AirPod scalpers

[Brookzy]

I'm in two minds about this issue.

On the one hand, if you wanted a pair that badly that you would pay above RRP, what stopped you ordering as soon as they went live, and were arriving on December 19-21, like everyone else? If you missed out the first orders, you clearly didn't want them that badly, and I have little sympathy for you. If you were asleep at the time/on a flight/whatever, I still have little sympathy for you - it was simple to set up notifications and you do these things knowing that orders can start any second, and thus are accepting the risk.

On the other hand, if Apple wanted to do something about this, they could do quite easily. Make it so that if you want to buy one you must do it online only, and have a valid Apple ID with an attached credit card. Then, only allow one (or two, or however many is acceptable) sale per Apple ID and per credit card per month until the supplies improve. The scalper mentioned above would have struggled to secure 96 different Apple IDs and credit cards. Sure they could do it, but just the hassle would deter 99% of scalpers.

And if after all that they still manage to scalp, fair play to them: they clearly need the money.

Finally, it's worth remembering they're scalping AirPods, not bread in a war zone.

 

[AppleRobert]

Was the Pencil any different? How about the keyboard for the iPad Pro?

 

[Spink10]

Was the Pencil any different? How about the keyboard for the iPad Pro?

Maybe not as much profit? I owned a Apple Pencil day one - sold it after I used it for an hour. Think I made about $40-50.

 

[tivoboy]

Yes Apple had a limit of two per person, and five per "lifetime". I'm not really sure how they enforce the latter if one simply uses different email address or credit card to make purchases.

I disagree that people consider this "greed". Ask yourself, if you received a pair of these for Christmas and knew you didn't want them would you simply take them back to the store or knowing that some person off craigslist would give you $250 for them would you just sell them for retail price only? Is taking the $250 "greed"? Isn't that simplyacceoting what the market price is for a given product at any time?

If you buy Apple stock at $100 and now it's trading at $125, should you not sell it for more than $100 that you paid?

People buy any number of types of products, cars, electronics, clothing where they either think Or believe that the future market price of that product is going to be higher than they paid, or they think that there is a chance that there is going to be a supply/demand imbalance and therefore the immediate arbitrage to a higher price is to be taken advantage of.

What about the person who spends five days standing in line at an Apple Store to get the first iPhone, only to be able to sell it for twice the price based on either market demand, supply constraints, or an interested buyer simply doesn't want to wait five days standing in line? Is that Greed or is that providing a service in society that a willing buyer is willing to pay for?

 

[jerseykid80]

The prices are dropping though from when they originally came out though. I bought one for a little over apples price because I did not want to wait for 6 weeks.

 

[Gav2k]

Its apples issue every launch. I hat they need to do is saturate the market quickly. This stops the demand.

 

[Fozziebear71]

I'm not going to get into the myriad of scenarios that some people are conjuring up in the thread to justify greed.

The scenario that the OP presented is greed. If you do it with one pair or ninety, it's still greed. Airpods are not a necessity of life. Justify it however you want, it's still greed.

 

[tivoboy]

If one really wants one quickly try getting them on craigslist. Prices in the Bay Area are about $225 to be a little more That's only $50 premium to full retail plus tax.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I'm not going to get into the myriad of scenarios that some people are conjuring up in the thread to justify greed.

The scenario that the OP presented is greed. If you do it with one pair or ninety, it's still greed. Airpods are not a necessity of life. Justify it however you want, it's still greed.

It's not greed. If it was, any business that makes a profit would be labelled as greedy for not just breaking even.

 

[Fozziebear71]

It's not greed. If it was, any business that makes a profit would be labelled as greedy for not just breaking even.

If you don't understand the difference between a corporation and a scalper I don't know what to tell you. SMH.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

If you don't understand the difference between a corporation and a scalper I don't know what to tell you. SMH.

There is no difference. It's business and an individual wishing to make a profit by selling something is not greedy.

 

[Fozziebear71]

There is no difference. It's business and an individual wishing to make a profit by selling something is not greedy.

Ok.

 

[MTShipp]

A guy on my local Craigslist was selling a pair NIB for only $15 USD above the price he paid for them. The posting kept getting flagged presumably by scalpers who were trying to get $100+ more.

 

[AdonisSMU]

Apple could tie it to your apple id. Then they could track who was scalping what.

 

[Arran]

...Airpods are not a necessity of life. Justify it however you want, it's still greed.

I think it's precisely because they aren't, "a necessity of life", is why I don't see scalping as a big deal. Annoying yes, but not immoral.

Now, if we were talking about a product that was necessary to life, such as essential medicine, food or water, then an accusation of greed would be more appropriate.
[doublepost=1482982378][/doublepost]

Apple could tie it to your apple id. Then they could track who was scalping what.

Indeed, I wish they could do something like that. Just for the first month or so until demand dies down.

As long as it didn't get in the way of giving them as gifts. That would be a pain.

 

[AdonisSMU]

I think it's precisely because they aren't, "a necessity of life", is why I don't see scalping as a big deal. Annoying yes, but not immoral.

Now, if we were talking about a product that was necessary to life, such as essential medicine, food or water, then an accusation of greed would be more appropriate.
[doublepost=1482982378][/doublepost]
Indeed, I wish they could do something like that. Just for the first month or so until demand dies down.

As long as it didn't get in the way of giving them as gifts. That would be a pain.

Yeah but if they showed up on e-bay Apple could track it and alert the proper authorities as people may be looking to dodge tax laws in their home countries.

 

[bigdog5142]

I've never understood the vitriol on this site toward "scalpers." I get the idea that if someone buys hundreds of them to make a huge profit...that can be angering when supply is constrained and people can't buy the product desired. However, that's the nature of business, is it not? I mean, Best Buy probably buys the AirPods for about $100 per unit and then sells them for $159, right? (Maybe the margins are closer...that's not the point.) So is Best Buy greedy for that markup?

If the market is purchasing AirPods for $250 on eBay...then that's what they're WORTH! If not, then bummer for the seller. I just sold my house. Bought literally 6 months before the market crashed. I can think it's worth more than it is...but it just wasn't. Lost money on it. But if the market had made an offer for more...I would've taken it. Is that greed? NO! It's BUSINESS!

If someone can make an extra buck, more power to them. If someone can buy a couple extra units and sell them for a profit, making their product cheaper or even free to them, more power to them!

The basis of this scalper argument is, "I can't get mine, so I'm ticked!" That could be classified as greed, too. But...I won't go there because I understand the frustration of ordering a product, being excited to get it and not being able to get it yet.

Anyway...that's my $.02.

 

[EdisEdward]

I've never understood the vitriol on this site toward "scalpers." I get the idea that if someone buys hundreds of them to make a huge profit...that can be angering when supply is constrained and people can't buy the product desired. However, that's the nature of business, is it not? I mean, Best Buy probably buys the AirPods for about $100 per unit and then sells them for $159, right? (Maybe the margins are closer...that's not the point.) So is Best Buy greedy for that markup?

If the market is purchasing AirPods for $250 on eBay...then that's what they're WORTH! If not, then bummer for the seller. I just sold my house. Bought literally 6 months before the market crashed. I can think it's worth more than it is...but it just wasn't. Lost money on it. But if the market had made an offer for more...I would've taken it. Is that greed? NO! It's BUSINESS!

If someone can make an extra buck, more power to them. If someone can buy a couple extra units and sell them for a profit, making their product cheaper or even free to them, more power to them!

The basis of this scalper argument is, "I can't get mine, so I'm ticked!" That could be classified as greed, too. But...I won't go there because I understand the frustration of ordering a product, being excited to get it and not being able to get it yet.

Anyway...that's my $.02.

No retailer makes a 60% gross margin. retailers @ Bestbuy's size typically only make 30% gross margin.

 

[bigdog5142]

No retailer makes a 60% gross margin. retailers @ Bestbuy's size typically only make 30% gross margin.

EXACTLY why I said, "Maybe the margins are closer, THAT'S NOT THE POINT."

 

[AdonisSMU]

I've never understood the vitriol on this site toward "scalpers." I get the idea that if someone buys hundreds of them to make a huge profit...that can be angering when supply is constrained and people can't buy the product desired. However, that's the nature of business, is it not? I mean, Best Buy probably buys the AirPods for about $100 per unit and then sells them for $159, right? (Maybe the margins are closer...that's not the point.) So is Best Buy greedy for that markup?

If the market is purchasing AirPods for $250 on eBay...then that's what they're WORTH! If not, then bummer for the seller. I just sold my house. Bought literally 6 months before the market crashed. I can think it's worth more than it is...but it just wasn't. Lost money on it. But if the market had made an offer for more...I would've taken it. Is that greed? NO! It's BUSINESS!

If someone can make an extra buck, more power to them. If someone can buy a couple extra units and sell them for a profit, making their product cheaper or even free to them, more power to them!

The basis of this scalper argument is, "I can't get mine, so I'm ticked!" That could be classified as greed, too. But...I won't go there because I understand the frustration of ordering a product, being excited to get it and not being able to get it yet.

Anyway...that's my $.02.

Greed is greed. Sorry man. Sometimes you need to not worship at the alter of money. It clouds your judgement.

Best Buy getting explicit permission from Apple to sell Apple products is different from someone trying to cause product shortages so they can make a nickel. I'm sorry you can't see the difference in the two scenarios.

 

[Rtt3rd]

I had an extra pair myself (wife didn't want the extra pair), and actually put them on ebay, eventually they sold for around $225 and the buyer flaked out never paid and never contacted me, after looking at the fees from Ebay and Paypal I ended up returning them to a local Best Buy because it wasn't worth the headache after it was all said and done.

 

[AdonisSMU]

I had an extra pair myself (wife didn't want the extra pair), and actually put them on ebay, eventually they sold for around $225 and the buyer flaked out never paid and never contacted me, after looking at the fees from Ebay and Paypal I ended up returning them to a local Best Buy because it wasn't worth the headache after it was all said and done.

All that for a measly $50 bucks if you're lucky.

 

[bigdog5142]

Greed is greed. Sorry man. Sometimes you need to not worship at the alter of money. It clouds your judgement.

Funny how your opinion is stated as fact. At least be honest about that. No worship of money here...far from it.

Sometimes this place is worse that Facebook. So much drama!

 

[AdonisSMU]

Funny how your opinion is stated as fact. At least be honest about that. No worship of money here...far from it.

Sometimes this place is worse that Facebook. So much drama!

if this place is worse than Facebook is because you make it that way.

Greed is greed and it does cloud people's judgement. I didn't leave any room for opinion because what I stated is a fact.

Greed is what causes people to make all kinds of bad decisions. I say this as someone who's probably making more money than all of you.

 

[Hooterville]

It's a free country and people need to make $$$