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$1.5 Million Worth of iPad Minis Stolen from Airport Warehouse

gnasher729

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,565
SamGabbay said:
Apple really lost out more because now they have to reship $1.5 million worth of iPad minis to customers who are now not getting it.
Click to expand...

If 3,600 iPads were stolen, and if we assume that 3,600 people buy a stolen iPad instead of buying iPads in a store, Apple and other sellers lose the retail price of 3,600 iPads, minus the cost of selling 3,600 iPads that are ready to go in a warehouse.

If these iPads are sold very cheaply to people who otherwise wouldn't buy one, then the loss is the cost of building 3,600 iPads and transporting them to a warehouse, slightly less.

Minus whatever insurance pays. And with that kind of money, people will investigate. If you are detective for an insurance company and get 10% of the recovered loot, what would you be working on right now?
 
K

krravi

macrumors 65816
Nov 30, 2010
1,173
0
snberk103 said:
If this is real, and not a joke, the next headline is going to be how the NYPD recovered most of the stolen shipment.

I wonder if Apple can sell these as new still, or if they will end up on the refurbished pages?
Click to expand...

I just ordered a refurb iPad 3rd gen from Apple store. I was under the impression that Apple refurbs are usually customer returns etc and is handled in California, just like my iMac.

But I got the shipping info today and they are being shipped from Shenzen, China. Looks like from the factory itself.

So why is it a refurb?
 
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unplugme71

macrumors 68030
May 20, 2011
2,827
754
Earth
Explains why my Apple Online Order says "Exception"

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gnasher729 said:
If 3,600 iPads were stolen, and if we assume that 3,600 people buy a stolen iPad instead of buying iPads in a store, Apple and other sellers lose the retail price of 3,600 iPads, minus the cost of selling 3,600 iPads that are ready to go in a warehouse.

If these iPads are sold very cheaply to people who otherwise wouldn't buy one, then the loss is the cost of building 3,600 iPads and transporting them to a warehouse, slightly less.
Click to expand...

That's what insurance is for. I'm sure the carrier is responsible, not Apple.
 
R

Ryth

macrumors 68000
Apr 21, 2011
1,591
157
madsci954 said:
I would pass this info onto the NYPD, it may not be the thieves but could be a lead.

I then ask could someone really be that stupid to steal all those Minis, then post them on CL for sale? I then pause for a brief second and think...yes...
Click to expand...

I would also suggest passing it on...can't hurt...though I'm sure Apple and the NYPD and the shipping company are checking CL...can't hurt.

But yes, people are that stupid...especially unintelligent thieves.
 
OldSchoolMacGuy

OldSchoolMacGuy

Suspended
Jul 10, 2008
4,197
9,050
miralize said:
It would be hard because Apple can track exactly what ipads went missing from their serials, and block them. Not sure if the will, or would, but its still a possibility.
Click to expand...

Doesn't matter to the guy that stole them. He sells them on the street or where ever and those that bought it will have no way of finding him again. Seller gets his money and the buyer ends up getting a visit from the police.

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In reality, most likely Apple will simply file an insurance claim and call it a day. Why bother wasting the time, money, and resources to attempt to track down each of the stolen iPads when they start hitting the market when they can file a claim, call it a day and move on. That's what insurance is for.
 
S

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
DrStern said:
Apple could enter all the serial numbers of the stolen iPads into their servers, and effectively "brick" them until they were recovered.
Click to expand...

They may, but it may be more complex than that from a PR point of view.

Selling 3600 one by one on Craigslist is going to take a long time, and is full of risk. That's over 3000 chances to get caught by an undercover cop, insurance security person, or an Apple security person. The thieves might actually be that dumb, but I doubt it.

Much more likely is that they will find a legitimate looking electronics store which doesn't mind carrying stuff with a questionable background. Not a pawnshop, but one of those stores that sells watches and cameras and umbrellas, and radios, etc etc. Lots of them in NY.

A tourist comes in looking for batteries for their camera, sees the iPad Minis stacked on a shelf - knows that they are being sold at a few stores besides the Apple Store, can't get one in their home nation for 3 more months... and buys one.

This is a PR problem for Apple, because when do finally get home and turn it on, and it's bricked - Apple has to explain to them that - despite being in a real store - they bought stolen goods. And No, Apple won't refund the purchase price since they didn't actually get paid. And No, Apple definitely won't be refunding the 15% VAT/Duty the tourist paid to their own customs department when they went home.

For the cost of the bad PR, Apple is better off just absorbing the cost, sucking it up, and hiring a better cargo freight company.

-------

And yeah, I'm not pleased (though not surprised, actually) that getting from the street to inside the airport is as simple as that. We know what went out that door, but what came in at the same time?

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krravi said:
I just ordered a refurb iPad 3rd gen from Apple store. I was under the impression that Apple refurbs are usually customer returns etc and is handled in California, just like my iMac.

But I got the shipping info today and they are being shipped from Shenzen, China. Looks like from the factory itself.

So why is it a refurb?
Click to expand...

I'm just speculating, but it may be that iPads are handled differently and all go back to the plant that assemble them initially. Makes sense, in a way, as the people who know how to put them together, plus all the replacement parts, are there. May be a different contract, however.
 
pimentoLoaf

pimentoLoaf

macrumors 68000
Dec 30, 2001
1,987
21
The SimCity Deli
Let's see... Apple has the serial numbers of the Minis somewhere and ... Apple has this app called "Find My iPhone" and ... ;) Apple will just ping the stolen devices and have no trouble finding them.

There is a way to ping for the serial number only, isn't there?

Of course, the inscribed ones would set off a warning flag to a buyer.
 
ArtOfWarfare

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,560
6,059
Our hearts at the MacRumors Forums go out to those of you who won't be receiving your iPad Mini's today/tomorrow on account of this tragedy.

#firstworldproblems
 
F

frayne182

macrumors 6502
Oct 1, 2012
416
0
Canada
pimentoLoaf said:
Let's see... Apple has the serial numbers of the Minis somewhere and ... Apple has this app called "Find My iPhone" and ... ;) Apple will just ping the stolen devices and have no trouble finding them.

There is a way to ping for the serial number only, isn't there?

Of course, the inscribed ones would set off a warning flag to a buyer.
Click to expand...

yeah but not if they are never turned on.


And by the time they are turned on and connected to some Wifi it will be in the hands of a consumer.


The mess of rounding up all the iPads will be to much.
 
L

latestmonkey

macrumors 6502
Aug 13, 2002
309
0
Just talked to my guy George Glekas. He's expecting a huge shipment of ipad minis in his store tomorrow.
 
BornAgainApple

BornAgainApple

macrumors 6502a
Jun 9, 2009
608
340
Massachusetts
krravi said:
I just ordered a refurb iPad 3rd gen from Apple store. I was under the impression that Apple refurbs are usually customer returns etc and is handled in California, just like my iMac.

But I got the shipping info today and they are being shipped from Shenzen, China. Looks like from the factory itself.

So why is it a refurb?
Click to expand...

Most are customer returns. But the devices must be shipped back to be retested and run through the QA process again. If something needs to be replaced, it's far cheaper to have the folks in China do it. I buy almost everything refurbished, the exception being my (r)iPad. You still get the same warranty at a great price. And it looks brand new :)
 
BornAgainApple

BornAgainApple

macrumors 6502a
Jun 9, 2009
608
340
Massachusetts
pimentoLoaf said:
Let's see... Apple has the serial numbers of the Minis somewhere and ... Apple has this app called "Find My iPhone" and ... ;) Apple will just ping the stolen devices and have no trouble finding them.

There is a way to ping for the serial number only, isn't there?

Of course, the inscribed ones would set off a warning flag to a buyer.
Click to expand...

I'm sure all those MAC addresses are in an ARP table on Apple's servers. As soon as the iPad is booted, they'll have the IP addresses and let the Feds handle it from there. This is gonna be fun to watch. :D
 
T

Thunderhawks

Suspended
Feb 17, 2009
4,057
2,118
That's what you get when you make items too thin and light!

3,600 fit on two pallets.

No loss to Apple.

Since iSuppli knows these are only $ 188.50 a piece or so at cost, it's apr.
$ 700,000 for which the insurance company will have to pay.

Since it's an inside job, they'll have the thieves by tomorrow as people usually can't stop bragging or shut up.

"Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead"
Benjamin Franklin
 
Irock619

Irock619

macrumors 68000
Sep 16, 2011
1,788
293
San Francisco, CA
solyd said:
You're telling me that after Sept. 11, 2001 that these people were able to just waltz into an airport warehouse with a tractor trailer? What the hell? Forget the iPad Minis, what happened to beefing up security this past decade?
Click to expand...

Hence why the article said this was probably an inside job.
 
F

FooMan2011

macrumors member
Nov 2, 2012
43
0
That's about 3,246 iPads is you do the average... Also, apple states in there policy they are not responsible for stolen merchandise. Nor will the aid in the recovery. Meaning once those bitches leave their wearhouse it's not their problem.
 
P

phr0ze

macrumors 6502a
Jun 14, 2012
513
0
Columbia, MD
Stealing such a high volume will make them even harder to get legitamately. By stealing so many you can actually sell what was stolen for more than retail and make more than apple would have made. Sad circumstances. I hope my LTE chances are still good tomorrow morning.
 
SockRolid

SockRolid

macrumors 68000
Jan 5, 2010
1,560
118
Almost Rock Solid
MacRumors said:
[...] The heist, which appears to have been an inside job, netted the criminals two pallets containing 3,600 iPad minis. [...]
Click to expand...

And Apple can easily determine the serial numbers (and IMEI / MEID addresses, if cellular-enabled) of every single stolen iPad mini. They could then blacklist all the stolen cellular-enabled iPad minis so they won't work on any carrier.

But Apple won't blacklist the stolen minis until after they have used Find My iPad to put them in "Lost Mode." They'll be locked with a passcode set by an Apple employee back at HQ or wherever. And they'll be very easy to track down. Good luck trying to use one.
 
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