Thunderbolt Confirmed in this week's Best Buy Ad

[ShaggyKids]

Well no way BB will have them for sale tomorrow if they dont have then in stock today !

Sure they can, they might stock them overnight. My X-son inlaw works for BB and he worked many long hours.

As for not literally showing a release date, I don't believe that's a requirement. You can put anything up for sale whenever you want to, you don't have to announce it.

 

[ShaggyKids]

call up your stores and ask them if they got their shipment in yet

I doubt they're going to tell you anyway. Remember, if they have been told to say nothing they're going to protect their jobs first and foremost and you can't blame them for that.

 

[prakash99]

Verizon has released top-notch phones without much fanfare before .... Samsung Fascinate and Droid 2 being two examples.

Anyways, I did preorder TB at BB and as of yesterday BB reps told me they have not received any shipments and they just told me it is being "rumored" to be released on 24th.

 

[octobermagic]

Didn't the ad before say 'Coming Soon' though?

Also, the other phones in the ad don't have a release date, right? Like Deb said, they are avail tomorrow.

Also, I've been seeing a lot of TB commercials. I haven't guessed at a release date once yet.

Feb 20 at Best Buy is my guess.

No, the Ad just had fanfare and the price for the TB, no "coming soon" or anything like that.

I posted this in the other thread as well. At my Verizon store this morning, the rep told me it was the 24th, and that the HTC rep was in yesterday morning, and told her it was the 24th.

My local BB is still taking pre-orders as of today. I should know, I made one.
He said he believes it's the 24th.

Take it for what you will.

 

[ShaggyKids]

This goes into the "I'll believe it when I see it" pile ... but here goes my "TB Adventure" for today ...

Stopped at my local (6 blks away) VZW Premium store - asked if there's anything he could do about moving my upgrade from the 27th to tomorrow - I figure it's just a week I'm asking for so *maybe* ... he tells me right away that they'll do it for up to 7 days but no more - so he said I could do it on the 21st but that they do it at the point of sale, not today w/o selling me a phone. Well, to me that's 6 days but anyway .... then I brought out the famous BB ad and showed him the date on the back and said (and I know what's happened w/BB in the past so what I'm doing is testing him) "BB is selling this phone as of tomorrow, you're not open tomorrow - is there any chance you could sell it to me today because I'd rather buy from you than BB." His response was that they didn't even have them in stock and somewhere in the conversation after I (wink) so much in aghast that VZW would not be selling their OWN phone on opening day ... he mentioned that BB paid a big price for the early exclusive rights and that's how that happened.

About an hour later I call the BB store, tell them I have ad for tomorrow in hand are they FOR SURE going to be selling this phone TOMORROW ... guy chuckles and says "Yes, we really are."

I go about what I need to get done this morn and then call 611 ... gal moves my upgrade to being available today ... one hurdle out of the way.

I then inquire about the change in the NE2 and ask about the 6mos to use the one year, can I use it *on* the TB *at* BB .... she says yes plus I have my $50 rebate card from our last upgrade so my cost is going to be much more to my liking

Then I ask if I can buy the Assurion (?) insurance thru BB, yes.

Ok, so now I'm getting tentatively hyped but with reserve. I don't *really* want to drive 30-35mi to BB but VZW is failing fast in the buy it there department. I need to spend probably 2-3 hrs in travel and probably crowd time for a run to BB like I need another hole in my head.

So then I call the Corp store which is like 1/2 a block from the BB and ask them if they're going to be selling it as well tomorrow. They connect me with the mobile phone dept which I thought strange since I was calling a mobile phone store to begin with. I ask the dude and he says "lemme chk w/my mgr" and the answer was - no - their availability date is the 24th.

So, again folks ... I'm not going to believe this until it actually happens but that's my adventure ... do with it as you see fit.

 

[pnicho]

I just called my BB and she told me that she hasn't been given a solid release date yet but there's going to be an announcement within the week. Hopefully we'll hear something by Monday from VZW.

 

[Chrisy]

Email VZW.

They moved my NE2 date up a month.

EDIT: See you got it moved.

I so hope it sells at Best Buy tomorrow. I happen to have off and I'll be there with bells on! Thanks for the info!!!!!!

 

[octobermagic]

Just wanted to add this. Above the TB in the BB ad, it says "National Retail Exclusive".

Which is interesting, since the Verizon rep told me they would have it for sale when it was available, the 24th, according to her.

 

[funguy123us]

does anyone has the complete ad scan of tomorrow's BestBuy ad?

 

[ShaggyKids]

I so hope it sells at Best Buy tomorrow. I happen to have off and I'll be there with bells on! Thanks for the info!!!!!!

After going thru all this, waiting and what I did today and driving to BB in the morn ad in hand - they tell me they won't sell it to me and they will have one hot hornet on their hands. It's in the ad, there is nothing indicating its NOT for sale.

 

[Chrisy]

I think that's a good point. I'm excited!

 

[anon(157335)]

Just wanted to add this. Above the TB in the BB ad, it says "National Retail Exclusive".

Which is interesting, since the Verizon rep told me they would have it for sale when it was available, the 24th, according to her.

It simply means that no other third-party brick and mortar retailers will be selling the Thunderbolt; Best Buy paid for an exclusivity deal so that Wal-Mart, Target, Radio Shack, etc. won't be able to sell it.

Verizon Wireless stores will sell it.

 

[ShaggyKids]

One thing that keeps going thru my mind is that BB wound up with a whole lotta egg on their face with the 14th sale date that turned out to be an embarrassment to them. Would they really want to make themselves look bad a second time over the same product? Don't you think they'd be absolutely positive the second time around? Do they really want to put themselves into the position of voluntarily inviting an angry mob of people into their stores? I can't imagine they'd have anything but that if they mess it up again ... but again since this whole thing is nothing more than a mess to begin with, who knows.

 

[macewank]

One thing that keeps going thru my mind is that BB wound up with a whole lotta egg on their face with the 14th sale date that turned out to be an embarrassment to them. Would they really want to make themselves look bad a second time over the same product? Don't you think they'd be absolutely positive the second time around? Do they really want to put themselves into the position of voluntarily inviting an angry mob of people into their stores? I can't imagine they'd have anything but that if they mess it up again ... but again since this whole thing is nothing more than a mess to begin with, who knows.

who said they had egg on their face? Best Buy never announced a release date. a bunch of employees took pictures of their inventory system. You think the bolt is the first thing they sell that's had the in-stock date changed?

Nothing changes with this ad. Best Buy still hasn't announced a release date. It'll happen when it happens I suppose.

 

[leehblanc]

who said they had egg on their face? Best Buy never announced a release date. a bunch of employees took pictures of their inventory system. You think the bolt is the first thing they sell that's had the in-stock date changed?

Nothing changes with this ad. Best Buy still hasn't announced a release date. It'll happen when it happens I suppose.

So... you're saying that an ad WITHOUT a "Coming Soon" or "Available 2/24" deosn't change anything? I would have to disagree with that. The ad presents the phone as if it's available, just like the 100's of other items in the ad. Best Buy sells PLENTY of things they don't announce a release date for... the just put them in the ad and on the shelf.

 

[ShaggyKids]

According to some people here, leehblanc is right. They aren't required to announce diddly squat and neither is VZW themselves. BB took pre-sale orders which to my understanding is what got them the egg on their face because the phone was not available when they said it would be. I wasn't referring to those pics of the in stock dates, I was referring to their botched pre-sale order fiasco.

 

[macewank]

So... you're saying that an ad WITHOUT a "Coming Soon" or "Available 2/24" deosn't change anything? I would have to disagree with that. The ad presents the phone as if it's available, just like the 100's of other items in the ad. Best Buy sells PLENTY of things they don't announce a release date for... the just put them in the ad and on the shelf.

I can see what you're saying and don't totally disagree. I can't hold Best Buy to anything in this case though because any delay/whatever is out of their control here and the ad doesn't say "Available Now" either.

 

[Droid800]

I can see what you're saying and don't totally disagree. I can't hold Best Buy to anything in this case though because any delay/whatever is out of their control here and the ad doesn't say "Available Now" either.

They wouldn't run the ad if it wasn't coming. I work in retail. If there is an error that big, and they don't know if we'll have a product in stock (or if there is a huge misprint), we pull the ad. The fact that its running this week, and not last week, is a huge indication about the launch date. If Best buy thought the phone was coming the 14th, and then it was delayed without a firm release date, they would have had plenty of time to pull the ad AND possibly reprint it in time to have a new version out in time.

 

[macewank]

They wouldn't run the ad if it wasn't coming. I work in retail. If there is an error that big, and they don't know if we'll have a product in stock (or if there is a huge misprint), we pull the ad. The fact that its running this week, and not last week, is a huge indication about the launch date. If Best buy thought the phone was coming the 14th, and then it was delayed without a firm release date, they would have had plenty of time to pull the ad AND possibly reprint it in time to have a new version out in time.

Maybe. Or just leave it how it is and if someone comes in to buy one, you sell them a preorder instead.

I don't know how all of it works, but I'd imagine in a case like this you weigh the cost of pulling the ad against the cost of running it. a 4-7 day delay isn't going to hurt them with this ad.

 

[Droid800]

Maybe. Or just leave it how it is and if someone comes in to buy one, you sell them a preorder instead.

I don't know how all of it works, but I'd imagine in a case like this you weigh the cost of pulling the ad against the cost of running it. a 4-7 day delay isn't going to hurt them with this ad.

If you're best buy, and you're lacking a major new product, you can afford to pull it. It saves you a major headache, and a major headache for your employees and management.