Harvey Normans are currently advertising 10% off iPod Touch when you preorder, and since you hardly ever see discounts on Apple products my ears pricked up. On Friday night I called my local store to check that they were still taking preorders and that stock hadn't already arrived. The sales person told me that stock hadn't arrived, and then even when it did it wouldn't be enough to fulfill the preorders they had already taken. He urged me to come into the store, put down a deposit and then just wait it out for around a month. Since this is to be a xmas gift, I was happy with this.

I went to the store the next day and went to place my order, but the sales person told me he wouldn't take my pre-order! When I asked why, he told me that in all likelihood they would probably 'never' receive enough stock to fulfill my order and that I would then 'hate them forever'!! I told him since I wasn't in a hurry for it, I'd take my chances and he once again tried to refuse telling me they'd been waiting on them since April and would likely never actually received 'more than two or three units'. 'But they've only recently been announced and only released here within the last week' I argued. No, he told me, Harvey Normans have known about them since April!! Don't you just love it when sales staff make stuff up?

In the end I had to practically force him to accept my pre-order. I have no doubt it will come through fairly soon since Dick Smiths are already showing stock in several stores. I just thought I'd share this amusing anecdote. I'm wondering if Harvey Normans were banking on a swift stocking up so wouldn't have to take too many 10%-off preorders and now head office are encouraging staff to steer customers away from it?