you are doing CTO or a default config. A CTO inherently takes longer.

Steve
     
TimCor  (op)
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Nov 16, 2006, 01:13 AM
 
I didn't think adding 1GB of RAM meant CTO but it seems it does as that's all I added.
Now tonight, the latest thing is they won't let me cancel my order but they can't tell me when it will ship. Sounds amateur to me. I'm trying to be optimistic and assume this is a good sign.

[Sorry but I'm still steamed at the whole experience, not the delay which is sometimes inevitable but at their lousy tracking and update process ]

Tim
     
HouseSold
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Nov 16, 2006, 02:43 AM
 
Originally Posted by TimCor View Post
I didn't think adding 1GB of RAM meant CTO but it seems it does as that's all I added.
Now tonight, the latest thing is they won't let me cancel my order but they can't tell me when it will ship. Sounds amateur to me. I'm trying to be optimistic and assume this is a good sign.

[Sorry but I'm still steamed at the whole experience, not the delay which is sometimes inevitable but at their lousy tracking and update process ]

Tim
We had a standard config C2D MacBook show arrival November 15th; It shipped from China last Friday (10th) and arrived Monday(13th) at 9:15am in LA before their site could update from the weekend. We fell off our chair when FedEx rang the bell. Hello...Santa.

Be patient..Well worth waiting for !
     
cyrana
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Nov 16, 2006, 08:11 AM
 
They are total BS, imho.

I ordered on release day, and it said ships in 1-3 days. Now, if I do my BTO on the site it stills says 1-3 days, but they're estimating I might not receive mine until the 27th regardless.

And yeah, even though the order page says 2-day shipping, I called them and they say it is really 2-3 day. So how can they say 2-day?
     
TimCor  (op)
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Nov 16, 2006, 08:15 AM
 
Cyrana, my estimated delivery/ship times have now slipped the same as you. Wonderful service.

Tim
     
cyrana
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Nov 17, 2006, 12:19 PM
 
Good luck, mine finally shipped, although they say I'll get it Tuesday. :| Complain to them, I at least got my shipping fee waived.
     
Blizzake
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Nov 17, 2006, 12:24 PM
 
i went to an authorized retailer last night and bought a blackbook and he asked if i needed any upgrades before i came to pick it up. he could of done them on the spot as ordering just takes to long.
     
drexelwill
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Nov 17, 2006, 02:19 PM
 
Bought it last week on the 9th, said it would ship 16-18th arrive 18-20th. Now it says it wont be here til 21st. Called apple, they gladly refunded the exp. shipping charge.

I'm glad they took care of me, but it's annoying that originally it said ships in 1-3 days and it took a week.
     
TimCor  (op)
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Nov 17, 2006, 11:12 PM
 
Hi all,

[Update from the OP]

There's some comfort in knowing I'm not alone, thanks... My Macbook is now reportedly in Alaska enroute to me... but I have to say that my overall opinion is bad on ordering from the Apple store.

To my mind, the other advantage of buying from a bricks and mortar store (other than immediate delivery) is they will stand behind the product personally, not just "mail it back to us" as the Apple Store does. In fairness my local Apple Store have been helpful (or the 16 year old I talked to at the desk was helpful :-) and probably would/will support me if I have a problem with this new laptop.

I just think the Apple online store, their status system and their lack of control/knowledge at each step are amateur. I actually called to cancel yesterday (so I could buy locally) but they wouldn't do it... Even though they said it might not ship until the 24th it showed as "ready to ship" on their system so it couldn't be cancelled. After 20 minutes of patient prodding I was offered free return shipping when it does arrive if I no longer want it. Between the poor shipping experience and all the reports of random shutdowns etc. I'm thinking my colleagues may have been right in selecting a new Sony laptop over my Macbook. I hope I don't live to regret this purchase.

Isn't that a rotten way to be feeling just before you take possession of a new laptop? Why am I thinking of John Hodgman (the PC-guy) in the Apple Ads? :-)

Tim

Tim
     
SeSawaya
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Nov 18, 2006, 02:42 AM
 
I've found there to be sometimes NO difference in ship times from ordering with free shipping or paying the man. My new core duo2 arrived in 2 days after being shipped. Got it this morning!

I'm pretty happy with the speed improvments over my 1st Macbook. Noticable to say the least.
     
drexelwill
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Nov 18, 2006, 03:12 AM
 
Originally Posted by drexelwill View Post
Bought it last week on the 9th, said it would ship 16-18th arrive 18-20th. Now it says it wont be here til 21st. Called apple, they gladly refunded the exp. shipping charge.

I'm glad they took care of me, but it's annoying that originally it said ships in 1-3 days and it took a week.

update:

my computer left alaska at 2:30pm this afternoon, so maybe it will get here sooner.
     
   
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