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Apple Shuts Down iPad Air and iPhone 5s In-Store Pickup Tracking Site

Heard at a recent marketing meeting at Apple HQ in Cupertino

Apple marketing genius #1: "Hey, let's sic the lawyers on an internet site that makes it easier and quicker for customers to buy our product!"

Apple marketing genius #2: "Yeah, that's a great idea! Plus that guy's site makes our online store seem clunky and inefficient, and everyone knows there's nothing about Apple that's clunky and inefficient!"

Apple marketing genius #1: "Yeah, that's a great idea! Let's do it!"
 
I understand why Apple did it since inaccurate info can reflect poorly on them, but I like what this guy did. Apple should hire this guy and build a similar tool on Apple.com.
 
I applaud Apple for taking this approach. Consumers don't want tracking sites like this when the information is freely available from Apple.com. Apple is doing what it must to protect the web experience for all its loyal customers around the world.
 
Karma*Police said:
I understand why Apple did it since inaccurate info can reflect poorly on them,....
Click to expand...

But the information was not inaccurate. Everything was VERY accurate since the data was being pulled directly from Apple. The only way it could have been inaccurate is if Apple's own in-stock data was inaccurate... and that would be Apple's fault, not Mordy's.

If someone got inaccurate in-stock data from Mordy's site, that same person would have gotten the same inaccurate in-stock data from apple.com as well since that's where the in-stock data comes from.

Apple just didn't like that people were using his (better) site instead of Apple's own site.

Can't beat 'em? Shut 'em down.



dumastudetto said:
I applaud Apple for taking this approach. Consumers don't want tracking sites like this when the information is freely available from Apple.com. Apple is doing what it must to protect the web experience for all its loyal customers around the world.
Click to expand...

Seriously? So all the people who were using the site to get in-stock info didn't want this tracking site? :rolleyes:
 
sw1tcher said:
But the information was not inaccurate. Everything was VERY accurate since the data was being pulled directly from Apple.
Click to expand...

Wasn't always accurate. There has been times it would show things in stock, but when you go and look at the raw JSON response directly from Apple, it wasn't the case. That is why I ended up slapping my own tool together.
 
As someone who has spent thousands and thousands of dollars supporting Apple products, not to mention endlessly promoting their products to friends and family, I have to say they are really getting on my last nerve with their inane practices and incompetent behavior. No wonder they engender so much hatred from some folk.

Apple couldn't meet demand or ship dates for the iPhone 5S and this guy's site provided a helpful way for consumers to find a phone nearby. This was the ONLY way I was able to find and purchase my iPhone 5S. I had ordered online on 9/20, waited over a month while countless others who ordered after me received their phones (Processing...), and ultimately cancelled my order because Apple clearly couldn't get their act together in terms of providing first-order, first-serve on their flagship product.

Pathetic and disgusting. Shame on you, Apple.
 
danpass said:
exactly.

this guy was giving people precisely what they wanted but it interfered with the marketing strategy.

Sort of like Vegas. There is only one way to get to the hotel's front desk and that's thru their casino lol.
Click to expand...

This makes no sense. The tool allowed people to find a phone/ipad in their local store. They then physically WENT TO THE STORE, where all manner of impulse buy goodies and other Apple crack pipes await them.
 
So it's ok for Apple to collect your credit card info, passwords, and track your location, but don't you dare get any data from their public web site...?
 
lkwan said:
i think it was extremely foolish for apple to request for this site to be taking down....

Now their employees will have to waste their time fielding even more calls for inventory checks...
Click to expand...

I'm with you... What a heavy-handed corporate move. Come on Apple.
 
Don't you just like sites like this Apple-Trecker ?

The guy knew what he was doing, because when it got shut down, he didn't wanna bother fighting Apple, and crawl away anyway...

Classic........ If he didn't wanna fight Apple, and knew he was doing wrong anyway, why did he reckon he could get away with it ?
 
The only legit reason I can think of to DMCA this site would be if it was routinely giving innacurate info and Apple employees were having to deal with irrate customers yelling "because of your stupid website I drove 100 mile for nothing". Otherwise, this is kinda a d**K move.
 
Not DMCAed (yet)

We set up a similar service the week after the iPhone 5S came out. It has not garnered as much attention as Apple-Tracker, but is still up :) Check it out if you are having trouble finding an iPhone 5S or iPad Air, and learn a little bit about sea turtles while you are there.

http://www.seaturtle.org/idevice
 
Tech198 said:
Don't you just like sites like this Apple-Trecker ?

The guy knew what he was doing, because when it got shut down, he didn't wanna bother fighting Apple, and crawl away anyway...

Classic........ If he didn't wanna fight Apple, and knew he was doing wrong anyway, why did he reckon he could get away with it ?
Click to expand...

Or he chose to shut it down because Apple has deeper pockets than he does and the financial hit he'd take defending himself wouldn't be worth it even if he was in the right and were to win.
 
rhett7660 said:
I would be willing to bet if the company took "apple" out of the website url they would be able to continue operating. Just a guess of course.
Click to expand...

agreed. There are several sites that do this and have done this for years (I won't say the name just in case) but I found my ipad mini using them. No Apple in the name.
 
I'm reading this and thinking "what a bunch of corporate d!*ks".

Then I look up from the iPhone I'm reading it on to see a 27in iMac, a Time Capsule, an external Superdrive and an Air Print printer all within 6 feet, never mind the other stuff elsewhere in the house, and I think "what does that make me?".
 
Sad to see it go.
I scored my wife's iphone (16gb, silver) on Monday because of the info the site provided.
 
Sheesh with everyone in litigation with each other, it's a wonder these lawyers had time to write that it go away.
 
What mordy should do, is make the code freely available so other sites with that service can pop up and apple would have to go chase them all down.. or give up and leave a good thing on its own..

i normally like what apple does but geez, *facepalm*
 
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