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Mon, 20 Jul 2009 Apple secrets lead to 'The Great iPhone Chase'

Incredible. Moronic. Arrogant. An Apple rep took pity on the beaten-down customer

Tom Kaneshige Cio.com

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Apple loves secrets: They create suspense and excitement around cool new products. After all, who doesn't relish a good mystery? Well, some of Apple's customers, in fact.

Aron Lasky, a manager of engineering design at LA ProPoint, which builds stages for the entertainment industry, tries to avoid Los Angeles traffic as much as possible. Recently, he found himself stuck in mental gridlock for hours thanks to Apple's notorious secrecy. This is his story of his great 120-mile iPhone chase.

Lasky became the proud owner of a 32 GB iPhone 3GS on the very first day the smartphone hit stores, June 19. Yet within hours, Lasky noticed his new iPhone was heating up.

"After five minutes of use, the glass often would get so hot that it made using the phone uncomfortable to hold to the ear," he says. When fully charged, the much maligned iPhone battery would last only ten hours, even when the phone wasn't being used.

Lasky feared he had an iPhone lemon in his hand, so he called Apple technical support. They told him it was indeed a bad Apple. They said he could ship the defective iPhone to Apple, and Apple will send him a replacement. If he wanted a replacement sooner, he could head to the nearest Apple Store, which was in the city of Northridge some 30 miles away.

Not wanting to be without a phone for days or weeks, Lasky decided to hit the road. He called the Northridge Apple Store and made an appointment with an Apple Genius. "Since I was traveling such a great distance, I wanted to verify they'd have one in stock," Lasky says. "I was informed that they could not divulge that kind of information ... but was assured that, surely, they would have several of my model."

Leaving work early to beat traffic, Lasky jumped in his car and made the 30 mile trek-only to find out that the store didn't have an iPhone 3GS in stock.

Not to worry, the Genius told him, the Apple Store in Canoga Park 15 miles further down the road will probably have an iPhone available. "Can you call to verify that?" Lasky asked. Sorry, the Genius replied, adding that the Canoga Park store wouldn't even tell the Genius. Apple secrecy had spread between Apple stores.

Fifteen miles later, Lasky got the bad news: nothing in stock. But the Apple Store in Sherman Oaks is only 15 miles away, another Genius told him. "Figuring that a third time would be the charm, I stupidly drove to the store," Lasky says.

The unlucky Lasky was disappointed again.

Lasky decided to return to the Northridge store and order a new iPhone to be delivered there. For Apple to ship an iPhone to Lasky's home, Lasky would have had to turn in his defective iPhone, which would leave him without a phone.

On his drive back, he contemplated the question of the day: Why on earth is it against policy to inform a customer if you have a product in stock?

At the Northridge store, Lasky placed the order and casually asked if the store could call him when the iPhone arrives. Can't do that, the Genius replied, because it's against Apple retail store policy. "He told me that I could call every day to see if it was in," Lasky says.

Incredible. Moronic. Arrogant. An Apple rep took pity on the beaten-down Lasky, offering to give him a free product from the Apple Store under $50. Lasky grabbed the cheapest Bluetooth headset. "As insulting as it was, I guess it was better than a sharp stick in the eye," Lasky says.

Today, Lasky has his new iPhone 3GS replacement. This one doesn't heat up at all, and the battery life is better but not by much-lasting about 12 hours on a charge with minimal usage. "I still have to recharge it nightly," Lasky says. "I feel like I'm driving a Hummer and needing to refuel all the time while making trips around town."

Has Apple secrecy been a blessing or a curse? Your thoughts below please.

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Comments received


James Donevan said on Mon, 20 Jul 2009

A stupid story. Apple does not hold or reserve stock for customers. They did have a 24 hour hold policy in the early days of the brick and mortar stores but stopped the policy as it was tying up too much stock that wasn't picked up and thereby annoying on site customers.

As a result they will not provide stock details to customer queries. A customer could call a store, in say Northridge, to be told that yes they have 3GS phones in stock. Meanwhile they are sold prior to the customer's arrival. Most customers would find that more annoying than the scenario described. Since they cannot hold and thereby guarantee stock availability on arrival, it makes absolutely no sense to advise stock availability.

The Apple website is very clear in stating stock is handled on a first come first served basis with no holds or advice on quantity.

Michael Graham said on Mon, 20 Jul 2009

In that case, why don't they tell you they have one in stock, but that they can't reserve it for you? In that way, at least you will know that they have one before you set off.

@James said on Mon, 20 Jul 2009

This news report isn't about Apple holding stock, it's about replacing a defective iPhone. In this instance they are taking secrecy too far. An Apple store should be able to put aside an iPhone for replacement purposes on the request of another store. That's crazy.

Sabalo said on Mon, 20 Jul 2009

"...but stopped the policy as it was tying up too much stock that wasn't picked up and thereby annoying on site customers."

Because, you know... the guy with the defective phone is going to change his mind about replacing it, thus tying up stock.

The only reason Apple gets away with their abysmal customer service policies is because there are apologists waiting to line up and excuse their behavior.

OneEye said on Mon, 20 Jul 2009

The more plausible reason for Apple's policy is that they do not want analysts and rumor sites calling the stores, claming to want to buy an iphone or whatever, to find out the current level of stocks. That kind of information is reserved to their quarterly reports.

TJ said on Mon, 20 Jul 2009

I can understand Apple not wanting to advise of stock at the next Apple Store along, but what I find totally stupid is the fact that they wouldn't even call the guy to let him know his new iPhone had arrived and it was ready to pick up!!! I would expect that kind of courtesy from any store regardless of what they are selling. And what about when the poor guy does phone and ask if it's arrived, are they gonna say 'Sorry sir we can't divulge that information, you'll have to come down to the store before we can tell you anything!'

theblindgenius said on Tue, 21 Jul 2009

Apple are pushing their luck with store ruling "Secrecy". I thank myself lucky I deal with an apple authorized contractor who is very supportive and knowledgeable and doesn't mess me around. The staff are always friendly and able to get anything you need sorted out. I do a lot of technical work with them servicing older systems which they can't handle.

greendave said on Tue, 21 Jul 2009

@james. Doh, he needs to know if they don't have any - then he doesn't need to drive there to find out they don't have any!!! Obviously if they do have them they can tell him, with the proviso they won't hold them. It is called Customer Service.

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