Update: As of now latest generation Kindle 3 WiFi is still in stock for $139
Update 2: There is a response on official Amazon forums. It reads: “Our Kindle 2 for $89 deal is sold out. Amazon Lightning Deals are limited time deals that can sell out very fast. We had thousands available and unfortunately they sold out very quickly. – The Gold Box Team”
Well, folks that was fast. While I was taking the screenshot in the previous post, the deal has gone from available to all claimed with even waitlist being full. All “in under 60 seconds” (the amount of time take for the Kindle reader to download books according to Jeff Bezos). Another quote that comes to mind is from “Lord Of War“: “Selling a gun (or buying a Kindle on Black Friday) for the first time is a lot like having sex for the first time. You’re excited but you don’t really know what the hell you’re doing. And some way, one way or another, it’s over too fast.” “Gone Bay Gone” is another appropriate quote.
There are still other (than Kindle) Black Friday deals to hunt on Amazon and there is Kindle 3 which is still reliably in stock for either $189 (3G + WiFi) or $139 (WiFi only).
If any of you are curious – here’s how fast the Kindle was claimed and sold out according to my Amazon Black Friday Deal tracker.
Kindle Black Friday Deal Sold Out
All Kindle deals were claimed within seconds of the deal going live. About 3.6% of people sere able to rush to check out within the first minute. Quarter of the lucky ones cheked out within 3 minutes, 50% – within five. Now, 25 minutes after the deal, 95% customers checked out while 5 are still hunting for more Black Friday Deals.
They didn’t last anywhere near a minute. I had the page up, mouse hovering over Add to Cart button, and clicked the instant it appeared. No, I didn’t get it, and the wait list was already full.
I agree with Joanne. It was the old bait and switch. I had more faith in Amazon but not anymore.
60 seconds is an exaggeration. I hit the button the second it opened (hoping to get my oldest boy one before he enlists) and after “checking” I got put on a waiting list. Wowsa.
I think Amazon is at the point where they should be regulated like a utility. I expect Congress to look into this. Fun’s over Bezos. Now you have to answer to Washington.
Jovita, I don’t blame Amazon for this. There have been many times with holiday Lightning Deals when a few thousand of an item flew out in seconds. Amazon has a huge following, and this deal was well publicized on Facebook and several blogs I read.
I did the same as Joanne, but I got on the wait list, and that still didn’t help. The deal was gone in seconds.
We were also going to buy some $141 headphones, but I think I’ll buy them somewhere else now.
All that Amazon did for us was make us mad.
What can you expect from Black Friday deals? After using the third generation with new screen, I wouldn’t bother with second generation.
I got one waited about 20 min before 12:00 EST had the picture up waiting for the price to show. When the count down hit 0 I clicked buy. I guess I was lucky. But all black friday deals are the same sometimes you win sometimes you don’t.
I am confined to bed with an injury, so spent my day on black friday shopping lightning deals on Amazon, etc. I was one of the many that clicked on the kindle deal within the first second had the spinner show on the screen just to have it time out 30-45 seconds later ending with no Kindle in my cart. I had the same thing happen on 2 or 3 other deals during the day, most memorably a set of $120 sheets on sale for $19, of course these required selecting size and color, even though availability showed as for nearly a minute none would ever add to the cart. My feeling is the Amazon system simply was not up to the traffic and there were bottlenecks in the system, these problems seemed to be at their worst when a large number of lightning deals started at once. It seems that Amazon could have seen this problem happening and changed the start times to stagger by a minute or two.
Ike
p.s. I am not that disappointed by this deal, and will just wait for the next deal or next generation kindle to come along, I bought my first kindle as part of the Oprah special price deal a couple of years ago.
I got one of the $89 Kindles. Although it hasn’t shipped yet, which worries me a bit, and I’m a Prime member and expecting it tomorrow.
Amanda, you can have mine.:-) I just refused it from UPS because Amazon tried to stick me with $189 price for the K2. It will be available to you shortly.