How long are apple customers supposed to wait.

[Applebaum]

I know and I get that.

Ditto.

 

[The Alternative]

Nick have you checked out Argos online, they have a 32gb wifi.

On the main page it shows in stock, but if you click to buy and then go to your trolley, it says out of stock...

Thanks for thinking of me, though.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Question: By trolley do you mean the online shopping cart? Like lorey=truck and lift=elevator. (For those of us outside the UK.)

 

[col.bris]

That is what it means same same

 

[k7lvo]

Exactly. Its a marketing tactic and nothing else. Some will buy into the tsunami story to ease their minds, but this is how Apple prefers to sell their mobile devices. Creates more of a buzz.

But why - as a for-profit company with shareholders to account to - would Apple choose to *deliberately* delay shipment and frustrate customers, rather than ship product and make money back as fast as they can? Having impatient, unhappy customers is just bad, stupid publicity, and it's not like they need any more publicity.

It's just part of the Apple Philosophy, which is also largely responsible IMO for the market share division between iOS and it's variants and PC/Windows. Hey, I'm not meaning to be overly critical, just calling it the way I see it.

 

[Seadog]

Apple has always held a position of melding software and hardware. It has been like this since day one. When they fired Steve Jobs, and sold the Apple OS to other computer manufacturers, Apple just about went bankrupt. Now they make several products that maximize their original concept.

 

[Billee]

Profiteering is profiting over war supplies!! The iPad is a toy...this is called supply and demand. If the scalpers buy up the supply they can charge what they want...is it fair, no, is it illegal, no. Best thing you can do is not buy em.

Wrong. Profiteering is defined as unethical business practice during times of emergency. Not just war supplies, or during war time. To use your incorrect definition, you could argue that profiteering during war time is also just supply and demand.

The laws around profiteering are designed to protect consumers from unethical business practices in times of short supply, such as increasing prices.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

I doubt that profiteering applies to luxury items. No one is materially injured if they can't get an iPad.

 

[NickHillUK]

I doubt that profiteering applies to luxury items. No one is materially injured if they can't get an iPad.

Rather than doubt it, why not look it up?

I dont know where you got material injury from - I didnt come across that in my research of the term.

The fact is that I never claimed what the ebay scalpers are doing *is* illegal, only unethical - and drew the comparison with profiteering to demostrate the similarities (taking advantage of short supply to stockpile a product and then sell at an inflated price)

To be honest I wish I hadnt bothered, it seems you cant have an opinion without everyone else telling you why it is wrong.

 

[tzimisce]

It's just part of the Apple Philosophy, which is also largely responsible IMO for the market share division between iOS and it's variants and PC/Windows. Hey, I'm not meaning to be overly critical, just calling it the way I see it.

Well - just to be clear, when has it ever been "Apple Philosophy" (sic) to create unhappy customers by deliberately withholding product for the sake of publicity?

 

[tzimisce]

The fact is that I never claimed what the ebay scalpers are doing *is* illegal, only unethical - and drew the comparison with profiteering to demostrate the similarities (taking advantage of short supply to stockpile a product and then sell at an inflated price)

I agree with you on this. A very common argument from scalpers is that "we're not doing anything illegal" and "it's a free market, if people choose to pay our asking price, it's not like we put a gun to their heads."

While their points are correct, what these fundamentally ignore is that scalping creates disharmony and frustration within the hobby, be it iPads or rare action figures or comics or toys. Just looking at the members expressing frustration at being made to wait for weeks, whilst exhorbitantly priced devices are going on Fleabay and elsewhere, is quite tangible proof of this.

 

[Wookiee2cu]

I can see someone raising it $100-$200 to be compensated for their time standing in line and running all over town. On launch day I saw a 64gb wifi going for $1,100 on craigslist... I think that is just too much of a mark-up but I bet some desperate person ponied up and bought it. Also, Apple is not with holding units, you have to remember that it is available worldwide now and the demand is strong everywhere. I'm sure that production has been affected in some capacity due to the devastation that occurred in Japan as well.

 

[Seadog]

An article on MacRumors tells of the efforts that Apple is making to be sure enough iPads are available in light of the tsunami damage. It is costing them a lot of money, and Apple is not passing the added costs on to the customers. Good for Apple.

 

[SweetPoison]

To be honest I wish I hadnt bothered, it seems you cant have an opinion without everyone else telling you why it is wrong.

Who said your opinion was wrong? Just because someone doesn't agree with your opinion, they are not saying you are wrong. I have learned a lot from your posts!

This is a discussion board. Lets all keep it respectful and not get personal ~ and we won't be forced to close this thread.

 

[HKWrite12]

An article on MacRumors tells of the efforts that Apple is making to be sure enough iPads are available in light of the tsunami damage. It is costing them a lot of money, and Apple is not passing the added costs on to the customers. Good for Apple.

I doubt they're losing too many pennies. Although he's skinny, doubt jobs misses any meal involuntarily.

Who would have thought the world would endure two earthquakes on one day? The cry of Japan and the sob of desperate apple customers is unbearable. I have to say I am not quite at desperate (because I won't pay double for a product. If I had the money, I would buy two) but i know I'm being bratty about it. I don't blame apple and I'm not overlooking the tragedy of Japan. I just wish there was an easy button that did give launch day people priority and online buyers. I'm grievous when I see ppl scalping the products and a little envious when ppl can just walk in the story without problem. However, I already knew that life wasn't fair, and 3/11 just made it worse. T-21!!!

 

[tzimisce]

An article on MacRumors tells of the efforts that Apple is making to be sure enough iPads are available in light of the tsunami damage. It is costing them a lot of money, and Apple is not passing the added costs on to the customers. Good for Apple.

Put it this way: it is also in Apple's own best interest to ship as many units as quickly as they can (which vendor wouldn't ?) The idea that it's part of their strategy to deliberately withhold product in order to generate publicity is just bizarre.

 

[Seadog]

I know of companies that would either pass the cost to the consumers, or keep production within the established pricing. I just happen to think that Apple is taking the high road here. The replacement screens are going to be made in Taiwan. Fifteen million of their thirty million screen capacity, at 3-4 times their usual price. It may be that the iPad screens are more difficult to produce, or higher standard. For that reason, I would not say the manufacturer is gouging, but they are not taking any cuts either.