I just left an official Verizon Wireless store here in San Francisco and this was the exact conversation I had.
VZW Employee #1: Hi, is there anything I can help you with today?
Me: Yes, especially if you can sell me a DROID Mini (which is currently on display).
VZW Employee #1: I sure can, but we actually won't have any in stock until the 22nd.
Me: Oh, no worries. Can I reserve one here so I can pick it up on Thursday?
VZW Employee #1: Absolutely.
Me: Great!
I get handed off to the customer service desk.
Me: Hi, I was told I can reserve a DROID Mini to pick up on the 22nd.
VZW Employee #2: Alright, no problem. Need your phone number, ID, etc etc.
Me: Sure.
VZW Employee #2: Ok, I just need an address and we can ship it to you.
Me: I don't want it shipped, I want to pick it up here on Thursday.
VZW Employee #3: (On the phone, next to VZW #2) - Yep, the DROID Mini is available today!
VZW Employee #2: Well, we can't ship from our warehouse to the store, only to an address.
Me: Uh, ok, I guess that kind of makes sense.
VZW Employee #2: Great, it will ship on the 29th.
Me: Wait, what happened to the 22nd?
VZW Employee #2: The phone isn't available until the 28th, so it ships on the 29th.
Me: The guy who just brought me over here said the 22nd and the woman on the phone next to you said today.
Me: When can I physically walk into this store and purchase this device?
VZW Employee #2: I don't know, we get deliveries once a week, but we don't know when.
TLDR Version:
- DROID Mini is on display today.
- When calling VZW, it's available today.
- When talking to one employee, it's available on the 22nd.
- When trying to reserve it's available on the 28th, but ships on the 29th.