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ppdix

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 6, 2001
676
280
Miami Beach
I bought 3 lightning to 30-pin adapters on ebay...
I got this email from the seller today:

Thank you for your purchase of your Lightning Adapter

There has been some confusion with an email that eBay has sent to regarding this item. It was removed due to licensing but I assure you your sale and everyone else's sale is still active and you will be getting your adapter.

Please Disregard the eBay email as it does not apply to your transaction and disregard if I have already contacted you about this matter. Apple has reported every seller on eBay. Here is the email Apple sent me via eBay-


eBay sent this message to Vasilios Poulos (bp21golf).
Your registered name is included to show this message originated from eBay. Learn more.

MC999 eBay Listing Removed: Trademark Violation - Unauthorized Item (704489572)





Dear bp21golf (bp16golf@aol.com)

You recently listed the following listing:

200822120246 - 2 Apple iPhone 5 Lightning Adapter 30 pin i Phone iPod 7th Gen Plug iPhone5 USA


Your listing has been removed.

Your item was removed because of a request we received from Apple, Inc., a member of our Verified Rights Owner Program (VeRO), asking us to remove the item for:

- Item(s) is a counterfeit product which infringes the trademark owner's rights.

If you have additional questions or concerns on why your item was removed, please contact Apple, Inc. directly at:

apple_enforce@opsecsecurity.com

Please allow 7 days for Apple, Inc. to reply to you. :eek:


The email you have or will receive from eBay does not affect the standing of your order and your adapter (s) will be posted out as scheduled. This is Apples way of shutting everyone down to ensure they get the full price for these adapters

Cheers

bp21golf

Thanks for choosing us for your purchase!!! :eek:
 
I don't get it. Are you here to get reactions from others that a major U.S. electronics company is protecting it's properties?

Here's mine: :eek:
(baked at 350F with 100% pure sarcasm)
 
I don't get it. Are you here to get reactions from others that a major U.S. electronics company is protecting it's properties?

Here's mine: :eek:
(baked at 350F with 100% pure sarcasm)

I am not trying to get a reaction... Just sharing something that will surely affect a lot of people that have ordered such adapters on ebay...
 
Good luck with that adapter. The real one has custom chips in it only available to Apple. No way anyone has duplicated these... You may fry your device the first time to try to use a counterfeit adaptor.
 
I don't get it. Are you here to get reactions from others that a major U.S. electronics company is protecting it's properties?

Here's mine: :eek:
(baked at 350F with 100% pure sarcasm)

I find it interesting because as far as I'm aware Apple has not done this before.
 
Apple has never had third-party sellers remove listings and advertisements for counterfeit merchandise before?

As far as I'm aware, not for things like cables and adapters. They are always freely available on Amazon and eBay.
 
Apple did you a favour - those knock off might work but not for long. And who knows what damage it could do.

This is a quick buck scam by Chinese counterfeiters.
 
All third party Lightning accessories are a scam. No one has actually produced a working knockoff yet, due to the proprietary chip.
 
All third party Lightning accessories are a scam. No one has actually produced a working knockoff yet, due to the proprietary chip.

Well, we don't really know that yet ... will a non-chipped knock off at least allow charging? All we know for now is that Apple will fight to make customers pay $20 to $40 for what should be a $1 cable. :(
 
Well, we don't really know that yet ... will a non-chipped knock off at least allow charging? All we know for now is that Apple will fight to make customers pay $20 to $40 for what should be a $1 cable. :(

Though the cable may work to charge the device, I guarantee you no semiconductor company has reverse engineered the custom chip, and the company that makes it exclusively for Apple is not selling to counterfeiters....
 
I may not like Apple's pricing but in cases like this new cable, I would be weary to try a 3rd party outside of maybe Monoprice.
 
You may want to read the other thread talking about how third party adapters have been shorting out the lightning port. Not a good idea to use I'd say :)
 
I think it's very greedy on apple making this cable for the iPhone 5 instead of changing to a universal charger like micro USB or even continuing with the old charger. They've obviously made it so no third party companies can make them forcing us to buy their cables and adapters for an extortionate price. For me that would mean buying 2-3 apators for my cars etc.

Shameful behaviour by apple seen as though we spend so much money on the phone initially.
 
I think it's very greedy on apple making this cable for the iPhone 5 instead of changing to a universal charger like micro USB or even continuing with the old charger. They've obviously made it so no third party companies can make them forcing us to buy their cables and adapters for an extortionate price. For me that would mean buying 2-3 apators for my cars etc.

Shameful behaviour by apple seen as though we spend so much money on the phone initially.

Blame capitalism: if your not continuously screwing other people for money and making maximum profits then you're sinking and dying.
 
Good luck with that adapter. The real one has custom chips in it only available to Apple. No way anyone has duplicated these... You may fry your device the first time to try to use a counterfeit adaptor.

Does anyone know this for sure?
 
jessica. said:
I may not like Apple's pricing but in cases like this new cable, I would be weary to try a 3rd party outside of maybe Monoprice.

I agree with this. I always buy all my cables from monoprice.com because I know they are safe and reliable.

If they don't have it then I'm not going to purchase these 3rd party counterfeit cables from ebay.
 
Blame capitalism: if your not continuously screwing other people for money and making maximum profits then you're sinking and dying.

No this is arrogant greed. I'd understand if apple were in the same precarious financial situation like HP, but when you've got more money in the bank than many 1st world countries combined you're not exactly hurting.
 
No this is arrogant greed. I'd understand if apple were in the same precarious financial situation like HP, but when you've got more money in the bank than many 1st world countries combined you're not exactly hurting.

Not saying its not but that is the point of capitalism. If you're not making maximum profits off your customers today then eventually something will come up in the future where you're not making as much and you sink to the depths of HP and are fighting for your life.
 
No this is arrogant greed. I'd understand if apple were in the same precarious financial situation like HP, but when you've got more money in the bank than many 1st world countries combined you're not exactly hurting.

I think the point is you need to keep raking in profits to stay on top otherwise better, leaner, and more efficient companies will take over the top spot from Apple.

Now, do I think it's good for the consumer? Definitely not. Just look at how our financial institution has sprawl into a mess that we are in today.
Why the hell do we need our banks to chop and repackage our MBS into pieces? They did it because it was the most profitable thing to do and they need to keep their profits up.

Apple is a company and the reality is they need to keep making money to stay on top. Unfortunately.
 
I find it interesting because as far as I'm aware Apple has not done this before.

This happened to monoprice before. They used to have a lot more cables and stuff. Notice how their cables now specifically say they are made in a MFI factory? Thats because Apple shut them down before.
 
I think it's very greedy on apple making this cable for the iPhone 5 instead of changing to a universal charger like micro USB or even continuing with the old charger. They've obviously made it so no third party companies can make them forcing us to buy their cables and adapters for an extortionate price. For me that would mean buying 2-3 apators for my cars etc.

Shameful behaviour by apple seen as though we spend so much money on the phone initially.

Changing to micro-USB would be a MAJOR step backwards in functionality, plus it's a poor design that has a minimum level of durability.

Yes, its a bummer they are changing designs, but I understand why it was necessary for future improvements. The chip in the new cable is necessary to allow it to be plugged in in either orientation (one of the big complaints of the old design, and USB for that matter.) The benefits far outweigh the downsides.
 
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