iPad Pro Apple Pencil availability

[atomic.flip]

I bought the tablet knowing that the pen is backordered. The pen isn't essential to my needs. That's not what I was asking. I was asking why they are trickle shipping these to stores, creating a rather random purchasing scenario, when they could be trying to get these to present buyers of the iPad Pro.

The problem I have, is that there's now option to either call or walk in, which is absurd. It just is frustrating the way it's set up. I think they should reserve them for online and in-store reserve. I'm not sure why they are doing this

In case you don't feel like reading my long reply to another commenter (and I wouldn't blame you if you did) I will give you my perspective on it. I believe the problem is a simple matter of quantity per location. Thus far quantity has more frequently than not been too low to even register as available in their SAP system. This results in no one, including the poor store reps, being able to tell who will have what when and of course prevents any reservations for in-store pickup. Sadly this is also affecting the small business channels. (someone mentioned in another thread, and I tend to agree, that we may have some luck finding inventory at other retailers once the products go live in their systems next week)

 

[fitshaced]

fitshaced,

You are being insolent. In every organization there are always Monday morning quarterbacks who assume they know how best to do everything. What exactly have you done in your career? That being said, I did nothing of the kind. I put the order in knowing FULL WELL of the expected delivery date of the accessories (which for us would be December 2nd). The issue is that the stores are receiving continues trickle shipments which they have no idea when or if they will receive and that inventory SHOULD go to all those who placed an advanced order. To pepper the stores with bits of product here and there serves no purposes but to frustrate customers who plan their purchases.

And the companies I am referring to who get the accessories in advance are those such as IBM, Adobe and so on as they are very large and have significant relationships with Apple. Of course this is not unheard of in any industry but I feel this inventory issue is being entirely mishandled.

Not to mention the fact that their SAP inventory management system doesn't even REGISTER stock until a certain (undisclosed) threshold of product is available at each location. Which results in stores having maybe 1 to 5 or perhaps a little more of any given accessory while showing NO AVAILABILITY in the SAP system until the threshold is met. There was some sound reasoning for this years ago when iPhone was in high demand and shipment quantities were unpredictable, but again for a 99 dollar accessory that has been marketed as a key feature this seems just tedious.

Almost as tedious as your, frankly, worthless contribution to these discussions has been. Please do not bother replying to my comments unless you have something to say about your experience with the acquisition of the product. I don't care, and doubt anyone else reading this thread does either, what you feel other people should be doing with their businesses or their money.

Have an excellent evening/morning.

Cheer up mate. I don't believe I know everything and I have done loads in my career. Why exactly is that relevant? You acknowledge that there was likely to be a supply problem and acknowledge that you placed an order without knowing how well it could be fulfilled immediately after ordering it. There is really nothing more to be said other than you expected something that wasn't promised to you. If your company made the same gamble over the iPad 2 or the iPhone 4, you'd have the same problem.

 

[atomic.flip]

Cheer up mate. I don't believe I know everything and I have done loads in my career. Why exactly is that relevant? You acknowledge that there was likely to be a supply problem and acknowledge that you placed an order without knowing how well it could be fulfilled immediately after ordering it. There is really nothing more to be said other than you expected something that wasn't promised to you. If your company made the same gamble over the iPad 2 or the iPhone 4, you'd have the same problem.

Honestly, I am uncertain as to what part of any of my messages indicate I believed to be promised anything? My only expectation is that the products ordered arrive on the dates indicated (which they always have and likely will). That doesn't preclude the obvious accounting for a significant discrepancy between priority orders and those of the casual passer through the Apple store. Pre-orders should be fulfilled before sending random stock to the stores.

Let me give you a simple example. You buy a pair of plane tickets for you and a significant other to take a trip. You are told that the ONLY flights available will leave on a specific date at a specific time. The time is inconvenient however you agree as there is no better alternative presented. You get to the airport to checkin and find that there are people walking in off the street who are buying tickets for earlier flights while you wait for yours. When you go to the desk to request the same they tell you all flights are now booked. You ask them why they didn't offer you the flights offered to those who just walked in and you are told, "Oh, we had no idea those seats were even available."

Someone, somewhere knew what flights had what seats reserved, even if the agent booking your flight had no visibility into it. The airline is essentially handling booking logistics poorly. Now imagine that you are a platinum airline member, such that you are assured you will be entitled to certain amenities. They then deny you the amenities claiming they are no longer available, yet non-platinum members are walking right on in ahead of you to receive those amenities you were just told were not available.

Why? Random luck of the draw? Is this an intentional process of obfuscation? It makes absolutely zero business sense except to make a customer feel no more valued than another customer. This would be fine if all purchases were equal, but they are not, and frankly this practice is nothing new to Apple. They have done this for years, this just happens to be an exceptionally tedious example as they are delivering "half" a product experience by making one part available at one time and then another later on.

Don't try to justify their poor supply chain management process in this scenario by indicating people should just take what they are given. The entire reason people adore Apple products is because of the "feeling" they have when both using them and dealing with the service(s). And before you comment, just keep in mind that the Apple Business teams and the retail teams are exceedingly frustrated by the inventory issue. They don't want to do this to their customers and they are having to turn away far more people than usual for something that should be very, very simple.

Bottom line, someone deep in the SCM process bungled things and they are doing their best to fix it. Turning a blind eye to it won't help anyone.

 

[atomic.flip]

Cheer up mate. I don't believe I know everything and I have done loads in my career. Why exactly is that relevant? You acknowledge that there was likely to be a supply problem and acknowledge that you placed an order without knowing how well it could be fulfilled immediately after ordering it. There is really nothing more to be said other than you expected something that wasn't promised to you. If your company made the same gamble over the iPad 2 or the iPhone 4, you'd have the same problem.

Been doing this for a decade now and haven't had a single problem similar to this before. Every single product release prior to this has had an abundance of accessories with a shortage of product. And the accessories were simply "nice to have". The Pencil is essential for certain functions and cannot be substituted. From a practical standpoint the keyboard is entirely a nice-to-have and that doesn't present any frustration for myself or my staff, but again, this just doesn't seem to sit well with many people. Please, just stop trolling the thread.

 

[fitshaced]

Been doing this for a decade now and haven't had a single problem similar to this before. Every single product release prior to this has had an abundance of accessories with a shortage of product. And the accessories were simply "nice to have". The Pencil is essential for certain functions and cannot be substituted. From a practical standpoint the keyboard is entirely a nice-to-have and that doesn't present any frustration for myself or my staff, but again, this just doesn't seem to sit well with many people. Please, just stop trolling the thread.

So I guess you guessed wrong on the Pencil. You're business decision was misinformed. The problem you have was entirely of your own creation.

Not trolling, just responding to your arrogant reply to me which comes across as 'entitled'. You asked about what I have done in my career as if I was attacking your career choices. I did not.

If you are not able to see a low supply of the Apple Pencil as a small issue, then your circumstances could have been different if you didn't gamble on uncertainties. Good to see businesses taking risks, these days it seems they want risks to be solely a customers responsibility. But, risk doesn't always pay off.

 

[atomic.flip]

So I guess you guessed wrong on the Pencil. You're business decision was misinformed. The problem you have was entirely of your own creation.

Not trolling, just responding to your arrogant reply to me which comes across as 'entitled'. You asked about what I have done in my career as if I was attacking your career choices. I did not.

If you are not able to see a low supply of the Apple Pencil as a small issue, then your circumstances could have been different if you didn't gamble on uncertainties. Good to see businesses taking risks, these days it seems they want risks to be solely a customers responsibility. But, risk doesn't always pay off.

You are trolling buddy. Your comments add zero value to the conversation and you're just doing this to irritate those who wish to discuss the matter of Pencil availability. If you can't handle seeing people discuss their pleasure or displeasure with the ordering process then go read another thread. Seriously.... I won't be replying to any more of your insolent posts.

 

[JTravers]

Can we get back on topic, please? Anyone find any Pencils in store?

 

[m0oskk]

Nothing at both South Coast and Spectrum, both in SoCal.

 

[masotime]

I suspect the best strategy would have been to wait outside the store on Friday. I doubt there will be deliveries to stores on weekends. Ugh....

 

[m0oskk]

I suspect the best strategy would have been to wait outside the store on Friday. I doubt there will be deliveries to stores on weekends. Ugh....

I tried that this morning at one of the stores, since I wanted to return my Create. Though they did finally put out demo units with both keyboard and pencil.

 

[ultranoia]

No pencils at The Grove store in Los Angeles.

 

[nikster0029]

Nothing in San Jose

 

[JT2002TJ]

I suspect the best strategy would have been to wait outside the store on Friday. I doubt there will be deliveries to stores on weekends. Ugh....

FYI, my local Apple store gets multiple deliveries on Saturdays (and sometimes on Sunday). So don't rule out weekends.

 

[atomic.flip]

I have actually called every store from Pasadena to Temecula and no one has any stock. About 5 stores received some on Friday but sold them almost immediately. Based on third party distributor's estimates of when they will be receiving significant stock of the Pencil and Keyboard it looks like middle to end of next week the inventory issues should begin to normalize. That, however, doesn't answer the question of this 4-5 week backlog for pre-orders. Though, based on what I've seen so far, I am positive that stock will arrive in stores prior to many pre-orders being fulfilled.

 

[3goldens]

There has been some limited stock in some of the stores I checked in on. Sadly I got there too late. Maybe tomorrow!