Good idea about the video camera. When I was in line on launch day, Apple store employees were videotaping the entire line. I thought they were just doing it for kicks but now I see they had a different motive. The mall security even threw out several line cutters behind me.
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New Yorkers, we have little chance of getting an iPad 2 from Apple store anytime soon
- Thread starter GadgetAddict
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Good idea about the video camera. When I was in line on launch day, Apple store employees were videotaping the entire line. I thought they were just doing it for kicks but now I see they had a different motive. The mall security even threw out several line cutters behind me.
Apple needs to reinstitute the no cash (or prepaid CC) policy for a specified period after the launch.
If you're not in NY now you probably don't appreciate how big a problem this is. Apple Retail Stores may as well be renamed to Apple Wholesale Distribution (China).
If you're not in NY now you probably don't appreciate how big a problem this is. Apple Retail Stores may as well be renamed to Apple Wholesale Distribution (China).
Or they could just let people line up and give them vouchers for when they come in and u check id per voucher. So I line up they give me a card that says my name when it comes in I get it. One per person and u need Id,,,, it wouldn't be that hard to type someone's name into a database and limit one per name or 2 per name
Why on earth wouldn't it be allowed? There's no security risk, and I assume they declare the goods at customs in Hong Kong and pay the duty on them.
I don't know, that is why I posed the question. Are you answering it?
It seems that there could be international laws to import or carry goods with excessive value onboard an aircraft. I think there is a limit to the amount of cash carried onboard as well- not saying this is the same; but it is a high ticket item.
Again, I don't know; and your assumption is just that; a guess.
There is no law that says you cannot carry cash on an international flight. There is a law that says you cannot carry more than $10,000 cash in or out of the USA without declaring it. Provided you declare it there is nothing that can be done. This is designed to stop money laundering.
Your concept of laws on excessive value items on board aircraft is just so way out. What about those that have $50,000 watches or $100,000 necklaces are you saying they should not be allowed to travel with their personal possessions.
Personally, I would never line up for four or five hours to make $200 profit on the sale of an IPAD but obviously to those that are doing so. It is worth it to them.
What the hell are you guys talking about? I had no problem buying 4 iPad 2's. You just need to know where to look.
Yeah I bought and sold 14 already. No problem at all - easily available if you know where to look.
clearly you live no where near NYC, but thanks for sucking up the supply anyhow.
There are no such laws. You can carry any valuables you want on a plane, as long as you declare them to customs.
Damned scalpers
To give you an idea of how terrible the situation is in New York, I just walked past the Soho Apple Store at 11pm and there was already a line of about 10 Chinese scalpers camping out in cardboard boxes they salvaged from the nearby trash pile. I'm Chinese myself and live close to the store, and I'm consistently disgusted by the sight every morning--in addition to sucking up the entire inventory at the Apple Store within a half hour, these scalpers litter the sidewalk with food wrappers, drink containers and Chinese language newspapers. All they care about is the pathetic $100 or so they make from waiting the entire night to buy a device they have no use for... they couldn't care less about turning a street which is usually a charming, lovely thoroughfare in Soho into a slum. It's shameful to me that Apple has done nothing to help the situation, either for legitimate US end users who have been waiting patiently for the device and will NEVER get their hands on it in retail at this point, or for the neighborhood's residents and other business owners.
To give you an idea of how terrible the situation is in New York, I just walked past the Soho Apple Store at 11pm and there was already a line of about 10 Chinese scalpers camping out in cardboard boxes they salvaged from the nearby trash pile. I'm Chinese myself and live close to the store, and I'm consistently disgusted by the sight every morning--in addition to sucking up the entire inventory at the Apple Store within a half hour, these scalpers litter the sidewalk with food wrappers, drink containers and Chinese language newspapers. All they care about is the pathetic $100 or so they make from waiting the entire night to buy a device they have no use for... they couldn't care less about turning a street which is usually a charming, lovely thoroughfare in Soho into a slum. It's shameful to me that Apple has done nothing to help the situation, either for legitimate US end users who have been waiting patiently for the device and will NEVER get their hands on it in retail at this point, or for the neighborhood's residents and other business owners.
I gave up on Apple stores, and hit a LI Target.
Easy as pie to get a 16 GB WIFI, just looked up the inventory and drove over.
The Apple Stores are crazy...and I doubt they will stop. in HUnting LI the Apple store has the SAME problem. !! At night scalpers tent up and as the mall opens they buy out the stock ( if it comes in )
I don't think Apple cares though money is money.
Easy as pie to get a 16 GB WIFI, just looked up the inventory and drove over.
The Apple Stores are crazy...and I doubt they will stop. in HUnting LI the Apple store has the SAME problem. !! At night scalpers tent up and as the mall opens they buy out the stock ( if it comes in )
I don't think Apple cares though money is money.
It sucks, I know, but Im used to it. I collect shoes and have to go through the same crap during a launch. Wake up really early, camp out, and deal with resellers that buy up the inventory only to mark them up on ebay and CL. Shoeheads hate these people! They're even brash enough to cut the line no matter who calls them out and start showing off and trying to sell on the spot once they get the shoes just to rub it in people's faces.
Best thing to do is not buy from the resellers and wait it out. They'll eventually have to return the pile of iPads sitting on their desk. Right now im seeing 32gb WIFIs going for $900+ on CL. The chumps giving in to that are the ones setting these prices.
As for the Asian scalpers shipping them to China, there's little you can do about that unless Apple launches in all countries at once or limit it to 1 iPad per customer for the first several shipments. Also maybe have it a requirement to setup the iPads in store, breaking the box seal and rendering the purchase as second hand.
Yes, many of them are from Hong Kong or China.
Well why? It's because Apple has made it clear that Asia will not get the iPad 2 on or before 25th March and that's why the grey market price of an iPad 2 in the infamous "Sin Tat" plaza in Hong Kong is so crazy now.
I, as a resident of Hong Kong, really hate these scalpers but that's the way some losers in the town earn their living. I've heard that in 2010, some people managed to earn as much as US$13K in one and a half month from trading unlocked iPhone 4s without a contract, and Apple has remedied the situation by discontinuing their online sale of iPhone 4s w/o contract since October.
An unlocked iPhone 4 w/o a contract still worths $900-1,000 in Hong Kong. Most of them are sold to China. All local residents who want an iPhone 4 have already got it from their carriers.
By the way Apple has announced that Hong Kong will get the iPad 2 in April, which definitely can reduce the scalpers in the US.
I was at the 5th Avenue Apple Store buying a MacAir at the checkout a couple of days ago when a middle aged sweet looking chinese couple barged in ahead of me waving an out of date reservation ticket for an ipad 2.
I didn't complain and the Apple guy was very nice to them but it was pretty sad seeing how desperate people can become for a few bucks. I used to serve the homeless with food in downtown NYC and most of the hungry people are chinese immigrants. They are extremely poor and always wolfed down the inedible bologna sandwiches we gave them.
Its funny but I imagine their kids will probably end up at Harvard somehow
I didn't complain and the Apple guy was very nice to them but it was pretty sad seeing how desperate people can become for a few bucks. I used to serve the homeless with food in downtown NYC and most of the hungry people are chinese immigrants. They are extremely poor and always wolfed down the inedible bologna sandwiches we gave them.
Its funny but I imagine their kids will probably end up at Harvard somehow
why dont some of the bigger forum members gang up, and head down there at 5pm the day before
imagine their surprise when they get there at 10 and there are already 50 people in the queue in front of them.
imagine their surprise when they get there at 10 and there are already 50 people in the queue in front of them.
I was at the 5th Avenue Apple Store buying a MacAir at the checkout a couple of days ago when a middle aged sweet looking chinese couple barged in ahead of me waving an out of date reservation ticket for an ipad 2.
I didn't complain and the Apple guy was very nice to them but it was pretty sad seeing how desperate people can become for a few bucks. I used to serve the homeless with food in downtown NYC and most of the hungry people are chinese immigrants. They are extremely poor and always wolfed down the inedible bologna sandwiches we gave them.
Its funny but I imagine their kids will probably end up at Harvard somehow
Wow, such a condescending post. I bet you felt like you made a difference serving inedible sandwiches to ones in need. Bravo.
OK, Chinese guy named Trebor....So sensitive and modest of you to come here and rant about how "pathetic" $100 is to you and your high rolling lifestyle. Outside of your little SOHO bubble, a $100 bucks buys a lot of groceries for those less fortunate than you. If you're such a rich guy, hand out a $100 bucks to each of those in line. It'll cost you a grand, which I imagine is only mildly pathetic to you, and they'll be gone for the day, and you can on about with your lovely stroll through the neighborhood.
I think you need to spend a day in these people's shoes to get some perspective.
$100 also buys a lot of drugs or booze. There's a reason many of these people are homeless to begin with. And not all of them involve tough financial times.
And there's nothing to be ashamed about for having a comfortable lifestyle or wanting to live in a nice place. You people keep screeching about capitalism, well, the poster has the same rights to enjoy the capitalist lifestyle as the scalpers do.
I've walked by these lines, they don't look homeless to me. They may appear to be less fortunate, but I think I can differentiate a homeless person boozed up or cracked out from those in line.
Yes, its ok to live a nice lifestyle and drive nice cars and live in your nice homes. Its the American way and I don't have any problem with that. Its NOT ok to go flaunting your privileged lifestyle with insensitive comments like "pathetic $100".
You're a class act.
I can tell you not as much as I should.
However, let's just say that serving sandwiches to the needy and secretly pity them and then posting comments about how they are so poor they "wolfed" down inedible sandwiches is not appropriate.
My girlfriend worked as a counselor in a homeless shelter. I've seen it with my own eyes. Drugs and alcohol are the number one cause of homelessness in America.
Then you have no right to criticize or make a smart=a$$ comment about his serving sandwiches to the needy.
What, has it now become "Politically Correct World" around here? All posts shall now be monitored for political correctness?