[A Dog Named Brian]

A follow up, I went into a T Mobile corporate store in Troy Michigan yesterday and asked about the new Priv and they don't even have a demo unit and no physical units to sell!!!

They told me they had a plastic dummy unit and could ship the device to me if I wanted one, WTF!!!

How can you expect folks to buy one from a newer store in a high traffic area if they don't even stock the device??They had plenty of iPhones and Galaxies in stock. Oh well.

I mentioned in another thread I was very surprised that the device isn't really marketed well with T-Mobile. I called ahead before picking it up on a Friday after work (they released the phone earlier in the week on a Tuesday) to make sure they had the device in stock and was informed they had one left. Upon arriving at the store 20 minutes later I picked it up and was told that I was the only one that had asked about the device since release and the one I purchased was the only for-sale model that had been shipped to the store (besides the demo phone)

[macterp]

Went to Corp store yesterday, wife talked me into new Samsung Tab A tablet for her. While there, asked the saleslady about new Priv. She said had used BlackBerry for over 10 years and been working for Tmo for 4 years now. Switched to Galaxy and now iphone. She said once she left BlackBerry a few years ago and got used to NOT using BlackBerry no desire to go back. She said I should sit tight a few months before decide if I really want/need Priv. They have sold one since they came in, not a lot of interest. She said if had come out maybe 2 yrs ago would have had more buyers, but it is dated and priced too high. Discouraged she didn't realize she had a sale and just lost it.

Posted via CB10

[bakron1]

Went to Corp store yesterday, wife talked me into new Samsung Tab A tablet for her. While there, asked the saleslady about new Priv. She said had used BlackBerry for over 10 years and been working for Tmo for 4 years now. Switched to Galaxy and now iphone. She said once she left BlackBerry a few years ago and got used to NOT using BlackBerry no desire to go back. She said I should sit tight a few months before decide if I really want/need Priv. They have sold one since they came in, not a lot of interest. She said if had come out maybe 2 yrs ago would have had more buyers, but it is dated and priced too high. Discouraged she didn't realize she had a sale and just lost it.

Posted via CB10

Yep, The young salesforce are now in the iPhone and Galaxy culture as we older Blackberry users where back in the day, I blame Blackberry directly for this. They could have marketed their products better here in the USA, but choose not to and most of the dealer network they once had has all but forgotten about them. It's really sad to see the once iconic brand tossed to the curb here, T-Mobile is a very large carrier in the US and if their people have no interest in promoting the Blackberry brand here, they are done, period.

[Doggerz]

I don't understand T-Mobile phone sales.
There are tons of makes and models they don't carry.
Basically they have the smallest selection of phones, its turned into Apple or Samsung only for the most part.

I'm surprised they carried the Priv at all. It's more than they've done for Sony and a lot of other companies. Especially after Chen's famous hissy fit of 2014, surprised TMO did anything.

But regardless of how little promoted, it IS available online and with small monthly payments which is a huge deal. I don't think people in the US know the Priv exists. It's BlackBerry's job to advertise and make the public aware.

Since I love odd stuff I found the Sony Z5 Premium on my own and am importing one from overseas. Lucky that TMO allows any phone you want on their carrier. But most Americans are probably no more aware of the Z5 than they are the Priv.

Even though I'm not a fan of the Priv I'm a fan of people buying brands other than Samsung and Apple because the more choices the better for consumers.

I really do hope BlackBerry survives (hopefully with a new CEO) to create a slider with a real BlackBerry keyboard I can type on. A Bold 9900 keyboard on a quality device at a reasonable price. But I'm not holding out hope.

Z30STA100-5 / 10.3.2.2813 / T-Mobile

[reeneebob]

A follow up, I went into a T Mobile corporate store in Troy Michigan yesterday and asked about the new Priv and they don't even have a demo unit and no physical units to sell!!!

They told me they had a plastic dummy unit and could ship the device to me if I wanted one, WTF!!!

How can you expect folks to buy one from a newer store in a high traffic area if they don't even stock the device??They had plenty of iPhones and Galaxies in stock. Oh well.

Different stores have different traiting (classification). My store (not TMobile obviously but retail is retail) is traited a 'C' store - I don't get the same phones or stock that, say, a B store gets. A lot of times it's the population density that determines a trait. It could be their conversion (number of tickets vs number of feet through the door).

I am a fair volume, newly renovated store but I'm not traited for the Passport or the Priv - and I wish I was because I get a lot of inquiries about it). I also deal with a nearby dealer store for my carrier that has a lock on all the corporate plans so I can't even do hardware upgrades on corporate clients I dealt with 3 years ago...and they negotiated the rights to the Priv and the Passport. I'm sure that isn't a coincidence.

The only BB10 we got were the Z10, Z30, Q10, Q5 and Classic. But I get a couple of people a week asking about the Priv or Passport. And we did sell BB10 regularly.

[Sigewif]

Went to Corp store yesterday, wife talked me into new Samsung Tab A tablet for her. While there, asked the saleslady about new Priv. She said had used BlackBerry for over 10 years and been working for Tmo for 4 years now. Switched to Galaxy and now iphone. She said once she left BlackBerry a few years ago and got used to NOT using BlackBerry no desire to go back. She said I should sit tight a few months before decide if I really want/need Priv. They have sold one since they came in, not a lot of interest. She said if had come out maybe 2 yrs ago would have had more buyers, but it is dated and priced too high. Discouraged she didn't realize she had a sale and just lost it.

Posted via CB10

Probably isn't the only sale she lost. It almost sounds as though T-Mobile has instructed their sales people to turn people away from the Priv. But I think they just have not have training in sales. The local T-Mobile store is located close to an ATT store. ATT has marketed it better. They have had a big placard promoting it in the store.

[macterp]

I was ready to buy, too! She didn't even try to turn me to another product, just got my wife set up on her Samsung Tab A and then we were done. Man, a hungry salesperson would have been all over me for a sale but she didn't seem interested at all!

Posted via CB10

[Ihauntu2]

I went into a T-Mobile store in Springfield IL Tuesday looking for the PRIV and looking to see how strong their network is now. I'd like to have a reason to leave VZW.

They didn't have the PRIV out at all. When I asked for it, the two guys kinda laughed, and pulled a dummy unit out from under a cabinet. He said "Here's what it looks like, we can order one for you"

I tried to play with a V10 while I was there. The damn thing kept reverting to "retail mode". I wanted to see what apps were running (specifically looking for DT Ignite) & it kept saying a password was needed from the associate to remove " retail mode".
I asked, and they refused.

Guess I'm stuck with VZW for now. I won't buy something that I can't try out properly.

Posted via CB Android by Note 3 running Priv VKB.