Launch Day Shortage

[RocketKnight]

Bah, despite pre-ordering 2 months ago, Play.com have just informed me I won't be getting a Wii. They were promised 2,000 units, they're only getting 300. So I'll be starting a queue in my local Tesco where they're getting a handful in but they don't have a pre-ordering system. I shouldn't have to spend 8 hours in a supermarket if I tell Nintendo I want one 9 weeks before launch day. Ridiculous.

[Rich]

I got the same email, pathetic and they tell us too late to be able to pre order it from somwhere that might still be able to get them on launch day. They also wont tell me what position I am in the queue so I can establish if its worth keeping my order or not.

Tossers.

Why is it these console companies make the same mistakes every time they launch a new product?

Edit: Sod it, I'll keep my order hopefully enough people will cancel and I'll get one anyway ;) seeing as I signed up the day they started taking orders on play I might be in luck. Not overly bothered really its just insane how each time a new console comes out they never make a bloody nuff of them. Right before Christmas as well what do they expect :S

[Omnituens]

thats a shame.

I'm gaurenteed mine for Game.

[RocketKnight]

I avoided Game because they've failed to get me my "guaranteed" pre-ordered console in the past. I'm beginning to realise that a guarantee in the world of retail is just a buzzword.

[Hg]

my local back alley games shop (was software store now chips) have been faithful to me on release dates for various games and consoles and as such i have pre ordered the wii through them and i know i will be getting it on launch date, and i cant wait!!

[RocketKnight]

Bloody hell, I was asking Play.com about the number of pre-orders they had received. I read a figure on the official Nintendo UK forums stating they had 7,000 orders in the first 10 days. The woman on the phone said she didn't have the exact figures but it was higher than that. I can't imagine how many they had in total. They were NEVER going to get that many units in, the fact is they thought from early on they were only going to get 2,000 units, a quota which was hit in September. So why wait until just 4 weeks before launch day to tell everyone they won't get what they've been promised? They sympathised with me because I pre-ordered on day one but they don't seem to care that they've sat on this information for so long and didn't bother to tell their customers. They continued to take pre-orders for over a month knowing they couldn't deliver what they were promising.

I also asked if we'd get a list put up so we can see where we stand in the queue, so we know if we should be ordering elsewhere. My suggestion was a 2 column table, showing order number and place in line. It could be placed on the web for all to see and not give away any personal information. I'm told there are no plans for anything like that, and that customers will "probably be emailed nearer the time with regards to place in line". Well whoop-de-do, that's good to know.

[spaz]

That's pretty gutting :(

Was half expecting not to get a wii from game as when I went to pre-order it was £20 deposit and was number 28 in the queue at that shop, but I received a letter yesterday saying that I'm guarranteed one now on launch day, plus an 'exclusive pre order pack' to collect this Friday, which I assume will be lots of rubbish from game like vouchers of 12p off when I buy 9 games on launch day.

[Silk75]

Bah, despite pre-ordering 2 months ago, Play.com have just informed me I won't be getting a Wii. They were promised 2,000 units, they're only getting 300. So I'll be starting a queue in my local Tesco where they're getting a handful in but they don't have a pre-ordering system. I shouldn't have to spend 8 hours in a supermarket if I tell Nintendo I want one 9 weeks before launch day. Ridiculous.

You may have longer than that to wait. Going on the XBox 360 release last year, we had people waiting for 27 hours to get their console. We only had 13 delivered and we were the biggest store in ASDA at the time.

[RocketKnight]

27 hours? That's pretty bad. The 8 hours I stated was how long people queued for the 360 in our local Tesco. Bar Hill, Cambridge, it's pretty big. 2nd biggest in England I think.

[Elbonio]

I ordered 5 minutes after Rocketknight and I have not recieved this e-mail. It's not in spam folders or anything.

Will be ringing them tomorrow to find out what the deal is.

[GreyDeath]

Its pretty crappy that you pre-ordered so early and got told sorry non for you.

But its no suprise theres a shortage, with console and gaming hardware when is'nt there?

The thing people are going to be competing with too are all these people wanting PS3 for little billy realising its not even coming out and despretly trying to get hold of some sort of consolation (A Wii) instead.

It has been reported though that Nintendo are shipping more consoles then estimated for launch.

However I assume these units will bypass the European market and head to Japan.

The likes of Tesco would be a good idea, I also suggest Toys R Us.

[phoenixology]

haha gutted all of you!

i pre-ordered mine at game (8th person to be exact at the basingstoke store) so i gotta be guaranteed to get mine at the midnight launch!

i actually asked how many preorders they had when i did do, thats why i was in 6th place

if they did tell me i was something like 400th place then i would have gone elsewhere for sure to avoid disappointment.

but for everyone who has got an email like this i suggest you go to an asda or tesco (especially if its a 24 hour store).

[Wolfus]

That's pretty gutting :(

Was half expecting not to get a wii from game as when I went to pre-order it was £20 deposit and was number 28 in the queue at that shop, but I received a letter yesterday saying that I'm guarranteed one now on launch day, plus an 'exclusive pre order pack' to collect this Friday, which I assume will be lots of rubbish from game like vouchers of 12p off when I buy 9 games on launch day.

I received the same letter so i should be getting mine on the day of release as well.......I hope.

[RocketKnight]

Play.com still won't tell me where I am in line, and said they don't plan to either. They insist this is Nintendo's fault, but they don't seem to understand the situation. I need to know my place in the queue, I don't want to hear about European shortages, I know that already. They also don't seem to care that they kept taking orders knowing full well they would never be able to get hold of that many. They had 3 times as many orders as they thought they could handle after 1 week, but kept it to themselves and carried on taking more orders. That's a ****ty thing to do, I see now where they stand in relation to customer satisfaction versus profit margins. I wonder how many children won't get what they were promised for Christmas as a result of this...

[Unplugged]

I cant wait for the Wii to come out so im going to freeze myself in hopes that I can be unfrozen after the launch date.

[Demondan]

It's crazy but I think alot of places have under ordered...a guy at work today was saying he went into local game shop...no more pre orders cuz they were only getting a few in...it's a kiddie console he was told...lol. I also heard stories about a Dixons store getting a grand total of 3...

Is this just supply shortage or are retailers really underestimating the wii selling?

[RocketKnight]

F*ck Play.com, I've cancelled the order and I'm getting one from Woolworths.

I'd also like to point out Play underestimated the number of games people would order, so in sourcing more from unusual places they've had to push their prices up by £8 on average. Sort your f*cking lives out.

[Rich]

Burn them. Although I'm not going to cancel my order until I have another one confirmed at a high street shop for release day, as I'm half intrested to leave it and see just how long it does take..

[phoenixology]

Ohhh, what high-street shop is that Rich?

[Rich]

Unknown yet, thats what I mean if I go into town and find a shop that can garentee me one for launch day I will cancel my order with play. otherwise I'll put this in the bothered box and just wait on play and see how long it takes. bear in mind I pre ordered it the day it was announcned on play.. ;P!

[RocketKnight]

We did too. TBH, if you're happy to wait, don't buy it from Play. If they see a world of people cancelling their orders, they might learn a lesson.

[Rich]

They might, but realisticly they probably won't, so I'll leave it until I find somwhere better for sure

[phoenixology]

If they see a world of people cancelling their orders, they might learn a lesson.

How will Play.com learn a lesson? I don't get how that works considering that it's Nintendo who have allocated the amount of Wii's they receive at launch.

[spaz]

Well I went and got my 'exclusive pre order pack' from game earlier which is even worse than expected, was an envelope which contained a 10 page booklet briefly describing the wii and a couple of the launch games, wooohooooooooo.

Should've just emailed it out as a pdf or something, nevermind, 4 weeks to go!!!!

[RocketKnight]

How will Play.com learn a lesson? I don't get how that works considering that it's Nintendo who have allocated the amount of Wii's they receive at launch.
If you'd bothered reading the rest of the thread, you'd see I mention several times they knowingly took more than 3 times the number of units they'd been promised by Nintendo. Other retailers stopped taking orders or started new lists for after Christmas delivery, but Play just kept taking orders they knew they couldn't fulfil. The fact that number was reduced by Nintendo at the last minute doesn't change anything. Plus Play's customer service beyond that has been shocking, they can't even tell you your place in line while most other places do.

[bigwiifan]

has there not been a problems with shops not knowing how many they are getting in so some people dont have one secured for them? i dnno but i did find a site that knows how many they are def getting incase anyone is interested

so yeh this site (http://www.techsplosion.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index)

[lothlorien7646]

Suggest Toys'r'us, walked in today after being stitched up by Play, handed over £10 and nice lady confirmed I would have one on launch day.

If I don't get it on the 8th of course, I will wipe out her family and most of the Oldbury store, but we'll cross that bridge later.

Also does anyone have an e-mail address for play.com so I may heap abuse and scorn upon them. I have tried ringing but got a very unfriendly person who didn't sound bothered or had already had 8 hours worth of lip from other customers they had lied and cheated.

Thanks