If you have a Palm Pre, take a small moment to shed a tear for those still trying to find one. If you're one of those lost souls, you might want to be aware that Best Buy has slightly changed how they're handing pre-orders for the device.
It's not consistent across all stores, but at some stores they're switching to a model they used previously with the iPhone. To wit: to get in the pre-order queue, you'll need to hand over $50 to Best Buy in exchange for a $50 gift card you can use towards the Palm Pre (or anything else). These pre-orders will be for the next big wave of Pre phones due in on or around July 8th:
I guess we at Best Buy are having such a hard time with getting more Pre's in stock, that they've decided to do pre-orders for another wave of inventory that is supposed to be in by July 8. Stores will take pre-orders up until June 30, and if they get inventory in before that, they are to call the customers when inventory comes in, according to who's first on the pre-order list.
As we said, some stores still actually do have stock of the Pre and it may be that your local store won't switch to the policy. At least one reader (Hi Mark!) got a call from his local Best Buy alerting him to the new policy. It's a pretty standard policy, truth be told, and the pain of dropping the first $50 early is definitely offset by the warm and comforting knowledge that you'll be guaranteed a Pre when it comes in.
So if you're still in the hunt for a Palm Pre and were hoping to take advantage of Best Buy's instant rebate, it might be worth the time to give your friendly local shop a quick jingle.
Comments
The stores probably want to cheat their numbers a bit. When I worked there probably 5-6 years ago now, we were graded on the amount of gift cards we sold... up to the point where at times the supervisors would tell us that for anyone who was buying a videogame to strongly suggest that they bought a giftcard for the price of the game minus five dollars (because of a coupon included with the giftcard) and then immediately use that coupon and giftcard to buy the game.
I just received a call from my local Best Buy in Phoenix, AZ yesterday advising about this new program. I went down and placed my $50 down and received the $50.00 gift card so this program is official in my area. Also, the $50 put torwards the pre-order still goes against your purchase so you are getting an extra $50.00 to spend on buying this phone or accessories. Instant rebate + the gift card makes it pretty clear that Best Buy is the best deal right now if you want a Pre.
And unlike the Sprint stores where I was put on a waiting list, they will actually call me when one comes in now! ;)
I agree. I don't think that deal is as bad as most would assume. The waiting list at the Sprint stores are a little suspect.
I went a sprint store in OKC (I240&SanteFe) to purchase a pre last week, an employee stated I had to spend the full $550 just to be added to the waiting list!?! Bullshit!
A few days later I went to the store in Norman, they said the employee at the other location was badly misinformed or full of shit! I was added to the waiting list (free of charge) behind 8 others in desperate need of a pre, and 30mins later recieved a call about an available pre!! I thought something was a little fishy: Did they really get 8 or more in stock at 630pm on a Sat?
Five mins later, while purchasing my phone at the norman store, a couple walked in asking about the pre. Saying they were on a waiting list previously, and never received a call. After about 2mins of ranting, they were added to the list again. I just kept quiet and gladly purchased my PRE!
So... You actually pay $149.99 in store when the phone actually comes if you do this preorder? AND you get to use the $50 gift card on what you want?
I confirmed with BB, you don't get an extra $50... $50 gift card will be applied towards the purchase... $50(gift card) + $149 = $199. If you want to use gift card for other things, you will have to pay $199 at the time of purchase.
Re: @tears l
ol that's hilarious... Sounds stressful too... As a customer I'd be perplexed and uncomfortable...
This just proves what some have said, June 6th was a soft launch. I suspected that myself, Sprint always soft launches a major product before an AD campaign, which is due to start this month.
^ what he said.
This is actually quite beneficial to customers seeking the Pre, as many devices are on a first come, first serve basis. I worked there for nearly 3 years and taking 37 phone calls a day asking if we had any Nintendo Wiis in stock was ridiculous. Had we the opportunity to tell a customer "you can put down $50 to get on a list and we'll contact you" would have been a phenomenal service to the customers and to the store (and my sanity).
As someone stated above, it seems as though the $50 goes towards your phone, then you get the gift card as extra...that doesn't seem like a bad deal at all. And Best Buy Mobile doesn't do mail-in rebates. Say what you will about Best Buy, but Best Buy Mobile is great!
I pre-ordered today and got home an hour later to find out they had a phone for me. I was expecting a 2 week wait and got the phone in 2 hours!
The good thing about this is it potentially secures the customer for BB. The Any customer could put themselves on a bunch of lists and wait for the first one to call.
I bet few, if any, call back to get their names off the other lists once they have their Pre.
My complaint about the policy is that they changed the original agreement we made earlier this month. I was told they would set a Pre aside for me from their last shipment of the month and I could pick it up July 1 (the day my full discount is available). Now they want $50 this month and have me wait another week. The policy isn't necessarily what bothers me, it's that they went back on their word.
And the $50 deposit is a boost for Best Buy. In many cases, it will help them get some revenue into the current month while guaranteeing further revenue in the next month. Also, if people use it for something besides their Pre, the gift card will boost sales since customers almost always spend more than the value of the card.
Well, I went to BestBuy in my area Madison, Alabama. They want me to put down $50 to be in the waiting list, but no $50 gift card offer. These $50 will go towards the purchase of the phone or they will refund the money back if I decide not to buy the phone.
You don't get an extra $50 the gift card will be applied when you come in to get the Pre $50 plus $149 = $199
I ordered my pre on Thursday and just got a call that it's in. I'm in VA Beach. Didn't take long at all.
When I signed up to the list yesterday, they told me about the $50 pre pay (no pun intended). I told them nevermind and said I was going to check out the Sprint store across the street. They immediately waived the $50 and let me sign up anyway.
I honestly wasn't trying to threaten my way out of it, I just didn't want to pay money for a phone I haven't inspected yet. Not that I'm complaining :)
Apparently their next shipment of 13 Pre's is coming in within a week.
I paid my 50 and got on the preorder list at the end of June. I was GUARANTEED my phone anytime between then and July 8th. I called the 7th and he said they would get a new shipment in around 12pm on the 8th....I waited all day and no call so I just went up there. No palm pres were there at all. The guy checked the computer and said "Well there's another shipment coming in a week"...A WEEK?! I already waited like 2 now I'm supposed to wait another week and it "may accidentally forget" to arrive again.
I took my giftcard back to customer service, got my 50 bucks back and made a few calls. I will be picking up my palm pre from a sprint kiosk. I will deal with the stupid mail in rebate. I just need my phone before my next billing cycle starts. I still need to be able to get my "new customer" price.
Want to leave a comment? Register for free!
In an effort to reduce comment spam, you need to log in to comment. Registration is fast, free, and easy and gives you access to comment, discuss the Palm Pre on the largest Pre forums on the 'net, enter contests, and much more. Join now!