“It’s getting tougher and costlier to smuggle the devices into China as the Chinese customs authority has told some U.S.-based shipping agents not to accept orders of iPads, and warned travelers to declare their gadgets at the border and pay a 10 percent import duty on electronics,” Gerry Shih, Poornima Gupta and Lee Chyen Yee report for Reuters. “Two small shipping companies that ship to China, BLZ Express and Global Courier Services, said they now refuse iPad shipments… UPS and FedEx, the largest U.S. package delivery companies, did not return messages for a comment.”
“Furthermore, Apple now simultaneously launches devices in multiple countries, boosting availability and depressing black market prices,” Shih, Gupta and Yee report. “‘It’s getting really hard to do this compared to previous years,’ said Amy, who wore a dyed red streak in her hair, as she trimmed a young man’s ‘faux-hawk’ hair style in the San Francisco area salon.”
Shih, Gupta and Yee report, “An electronics dealer in Oakland, California, said he struggled to break even this year, a far cry from previous iPad releases when he shipped upwards of 1,000 tablets and pocketed profits of $50 to $100 per device sent to his buyer in Hong Kong. This year, he had no choice but to send 250 iPads via FedEx — which quotes $110 to ship a 2-pound tablet to China — hours after they hit U.S. stores. But the same-day launch of the tablet in 10 territories, including Hong Kong, curtailed demand. ‘This whole game is over,’ the dealer complained.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Dominick P.” and “Carl H.” for the heads up.]
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i guess no more comments about how apple is artificially constraining initial supply to make it seem like the iPads are more in demand than they are.
yeah, high time Apple did something to shut up those fools who kept playing the “it’s all marketing tricks” card.
Apple does have dirty tricks, a parcel of lawyers, lockdown supplier contracts, pixie dust, etc. but when it comes to actual product demand, it is straight up real, and no need to fuddle the numbers.
3 million is constrained?
This article only tells part of the story . I am from hong kong . This won’t stop as china customs are paid to allow this continue happening .
Apple is finding it easier and easier to get almost all the assembly resources and parts needed as the rest of the non iOS devices and Mac OS X systems lose buyers. And if you don’t have the cash to make something for Apple or expand your facilities to meet Apple’s needs, Apple can front you the money or prepay to get the vendor’s attention. Or Apple can just buy you out or make it them self.
Cash is King! Therefore, Apple is King for years to come!
What a crew of writers: She gup ta ye. Sounds like something out of Shakespeare.
Warning. Verizon has NO per-paid service for the iPad in Kentucky. We’re in Florida now, came from illinois for family vacation. Thought the iPad would be fun for the kIds, so I bought the 5gb one month plan. When it didnt work version said pre-paid servIce will not roam! This is bullshit! It oh runs on there towers. Fme