poor fellows. USA people are walking into the stores and getting the phones

by we.... you don't mean me and my MPD order - i'm feeling a little left out....
Have to admit - did a hunt to see what else is out.... and there is no HD2, Droid, or anything else even slightly on a par with the N900.... so still not hugely bothered about waiting - just wish the next two weeks would go quickly

Ok, so by your reasoning I could create a company called "Apple Retail".

I will then claim I am an affliate with Apple. Set up my own site selling iPhones and get contract deals with carriers. Then set up a bunch of stores in malls/town centres across the south of the UK. Then claim exclusivity on pre-orders of the next Apple brainwashing devices.

Then I will find my stores mentioned across Apple's own discussion forums and the separate forums regarding my next flagship OS. Plenty of technology websites will cover news regarding the shipping dates that I proceed to make up, just to keep my customers happy.

Now, throughout all of this Apple would happy let me illegally use their good name and run my stores for many months/years. Sounds like a great plan, any investors?

http://www.nokiaretail.co.uk/customerServices/about.htm

"Nokia Retail is operated by Mobile Phones Direct Ltd, Nokia UK's branded retail store partner."

The online shop at nokiaretail.co.uk is run by MPD.
The bricks & mortar stores at some locations are run by MPD.

The online shop at nokia.co.uk is run by Nokia UK.
The bricks & mortar stores at some locations are run by Nokia UK.

They clearly have a branding agreement as the graphics as virtually identical, and Nokia Retail stores look... well, a lot like Nokia UK stores :-)

But they aren't the same company, and don't have the same shipping arrangement.

Hope that clears things up.

Everything else you said about what would happen is exactly right, except for that part: If you negotiated permission from Apple, to be another sales channel for them, then yes you could do it like you said.

That's perfectly normal franchising business.

A lot of businesses work like that. Franchises are when one company operates a business using the branding of a different one, under an agreement.

I know that they are clearly a franchise (as I have posted earlier.)

Just trying to clear up the rubbish spread by maemojedi: Nokia have never hearing of Nokia Retail (because one uninformed telesales rep had no,) they have no affiliation, and that anyone could have made the site.

back to my McN900 with cheese example earlier... why do i feel like we are going round in circles....

And in other news - related to this post

Nokia.co.uk people are getting emails about delivery/shipping
MPD/Nokia retail - are being told 3rd december posting
Amazon - still dec 25th? or there-a-bouts?

What about any other UK outlets/companies?

Most likely will be Nokia.co.uk/Flagship next week, MPD the week after, and everyone else after that. As a franchise MPD should be in a position to get it before CPW, Amazon, et al.

those that said they would get emails today from Nokia UK, did they arrive?

When is this statement not true? You're the only one's believing in things that you don't know 100% to be true - yet you state them as fact. Why is that? Are you guys trying to make yourselves feel superior by making others feel inferior? Because they made a different choice than you when buying a stupid phone?

Also, just to clarify. I for one have never said that the people who ordered through MPD / Nokia retail will get the phone the same time as the ones who ordered through the Nokia shop. In fact I've always suspected we would receive around a week later. Nothing's changed in my expectations