O2 website fails on iPhone 3G frenzy: no 16GB or white models in UK

Jonny Evans
|
July 07, 2008
|
Share

 Yet more news as O2's UK iPhone 3G launch unravels - the 16GB iPhone isn't available yet, there's no white model, and we won't see a pay-as-you-go option until Christmas.

The UK carrier alerted iPhone customers this morning with a text message promising them the chance to upgrade their iPhone to the new iPhone 3G now, in exchange for which they will receive the new model on 11 July, when it ships.

"To thank you for being an iPhone fan, we're offering you an early upgrade to iPhone 3G. You don't have to wait until the end of your existing contract, all you'll need to do is agree to a new 18-month minimum term contract," the company said. With this deal only available until 11 October, its no surprise consumers flocked to get hold of the must-have next-gen 'Phone.

Sadly, O2's servers couldn't take the strain. 

Customers attempting to fill-in the online form were instead seeing a message which said, "There has been a problem with taking your order. We apologise for the inconvenience. Please try again."

While the 8GB model is available at no additional cost to customers on the £45 and £75 per month tariffs (subject to a new 18-month contract), the iPhone 3G costs customers on the £30 and £35 tariffs £99 for upgrade to the 8GB model, and £159 to the 16GB model. However, O2's online ordering page reveals that there is no stock of the 16GB model, and the only model available in the UK is black.

We reported last week that Apple is unhappy at the extent of iPhone unlocking taking place in the UK, fewer than 15 per cent of all the iPhones sold by O2 when it slashed prices on the 8GB model actually ended up in use on the carrier's network. Apple since then has moved to limit UK supplies of the device - that's assuming manufacturing problems haven't limited the number of 16GB models the company could bring to market.

O2 today also warned that pay-as-you-go versions of the iPhone 3G won't be made available until later in the year. While O2 declined to say when the product to ship, an official statement from Carphone Warehouse suggests we're looking to a Christmas launch for the product.

In the US, AT&T also today confirmed it will offer iPhone's free of a monthly contract, though these will cost approximately $400 more than the standard price.

Finally, to make the matter even more infuriating, O2 now says it is out of stock of the iPhone, at least, online.

Comments (15)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 6:59am

Already out of stock.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 7:12am

You have to wonder who is responsible for such a poor effort from O2.

They knew how many registrations of interest there had been and it was obvious that it was going to be fairly mad on their website today.

From a personal point of view i tried from about 10.15 to about 1.15 and got no joy. The furthest i got was to put my upgrade registration code in and then it crashed.

I just find it bizarre make some efforts to control this. if their servers could have coped then fair enough but they clearly cant. One would have thought that they would have had 2 days say where existing iphone users could upgrade, then a further 2 days where early registerers could have ordered and so on. To just open it up to what essentially is a free for all is poor management and represents no foresight whatsoever. You know have a situation where you have a lot of pi**ed off customers and lots of people (existing customers and new ones) wanting to place their order who cant, because their servers and hardware isnt up to scratch. Just bizarre.

The only good thing is that you know that eventually you will get the upgrade but the chances of having the phone in your hand in the next couple of weeks are fairly slim id say

reddishpink (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 8:09am

I was told by 02 customer service that they meant to send out the txt only to existing iPhone customers but they had 'accidentally sent it to everyone who had registered an interest'.

I tried many times this morning to upgrade - unsuccessfully. It's a disgrace that a company like o2 should mess it's customers around like this. If there was an alternative carrier, I'd move my business elsewhere.

Disgusted in Scotland.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 8:33am

the 16GB was available. They sold out of them first, but still had some for upgrade customers. I ordered mine at 2.30

DannyBuoy (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 8:39am

I second that! Even would go further, not bother with upgrade, and just move my blackberry contract elsewhere...

Their website was an utter disaster. Website designers and IT infrastructure just dropped the ball on this one - if only someone had told them that the 3G iPhone just might be popular and they should plan for that...

Wesite was so unresponsive, when it fell over to a failure/fall back form I tried that. Tried to complete their "fallback" forms but it only kept taking my card details and ending with a failed order, as the snazzy interface didn't work. Even their backup form interface was a crock!

When I rang their customer support they said there was 102 people behind me in the queue (I'd say that was a bull, it must have been more!) but they said not to worry the site would be up later (barely) and they had plenty of iPhones in stock.

Tried their site continuously and around lunchtime managed to get an upgrade reference SMS before the site went bad again...

...then the site was then taken down and a maintenance (?)
banner put up

...then it was "so sorry, no iPhones left in stock, try again on the 10th..."

Complete and utter crap, all the way down the line - from Apple to O2.

Apple - go open the market up to more carriers in the UK, PLEASE!!!

Disgusted in London.

someone (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 8:45am

Silly news item title, there were 16GB models available but they sold out. Just no white ones.

Macnerd-UK (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 9:02am

Yep, I tried today and even managed to submit my CC details but I just ended up back at the start page. O2 are clueless - Guy told me they had 200,000 people trying when I called to make sure my card wouldn't be debited. It's not like they couldn't anticipate this and you can only laugh at the utter ineptitude of a company that size ballsing it up. Then again, with Apple deliberately limiting supplies, it will likely have loads to do with them too and there's a whiff of spin about the entire thing. Expect to see evening news reports everywhere of how demand has exceeded supply etc. etc. - It's good for Apple and O2 in the long run. When the next Blackberry comes out you won't see the same frenzy....Still, Danny will be frothing at the mouth for his Blackberry given that Apple/O2 have been so mean to him. Diddums.

Still, I took it as a sign. I can wait - Really. It's no big deal in the grand scheme of things, is it? I have an iPhone which works fine with loads of cool 3rd party apps on it, and if there are any issues with the first ones then I won't be one to suffer. Everyone who wants one will get them within a few weeks anyway (including me) - O2 aren't going to be passing up the chance of all those lovely nice new long contracts....

It is funny all the people on here getting so hot under the collar about it - "Disgusted in London", "Disgusted in Scotland". Can't help but think there are more important things to be worrying about. Who has the sort of job that allows them to spend hours trying to buy a phone on line? I'd like that gig please.....

reddishpink (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 10:02am

Macnerd UK.

I like your sarcasm.

Just for the record. We don't all have the ability to spend hours on the net trying to order stuff. It is however, natural to retry something when it fails a couple of times. Having said this, as MD of a company, I am free to utilise my time as I feel appropriate as I very often work late nights and weekends.

My disgusted in Scotland comment related to the fact that I am disgusted that a company the size of o2 should treat its customers with such lack of respect and miscommunication. They had no customer service procedures in place to deal with the server failure. Bad patter, I'd say..wouldn't you?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 7:07pm

WHY ARE YOU ALL SO DISGUSTED WITH O2 ??

IT'S A SPANISH COMPANY (Telefonica), HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THEY'RE INCOMPETENCE YOU SHOULD ALL BE FAMILIAR WITH FROM SPANISH COs/MANAGEMENT ?

AH, AH, AH, LONG LIVE THE LAZY INCOMPETENT SPANISH !

Andrew (not verified) | July 08, 2008 - 6:03am

What's with the racism?
As if British companies are known to be more competent...

Thomas (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 10:48am

Frick O2. What they actually did was put up a robust server for new customer sales and gained a ton of new customers today while screwing their existing client base. I'm now looking for an unlocked phone from the USA to pop my sim into until my O2 contract expires and I can give this company the boot for good.

Kevin Smith (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 11:08am

Got an email at 7:37am, ordered one at about 8:20am got the email confirmation at 9:34am.

It's being delivered on Friday.

Kelvin (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 1:06pm

Well I tried to move to o2 today, but failed. Do they really want new customers or not? You'd have thought that their, presumably 2 year, head start over the other carriers with the iPhone would be used to grow their market share as fast as possible. Now are the really out of stock for the foreseeable future, or do shops have stock ready for Friday? Oh, and do we need to wait 'till later in the year for the white version? Communication...

o2 Sucking at the best Gig of all time (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 1:12pm

WTF?? How can one company SHAG up the best GIG in the world....

HOW COULD THEY underestimate the demand?

I felt sick knowing having tried a 'couple' of times in my busy day to log on with my 'unique' upgrade number ..to find out that I now have to wait to the 10th...and for what? OH YES thats a secret too...WHY?

F*** o2... It really peed me off knowing Ive spent the past weeks Waiting for my Special Text from o2...only to b greeted by....See you on the 10th..

I am not happy...

o2 YOU MISSED THE BOAT......Big time....

Partners in Grime (not verified) | July 11, 2008 - 8:55am

Apple is shipping them all the extra ones that were destined for Rogers. :)