iPhone Battery Replacement

Has anyone else had the same irritating situation that I had? I made an appointment to have the battery changed in my old iPhone at Best Buy through the Genius Bar. When I went to Best Buy for my appointment they said they were NEVER given any batteries by Apple so they could not replace my battery through the Apple replacement program. The customer service rep at Best Buy said they had 3 to 4 people per day come in for the same reason. I drove 40 miles round trip. What the heck is wrong with the Apple support system? Are they all incompetent.