Canadians who pre-ordered the Google Nexus 7 tablet from the Google Play store are wondering why third-party retailers are receiving stock while they wait to hear about their own shipping status.
Google has branded the Nexus 7 as its own hardware and is selling it directly to consumers via the Google Play store. It’s also selling it through traditional retail channels such as box stores Staples, Future Shop, and Best Buy. Some customers were miffed when they saw orders being fulfilled by third parties before their direct order from Google was received. Google isn’t offering much in the way of information.
“We’re still processing pre-orders as we said last Friday,” Google Canada told ITBusiness.ca in an e-mail response.
Google told customers it was aiming for a mid-July general release of the tablet. The initial orders have sold out quickly for the device, loaded with Android version 4.1 or Jelly Bean. The 7-inch tablet undercuts the price on Apple’s iPad and also competes with Amazon’s Kindle Fire, another Android-based tablet that is plugged into Amazon’s content network.
Nexus 7 customers who tired of waiting for their shipment from Google instead placed orders with other retailers. Bruce Head, an employee with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, posted on Google+ that he’d placed an order with Staples.ca to buy the 16 GB tablet after not seeing any shipping notice from Google Play. But then he was told he couldn’t cancel his order for that tablet, and would have to refuse the shipment to get a refund.
“Interesting that Google said they wouldn’t allow cancellations, considering they give you the option to cancel your order in their form,” he wrote. “Refuse delivery of service and you’ll be refunded. But sometimes I’ve seen couriers just drop the box on the porch even if a (signature) is required.”
Another Google+ user commented that this must be Google’s version of waiting in line at the Apple store for a new product on opening day.
Some Nexus 7 customers were reporting shipment notices from Google starting yesterday.