'Huge demand' forces O2 to pull plug on iPhone 3G pre-orders

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
O2 began taking pre-orders for Apple's new iPhone 3G through its website early Monday but was forced halt the service just hours later as UK consumers flooded the carrier's servers and quickly consumed initial supplies.



O2's pre-order system falls flat



iPhone 3G hopefuls awoke Monday to emails and text messages from O2 announcing that they could pre-order their new Apple handset beginning at 8:00 a.m. local time this morning.



"If you want to place your order, all you need do is click on the link below on your Mac or PC, select the tariff, select the iPhone 3G model and sign a new 18-month contract online," the carrier said in its messages.



Successful pre-orders were to be delivered by a courier on launch day, Friday July 11th, and customers were to be able to complete activation through iTunes from their homes.



Minutes later, however, O2's automated upgrade system for existing iPhone owners buckled under pressure and was taken offline, leaving those customers without a means of placing their upgrade order.



At the same time, the pre-order system for new iPhone customers continued to function without a hitch, frustrating existing owners who were suddenly at a disadvantage given that O2 said it was taking pre-orders on a "first come, first served basis."



Faced with these issues, O2 hours later would shut down its pre-order system completely. A message on the carrier's website now informs customers that due to "huge demand," iPhone 3G is currently out of stock online. Customers are asked to check back for more information on Thursday, July 10th.



O2's iPhone 3G tariffs



The UK carrier has priced the 8GB iPhone 3G at £99 and the 16GB model at £159 with a £30 monthly tariff that includes 75 minutes, 125 text messages, and unlimited data.



A £35 tariff offers the handsets at identical prices and includes 600 minutes, 500 text messages and unlimited data.



Customers who step up to the £45 tariff get an 8GB iPhone at no cost, or a 16GB model for £59. The monthly plan includes 1200 minutes, 500 text messages and unlimited data.



Either iPhone 3G model is free with O2's £75 top-tier tariff that includes 3000 minutes, 500 text messages, and unlimited data each month. All tariffs require that customers agree to a new 18-month contract.







O2 also previously announced that iPhone 3G will also be available under its Pay & Go subscription model at £299.99 for the 8GB model and £359.99 for the 16GB model. Full details are available here, though it appears that O2 has delayed this offering until "later this year."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 58
    tantrumtantrum Posts: 41member
    Same or similar thing will happen in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Hong Kong and Japan. At least in the first 10 days, there wont be enough iPhone 3G goodness to go around.
  • Reply 2 of 58
    spindriftspindrift Posts: 674member
    I spent hours this morning trying to upgrade. I must have had well over 20 attempts with new upgrade codes. I even tried the failover page with no success. There was no system to enter an upgrade code of you had already been sent one. You had to request a new one each time. Total shambles and a useless system. The developers should have a lot to answer for.



    The fact that existing customers were 'promised' to be alerted as soon as the system was active, but they pulled the upgrade system down, allowing only new customers to order their iPhones is shocking. O2 should be ashamed of how poorly they treated us.



    What a bunch of ammeters. Come one Apple, is this really the type of network you want to be dealing with?
  • Reply 3 of 58
    God this stuff really winds me up.

    Don't these people PLAN anything?



    Fair enough have the contract phones with the networks but for God's sake sell UNLOCKED phones at the APPLE STORE. That way anyone that wants to spend a bit more up front to get out of having to deal with these muppet networks can.



    I'm going to wait for 5 months and pick up a 32GB one. They might have sorted this mess out by then.



    Simon
  • Reply 4 of 58
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    I hope there IS a shortage (here in the US) to help me stick to my plan to wait 2-4 weeks



    Because a) if any unexpected problems arise, the early adopters can find them and b) the phone will be $80 cheaper in one month (I don't currently have a mobile phone.)
  • Reply 5 of 58
    dagamer34dagamer34 Posts: 494member
    Damn, O2's prices are amazing.
  • Reply 6 of 58
    hutchohutcho Posts: 132member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nagromme View Post


    I hope there IS a shortage (here in the US) to help me stick to my plan to wait 2-4 weeks



    Because a) if any unexpected problems arise, the early adopters can find them and b) the phone will be $80 cheaper in one month (I don't currently have a mobile phone.)



    Your reasons are nonsense.



    There is simply no way there will be a drop in prices in the next 2 - 4 weeks. They did it with the first one and there was outrage. With the amount of emphasis they have put on the price, it won't move until the next revision comes out. And any problems found with the phone initially with be fixed with software updates, so you're at no advantage there either by waiting.
  • Reply 7 of 58
    shogunshogun Posts: 362member
    Anyone still think the first gen iPhones will be worth more over time? I've got one, a 4 GB.
  • Reply 8 of 58
    irnchrizirnchriz Posts: 1,616member
    I am going to upgrade to the iPhone 3g but I suppose its not too bad having to wait a bit if you already have an iPhone as we should be getting the 2.0 software upgrade (with the App store) and mobile me on Friday.
  • Reply 9 of 58
    revsrevs Posts: 93member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dagamer34 View Post


    Damn, O2's prices are amazing.



    YOu also get access to the UKs top two Wi-Fi hotspot providers all inclusive too! Its great!



    (Disclaimer: BT and The Cloud may not be "the UKs top two Wi-Fi hotspot providers", but they seem to be everywhere and are pretty huge! )
  • Reply 10 of 58
    jensonbjensonb Posts: 532member
    Total fail on the Pay/Go thing. Not available on that unti, get this, around CHRISTMAS
  • Reply 11 of 58
    joedrcjoedrc Posts: 86member
    i tried to pre order one this morning but encountered a slow site and when i did get round to paying, the i got a message saying there was a problem with my order



    guess i'll have to go to my O2 store on Friday!
  • Reply 12 of 58
    gwilligwilli Posts: 24member
    My order seems to have gone through, and money has left my account, just gave them a call and they said it's all gone through. Just waiting for my confirmatin email now, apparently the iPhone lines have been seriously busy all day!
  • Reply 13 of 58
    modagoomodagoo Posts: 1member
    Think Apple should intervene if it is the case that O2 only took money from new customers as implied by this post, this tweet http://twitter.com/SteveMarshall/statuses/851994929 and my own experience today.



    'huge demand' cannot possibly be an excuse when they knew how many had pre-registered (and sent the texts!)



    Seriously suggest o2 get on the blower to Cupertino, ensure they get the stock and rebuild a usable, light-weight shopping cart without the text authentication and heavy ajax... by Thursday!



    What an outstanding case of chronic FAIL - seven years as an 02 customer has taught me this is perfectly normal operating procedure for them (and 99% of UK utility companies), but shouldn't things be a little different with Apple involved?
  • Reply 14 of 58
    columbuscolumbus Posts: 282member
    At least Rogers won't have this problem…



    This is what happens when they give people a good deal on the tariffs.
  • Reply 15 of 58
    joedrcjoedrc Posts: 86member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by modagoo View Post


    Think Apple should intervene if it is the case that O2 only took money from new customers as implied by this post, this tweet http://twitter.com/SteveMarshall/statuses/851994929 and my own experience today.



    'huge demand' cannot possibly be an excuse when they knew how many had pre-registered (and sent the texts!)



    Seriously suggest o2 get on the blower to Cupertino, ensure they get the stock and rebuild a usable, light-weight shopping cart without the text authentication and heavy ajax... by Thursday!



    What an outstanding case of chronic FAIL - seven years as an 02 customer has taught me this is perfectly normal operating procedure for them (and 99% of UK utility companies), but shouldn't things be a little different with Apple involved?



    its not the end of the world, worst comes to worst, you'll have to queue up and get one on friday
  • Reply 16 of 58
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpinDrift View Post


    What a bunch of ammeters.



    Yes, they should have been able to keep current with orders.
  • Reply 17 of 58
    Actually i have a friend who works at O2 and he tells me the whole ordering online system is a sham. He says it's Apple's way of gauging how well the iPhone will be received. He told me that on the first iPhone launch they sent out millions of emails and letters to potential buyers but the price was too expensive and nobody took up the offer, hence the reduction in price.



    He reckons Apple are not going to give them that many iPhones for the launch anyway and have asked O2 and Car Phone Warehouse measure early interest to gauge the response. Sounds like Apple are cacking themselves needlessly.
  • Reply 18 of 58
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Shogun View Post


    Anyone still think the first gen iPhones will be worth more over time? I've got one, a 4 GB.



    Your best best was to sell it while there was no supply for the last 2 months. Maybe in 50 years it will be a collectors item, but I wouldn't count on that. Now that it will be released this week and iTunes 7.7 presumably has to be released on Thursday, not Friday, in most time zones to have it available for the NZ midnight launch/
  • Reply 19 of 58
    chocho Posts: 5member
    Well, the debacle that was the O2 system has made me decide to keep my old v1 iphone, and utilise the free v2.0 upgrade on Friday.



    I doubt very much that I will be staying with O2 once my contract has expired, too.
  • Reply 20 of 58
    shogunshogun Posts: 362member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Your best best was to sell it while there was no supply for the last 2 months.



    D'oh! \
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