Apple Seeks to Thwart iPhone Scalpers in Hong Kong with New Reservation System

[Rocketman]

If they sell ONLY iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 in stores, that's what scalpers will get. Better for Apple and its partners.

They make BANK on upgrade customers because the "old" device typically gets transferred to another active user!

Just a suggestion from Rocketman

 

[iSayuSay]

How about this?

Apple would raising up the price for multiple iPhone purchase.
Multiple unit purchase = more expensive $/unit, not the usual other way around

That way .. no one buy more than 1 phone since you get the cheapest price that way.

 

[haruhiko]

Okay, now the problem goes from scalpers to the fairness of the reservation "lucky draw" system. We have no way to know HOW Apple HK selects the "winners" (Oh, I don't mean some staff will give the quota to their friends, don't misunderstand ) and HOW MANY iPhones are actually given out each day.



----------

With Apple (previously) letting Hong Kong users order up to 10, unlike the 2-per-person limit implemented in every single other country, I cannot see why

Many HKers got their truly free iPhones at launch.

By buying 10 and selling 8-9 of them, they got 1-2 truly free iPhones without contract.

 

[TheMacBookPro]

Many HKers got their truly free iPhones at launch.

By buying 10 and selling 8-9 of them, they got 1-2 truly free iPhones without contract.

Not 'many', it should be 'the few who could get their reservation in before all the scalpers snapped them up'.

 

[thewitt]

The limit in Hong Kong has been 2 per customer all along. I don't know where this crazy 10 number comes from. I have staff there who are on top of this and they are amazed about the rumors flying around...

 

[haruhiko]

The limit in Hong Kong has been 2 per customer all along. I don't know where this crazy 10 number comes from. I have staff there who are on top of this and they are amazed about the rumors flying around...

I ordered 10 from the online store on the first day (easily). There were no bots and we had about 20 minutes of time to order.

 

[TheMacBookPro]

Many HKers got their truly free iPhones at launch.

By buying 10 and selling 8-9 of them, they got 1-2 truly free iPhones without contract.

It's people like that that cause actual customers who only want one iPhone for themselves to have to resort to paying extraordinate amounts at 先達.

The limit in Hong Kong has been 2 per customer all along.

Uh, say what?

I don't know where this crazy 10 number comes from.

From store.apple.com/hk.

I have staff there who are on top of this and they are amazed about the rumors flying around...

More amazing is what you/they think are 'rumors'... if 'fact' = 'rumor' then sure. I suggest retraining your staff as they seem to be rather incompetent.