I just got off the phone with AZ/Kindle CS with great disappointment. (pre-ordered 2 Kindles 7/28).
I mentioned the website banner "pre-order now for delivery on Aug 27th" and the agent knew nothing about it and replied, "You will have to send me a copy of that and I will look into it." What???? It gets better. When I informed him of the dozens of threads on several forums displaying detailed tracking information he replied: "Well, that's not possible. The Kindles are not shipping until Friday, Aug. 27." !!!
Completely clueless.
He then went on to say that "shipping was beginning with Aug. 1 pre-orders."
For the first time, I do not have complimentary things to say about AZ customer service. This is not their first Kindle launch and there is no excuse for such ineptness and complete disorganization.
If Bezos is going to release a statement to the press announcing earlier-than-planned Kindle shipping, CS should be up to speed at the very least.