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iPhone 4 Sells Out in Apple's Chinese Online Store in Only 10 Hours, Scalpers Blamed
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Riight
Because scalpers are more of a disease to our society than murderers, rapists, and child molesters.
Wow, now that I thnik of it, North America is like the greatest place in the world to live (Canada or US). We get everything cheap, make tons of money and can do whatever we want. We can eat whatever we want when we want, we just need to go to the store. If we want to buy the new "thing" thats out we go buy it. If its sold out we go on ebay and pay a little premium but we don't care we have the money to do whatever we want (for the most part).
Not sure how it is in Europe but here in North America its great!
Not sure how it is in Europe but here in North America its great!
If the prices were more in accordance with what people are willing to pay in the first place (i.e. higher), there wouldn't be any scalpers. The extra premium that people were willing to pay would go to Apple instead of to the scalpers, so that there wouldn't be any profits to collect for the latter either.
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.
And, none of this would exist if people weren't: selfish, paranoid, greedy.
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.
btw, pretty sure it was a joke. You could relax, as a 3rd option.
Don't you remember the flak that Apple got when it dropped the price of the first iPhone? Yes, Apple could start with just selling the phones for $2,000 the first, month, then $1,000 the second month and then the regular price the third month. Apple could probably make just as much money and there would be much less scalping action since the demand would be much lower at $2,000. But Apple would get bad press for this. The scalpers are a pain, but Apple can't be fully blamed for this and the scalpers keep the product more expensive and hence more elite. Apple sells all its phones at a price that Apple likes and it gets benefit of phones being more elite. So it is kind of a win win for Apple.
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.
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
Learn some recent history.
You'll feel very silly when you've learnt some history.
Cheers
P.S
A lot of stuff is designed in the west and only manufactured in China.
You'll feel very silly when you've learnt some history.
Cheers
P.S
A lot of stuff is designed in the west and only manufactured in China.
I think both of you are correct.
Here in hong Kong nobody buys scalper priced iPhones when an official can be bought very easily.
They are here of course, but I have seen people comment and laugh at the prices. Unfortunately, the iPhones stay in the glass cabinets collecting dust; what a waste.
The only people making any money are the people hired to queue up.
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