Here is something from a conversation I had with an eCost “Account Executive” I am in charge of ordering iPods for another company so I was able to get some info for you guys about freeipods orders and ipod availability, etc. This information will not be useful if Gratis really are ordering directly from Apple now but if they are still ordering [some] from eCost it is useful.

yonatan: I’m asking about the availability… about this freeipods.com “deal” and i saw that they order from you yet people have been saying that it takes over a month to receive them…
eCost Representative: well that’s changing soon
eCost Representative: the deal started when the 20GB was just introduced
eCost Representative: so there was a bottle neck in production
eCost Representative: Apple and HP have considerablly caught up
yonatan: Oh, Apple wasn’t keeping up with the market?
eCost Representative: so it’ll be less of a problem
eCost Representative: no they weren’t
yonatan: That’s good.
eCost Representative: in fact Mini’s are still a problem
eCost Representative: they trickle in
eCost Representative: but we haven’t recieved the “mother load” that was promised yet
eCost Representative: plus when free ipods started they were doing the 15GB
eCost Representative: which was easy to get
yonatan: ...but I’m being pressured by my ***, they all completed their freeipods.com stuff and are waiting for their ipods. Again, I really hate doing this but do you think it will take weeks until they get their iPods or rather over a month?
eCost Representative: not sure
eCost Representative: we just shipped a boat load not long ago
eCost Representative: and are waiting for the next wave to hit us
eCost Representative: it’s getting better and better
yonatan: Okay, I’m sure they will be very glad to hear that. 😊
yonatan: So how many iPods do you reckon you will be getting from Apple\HP in the upcoming weeks, enough to fill… plus other companies’ orders?
eCost Representative: the mother load is about 10K
eCost Representative: but I don’t think we’ll see that
eCost Representative: it’ll be about 500 to 1000

Some lines may be out of context due to me removing some of the information in the IM. I think the conclusion that can be drawn from this is that iPod shipping times are going to be drastically reduced. Maybe you’ll wanna make this sticky or something?

If I may say, thanks…this gives me a small glimmer of hope.

Maybe you’ll wanna make this sticky or something?

Maybe I’ll move it to the FIP Board?

Haha, I posted it in the Free Stuff forum, Andrew moved it here. You guys should decide between yourselves. 😛

yay thats great news.

gohan u still havent received ur ipod yet? i thought we were on the same dates? i got mine last tuesday

really when did you go to sent to vendor?
and when did you switch to hpod?

sent to vendor on 9/1 switch on the day they made it available

o that would explain haha. i never did switch until last week. stupid me.

yea my status never changed didnt even know it shipped after i open the door and saw the box

I have NOT yet signed up for FreeHandbags OR FreeDesktopPC.  I need referrals for my FreeiPods and FreeFlatScreens accounts that I already have set up.  If you want to trade referrals for these sites with me please let me know.  You can find my email address at either of the conga sites listed below:

http://der_kommissar.home.comcast.net  (FreeFlatScreens conga)
http://free_ipods.home.comcast.net  (FreeiPods conga)

referral: http://free_flatscreens.home.comcast.net

du3ce did you get the email with the shipping number?

yea a week after it got shipped which was worthless

o okay.

:( I have been on “Sent To Vendor” since 26 August. It’s now 1 October.

BUT, on a more positive side, I didn’t switch my iPod late in the game.  :mischeif: Hopefully I’ll be getting this stupid thing soon. I played with my friend’s iPod Wednesday night, and it was so fun!! She even had the iTrip!!!!

whats a itrip?

isnt it like a radio tuner so you can listen to your ipod in the car?

Something like that

Ya, the iTrip is the Radio Transmitter so you can listen to your iPod without the cords or whatever you may use otherwise.
Anyway, thats great news, maybe be the time i get my friken referals friken complete with their friken offers it’ll be friken smoother as far as friken shipping time.

Have a good friken day. OH, and why don’t you friken use my referal links so i can be done friken fast!

Doesn’t anyone need a FreeDesktopPc referral who hasn’t signed up for one of the other three (including FreeHandbags)?  Let me know and we’ll swap.

hmmm tempted.

I would do that, but I don’t trust you on account of you only have 6 posts. But, I’d be willing to complete for someone else under Free handbags for someone to complete under my free desktop pc.

Ok Acrylic, no offense taken, but I can no longer offer that deal because I have now already done it with someone else from this board.  I was going to give you her ID so that you could check with her if you want, but maybe I shouldn’t, so I’ll ask her first if that’s ok.

I may be a newbie at this particular site, but I’m completely honest about this, and same goes for my congas.  Soon I’ll have a desktop one to add to the other 3.

And by the way, this isn’t nearly as good of an offer as the referral swap, but anyone who signs up for any one of my conga sites can CHOOSE which line they want to be put it.  e.g. Sign up for Freehandbags but request to be placed in the FreeFlatscreens or FreeiPods line.  I think supply and demand type issues should help keep the lines fairly even, and help bring referrals into these sites.

iTrips are awesome, by the way.  They’re exactly what someone else described as being radio transmitters so that you can listen to you iPod through your car stereo.  However, it’s also really convenient to just use in your house, with your home stereo, my girlfriend has one and we use it like that all the time.

One WARNING, however.  If you live in an urban area, like we do, it can be really hard to pick up the signal in your car, due to the fact that there simply aren’t any free stations to use.  For whatever reason, some work better than others, though.  We can never get a clear signal in her car, but in my car it works clear as a bell.  The transmission signal they use is a bit weak, but it’s the maximum allowed under government regulations (I suppose you can’t force everyone on the road to listen to your music).

aww taht sucks but what can you do.

Ok, gone.