Sprint no longer selling Pre over the phone

We've just received word from Sprint that starting tomorrow, July 8, folks will no longer be able to call into telesales to order a Pre over the cold comfort of the phone. We're told the move is being made so that the carrier "can focus inventory in sales channels where customers have the best opportunity to experience Ready Now, and we can deliver the best purchasing experience," which can be interpreted a couple of ways: either telesales are hurting Sprint's ability to properly stock local stores, they're not happy with the out-of-box experience new customers are getting without the in-store VIP treatment, or a combination of the two. Feel free to continue calling Sprint if you just want to chat or talk about how your barbecue went on the 4th, of course -- just don't expect to get a Pre out of it.

[Eleventy @ Jul 7th 2009 11:12PM]

second.

[Priper @ Jul 7th 2009 11:16PM]

Wow, never have seen and inverse fail ( or fail to 2nd degree?)

[DanielT @ Jul 8th 2009 12:57AM]

plus one for prosperity!

[Priper @ Jul 7th 2009 11:14PM]

We now HAVE to suffer their salesman face on, great job!!

[Freakin Ijit @ Jul 8th 2009 6:16AM]

Does Palm have the same policy - no telesales?

[not sure if they ever did telesale the Pre - but now they're making noises about more carriers than Sprint]

[bighap @ Jul 7th 2009 11:13PM]

Wow, Sprint really does blow.

[Freakin Ijit @ Jul 8th 2009 5:39AM]

Maybe they don't want the hassle of folks trying to return their Pres when ordered "remotely" - make them go back to where they got 'em.

http://discussion.treocentral.com/palm-pre/188002-how-many-times-have-you-exchanged-your-pres.html

Do the math to figure out the ratio - not folks responding, but Pres exchanged/not exchanged.

[Manuel Contreras @ Jul 7th 2009 11:51PM]

Old. 'nuff said.

[penetrode @ Jul 7th 2009 11:17PM]

just like sprint to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.

seems like a botched launch.

[meoyskie @ Jul 8th 2009 7:50AM]

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/09/iphone-3g-purchase-and-activation-will-be-in-store-only/

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/13/iphone-3g-must-be-activated-in-store-and-other-followup-questio/

http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/11/itunes-activation-servers-go-down-iphone-3g-customers-being-sen/

[Timmy @ Jul 8th 2009 9:33AM]

Burned! He told you!!

[edgar wong @ Jul 7th 2009 11:17PM]

makes sense, average joe gets phone and does not know how to use it. Gets frustrated and returns it. Plus stores are still low on inventory so that makes sense as well.

[Microdot @ Jul 7th 2009 11:22PM]

"makes sense, average joe gets phone and does not know how to use it"....

really? its funny how millions (not the tens of thousands) of iphone users just seem to know how to use it. hell... even blackberry owners... just seem to know how to use it.

i think if its mandatory to give the consumer a lesson before purchase, then something is wrong with your product.

[Ilya @ Jul 7th 2009 11:22PM]

With the current shortage of stock, any average Joe who does not know how to use a Pre should be diverted from Sprint sotres upon approach. A john deere tracktor or a 36-pack of Coors light should be used for diversion.

[Twitchy @ Jul 8th 2009 2:19AM]

The real reason why they want to get you into the store is that it is easier tio upsell you into buying crap accessories you don't need and talk you into a bigger plan.

[bjsguess @ Jul 8th 2009 3:18AM]

When the iPhone came out you could order on-line and over the phone? Wasn't there the whole pesky activation process that HAD to be completed in store?

[Dave @ Jul 7th 2009 11:17PM]

The genius of carriers .... making it as difficult as possible to remain a customer. Way to fail Sprint. And that's coming from a 10 year Sprint customer, just out of contract, trying to decide whether to order a Pre or just switch for the iPhone. Sprint is helping me make that decision.

[treats! @ Jul 7th 2009 11:32PM]

Get the iPhone. I was a 8 year Sprint customer and switched for the 3G, and just got the 3GS today. I don't have any issues with AT&T's network, and the iPhone really is a great phone and I'm not a big fan of Apple.

I like the Pre but I would never go back to Sprint. I used to have to call back several times trying to get someone I could understand or wasn't clueless.

[Dave @ Jul 7th 2009 11:43PM]

@treats:

One thing that bugs me about the iPhone is the innability to remove the battery. And not because I think I'm going to drain the phone ... but because it essentially turns your cell phone into a tracking device that cannot be disabled. I kind of like having the ability to turn big brother off when I choose to do so. And frankly, I'm not entirely convinced that "off" is really "off" on these things.

[loosely_coupled @ Jul 7th 2009 11:59PM]

Um, a bit paranoid are we? off = off...

[Quix @ Jul 8th 2009 12:39AM]

@ Dave: wrap your iPhone in tin foil - you know, just like your hat. :)

[DanielT @ Jul 8th 2009 12:59AM]

hehe quix, that's right, he probably does have a tin foil hat! :D

[KRIS_C_123 @ Jul 8th 2009 2:13AM]

Quix Is WIN

[CJ @ Jul 8th 2009 9:02AM]

Possibly WIN for the first time in his long-standing tradition for blind fanboyism

[bombgigitty @ Jul 8th 2009 11:12AM]

"Get the iPhone"

NO!

[Seven2k @ Jul 8th 2009 11:26AM]

Hey tards! you werent able to get the iphone through the telesales either when it first came out. Think before you talk!

[tmarks11 @ Jul 8th 2009 12:03PM]

If "they" are really after him, then is he really paranoid? Just because no black copters are stalking you, that doesn't mean they aren't stalking him.

This non-removeable battery thing really hurts Apple's sales to domestic terrorists, most-wanted criminals, and foreign spies.

Get with the program!

[DJ Killfire @ Jul 9th 2009 12:04AM]

Well, I was on U.S. Crapular for 2 years, and I switched to the iPhone 3G yesterday because I think the Pre is just too damn small in my hand

[Grumpy old man @ Jul 7th 2009 11:20PM]

Nice, now i have something to do tomorrow. Call Sprint and break a sales rep into selling me a pre. I'll probably return it in under 30 days complaining about how the lack of VIP treatment made me realize my 1985 cellular phone with battery backpack is sooo much cuiler. ;)

Cheers Engadget!

[Priper @ Jul 7th 2009 11:23PM]

That brought me memories of me doing the same with AT&T, but saying I wanted the iPhone without data plan. Here I thought I was being unique. Cheers to You, break him

[Ilya @ Jul 7th 2009 11:21PM]

I just don't get why they won't sell it online. It seems a lot easier to manage the inventory in an on-line store and you can do all the same checks and such through the internet. I would have been a Pre owner right now if they sold it through the internet. Instead, I bought a 3GS. Way to go, Sprint.

[Nikoss @ Jul 7th 2009 11:24PM]

If thats how you made your choice your a fool.

[Agent .25i @ Jul 7th 2009 11:28PM]

He's llying. His name says so.

[bjsguess @ Jul 8th 2009 3:20AM]

Can't drive 10 minutes to Sprint store so you buy a phone you really didn't want? Wow.

[da5nake @ Jul 7th 2009 11:26PM]

interesting... hopefully the blackberry tour makes a come back for Sprint...

[Ilya @ Jul 7th 2009 11:27PM]

Convenience - that is how I made my choice. Convenience of purchase, convenience of dealing with the carrier, convenience of use. I live about 60 miles from a nearest sprint store and do not like the idea of taking the day off to get a phone. I've been an iPhone user out of contract looking for a possible switch and I no longer am. So yeah, call me a fool.

[Agent .25i @ Jul 7th 2009 11:28PM]

Fool.

[Absolute92 @ Jul 7th 2009 11:29PM]

I just like calling people on their bullshit, stop all the " i decided to get the IPhone" shit cause its really hard to believe
1.neither the Pre of Iphone are god-like phone

If you are telling the truth than Woot for you Iphones are awesome but there tons of phones out their, explore.

[digitallysick @ Jul 7th 2009 11:34PM]

This is stupid any company that make it harder for you to buy an item can go F**** themselves. I'm not going to jump through hoops to buy a cell phone, hear that ATT

[Andrew @ Jul 7th 2009 11:40PM]

It would be a cool phone if it wearnt for that physical keyboard....

[Zune Claus @ Jul 7th 2009 11:42PM]

Ordering a phone from a phone, there is a hole in the bucket dear Henry,



okay I know its not the same but who orders from the phone? Who wasn't born in the 70s?

[Eric @ Jul 7th 2009 11:44PM]

They were probably just loosing too much money on shipping due to the fact that each customer had to exchange their Pre 3 times before they got one that worked properly. Two times was enough for me. I love WebOS, but the Pre hardware is absolutely horrid.

[DogEars @ Jul 7th 2009 11:44PM]

Ah, the Ready Now experience.

When I purchased my Pre I had to show the girl working at Sprint how to remove the cover so we could swap in the TouchStone backing.

As we began the process I asked to do all the setup on the phone so I could leave sometime that day.

She happily obliged.

[sk8ordie @ Jul 7th 2009 11:58PM]

Why can't all the good phones be on Verizon Hmm? Than people would actually buy them.

[Kush Mangal @ Jul 8th 2009 12:00AM]

I ordered the Pre yesterday morning on Telesales. They told me I would get it between 5 to 7 business days, but the phone arrived today. Woot for sprint. Telesales did charge me for shipping, so it is cheaper to buy instore.

[sweet greggo @ Jul 8th 2009 12:05AM]

I was just informed about this several days ago when the internal document was posted all over the web for all to see (except engadget, I guess).

This doesn't make any sense. Supply may still be low, but people that need to use TeleSales for whatever reason should still be able to order the phone, even if they have to wait a couple of weeks to get it. I don't buy it's because people are too stupid to use the damn thing without some knucklehead at a store giving you a walkthrough. It's not THAT hard to figure out. It would have helped if the damn thing came with a printed user manual though.

[Chris Ziegler @ Jul 8th 2009 12:21AM]

You really don't like me, do you?

This is official word, sweet greggo. Straight from Sprint.

[sweet greggo @ Jul 8th 2009 12:28AM]

Not like you? Hell man, I love you! You're the easiest engadgeteer to draw offsides! ;)

Seriously though... http://forums.buzzaboutwireless.com/baw/board/message?board.id=PalmPreForum&thread.id=3566

It was confirmed by a Sprint employee on the 3rd. The original D-Day was the 6th though, not sure why it was stretched out to the 8th.

[Brandon @ Jul 8th 2009 12:21AM]

With the nearest sprint store being over 100 miles away, and me not having had the chance to buy a Pre yet, this only leaves me with the option of importing a GSM Pre from Europe sometime in December. Smooth move Sprint.

[acniehaus04 @ Jul 8th 2009 12:31AM]

kind of sucks for someone who is on the road and needs a new phone... I'm sure you could drive around and find a sprint store near where you are, but for someone like my dad who is on the road 5 days a week its a lot easier to just call the carrier and get the phone delivered to the next hotel he is staying in rather than drive all over the place trying to find a sprint store.