eCost, Apple and Free iPods - Regarding shipping times...

Here is something from a conversation I had with an eCost "Account Executive" I am in charge of ordering iPods for another company so I was able to get some info for you guys about freeipods orders and ipod availability, etc. This information will not be useful if Gratis really are ordering directly from Apple now but if they are still ordering [some] from eCost it is useful.

yonatan I'm asking about the availability... about this freeipods.com "deal" and i saw that they order from you yet people have been saying that it takes over a month to receive them...
eCost Representative well that's changing soon
eCost Representative the deal started when the 20GB was just introduced
eCost Representative so there was a bottle neck in production
eCost Representative Apple and HP have considerablly caught up
yonatan Oh, Apple wasn't keeping up with the market?
eCost Representative so it'll be less of a problem
eCost Representative no they weren't
yonatan That's good.
eCost Representative in fact Mini's are still a problem
eCost Representative they trickle in
eCost Representative but we haven't recieved the "mother load" that was promised yet
eCost Representative plus when free ipods started they were doing the 15GB
eCost Representative which was easy to get
yonatan ...but I'm being pressured by my lilili, they all completed their freeipods.com stuff and are waiting for their ipods. Again, I really hate doing this but do you think it will take weeks until they get their iPods or rather over a month?
eCost Representative not sure
eCost Representative we just shipped a boat load not long ago
eCost Representative and are waiting for the next wave to hit us
eCost Representative it's getting better and better
yonatan Okay, I'm sure they will be very glad to hear that. -)
yonatan So how many iPods do you reckon you will be getting from Apple\HP in the upcoming weeks, enough to fill... plus other companies' orders?
eCost Representative the mother load is about 10K
eCost Representative but I don't think we'll see that
eCost Representative it'll be about 500 to 1000

Some lines may be out of context due to me removing some of the information in the IM. [b44f207b2bd]I think the conclusion that can be drawn from this is that iPod shipping times are going to be drastically reduced.[/b44f207b2bd]

Hopefully...thx for the info ;)

hahha that's cool how you got them on a line. )

atleast theyre honest (let's hope)
j/k. im sure they are. i mean, i was skeptical at first. now i'm like "i want more!"

8)

Well I wasn't talking to some stupid customer support person, I was talking to someone a little higher up. What do you mean that's cool how you got them on a line?

good man, very appreciated

[quote48b5bbbdb7="yonatan"]Well I wasn't talking to some stupid customer support person, I was talking to someone a little higher up. What do you mean that's cool how you got them on a line?[/quote48b5bbbdb7]

because I am assuming you talked to him/her over the phone or over the internet through email or a messenger program?

usually the only way we could get in contact with them is through email which we only receive automated responses and replies..)

and i believe the information they provided you are sufficent enough if they were ordering from ecost but i heard a different story. who knows now anymore.

Good info. Thanks )

[quote2276c6a8e9="amaivs"][quote2276c6a8e9="yonatan"]Well I wasn't talking to some stupid customer support person, I was talking to someone a little higher up. What do you mean that's cool how you got them on a line?[/quote2276c6a8e9]

because I am assuming you talked to him/her over the phone or over the internet through email or a messenger program?

usually the only way we could get in contact with them is through email which we only receive automated responses and replies..)

and i believe the information they provided you are sufficent enough if they were ordering from ecost but i heard a different story. who knows now anymore.[/quote2276c6a8e9]

yonatan prolly used ip relay

Why would I use IP Relay? I didn't call them. When a company is about to order from eCost they don't treat you like shit and give you automated messages, they give you information. Now, whoever told you [amaivs] the "different story" is most likely a dumbass who was talking out of their ass and never even spoke to eCost in their life. By the way, I did speak to an Account Executive at eCost on AIM and ICQ.

Yonatan,
I think amaivis meant that several recent orders have apparently been shipped through Apple directly, thereby bypassing eCost. Perhaps this is just to keep product moving out until eCost catches up.

I'm also assuming amaivis confused eCost and Gratis and that's why she me made the comment about automated messages.

i think i just peed a little.

Appreciate the info, Yonatan )

[quote4b82ee2623="tyketto"]Yonatan,
I think amaivis meant that several recent orders have apparently been shipped through Apple directly, thereby bypassing eCost. Perhaps this is just to keep product moving out until eCost catches up.

I'm also assuming amaivis confused eCost and Gratis and that's why she me made the comment about automated messages.[/quote4b82ee2623]

heh.. thnx. I have a weird way of explaining things. makes the people more confused! Sorry! oops

[quotecda6b5f325="tyketto"]Yonatan,
I think amaivis meant that several recent orders have apparently been shipped through Apple directly, thereby bypassing eCost. Perhaps this is just to keep product moving out until eCost catches up.

I'm also assuming amaivis confused eCost and Gratis and that's why she me made the comment about automated messages.[/quotecda6b5f325]

In my original post I am quite sure I did include the "...recent orders have apparently been shipped through Apple directly..." part. If I didn't I must have on GearLive and not here, I said this info is only helpful if there are still orders from eCost. Sorry for any misunderstanding.

thanks for that, yonatan. )

i hope us 8/13'ers haven't been abandoned! ;-)
(I liDIDli switch to the hp ipod around 9/16, though, i think.)t

thanks for the info, it's nice to hear directly from one of the sources every now and then.

thx for the info man!