Apple Pulling iPad 2 from Best Buy?

[notjustjay]

Wow, I didn't realize retailing world was so intriguing, still have a hard time believing some of the claims. I've had good luck with Best Buy, Apple can be a bit heavy handed with it's partners...

I think that it should be mandatory for every person to work a little bit of retail in their life. Make it part of the high school curriculum or something. You learn so much about dealing with people. I worked at a hardware store for a summer and I saw it all. People have such a strong sense of entitlement and don't take personal responsibility for anything they do. After that summer, I am much more patient with salespeople now that I know what they go through.

(On the other hand, I'm also much more cynical about their offers to "help" me, though, again because I know what they go through...)

 

[JAT]

Right, but nobody was saying that "It's digital, therefore ALL cables will work all the time". Yes, a poorer quality cable, or a cable that's too long, can cause dropouts. But like you said, if a cable doesn't work, the error will be spectacularly obvious: you get no signal at all, or you get severe glitches like when your satellite TV goes out in a storm.

The point is it's not like the analog days where better cable would result in subtle differences like less picture noise, less colour smearing, sharper details, reduced hissing, or whatever. In the digital world, you either get a 100% picture-perfect signal, or you don't get a working signal at all.

We can perhaps agree to disagree about what other people on the forum meant. But, HDMI (and other digital) cables did indeed have imperfect signal with visible artifacts on screen. Known as sparklies, it was essentially missed data (basically a direct comparison to analog "snow"), you can search for it. As I said, this artifact is mostly gone, now.

 

[Pro1289]

I have the iphone4 AT&T and he has the new galaxy android tmobile..Which app should I use that supports video chat??

 

[tigress666]

LOL!

You missed your estimate by a third the overall cost. Was the guy buying a house? What retail employee "guesses" how much something costs when asked? When you don't know it you look it up. None of this "duhhhh.... I think it's $89. Yuk Yuk."

LolWhat?!!!! Newsflash: He did offer to look it up for the customer! Go back and re-read the original post where right after he said I think it's 89 dollars he then proceeds to offer to look up the price and the customer refused. As I said, I all the time say, "I think it's this price but let me look it up" and most people don't have a hard time comprehending that the price I give I don't know and it's not an actual quote but just what I think it might be.

Reading comprehension, learn you some. Either that or learn how to backtrack your statement better so it's not so obvious you are backtracking.

 

[foodle]

Then society will have to sort out a new mess: what do you do when there's no longer an "Amazon Showroom?"

I don't know about everyone else, but I never ask the BB employees anything. Most of the time I know more about what I'm looking for than they do so what's the point. With Internet reviews and videos there's not much need for brick and mortar.

I agree that the people who "rent" from BB are sleazy, but I would hope there are not that many people who have the time to do all that crap.

 

[3282868]

I think that it should be mandatory for every person to work a little bit of retail in their life. Make it part of the high school curriculum or something. You learn so much about dealing with people. I worked at a hardware store for a summer and I saw it all. People have such a strong sense of entitlement and don't take personal responsibility for anything they do. After that summer, I am much more patient with salespeople now that I know what they go through.

(On the other hand, I'm also much more cynical about their offers to "help" me, though, again because I know what they go through...)

+1. Worked in retail for a while, everything from Banana Republic to Emporio Arrmani to Corp. retail. It is amazing how people, especially in America, believe they should be treated as though they are the last person on the planet. You learn to have patience, a great deal, and to smile and think "**** you very much" while saying "Thank you very much".

 

[xStep]

Wrong. Every iPad 2 that was being held back by best Buy could've been sold to someone who ordered at Apple's site online, or at an Apple Store... or perhaps some other retailer who knows better than to artificially restrict supply when there's already a supply issue in evidence.



If this report has any truth to it, Apple should be applauded for taking action against a retailer that was hoarding stock.

I was considering buying an iPad2 from Best Buy. Glad I didn't. And know i'm reminded not to consider them again in the future.




Actually, the point (which was made clear when they started doing this, but you apparently missed) was to avoid a day-long spectacle of people standing in line in front of the store all day in the hopes that a shipment would come in mid day... meanwhile preventing other people from buying other things at the store, and causing disruptions throughout the day in shopping malls for other vendors. If you had seen the 2+ months of lines in front of Apple Stores when the iPhone 4 came out, you'd probably understand better.


Selling the stock (and selling out of it) in the morning and making that clear to people is different from saying "we don't have any" when in fact you do and just would rather not sell them.

Yea, looks like I misunderstood. I thought it was Apple placing a quota on Best Buy.

I don't think you understand. It is not a max quota, it is a minimum quota. Best Buy sells the minimum number of iPads they need to get a bonus. The next guy in line is told, "We are all out of iPads. While you are here, why not get a toaster oven?"

The guy comes back the next day, "We are all out, how about a bread maker?"

On day three, " Sorry, no iPads. If you purchase a coffee maker, we will give you 12 free Android Phones." (Product Insurance Plan Required.)

I just went to read the linked story and didn't see anything regarding bonuses or the story you suggest. I do get your point though.


I can understand BB doing this to suggest they are getting stock in daily. It was reported Apple was effectively doing the same thing by not processing received stock for sale the same day. So, what is the difference. Customers get screwed.

Hopefully stock will fill up and people can easily walk into any supplier for a purchase.

 

[HyperZboy]

Seems like half the people here have worked at Best Buy and the other half hate Best Buy and refuse to shop there. And both groups know equally as much about Best Buy's retail marketing plans as well.

Hmmm, what are the statistical chances of that happening?

Earth to Geeks... You think Apple doesn't specifically ship certain stock just for a promotion? (therefor it's not considered "stock" the day or week before)

Not to mention, we know Apple has been having supply problems. So I see nothing wrong with Best Buy conserving stock for a promotion. This a whole lot of nothing except to the fanatics on geek websites who worship at the alter of Steve Jobs and have no lives.

If all these people posting really worked in retail, I'm convinced it must have really been at McDonald's, not Best Buy! LOL

 

[madhatter61]

Seems like half the people here have worked at Best Buy and the other half hate Best Buy and refuse to shop there. And both groups know equally as much about Best Buy's retail marketing plans as well.

Hmmm, what are the statistical chances of that happening?

Earth to Geeks... You think Apple doesn't specifically ship certain stock just for a promotion? (therefor it's not considered "stock" the day or week before)

Not to mention, we know Apple has been having supply problems. So I see nothing wrong with Best Buy conserving stock for a promotion. This a whole lot of nothing except to the fanatics on geek websites who worship at the alter of Steve Jobs and have no lives.

If all these people posting really worked in retail, I'm convinced it must have really been at McDonald's, not Best Buy! LOL

You my friend are very opinionated and very misinformed. I worked for BB for any years...checked out the rumor of this thread locally, and this action is not true. They have all their displays in place, and sell through as fast as the demand... which is high.

We all realize that some of you don't like Best Buy or Apple ... that is your choice. If you think you are positively contributing to this forum or any other with your written garbage ... think again. Everyone has opinions ... yours are just not believable.

 

[madhatter61]

If you were a BB exec with the power to capture a few thousand iPads,
sell them on Ebay at $100 above list price (each), and still show them
as sold at full list price... you'd have the opportunity to pocket a few
hundred thousand dollars.

This is so much crap I can't believe it. They would be fired in a heart beat for that kind of action. Your limited experience is not even close to being believable.

 

[eye]

Their source for this story was probably that big guy who carries your tv out to your car and checks random receipts at the exit door.

 

[snugharbor]

I'll pile on here.

I hate Best Buy.

I miss Circuit City.

I wish there was a Frys in Utah.

There, I feel better. I hope this place suffers. I hate Best Buy.

Hated CC as well but I do love Fry's for it's range of products despite some flaws.

 

[snugharbor]

100% agree with you and people need to realise how stupid people high up the ladder are, and out of touch with reality with these things, which then cause the behaviour you have explained to happen.

Actually by selling more than your expected quota this month may even end up with your expected quota being increased for future months.

Effectively shooting yourself in the foot.

To put it in it's simplest form, say someone paid you $5 to walk to the shops and buy them a pizza, and give you 15 mins for the journey. You go the task, get your $5 dollars and everyone is happy.

Now, once you decide to jog a little and arrive back in 10 mins, wow that's great, so much quicker. but from now on, will will only allow you 11 mins to get the pizza for the $5 payment.

Then you are silly enough to run a little one day and come back in just 5 mins, wow, this is an improvement. Head office have now decided to allow you 6 mins to perform the task for your $5.

How stupid are you, when you could have been walking all this time and still of had your original 15mins for your $5 payment.

Perhaps you could of run in just 5 mins, but you really should of stopped and chatted to someone for 10 mins to use your allowed time up.

It's called sub-optimimizing. At a local level you might be optimizing profits or whatever but taken as an aggregate a negative for the organziation. For example an aircraft maintenance department delaying matinenance so don't have to pay overtime and bust the local budget (assesment of maint department on costs) while the airline loses thousands of dollars of revenue on an multi-million dollar aircraft on the tarmac doing nothing. What you decide to measure is what people try to optimize even if it doesn't make sense.

 

[cynikal]

not sure if this is still true, but i picked up an ipad2 at best buy today..

it's a 64gig white one, with verizon (ugh, all they had, they only got a shipment of 3g at&t + verizon but sold out of the at&t).