Soliciting or scalping in line.

[Bheleu]

The other day I picked up 2-32 gb wifi, and 2-64gb wifi black iPads with gift receipts from samsclub. I thought about going to the apple lineup this morning to see if anyone was interested @ $100 more than I paid, since eBay has a 1 per week limit on them, and craigslist is no fun. I know not everyone has cash, but I have a square up reader. Is this bad form to do this? On the CC sales, I will only make about $75 each due to the fees? This would be before the store is even open, or after they sell out, not like I am pulling business away from them during the time I would be there (either they are open for business, or they have stock on hand), they make their money off accessories anyways.

Also in my defense, if you were on your lunch break and you saw a stack in stock for sale, would you not be tempted to buy a couple? Apparently they had came in the night before, and nobody thought to check samsclub. They had been open for several hours before I got there.

 

[deathcab4xtina]

That's pretty scummy...

 

[mkruck]

How can that possibly be scummy?

A $100 markup isn't bad at all, and for people that can afford an extra $100 to get an iPad without having to wait in line, possibly for nothing, it's a pretty sweet deal. Especially for those who just have to have an iPad now, instead of waiting a few weeks.

OP, you're showing good business sense. Good luck.

 

[Stealthipad]

I paid $200 over retail for my 64GB 3G ATT unit to get it now and have no regrets. I have no desire to stand in a line and wait.

There is not one of you that would not do the same if you had the money so do not look down on those who work within the free market.

The private sector will rule again!

 

[iPad 2nd Gen]

I paid $200 over retail for my 64GB 3G ATT unit to get it now and have no regrets. I have no desire to stand in a line and wait.

There is not one of you that would not do the same if you had the money so do not look down on those who work within the free market.

The private sector will rule again!

Did you use CL, eBay, off the street from scalper, etc.?

 

[Julien]

I paid $200 over retail for my 64GB 3G ATT unit to get it now and have no regrets. I have no desire to stand in a line and wait.

There is not one of you that would not do the same if you had the money so do not look down on those who work within the free market.

The private sector will rule again!

While I don't totally disagree the following argument can be made: Had the scalper not purchased the iPad YOU bought from him at a marked up price it would have been available for YOU to buy at retail. So in effect you just added an extra "middle man" for no reason, other than to line his pockets.

 

[deeddawg]

While I don't totally disagree the following argument can be made: Had the scalper not purchased the iPad YOU bought from him at a marked up price it would have been available for YOU to buy at retail. So in effect you just added an extra "middle man" for no reason, other than to line his pockets.

You missed the "I have no desire to stand in a line and wait" part.

Effectively, he paid $200 someone else to go drive all over town and stand in line for hours instead of having to do so himself.

For some people that would be well worth it; not for me to judge how others spend the money they earned.

 

[anjinha]

I paid $200 over retail for my 64GB 3G ATT unit to get it now and have no regrets. I have no desire to stand in a line and wait.

There is not one of you that would not do the same if you had the money so do not look down on those who work within the free market.

The private sector will rule again!

No, I wouldn't. The scalpers aren't just buying a product that it's hard to find and selling it at a profit. They're making it hard to find so that you have no choice but to buy it from them.

 

[Sodner]

Times like this (the release of a new product) make me FREAKING HATE eBay and CL. Without these places there would be stock in stores and more iPads in the hands of people that WANT THEM instead of piled up in some loosers room while he/she waits for someone to overpay for them.

I know its free enterprise but I have the free will to hate it, just like they have the freedom to do it.

Dirty rotten @*^#$#S!

 

[maflynn]

If you are the type of person who must be one of the first folks to own something, like the iPad and are willing to pay a premium for such. Then there's nothing wrong with paying for someone to stay in line for you, or buy it for you.

Heck that's a pretty good idea

 

[anjinha]

If you are the type of person who must be one of the first folks to own something, like the iPad and are willing to pay a premium for such. Then there's nothing wrong with paying for someone to stay in line for you, or buy it for you.

Heck that's a pretty good idea

If the scalpers weren't buying up all the iPads the lines wouldn't be nearly as long.

 

[Dknelson728]

No, I wouldn't. The scalpers aren't just buying a product that it's hard to find and selling it at a profit. They're making it hard to find so that you have no choice but to buy it from them.

So that you have NO CHOICE? Are you kitten me right meow?
The online store has stock always. There's nothing preventing you from going and getting one there. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy a scalped iPad, it's all their choice to save them from waiting.

 

[rkahl]

You missed the "I have no desire to stand in a line and wait" part.

Effectively, he paid $200 someone else to go drive all over town and stand in line for hours instead of having to do so himself.

For some people that would be well worth it; not for me to judge how others spend the money they earned.

Exactly, for many people time is money. If you make $100-200 an hour, why take time out of your busy day when you can pay someone $200 to do it for you!

 

[Dknelson728]

I see nothing wrong with this. You still have the intention of selling them to people who are waiting in line, and maybe don't want to be. Much more admirable than buying them and sending them to China where nobody here can have the chance.

 

[anjinha]

So that you have NO CHOICE? Are you kitten me right meow?
The online store has stock always. There's nothing preventing you from going and getting one there. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy a scalped iPad, it's all their choice to save them from waiting.

Has stock??? Are you serious?? Have you looked at the online store?

No one would have to wait nearly as much if the scalpers weren't buying up almost all the iPads, that's the problem. The big Apple stores have hundreds of scalpers every day buying all the iPads that they can. If they weren't there normal people wouldn't have to wait nearly as much.

The scalpers aren't giving people of choice of paying more if they don't want to wait. They're making it so that THE choice is either wait or pay more by buying all the iPads available.

 

[teleromeo]

I asked for a reservation at my local apple premium reseller here in town and will only buy at the official price. I also do not plan to stand in line to buy an item like that. I'm patient and I'll wait if they cannot fullfill my reservation.

 

[rkahl]

Instead of crying about scalping, why don't you get up a little earlier and be one of the first people in line. Or are you too cool for that?

 

[anjinha]

Instead of crying about scalping, why don't you get up a little earlier and be one of the first people in line. Or are you too cool for that?

Have you read some of the reports in this forum? A 5am some stores already have hundreds of people in line, most of them scalpers. If the scalpers weren't buying up all the iPads you probably wouldn't have to line up for that long, if at all.

 

[Stealthipad]

Instead of crying about scalping, why don't you get up a little earlier and be one of the first people in line. Or are you too cool for that?

It has nothing to do with being too cool. It has to do with my time being worth too much to stand in line all day waiting for what I can just buy!

 

[darngooddesign]

I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but if I were in your shoes while I would sell for a modest markup I would do two things. Sell to people about tenth in line; the first ten have the best chance of buying an official one so they don't need as much help. And not sell to any Asians; I'm not being racist, but it's been reported that the grey market scalpers are almost exclusively Asian - if the scalpers were Caucasian then I would not sell to any white people.

 

[marmiteturkey]

They're making it hard to find so that you have no choice but to buy it from them.

Not quite. If you're so impatient that you can't wait a couple of weeks, you have no choice but to buy from them; but if you can wait for juuuuust a few days, you can have your iPad at retail, from wherever you want.

 

[marmiteturkey]

I'm not being racist, but .

Well-worn phrase...

 

[anjinha]

Not quite. If you're so impatient that you can't wait a couple of weeks, you have no choice but to buy from them; but if you can wait for juuuuust a few days, you can have your iPad at retail, from wherever you want.

If they weren't buying all the iPads people wouldn't have to wait nearly as long (I'm not talking about me, mine is already being shipped).

 

[rkahl]

It has nothing to do with being too cool. It has to do with my time being worth too much to stand in line all day waiting for what I can just buy!

My post was not directed toward you. Just the ones who like to show up late to the party and then complain when they aren't let in.

 

[Sodner]

I see nothing wrong with this. You still have the intention of selling them to people who are waiting in line, and maybe don't want to be. Much more admirable than buying them and sending them to China where nobody here can have the chance.

I see no difference on where a scalper sells it. To someone in the US or ships it to another contry. Like I said, they are allowed to do it, and I'm allowed to think they are all dirty rotten scumbags for doing it.

Take all the iPads in the hands of these fools and put them in the hands of those that want them and the online order wait might be 2 weeks instead of 5. Lord knows how much inventory is in the hands of these people. They can sell only 1 a week on eBay someone said? They could be buying two a day. You do the math.

Dirty rotten &@*^$*@~!