Spark iPhone Ordering - A Mess if You are on Previous Interest Free Plan

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Otagolad

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Topic # 240602 16-Sep-2018 13:50

I placed an order for a new iPhone for my wife on Friday and took advantage of the 12 months interest free - just like I did last year. I have today received email saying my order is on hold as I have interest free instalments left to pay and that I need to confirm I’m happy for those instalments to be taken on next month's account – the issue here is that I only had one instalment left (from last year's order) and it would have been taken next month anyway. Although I’ve responded yes to the email that they can take the instalment next month I'm waiting to hear from Spark whether or not my place in the order queue has slipped and that I’ll still get the phone on Friday the 21st of September as scheduled.

Going forward, Spark probably needs to look at how their ordering system works because there will likely be lots of people in the same position as me i.e. they placed an order last year on a 12 month interest free period and have upgraded last Friday – they have then received the email saying their order is on hold unless they agree to pay the remaining instalments on their next account. As per the above, the stupidity of this is that the final instalment on their 12 months is next month anyway and all Spark has done is hold up their order – people will be concerned now that their delivery date will have slipped because Spark cannot work out that they are simply upgrading annually - these are Spark's good customers and they may be disadvantaged.

There was a similar issue last year as I was in New York at the time and placed the order for an iPhone 8 for me and then when I went to buy more data for my roaming it turned out I couldn't as Spark's system couldn't process the data order while there was a pending order (the iPhone) in their system. This meant Spark had to refund all my data used in the USA from the date I placed the iPhone until I returned to NZ, which they happily did, but it shows that there is a lack of thinking in the system integration at Spark.

@hio77 - would be interested on yours, or anyone else from Spark's, view on this.

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Reply # 2091457 16-Sep-2018 14:35

I’ve also had the same email as I have another iPhone already on interest free terms.

However their policy is 1 interest free device per mobile phone number on the account, and as I have 2 mobiles on my account I’m unsure why I received this email.

I’ve replied back so I’ll be interest in their response.

doctormaxim

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Reply # 2091460 16-Sep-2018 14:46

They’ve just emailed me back to say sorry about the confusion and my order has now been processed. The bad news is I won’t be receiving it for 4-8 weeks after launch date... I hope this muck up hasn’t caused this!

hio77

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Reply # 2091465 16-Sep-2018 14:57

Appreciate the feedback.

I cant comment in an offical manor without drilling deeper into the details.

I'm not aware of the limitation your hitting at this stage atleast at the system level.
I do agree at a uaer experience level if you wish to take up another ifp for another device(espesally a yearly sorta thing) should be okay. I do put the assumptions that there arent any credit reasons at play.

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jeeg

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Reply # 2091877 17-Sep-2018 12:13

Yeah I'm on the $59 plan looking to Trade-Up. Customer services says I need to bring the phone to a retail store and order directly in store.

I went to Takapuna Spark store and found the store isn't there anymore, looked up store finder and theres only 4 stores left in Auckland? doesn't make much sense but I feel theres too much trouble to upgrade.

hio77

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Reply # 2091883 17-Sep-2018 12:19

edit: gz gobbled my post :/

There are alot more than 4 stores in auckland, i do note this doesn't seem to be totally up to date.

We had a store go live in Lincoln road pacnsave this weekend. It's not showing yet.. I'll speak with the folk about updating this.

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Otagolad

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Reply # 2091895 17-Sep-2018 12:40

doctormaxim: They’ve just emailed me back to say sorry about the confusion and my order has now been processed. The bad news is I won’t be receiving it for 4-8 weeks after launch date... I hope this muck up hasn’t caused this!

Interesting that you e had a response as I’ve heard nothing even though I responded as soon as I received the email.

Will be pretty annoyed if I’ve fallen to the back of the queue.

DjShadow

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Reply # 2091916 17-Sep-2018 13:09

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OT but was just advised on Twitter that this is the last time Spark will be offering TradeUp

hio77

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Reply # 2091938 17-Sep-2018 13:34

Otagolad:
doctormaxim: They’ve just emailed me back to say sorry about the confusion and my order has now been processed. The bad news is I won’t be receiving it for 4-8 weeks after launch date... I hope this muck up hasn’t caused this!

Interesting that you e had a response as I’ve heard nothing even though I responded as soon as I received the email.

Will be pretty annoyed if I’ve fallen to the back of the queue.

Can you DM me your account details.

It sounds to me like in both cases, it's been due to a pending order rather than an IFP (IFP's aren't pending order; they start when the order completes. It is possible this is simplified terms but just want to validate)

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Otagolad

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Reply # 2092024 17-Sep-2018 15:49

hio77:

Otagolad:
doctormaxim: They’ve just emailed me back to say sorry about the confusion and my order has now been processed. The bad news is I won’t be receiving it for 4-8 weeks after launch date... I hope this muck up hasn’t caused this!

Interesting that you e had a response as I’ve heard nothing even though I responded as soon as I received the email.

Will be pretty annoyed if I’ve fallen to the back of the queue.

Can you DM me your account details.

It sounds to me like in both cases, it's been due to a pending order rather than an IFP (IFP's aren't pending order; they start when the order completes. It is possible this is simplified terms but just want to validate)

Thanks @hio77. Last year's issue was a pending order however this year it was definitely because of an interest free period - the text of the email I received yesterday was:

"Thanks for your iPhone XS Max 256GB - Gold Pre-order request.

We've noticed you currently have interest free payments on this number for a previous phone, we can only offer interest free payments on one phone at a time, but don't worry we have an option if you want to continue with this Pre-order request.

What we can do is have the remaining balance of your existing interest free payments of $145.75 billed in full on your next account and have the new interest free payments applied to the purchase of the iPhone XS Max 256GB - Gold.

If you want to continue with this pre-order request simply reply to this email confirming you're happy to have the previous interest free payment charged in full to your next account and include your order reference number xxxxxxxxxxxxxx .

Your request is currently on hold, as soon as we hear from you we can process your order to secure a device."

You can see the senselessness of this email in the third paragraph where it says that they can put the balance on the next account - that balance of $145.75 was the final instalment of last year's interest free period and would have been on next month's account anyway - Spark's system unfortunately can't deal with what is in effect a renewal and I'm sure I'm not the only one who this has happened to.

I've had some back and forth with Spark on Twitter but not helpful with some lame statements that they "... don't have full visibility of the pre-order queue ourselves ..." and that Spark might not be "getting stock of that particular model (iPhone XS 256GB Gold) on launch day so there could be delays regardless (1-4 weeks is what I'm currently seeing, although stock levels are often a bit in flux ahead of a major iPhone launch)." That isn't even the model I've ordered so not sure what they are on about anyway.

Very frustrating overall as even Spark customer service can't speak to the online store team or see orders so how is a customer meant to get a straight answer. I love the mobile and fibre service I have with Spark, however trying to deal with customer service is always a nightmare - first world problem I know, but frustrating nevertheless.

jeeg

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Reply # 2092091 17-Sep-2018 17:55

DjShadow:

OT but was just advised on Twitter that this is the last time Spark will be offering TradeUp

Yes I saw it too, it is unfortunate.

Vodafone also stopped doing their new phone trade up sometime this April, 2degrees is still allowing you to get on a plan with Trade Up with iPhone Xs though.

Otagolad

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Reply # 2092116 17-Sep-2018 18:24

Just received an email from Spark saying order has been processed and that they will endeavour to deliver on the 21st - if they do then thanks Spark.

quickymart

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Reply # 2092156 17-Sep-2018 20:06

I thought the Takapuna shop was closed for renovations? Is it reopening?

Otagolad

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Reply # 2095619 24-Sep-2018 16:19

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Otagolad:

Just received an email from Spark saying order has been processed and that they will endeavour to deliver on the 21st - if they do then thanks Spark.

Spark did indeed deliver so a special thanks to @hio77 for checking on what was happening with the order. The Minister of Home Affairs is very happy with her new phone.

hio77

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Reply # 2095625 24-Sep-2018 16:29

Otagolad:

Otagolad:

Just received an email from Spark saying order has been processed and that they will endeavour to deliver on the 21st - if they do then thanks Spark.

Spark did indeed deliver so a special thanks to @hio77 for checking on what was happening with the order. The Minister of Home Affairs is very happy with her new phone.

Excellent news to hear :)

as i said in DM i didn't actually do anything to fix it by the time i got hold, just sanity check and ensure it was all looking good to continue forward.

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tripp

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Reply # 2095648 24-Sep-2018 16:58

jeeg:

DjShadow:

OT but was just advised on Twitter that this is the last time Spark will be offering TradeUp

Yes I saw it too, it is unfortunate.

Vodafone also stopped doing their new phone trade up sometime this April, 2degrees is still allowing you to get on a plan with Trade Up with iPhone Xs though.

I really don't blame them, the cost of the devices is really getting up there.

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