Just saw a scalper return 12 iPads

[Abazigal]

Well i have bought every apple related product i have from "scalpers" , i get it the same day released or couple of days after , sometimes at the same price or just 100-150 dollars more wich still is far better than buying in a store where i am ( no apple store here) and im sure 90% of those devices are sold overseas in countrys like mine where theres no official apple store ; now what people should really complaint are those overpriced "authorized apple distributor" !!

Really, there are no apple retailers or departmental stores with booths selling apple products at all in your area?

 

[M5RahuL]

It's really funny seeing the hypocrite mentality of people! Most of you bashing *scalpers* gladly pay $5 or more for a soda/popcorn at the theaters, willingly get ripped off with ridiculous parking fees in places like NYC, pay exorbitant prices for refreshments at Race Tracks, but God forbid if some guy is trying to sell a commodity at a higher price by exploiting the demand/supply situation

Don't want to pay the price, don't buy it! Just like high demand and low supply cause hoarding and higher prices, the reverse is also true!

IMO, most of us are already partaking in buying from *scalpers* like Apple. Is the iPad truly worth $499+ or the iPhone $649+ or the Macbook Pro $1300+ ? The prices are high not because they're making some extraordinary product [ most of the hardware in Macs is the same as in PCs !! ] but because you, the customer, is willing to spend that much!

I also doubt the bashers have the slightest idea of how the world of business works, especially jewelry where markups are stupid high!!

 

[Ungibbed]

Heh, the rush of people dumping iPad 2 models at "fire sale" rates due to the massive flood of them all trying to sell quick in favor for an iPad 3 netted me a 64GB iPad 2 for $300

If it wasn't that cheap I would have still been using my first generation model. That being said, I do like the bump in speed of the iPad 2 and many games I've had before on my old model really shine with the newer graphics hardware. I avoided the iPad 2 rush as I really didn't see much of a need at the time to upgrade

I'd like to grab a new iPad 3 simply for my photos. It makes a great photo album and portfolio as well. The display gives my ACD a run for it's money when it comes to raw pixels. I will wait a bit as developers get updates out for the iPad 3 since one of my absolute favorite games on iOS (Bards Tale) crashes on the iPad 3, runs perfect on the iPad 2, and looks like rubbish on my original.

Anyone think that Apple is updating this device (the iPad) a bit too quickly while the Mac Pro really has taken a back seat along with many other products?

 

[Abazigal]

It's really funny seeing the hypocrite mentality of people! Most of you bashing *scalpers* gladly pay $5 or more for a soda/popcorn at the theaters, willingly get ripped off with ridiculous parking fees in places like NYC, pay exorbitant prices for refreshments at Race Tracks, but God forbid if some guy is trying to sell a commodity at a higher price by exploiting the demand/supply situation

Don't want to pay the price, don't buy it! Just like high demand and low supply cause hoarding and higher prices, the reverse is also true!

IMO, most of us are already partaking in buying from *scalpers* like Apple. Is the iPad truly worth $499+ or the iPhone $649+ or the Macbook Pro $1300+ ? The prices are high not because they're making some extraordinary product [ most of the hardware in Macs is the same as in PCs !! ] but because you, the customer, is willing to spend that much!

I also doubt the bashers have the slightest idea of how the world of business works, especially jewelry where markups are stupid high!!

I don't see how you can compare the prices set by the original manufacturers with those of scalpers. And just because that's the way the world evidently works, means I am supposed to just shut up and accept it as is?

Apple makes these iPads, they have the right to price it however they wish.

What these scalpers are doing, however, is simply driving these prices even higher. I am wiling to buy, I am wiling to pay, but these scalpers are making me pay even more than I should have to.

And for whatever it is worth, no, I don't buy overpriced refreshments at cinemas. I don't even buy drinks at food outlets. I take public transportation. I chose to give up the chance to see my favorite singers in concert rather than buy tickets from a scalper.

 

[Blorzoga]

I see that there are a lot of ethical people on this forum.

My request to all those people is, kindly return your iPad because it is being manufactured in a sweatshop in China. Even though the workers in those factories are happy, but those living conditions are far below than how it is in the US. But Apple has to manufacture, with slashed salaries, workers living in ghettos etc. That is the only way how you can have such a cheap iPad otherwise many wouldn't be able to afford, had it been manufactured in the US with high labor costs.

I'm assuming everything you own was made by a well-paid American worker?

 

[Stealthipad]

I think Apple did a great job by having enough stock for the retail stores. I know several people who cancelled their late preorder and just walk down to the local Apple store and pick one up.

 

[aneftp]

Heh, the rush of people dumping iPad 2 models at "fire sale" rates due to the massive flood of them all trying to sell quick in favor for an iPad 3 netted me a 64GB iPad 2 for $300

If it wasn't that cheap I would have still been using my first generation model. That being said, I do like the bump in speed of the iPad 2 and many games I've had before on my old model really shine with the newer graphics hardware. I avoided the iPad 2 rush as I really didn't see much of a need at the time to upgrade

I'd like to grab a new iPad 3 simply for my photos. It makes a great photo album and portfolio as well. The display gives my ACD a run for it's money when it comes to raw pixels. I will wait a bit as developers get updates out for the iPad 3 since one of my absolute favorite games on iOS (Bards Tale) crashes on the iPad 3, runs perfect on the iPad 2, and looks like rubbish on my original.

Anyone think that Apple is updating this device (the iPad) a bit too quickly while the Mac Pro really has taken a back seat along with many other products?

Person reselling u the 64gb (I assume wifi model) for $300 was stupid or uniformed or both. Unless they are a personal friend.

Cause Amazon trade in for like new iPad 64gb iPad 2 is $440 in amazon gift cards. Most people can find something to do with that amazon gift card.

And that's hassle free trade/no criminal risk trade in program amazon has.

 

[OSMac]

Just checked ebay, numerous sellers losing money over the last 24 hours...

 

[aneftp]

Just checked ebay, numerous sellers losing money over the last 24 hours...

They aren't losing money. Trust me. I see last minute bids just for the price difference to break even. Probably a fake strawbuyer they have setup already. Or they will just refuse to ship and close down their account.

Taking them to small claims court not worth it either. eBay sellers are very savvy with new hot electronic items.

 

[xfs]

I'm assuming everything you own was made by a well-paid American worker?

No it's not, and that is why I am not ranting about scalpers. I understand how the world Economy works, and how Nations and not people have exploited other Nations. And what scalpers do, is exploiting a loop hole which is not illegal, just frowned upon.

 

[fertilized-egg]

It's really funny seeing the hypocrite mentality of people! Most of you bashing *scalpers* gladly pay $5 or more for a soda/popcorn at the theaters

That analogy doesn't work. Apple is the one who supplies the products in the first place and the scalpers the ones who artificially lowers supply of goods. The more apt analogy would be chastising Apple for charging high for secondary goods like iPad accessories.

IMO, most of us are already partaking in buying from *scalpers* like Apple. Is the iPad truly worth $499+ or the iPhone $649+ or the Macbook Pro $1300+ ?

iPhone is a different story because of its subsidized business model but the current iPad is very well priced. I doubt there's anyone right now who can sell something like the new iPad 16G for $500 outside Apple. Even MacBooks are reasonably priced at launch. It's when they get old their pricing become a bit dubious.

The prices are high not because they're making some extraordinary product [ most of the hardware in Macs is the same as in PCs !! ] but because you, the customer, is willing to spend that much!

So..show me this mythical PC with the aluminium unibody built quality and also has a OS development team of its own? As Ultrabooks have shown, it's actually not that easy to match the aluminium build quality within the price constraints.

 

[urkel]

It's really funny seeing the hypocrite mentality of people! Most of you bashing *scalpers* gladly pay $5 or more for a soda/popcorn at the theaters, willingly get ripped off with ridiculous parking fees in places like NYC, pay exorbitant prices for refreshments at Race Tracks, but God forbid if some guy is trying to sell a commodity at a higher price by exploiting the demand/supply situation

Don't want to pay the price, don't buy it! Just like high demand and low supply cause hoarding and higher prices, the reverse is also true!

IMO, most of us are already partaking in buying from *scalpers* like Apple. Is the iPad truly worth $499+ or the iPhone $649+ or the Macbook Pro $1300+ ? The prices are high not because they're making some extraordinary product [ most of the hardware in Macs is the same as in PCs !! ] but because you, the customer, is willing to spend that much!

I also doubt the bashers have the slightest idea of how the world of business works, especially jewelry where markups are stupid high!!

You seriously are putting original manufacturers in the same category as the individuals attempting to horde those same "in demand products" and resell them at profit?

It's humorously odd for someone to act as if they understand the business world after ranting about how Apple or Movie Theaters are "scalpers" because they charge more than the cost of manufacturing.

I'm giving his post a thumbs up just because of how it's probably the worst rant I've ever seen.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

It's really funny seeing the hypocrite mentality of people! Most of you bashing *scalpers* gladly pay $5 or more for a soda/popcorn at the theaters, willingly get ripped off with ridiculous parking fees in places like NYC, pay exorbitant prices for refreshments at Race Tracks, but God forbid if some guy is trying to sell a commodity at a higher price by exploiting the demand/supply situation

Don't want to pay the price, don't buy it! Just like high demand and low supply cause hoarding and higher prices, the reverse is also true!

IMO, most of us are already partaking in buying from *scalpers* like Apple. Is the iPad truly worth $499+ or the iPhone $649+ or the Macbook Pro $1300+ ? The prices are high not because they're making some extraordinary product [ most of the hardware in Macs is the same as in PCs !! ] but because you, the customer, is willing to spend that much!

I also doubt the bashers have the slightest idea of how the world of business works, especially jewelry where markups are stupid high!!

Apple and oranges. People aren't standing in line at 12:01AM hoping to be one of the lucky few to buy a soda or popcorn. They aren't getting up at 5AM to drive to BestBuy to snag one of a few parking places. Get it? There is a limited supply of iPads for (what is believed to be) more people than iPads. If scalpers weren't sucking up 30% of the supply for resale at ripoff prices, then more legit buyers would have the opportunity to buy after spending THEIR time fairly standing in lines and waiting for hours.

It called being fair. If YOU don't like the inflated prices of popcorn or soda at the theatre, you have a choice to either eat/drink before the show, or don't buy it there. Same with your other examples. Your complaining about reselling at very high profit margins, whereas most people here are complaining about scalpers sucking up the available supply. You're comparing Apple to Oranges!

 

[Cutwolf]

Have you never heard of opportunity cost before? Trust me, the scalpers lost something: the money they could have made by either scalping other products or any other form of paying work that they happen to be involved in. Time is money



I don't agree with your implications here. If we were to take your example to the extreme, no one in the world would ever be able to criticize anything because chances are, they've done it before. Take ethics for an example. No one would ever be able to lambast others for their lack of ethics because everyone has acted in an unethical manner at least once in their life.

You're assuming that you can't scalp multiple products at once. The opportunity cost is extraordinarily minimal.

 

[Rennir]

You're assuming that you can't scalp multiple products at once. The opportunity cost is extraordinarily minimal.

Scalpers have limited capital to spend. Correct me if I'm wrong, but even if they belong to an organization, 12 iPads still cost a considerable sum. The money spend towards buying those iPads meant that they couldn't buy/scalp the next best alternative (which most likely would've actually sold, considering that they grossly miscalculated supply of iPads). So yes, they can scalp multiple products, but something that would've given them profit close to an iPad? No, because they were limited by the money they spent on iPads.

 

[Spink10]

It's really funny seeing the hypocrite mentality of people! Most of you bashing *scalpers* gladly pay $5 or more for a soda/popcorn at the theaters, willingly get ripped off with ridiculous parking fees in places like NYC, pay exorbitant prices for refreshments at Race Tracks, but God forbid if some guy is trying to sell a commodity at a higher price by exploiting the demand/supply situation

Don't want to pay the price, don't buy it! Just like high demand and low supply cause hoarding and higher prices, the reverse is also true!

IMO, most of us are already partaking in buying from *scalpers* like Apple. Is the iPad truly worth $499+ or the iPhone $649+ or the Macbook Pro $1300+ ? The prices are high not because they're making some extraordinary product [ most of the hardware in Macs is the same as in PCs !! ] but because you, the customer, is willing to spend that much!

I also doubt the bashers have the slightest idea of how the world of business works, especially jewelry where markups are stupid high!!

You are right on - people who disagree speak from a strong emotion - not logic

 

[M5RahuL]

Apple and oranges. People aren't standing in line at 12:01AM hoping to be one of the lucky few to buy a soda or popcorn. They aren't getting up at 5AM to drive to BestBuy to snag one of a few parking places. Get it? There is a limited supply of iPads for (what is believed to be) more people than iPads. If scalpers weren't sucking up 30% of the supply for resale at ripoff prices, then more legit buyers would have the opportunity to buy after spending THEIR time fairly standing in lines and waiting for hours.

It called being fair. If YOU don't like the inflated prices of popcorn or soda at the theatre, you have a choice to either eat/drink before the show, or don't buy it there. Same with your other examples. Your complaining about reselling at very high profit margins, whereas most people here are complaining about scalpers sucking up the available supply. You're comparing Apple to Oranges!

Not really apples and oranges. If people want it bad enough, like the scalpers [ for whatever reason ], GET UP and stand in line at 12:01, if a silly iPad is THAT important! It's a want, not a need, just like soda!

Just like you can eat/drink before entering a movie theater, you can wait for more supply, get in line like scalpers to grab one [ or whatever quantity you want ] from the retail store, or [ once again ] wait and not feed the scalping business by not buying one from them. Simple!!

People here are acting as if they've been denied a life-supporting device because the scalpers stayed up all night in line, and stocked up to re-sell for a profit. That's free market economy for you! Wake up!

 

[richpjr]

It's really funny seeing the hypocrite mentality of people! Most of you bashing *scalpers* gladly pay $5 or more for a soda/popcorn at the theaters, willingly get ripped off with ridiculous parking fees in places like NYC, pay exorbitant prices for refreshments at Race Tracks, but God forbid if some guy is trying to sell a commodity at a higher price by exploiting the demand/supply situation

Don't want to pay the price, don't buy it! Just like high demand and low supply cause hoarding and higher prices, the reverse is also true!

IMO, most of us are already partaking in buying from *scalpers* like Apple. Is the iPad truly worth $499+ or the iPhone $649+ or the Macbook Pro $1300+ ? The prices are high not because they're making some extraordinary product [ most of the hardware in Macs is the same as in PCs !! ] but because you, the customer, is willing to spend that much!

I also doubt the bashers have the slightest idea of how the world of business works, especially jewelry where markups are stupid high!!

Well put.

 

[aka777]

Ya'll crack me up - spend so much energy and passion to blast scalpers.

You're right, I'd rather be punching them out in person.

 

[M5RahuL]

You seriously are putting original manufacturers in the same category as the individuals attempting to horde those same "in demand products" and resell them at profit?

It's humorously odd for someone to act as if they understand the business world after ranting about how Apple or Movie Theaters are "scalpers" because they charge more than the cost of manufacturing.

I'm giving his post a thumbs up just because of how it's probably the worst rant I've ever seen.

So, you're suggesting it's okay for Apple charge whatever markup, and it's not equivalent to Scalping ? So, if the base iPad [ 16 GB wifi ] was being retailed at $699, it's fine because that price is set by the manufacturer ? lol.. wow!

What you guys are not seeing is that Scalping is a business! Business's sole purpose is exploiting the demand and creating profit. You, the consumer, can voice your opinion with your wallet. Now, because the Scalpers KNOW that Apple products [ the iPad in this scenario ] is a very high demand item, certain group of people will gladly pay thru the nose [ profit ], so they put in their time and effort to stock up. Don't like it, get in line ahead of them and defeat their business model, if getting the iPad on day 1, 2, 3, ...n is so important for your existence!

 

[aka777]

It's quite easy for apple to put a stop to this. Have something like a reasonable 2 item return limit per 12 months, with a 15% restocking fee if you have returned more than 2 products within 2 years, and require gov ID for every single return. Blacklist any repeat offenders.

People who abuse the system increase the costs and hassles for the rest of us.

 

[MR1324]

It's quite easy for apple to put a stop to this. Have something like a reasonable 2 item return limit per 12 months, with a 15% restocking fee if you have returned more than 2 products within 2 years, and require gov ID for every single return. Blacklist any repeat offenders.

People who abuse the system increase the costs and hassles for the rest of us.

they've already put a stop to the scalping by increasing production and offering the preorder option. you can bet scalpers are going to think twice during the next ipad release.

 

[Rennir]

It's really funny seeing the hypocrite mentality of people! Most of you bashing *scalpers* gladly pay $5 or more for a soda/popcorn at the theaters, willingly get ripped off with ridiculous parking fees in places like NYC, pay exorbitant prices for refreshments at Race Tracks, but God forbid if some guy is trying to sell a commodity at a higher price by exploiting the demand/supply situation

Don't want to pay the price, don't buy it! Just like high demand and low supply cause hoarding and higher prices, the reverse is also true!

IMO, most of us are already partaking in buying from *scalpers* like Apple. Is the iPad truly worth $499+ or the iPhone $649+ or the Macbook Pro $1300+ ? The prices are high not because they're making some extraordinary product [ most of the hardware in Macs is the same as in PCs !! ] but because you, the customer, is willing to spend that much!

I also doubt the bashers have the slightest idea of how the world of business works, especially jewelry where markups are stupid high!!

Just because people gladly do it does not mean that what the scalper is doing is right. Scalpers only exist because people gladly buy their products. Still unethical business practices though. And yes, I would label movie theaters, and NYC parking as unethical businesses as well and look at them with disdain. And if I can, I would avoid supporting those businesses. However, if I'm rushing to a meeting and there's only one spot left and it happens to be priced completely unfairly, well I would be practical in that situation and sacrifice my ideals in order to not be late to my meeting.

Your analogy is invalid because all businesses are in it for profit. Therefore, they would be stupid to not try to maximize their profit. We need businesses and competition in order to receive better products for cheaper prices (in the long term, due to technological advancements and competition). What exactly do scalpers do for consumers? Oh that's right, nothing.

Yes, some people are willing to buy from scalpers because they're willing to pay that price. But they would've been able to purchase it for a lower price from Apple. Someone who buys products from retailers and sells them for higher prices vs. the retailer itself are two different entities. Also, scalpers cause allocative inefficiency and deadweight loss because they reduce consumer surplus.

Yes the markup of jewelry is high. But the point is those are legitimate stores/retailers marking up the jewelry. If someone were to buy in-demand jewelry and mark it up even more, I'd dislike them just as much as these scalpers.

 

[aka777]

You are right on - people who disagree speak from a strong emotion - not logic

Quite the contrary actually, we are indeed speaking from logic, as this greed drives up our costs and forces everyone into this race-to-the-bottom. Why do you think the NJ/NYC area is the way it is...

Greed often comes at the expense of somebody else (e.g. slavery, child labor etc).

 

[M5RahuL]

So..show me this mythical PC with the aluminium unibody built quality and also has a OS development team of its own? As Ultrabooks have shown, it's actually not that easy to match the aluminium build quality within the price constraints.

Have you seen the recent Windows laptops ? Check out the Lenovo Ideapad U400 for instance.

Even Dell has caught up with the XPS 13, the HP with the Folio and now the upcoming Sceptre ... so on and so forth.

Also, Windows is just as good, if not better for certain productivity and gaming, than Mac OS. My Dell XPS 1210m is still going strong from 2006, not a nick or scratch, and looks immaculate.