2010 Oct 12 Scalpers Scoop Up Beijing’s iPhone Stocks
Last month we blogged about the release of the iPhone 4 that many people had been waiting for. Weeks later many are still waiting. Over the break issues arose with scalpers buying up iPhones, forcing stores to close and eventually rework buying policies. Even with the changes getting hold of an iPhone remains difficult.
As a result of the scalpers, iPhones can now only be purchased from the Apple store through an online booking service that requires the presentation of ID when you pick up your phone at an allotted time. Buyers are also limited to one phone per day, yet scalpers are still buying out stock.
Global Times quotes a buyer who sums up the frustration and complications of trying to get an iPhone in Beijing: “I heard the only chance to book an iPhone 4 is to log on Apple's website at exactly midnight and that's what I did. A friend of mine logged on at 10 past midnight only to find that all the phones had already been booked."
The price of a phone from the scalpers has apparently increased from RMB 600 on top of the retail price to RMB 700 on top of what you pay inside the Apple store.
If you think getting an iPhone from Hong Kong is the better option, think again. A Beijinger reader attempted to get a phone there over the holiday, but was informed there is a six-week waiting list. Hong Kong has also faced scalping problems and in an effort to solve the problem cancelled online orders.
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