iphone 3GS in SPAIN with MOVISTAR: NO STOCK ANYWHERE!

The 3G S is a very hot seller. Lots of stores in the US are currently out of stock on the 3G S.

Trust me, Apple wants you guys to have the iPhone. Everyday the stores in Spain are out of stock, Apple is losing money.

It just takes time to manufacture these things.

The problem is not what you are talking about. In Spain, the main problem is that just 200 Iphones 3gs have arrived to Barcelona, that maybe just 1000 have arrived to Madrid. How can we do with that?

The situation here in spain, is atrocious!!! Movistar the official provider of the iphone is destroying the wonderful brand of apple with stupid decision-making, and unsatisfactory customer rapport.

There decision to overstock their stores with iphone 3G phones before the release of the new 3GS, meant that they would only order a limited stock of the new iPhone 3GS phones.

But for the life of me, i cannot understand this. In the UK & Ireland, 02 is the official provider of the iphone. Its parent company is Telefonica, which is also the parent company of Movistar.
When the new iphone 3GS was announced, all the 02 stores reduced theirs tariffs and prices for the iPhone 3G in order to clear out stock.

However in Spain it was different - right up to the day the iphone 3GS was released Movistar kept the sames tariffs and prices as before. (Stock obviously wont clear this way).

And even then when the day arrived for the new iPhone 3GS, they kept their new prices reasonably similar to the old 3G prices.

Why would anyone buy a 3G iphone for nearly the same price as the new one, when they can wait for the new better/faster version coming.

Makes no sense to me..

Anyway in keeping with the topic of the title of this message, I have placed my name in around 20 Movistar stores/distributors in Barcelona, and have been waiting for a telephone call for over 1 month.

I can't see the situation getting any better in the coming MONTHS!!!

Its seems i have wasted my time developing an app for the appstore, when i can't even get an iphone!!

I will continue the quest for an iphone......

Message was edited by: KMfreelance

You need to be patient. Factories need to build iPhones and then Apple needs to distribute them to over 80 countries.

Just take a look at this page,

http://www.apple.com/retail/iphone/availability.php

to see the availabilty of iphones in the US.

I wish we had something similar in Spain and/or Europe!!

Hello Apple Headquarters....Please HELP us here in Spain.

I have been trying to buy a 3GS phone from Movistar since the supposed release date in Spain (did they acutally release any stock here though??).

Have been to several Movistar stores....all same answer...a shrug of the shoulders....and they say they don't know...they have ordered from Movistar...but no idea when...could be many more weeks yet.

I have contacted Movistar Customer Serviceseveral times...they say the stores control the orders themselves and they order from Apple.

I have contacted Apple Espana...and they say to speak with Movistar.

I have friends in other European countries who have simply walked into the phone store that has iphone contract...and 30mins later they walk out with a phone.

Apple - this is crazy...do you not want to sell phones here??? You should order Movistar to pick up their game...they are tarnishing your great brand with pathetic service.

I suggest you open up supply/contract to Vodafone also....perhaps then, Movistar might treat Apple and their customers a little better.

Apple - Please HELP

You are not addressing Apple. This is a user to user support forum. Apple does not participate in these forums.

It is up to Movistar to buy adequate stock and it seems like they are reluctant to do so. I would suggest that you complain to Movistar as it is up to them to supply the phone.

So how might we go about escalating this complain, so that people from Apple actually get the hear about this???

By the way, news from movistar in Barcelona - They are now telling customers to expect iPhones towards the end of September!!!

Thats like saying, wait for the next iteration of the iphone next June 2010.....

There is nothing Apple can do. They can't force a vendor to order more product if the vendor doesn't want to. It's up to Movistar and it sounds like they want to keep demand high while restricting supply.

KMfreelance wrote:
They are now telling customers to expect iPhones towards the end of September!!!

Thats like saying, wait for the next iteration of the iphone next June 2010.....

Not really. First of all, there is no guarantee of a new IP next June.

If Apple ramped up production so that EVERY country could have all the IPs they needed within a month or so of the release date, they would have way to much excess capacity after the initial sales surge.

I don't believe Movistar will distribute and offer the new iPhone 3GS in a massive way until they clear out their existing stocks of unsold iPhone 3G.

Well if they have any existing stock leftover i would be happy to take one off their hands!!

In Barcelona there isn't the iPhone 3G or the iPhone 3GS...

jjmartinez wrote:
I don't believe Movistar will distribute and offer the new iPhone 3GS in a massive way until they clear out their existing stocks of unsold iPhone 3G.

If this were true, Movistar could "dump" all their old 3G stock quickly in places like Spain where according to the poster above, there aren't any 3G stock to be had.

Before I managed to find my 3GS, I was offered the 3G in three different shops. The same is happening to all my friends. I live in Madrid. The 3G is not difficult to find. I cannot say the same about the 3GS.

Also, if you ask Movistar to cancel your subscription because you are going to another operator, they quickly offer you a 3G at no cost. If you ask for a 3GS, they tell you to wait until September.

Message was edited by: jjmartinez