iPhone 16 Pro Max pre order upgrade not fulfilled

[Jbc_]

I ordered an iPhone 16 Pro Max (black titanium 256gb) as an annual upgrade pre order online. The order confirmation email was received at 14:36 on the 13/09/24 and I tried to call to confirm but after 86 minutes waiting to get through (whilst on holiday in Mexico so -6 hours) the call ended itself. 

I tried again over the weekend but same story, and then spoke to someone on Monday who stated the online system requires orders to be confirmed manually, but this had been done and the orders prioritised in time order so I would be receiving it on the 20th and to wait for DPD info. 

Obviously it never arrived on Friday or over the weekend, and today it has updated to estimated dispatch 04/-08/10. I called up customer services who stated that unfortunately my order was put through manually on 16/09 and there was nothing they can do. They’ve taken my early upgrade fee happily enough but surely this isn’t right? I’ve had an annual upgrade every year and pre ordered online since the iPhone X release and never had this happen. Has anyone had anything similar and got anywhere with it? 🙃

[Chris_B]

@Jbc_   just because you’ve been lucky in the past to receive it on or around launch day it doesn’t mean that you’re always going to get it on or around launch day.  EE don’t receive enough devices to fulfil all pre- orders for lunch or around lunch day.    As your order was actually processed on the 16th then unfortunately you’ll be further back in the queue than you wanted to be to receive the model spec that you ordered.    Nothing will more you forward in the queue until the orders before yours are fulfilled for that spec of device. 

[Jbc_]

Yes I understand that, what I am referring to is the system not actually processing orders when they have been made online is surely not a normal way for an order to process? If you ordered it at point of release and after ordering the website is still showing orders as being fulfilled for delivery on release day, surely you’d expect that to be the case rather than someone then having to manually process the order out of order.