Best Buy to start pre-selling the Blackberry Storm
Well, the rumors were true! Want to reserve a Blackberry Storm and guarantee yourself one of hottest phones to hit Verizon? Don’t call a Verizon Wireless store and put yourself on some waiting list that the manager may or may not even bother to look at the day the Storm hits the stores. Head on over to Best Buy where, for a $50 refundable deposit, you can reserve yourself a brand new Blackberry Storm. It will be sitting pretty waiting for you on launch day! This pre-sale is effective immediately, so you best be getting yourself over to Best Buy asap. Now that we got you all excited, the email does confirm that as of November 3rd, there is no set release date or pricing. Don’t let your hopes be dashed too much as it does reveal that the Storm is expected to launch in November and will be priced between $199.99 and $299.99 for a two-year new activation. Last but not least, Best Buy will receive adequate inventory to cover the number of pre-sold Storms. So if you pre-order, you’re in like flint come launch day! Hit the jump for the text of the email.
Thanks, anonymous (you know who you are!)
Start pre-selling the Storm!
Unique Opportunity to Pre-sell Blackberry Storm!
Effective immediately, customers may pay a portion of the purchase price to reserve a Blackberry Storm handset. This is a huge, exclusive opportunity for Best Buy Mobile – no one else is doing it – and something we haven’t done in this area of the business before. Many customers who may not have considered Best Buy as a Storm source will arrive in our stores to be guaranteed a handset!
As of Nov. 3, the sales price and official launch date for the Storm have not been set – despite blog rumors to the contrary. It is safe to assume the handset will be priced between $199.99 and $299.99 for a two-year new activation and will launch sometime in mid-November. Stay tuned to Employee News where we will announce the price once it is set.
Your store will receive inventory to cover the quantity of pre-sold Storms plus other sellable inventory for launch day. The pre-sell SKU must be rung up to ensure inventory arrives at store.
Please review the process below which is critical to execution of the customer experience for this new process:
Pre-selling the Blackberry Storm: The Process
* Customer pays $50 in store prior to launch date
* Employee scans the UPC on the Storm presell flyer and processes in POS
* Scanning this SKU is critical to ensure your store will receive adequate inventory to cover your presell quantities
* Click here to access the pre-sale form
* Click here for the “Coming Soon, Reserve Yours Today” flyer
* Employee makes a copy of the completed Storm pre-sell flyer
* Employee staples the original copy of the Storm pre-sell flyer to the customer’s receipt
* Employee files the copy of the Storm pre-sell flyer in a specially created Storm pre-sell folder in the 1-31 file
* Customer sets an appointment with the Best Buy Mobile employee to come in and pick up their reserved Storm
* Customers who purchase a pre-sell prior to the release date will not be able to set their appointment yet. Best Buy Mobile employees will need to contact customers at a later date with the information on the pre-sell form copy to set the appointment with these customers.
* Stores will need to maintain a master appointment form or file to keep track of all customer appointments.
* Employee attaches copy of pre-sell form to inventory when it arrives in store and sets it aside as reserved.
* Customer returns at their appointment time to pick up their handset
* Employee process an activation on the Storm
* Employee process an exchange transaction
* The presell SKU is returned on this transaction
* The Storm product and activation SKU are then added to the transaction
* The net of the transaction of the Storm less the pre-sale amount
* Customer leaves happy
* If the customer does not return for their appointment time, contact the customer to reschedule an appointment.
* Hold the product for 48 hours from the appointment time for your customer before putting it back into inventory
* The $50 deposit is 100% refundable if the customer chooses not to or cannot purchase the Storm.
If you are interested in getting a storm the day of launch simply do the following at ANY coporate store
“Can you put me in the Storm referral list?”
if they look puzzled simple say again
“Your 5-star OCM referral list, can you add me to it”
considering there is a HUGE push to get people in there to gauge the actual interest in the model…the rep should be VERY happy to do so for you.
it’s free, you don’t have to pay Best buy, and you get notified of the launch via a phone call from a store rep.
it does not guarantee you a device on launch day, but you will get a heads up the day(maybe even DAYS) before it launches so you get the heads up as every rep worth their salt will be calling and letting customers know to get in asap to get the device if they want it.
oh, and the delays are not software or network related like ATT and the bold, the push backs have been Verizon and RIM making enough of the devices, they anticipate a rather large event, and to avoid the voyager and dare debacle of customers not getting phones for weeks, there will be a LOT of the devices being pre-shipped to store.
and if you work in a store, look forward to getting your storm live demo model this week…it’s coming
ricks2r Said:
I would rather be “In like Flynn” as I am not too sure what “in like flint” means!
lol, good catch. after having been up since 5AM the morning before, my brain was fried when I was writing this. I am actually surprised that there aren’t more mistakes.
I am in line for the storm. This will be a fun storm. As a Houstonian, we had our storm in September. I did not like “IKE.”
The Bb Storm is what I want. Thanks for keeping us updated!
The difference between VZW’s wait list and BBY’s wait list is Best Buy will ship an extra phone for every preorder to the store you preorder at.
Makes it much more likely you’ll get one on release day without waiting in line hoping they don’t run out — it’s reserved for you.
As for price differences… well usually BBY is very competitive with Verizon on Blackberries, but without official pricing announced it can’t be said for sure.
Oh, and there’s no mail-in rebates you have to deal with — Best Buy takes care of that for you on the back and and gives you the rebate up front with the price.
@Gotallphones
Although they say their “paperwork” says the release date will be the 16th, doesnt mean they are teling the truth. Best Buy would not release an official statement saying that there is no set release date and at the same time tell store managers that there really is a release date and it is the 16th. Akthough i do agree with you that the 16th is probably the most likely release date
I called a Verizon store in NJ and they said November 15th, MAYBE. I asked if I could reserve one and he said it was first come, first serve. Maybe I’ll check out Best Buy instead…
None of the Best Buy stores I called are doing pre-orders, they don’t even have it in the system…is there something I’m missing?
The problem with the Storm wait list at a Verizon corporate store is, they aren’t getting enough devices. One store has a 40 person deep reserve list, yet the store rep I spoke to said they are only getting around 25 devices on launch. I am going to be waiting outside another Verizon store with a first come – first serve basis sort of thing.
Just pre-ordered from the store on 44th and 5th ave, they pretty much said the same, they will call when it’s released for me to come pick it up, and the 50 bucks is refundable should you change your mind
Will the Verizon Storm be able to be un locked and ran on ATT service?
I just left a BB near my office. They looked up my Verizon cell # and told me I qualify for an upgrade (which I knew already), and it would be the same price as through Verizon Wireless. Although I am VZW corporate customer I preordered one through BB.If my Verizon rep gets me a great price , I’ll get it from him , otherwise I’ll just pick it up at BB. The Mobile manager did say next week they have a training with the Storm. My only concern is the warranty, will BB be as good as Verizon should it fail in the first year ? or an I better off getting through Verizon ??
just spoke to a rep at the corporate store in union square. he said the new release date is black friday. i was pushed back for additional marketing. still no set-in-stone pricing. and he said that he is not sure if BB will honor the NE2 discount, but places like circuit city or BJs will.
i like the 16th date better
When I put my name on the list at VZ corporate store, I was told for each person on the list, they order one along with an additional unit for walk in customers.
You have to sign up for a NEW 2 year to get this preorder? I already have a two year with Verizon and just want to get the Storm to get it since I’m eligible for an upgrade. Whats the deal with that? Can you buy the storm normal list price if you reserve it?
I work @ BB Mobile…and we do have a release date for the 16th; however, the date is still tentative
I think the BB warrenty is as better then verizon, first BB does not do refurb phones, they fix it or replace it. The phone is handled by Geek Squad who make the call right there. Now BB is like 2 dollars more but there deductible is 50 dollars and VZW is 100. So look at it like this. Spend less insurance for a refurb at a higher deductible or spend more on insurance for a new phone with a lower deductible.
ddowell, it’s nice that you are employed by the degenrate retards that have no trianing and should all be shot and killed for overcharging for basic things…but don’t EVER tell us thatthe geeksquad is good at fixing things.
those idiots can’t install RAM half the time, what makes you think I would trust ANY of them with a cell phone.
also, get your lies straight
Verizon’s deductable is 50, has been for years, and will be for years. so now all you have is that the BB one is 2 dollars more, and Verizon replaces the device for free in store, or you pay 50 and get a new one….sounds HORRIBLE.
go buy the best buy propoganda!!!
Just went to my local Best Buy and reserved one. Over the phone they said I couldn’t reserve it, so I decided to stop in and sure enough, they have the advertisement to reserve one displayed prominently. They said they had a couple Verizon reps in the store this morning, all of whom had tried it out and said it was amazing, but they don’t have a unit yet at BB. I wish they’d just release the darn things already!
@ nothtckid
Actually I am “employed” as a Sailor, a defender of freedom and a 2 tour Iraqi Vet, who was just giving his own opinion.
Thank you for continuing to remind myself and several other service members that our sweat and blood is waisted on the rights of ignorance.
For those who read my previous post that was what I found out from BB and VZW. Be an intelligent consumer and do the research on your own as well.
@ nothtckid
Sounds like someone didn’t get hired by GS.
Make sure you talk to somebody in their mobile phone department. I had to call three stores before I found somebody that knew what they were talking about. They had the for waiting for me. However he said their limit was five. I just got back with my pre order. Good luck.
from verizon wireless website:
Premium: $4.99 per month per covered device.
Deductible: $50 non-refundable deductible per completed claim.
Claim Limits: 2 Claims in a 12-month period (In New York, 2 claim limit is per policy year) with an equipment maximum of $1500 per completed claim.
Asurion may fulfill claims with new or refurbished equipment. In general, claims are fulfilled with the same make and model you claim. If this is not possible, a like-kind make and model will be substituted. Color, feature and accessory compatibility are not guaranteed.
Cancellation Policy: You may cancel your coverage at any time and receive a pro-rated refund of your unused premium.
I went to a Best Buy store in DC to pre-order mine and they had no idea what I was talking about. I am thinking about going to VA tomorrow to try it… anyone knows why some stores don’t have this deal?
Hey Taylor St Hawkins, BBY releases a lot of exciting things on Sunday. Have you been living in a cave? I work there, I can verify our in store system says release date of the 16th, but that is easily open to change…
“Pre-order is running at ALL BESTBUYS”
I too called all the surrounding Best Buy stores in my area and no one knew what I was talking about. I then got a tip from a blog on Crackberry.com to have the Best Buy sales person call 1-888-BESTBUY and have them speak to their Mobile Call Center. I guess some Managers didn’t notify their teams so that is why they don’t know anything about this Pre-Order. I signed up for mine yesterday and will be waiting for them to call me back to schedule an appointment.