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NY Times Article on the NY Crew
- Thread starter edhawk1965
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Yep, this is why I ended up just ordering my iPad online. It's just too difficult to get an iPad that isn't being scalped. It's not just these gangs, there are plenty of everyday folks buying up multiple iPads for resale in the New York area.
Last year, this was controlled somewhat due to purchasing limits--but this only worked because Apple didn't accept cash for the iPads and this caused a backlash.
The only thing that will stop this is a massive supply of product I think. Once there is no market for them there will be no point in buying and reselling.
Last year, this was controlled somewhat due to purchasing limits--but this only worked because Apple didn't accept cash for the iPads and this caused a backlash.
The only thing that will stop this is a massive supply of product I think. Once there is no market for them there will be no point in buying and reselling.
I'd guess those people are packing heat. You don't carry that kind of $$$$ in NYC without backup.
some lady complained about it and the sob story police came out and apple decided to avoid the publicity
Yep, that's what I saw yesterday. Imagine if we could get that organized and go cut them off for one day. They would be pissed...
Its funny how everyone thinks the ipad is just going to China. I talked to an India guy on launch day at 5th ave and he was telling me how much of a demand they were in India and Dubai. They're selling 2x-3x retail. There was also 4 Russian guys trying to complete with the Chinese scrapers. They just offered a slightly better price and all those Chinese were selling it to them. lol. It was quite a scene.
I walk by the Fifth Avenue store every morning, and its just getting worse. On Monday and Tuesday mornings, which were both cold mornings, there were probably 200 to 300 people lined up, with probably 98% part of the reselling scam. This morning, when it was not only cold but raining as well, there were at least twice as many people, with the line going down Fifth to 58th, across to Madison, back up to 59th, and then ACROSS THE STREET to continue up Madison towards 60th. And, yet again, probably 98% there for the reselling scam.
Apple should stop supplying that store due to scalpers or require credit card purchases. These guys come in every day and buy up all the iPads.
Maybe Apple should first sell their products in China, Russia and India. Then the US. Problem solved. /snark.
Why does Apple keep sending stock to this place. Just stop it for a week or so and they should go away. I stopped by my Apple store several times and they haven't been getting ANY. Why send 100's to NY everyday. Spread the love.
1) Because it's their flagship East Coast store (the SF store also gets stock everyday, and is also mobbed by scalpers).
2) They may not like the scalping, but so far they don't seem to particularly dislike it either. The majority of people who see those lines won't even realize they're 95% scalpers. Unless the press begin widely reporting on the scalping aspect having huge lines outside your 5th street store is good PR.
The scalpers would just move onto another Apple store. There's currently no way to stop this.
I was in a Verizon store when a guy walked in asking whether they had any iPads. The salesperson asked him why he was back that day when he had just gotten one the day before. The guy said, "Oh yeah, I flipped that one on craigslist".
It's simply not going to stop until there isn't a market for overpriced iPads anymore.
Exactly, and most of the people here complaining probably don't have access to the foreign market. If I have a demand of 1000 iPads from people abroad where i can make 100% profit, I'd take a week of work and do this full time. Who wouldn't want to make $500,000+?
What?!
Did they hold a gun to someone's head and demanded they pay more for an iPad? Did they hold a knife to the people at the stores and demand that they sell them multiple iPads?
This is just plain old free market supply and demand working here.
Is it ugly up close? Yah, but its no different than anything else you buy.
People only think its different.
How much mark up do you think ends up on the everyday products you buy?
Explain to me how normal stock market transactions are any different than this group?
No, they did the next best thing - took a bunch of iPads "hostage" and then extorted people. No different if Target employees were to go to Best Buy, buy all their stock so no one else can, then resold them at Target for 100 percent markup.
Markups are legal. Scalping and price gouging aren't. But since the cops in NY probbly have murders and car jackings to worry about, I imagine they don't have time for this kind of stuff.
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They aren't selling them here.
What are the cops going to charge them with?
Regardless, fundamentally, you are in massive denial if you think what they are doing is somehow so very different from what you see every damn day in this country.
Absolutely they are selling them here. They set up "shop" right outside the Apple store and were reselling them to people who couldn't get them in store. And the charge is scalping. It can be applied to items, not just tickets. It happens all over the country? So that's how you justify it?
Sorry I forgot we're in feudal Japan and are samurais.
These folks probably won't even have a chance to own an iPad. They're just doing what they need to do to make a few bucks on the side when they're not doing crappy work with equally crap pay that often goes to immigrants.
There's no shame in making money. I don't think reselling retail items at a higher price is illegal, or else eBay wouldnt' allow it.
Don't be mad your desire to own a luxury item isn't stronger than their desire to make a living.