[bawboh86]

This last weekend was a brutal one for me in terms of the Galaxy Nexus. I'm so frustrated, I felt the need to let it out. I work at an Air Force base in Oklahoma City. After work last Friday, I went to the Best Buy right there in Mid West City. I walked in inquiring about the Galaxy Nexus. The employee said "Oh yeah, we have those in stock, I can sell you one". She gets the phone, activates it, asks if I'm doing a full retail or an upgraded contract (full retail for me), and hands it to me. I was so excited, I was shaking while entering in my information onto the phone.

This is when disaster struck. As she was ringing up the phone, she said "Oh, I can't sell it to you today. It doesn't go on sale until Sunday. You'll have to come back then". This didn't seem like such a bad thing. Another two days, what's the big deal there? She puts my name on the box and puts it back onto the shelf.

Sunday morning rolls around, I get up early so I can be there when they open. I live in Edmond, which is 30 minutes from this Best Buy (ie: across the city). I get to Best Buy, another employee helps me this time. He gets the phone out, says he can definitely sell it to me, and activates it. This time, activation is a bit difficult, and he has to call Verizon Wireless. They get it activated, he hands me the phone, and I start playing with it again, showing to my girlfriend. Well, he goes to ring it up, and says "Oh sorry, I can't sell it to you today. The date changed yesterday and we can't sell this until the 15th".

I got so angry, I asked to speak with the store manager. His response was something along the lines of "Sorry, we can't help you, now GTFO" (not EXACTLY his words, but definitely the gist of them). I wiped the phone, told them not to bother putting my name on it again, and rang up the best Buy customer service. The best they could do was give me a Best Buy gift card. I plan on using their money on something, and then never shopping Best Buy again. I can understand they can't sell a phone before its official release for fear of legal disputes, but they could have at least told me about it Saturday. Of course, it didn't help seeing articles about how some Best Buys and some Verizons were selling them to some people anyways, but that's just how life goes sometimes.

[thedeceiver]

Sounds crappy. But ask yourself... how could you have possibly been satisfied?

[JoeUserTX]

Well, at least they somewhat compensated you for your trouble with the gift card (although you had to initiate a call to Corporate to get that, which is a really sad commentary on the store manager, IMO).

Use the gift card toward the cost of the phone at another Best Buy, if possible. There's bound to be more than one BB in OKC, I would think...

[idkwhothatis123]

This last weekend was a brutal one for me in terms of the Galaxy Nexus. I'm so frustrated, I felt the need to let it out. I work at an Air Force base in Oklahoma City. After work last Friday, I went to the Best Buy right there in Mid West City. I walked in inquiring about the Galaxy Nexus. The employee said "Oh yeah, we have those in stock, I can sell you one". She gets the phone, activates it, asks if I'm doing a full retail or an upgraded contract (full retail for me), and hands it to me. I was so excited, I was shaking while entering in my information onto the phone.

This is when disaster struck. As she was ringing up the phone, she said "Oh, I can't sell it to you today. It doesn't go on sale until Sunday. You'll have to come back then". This didn't seem like such a bad thing. Another two days, what's the big deal there? She puts my name on the box and puts it back onto the shelf.

Sunday morning rolls around, I get up early so I can be there when they open. I live in Edmond, which is 30 minutes from this Best Buy (ie: across the city). I get to Best Buy, another employee helps me this time. He gets the phone out, says he can definitely sell it to me, and activates it. This time, activation is a bit difficult, and he has to call Verizon Wireless. They get it activated, he hands me the phone, and I start playing with it again, showing to my girlfriend. Well, he goes to ring it up, and says "Oh sorry, I can't sell it to you today. The date changed yesterday and we can't sell this until the 15th".

I got so angry, I asked to speak with the store manager. His response was something along the lines of "Sorry, we can't help you, now GTFO" (not EXACTLY his words, but definitely the gist of them). I wiped the phone, told them not to bother putting my name on it again, and rang up the best Buy customer service. The best they could do was give me a Best Buy gift card. I plan on using their money on something, and then never shopping Best Buy again. I can understand they can't sell a phone before its official release for fear of legal disputes, but they could have at least told me about it Saturday. Of course, it didn't help seeing articles about how some Best Buys and some Verizons were selling them to some people anyways, but that's just how life goes sometimes.

not to be that guy, but you went to buy a product that you knew wasn't release yet and your throwing a temper tantrum/boycott against bby because you were attempting to be shiesty? Seems @$$ backwards to me.

Sent from my HTC Mecha using Tapatalk

[qnet]

Do you work at Altus? I ask because I use to work at Tinker. Anyway on the subject, I'm sorry about your experience. I wouldn't blame BB. They probably thought they could sell it to you at both days that they tried to sell it.

I'm not going to bother going to any store for the phone until I know for sure it's released. I don't want to put myself through all that.

[DrPancake]

you can sell the gift card on ebay, i sell my gift cards all the time for around $5 less then they're worth credit and they go fast.

i hate bb too 99% of the employees are rude and think their "know-it-alls" when all they know how to do is read the box

[bawboh86]

No, I'm throwing the tantrum because they didn't bother to tell me that the phone was pushed back again, and because they pretty well just said "we don't care about your business" to me in the store. I understand they can't sell it, but they could have been nicer about letting me know.

[bawboh86]

Do you work at Altus? I ask because I use to work at Tinker. Anyway on the subject, I'm sorry about your experience. I wouldn't blame BB. They probably thought they could sell it to you at both days that they tried to sell it.

I'm not going to bother going to any store for the phone until I know for sure it's released. I don't want to put myself through all that.

Tinker, and I now agree with your tactics. I went to a Verizon store right next to my house, just after the incident. Got set up to give one of their employees commission as soon as it's released.

[DaPoets]

If he knew it was for sale or not is 100% irrelevant. If I go and buy a widget, the set me all up to buy it then say come back 2 days later, and I do to go through the same thing then asked to leave because they can't sell it to me, I would be pissed. Sorry but this is poor poor poor customer service.

[tk-093]

I'm still waiting for the horror part...

[Premium1]

I find it funny people think they would get it before it is allowed to be sold and then get mad when it can't be sold. Ah the entitled generation

[kilofoxtrot]

At least you got $50 for your troubles. The two employees probably honestly thought they could sell it to you.

I have had a similar problem when the Kindle Fire came out.... I did not reserve one, but rather went to the store to purchase one the day they came out. The snafu was that the BB computer was only programmed to sell the Fire to those who had reserved one with a $50 gift card (thats how BB does their reserve for purchase).

The computer wasn't programmed to sell the Fire outright, but only if there was a $50 gift card attached to the purchase. They apologized and then GAVE ME A $50 gift card to purchase the Fire. I walked out of BB with a new Fire for $149. Let me add that I did not throw a hissy-fit during the whole process.

Pretty cool IMO.

As long as human beings are involved in any type of retail business, there is bound to be "issues". If one lives long enough (I am 54 to all you young whipper-snappers out there), you will get "screwed" by almost every company you deal with... for the most part not purposefully, but rather from simple human error.

If I said to myself "I'll never shop with them again." because of a mistake... I wouldn't be able to shop anywhere at my age and experience.

------------------------

This doesn't apply to you OP, but rather in general. It seems to me that today people take advantage of "The customer is always right.".... to the point of being shady and underhanded.

[ZacHolley]

Nice to see another person from okc here I am waiting too im at countyline and wilshire in okc. know alot of people that work at tinker though....

sorry about your bad luck!

[jraugh528]

If he knew it was for sale or not is 100% irrelevant. If I go and buy a widget, the set me all up to buy it then say come back 2 days later, and I do to go through the same thing then asked to leave because they can't sell it to me, I would be pissed. Sorry but this is poor poor poor customer service.

It absolutely is relevant. The clerks clearly made an honest mistake in thinking the GNex could be sold on that day and asking the OP to come back. They wouldn't have asked him to come back if they didn't think it was true. They want to sell the phone as much as you want to buy it.

They made it clear that they were mistaken and tried to make the inconvenience worth the OP's while by giving him a gift card. If the only acceptable resolution to you if you were in that situation was "give me the phone anyway even if you are contractually bound not to sell any verizon phone until they give the OK", well...then you're bound to be disappointed. They acted reasonably, especially considering the OP knew perfectly well that the phone was not officially for sale yet.

I want this phone badly too, and have been watching the forums like a hawk for new information, but the dramatics people are going through for it is crazy. A "brutal weekend" where "disaster struck" because we can't get the phone yet?

We all need to calm down. A lot.

[spas2k]

Not sure what the issue is. If you are a poster here, chances are that you read posts here. If you read posts here (or basically any other tech site) you would have known that the phone isn't going to go on sale until the 15th. You probably knew this and still wasted your and the uninformed employees' time. So what? You should probably said to yourself "Eh, phone comes out next week, which football games are on TV today?" instead of "I wonder which best buy I can try to screw out of a nexus".

[izzyncade]

I'm not much of a fan of best buy either.... can hardly say they are the "best buy"... I got a computer and monitor from them in the 90s, spent the extra for a protection plan, and when the monitor went bust in three months, they refused to honor the agreement. Claimed I spilled water in the monitor... which was BS. I have bought things from them since and so has my family. Sometimes good things come from it and sometime they don't honor the refund/protection plans. One thing I do know for sure is that the sun will come out tomorrow.... you know you want to sing the rest now...lol

[tx_tuff]

First of all thanks for your service in the Air Force!

Now about your horror story. I don't feel sorry for anybody that has tried to get the phone early before the release and was denied. So we all heard that some BBs where going to sell them early etc... And so many went out hoping to fool them and come home with one. Yeah you fooled them a little but they caught before you left the store. You should only be upset with wasting your own time!

[TabGuy]

It would appear that the horror story is that he was embarrassed in front of his girlfriend.

[ultravisitor]

This last weekend was a brutal one for me in terms of the Galaxy Nexus. I'm so frustrated, I felt the need to let it out. I work at an Air Force base in Oklahoma City. After work last Friday, I went to the Best Buy right there in Mid West City. I walked in inquiring about the Galaxy Nexus. The employee said "Oh yeah, we have those in stock, I can sell you one". She gets the phone, activates it, asks if I'm doing a full retail or an upgraded contract (full retail for me), and hands it to me. I was so excited, I was shaking while entering in my information onto the phone.

This is when disaster struck. As she was ringing up the phone, she said "Oh, I can't sell it to you today. It doesn't go on sale until Sunday. You'll have to come back then". This didn't seem like such a bad thing. Another two days, what's the big deal there? She puts my name on the box and puts it back onto the shelf.

Sunday morning rolls around, I get up early so I can be there when they open. I live in Edmond, which is 30 minutes from this Best Buy (ie: across the city). I get to Best Buy, another employee helps me this time. He gets the phone out, says he can definitely sell it to me, and activates it. This time, activation is a bit difficult, and he has to call Verizon Wireless. They get it activated, he hands me the phone, and I start playing with it again, showing to my girlfriend. Well, he goes to ring it up, and says "Oh sorry, I can't sell it to you today. The date changed yesterday and we can't sell this until the 15th".

I got so angry, I asked to speak with the store manager. His response was something along the lines of "Sorry, we can't help you, now GTFO" (not EXACTLY his words, but definitely the gist of them). I wiped the phone, told them not to bother putting my name on it again, and rang up the best Buy customer service. The best they could do was give me a Best Buy gift card. I plan on using their money on something, and then never shopping Best Buy again. I can understand they can't sell a phone before its official release for fear of legal disputes, but they could have at least told me about it Saturday. Of course, it didn't help seeing articles about how some Best Buys and some Verizons were selling them to some people anyways, but that's just how life goes sometimes.

They gave you a gift card which you didn't really even deserve, yet this is somehow a horror story?

Really?

[bawboh86]

Okay, I'd like to clarify that I wasn't trying to trick anyone. I was only going in to get information (third party retailers have been more straight with me in the past concerning tech). I only asked if they had information about the phone. When they couldn't sell it the first time, their were (and still are) a hundred rumored release dates. To hear Sunday was exciting for me. The most of the weekend I was busy hosting for a couple of friends and grieving the death of another that I didn't get a chance for any other rumors. So it was a complete surprise to me when the couldn't sell it to me on Sunday. Someone in the store must have known and could have called on Saturday to let me know. I wouldn't be half as upset because, as well, but what could he employees do otherwise. But to get there, and have a taste of ics and have it yanked twice was too much for me. The employees are not at fault so much as the manager, either.

Sorry, I saw a bunch of posts saying I was trying to trick them when I honestly was just wanting some information.

As for the horror part:

[SchroederNexus]

Yeah, if you read these forums, you'd know it's only fluke errors that allowed people to get them already. Can't say I feel to sympathetic. I feel worse for the guy who got home with it and had to return it or let someone be fired for selling it to him --- that's a horror story.

[Jessicalt1]

I think the OPs irritation lies in that they could have called him (since they had his info for the reserved phone) to let him know on Saturday that the phone would not be available for purchase on Sunday as originally told. And on top of that, the rep's GTFO attitude would have pissed any of us off too.

[VideoEngineerAJS]

If he knew it was for sale or not is 100% irrelevant. If I go and buy a widget, the set me all up to buy it then say come back 2 days later, and I do to go through the same thing then asked to leave because they can't sell it to me, I would be pissed. Sorry but this is poor poor poor customer service.

Huh? Having worked at Best Buy in the past (2004-2007) they do not ask people to leave unless they are being extremely rude, threatening, or unless they are raising their voice. Just because the OP wasn't able to buy something (which he KNEW wasn't technically released yet), that doesn't give him the right to be pissed.

Don't get me wrong, the corporate product process team obviously screwed up because they probably put the wrong date in the system, but that isn't the fault of the local employees and it's no reason to go off on them.

[DessVZW]

Dude, your anger is your own to deal with. It was self-created and you knew full well that you were more likely than not to walk away, BOTH TIMES, without the phone. In my opinion, you deserve what you got, and you honestly don't deserve the BB gift card. You're just like every other American who feels they are entitled to things to which they're not really entitled.

I have no sympathy nor empathy for someone like you.

[ultravisitor]

Okay, I'd like to clarify that I wasn't trying to trick anyone. I was only going in to get information (third party retailers have been more straight with me in the past concerning tech). I only asked if they had information about the phone. When they couldn't sell it the first time, their were (and still are) a hundred rumored release dates. To hear Sunday was exciting for me. The most of the weekend I was busy hosting for a couple of friends and grieving the death of another that I didn't get a chance for any other rumors. So it was a complete surprise to me when the couldn't sell it to me on Sunday. Someone in the store must have known and could have called on Saturday to let me know. I wouldn't be half as upset because, as well, but what could he employees do otherwise. But to get there, and have a taste of ics and have it yanked twice was too much for me. The employees are not at fault so much as the manager, either.

Sorry, I saw a bunch of posts saying I was trying to trick them when I honestly was just wanting some information.

As for the horror part:

Still nothing horrifying about any of this.