For several weeks now, all versions of the Kindle Paperwhite—the 3G model, Wi-Fi model, and Special Offers models—have been showing an expected ship date of December 21st over on Amazon.com.
I keep expecting the date to change, for them to be sold out for Christmas, but it hasn’t happened yet, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it never happens because something is fishy about the whole situation.
I think there’s more to it than a simple supply issue, if that’s even an issue at all.
The reason I question that is I recently took a notion to check local supply of Kindle Paperwhites and much to my surprise they are readily available right now in multiple retail stores with no delay whatsoever. There are several Staples and Best Buy stores in my area that have several Kindle Paperwhites in stock and for sale.
That’s a little odd seeing as how they’ve been supposedly backordered for several weeks on Amazon.com.
Then there’s the issue of the date. Of all the dates Amazon could have picked off the calendar, they just had to pick one that makes it seem like it is so incredibly popular that they might run out before Christmas, making customers think they have to buy one now before they sell out.
That seems like a shady marketing tactic if you ask me.
It might all be legit or just some strange coincidence, but something seems a little off about the whole equation. Generally when Amazon has supply issues with Kindles, the shipping dates fluctuate with demand. But not with the Kindle Paperwhite. It continues to remain at December 21st, even after Amazon says they sold more than twice as many Kindles this year over Black Friday and Cyber Monday than last year, and the fact the Kindle Paperwhite is the #3 bestseller on Amazon. Something doesn’t add up.
It could a supply issue in terms of allocation. X number for retail partners, Y for Amazon to ship out. Given the dropping of Amazon’s products from large retailers, I think they’d sacrifice their own supply to keep their remaining retail partners happy. Either way, Amazon still makes a buck.
Yeah, pick one up right away, but, o, wait; out of stock on Amazon. They’re probably trying to fix the ugly screen discoloration issues before they get any more returns. There is no way that selling several Kindles from “your local storefront” nets more $$ than having a ready supply. Maybe they ran out,
I’m much happier with my GlowNook than most people on KindleBoards are with their first paperwhite …
My sister ordered 2 the week before Thanksgiving with the Dec. 21st expected date. One arrived right away and the other (sent to a different address)last Wednesday. I be more concerned about people placing an order and expecting it ship (and expecting to be charged) near the 21st but being charged early!
there is another explanation: in Italy first orders where expected to ship 1st w of Dec, and they have been recently confirmed. orders placed from mid Nov are declared for shipping next …Feb, and now in March!. possibly, amazon is giving priority to the domestic market, delaying others markets. take into account that there are no shops selling paperwhite in IT (I think also in EU, nowadays they sell the Ktouch), possibly it will happen next spring.
it’s because the world ends on Dec. 21st :)) so there’s no need for them to ship the kindles anymore 😉
Ah, not again.
I also wonder if they are holding back a zillion of the Paperwhites so that they can replace the Paperwhites with bad screens. I bought a PW at Best Buy last Wednesday. It had the pink and blue swirls. Amazon sent me a replacement, receiving it on Friday. That one had horrible shadows at the bottom, yellow/gray in the middle. Its replacement arrives tomorrow.
(And LOL to Bogdan regarding Dec. 21!)
I’m hoping that they are fixing the screens. After many complaints of screen discoloration Amazon posted what the paperwhites screens really look like. Far cry from their manipulated ad pics.