- On 6/2/12 HTC EVO 4G LTE launches with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) for $199.99.
- It will be available in all retail channels including www.sprint.com and 1-800-SPRINT1.
- Sprint retail stores will operate on regular business hours.
- Employee programs (EWD/SWAC) will not launch on 6/2
Thursday, May 31, 2012
HTC EVO 4G LTE launches on 6/2
Looks like they beat me to the punch before I had a chance to post, but now we know :)
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SOOOOO basically there was no point for me doing a preorder....thanks Sprint & HTC...atleast you communicated out a date and people will get the phone the same day if not before I get my preorder phone. Im tired of EVOGATE, I just want my EVO. *shrug*
ReplyDeleteYeah, I got tired of waiting on the Sprint store. I bought mine from a Radio Shack last friday. It's an awesome phone, you'll love it.
ReplyDeleteDoes All Channels = Amazon Wireless, Wirefly, Best Buy, etc?
ReplyDeleteWhat about SERO accounts?
ReplyDeleteI called my local radioshack and they still do not have it in stock (atleast thats what they told me), my local walmarts do not sake sprint services or devices so that was a wash. Best Buy keeps claiming they do not know when they will get more phones in (who my preorder is with)...could be today or tomorrow or on Monday when they get their regular shipments. im just frustrated at this point.
ReplyDeleteBut I am excited for my EVO, i hope to get it before the weekend so I can kill two days making it mine.
My local store just told me they are expecting a shipment in today, but it hasn't come yet. I really hope I'm able to get it today! If not...I guess I can handle waiting two more days...
ReplyDeleteSo, Amazon preorders will arrive AFTER I can pick one up in store. SuperFAIL if that is the case, Sprint. Thanks for the update Neo, but I am livid now (not at you).
ReplyDeleteI called Amazon and they said Sprint is holding the phones, but if June 2 is the launch, they will probably get them tomorrow. And Amazon said if they get them tomorrow they will ship them tomorrow so I may get mine on Saturday. Worst case, I would get it Monday. Either way, FINALLY!
ReplyDeleteSERO is now called Everything Plus which is not technically considered Employee accounts; so should be available same day.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Wondering the same thing. What does "Employee programs (EWD/SWAC) will not launch on 6/2" mean exactly?
ReplyDeleteI pre-odered my phone and received it on 5.24. I like it a lot....very thin. I originally complained to sprint and noticed they shipped next day air and they also sent a free phone cover (non popular color). To say the least I was impressed by their effort to make amends to the situation and wrote an email to customer service to let them know.
ReplyDeleteMe too, I went out last night and found one at Walmart. I bet it's been sitting there for days, too. The lady helping me said they've only sold two Sprint phones since they started selling Sprint at all (I think she said 6 months). For what that's worth. But, hey, $158 out the door and I've got my new Evo!
ReplyDeleteEverything Plus replaced SERO but SERO was an employee referrel plan which some of us still have. This is what makes me unsure...
ReplyDeleteDue to Best Buy's computer system mistakenly canceling my initial preorder, I went in and preordered again a few days ago. This morning I get an email saying my preorder is in, so I go to pick it up. The phone wasn't there; the email was a mistake. The interesting thing is that while talking with the mobile phone sales rep, he said that Best Buy received an email saying that they were not allowed to sell preordered EVO 4G LTEs tomorrow. The notice said that Best Buy has to wait until Sat. to distribute preorders. Seems unnecessary to me...but whatever. Saturday is the day.
ReplyDeleteWhat is EWD/SWAC? Anything to do with SERO-P?
ReplyDeleteSERO is now called Everything Plus which is not considered Employee accounts; so it should be available same day. EWD/SWAC are actual Employee Account types.
ReplyDeleteYes I understand that, but liability of these accounts falls under the subscriber not the employee, so it is technically considered a consumer account with an employee referral discount attached. All previous device launches including iPhone and EVO 4G were available same day on these accounts. I dont see why this would be any different.
ReplyDeleteMulti-week delays, random availability with no regard for pre-orders, almost zero communication... For a flagship product? All in all - worst launch ever. Someone should get fired.
ReplyDeleteJust called my local corporate store where I placed my instore pre order as I wanted to schedule an appointment for the upgrade. She had to ask someone else in the store, then came back to tell me that they have not yet received official word. I beg to ask.... Sprint posted it on their own web page, and sent it out on their own tweet page. How much more official can it get?
ReplyDeleteAmazon told me this morning they have no idea when they will receive their shipment!
ReplyDeleteThe way I see it, there are three possibilities -
ReplyDeletethey get the phones today and ship them for overnight delivery tomorrow, thus honoring the fact that we preordered (30% chance);
they get the phones tomorrow for the launch and ship them for overnight Saturday delivery, thus honoring the fact that we preordered (5% chance);
they get the phones tomorrow for the launch and ship them for Monday delivery, making the fact that we preordered the phone a moot point. (65% chance).
Any way you look at it, this whole situation, while out of Sprint's control, was completely mismanaged. Like I said elsewhere in these comments, I am VERY disappointed at this point with all the players in this screwed up game (except for Neo, who has done his best to make up for the missteps of his employer). If I was not locked into a family plan with other phones, I would seriously consider switching carriers.
Stephanie, you know the pre-orders before launch date only applies to pre-orders through Sprint, right? Since we pre-ordered through Amazon we are not getting it early.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Stephanie, if verizon would have had phones with ICS (i didnt want the Galaxy Nexus) and/or cheaper plans I would have joined DRIOD nation...but DROID is taking to long to jump on the ICS stock phone (I dont want hardware/software incompatibility issues with an upgrade from gingerbread to ICS).
ReplyDeleteI did the same. Called local store, they said it was news to them. They had no official word yet.
ReplyDeleteHi Stuart,
ReplyDeleteI am not asking for pre-launch, I am asking for what I thought I was getting when I placed my order with Amazon - the phone in my hand on launch day. Nothing more, nothing less.
Since Sprint chose to launch on a weekend day, they have made Amazon's promise to me very expensive at best and impossible at worst. IMHO, Sprint should reimburse Amazon for Saturday delivery for all preorders. But we all know that is highly unlikely, and I am not expecting it (as I mentioned above).
I fully expect to have to wait until Monday for my phone, or pay almost half more for the privilege of getting what I was promised in the first place by walking in to a retail outlet and hopefully getting a phone.
What Sprint should have done, since things have already been delayed this long, is make the launch day Monday if they could not get stock in place for a Friday launch. The other alternative is ship to Amazon and Wirefly first, since they both took preorders, and let them ship on Thursday for Friday delivery.
The way they handled this, some customers are being treated as second-class citizens because of who they chose as a retailer.
Yes, I am probably making more of this than I should - but dammit, I am paying good money for this phone, and pay Sprint a LOT of money every month, and have for almost 10 years. I deserve at least basic customer service.
One other thing that has been bugging me throughout this debacle, and as a small business owner, something that I keep in mind always.
ReplyDeleteThe measure of your success in business is not how you handle your daily, routine situations, but how you respond in extraordinary circumstances.
People are not necessarily going to remember how you deal with them on a daily basis, but they WILL remember when you go out of your way to WOW them when something goes wrong. They will also remember when they feel you have mishandled that situation.
And finally, people will share a good experience with 2 friends, but they will share a bad experience with 10. Which do you want, as a business person?
Large companies forget these lessons from their hard-fought early days. Sprint is not alone in this, by far. But as a company who routinely touts their many customer service awards in the wireless industry, they have set our expectations high to begin with.
Totally agree with you. I "pre" ordered mine on 5-12-12 from Amazon Wireless so I'm guessing I'll see it by the date they have on my account, July 12th. What a crock! Launch date means absolutely nothing to me because I still have no clue when I'll actually get my phone...you'd think with an official date now that AW could move my date up...I mean July? Really? I've wondered how it is that a company the size of Amazon could end up being unable to fill any of their pre orders...I've yet to find out who ships them their phones, Sprint or HTC, hmmm.
ReplyDeleteEXCELLENT QUESTION!!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, much appreciated. So Sprint's been holding our phones captive, yet allowing Best Buy and other 3rd party places to have even a small supply. Pre orders...realizing Sprint has no clue what this actually means. :)
ReplyDeleteLike John said, when I chose a phone, two of my criteria were ICS and a large screen. There are limited choices that qualify, and unlike my spouse, who can live with last year's technology and not complain, if I am going to spend $150-200 on a new phone and be locked in for 2 years, I want the newest and best phone I can get.
ReplyDeleteMy options, sticking with Sprint were the Galaxy S III, which still has an unknown street date in the U.S., and the EVO 4G LTE. Given what I knew at the time, the EVO was my only real option, and actually still is (I am not putting much stock in the supposed release date of mid-June for the GSIII, especially given EVOGATE and Apple's ongoing battles with Samsung).
Steph... As you said, Sprint could've just held the launch until Monday, but that wouldn't help you get your phone any earlier. It would just make everyone else get their phones later. Are you really saying you'd rather have everyone else wait a few days just so you can have the phone on the same day as them?
ReplyDeleteI personally think Sprint made the right call and made it available as soon as possible. Saturday release means a lot of people will be able to get the phone for the weekend.
Ken,
ReplyDeleteWere I in charge at Sprint, I would have done whatever was necessary to make sure that the people who pre-ordered the phone, regardless of what channel they used, received theirs before or at the same time as general availability.
Like I said to Stuart, I am not asking for anything special. I just want what I was promised by Amazon, and Sprint has placed them in a no-win situation with a weekend launch date.
Like many here, I want this phone badly, as my many comments have undoubtedly proven. My current phone is at the technological equivalent of being held together with chewing gum and bailing wire.
Although it grates at me, I hold no ill-will for those posting here about having received their phones (some of whom "pre-ordered" well after I did, just via another channel). They are excited, and I am excited for them.
I would never want to hold others back solely for my benefit - they want the same thing I do. I was just trying to convey my frustration at the fact that Sprint could have chosen other ways to handle this situation that would have honored the loyalty of those who have been subscribers for so many years, and who chose to buy a phone solely on the promise that they would receive that phone on or before launch day. Is that not what pre-order means?
Seems like the Board of Directors at Sprint should be inquiring what went wrong and who is accountable. We all understand the Custom's delay and know that was not Sprint's fault. But their handling of this after that was unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteI agree. SuperFAIL if Wirefly and Amazon can't ship by tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteEven after Sprint makes the announcement with official launch day less than 2 days from now, Wirefly and Amazon still cannot even say when they are getting the shipment in their warehouse to start processing pre-orders . I think that's quite ridiculous.
I think you're putting way too much value into something that was promised under normal circumstances. The whole thing has been a cluster mess. Are pre-orders supposed to get it first? Sure. But, at this point, I think they just want to salvage as much of this launch as they could. They can't be blamed. This is an unusual circumstance for them to be in. It's completely unprecedented for phones to be completely held up in customs like this. Were this just a normal launch, I would agree with you, but at this point, there's really no reason to hold them so firmly to the whole "pre-orders get them first" thing.
ReplyDeletecalled Amazon yet again and this time was told they received their first shipment when customs released it and filled all the orders they could and now they were back ordered and the ship date of July 3rd is probably correct! I calmly replied "no you didn't you haven't shipped any of this model phone" which was met with silence. I then asked to speak to a manager who of course said that was not true but he has no idea when they will be getting phones and does not know why they are so far down on the totem pole in receiving them.
ReplyDeleteI called Amazon today too and got lucky in that I spoke with a sane and very pleasant individual. She told me they are all very frustrated at Amazon because they've been kept in the dark just as their customers have. They, as of a couple hours ago, had no idea when Sprint was going to send their shipment and apologized profusely. She was well aware of the launch date but also confused as to why Amazon has heard nothing about a shipment date. She did say that the minute the phones arrive they go out...she said their shipping department is truly amazing and that even if phones arrive by 8pm they'll be delivered to the customer the very next day (providing you are a 1 day delivery, like I am). Can I be sure she knows nothing? Probably not but she seemed genuine and frustrated like the rest of us. Frankly, if I were on the buyers team of that company, I'd be in touch with Sprint until I had a firm date of shipment so that I could pass that information on to my customers. This whole Amazon situation is so uncalled for. People have answers...Sprint has answers...it's time to get it in gear and satisfy their customers, regardless whom they purchased their Sprint phone from. All I know is I sure hope I don't hear that Sprint and all 3rd party carriers are sending phones out while Amazon Wireless is still left in the dark.
ReplyDeleteExhausted with Wirefly, I cancelled my order. Best Buy will buy back my old EVO for $50 and I get an additional $50 off for a promo. Boom bam done and I still end up paying just a little more than I would have with Wirefly. Farewell Wirefly.
ReplyDeleteI must say everyone I have spoken with at Amazon has been very nice until this last lady, I was very nice she was not! I told the "mgr" I spoke with, I understand this is frustrating for them but still. And then to just make crap up! Pre order apparently means nothing in this situation.
ReplyDeleteYeah, making up lies to try & appease a customer is wrong. If Sprint believed that pre orders were only good if you purchased the phone online through them then all the 3rd party carriers shouldn't have been able to advertise the phones as a pre order. I've yet to figure this one out. I would have purchased through Sprint but they didn't offer any discount off the $200 and what person doesn't want or NEED to save some money, especially when Sprint won't even have 4G/LTE in my area until end of 2013/early 2014?! Amazon had the best deal hands down, even better than BB so for going with Amazon we're left out.
ReplyDeleteWhat Sprint needs to understand is that I am a long time Sprint customer with a 4 person shared account and a pre order is a pre order. I ordered my phone BEFORE 5-18-12, US Customs debacle or not...I should get my phone, no matter whom I purchased it from, before all other walk ins and before anyone who suddenly wanted this phone on or after 5-18-12. It's really very simple, actually. I gave my go ahead to bill my account for the phone on 5-12-12 and people who walked in off the street to a BB or Walmart, for example, on 5-24-12 had the phone in their hands. They need to stop the whole "pre" ordering b.s. since it has proven not to be legit. I'd sit here waiting patiently and say nothing at all if not a single person, to date, had received their phones but it hasn't worked that way and there's not a thing about how Sprint has handled this that's fair to it's pre ordering customers across the board.
I highly suggest you folks who can just call your local Wal-Marts. A number of people on the Android Forums have found them in store and the second store I went to had three in stock.
ReplyDeleteGlad it looks like you will all finally get the phone. It will be worth the wait. I love the phone, camera, and battery. 14.5 hours off charger and still have 47%.
ReplyDeleteI pre-ordered my Evo LTE on 5/7 through the sprint site. I received mine on the 24th. A friend ordered his at a Sprint (corporate) store, and had his the same day. Another person I know ordered his also on 5/7 at a Sprint (partner) store, and still does not have his. Seems it pays to do business with Sprint, and not partners.
ReplyDeleteI AM doing business with Sprint and have for a very long time. Where I purchase their phone should not matter...it's still HTC, it's still Sprint and I still have a contract with Sprint. If Sprint offered a discount like other parties do then more people would buy directly from them. I bought my orig Evo from Radio Shack, got it the first day no problem. A pre order is a pre order no matter where it comes from. If this is not true then Sprint should say that only pre orders can be done through them online and only those who do so will get their phones earlier than everyone else...however, this is not what we were told. As crappy as Amazon has been treated by Sprint, I'm now wondering if the Customs issue had not occurred if AW would still even have their pre orders. If I were Amazon, I'd be considering what kind of lousy partner Sprint is if this is how they do business.
ReplyDeleteThank You the wait should almost be over thanks for everything inside sprint now :)
ReplyDeleteWhat time will telesales and online ordering be open?
ReplyDeleteYou have to agree this is a one-off situation and not under any normal circumstance. You ordered a Sprint device from someone who is authorized to sell their services. In this specific instance you have chosen to do business with Amazon Wireless and not Sprint.
ReplyDeleteThere are many factors in which you may not know... such as what type of an agreement Amazon has made with Sprint; as such there may be a different level of priority given to Amazon in shipments, etc which also may be the reason why Amazon is able to offer the device at a lower cost.
I understand you're frustrated, I ordered from Amazon and feel the same way. However, I'm dissatisfied with Amazon's lack of communication as I feel is it their responsibility to communicate to their customers why their orders have been delayed, in which they have not yet given a straight answer to. I find it hard to believe that they do not know what the reason is.
Wirefly posted an update to their Facebook page 30 minutes ago from the CEO himself... Looks like most *should* get their orders Monday.
ReplyDeleteGood news! I just got off the phone with Sprint management and the stories are true.... Evo's have been released! Our first shipment of Evo's are being shipped to our distribution center no later than tomorrow. We have asked for overnight delivery which means if we get them on Saturday we will unpack and then ship out the same day. The other good news is we've been told we will receive a second shipment of Evo's by the end of next week. Trust me when I say we are doing everything we can to get these shipped to you as soon as possible.
Now here is the bad news, because of the time of day, we are not able to update our teams within our customer service groups so they do not have this latest info. Until tomorrow morning they might continue to say they don't have updated info. This is true, I'm actually home (it's almost 9:00 p.m.) and I'm sending this to you before I've updated our own team.
Thanks for hanging in there with us, I'm tired and shutting down for the night.
Andy-CEO
http://www.facebook.com/Wirefly
Wirefly CEO just posted an update on Facebook.: While not the best scenario, it's good news none the less. I appreciate the direct update from the top instead of a prepared statement they have been posting. It looks like I will be getting mine Mon/Tue.
ReplyDelete"Good news! I just got off the phone with Sprint management and the stories are true.... Evo's have been released! Our first shipment of Evo's are being shipped to our distribution center no later than tomorrow. We have asked for overnight delivery which means if we get them on Saturday we will unpack and then ship out the same day. The other good news is we've been told we will receive a second shipment of Evo's by the end of next week. Trust me when I say we are doing everything we can to get these shipped to you as soon as possible.
Now here is the bad news, because of the time of day, we are not able to update our teams within our customer service groups so they do not have this latest info. Until tomorrow morning they might continue to say they don't have updated info. This is true, I'm actually home (it's almost 9:00 p.m.) and I'm sending this to you before I've updated our own team.
Thanks for hanging in there with us, I'm tired and shutting down for the night.
Andy-CEO"
Hah I was just posting the same thing but it looks like my post is stuck for moderation, maybe because I included a link.
ReplyDeleteBut let's hope this sticks, and if so I hope to get my phone in my hands on Monday!
Well, let's see, if Wirefly's CS people weren't updated, as stated in another post, then that's probably the same for Amazon. I'm sure SOMEONE knows what's up...someone at Sprint definitely and maybe someone at AW but that doesn't mean the CS people were privy to that info but I agree, Amazon could have handled this much better.
ReplyDeleteAgain, PRE=BEFORE...regardless of any agreement between Sprint and Amazon, if pre orders were doable then those ordering should be treated as fairly as anyone else who pre ordered, otherwise there should have been a stipulation noted.
I don't care about the Customs situation...Apple screwed everyone on that one, but if you plan to fill pre orders once phones are released then fill all pre orders, not some at Sprint and some at this or that 3rd party carrier. They could have just filled them with Sprint and told everyone else a date when they'll get there but they didn't....the shipping was a mess and sporatic at best. No one is going to convince me that an agreement between a huge company like Amazon and Sprint will fall beneath Walmart and Sprint. Amazon Wireless is in the business of mobile devices, yet Walmart had a few phones here & there and those went to people who did not pre order. Sprint dropped the ball on this in many respects.
Realizing all us 3rd party folks may have our hopes up for nothing. PCMAG.com said this:
ReplyDeletehttp://tablet.pcmag.com/?ref=298545&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pcmag.com%2Farticle2%2F0%2C2817%2C2405157%2C00.asp
Specifically the line that says: "The device will be available at Sprint stores and via the carrier's website."
Ok, this may very well be stating that it's Sprint only so 3rd party people are out of luck...at least for a time. Any thoughts?
[...] [Inside Sprint Now] Share this:ShareEmailPrintDiggStumbleUponRedditFacebookTwitterLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
ReplyDeleteIt's not looking good for Amazon, so far anyway. :/
ReplyDeleteany idea when it will be on SWAC?
ReplyDeleteYou do realize that July date is made up right ? It will ship before July, Amazon doesnt want to update it i guess
ReplyDeleteOf course I realize it's not a legit date as I'm sure they expect to get phones in well before that but seeing that date every day just reminds me that Sprint isn't doing their job and making sure Amazon has shipments, all the while shipping phones to other 3rd party carriers. For all we know, July could turn into Aug tomorrow...it tells anyone who sees that date that they don't know when the crap the phones will arrive so they're stretching out the date to save their butts. And I've already seen May 31st as a delivery date on my account just days ago so I won't believe any date until I know the phone has actually been shipped. No one can guarantee it will ship before July because Amazon hasn't received any shipments of the phones, according to every Amazon customer I've seen who has shared online. At this moment, June 2nd means nothing to Amazon customers purchasing the Sprint Evo LTE.
ReplyDeleteYou would think if the National Launch date was June 2nd....
ReplyDeleteWouldn't their site say that by now... which is June 1st.
Walt, I wouldn't expect it anytime soon. The Galaxy Nexus was released more than a month ago and is not yet available to EWD/SWAC accounts currently has a TBA status.
ReplyDelete@Karla... I would also like to point out that the HTC ONE X is still out of stock on Amazon's website as well. I would not be so quick to blame Sprint as both of these devices were held up together. Unless ATT just hates Amazon as well and it's all just a conspiracy against Amazon. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteJust got a text from Sprint saying the phones will be in participating stores tomorrow ...
ReplyDeleteFrom Amazon, nothing. Seriously questioning if it was worth saving $50 and tax on two phones.
I called Amazon and they still do not have any idea when they will be receiving their inventory. Cancelled the order.
ReplyDeleteJust got this text from ...
ReplyDeleteSprintFreeMsg: The HTC EVO 4G LTE will be in participating Sprint stores tomorrow! For details on this device, visit http://sprint.us/evo4g
I received this email at noon (CST) today [I pre-ordered from Wirefly]:
ReplyDeleteGood news!
Late last night I spoke with Sprint management and the stories are true ... the HTC EVO 4G LTE has been released.
Our first shipment is being shipped to our distribution center today. We requested overnight delivery which means we should get them Saturday. Rest assured, we’ll unpack and ship them out the same day. The other good news is we've been told we will receive a second shipment of HTC EVO 4G LTE phones by the end of next week. Trust me when I say we are doing everything we can to get these shipped to you as soon as possible.
Thanks for hanging in there with us.
Sincerely,
Andy Zeinfeld
Chief Executive Officer
Your service provider (meaing the company that provides you with telephone service) is Sprint. Your hardware vendor is Amazon. Amazon is a distribution partner with Sprint. In other words, Amazon will not get phones until they are available to the public. An Amazon preorder entitles you to be among the first to receive a phone FROM Amazon, once they become available. Amazon is who has failed to communicate with you the status of your order. If Sprint has not talked to Amazon, that is between them two. Your beef should be with Amazon.
ReplyDeleteIn all honestly, your beef should be with Apple for adding to the confusion of an already confusing process. One way or the other (Amazon or Sprint Direct) you would have had your phone by now were it not for the stunt Apple pulled.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya, lol....look, it's just so strange how Amazon appears to be the only carrier/retailer who has, to date, received no shipments of the Evo LTE. And in order for the One X to be out of stock, it had to be in stock first, correct? Just wondering why Amazon hasn't been able to get Sprint to ship them any of the Evo's when everyone else has at least some of them available. Amazon acts as if they're playing a waiting game...waiting on Sprint...meanwhile their customers are growing more frustrated by the day. I don't want to have to cancel with them and end up getting my phone at BB but when we don't have any information at all, one can't help but wonder.
ReplyDeleteStill no information at all from Amazon. How in the world can even Wirefly have good news...heck, any news...and Amazon does not?! Amazon knows nothing about when any shipments are coming in...they are in the dark as far as the CS reps are concerned. Wishing that Sprint would tell us when the heck Amazon will receive their shipments...this is so frustrating!!
ReplyDeleteI'm just really disappointed that no one from Amazon has officially communicated anything. I will not do business with their wireless division ever again. I am not really sure what type of an agreement that they have with Sprint or HTC, something has to be different in their priority, etc. This may have to do with their ability to offer the devices cheaper than others, which would explain why Wirefly is experiencing a delay as well? Not sure really, just speculating.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, AW has not made any attempt to reach out to their customers in any way to provide status/updates, thinking that pushing the order date to July would cover themselves. "I have no idea" is inexcusable and does not work for me.
I really do feel your pain, sdr593. I think Amazon's silence is inexcusable. I just called them again and though the woman seemed really sorry...even outside the typical spiel...I got no information and when I hung up I actually received an email asking if the CS rep resolved my issue, ROFL. I am considering cancelling but am waiting to see what happens tomorrow. The whole idea that they won't get shipments until the launch (based on another post on here) would make sense if every other carrier had not already received word on their shipments. If Amazon had received word then why not tell their customers?! They could leave a one paragraph statement on their site with any tidbit of information just to let us know that hey, we do care, we aren't ignoring you, we are in the process of awaiting shipment, something. My fear is, I'll cancel and go to BB and they'll have none available.
ReplyDeleteThat's all fine & dandy, Aaron, and thanks for spelling that out but even though launch isn't until tomorrow, other vendors/carriers have received notice of their shipment, whereas Amazon has not or isn't telling their customers. It makes no sense. My beef is with Amazon and Sprint...it takes both of them to make this work. Amazon says they have heard no word yet on any shipment of these phones and Sprint says we have nothing to do with Amazon orders, um, yeah, that doesn't fly. Amazon can't just receive shipments from a nameless entity.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if you saw a post I previously wrote, but I actually placed a pre-order at Best Buy last Friday, they emailed me Monday that they had a device, had it in my hand, and then realized the store employees stapled the pre-order slips into the top of the box, in turn damaging the screen. They had one other device available, they had did the same thing to that one too. So 2 of their last devices, they ruined, I was not happy.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Best Buy is accepting pre-orders in store even today, and there is no cost and no obligation to place it. You should call around to the local stores and speak with mobile, most have received their shipments as of today. If you press hard enough they should also be able to tell you if they think their pre-orders will deplete their inventory. They are also offering a $50 gift card with 2yr activation. I'd go that route also and see which comes to fruition quicker.
sdr593, I just called BB and they are not taking pre orders at all. They will get a limited number of these phones in tomorrow so it'll be first come first serve. They did say the $50 gift card can be applied to the cost of the phone, if this is true, that's good news. Ok, so I also called BB Mobile and got my name on the pre order list so I could end up with the phone tomorrow if they get enough in on their shipment, guess we'll see, thx!
ReplyDeleteI just asked the question on the amazon wireless facebook page if they had any information about the evo 4g lte since wirefly has information on their facebook page and they DELETED my post!!! It wasn't a rude post it was very nice! WTH?!
ReplyDeleteI then posting asking why they deleted my post and it was deleted! Rude!
ReplyDeletejust got a text from sprint saying the evo 4g lte will be in stores june 2 which is tomorrow.i guess i can pick up my phones before i head to dallas.
ReplyDelete@Karla...... The thing is this. When you finally receive your phone, Sprint will never have touched it. Amazon will likely never have touched it. It will have drop shipped from a third party logistics provider that cannot release the phones until the national release date. For the sake of Argument: IF Amazon touched it at all, it was to take it off of a pre-labeled pallet and sort it into shipping bins for a shipping partner at a facility located right around the corner from say Brightpoint in say Plainfield, IN. If one were to say that it would make sense being that there is a free trade zone and customs depot just minutes away. There might be right this very minute two trailers full waiting on someone to get off their 2nd shift lunch break and finish the pull... All that for the sake of argument.... IF all that arguing were the case, then Amazon would have no more of an answer for you than Sprint would since it would be an entire third party responsible for actual distribution. In your case, Sprint is the phone service provider, Amazon is the BROKER, and someone else actually has your phone. That someone else is bound by an agreement with HTC on when the phone can be released. I know your frustrated. Please believe me it is worth the wait in the end. Hey, a buddy that WORKS FOR Sprint is jealous because he hasn't even seem them YET. I beg pardon as my @lunch is [dot] over. Pallets to move and such.
ReplyDeleteI got that text as well. Called my local sprint (partner) store where I "pre-ordered" it, and they told me they had my phone in, but couldn't sell it to me until tomorrow when they open...at 10a.m. So, looks like I will FINALLY be getting my phone! Woo. Funny thing though, I called like wednesday and they told me it probably wont be for a week or two. They had no clue.
ReplyDeleteIt's still there. At the top of the posts, click on Highlights, then on Posts by Others. No matter, they do not interact with people on their Facebook page nor on Twitter. I would get into the question of what's the point of social media if you just use it for advertising and announcements, but that's for another day ....
ReplyDeleteAnd no updates on my Amazon order this morning. Calling them now.
Just hung up with a very nice fellow at Amazon ... he said there is some kind of delay on the Amazon shipment still, one that does not affect that of other companies. It does not have anything to do with Customs, and they do not have any idea of why this is happening. He said their business unit is still investigating and trying to get the shipments released. They are expecting to have an update within the next two days, by Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely going to see if I can get the phones at Best Buy today. This is absurd.
And a change on the Evo Lte product page at Amazon ... they are allowing orders to be placed now, stating "Usually ships in 8 to 9 days." Earlier this morning, it was just backordered with no estimated time of availability.
ReplyDeleteI'm still going to Best Buy .... same price after the gift card.
Cancelled my Amazon order today and there's an Evo LTE waiting for me at Best Buy for pick up....finally! Hoping I get a good one!
ReplyDeleteJust called amazon again and they understand that other carriers are receiving their orders today but they are not and he doesn't know when they will he said it is not a customs issue at this point! The earliest they would even have an update is monday and he also said he couldn't even confirm I would receive one out of the first shipment because there are no order lists I didn't even ask that question so it was weird he threw it out I assume they know they aren't getting enough phones to fill their pre orders. He also said they do not ship on saturdays. very discouraging, my best buy has 10 but they are all held for pre order people! I think I am screwed!
ReplyDeleteGood call. Amazon screwed the pooch.
ReplyDeleteWirefly's initial stock is now in and my my order has shipped. I was a late-in-day order on May 7 so there must be plenty to cover early orders.
ReplyDeleteOk found 1 and only 1 left at the third local best buy I called! So bye bye amazon! I can't believe how terrible they handled this situation! Now to figure out if we have to wait to switch it to me we bought it under my husbands number because he was due for his upgrade and I wasn't yet. Hopefully we don't have to wait 30 days I have read all kinds of things online about this! Neo not sure if you follow these comments but if so any advice? or does anyone else know how that works?
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I believe as long as his line stays active, you should be able to swap them. Since both devices are active you will have to call care and ask them do to an 'ESN Swap' with the two devices. Congrats on finding one and Good Luck with your new Evo.
ReplyDeleteFound two phones at the local (Ha! Had to drive 45 miles ...) Best Buy. So YAY! Amazon order cancelled ... mental note: Never again!
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER ... when I activated them, I was told that that EVO Lte is not compatible with the Hotspot at $29 for 5GB and we had to go with one of the new plans. Has anyone else run into this??
thank you yes it worked great with a sprint online chat rep! I have my new phone! I have so appreciated this group!
ReplyDeleteFinally received tracking # from Wirefly. I ordered on 5/7. I can't wait to check out the phone on Monday. My brother-in-law found a local store that had the phone and picked it up after getting absolutely no real status from Amazon about his order.
ReplyDeleteEpic failure for Amazon Wireless. Also, it sounds like WF only had enough on first shipment to cover first couple of days of pre-order.
I'd be curious if Sprint will make me change my Hotspot plan.
Well, like others here, I cancelled with Amazon as soon as I was able to find one at my local Sprint store. Granted, paid tax and an extra $50, but now I have my phone, and yes, it was worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what Amazon thinks they are doing, but they are going to lose big bucks if this is how their wireless division does business. I have always been a BIG fan of Amazon, am a long-time Prime member (since the beginning), and have literally spent thousands of dollars with them over the years. That is why I went to them first when I wanted to pre-order my phone.
Not only has this caused me to never again patronize Amazon Wireless, but I have shared my experience with dozens of family, friends and co-workers, and will be re-evaluating my Prime membership and future orders with them. Several the people I have told of my situation will also be considering this situation when looking for an online retailer in the future.
Once again, I want to thank Neo for his tireless effort to keep us in the know. His pursuit of good customer service, in spite of the corporate bureaucracy, and at personal risk, is nothing short of amazing. If only Amazon and Sprint management would take a page out of his book, this whole mess could have been much less stressful for many.
Also be sure to consider that Amazon Wireless is a separate business unit from Prime and other units that you use.
ReplyDeleteMichael O'stean (09:14:44) :
ReplyDeleteThese 2 new lte4g sprint phones (evo and gs3) are great, but this sprint network sucks….It’s no longer the “now” network but better yet should be called the “vision” network…. i was one of the “lucky” first ones to get the lte4g only to learn that i am now stuck on a 3g wimax network til lte comes alive here in tampa, fla.. depending on who u talk too, lte will be here next month, 2 months, this summer, Q3, end of this year, and from off many reliable blogs such as this one, 2013. Why TF does sprint sell phones for networks that they are so far behind on….and i was told by the “care” department that it is up and down the east coast and more cities are coming…so i found a map…..lol and her idea of the whole east coast are cities like bos, nyc, atlanta, and a very few others….otherwise…welcome back to the year 2000 and 3g wimax speed….
Now as far as issues ive had so far with this phone… where i once had 4g service in my home, i now get 3g only and occasionally bounces into roaming..and i recently did a trip up to Panama city Beach for memorial day weekend and had the worst phone service i ever remember having…another issue is my bluetooth connection in both my Ford truck and my BMW.. both new models.. the phone connects but unable to use it or get voice to work on it… more issues but im bored of typing…thought i was the only one with these issues but they are all over the blogs with more issues then what i have… The sprint stores and care, excalated up too supervisors, escalated up to retentions departments, etc are clueless about the issues and now are wanting to charge me a restocking fee for returning the phones as well as another activation fee to start up my trusty ole 3d evo until something better comes along…such as ATT or Verizon… funny thing is retentions said they would reverse these charges if i would stay with them..(i’m within 30 days of my contract).. i declined.. because your lte service sucks compared to everyone else.. I’ve been with Sprint for a long time but you guys have put the cart before the horses lately….and you’re going to lose a lot of customers because of this… I’m a Pilot for a Major Airline who has enjoyed the little discount I get from sprint and I am a big “pro-sprint” guy at work…but trust me, after last night dealing with these departments, I am going to be a MEGAPHONE against sprint and wake up people to just how much better service is from the other carriers….I say all this just to let people know my experience, but hoping too that this inside sprint guy is somewhere up on the food chain and can affect change for the better for others….
thanks…your once loyal customer
Huh, no problems with mine. BTW it's not 3g wimax, just 3G. My new EVO LTE is faster than my original EVO was on the 3g network, must be the dual core procsesor or something. Mine works great with my 2012 Ford w/ sync no problems. I'm in KC and I think the network vision is about done here and it's working great. While they are doing the work a lot of towers can be down you may have been in an upgrade area when you traveled.
ReplyDeleteGood luck
Just got my Evo Lte yesterday, played with it most of last night and I LIKE!!! I also have to say it's faster than my Evo even on 3G so that's good news! So far I'm very pleased...so glad Best Buy had phones!
ReplyDeleteI used the $50 gift card from Best Buy and took it right off the $199 price tag, paid some tax and I am no longer waiting on Amazon...thank God!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, Stephanie H! Neo rocks!
ReplyDeleteYes they did, Aaron315! I'm so glad I called BB mobile because I'm the proud owner of an Evo LTE now and so far I'm a very happy camper. :) Hopefully Amazon Wireless will learn something from this.
ReplyDeleteIt may be a separate business unit, but it is still Amazon. My experience with their Amazon.com business unit was what drove me to do business with AW. Why would I not consider the actions of AW in regards to my future business with Amazon.com?
ReplyDeleteWow. So much fail in your post... Failure of you to understand the technology that you use that is..
ReplyDeleteFor starters... 4G LTE is a different network than 4G WiMax. Sprint is just now rolling out 4G LTE in market areas as they move away from WiMax. So, patience with transition and learning about what you bought are the keys here.
Hey, why not run get one of those fancy IPhone 4S phones over at AT&T. Hell, the screen says it's 4G so must be good.
Don't let the door hit you in the ass, douchebag. BTW, what airline? I want to be sure to stay clear of you and anyplace that would employ you.
Agreed. The new processor in this phone can chew on the data much better as it comes in. I've decided this is not really a phone, but a small tablet that also makes calls.
ReplyDeleteI like that...definitely more like a small tablet. :)
ReplyDeleteJust a quick word to confirm that corporate orders are finally shipping today. They wouldn't let us order until all the 'real' pre-orders were fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteI have run into this issue but was not notified of the change. I just happen to call in and was told that it was removed and not comptatible with my plan. I am furious. This is BS and honestly should have been communicated to customers before hand. I love how they didn't mention that the Evo 4G LTE would not be supported w/ this new device. I think its a bunch of BS personally.
ReplyDeleteoops. I meant I love how they didn't mention that the EVO 4G LTE was not supported on the old 29.99 plan.
ReplyDelete