Totally unnecessary delay!

disconnected · 11-02-2018, 12:15 AM

I just got an email from Amazon saying that the release date for the new PW4 I ordered (on Oct 16) has been moved from the 7th of Nov to the 15th.

I understand, delays can happen. I also can afford to be patient; I have many, many ereaders. It's not an earth-shattering problem.

But, they could have fixed this. I ordered 32gb, wifi-only, NO SPECIAL OFFERS. I went to the website and checked the release dates (you have to customize and add to cart to see dates). My configuration shows the 15th. The exact same configuration, WITH SPECIAL OFFERS, shows the 7th. They could have removed the special offers from a special-offer device or they could have given me the option to take one with special offers and remove them later. It might have inconvenienced them slightly but from my point of view it would have been the right thing to do.

I don't want to cancel and re-order because I'm not sure it will correctly transfer my trade-in credits and installment plan option.

I may call Amazon to see if they can do anything but I'll have to calm down first so I can be polite.

EDIT!

So, I did the live chat contact. It took some time and 3 levels to understand the problem but it worked out exceedingly well. The rep was afraid the original trade-in credit would vanish and not be available for a re-order so he cancelled the order and issued another credit somehow. I re-ordered (with special offers this time) and the original credit was still there so I got both. When I told the rep about it he said no worries as long as I was happy! My new receipt has a delivery date of the 7th.

93terp · 11-02-2018, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by disconnected

I just got an email from Amazon saying that the release date for the new PW4 I ordered (on Oct 16) has been moved from the 7th of Nov to the 15th.

But, they could have fixed this. I ordered 32gb, wifi-only, NO SPECIAL OFFERS. I went to the website and checked the release dates (you have to customize and add to cart to see dates). My configuration shows the 15th. The exact same configuration, WITH SPECIAL OFFERS, shows the 7th. They could have removed the special offers from a special-offer device or they could have given me the option to take one with special offers and remove them later. It might have inconvenienced them slightly but from my point of view it would have been the right thing to do.

I got the same email from Amazon and I too had the 32GB, wifi-only, no special offers configuration. First checked what the delivery date would be if I configured a new order with special offers (everything else the same) and it was 7 November. So original order cancelled and new order placed. Will turn off the special offers when it arrives.

Paperbackstash · 11-02-2018, 03:21 PM

I ordered mine on October 16th. It's always said release date of 7th and delivery expectation of 13th through the 16th.

I got the 8 GB with Special Offers.

Edited to Add: Looks like you mean the release date changed for yours. That bites. We're already impatient for it!

93terp · 11-02-2018, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

I ordered mine on October 16th. It's always said release date of 7th and delivery expectation of 13th through the 16th.

I got the 8 GB with Special Offers.

Edited to Add: Looks like you mean the release date changed for yours. That bites. We're already impatient for it!

My delivery date was estimated to be release date (7 November) as I'm a Prime member.

tomsem · 11-02-2018, 03:40 PM

Still showing Nov 7 for 32GB with SO that I ordered.

93terp · 11-02-2018, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomsem

Still showing Nov 7 for 32GB with SO that I ordered.

The point is that apparently some of us who ordered WITHOUT special offers have received emails showing a delayed release date from what we were originally told at the time of the order.

tomsem · 11-02-2018, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93terp

The point is that apparently some of us who ordered WITHOUT special offers have received emails showing a delayed release date from what we were originally told at the time of the order.

I understood the distinction.

But it could just have gone the other way, where SO Kindles got delayed (in fact I think that has happened in the past). It is the same hardware but a different SKU, and I assume that is determined before they boxed up and shipped from China. It takes something like a week to deliver a shipping container from there to the USA, so if there were not enough Kindles in transit to meet preorder demand, it has to wait for the next batch to arrive.

HarryT · 11-02-2018, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93terp

The point is that apparently some of us who ordered WITHOUT special offers have received emails showing a delayed release date from what we were originally told at the time of the order.

Shipping date changes are not that uncommon, particularly for unreleased products.

disconnected · 11-02-2018, 05:42 PM

I don't understand why they need to have anything to differentiate the special offer versions at all. It's just a setting on Amazon's end that determines whether or not you get ads. It can't depend on SKU because it can be changed whenever you want it to be.

tomsem · 11-02-2018, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by disconnected

I don't understand why they need to have anything to differentiate the special offer versions at all. It's just a setting on Amazon's end that determines whether or not you get ads. It can't depend on SKU because it can be changed whenever you want it to be.

Customers need to see something on the Kindle packaging that states what item they ordered (else how would you know you got the right item?). But more fundamentally, the SKU is different because that is an accounting requirement of any business selling stuff. It does not matter that physically the item is the same. It needs to be assigned to a given sale.

In theory they could defer SKU assignment (putting the appropriate label on and scanning it to cause the correct behavior to be enabled) until just before they ship - but it might run afoul of import or accounting rules, or just be something they don’t want to pay US employees or contractors to do in what is otherwise a warehouse whose whole purpose is to ship things out as efficiently as possible.

Paperbackstash · 11-02-2018, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93terp

My delivery date was estimated to be release date (7 November) as I'm a Prime member.

I use my mom's prime account usually, but for this deal I used my own account without prime because that's the only way I could get the payment plan option. Was worth it for a few more days wait, although also irritating. Her account never has the pay plan options.

patrickt · 11-03-2018, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

I ordered mine on October 16th. It's always said release date of 7th and delivery expectation of 13th through the 16th.

I got the 8 GB with Special Offers.

Edited to Add: Looks like you mean the release date changed for yours. That bites. We're already impatient for it!

Mine was pre-ordered on October 16th. It's an 8Gb, no special offers, WiFi only Paperwhite 4 and is scheduled to be released on Nov. 7th and delivered to my sister's house on Nov.13th or 14th. I'll get it when my sister brings it to me in January. I live in Mexico.

93terp · 11-04-2018, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by disconnected

I don't understand why they need to have anything to differentiate the special offer versions at all. It's just a setting on Amazon's end that determines whether or not you get ads. It can't depend on SKU because it can be changed whenever you want it to be.

Bingo, we have a winner!

HarryT · 11-04-2018, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93terp

Bingo, we have a winner!

Er, no. A Kindle "out of the box" will either have SO or not. They are different products, sold at a different price, and with different stickers on the box. Of course they need to be tracked as separate items for purposes of stock control.

93terp · 11-04-2018, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Er, no. A Kindle "out of the box" will either have SO or not. They are different products, sold at a different price, and with different stickers on the box. Of course they need to be tracked as separate items for purposes of stock control.

No Kindle that I've ever bought "out of the box" has any indication that it does or does not have SO. There is zero markings on the box itself to indicate one way or the other. Additionally, being tracked as "separate items for purposes of stock control" seems a totally absurd point to justify your position. If this were in fact true, I would not be able, with a click of button on my "Manage Content & Devices" page, to turn off SO on a purchased Kindle that was delivered with it enabled. There's no difference in hardware at all between the 2 configurations. But whatever, you're entitled to your opinion.

11-02-2018, 12:15 AM	#1
disconnected Fanatic Posts: 527 Karma: 4504715 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: US Device: Kobo Forma, Libra, H2O2e2, Clara, Auras, Kindles, Nooks, Sony, iPAQ	Totally unnecessary delay! I just got an email from Amazon saying that the release date for the new PW4 I ordered (on Oct 16) has been moved from the 7th of Nov to the 15th. I understand, delays can happen. I also can afford to be patient; I have many, many ereaders. It's not an earth-shattering problem. But, they could have fixed this. I ordered 32gb, wifi-only, NO SPECIAL OFFERS. I went to the website and checked the release dates (you have to customize and add to cart to see dates). My configuration shows the 15th. The exact same configuration, WITH SPECIAL OFFERS, shows the 7th. They could have removed the special offers from a special-offer device or they could have given me the option to take one with special offers and remove them later. It might have inconvenienced them slightly but from my point of view it would have been the right thing to do. I don't want to cancel and re-order because I'm not sure it will correctly transfer my trade-in credits and installment plan option. I may call Amazon to see if they can do anything but I'll have to calm down first so I can be polite. EDIT! So, I did the live chat contact. It took some time and 3 levels to understand the problem but it worked out exceedingly well. The rep was afraid the original trade-in credit would vanish and not be available for a re-order so he cancelled the order and issued another credit somehow. I re-ordered (with special offers this time) and the original credit was still there so I got both. When I told the rep about it he said no worries as long as I was happy! My new receipt has a delivery date of the 7th. Last edited by disconnected; 11-02-2018 at 04:35 AM. Reason: update

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11-02-2018, 03:21 PM	#3
Paperbackstash Wizard Posts: 1,652 Karma: 20102554 Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Central Florida Device: Oasis 3, PW 3 & 5, Fire HD 8 & 10	I ordered mine on October 16th. It's always said release date of 7th and delivery expectation of 13th through the 16th. I got the 8 GB with Special Offers. Edited to Add: Looks like you mean the release date changed for yours. That bites. We're already impatient for it!

11-02-2018, 03:40 PM	#5
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,897 Karma: 27013865 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	Still showing Nov 7 for 32GB with SO that I ordered.

11-02-2018, 05:42 PM	#9
disconnected Fanatic Posts: 527 Karma: 4504715 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: US Device: Kobo Forma, Libra, H2O2e2, Clara, Auras, Kindles, Nooks, Sony, iPAQ	I don't understand why they need to have anything to differentiate the special offer versions at all. It's just a setting on Amazon's end that determines whether or not you get ads. It can't depend on SKU because it can be changed whenever you want it to be.

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