How are people supposed to know the phone is even coming out?

[djslam]

Besides logging into this website and others, there has been no promotion and basically no big announcement that this phone is coming. Even on the verizonwireless.com, there is nothing about the phone, and it's not available under the list of phones either. If you go into the stores, there is no promotion either.

So I was wondering, how is the average phone user even supposed to know this phone is coming out?

[boomhower1820]

Evidently they are not. Maybe they are expecting supply shortages or want to make sure that there are no big issues they didn't catch with the firmware. Hard to tell but I agree its unusual.

[esalonia]

Originally Posted by djslam

Besides logging into this website and others, there has been no promotion and basically no big announcement that this phone is coming. Even on the verizonwireless.com, there is nothing about the phone, and it's not available under the list of phones either. If you go into the stores, there is no promotion either.

So I was wondering, how is the average phone user even supposed to know this phone is coming out?

I'm sure, come release time, it will be added to the front page of verizonwireless.com

[djslam]

I mean I can't really complain, it will allow more to be available come release date for us who really want them.

[Stang68]

Originally Posted by djslam

I mean I can't really complain, it will allow more to be available come release date for us who really want them.

Ditto on that.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[hakoreh]

it sure is in the list of available phones

[otkeeper]

one reason is so they can get rid of as many of those crappy storms as possible. a friend of a friend bought a storm 2 days ago and had no idea about the tour coming out and noone at verizon mentioned it. i told him to keep it till next week and then return it for the tour.

[Bittersweet BB]

People know from being crackberry addicts of course! We're the only people who deserve to know about it.

[lindros2]

Originally Posted by otkeeper

one reason is so they can get rid of as many of those crappy storms as possible. a friend of a friend bought a storm 2 days ago and had no idea about the tour coming out and noone at verizon mentioned it. i told him to keep it till next week and then return it for the tour.

... for a $30 restocking fee. Great idea!

[rossini]

Originally Posted by otkeeper

one reason is so they can get rid of as many of those crappy storms as possible. a friend of a friend bought a storm 2 days ago and had no idea about the tour coming out and noone at verizon mentioned it. i told him to keep it till next week and then return it for the tour.

Hit the nail on the head. Verizon knows that if they widely advertise the Tour, it is going to result in majority of people not buying any other Blackberries. Especially the disaster of a storm. they probably want to limit the hype of the new phone as long as they can. Most blackberries dont have a huge marketing campaign and certainly nothing close to the insane campaign the Storm got with all those tv spots and billboard spots.

Once its in the store it will be a different ballgame.

[djslam]

Originally Posted by otkeeper

one reason is so they can get rid of as many of those crappy storms as possible. a friend of a friend bought a storm 2 days ago and had no idea about the tour coming out and noone at verizon mentioned it. i told him to keep it till next week and then return it for the tour.

Yea I think you are exactly right. I mean in the past couple of weeks, I've had at least 2 or 3 friends buy the Curve, and I told them they should return it and wait for the Tour to come out. They had no idea what I was talking about.

[addicted2tech]

Originally Posted by rossini

Hit the nail on the head. Verizon knows that if they widely advertise the Tour, it is going to result in majority of people not buying any other Blackberries. Especially the disaster of a storm. they probably want to limit the hype of the new phone as long as they can. Most blackberries dont have a huge marketing campaign and certainly nothing close to the insane campaign the Storm got with all those tv spots and billboard spots.

Once its in the store it will be a different ballgame.

I agree. They're still desperately trying to clear out their stock of older blackberries. I received a text from VZW today saying that until 7/12 I am allowed to upgrade early (by 4 months) with plenty of deals on smartphones such as the curve, storm, and pearl.

They're trying, they really are. I found it humorous that my "private" and "exclusive" sale/deal ended on Tour's release date. BUT I assume since it ends that day I could still go in and upgrade to the Tour on the 12th.

Guess I didn't have to ask VZW for an early upgrade, but I"m glad I did anyway.

[otkeeper]

Originally Posted by lindros2

... for a $30 restocking fee. Great idea!

i didn't tell him to buy the storm in the first place..he has it and i told him the tour is going to be 10 million times better so just bite the bullet and get rid of it.

[esalonia]

Originally Posted by lindros2

... for a $30 restocking fee. Great idea!

You can even exchange for another device or pay the difference for a device if the new one costs more. I was not charged a re-stocking fee when I did this. (You are only allowed to do this once though.)

[djslam]

I'm pretty sure you can also return a device within 30 days, and if you don't swap for a new one, will not be charged a restocking fee. Only kicker is, you cannot buy a new phone within 3 days or you will be charged the restocking fee.