Fake iPad 2s made of clay sold at Canadian stores

[garbon]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/fake-ipad-2s-made-clay-sold-canadian-stores-220733489.html

As many as 10 fake iPad 2s, all made of slabs of modeling clay, were recently sold at electronic stores in Vancouver, British Columbia. Best Buy and Future Shop have launched investigations into how the scam was pulled off.

The tablet computers, like most Apple products, are known for their sleek and simple designs. But there's no mistaking the iPad for one of the world's oldest "tablet devices." Still, most electronic products cannot be returned to stores. For the the stores and customers to be fooled by the clay replacements, the thieves must have successfully weighed out the clay portions and resealed the original Apple packaging.

Future Shop spokesman Elliott Chun told CTV that individuals bought the iPads with cash, replaced them with the model clay, then returned the packages to the stores. The returned fakes were restocked on the shelve and sold to new, unwitting customers.

"Customers don't expect to receive this kind of product from Future Shop, so it's a very serious matter and something we are addressing right away for anyone who has been impacted," Chun told CTV British Columbia.  "It really saddens Future Shop that people stoop to be this opportunistic and make money in this kind of organized way."

The scam was first brought to CTV's attention by a victim of the crime, Mark Sandhu. Sandhu says after purchasing what he thought was an iPad 2 for his wife for Christmas, he tried to return the clay, only to be rebuffed. "Maybe the way I was dressed, I don't know," he said. "She made me feel like I'm trying to scam them out of $700. I was the one getting scammed."

Sandhu contacted Future Shop's head office, Apple and local police, but no one believed his story. Future Shop has since apologized and given Sandhu a full refund along with a free tablet--a real one.

[mongers]

Damn, I bet Moses is going to be pissed.

[Josquius]

I don't get the scam, sounds like more of a prank to me- folk bought the ipads then went back into the shop and put the fakes on the shelves. I don't see how the folk pulling it profited. Except in laughs

[Admiral Yi]

I don't get the scam, sounds like more of a prank to me- folk bought the ipads then went back into the shop and put the fakes on the shelves. I don't see how the folk pulling it profited. Except in laughs

[mongers]

I don't get the scam, sounds like more of a prank to me- folk bought the ipads then went back into the shop and put the fakes on the shelves. I don't see how the folk pulling it profited. Except in laughs

My hourly translation rate is quite reasonable. 

or if you're a cheapsake:
http://www.geordie.org.uk/

[Admiral Yi]

My hourly translation rate is quite reasonable. 

Have you folks not yet discovered the technology: refe und?

[mongers]

My hourly translation rate is quite reasonable. 

Have you folks not yet discovered the technology: refe und?

See above post.

edit:
or
http://www.whoohoo.co.uk/main.asp

[Josquius]

What's wrong with what I said, no dialect or slang there.

[Admiral Yi]

What's wrong with what I said, no dialect or slang there.

Ask Draftwarmongers; I thought it was completely comprehensible.

[Josquius]

Article says:

Future Shop spokesman Elliott Chun told CTV that individuals bought the iPads with cash, replaced them with the model clay, then returned the packages to the stores. The returned fakes were restocked on the shelve and sold to new, unwitting customers.

Which alone would suggest they got refunds and profited.

But...elsewhere it says electronics products can't be returned and the guy trying to get a refund for the clay failed.

[Admiral Yi]

But...elsewhere it says electronics products can't be returned and the guy trying to get a refund for the clay failed.

It doesn't say that electronics can't be returned.  They didn't refund the clay because they don't sell iPads made out of clay.

[Jacob]

Dear Tyr, it went like this:

Scammer buys the iPad. He replaces the iPad with clay. He shrink wraps the box, so it looks like it's never been opened. Then, he returns the box with the clay in it, receives the refund and keeps a brand new iPad (which he most likely cells onwards for cash).

Next, someone enters the store intending to buy an iPad. They quite reasonably assume that the shrink wrapped iPad-box they obtain from the store contains the gadget in question, but once they get home they find a clay tablet instead.

[Admiral Yi]

Dear Tyr, it went like this:

Scammer buys the iPad. He replaces the iPad with clay. He shrink wraps the box, so it looks like it's never been opened. Then, he returns the box with the clay in it, receives the refund and keeps a brand new iPad (which he most likely cells onwards for cash).

Next, someone enters the store intending to buy an iPad. They quite reasonably assume that the shrink wrapped iPad-box they obtain from the store contains the gadget in question, but once they get home they find a clay tablet instead.

Now here's the tricky part Squeeze

The second guy, instead of cleverly shrink wrapping the clay like the first guy, just heads back to the store with a clay tablet in one hand and an empty IPad box in the other and says "hey, you guys sold me a clay tablet, how about a refund?"

So the second guy gets tazed and tossed out of the store.

[Ed Anger]

In my day, they used bricks. These kids these days have gone soft.

[Monoriu]

In HK, electronics stores always open the box in front of the customer, and let the customer inspect each part before the deal is closed.  No refund under any circumstances.