Chinese have been taking advantage of market inefficiencies like this for thousands of years.
Scalpers create the inefficiencies. That's why they're called scalpers.
Chinese have been taking advantage of market inefficiencies like this for thousands of years.
Scalpers should be killed.
That is not a good solution. Inflating MSRP to cover early adoption rush, or Christmas rush is a long-term nightmare. Fighting scalpers is not a retailer's first priority. They can do it, with purchase limits and so on. But they can't realistically spend more time and money just to fight this.Why not just double the price? If people are willing to pay scalpers two or three times as much as MSRP, they would be more than willing to hand that money to Apple. Supply and Demand. When supply is a surplus, they will start to sell for below MSRP and you will be able to find them on every street corner.
Ok, get rid of them first. No problem here.Riight
Because scalpers are more of a disease to our society than murderers, rapists, and child molesters.
Why not just double the price? If people are willing to pay scalpers two or three times as much as MSRP, they would be more than willing to hand that money to Apple. Supply and Demand. When supply is a surplus, they will start to sell for below MSRP and you will be able to find them on every street corner.
This reminds me of the throngs of Chinese resellers that would descend on Apple 5th Ave in NYC to buy as many iPhones (and iPads) that they could within the two-device per day limit.
They would buy a deuce at full retail price in cash, go outside with their purchase to drop off with Grandma, change their shirt or jacket / put on sunglasses, then return to buy more in their "disguise".![]()
Most spoke no English whatsoever besides the words "iPad" or "iPhone" ("34 gee-bee") and big blue vans would drop them off in the morning to buy as many as possible for their "iPimp" who would return to pick them up at the end of the day and collect the loot.
Poor immigrant makes about $200 cash a day for a good score and a long day of "shopping" and sitting, then iPimp sells each phone in Hong Kong for $1000 over U.S. retail.
Crazy, but 100% true.
Just charge Chinese buyers more than the rest of the world. Considering they rip off practically every product in the Western world, I believe they deserve it.
Originally Posted by gatearray
"This reminds me of the throngs of Chinese resellers that would descend on Apple 5th Ave in NYC to buy as many iPhones (and iPads) that they could within the two-device per day limit.
They would buy a deuce at full retail price in cash, go outside with their purchase to drop off with Grandma, change their shirt or jacket / put on sunglasses, then return to buy more in their "disguise".
Most spoke no English whatsoever besides the words "iPad" or "iPhone" ("34 gee-bee") and big blue vans would drop them off in the morning to buy as many as possible for their "iPimp" who would return to pick them up at the end of the day and collect the loot.
Poor immigrant makes about $200 cash a day for a good score and a long day of "shopping" and sitting, then iPimp sells each phone in Hong Kong for $1000 over U.S. retail.
Crazy, but 100% true."
obviously my friend you do not live in hong kong, before the release of the iphone in hk most of the scalpers in hong kong were selling it at about 8800 HKD which only earns the scalpers about 2000 HKD profit. which is about 2000 dollars HKD over the retail price in hong kong, and since Apple uses the same price around the world i doubt anybody would buy a phone which is around 13800 HKD which is roughly 1780 USD