Backorder Thread (Nov 20th and onwards)

[Gringo11]

Here's my latest update. Just got off the phone with a Google Play CSR. He put me on hold to speak to a specialist (they apparently can speak to them now by phone, haha). Instead of patching me through, he told me the specialist just said it would be easier for the CSR to just relay info to me. Anyhow, same news -- they're looking into the issue as to why my phone isn't shipping out, but I should be receiving an email from the specialist. Still in disbelief over all of this.

Funny... I actually talked to a "shipping specialist" yesterday. So, at the end, I actually asked the guy what his title was, and he said he is a "tier 2" CSR. There are apparently tier 3 CSRs, but only if a label was created. Thankfully, this tier 2 CSR was just as useless as all the other CSRs that I have spoken with, but fear not, I should be hearing back from a specialist any day now (note that the first time I was "escalated to a specialist" was on November 29th, and nobody has gotten back to me yet (after all, it's only been 12 days...). If I don't get a shipping notice by Thursday, I am canceling my orders (and expect to get this error message saying that I cannot cancel the order too ).

 

[eharik]

I've been reading this thread for some time but haven't posted. I'm in the same boat:

Nov 13, 10:58AM - Placed Order
Nov 15 - Backorder email
Nov 26 - Update stating that order will ship this week
Nov 28 - Email stating there was a problem with credit card
Nov 28 - Call to CSR in which a CSR rep told me there was in fact nothing wrong with my card (and followed up with an email stating the same)
Nov 30 - Call to CSR in which a different CSR rep told me there is a problem with card and to re-enter the information
Dec 6 - Email from google wallet saying that my charge had been declined
Dec 6 - Long discussion with CSR and updated credit card information in wallet
Dec 6 - Charge for phone appears as pending on bank statement (first actual sign that things might be moving forward)
Dec 10 - Charge for phone no longer on bank statement (sad, why am I having such a hard time giving someone my money?!?)
Dec 10 - Call to CSR (for the nth time), was told that a specialist is handling the issue (her name is Alexis)
Dec 11 - Waiting for a response or some change in status...

All along the way I've checked with my bank and there has never been an issue with the card. I've made a purchase in the Google Play store with the same card and had no issue. I've been given contradictory information from the CSR. I've been told my issue would be forwarded and I should see an email shortly with status on multiple occasions and never received a follow up.

All in all this has been a shockingly frustrating situation. Seeing that multiple rounds of people have since ordered the phone and had it delivered makes me cringe. Hopefully Alexis and her team can clear things up and get things rolling again but I'm not at all optimistic.

What was the name of the specialist who is working everyone else's order? I wonder if it's the same one?

 

[n4limbo]

Hey guys my second nexus 4 16GB is here from my order on the 13th, since my 27th order got here first I don't need it.
Only If you are an original 13th LL3 member, PM me if interested, I'm asking for stock price plus any paypal or shipping fees.
It's unused and still sealed in box.

 

[corolla90]

Hey guys my second nexus 4 16GB is here from my order on the 13th, since my 27th order got here first I don't need it.
Only If you are an original 13th LL3 member, PM me if interested, I'm asking for stock price plus any paypal or shipping fees.
It's unused and still sealed in box.

That's really nice of you. I'm gonna hold off and make Google process my order! But your order on the 13th finally arrived, so that's somewhat good news for the other original LL3ers, like myself. Hopefully it's just an issue of getting more stock in or what not. I dunno.

 

[n4limbo]

That's really nice of you. I'm gonna hold off and make Google process my order! But your order on the 13th finally arrived, so that's somewhat good news for the other original LL3ers, like myself. Hopefully it's just an issue of getting more stock in or what not. I dunno.

Yeah I feel bad you guys are still waiting, I figure it's the least I could do.
GL Guys!

 

[arizonamman]

Honestly, I don't know that I have the energy for this. If our current experience is any indication, you will not get a reply from Google if you write. I am not saying don't do it, but I think at that point, I will just let my wallet talk and stop buying things from Google. In the grand scheme of things it will probably be a drop in the proverbial bucket, but it will make me feel better. Just like I avoid ATT like the plague, I will do the same with Google. In some cases, I will probably not have a choice, but when given the choice, it won't be Google...

I'll feel better too, after I write to the 2 co-founders and VP's responsible for all this mess. And although I know it will be an "Assistant" who signs the registered mail slip, I will know that I have done all that I can do.

 

[arizonamman]

Funny... I actually talked to a "shipping specialist" yesterday. So, at the end, I actually asked the guy what his title was, and he said he is a "tier 2" CSR. There are apparently tier 3 CSRs, but only if a label was created. Thankfully, this tier 2 CSR was just as useless as all the other CSRs that I have spoken with, but fear not, I should be hearing back from a specialist any day now (note that the first time I was "escalated to a specialist" was on November 29th, and nobody has gotten back to me yet (after all, it's only been 12 days...). If I don't get a shipping notice by Thursday, I am canceling my orders (and expect to get this error message saying that I cannot cancel the order too ).

Exactly! There is no such thing as a "Shipping Specialist." I have held all 3 CSR positions for 2 separate companies and trust me when I say this: Level 1 is expected to answer the phone quickly and end the call as fast as possible. There is no accountability at this level beyond their call stats; Level 2 is where callers are routed when they ask for a supervisor however, keep in mind that Level 2's were promoted from Level 1s because of their call stats and NOT because they were especially helpful. The fact of the matter is that very few Level 2's communicate daily with management and therefore do not know what is going on. Typically, they open "tickets" that may or may not be resolved. The "tickets" typically go to different department, whether it be IT, Shipping, or bathroom maintenance (Seriously!), It is the Level 2 person's responsibility that they "follow through" with these tickets however, because they are constantly fielding calls from the Level 1's, they have no time to follow through and the tickets stack up; Level 3's are typically those people who close the most tickets and as such, stay informed with all teams as to what is going on. They also have a better access to management and in fact, probably sit in on management meetings. Unfortunately for Level 3's is there are very few of them and they are usually given other responsibilities as well, such as Trainer, because they are the only ones who know everything going on, both in the call center and with what management tells them (that part is real important). Management only see CSR's stats the Level 3 sees those stats and gives recommendations to management about who gets a raise, who is unreliable, etc. There is an awful lot of work at Level 3 and they (especially if also training) often take work home. Level 4 would either be a Manager or an Assistant Manager.

Why do you need to know all of this? Because the only way you will ever get a real manager is if you continually ask for the manager all the way up the ladder and then, you probably won't. Typically, managers will only talk to big corporate clients. Often your Level 2 or 3 may just be switching you over to another level 2 or 3 who has better, more patient, more assertive customer relations.

I have handled some pretty nasty clients where the second I answer the phone the first word and all subsequent words out of their mouths are cuss words followed by the name of the company I work for. These people have a reputation that is spread among all reps and managers. The person becomes a big joke to everyone. I have seen CSRs use vodoo dolls for some of their customers and the managers know it and continue to joke about it. It is all part of a CSR job.

What 20 years ago was true customer service is now customer sales. CSR's are expected to cross sell if someone calls in with a problem. Ever have an annoying non-solicited sales call and for some unknown reason you decide to make them hang up first? YOu can say NO until you are blue in the face but after the first or second time you can actually hear them reading the script they follow for each No you tell them. The longer they can keep you on the phone, the more apt you are to buy something else that is a total piece of crap that they will not support.

Ok, I feel better now!

 

[corolla90]

So this is frustrating. My friend from work comes in today and tells me the phone he ordered on 11/27 when they went back on sale (FYI, I showed him the trick to be able to get the order through by holding down the enter key) arrived yesterday. I still haven't received the phone I ordered on the 13th!!! Here's what I'm thinking. Those of us who had to update our credit card info, which happened more or less on 12/6, lost our spot in line and now are being processed as if we ordered the phone originally on 12/6. Still doesn't make sense, though, b/c I've submitted many requests now through the help form asking about shipping, and no responses yet; though I've received responses for estimated shipping for the other phones I ordered on 11/30. I think the 11/13 phones for which credit card info had to be updated are stuck or lost in some kind of black hole.

 

[Gringo11]

So this is frustrating. My friend from work comes in today and tells me the phone he ordered on 11/27 when they went back on sale (FYI, I showed him the trick to be able to get the order through by holding down the enter key) arrived yesterday. I still haven't received the phone I ordered on the 13th!!! Here's what I'm thinking. Those of us who had to update our credit card info, which happened more or less on 12/6, lost our spot in line and now are being processed as if we ordered the phone originally on 12/6. Still doesn't make sense, though, b/c I've submitted many requests now through the help form asking about shipping, and no responses yet; though I've received responses for estimated shipping for the other phones I ordered on 11/30. I think the 11/13 phones for which credit card info had to be updated are stuck or lost in some kind of black hole.

I don't think there is any rhyme or reason to any of this. I ordered another phone on 11/29 and it also has not budged. They have no idea what they are doing at Google... none whatsoever. I will cancel both orders tomorrow and move on with my life... (should have done that a long time ago )

 

[eharik]

So this is frustrating. My friend from work comes in today and tells me the phone he ordered on 11/27 when they went back on sale (FYI, I showed him the trick to be able to get the order through by holding down the enter key) arrived yesterday. I still haven't received the phone I ordered on the 13th!!! Here's what I'm thinking. Those of us who had to update our credit card info, which happened more or less on 12/6, lost our spot in line and now are being processed as if we ordered the phone originally on 12/6. Still doesn't make sense, though, b/c I've submitted many requests now through the help form asking about shipping, and no responses yet; though I've received responses for estimated shipping for the other phones I ordered on 11/30. I think the 11/13 phones for which credit card info had to be updated are stuck or lost in some kind of black hole.

I think you're right. I've noticed a few times that when I look at the "My Orders" page in Google Play that the "Date" field for the phone changes. So originally it was Nov 13, then it was bumped to late November, and now (after the most recent credit cart SNAFU) it is reading December 7. It seems reasonalbe to assume that this means the order is being handled like it was taken on Dec 7th - almost a full month after the order was placed. Garbage.

 

[corolla90]

I think you're right. I've noticed a few times that when I look at the "My Orders" page in Google Play that the "Date" field for the phone changes. So originally it was Nov 13, then it was bumped to late November, and now (after the most recent credit cart SNAFU) it is reading December 7. It seems reasonalbe to assume that this means the order is being handled like it was taken on Dec 7th - almost a full month after the order was placed. Garbage.

What's strange about this is that normal orders that were placed, be it on 11/30 or 12/6, for example, have estimated shipping dates already. But our orders, those originally placed on 11/13, but showing 12/6 b/c of the updated credit card info, do not have any shipping estimates. It's like they're lost in some Google server abyss ...

 

[Gringo11]

What's strange about this is that normal orders that were placed, be it on 11/30 or 12/6, for example, have estimated shipping dates already. But our orders, those originally placed on 11/13, but showing 12/6 b/c of the updated credit card info, do not have any shipping estimates. It's like they're lost in some Google server abyss ...

Where do you see an estimated shipping date? I had an order from 11/29 that was also stuck in limbo (because it cancelled like a charm a few minutes ago) and I just placed a third order today that does not show an estimated shipping date at all... I am not sure what estimated shipping date you are talking about. Never saw that anywhere...

 

[eharik]

Where do you see an estimated shipping date? I had an order from 11/29 that was also stuck in limbo (because it cancelled like a charm a few minutes ago) and I just placed a third order today that does not show an estimated shipping date at all... I am not sure what estimated shipping date you are talking about. Never saw that anywhere...

I've seen screen shots from some orders that include shipping information. Like corolla90, my order status never included shipping information. At some point a CSR sent me a screenshot of my order from their computer and it included the shipping status (which of course was "not yet shipped") so maybe it's something that we don't have access to on our end.

At this point, I'm just going to pay an extra $50 and get one off Craigslist and then sell mine for the same price if it ever comes in. Ugh, what a debacle.

 

[corolla90]

Where do you see an estimated shipping date? I had an order from 11/29 that was also stuck in limbo (because it cancelled like a charm a few minutes ago) and I just placed a third order today that does not show an estimated shipping date at all... I am not sure what estimated shipping date you are talking about. Never saw that anywhere...

Oh, I should've clarified the estimated shipping date. If you go to your Orders page on Google Play, it'll show your pending orders. Then if you click on help center, then click on "I want to check shipping/order status," and fill out the form, including your order # (found in Google Wallet), you'll get an email response indicating the estimated shipping date (e.g., Your order is expected to ship by XXXX."

Anyhow, for my orders placed on 11/30 and 12/6, I did the above process and got emails saying my orders are expected to ship in January (can't remember the exact dates off hand). But for my 11/13 order, I've done the above process 2 or 3 times now, and I haven't received any emails about my shipping status.

 

[Gringo11]

My status is now "pre-ordered"... from pending back to pre-ordered... many things to look forward to... Wow, they suck!

 

[corolla90]

My status is now "pre-ordered"... from pending back to pre-ordered... many things to look forward to... Wow, they suck!

Mine, too. Wonder what this means? If anything, I'll take it ... means my order still "exists" somewhere!

EDIT: Actually, it's not just my original 11/13 order, but my 11/30 order, as well as my 12/6 order (using a different email address) that have changed to "pre-ordered." I'm now guessing this means they're backordered and waiting for more phones before they'll ship. Sadly. I hope I'm wrong and it means things will get moving soon.

 

[xcla1p]

Hey Guys I'm back in full force(was busy past week).

I am still waiting for updates on my 13th phone. Called CSR 2 days ago who says some specialist was already working on it but until today nothing happened. I did receive three email replying to my one phone call though, LOL.

 

[Gringo11]

Hey Guys I'm back in full force(was busy past week).

I am still waiting for updates on my 13th phone. Called CSR 2 days ago who says some specialist was already working on it but until today nothing happened. I did receive three email replying to my one phone call though, LOL.

I just saw that you received your December 5th order within 48 hours... Impressive. I had a second order on 11/29 and the speed at which it cancelled today tells me that it was never going to be filled. I am keeping the 11/13 order out of spite at this point, but I don't expect it nor do I want the phone anymore. I cannot believe how bad Google is...

 

[corolla90]

Haha, so I just called Google Play to inquire what "pre-ordered" was supposed to mean ... and the dude was like, "I'm guessing it probably means they wanted to prioritize your phone because it was ordered back on the 13th." Funny, I ordered a phone on 11/30, too, and that one is labeled pre-ordered, as well. And for that matter, the one I ordered on 12/6, haha.

 

[WaitingForNexus4]

I dont think the CSR's have an idea as to what they are talking about. I had ordered another one on the 30th and that one still says pending

Haha, so I just called Google Play to inquire what "pre-ordered" was supposed to mean ... and the dude was like, "I'm guessing it probably means they wanted to prioritize your phone because it was ordered back on the 13th." Funny, I ordered a phone on 11/30, too, and that one is labeled pre-ordered, as well. And for that matter, the one I ordered on 12/6, haha.