assuming their servers can even handle the load. seems like it takes 30+ mins to sell out (what normally would have sold out in 2) since they can't seem to figure out the scaling problem.
Well, they haven't fixed the Play Store. Page currently alternating between "SOLD OUT" and "Add to cart" with subsequent refreshes; clicking the latter just goes to https://play.google.com/store/cart?costatus=INVALID_REQUEST (with an error message).
Could be. It was listed as available at 2:02 (central), but as of 2:06 it's listed as "sold out" again.
Edit: looks like it was only temporary. It keeps switching between the two messages every few minutes. I haven't tried adding it to the cart myself, however.
This is one of the worst shopping experiences I have ever had. I have seen it come in stock several times now, but when I add it to my cart and try to proceed to checkout, I get "Due to high demand, your order could not be processed. Please try again later." This happens every time until eventually I get the dreaded "Oops, we had trouble processing your request. We're working on fixing the issue. Please try again later.", which means that they gave up and dumped it from your cart. (Edit: Actually, no they didn't, keep trying! If it comes back in stock, then spamming "Proceed" may work.)
Now I'm also getting it failing to add it to the cart to begin with, with the message "Oops, we had a problem with your request. Please try again.". At least this is better than two weeks ago where I would get very unprofessional-looking cookie errors. Edit: The icing on the cake (Add To Cart click): http://imgur.com/dHmOL
Google really needs to step up here. Forget missed sales opportunities; this is just reflecting very badly on them, period.
UPDATE:
Possibly the first real feedback from Google on all this: A message displayed at the top of the Play store reading "Google Play is currently experiencing very high traffic. Nexus 4 is not sold out and will still be available for purchase. Please try again shortly. Thank you for your patience." It was up for about five minutes and has since been removed. The Nexus 4 is now consistently in stock, but attempting to purchase it always results in "Due to high demand, your order could not be processed. Please try again later."
Point taken, but it's more like if you got an email saying "Devices on Google Play is available in your country starting at 12:00pm!" And then you went there it said "Devices on Google Play is not available in your country. Please check back soon."
What I did last time was click to "Proceed" from the cart, even if you get a "Oops, we had trouble processing your request" error and the button is no longer blue. Eventually I was able to order the phone that way, instead of refreshing the page which removes the item from your cart. This might not work this time around, but it's worth a shot.
UPDATE: Nah, I tried that, Now I'm getting a popup "Due to high demand, your order could not be processed. Please try again later."
UPDATE 2 : "Oops, we had trouble processing your request. We're working on fixing the issue. Please try again later."
I'm trying that now, but I think that would only have worked if it came back in stock. I think I had the bad luck to learn of this trick right as it sold out this time. I would be very mildly surprised if they stocked just as poorly this time around.
Went to cart, clicked "Proceed" .. got "too busy" error. Waited a few seconds, clicked again...same error. Waited a few seconds, clicked again, and it worked.
As of 3:15 EST, the 16GB version switches from "Sold out" to "Add to cart" about once every two refreshes. Even when it's "in stock", adding it to your cart triggers an error.
The 8GB seems to be consistently in stock, advertising a 4-5 week shipping period. It is possible to add this one to your cart consistently.
EDIT: Now getting a generic Google server error page: "We're sorry, there was an error. Please try again later."
I was able to get one like 5 or so minutes ago. Took me a while and lots of phantom items in the shopping cart. But I already got the confirmation email.
It's an awesome phone, but not without it's problems. I bought mine on launch day and I'm already getting a replacement. I love the phone, but along with others I'm experiencing interference in the earpiece. We'll see if a new unit fixes it.
This is absolutely pathetic. How is Google, of all companies, not able to handle load? And how did they manage to fail so fantastically not once, but twice, on the same product?
This has happened repeatedly with Google in the past- I think it was a Nexus phone back then, too. I've come to the very simple conclusion that they just don't care all that much about how the store performs under huge load. The phones will get sold one way or the other, and the real goal isn't to make money as a phone seller but to drive forward the state of mobile phones.
This is a bad time of the year to have 4-5 week lead times before shipping. I can't be the only one hesitating to place an order for an expensive piece of electronics that might sit on my doorstep for a week while I'm elsewhere visiting family.
Has anyone been able to buy this? I've added it cart like 20 times now. Half the times I get an error and it's not added, the other half I get an error when I click "proceed" and then it's automagically removed from my cart.
I was there at 12:00 and wasn't able to get it. So I wonder, has anyone actually been able to buy this?
Edit: 1hr later, still trying and still failing. I'm gonna give it an hour and then check again.
Edit 2: They just posted this: Google Play is currently experiencing very high traffic. Nexus 4 is not sold out and will still be available for purchase. Please try again shortly. Thank you for your patience. There is hope yet
Just bought 2 phones after 2 hours of trying (12:00-14:05) with two browser windows open (chrome and firefox). I was hitting the page about 20 times a minute, and finally got through. This phone had better be the best thing ever...
Google ought to pause its work on driver-less cars and magic glasses while it learns how to run a 1990's-style online retail store. The Google Play Store experience is shockingly poor.
I'm looking to upgrade from my Galaxy Nexus (the USB port is broken and it's annoying to charge the battery by pulling it out).
How big of a concern for people that its only HSPA+?
I've only ever used HSPA+ so I'm not sure how much faster really is LTE. I know you can get 20mbs download speeds but realistically for page loads and browsing is it that much smoother of an experience?
oh my God! i am sure I can make a better cart! :S 41 minutes, one second i get go to cart, other i get "please try again" i think i should give up! i have better things to do than buy the stupid phone!
You really need to fix your shit when it comes to selling hardware.
Despite being a huge Android/ChromeOS/etc fan, every interaction I've ever had that involved buying hardware (or in some cases, trying to buy hardware and failing) from the Play store was some level of painful ranging from minor annoyance to full-blown disaster.
I get that the Nexus 4 is supply constrained, I really do. In no way do I feel entitled to purchase one at any specific time. Being out of stock is no big deal and I'm normally a very patient person, but your inability to address the issue with any sort of useful public information and your lack of useful human customer support is inexcusable. Apple, Amazon... hell, even Microsoft... all make you look like a bunch of bumbling idiots when it comes to this stuff.
I'm basically done trying until you address the huge problems you have in this area.
99 comments
[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 136 ms ] thread* page saying "Server Error".
* clicking "Add to cart" brings up the cart page without an error, but saying "Your cart is empty".
Why won't you just take my money Google?
Edit: looks like it was only temporary. It keeps switching between the two messages every few minutes. I haven't tried adding it to the cart myself, however.
Now, almost every time I hit refresh, it flips between the two. I'm giving up for now.
EDIT: The trick from this comment http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4838782 worked for me after about 5 minutes of clicking.
edit: 5 times I've been to the last screen only to press 'Buy' and see another error.
Now I'm also getting it failing to add it to the cart to begin with, with the message "Oops, we had a problem with your request. Please try again.". At least this is better than two weeks ago where I would get very unprofessional-looking cookie errors. Edit: The icing on the cake (Add To Cart click): http://imgur.com/dHmOL
Google really needs to step up here. Forget missed sales opportunities; this is just reflecting very badly on them, period.
UPDATE:
Possibly the first real feedback from Google on all this: A message displayed at the top of the Play store reading "Google Play is currently experiencing very high traffic. Nexus 4 is not sold out and will still be available for purchase. Please try again shortly. Thank you for your patience." It was up for about five minutes and has since been removed. The Nexus 4 is now consistently in stock, but attempting to purchase it always results in "Due to high demand, your order could not be processed. Please try again later."
Try "Devices on Google Play is not available in your country yet."
UPDATE: Nah, I tried that, Now I'm getting a popup "Due to high demand, your order could not be processed. Please try again later." UPDATE 2 : "Oops, we had trouble processing your request. We're working on fixing the issue. Please try again later."
Went to cart, clicked "Proceed" .. got "too busy" error. Waited a few seconds, clicked again...same error. Waited a few seconds, clicked again, and it worked.
The 8GB seems to be consistently in stock, advertising a 4-5 week shipping period. It is possible to add this one to your cart consistently.
EDIT: Now getting a generic Google server error page: "We're sorry, there was an error. Please try again later."
http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=39936
I was there at 12:00 and wasn't able to get it. So I wonder, has anyone actually been able to buy this?
Edit: 1hr later, still trying and still failing. I'm gonna give it an hour and then check again.
Edit 2: They just posted this: Google Play is currently experiencing very high traffic. Nexus 4 is not sold out and will still be available for purchase. Please try again shortly. Thank you for your patience. There is hope yet
Good luck.
How big of a concern for people that its only HSPA+? I've only ever used HSPA+ so I'm not sure how much faster really is LTE. I know you can get 20mbs download speeds but realistically for page loads and browsing is it that much smoother of an experience?
I'm trying to get a 16gb one though so I can cancel my 8gb...and no luck. this is really awful.
You really need to fix your shit when it comes to selling hardware.
Despite being a huge Android/ChromeOS/etc fan, every interaction I've ever had that involved buying hardware (or in some cases, trying to buy hardware and failing) from the Play store was some level of painful ranging from minor annoyance to full-blown disaster.
I get that the Nexus 4 is supply constrained, I really do. In no way do I feel entitled to purchase one at any specific time. Being out of stock is no big deal and I'm normally a very patient person, but your inability to address the issue with any sort of useful public information and your lack of useful human customer support is inexcusable. Apple, Amazon... hell, even Microsoft... all make you look like a bunch of bumbling idiots when it comes to this stuff.
I'm basically done trying until you address the huge problems you have in this area.