I believe most of them get their stock directly from Apple. There are only 4 Apple stores in China, yet Apple got $3.8 billion in the last quarter. How could that happen, only by 4 stores?
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Chinese Authorities Close Two Fake Apple Stores Over Permit Issues
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I believe most of them get their stock directly from Apple. There are only 4 Apple stores in China, yet Apple got $3.8 billion in the last quarter. How could that happen, only by 4 stores?
I remember when I was in the college, it was 2004. There was no official Apple store in Shanghai. The only few stores selling Apple products overpriced them to double the price of the US market. I could only afford to buy an iPod, it was 3,200 rmb (about 450 bucks at that time).
If Apple did or do care about its Chinese customers, it should have done more investments in China. (Oh, I forgot they did invest heavily to those iPod, iPad, iblabla factories hiring cheap suicide intending labors.)
BTW: Chinese input method in Mac OS X is like what I used in Windows 3.1. It is so painful to use that I am even considering to learn Japanese or something...
No. My point is, the reason of such fraud is the entire market environment partially made by Apple itself.
And it seems even Apple doesn't care about fake stores, as long as they can bring Apple 3.8 billion revenue in a quarter.
I really hope Apple can seriously do their business in China and treat Chinese customers the same as the US customers, although I am in the US now...
And isn't it pathetic to blame fake stores when there is even no "real" store available.
I wanna be clear that those fake stores are the only places that most Chinese customers (except Shanghai and Beijing) can get genuine Apple products. It is absolutely not right to put Apple logo in the store, but it makes me feeling hurt if they don't put. It reminds me that no matter how you love Apple's product, Apple doesn't care about you.
You can blame the fake stores. But blame Apple too, please.
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And here I was thinking that the reason for the fraud was to make money. But in reality they are just deceiving their customers because Apple didn't care enough about them.
"Blame fake stores"? For fraud? Yes, I think the owner's of the fake stores should be blamed for fraud, regardless of whether there are real stores in the area.
And here I was thinking that the reason for the fraud was to make money. But in reality they are just deceiving their customers because Apple didn't care enough about them.
"Blame fake stores"? For fraud? Yes, I think the owner's of the fake stores should be blamed for fraud, regardless of whether there are real stores in the area.
There is no real store anywhere in China, except Shanghai and Beijing.
This is not healthy for the market, but Apple's business in Big China area is always messed up anyway.
Chinese customers are not foolish. Once Apple do their business seriously and open more real stores in China, provide more official customer support, those fake stores will automatically fade out.
The reason of the fraud is to make money, yes. But the very intrinsic essence of the reason is the market needs. If Apple fulfill the needs themselves, there won't be any chance for those fake stores.
I really don't understand your point. The fact that Apple doesn't have many stores in China does not justify fraud. If you are just saying that the fraudulent stores are more successful because Apple isn't meeting demand, then you are just stating the obvious.
Right.
If someone would just give Joe Blow a job, he wouldn't have to rob banks.
The REAL reason for fake Apple Stores in China is not a market need. It's just opportunism.
It is most certainly not Apple's job to open Apple Stores in China just to prevent fake ones from popping up.
I know this is legally wrong but sadly, I dare to say, for the customers, I'd better see those fake stores if Apple itself still keeps its ignorance.
Neat reply.
The argument made about Apple being partly responsible for this situation totally makes sense: if these stores are the only physical location where you can get genuine Apple products in that area, you can hardly call them fake imo. Fake stores would be a problem if they 'stole' customers from Apple. In this case though they aren't, since Apple was neglecting that market compeltely!
You are crying over a store because it looks like an Apple Store. Big Deal. THEY SELL ACTUAL APPLE PRODUCTS BOUGHT FROM APPLE. You can say what you want about China, but they won't tolerate theft: those goods are not stolen, and Foxconn would never sell such large quantities behind Apple's back, that would endanger their huge Apple-contracts way too much for the little profit it would make of it.
They only real 'çrime' here is that the Apple logo is being used, and I'm with you on that one: they are not allowed to do that. But keep in mind what China is like: 95% of all software is pirated and at least 75% of branded products are actually fake. Using a logo on a store is an extremely mild crime imo.
And for all you crybabies about warranty: outside the US Apple itself is a total dick when it comes to warranty. While the EU requires all resellers to give 2 years of warranty on products, Apple only gives 1 year: the additional year is being charged to Apple resellers. That's why Apple has so no EU Apple Stores: they hate providing warranty, so I doubt these 'fake stores' would be able to do a worse job.
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Why? Wouldn't an authorized Apple reseller or even an unauthorized Apple reseller meet those needs just as well? How does it benefit customers to be lied to about who they are conducting business with? How is it good that these customers think they are buying directly from Apple when they are not?
You are right. But as I said, most Chinese customers like to see it. Even they know it is fake, they like to see the sacred Apple logo.
I am by no means supporting the fake stores. I am just feeling sympathetic for the Chinese customers and their rights.
I have no problem with them selling Apple products. They aren't being called fake because they are not authorized resellers. The are being called fake because they are pretending to be Apple.
No, I don't care that it looks like an Apple Store. I care that the are defrauding their customers. They are claiming to be Apple. They are not.
No, the real crime is fraud. I've been pretty clear on that.
Actually, most those "fake" stores are authorized by Apple to sell their products and previously Apple even listed those stores on their official Chinese website. (Apple's Big China market is messed up, as I mentioned)
The only illegal thing those fake store did was to use the Apple logo, that's all. They are selling genuine products and warranties are valid too.
Most authorized resellers will mimic the Apple feeling to some extent, the Kunming's example is just an extreme.
Do you understand what fraud is? This isn't trademark infringement. This wasn't "Joe's Electronics" sporting an Apple logo on the wall. They were intentionally deceiving their customers into believing that they were Apple. It doesn't matter that they are selling real Apple products.
You said that based on your actual market investigation in China or just your imagination?
So you will be happy if the store printed a large notice at the front of it listing:
1. We are NOT official Apple store.
2. There is NO official Apple store in this city.
3. We are selling geniun Apple products. Official warranty available.
4. Nearest official store location: Hongkong, Shanghai, Beijing, ps: air tickets will not be reimbursed.
Hopefully, in this way, they are not deceiving right?
If your intending meaning was to show that the only wrongful act committed was fraud, then that is incorrect.
Trademark infringement AND fraud was committed, not one or the other.
No, I based it on the photo in the original post in this thread, and the rest of the stories on this topic. A big Apple logo and the words "Apple Store" don't leave much room for confusion.
As long as they took down the Apple logo and the "Apple Store sign" as well. And didn't claim to be Apple. And didn't use any other techniques to fool their customers into thinking that they are Apple.
That was not my intended meaning.
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I bet how many Chinese customers are well educated enough to understand what "apple store" means. For them, these are just combinations of characters for cosmetic maybe (just like westerners like to use meaningless Chinese characters in tatoos...). If they put 苹果电脑官方零售店, that will be a problem...
Actually, in China, putting only English tags at the store front is illegal. They should have put Chinese characters. I didn't notice that.
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What is your intended meaning? Given your quote:
The store used logos without expressed consent: infringement.
The store is claiming to be something it is not: fraud.
The store is committing both trademark infringement and fraud.