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Soliciting or scalping in line.

anjinha said:
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).
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Of course - but that is a very different thing from not having choice.

This is getting so tedious, and it's all over the forum.
1. The resellers are breaking no laws
2. nor are they forcing anyone to do anything
3. The product is scarce - when demand outstrips supply, it drives up prices
4. You ALWAYS have a choice - pay a little extra and get it now, or don't and wait. You'll still get your iPad. It's not a life-support machine.

There's absolutely no point moaning. The resellers will keep doing it, because they're doing nothing wrong. You want to complain, complain to Apple for their ridiculously constrained launch process and the fact that they launched in the US two weeks earlier than in the rest of the world. But they won't listen, because they're not losing out.

Amazing how you don't see non-US folk complaining that they can't get iPads until 25th, eh? Bite down on it and get on with your life.
 
anjinha said:
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.
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The online store is 4-5 week shipping. You have to wait, but you're still assured an iPad. Don't complain about the wait if you're not willing to do what it takes to get one another way.

You still have a choice, stop saying you don't.
You have the CHOICE to order online and wait like lots of us are doing.
You have the CHOICE to get on on CraigsList/Ebay by paying more
You have the CHOICE to circulate to other stores and get their earlier.
 
Sodner said:
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 &@*^$*@~!
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"Of those that want them". Clearly if the scalping is this extreme, people SOMEWHERE want them. Quit complaining about the wait. You're still getting an iPad. Nothing wrong with having a little patience.
 
If these scalpers are making good money and if I happen to come across any iPad 2's, I think I'm gonna do the same. Easy money $$$
 
Personally, I think you are selling yourself short at only $100, especially with the announcement today that there could be a parts shortage out of Japan.

I would start at $200-250 over retail & that gives you room to negotiate. Set $100 over retail as your floor, and that way you can "deal" with anyone who wants to buy them from you.
 
Dknelson728 said:
Clearly if the scalping is this extreme, people SOMEWHERE want them. Quit complaining about the wait. You're still getting an iPad. Nothing wrong with having a little patience.
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Want to blame someone? Blame the people who are willing to pay the above-retail prices. They're who is creating the market -- if there were no one willing to pay above retail, there would be no resellers.
 
Thanks for the feedback.

And I know if I did not buy them, someone else would have and marked them up higher than I have, guess I am still scummy, just not ridiculously scummy like a lot of the people out there. I really want to make enough to save up for a Sony A580 (Good camera and supports Japan). The money I used to buy them is spoken for this fall for my oldest daughters tuition. We just had a new baby too and I have an old 35-200mm minolta lens that will work on the DSLR (the reason for the camera desire). I have read if you get a eye-fi card, a pocket router and one of the apps on the app store then you can transfer images straight from the 16.4MP camera to the iPad.
 
I sold my ticket in line this am for $100 and others were selling there cards for less than $100 also. Get in line early like everyone else or quit bitchen about reselling. I walked out with a 16 g wifi yesterday and turned on ebay for 150 profit. Again I got out there early enough to do so. I meeting the demand for those not wanting to stand in line. Doesnt bother me a bit to stand in line and pick up couple items for myself while there. Win win..Plan on doing tom morning and monday also
 
deeddawg said:
Want to blame someone? Blame the people who are willing to pay the above-retail prices. They're who is creating the market -- if there were no one willing to pay above retail, there would be no resellers.
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Lmao. I'm not blaming anyone. I ordered my iPad online, on launch day. Projected to ship out April 1st. I'm totally satisfied.

I agree with the people creating the market. If you want a product, do what you have to do to get it. (within reason of course i.e. no law breaking)
I have much more respect for the people willing to shell out extra money to get the product they want and save their time, than the people sitting here complaining about the upsellers and people buying them instead of going out and trying to locate one.
 
Bheleu said:
And I know if I did not buy them, someone else would have and marked them up higher than I have, guess I am still scummy, just not ridiculously scummy like a lot of the people out there. I really want to make enough to save up for a Sony A580 (Good camera and supports Japan). The money I used to buy them is spoken for this fall for my oldest daughters tuition. We just had a new baby too and I have an old 35-200mm minolta lens that will work on the DSLR (the reason for the camera desire). I have read if you get a eye-fi card, a pocket router and one of the apps on the app store then you can transfer images straight from the 16.4MP camera to the iPad.
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1. I dont think you're scummy at all.
2. Since an Eye-Fi card works over the air, and can (as I recall) import your pictures to a number of different programs, and most of those programs have iPad app counterparts, you should be able to do that.
 
Bheleu said:
...guess I am still scummy, just not ridiculously scummy like a lot of the people out there.
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You are not scummy at all. You are a capitalist & capitalism is what this country is all about. If people want to complain & call you names, they can go fornicate themselves.
 
Bheleu said:
And I know if I did not buy them, someone else would have and marked them up higher than I have, guess I am still scummy, just not ridiculously scummy like a lot of the people out there. I really want to make enough to save up for a Sony A580 (Good camera and supports Japan). The money I used to buy them is spoken for this fall for my oldest daughters tuition. We just had a new baby too and I have an old 35-200mm minolta lens that will work on the DSLR (the reason for the camera desire). I have read if you get a eye-fi card, a pocket router and one of the apps on the app store then you can transfer images straight from the 16.4MP camera to the iPad.
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True; or you could just get the ipad camera adapter and plug your camera into the iPad directly. Works beautifully well, fewer links in the chain, cheaper, faster.
 
Lol no one seems to be interested, at least yet.

I went over and politely waited for Apple to sell out today at the end of the line to give everyone a chance to get one. They had wifi only and Verizon today. After the employee recommended people try another store, I asked if any were interested in the models I had $100 over the price I paid, one guy said it was the model he wanted but that he would just wait till they were in stock again. I have 30 days to return them from yesterday so I am not in too bad of a hurry. Maybe the shortage will help me make a profit, also thanks for info on camera adapter but i really want to go wireless (but have to save for the camera body first).
 
If I was apple I would be looking at what the scalpers are making and think that should be money in their pockets.

They control supply and the market demand is much higher yet they keep their prices below the true market price.

Now I don't think that Apple would ever do this but for ***** and giggles imagine if apple decided to pocket the premium themselves. They could launch the ipad with say a $500 markup and be completely up front about it. When demand comes down knock the price down $100 and continue until the product reaches the "normal" price.

As I say this would never happen as it would damage reputation and bring claims of constraining supply for higher margins. I still think that someone somewhere is trying to come up with a scheme where the margins end up in the companies hands rather than scalpers.
 
This:
It's not a life-support machine.
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Also, you want to do your part to end the scalpers? Don't pay above retail and Don't use CL, Ebay, etc. Buy the iPad 2 online (from Apple) and wait.

Apple needs to do it's part too and schedule product launches simultaneously in both China and the US.

This would effectively eliminate the scalper market.
 
jb007clone said:
This:


Also, you want to do your part to end the scalpers? Don't pay above retail and Don't use CL, Ebay, etc. Buy the iPad 2 online (from Apple) and wait.

Apple needs to do it's part too and schedule product launches simultaneously in both China and the US.

This would effectively eliminate the scalper market.
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I bought an iPad from a 'scalper'. Why? Because I can't ***** get one in my country yet, and because when it IS available, it will be $250 more expensive. It STILL cost me less than it will do in the UK next week, and I get it 10 days earlier.

Agree that if you want to blame someone, blame Apple's launch policies. Had they delayed the US launch by two weeks, they wouldn't have lost a single sale, and very little reselling would be happening. But they won't, because reselling is not illegal, and has zero negative impact on Apple. The ONLY negative outcome is that a few people get their iPads a couple of weeks later. Forgive me, but I absolutely have bigger things to worry about.
 
deeddawg said:
Want to blame someone? Blame the people who are willing to pay the above-retail prices. They're who is creating the market -- if there were no one willing to pay above retail, there would be no resellers.
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Ding ding!! We have a winner!! You understand what so many are missing. It's the hysterical buyers that are creating this.
 
There was a guy a couple people in front of me on Saturday morning outside the Michigan Ave store.

Me and the two girls behind him got into a conversation. He was from Amsterdam, and claimed he was only looking for the AT&T/3G ones, and upon hearing that we were only interested in getting one apiece, he did attempt to see if we would do the 2-per-person rule if he'd give us the cash to pay for the second one. We turned down his offer.

Though when they came out to announce the stock, the store didn't get in any AT&T/3G models Saturday morning.
 
Dknelson728 said:
The online store is 4-5 week shipping. You have to wait, but you're still assured an iPad. Don't complain about the wait if you're not willing to do what it takes to get one another way.

You still have a choice, stop saying you don't.
You have the CHOICE to order online and wait like lots of us are doing.
You have the CHOICE to get on on CraigsList/Ebay by paying more
You have the CHOICE to circulate to other stores and get their earlier.
Click to expand...

I HAVE ordered online, mine's due to arrive this week. It's still crap how the scalpers are manipulating the market. In some places there are hundreds of scalpers in line at all times so there's no use in getting to them early.

This is nothing like last year. Last year the scalpers weren't clearing the stock and if you really looked or waited in a line a bit you would find an iPad a lot more easily. But this year in some places scalpers are absolutely clearing the stock to the point that if you need one right away (as a gift for someone, because you're going traveling etc.) you really have no choice but to pay more.
 
Let's get something straight here. There are distinctly 2 kinds of scalpers; those who buys iPads for resale within the US, and those who buy to export.

The US resellers are actually keeping lines SHORTER.

Who would you rather stand in line behind; 10 scalpers buying a total of 20 iPads to sell to 20 different people locally…or those 20 people they were going to sell them to? Sure, those 10 scalpers will be back tomorrow, but again, if they're selling locally, they're keeping another 20 people off the line.

The export scalpers are the real problem. They're cutting the line, literally and figuratively. There's a reason Apple doesn't launch internationally on day one. They can't make enough to go around all at once. International scalpers are giving the middle finger to all that and declaring "me first", while simultaneously lowering Apple's profit margin for iPads they won't be able to sell in the scalper's home countries down the road because they already bought them here, all while reaping a tidy profit themselves.
 
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