Apple Now Online… and Swamped by Scalpers

This week Apple launched both a Chinese online store and app store. Sounds great! But, as many of our previous posts indicate, Apple and China mix as well as oil and water. Apple’s app store is accessible if you have the proper credit cards and the online store has already been brought down by scalpers in less than a day.

Apple’s Chinese online store and app store launched Thursday and Apple’s COO said he was thrilled that “with personalized engraving, configure-to-order options and free shipping on everything, the Apple Store is a great destination for our customers in China”.

However, the Wall Street Journal points out that purchases on the app store require a dual-currency credit card. Not quite a “great destination” for everyone in China. The reason behind the requirement is unknown.

The online app store will also “let eligible students and faculty members take advantage of special education pricing on Apple products,” a statement from Apple’s COO that shows he has no concept of China and the ability of everyone to be a “student”- all it takes is a phone call.

The launch of the online store was also warmly welcomed because “iPhone and iPad users in China can access Apple.com.cn directly [to] purchase iPhone 4 and iPad instead of lining up behind numerous scalpers outside [the] Apple Store,” a blogger suggested.

Move forward 10 hours and the online store is sold out of iPhone’s and no longer taking orders. Apparently the scalpers have won again. A scalper has shared his insider information and tells those iPhone purchase-hopefuls that, “You will not have a chance to buy one. We have an auto-refresh system to place order, and we are watching it for 24 hours, can you do this?”