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Resellers returning iPads at the Apple store [PIC]

Nikos

Nikos

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 20, 2008
1,652
323
New York
My apologies for the bad photo, but I thought you guys might find this amusing since resellers are frowned upon here. These guys were returning STACKS of iPads today. Notice the boxes on the floor next to them, they were all full of iPads. I walked in mid-transaction and saw at least a few stacks as large as the one on the table in the couple of minutes that I watched, so there's no telling how many they had.

I was there to exchange my 32GB for a 64GB. I should have offered them a dollar over retail just to troll them. :p

7CD4E392-22F6-464E-8134-FB253CBAF2CC.jpg
 
Can you even return that many? I thought you could only buy 2? I have nothing against trying to make a buck, but man...I would ask to see the other people he used to buy them and limit him to only two returns:D
 
Interesting cause I thought there was a two per person limit right now?

Or maybe I'm confused are you talking about people that buy them then try to sell them at a higher price because they thought the supplies would be limited?
 
I'm surprised the resellers can return that many iPads all at once? I wonder if they originally bought them in bulk as company would?
 
Apple should have limited the number of refunded returns to 2 iPads per person so the scalpers would have to get all their "friends" again to take theirs back.
 
ntnwwnet said:
These idiots got what they deserved.
Click to expand...

They got full refunds by a courteous underpaid Apple store worker, complicated the job of the inventory manager and drained the available cash in the local Apple Store . That's hardly a punishment for trying to manipulate a products demand.

IMO, they should take names and have a limit of 5 refund returns and make the rest store credit because, just like with the stock market, making easy money is supposed to be a risk.
 
Taimaru said:
Apple should have limited the number of refunded returns to 2 iPads per person so the scalpers would have to get all their "friends" again to take theirs back.
Click to expand...

Maybe next year Apple will implement something like this.
I don't think Apple has ever had to handle such a situation before when initial supply was greater than demand for their iPads.
 
Are they opening any if not all of them?

Who knows if they've been switched with Clay iPad and resealed.
 
Why so quick to call them scalpers? They could be business customers returning the iPads as they don't want/need them. Of course Asian means scalper to the hordes on this site. Quick to judge you are! In a London store last week I witnessed 2 guys who were Asian returning 6 iPads, and as I know quite a few of the staff personally I asked a friend and they said it was business related, not scalper. Some people love to jump to conclusions.
Ps. Just for the record, I am not Asian.

----------
urkel said:
They got full refunds by a courteous underpaid Apple store worker, complicated the job of the inventory manager and drained the available cash in the local Apple Store . That's hardly a punishment for trying to manipulate a products demand.

IMO, they should take names and have a limit of 5 refund returns and make the rest store credit because, just like with the stock market, making easy money is supposed to be a risk.
Click to expand...

Do you even know how Apple (or any other company) inventory works? Real complicated stuff...keep blowing bubbles.
 
Nikos said:
My apologies for the bad photo, but I thought you guys might find this amusing since resellers are frowned upon here. These guys were returning STACKS of iPads today. Notice the boxes on the floor next to them, they were all full of iPads. I walked in mid-transaction and saw at least a few stacks as large as the one on the table in the couple of minutes that I watched, so there's no telling how many they had.

I was there to exchange my 32GB for a 64GB. I should have offered them a dollar over retail just to troll them. :p

Image
Click to expand...

1 word for those scalpers: "Scum"
 
So let me get this straight....it's ok for a big company to charge hundreds over the actual cost to us but it's not ok for us to try and make a few bucks to people who are willing to pay it? There isn't one company in the world who doesn't take advantage of consumers by marking up their products by an incredible amount. But yet these guys are scum? The returns won't hurt the store. It's just numbers but it's not like employees are getting laid off because people returned iPads. Those iPads will be sold within a couple of days anyway. Apple did good by ramping up production to meet the demand this time around. There wouldn't be scalpels and resellers if people weren't willing to pay for the items. Blame the people buying them at a premium, not the people selling them.
 
GraphicsGeek said:
So let me get this straight....it's ok for a big company to charge hundreds over the actual cost to us but it's not ok for us to try and make a few bucks to people who are willing to pay it? There isn't one company in the world who doesn't take advantage of consumers by marking up their products by an incredible amount. But yet these guys are scum? The returns won't hurt the store. It's just numbers but it's not like employees are getting laid off because people returned iPads. Those iPads will be sold within a couple of days anyway. Apple did good by ramping up production to meet the demand this time around. There wouldn't be scalpels and resellers if people weren't willing to pay for the items. Blame the people buying them at a premium, not the people selling them.
Click to expand...

It isn't about making a quick buck. It's about taking an item from a potentially limited supply purely to make a buck while a legitimate customer who wants one for their own use can't get one because scalpers are taking them. That's what enfuriates me.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If I were running a business and wanted to invest in 30 odd ipads, you can be sure that I would have done extensive research and committed to such a purchase only after I was certain that they would benefit my bottom line in some way.

It would definitely not be an impulse buy. If so, that speaks volumes about my decision making capabilities. I wouldn't even be in business! :eek:

Perhaps those people in the photo do have a legitimate reason for wanting to return so many ipads. However, it seems more likely that they are indeed scalpers trying to return their ipads after realising that it is not possible to flip them for a quick profit, and so decided to cut their losses by returning them for a full refund.

Unless someone can provide evidence to the contrary?
 
You forget that it's not apple or it's retailers that are setting the scalper price, it's the scalper. Just because a few idiots are willing to pay much more than apple asked, doesn't mean it's right. Gas prices go up based on what the oil companies and investors decide.
 
Defender2010 said:
Why so quick to call them scalpers? They could be business customers returning the iPads as they don't want/need them. Of course Asian means scalper to the hordes on this site. Quick to judge you are! In a London store last week I witnessed 2 guys who were Asian returning 6 iPads, and as I know quite a few of the staff personally I asked a friend and they said it was business related, not scalper. Some people love to jump to conclusions.
Ps. Just for the record, I am not Asian.

----------



Do you even know how Apple (or any other company) inventory works? Real complicated stuff...keep blowing bubbles.
Click to expand...

Ya lol they look like high profile business owners.... I'd tell you what they are but it not very nice so I'll keep my mouth shut.
 
I have several (9 or 10) college buddies that are employed in software and hardware development. Most work in California for companies that have over 50 employees. I also know two people that own companies such as these. One of them retired at age 34.

None of them wear a suit to work. If they are involved in a meeting with a client... probably. But on a daily basis, no way.

There are plenty of people out there not wearing a suit to work. Professionals. Judging a book by its cover in today's business climate can lead to huge mistakes.
 
GraphicsGeek said:
So let me get this straight....it's ok for a big company to charge hundreds over the actual cost to us but it's not ok for us to try and make a few bucks to people who are willing to pay it? There isn't one company in the world who doesn't take advantage of consumers by marking up their products by an incredible amount. But yet these guys are scum? The returns won't hurt the store. It's just numbers but it's not like employees are getting laid off because people returned iPads. Those iPads will be sold within a couple of days anyway. Apple did good by ramping up production to meet the demand this time around. There wouldn't be scalpels and resellers if people weren't willing to pay for the items. Blame the people buying them at a premium, not the people selling them.
Click to expand...
Another "pro-scalpers" argument? You're a weird dude.

The idea of walking into a store and having zero inventory because some guy snatched it up in hopes of selling it to you on eBay at a profit is pretty annoying. So to justify those actions by citing "businesses overcharge so why not resellers" is odd. These guys do affect the operations of an individual store and the employees that have to deal with them. so, yes, they are scum and I'm pretty sure they're aware of it so there's no need to go on the defense on their behalf.
 
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bwrairen said:
I have several (9 or 10) college buddies that are employed in software and hardware development. Most work in California for companies that have over 50 employees. I also know two people that own companies such as these. One of them retired at age 34.

None of them wear a suit to work. If they are involved in a meeting with a client... probably. But on a daily basis, no way.

There are plenty of people out there not wearing a suit to work. Professionals. Judging a book by its cover in today's business climate can lead to huge mistakes.
Click to expand...

Ya, like incorrectly assuming these guys are scalpers? Good lord, what is with some of you? Okay, if they aren't scalpers, then what the heck are they doing?
 
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