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Simple solution to the NYC "gang" issue...

CAWjr

CAWjr

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 19, 2010
488
59
Atlanta, GA
So everyone is complaining of gangs lining up and scooping up every iPad that is coming into NYC. There is a very simple solution, stop sending iPads to NYC.

Take all the stock that was heading to NYC & send it elsewhere. Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, etc. Increase the stock in those areas where there is no real "gang" issue and get more iPads in the hands of real buyers.

When the market is flooded & the secondary prices have dropped, there will be no reason for the "gangs" to piilfer every iPad that comes into Manhattan. At that time, you flood the city sending shipments to the stores in the thousands. At that point, everyone who wants one will get one and everyone who wants to flip one will have no market to sell to.
 
Why does Apple care who buys the iPads? They have no incentive to reduce already-limited stock in one of their biggest markets to flood other areas. They make money no matter who purchases it.
 
Silly question, let's say you invented a product that became very hot, lines formed to sell them.

Let's say you make money every time one of these items sells.

Do you care about who bought them, or the fact that you can't make them fast enough to sell them. This is what a company would call, a good problem to have.

They tried to safeguard this from happening last year when they wouldn't take cash or gift cards for the purchase of iPads only until demand wore down. Then they had complaints, articles of who do they think they are, my cash is good....blah blah,

Goes to show you, damned if you do, damned if you don't.
 
Apple's retail experience is really great and scalpers just take away the whole experience from real customers. I was at an Apple store opening a few months back and the first 30 or so were purely people who had came into the UK to buy iPhone 4s. Sure, they are fine to buy them, but do they really have to take a fun and enjoyable experience away from regular customers?

Why doesn't Apple introduce a card-only, one-per-customer rule and operate online reservations? Seems like a good solution and it's not like they have a short supply of normal customers?

Alternatively, introduce something whereby any iPads bought in the first month of sale must be activated in store if bought from an Apple store, or online if done through the online store?
 
DougFNJ said:
Silly question, let's say you invented a product that became very hot, lines formed to sell them.

Let's say you make money every time one of these items sells.

Do you care about who bought them, or the fact that you can't make them fast enough to sell them. This is what a company would call, a good problem to have.

They tried to safeguard this from happening last year when they wouldn't take cash or gift cards for the purchase of iPads only until demand wore down. Then they had complaints, articles of who do they think they are, my cash is good....blah blah,

Goes to show you, damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Click to expand...

Only one solution: Kill all the wall street analysts!
 
It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin doors, crowded with scalpers of the asian race, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an iPad ticket. These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to resell iPads for their helpless infants: who as they grow up either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in China, or sell themselves to the Japanese....

/the beginning of a modern modest proposal
 
Well, Apple could send only Verizon units to NYC for a bit. They aren't buying any Verizon models.
 
dacreativeguy said:
Only one solution: Kill all the wall street analysts!
Click to expand...

Lol that a whole other discussion and topic for a whole other type of web forum lol

MSUSpartan said:
It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin doors, crowded with scalpers of the asian race, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an iPad ticket. These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to resell iPads for their helpless infants: who as they grow up either turn thieves for want of work, or leave their dear native country to fight for the Pretender in China, or sell themselves to the Japanese....

/the beginning of a modern modest proposal
Click to expand...

As these poor souls hand out wads of hundreds to everybody in line and the ones buying them to sell laugh at the ones buying them to use.

Poor them.
 
MacFan25863 said:
Why does Apple care who buys the iPads? They have no incentive to reduce already-limited stock in one of their biggest markets to flood other areas. They make money no matter who purchases it.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Sorry, OP, but Apple would never go for your idea.
 
Apple would get so much bad press for not selling in NYC. The local news would interview some old lady who saved up all of her money, went down the Apple store, and was told she could not buy one. After that, the news would make the link to the "Asians", and start calling Apple racist. Not happening.
 
Apple doesn't care who buys them, they just sell it to whoever will buy it since it's a business.

There was talk of some managers who told their employees to check IDs on every asian iPad buyer last year on the news. That didn't go over so well since 15-20% of the city is asian. I'm glad this time Apple is just playing the part of of a business and nothing more.
 
NYC isn't unique to this problem. I saw the same situation at Boston area stores.

A simple solution in my mind to keep people happy is for Apple to apply on an online reservation system of one iPad to credit card customer with the surplus going to walk ins.
 
To be honest even I didn't think the demand for the iPad 2 would be this great.. 4 to 6 week wait for a ship date direct from Apple is quite impressive from a sales point of view.. Can you imagine what it will be for the ipad3 next year?? This ipad2 scarcity already has me convinced to get on the earliest ipad 3 preorder list and at then put my iPad 1 on eBay..
 
CAWjr said:
So everyone is complaining of gangs lining up and scooping up every iPad that is coming into NYC. There is a very simple solution, stop sending iPads to NYC.

Take all the stock that was heading to NYC & send it elsewhere. Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, etc. Increase the stock in those areas where there is no real "gang" issue and get more iPads in the hands of real buyers.

When the market is flooded & the secondary prices have dropped, there will be no reason for the "gangs" to piilfer every iPad that comes into Manhattan. At that time, you flood the city sending shipments to the stores in the thousands. At that point, everyone who wants one will get one and everyone who wants to flip one will have no market to sell to.
Click to expand...
How do we know your not a rival Atlanta based gang?
 
ConnorTurnbull said:
Apple's retail experience is really great and scalpers just take away the whole experience from real customers. I was at an Apple store opening a few months back and the first 30 or so were purely people who had came into the UK to buy iPhone 4s. Sure, they are fine to buy them, but do they really have to take a fun and enjoyable experience away from regular customers?

Why doesn't Apple introduce a card-only, one-per-customer rule and operate online reservations? Seems like a good solution and it's not like they have a short supply of normal customers?

Alternatively, introduce something whereby any iPads bought in the first month of sale must be activated in store if bought from an Apple store, or online if done through the online store?
Click to expand...

Because they'll get a huge backlash from homeless/handicapped/rednecks who apparently only pay in cash and aren't capable of using the "internets".

Remember, that's how it used to be for the first iPad and iPhones but they kept getting bad press and having people bitch about how repressive and creepy they were? Poor Apple. Doomed if they do. Doomed if they don't. I guess haters gonna hate....
 
Online reservation would be much better than forcing people to stand online during ungodly hours. Go online, reserve one day before and go pick it up next day. no lines no hassles. But then again Apple loves fanfare
 
Lol, I really wish people would stop using the word "forcing" in regard to buying products... Resellers are forcing us to pay more!! Apple is forcing us to wait in line! I have no control over anything I doooo :(
 
The solution is actually much more simple than that. Apple should ship the first batch to all stores for launch day. After that, they should fulfill all online orders before sending any more to the stores.

That way, Apple gets its lines and press on launch day, then everyone else gets their iPad a day or two later. The reseller market would be dramatically reduced and they would only have one opportunity to line up.
 
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