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Crazy UPS story...(iPad related)

L

levitynyc

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 19, 2006
1,128
3,794
My local driver told me that today, he delivered 1150 new iPads to the Local Best Buy.

Whats interesting is that he actually had one unmarked police car in front of him, and one behind him during the entire journey from the UPS Hub to Best Buy.

A police escort for iPads. Crazy.

It makes sense since thats roughly $750,000 worth of merchandise that could be sold for double the price tomorrow.
 
1100 iPads to one Best Buy? That's highly unlikely.

I'm not sure Apple stores even have that many on launch day...only the first few hundred people (if that many at all) typically get one at an Apple store.

For every product launch I worked at Best Buy, the most we had of an item was a little less than 100, maybe a little more.

Perhaps a BBY distributing center? Or he might have meant stores?
I don't doubt you here, the guy probably did deliver a bunch of iPads and had some sort of police protection, but probably not to just one local Best Buy.
 
levitynyc said:
My local driver told me that today, he delivered 1150 new iPads to the Local Best Buy.

Whats interesting is that he actually had one unmarked police car in front of him, and one behind him during the entire journey from the UPS Hub to Best Buy.

A police escort for iPads. Crazy.

It makes sense since thats roughly $750,000 worth of merchandise that could be sold for double the price tomorrow.
Click to expand...

1100 iPads? Where do you live?
 
Smells like BS

Police do not do escorts for merchandise deliveries, that's what private security is for.
 
I think in general everyone has more stock. Apple presales, third party brick and mortar stores.

My local AAFES (military exchange) had so few iPad 2's in the early days....10 for their first shipment. This year they have 160.
 
Yes, somewhere in the 5 boroughs. No, the UPS driver was not talking out his azz. He picks up at our business every single day. I saw his route log. For 750K worth of iPads, it makes sense. If he gets held up, that a HUGE payday for someone with the balls to pull it off. Not to mention how it would destroy the local best buy not to have iPads on launch day.
 
levitynyc said:
Yes, somewhere in the 5 boroughs. No, the UPS driver was not talking out his azz. He picks up at our business every single day. I saw his route log. For 750K worth of iPads, it makes sense. If he gets held up, that a HUGE payday for someone with the balls to pull it off. Not to mention how it would destroy the local best buy not to have iPads on launch day.
Click to expand...

I am glad you and the UPS guy were hanging out reading his route log. Sharing infomation on what he deliveries. If it is true he should be fired.
 
SAL8116 said:
Its not BS WILLDOGS as a close friend of mine works for the NYPD.

Bobsentell you are correct.
Click to expand...

So I guess my 17 years with the NYPD mean nothing then

If Apple were to pay for this type of protection for an NYPD officer, they would have to get cops who were working a "Paid Detail" which is basically a police officer working part time "off duty" in uniform sanctioned by the NYPD.

Only problem is that RMP's (Police cars)are not usually given to cops working paid details (At least not when i've ever worked one)

Anyway, long story short, i'd be very surprised if this indeed happened, but i'm 99% sure it didn't.

98
 
Don't forget that there are 18 different iPad models.

That's about 60 of each model. Seems reasonable for such a popular device.
 
levitynyc said:
My local driver told me that today, he delivered 1150 new iPads to the Local Best Buy.

Whats interesting is that he actually had one unmarked police car in front of him, and one behind him during the entire journey from the UPS Hub to Best Buy.

A police escort for iPads. Crazy.

It makes sense since thats roughly $750,000 worth of merchandise that could be sold for double the price tomorrow.
Click to expand...
I can believe it, the courier company I used to work for got an armed Garda (Irish police) escort to and from the airport when they picked up or delivered intel chips. When you think about it, there's more value in a van full of chips than a van full of cash...

----------
greenlogo1976 said:
I can believe it, the courier company I used to work for got an armed Garda (Irish police) escort to and from the airport when they picked up or delivered intel chips. When you think about it, there's more value in a van full of chips than a van full of cash...
Click to expand...
And just to say... It wasn't off-duty Gardai, or a dodgy deal, it was arranged through the proper channels. It happens more than you might think. The police in any jurisdiction are concerned with crime prevention, not just detection. In Ireland you will often see the gardai, and the army giving an escort to cash in transit or other high value loads. I've seen it in Italy often too. It's quite normal.
 
SporkLover said:
I think in general everyone has more stock. Apple presales, third party brick and mortar stores.

My local AAFES (military exchange) had so few iPad 2's in the early days....10 for their first shipment. This year they have 160.
Click to expand...

thats a lot more, can non-military customers shop there ?? :D
 
levitynyc said:
My local driver told me that today, he delivered 1150 new iPads to the Local Best Buy.

Whats interesting is that he actually had one unmarked police car in front of him, and one behind him during the entire journey from the UPS Hub to Best Buy.

A police escort for iPads. Crazy.

It makes sense since thats roughly $750,000 worth of merchandise that could be sold for double the price tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Apple store in Clarendon VA, which is one that's been subject to two smash and grab robberies has an around the clock Arlington PD cruiser on site...

And a tidbit... Gillette will not ship tractor trailer loads of razor blades because the value is so high that insurance would only cover them if they had armed guards.

----------
WILLDOGS said:
Smells like BS

Police do not do escorts for merchandise deliveries, that's what private security is for.
Click to expand...

Dunno where you're from, but here they'll even do private traffic control if you reimburse their department.

Even escort Charlie Sheen for free :)
 
fullmanfullninj said:
1100 iPads to one Best Buy? That's highly unlikely.

I'm not sure Apple stores even have that many on launch day...only the first few hundred people (if that many at all) typically get one at an Apple store.

For every product launch I worked at Best Buy, the most we had of an item was a little less than 100, maybe a little more.

Perhaps a BBY distributing center? Or he might have meant stores?
I don't doubt you here, the guy probably did deliver a bunch of iPads and had some sort of police protection, but probably not to just one local Best Buy.
Click to expand...


Apple Stores routinely get more than 1k of devices, when I went to the 4s Launch in Christiana Mall the apple store had over 1500 people in line that each got a device that day. The iPad 2 launch the Boise Town Store had over 1700 of iPad 2s in stock for launch day.
 
It Happens!

I can tell you that police escorts DO happen quite a bit for all kinds of tech products. Believe it or not, there are numerous groups that travel around the country with their sole purpose being looking for freight trucks to steal from if they get the chance. In my area of the country and several others, companies will contract with an off duty police company for protection and a lot of places allow use of the police car for the officer.

I am only speaking in general of all businesses as any NDA would not allow me to speak to specific companies ;)
 
kycophpd said:
Believe it or not, there are numerous groups that travel around the country with their sole purpose being looking for freight trucks to steal from if they get the chance.
Click to expand...
Yep, it's a BIG problem for couriers. We used to get professionally organised gangs following our vans because we had a contract with a mobile phone company.

They used to follow the van and then run out and stand at the back door of the van whenever it stopped. If the driver came to the back, they would walk away and the driver would think they were just a pedestrian crossing the road, but if the driver opened the side (sliding) door, the central locking unlocked all the doors, so the thieves would pull open the back door a little. Then the driver would close the side door, activate the central locking and walk away to do the delivery.

The thieves then emptied as much as they could from the back and then fled. It happened about 2-3 times a year per van. In the end, we had private security teams following our vans, and even the local police. We had to get the vans rigged up with cameras and change the locking mechanisms.

It was disturbing how organised and well-informed the gangs were. They knew exactly which vans to target and when.

Then there were a few incidents where they simply stopped the driver on a quiet road, pulled a bat, knife or other weapon (thankfully never a gun) and then empty the van while the driver had to lie on the ground. A lot of it never made the news - bad publicity best swept under the carpet.
 
It will be interesting to hear how many trucks get robbed for ipads on friday. I hope it's not anyone's here! It's widely publicized about all the shipments.

Or I'm sure there has to be at least a few truck drivers that would like to steal a few for their own use :rolleyes:
 
WILLDOGS said:
So I guess my 17 years with the NYPD mean nothing then

If Apple were to pay for this type of protection for an NYPD officer, they would have to get cops who were working a "Paid Detail" which is basically a police officer working part time "off duty" in uniform sanctioned by the NYPD.

Only problem is that RMP's (Police cars)are not usually given to cops working paid details (At least not when i've ever worked one)

Anyway, long story short, i'd be very surprised if this indeed happened, but i'm 99% sure it didn't.

98
Click to expand...

Maybe not the NYPD directly, but officers doing it off time. Either way kind of the same thing.
 
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