IPad 12.9 Third Gen stock issues

[Gibson17011]

Hi.  I ordered a new iPad upgrade a fortnight ago now and all I am getting from Vodafone is emails saying due to unprecedented demand, no stock is available.  Started with three days, then four days and now I have received a 10 day update email.  I was told the iPad was in stock when I ordered it but got an email straight after saying out of stock.  It only seems to be Vodafone with stock issues, Argos have stock in Leeds and I could pick one up in Apple Leeds Trinity tonight if I needed to.

What's going on Vodafone! 

[BandOfBrothers]

I agree it can be frustrating when other outlets say they have the exact same model in stock and somewhere else does not @Gibson17011 

Is the Vodafone Online Shop showing them as available in a few weeks etc now ?

Hopefully Vodafone will get a shipment soon to fulfil yours and other peoples orders.

[Gibson17011]

Hi there.  The annoying thing is, I was told it was in stock when I agreed to have it!  Vodafone shop showing delivery on one to two weeks, which really isn't reassuring.  I know that things take time and stock can't be created out of thin air, but why can't Vodafone say to Apple, send me a hundred iPads please, cheers and thank you.  

Is the company on the down and it's credit is no good? 

[BandOfBrothers]

2 weeks lead time does tend to show low levels of stock currently.

Vodafone I assume take orders etc and ask Apple to send to them x amount of units to satisfy those orders.

As things can happen quite quickly when ordering online the status can change quite quickly from in stock to out of stock unfortunately. 

[Gibson17011]

Another week goes by and no stock.  Not even able to change order to other spec.  They are out of stock now too.  Vodafone are still taking new orders saying delivery in one to two weeks but I have been waiting three and not even expecting an email for another week.  This is the worst service I have ever received from Vodafone and been with them loyally for 10'years.

[hrym]

Apple have warned of stock issues due the coronavirus situation and it could be that this model is already affected.   I'm noticing shortages from other manufacturers, too.

[Gibson17011]

Would just be nice for someone at Vodafone to confirm what the issues are, as far as I can remember from any upgrade I have ever had this is unprecedented and a

weekly or fortnightly email saying I'm still in a backlog is simply not good enough.  Someone in authority must know how many customers are waiting and where the stock currently is.  

[hrym]

Frontline customer service staff don't normally have full access to detailed stock information.   However, if you contact the Social Media team via Facebook or Twitter, they'll be able to find your order and (with luck) give you some kind of delivery estimate - if it's "don't know", you should then be able to cancel the order and start again.   As I said, Apple are already warning of stock issues.

[Gibson17011]

All you get from Vodafone is they have no stock.  I have looked online and over the past two days all Apple stock is disappearing.  If Vodafone are having serious issues with stock, it would just be common courtesy to stop selling them and advise they're having problems.  The numbing silence from them is getting very tiresome.  Rather than say due tomunprecidented demand, which is what I've been told, they start saying they can't get stock.  I don't even know whether I will get mine in the next shipment, if and when it arrives.  At the very least Vodafone will know when they are expecting a delivery????

[hrym]

Contact the Social Media team via Facebook or Twitter and ask.  You won't get an answer unless you do.   For the most part, items are not out of stock for long and delays only last for a few days.   I agree that, where there is a serious issue, it would be helpful to ask whether you want to wait or cancel the order, and it's possible this may happen if it becomes apparent that the situation is going to last longer than normal.   However, it's also likely that there are people working in obtaining stock even as we speak.