“A total of six or seven units were sold today, and what I earned was not as much as what I lost on one yesterday.” In front of the West Lake Apple shop, a scalper Sun complained to the Qianjiang Evening News – Hourly News reporter that the iPhone 14 Pro Max he received yesterday at a markup of RMB 1,800 was sold today at a markup of only RMB 600 and that six or seven phones were dumped today without filling up the hole.
Apple’s new iPhone 14 series officially went on sale. There was also a line of fruit fans at the entrance of the West Lake Apple Store to experience the new phones. Many fruit fans who couldn’t get the new machine chose to buy the phone from the scalpers at the door.
Every iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro was packed with test customers in front of it, and one iPhone 14Pro Max near the door even had no trace of power left and was simply switched off.
Many customers were asking one question: when will the real phones be available for pickup in the shop?
Apple staff replied over and over again that there were only a small number of real machines in the shop and that customers needed to make an online appointment for in-store pickup to be available.
At the Westwood Apple shop directly across the street, every citizen who passed by with a new phone in his hand was surrounded by eight or nine scalpers. “Dude, take the phone at a higher price.” “Dude, a dark purple one? I’ll take it for RMB 300 extra.” “Want to buy a phone? Get it cheap.”
The reporter came out of the West Lake Apple shop and was also surrounded by several scalpers. One scalper led the reporter to a corner, he called himself Sun and pointed to several Apple phones on the ground and said, “They are just collected, all have warranty cards, all are licensed, cheaper for you.” The iPhone 14 was offered at a loss of RMB 100 upside down, the iPhone 14 Pro at RMB 300 markup, the 1T gold and white iPhone 14 Pro Max at RMB 500 markup, and the black and dark purple at an RMB 600 markup.
A pair of young men came over with two iPhone 14 Pro Max, and Sun pulled them to the side and held out two fingers. “Only RMB 200 more for each one? We’re good with our own.” The young men were a little surprised. “You don’t sell this gold well, the dark purple is pretty,” Sun explained. After some haggling, the price was finally raised by RMB 500 and the two phones were taken.
“iPhones don’t sell well now, a few years ago a phone made five or six thousand, now you dare to stay overnight and wait to lose money,” Sun complained, that yesterday morning’s Pro Max markup was RMB 2800, yesterday afternoon markup also to RMB 2500, today it has fallen to this. “I kept one yesterday, and today I sold six or seven phones and haven’t made it back.”
The reporter left Sun, a few scalpers on the side and then surrounded, “14 cheap RMB 200 want.” “Pro plus a 200 to take a bar.” “Leave a phone number, add a friend, what you want to send you over.” Scalpers’ promotions are even more enthusiastic than Apple’s official website.
