Best Buy maybe banned from selling iPad or how Apple is expanding the "Walled Garden"

grumpy3b · 04-08-2011, 01:57 PM

Yup, seems Apple is now extending their oh so wonderful "Walled Garden" to try and manipulate how retailers decide to sell products in their own business.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2383307,00.asp

The the above PCMag "article" (a charitable description of the thing at best) describes how Best Buy was basically setting a daily sales quota on the iPad 2 then once this number was reached they would tell customers the thing was sold out. I am inferring Best Buy is then telling the customer to check back tomorrow as more are due in at any time. I don't see it as wrong and is a reasonable marketing method to get people to come back to the store multiple times in hopes they might also buy something else over the course of a few visits in hopes of snagging a high demand and hard to find device. It's not as if Best Buy is not buying their required amount of Apple devices and not having the iPad 2 for a few days more is going to cause someone to drop over dead, it is just some slight of hand marketing. And I really dislike defending Best Buy for any reason and it's also a pretty slimy and rinky-dink scam. Still, it's their merchandise if they paid for it and are indeed selling the product which is going to sell out no matter how they approach the matter.

Apple should instead be asking why they, Apple, cannot deliver to meet the demand, Apple is perfect in all they undertake, correct? If Apple prepared properly there would be a slight surplus if Apple did actually care about making sure any of their customers who want an iPad 2 could buy one right here and now.

A funny case of the pot calling the kettle black it would seem.

Added: {04/11/2011}
Well, it seems after reading more of the links thanks to a few folks commenting later in the thread there are valid reasons for holding back on the sales. And it might all have been nothing more than a couple of abused Best Buy employees 'acting out'. Can't blame them because anyone knows if you keep kicking your dog one day your leg will come back missing a foot.

But all in all it was a nothing story based on employee rumor. Of course many stories have started that small and turned into something real. But perhaps not in this case. Sorry about that miss. It was fun to have some conspiracy theories, heck someone even brought in the Illuminutty. Oh wait those are the ones from Planter's Peanuts not the Freemasons. Ahhh, Illuminati was the answer. ;p

ardeegee · 04-08-2011, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpy3b

The the above PCMag "article" (a charitable description of the thing at best) describes how Best Buy was basically setting a daily sales quota on the iPad 2 then once this number was reached they would tell customers the thing was sold out. I am inferring Best Buy is then telling the customer to check back tomorrow as more are due in at any time. I don't see it as wrong and is a reasonable marketing method to get people to come back to the store multiple times in hopes they might also buy something else over the course of a few visits in hopes of snagging a high demand and hard to find device.

If Best Buy is using those scumbag tactics, I hope that there is some law they are violating by telling those lies that will result in millions in fines. (Not because it is apple crap, with any product.)

tubemonkey · 04-08-2011, 02:10 PM

A soap opera ...tech-style

grumpy3b · 04-08-2011, 02:12 PM

haha! yup that is it for sure. Zillionaires squabbling over our copper pieces. It could be titled "As the Apple Sours" these are the days of our lives.

grumpy3b · 04-08-2011, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardeegee

If Best Buy is using those scumbag tactics, I hope that there is some law they are violating by telling those lies that will result in millions in fines. (Not because it is apple crap, with any product.)

While the tactic might seem slimy it is not illegal. BB paid for the product and can manage it however they care to. If that means stacking them in the parking lot and setting fire to them, fine it's their money as well as the fine for the fire but there is no "law" that says how they must offer the product for sale.

tubemonkey · 04-08-2011, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpy3b

It could be titled "As the Apple Sours" these are the days of our lives.

edbro · 04-08-2011, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpy3b

I don't see it as wrong and is a reasonable marketing method

If you think their lying isn't wrong then we have different definitions of "wrong".

ardeegee · 04-08-2011, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpy3b

While the tactic might seem slimy it is not illegal. BB paid for the product and can manage it however they care to. If that means stacking them in the parking lot and setting fire to them, fine it's their money as well as the fine for the fire but there is no "law" that says how they must offer the product for sale.

But if there aren't laws about lying to the customer about the item not being in stock, with the express intent of bringing the people back another day to try to sell them other things, then there damn well should be. That is fraud.

grumpy3b · 04-08-2011, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardeegee

But if there aren't laws about lying to the customer about the item not being in stock, with the express intent of bringing the people back another day to try to sell them other things, then there damn well should be. That is fraud.

hardly a business is under no obligation to sell a customer anything. And it is not fraud to say they have no more of an item to sell but more could be available tomorrow is absolutely NOT a lie. It is in fact the truth based on Best Buy's own daily sales quota for the device.

edbro · 04-08-2011, 03:07 PM

Quibbling.

"Having no more to sell" is different than "having no more I'm allowed to sell".

grumpy3b · 04-08-2011, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edbro

If you think their lying isn't wrong then we have different definitions of "wrong".

apparently, please explain how a business deciding how they offer their products and services is wrong? I have told clients I could not take them on as a client because i already have too much business. The fact was I did not want them as a client and could easily handle their business. I have zero obligation to accept them as a client and tell them whatever the hell I want for a reason.

grumpy3b · 04-08-2011, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edbro

Quibbling.

"Having no more to sell" is different than "having no more I'm allowed to sell".

nope, it is not different. Stomp and hold your breath all you want, it's the same thing, period.

btw, you added the word ALLOWED not me or anyone else.

ardeegee · 04-08-2011, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpy3b

nope, it is not different. Stomp and hold your breath all you want, it's the same thing, period.

Fine. You have just established your lack of morals, and that pretty much grinds any discussion to a halt.

grumpy3b · 04-08-2011, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardeegee

Fine. You have just established your lack of morals, and that pretty much grinds any discussion to a halt.

nice discussion, then again this is your standard behavior on this site. Please feel free to go away mad.

ardeegee · 04-08-2011, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpy3b

nice discussion, then again this is your standard behavior on this site. Please feel free to go away mad.

I'm not the one defending lying as a business tactic. Sorry that I place honestly above dollars.

04-08-2011, 01:57 PM	#1
grumpy3b Banned Posts: 246 Karma: 14967 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 2 (x2), Kindle 1, a couple old PDAs	Best Buy maybe banned from selling iPad or how Apple is expanding the "Walled Garden" Yup, seems Apple is now extending their oh so wonderful "Walled Garden" to try and manipulate how retailers decide to sell products in their own business. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2383307,00.asp The the above PCMag "article" (a charitable description of the thing at best) describes how Best Buy was basically setting a daily sales quota on the iPad 2 then once this number was reached they would tell customers the thing was sold out. I am inferring Best Buy is then telling the customer to check back tomorrow as more are due in at any time. I don't see it as wrong and is a reasonable marketing method to get people to come back to the store multiple times in hopes they might also buy something else over the course of a few visits in hopes of snagging a high demand and hard to find device. It's not as if Best Buy is not buying their required amount of Apple devices and not having the iPad 2 for a few days more is going to cause someone to drop over dead, it is just some slight of hand marketing. And I really dislike defending Best Buy for any reason and it's also a pretty slimy and rinky-dink scam. Still, it's their merchandise if they paid for it and are indeed selling the product which is going to sell out no matter how they approach the matter. Apple should instead be asking why they, Apple, cannot deliver to meet the demand, Apple is perfect in all they undertake, correct? If Apple prepared properly there would be a slight surplus if Apple did actually care about making sure any of their customers who want an iPad 2 could buy one right here and now. A funny case of the pot calling the kettle black it would seem. Added: {04/11/2011} Well, it seems after reading more of the links thanks to a few folks commenting later in the thread there are valid reasons for holding back on the sales. And it might all have been nothing more than a couple of abused Best Buy employees 'acting out'. Can't blame them because anyone knows if you keep kicking your dog one day your leg will come back missing a foot. But all in all it was a nothing story based on employee rumor. Of course many stories have started that small and turned into something real. But perhaps not in this case. Sorry about that miss. It was fun to have some conspiracy theories, heck someone even brought in the Illuminutty. Oh wait those are the ones from Planter's Peanuts not the Freemasons. Ahhh, Illuminati was the answer. ;p Last edited by grumpy3b; 04-11-2011 at 01:04 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
iPad "Apple legt nach" - iPad 2 vorgestellt	hamlok	Apple	13	09-06-2011 08:09 PM
Registering Kindle DX Graphite Global in a "banned to sale" country (Turkey)?	Dadelius	Amazon Kindle	8	08-03-2010 04:48 AM
walled garden not so bad after all..	scottjl	Apple Devices	103	07-30-2010 11:46 AM
Apple iPad has "play fair" drm	eBookNerd	Apple Devices	11	02-20-2010 12:42 PM

04-08-2011, 02:10 PM	#3
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,477 Karma: 158151390 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	A soap opera ...tech-style

04-08-2011, 02:12 PM	#4
grumpy3b Banned Posts: 246 Karma: 14967 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 2 (x2), Kindle 1, a couple old PDAs	haha! yup that is it for sure. Zillionaires squabbling over our copper pieces. It could be titled "As the Apple Sours" these are the days of our lives.

04-08-2011, 03:07 PM	#10
edbro Banned Posts: 640 Karma: 4911 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Grapevine, TX Device: iPad4	Quibbling. "Having no more to sell" is different than "having no more I'm allowed to sell".